$$H152 Part of the Diane Tempest Catalogue$$H
New York
August 19th 1864.
Dear Thomas,
Very many years have rolled away, and amost a generation has
passed
since last I seen you, or even had the pleasure of hearing from
you -
a strange family indeed - I have sought in vain in this large
city for
a London Directory to find about you, but not one in any of the
large
Commercial Houses or Shipping Offices could I find, until last
week
I was told I could find Directories of all parts of the World at
the
Merchants Exchange, when to my great joy I seen your name in
1863
Directory along with George Skellerns - God has spared us both
to this
good old age, the last of our generation, and only surviving
ones. I
have been very anxious to hear all about you, your wife and
children,
as like myself you must be a grandfather years ago. Space will
[ail?] me
to give you a history of myself - it would take a book and that
a large
one, for me to tell you my history since last I seen you.
All I ever knew of in Dublin are dead years ago except a younger
generation
of the date of George Skellern in London, and they too are gone
some of
them, I will try to give you a very brief history of my family
and hope
to hear in return from you a more fortunate one of yours. At the
time I
was in Dublin business as usual went against me. Uncle George's
money all
expended by continual idleness, and being persuaded by a young
man of
about 22 years to dispose of all I had and go to America where
he had very
rich friends where we all would be happy for life, showing me a
letter of
invitation from his father to us for our kindness to his son by
us, that
he would be a friend to us as long as I lived - all this turned
out
fictitious - the letter was a forgery and all turned out false
on my
arrival in this city, where I found myself, my wife and four
children
left deserted by the wretch who not only deceived me so far,
after paying
his passage with our own, but also supported him on sea for 8
1/2 weeks
and about 2 months board and lodging in Dublin, but robbed us of
all the
money we had along with some clothes etc.etc and escaped,
leaving me and
family with the large sum of a half Sovereign I had in my pocket
to begin
the world in a strange country - my wife nearly got crazy, but I
put my
confidence in God and kept as calm as I could under such trying
circumstances.
In about 3 or 4 days I procured employment, at about 1 dollar a
day -
my daughter (Maria) who you seen in' London soon got something
to do also
at 4 dollars per week, and my eldest son, then 13 years left me,
adding to
my affliction, thinking he was drowned, but at the end of two
weeks
returned, bringing home to me, a few dollars which he earned
from a farmer
on an orchard, so by this way I seen the hand of Providence
outstretched
to me when I least deserved it, and by constant diligence to
business and
everything here at that time being pretty reasonable, (quite
different now)
I endeavoured to save up in the course of a few years about 300
dollars
but again another and more trying misfortune came over me, one
that
nothing but death will end it. Fifteen years ago my daughter
Maria (who
you seen) got married to a young man named Fitzgerald, whose
mother was
a sister of Mrs. Skellerns of Capel St. Umbrella Maker, wife of
Charles
Skellern (our first cousin) This young man was after her for
years -
seeming to us a proper well conducted and sober young man -
another was
after her at the same time, but used to drink sometimes - Being
bit by the
wretch that induced and robbed me I thought I would not be duped
again
and preferred Fitzgerald to the latter, altho' she did not like
him so much
The latter young man (Watson) has turned out a most prosperous
man, whilst
Fitzgerald, ever since the first week of his marriage has turned
out a
notorious drunkard and loafer (idler) - can earn 3 dollars a day
when he
works; has four beautiful handsome children, besides 2 dead.
Poor Maria
is sometimes left in the greatest poverty by his conduct, not
seeming to
care for his children, or wife, whether they starve or not. They
would
all be dead lone ago only for me, and my eldest son George and
Charley -
his own brother is out here and all done what we could for him,
but
worse he is, idling for 2, 3 and 4 weeks together - once 13
weeks, during
that time one of children died and I had to inter it, a fine boy
6 years -
the cost of interments here is frightful, it cost me 50 dollars
for that
alone - enumerating at the lowest this unfortunate matter is put
away
from me not under 3 and 400 dollars exclusive of all the others
that
helped them - would to God he was dead, and is too great a
coward to
list in the army - we trust he may be drafted in this next call
for
500,000 men next month for this unfortunate war.
