youth, and let no evil habit gain strength with his years. So shall he rise like a cedar on
the mountains his head be seen above the trees of the forest. Teach him obedience and he
shall bless you, teach him charity and he shall gain love, Dear James I have done a
good deal of unmerited kindness for you and my purse is still open to releave you once
mor[e] if your wife is satisfied I will bring you once mor[e] to this country from
amongst those who has degraded your carecter for acting a manly part in the case of your
marr[i]age I esteem your wife very highly but dont beleave that you have elevated
yourself SO highly by your marr[i]ag[e] as is represented to me by the talk of your father-
in-laws people hoever as a kind and genteel family the[y] are highly esteemed by me
write to me and let me know if you will act the Calf if you come out here again I will
not send for you without the consent of your wife for you are in duty bound to support
her, and may the blessing of God enable you to do SO
I
must now come to acknowledge the receipt of several letters from you when I arived
from the western teratory one from My father one from my Mother and one from
Wm and one from John and one from sister Mary Jane and one from Mrs Scott which
I
wish you all to consider this a answer to your letters as it is not necessary to write you
al[1] seperate you will please let Mrs Scott have a reading of this letter and request her
to consider this a answer to her letter as I could not send her any other news than this
sheet contains
Dear Hannah you will please write me a long letter and let me know
how the beloved of my boasem is in regard to her feelings respecting the love I have for
her and request James to send me a letter according to promise, I will now give you all
a short account of my travels during last summer this sheet could not contain half what
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
Resource Type
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.
