Robert Smyth, Philadelphia, to his family, Moycraig, County Antrim, 25 March
1844
Philad March 25th 1844
Dear father it is to you and all my brothers and sisters that I address these fewlines and
also to my loving and affectionate mother and with due respects to the hoary head of my
old Grandfather it is with a bleeding Heart that I am going to acknowledge my
negligence in not writing before this time, but before I finish this letter, I think that I will
soothe you with true and tender expressions proceating from a sincere heart whitch when
you have read and meditated on you will be willing to say he is the same dutiful son and
the affectionate Brother, but not yet the loving husband for alas I have not yet been
successful in getting to myself a helpmate nor do I want one in this country for there
is
a sweet flower that has grown on the Carnculloug[h] hills whitch I hope will yet be the
garland of my youthful love and the banner whitch I shall labour to protect, I will
now
address these few lines to my parents. I will endeavor to supply your wants in all
respects as a dutiful son, for if I go to the desert there I can observe the young stork of
the wilderness; and he will speak to my heart, for he beareth on his wings his ages sire
he lodgeth him in safety, and supplieth him with food, The piety of a child is sweeter
than the insence pf Persia offered to the sun; yea sweeter than odors wafted from a field
of Arabian spires by the western pales, I will therefor[e] be grateful to my father for he
gave me life, and to my mother, for she sustained me, I will hark to the words of your
mouth for the[y] are spoken for my good I will give ear unto your admonition for it
prossceeds from love you have watched for my welfare you hvae toiled for my ease
Robert Smyth, Philadelphia, to his family, Moycraig, County Antrim, 25 March 1844
Description
Smyth apologises for not writing earlier and assures them he will not forget them and does not intend to marry in this country but instead hopes to wed "a sweet flower that has grown on the Carculloug[h] hills". He promises his brother James to continue to keep his purse open for him and will bring him out once more [to America] if his wife agrees, in consideration of enmity from her family for "acting a manly part in the case of your marr[i]age". Smyth then relates his weeks-long journey from Philadelphia to to the "western country" on behalf of his uncle business, over the "alleygency mountains" with his partner Mr Martin — who had once been in smuggling partnership with Smyth's uncle Jonathan. After settling his uncle's business, Smyth purchased 100 cattle in the "western reserve" and drove them home on horseback, averaging thirty miles a day and passing "45 other droves", even as he stated that "road droving" was very dangerous "though respectable". Smyth notes there are no fairs, like in Ireland and instead cattle are sold by riding "amongst the farmers and purchase them and appoint a place to muster your drove". After recounting a "little occurance" with a wild hog, Smyth concludes that he must "make his fortune to match with W.R. [the flower of Carncullough] before I can hang my hat up here" or he will never return to Ireland.
Date
25/03/1844
Date Issued
27/03/2023
Cineál Acmhainne
Text
Archival Record Id
p155/1/3/2
Publisher
University of Galway
Extent
7pp
Topic
Smith/ Smyth Letters
Geographic
Philadelphia (city),Philadelphia (county),Pennsylvania,United States,Moycraig Hamilton (townland) Antrim (county),Ireland
Temporal
Nineteenth century,Eighteen forties
Genre
Letter,Transcription
Note
Title and transcript provided by Professor Kerby Miller. This transcript includes handwritten corrections to transcript from PRONI, made with reference to original letters. Letter description provided by University of Galway. The names Smith and Smyth are used interchangeably in this series so both are quoted.