Now I wish to tell you a little about my next child, George, his
destiny
is quite different - he has been no trouble or expense to me
whatever and
his prospects were bright, altho it caused me much affliction -
I aIways
thought him wild but he was doing good for himself all the time;
as I told
you before he left me to do good - from that he went to sell and
make up
flowers, then into a fruit store, then a little at a printing
press, then
to a hat store where he was taken great notice of but last of
all he
enlisted in the United States Service at the age of 16 as a
musician
where all the officers of his regiment (the 4th Artillery) held
him up
as a pattern to others for his cleanliness,good conduct etc. and
had him
educated in the army, besides instructing him themselves during
his 5
years; after that time they wanted him to go to West Point
College to be
educated for an officer, but he preferred a civil life and came
home
procured for himself a clerkship, where he remained for 6 or 7
months still
gaining more knowledge in bookkeeping; at the end of that time
he procured
a more lucrative situation at double-entry bookkeeping in a
merchants store
then left that, and now holds a responsible situation as sole
conductor
of one of the largest Iron establishments in this City (Cashier
and
Account in it [accountant?] where over 100 men are employed-
Messrs.
Catewell's Iron Works) his salary there is 1500 dollars a year,
besides
many [perquisites?], this is not all - he makes up the books of
another
establishment down town in a large Restaurant, for which he
receives 500
dollars a year for 2 nights in the week - he is married to an
American
woman, by whom he has 3 children - we very seldom see him - he
has almost
forgotten father and mother, and is quite American - he is very
fat. My
youngest son Charles is far less fortunate, would never take any
education,
and was on my hands until the breaking out of this war, when he
enlisted
in a regiment and was in 2 engagements when he got [?] and was
discharged;
again he joined the 37th National Guards of New York for 6
months without
examination as a substitute where he was in the battle of
Gettysburgh,
came home unhurt; again went off with the 7th same way and at
last was
received into the Invalid Corps, where he now is in Baltimore
and by his
last letter is about being sent home, again as unfit for any
duty - in
this he received his 300 dollars - he is too good natured and
extravagant
can never keep any money - he is the finest of the 3 1 have -
both tall
and handsome - would give money away to anyone he thought wanted
it, as
long as he had it - the rest are all dead - only 3 living out of
8,
Now I have told you all as short as I could in this small space
as I have
a little time to spare, we are on the strike for higher wages,
and
everything is almost at famine price, 3 times or 4 times as dear
since the
[war?] broke out - people are almost starved everything is so
dear, and
enormous taxation on everything, the value of 1 dollar in gold
is 280
dollars in paper currency - we never see either gold or silver,
not
even pennies (or cents as they are called here) only paper
money, such
as dollar bills 50, 25, 10 and 5 cents (postal) or currency
bills
and for pennies the store keepers give their own little casts
whereon
is printed "value for 3 cents" or 2 or I as the case may be, and
pass
from one to the other. I never seen such times - people expect
to die
of starvation in the winter - coal 15 dollars a ton now - in the
winter
is expected to be 20 dollars.
As to myself I am getting very weak, extreme heat in Summer,
extreme cold
in winter. My sight is failing me much, but I retain my teeth
and hair
yet, as you may perceive by my likeness in the Cart de Visite 1
send you -
show it to your children, I suppose your wife would not know me
I am so
old - 65 on the 12th inst now turned into 66 one of my lungs is
hepatized
these last 6 years, so I have only one sound one, which makes my
breathing
short sometimes.
Can I prevail on you to write me a letter about yourself, wife
and children,
let me know all about them, I would dearly like you to send me a
card of
your likeness as we will never see each other again in this
world.
Remember me to G Skellern, give my love to your wife and
children - I
will send you some American (New York) papers if I hear from
you. Direct
your letters to "John M. Skellern" 453 West 42 street, between
9th and
10th Avenue New York - I have no more room left .- Your
affectionate Brother
John M. Skellern
453 w.42nd St.
Aug.19.1864.
This likeness is perfect - you see how grey my beard and
whiskers are - my
hair is not so very grey, condidering my age but I am getting
very much
stooped in the back - wife wears her age much better.
Transcribed by Jonathan Engstrand
