Daniel Polin, Pittsburg, to William Bennet, c.Mercer Town, Mercer
County, Pennsylvania, June 2, 1818.
(The Balch Institute, Philadelphia. Polin was a recently
arrived immigrant from C. Saintfield, Co. Down; Bennet - a 98'er
emigrated from the same area 15-20 years previously.)
"Pitsburg
June 2nd 1818
My Dear Sir /
Tho' neither you nor I would now know each other,
yet your intimacy with my father will certainly excuse this liberty
on my part - Since you came to this country there has not been a
letter but one reco from you by your friends in Ireland, which has
rendered them very unhappy - Writing is the only happiness that
absence grants to real friends, & you must pardon me for saying
that you ought not to omit it, as I can assure you. the affection
of your Brothers & sisters is as sincere & unshaken as ever it was
Many a time I have heard them lamenting that they did not hear from
you, but I hope your future attention to them will be such as to
excuse your past neglect - As I am but a few days landed in this
country from Ireland & can give you the principal news there,
I flatter myself a detail of them will not be indifferent to you -
Your Brothers Alexr, Hugh & Jimmy are well - Alex has a large family
but most of them are grown up & able to do for themselves - He still
has plenty to do at his trade, & is able to take a hearty drink
now & then - Hugh is married to Nancy Copeland & has got two fine
children - He lives very comfortably & is industrious - James works
journey-work with Alexr - Your Brotherinlaw Moses Hamilton is dead
some time ago, but I believe his family are all well - Billy Jackson's
wife & family are well - Your sister Jenny married James Martin &
they live pretty well in a little spot of land belonging to the
Mateers - Andrew Matteer married a daughter of Frank Hamilton &
has got four or five children, but Jimmy has never found in his
heart to venture on a wife tho' he is often talking of it - Frank
Scott is still alive, but he is threatened with a cancer on his
shin, which I am affraid will soon take him off - His son John be-
came a doctor & is married & doing well in Dromore - Rob Copeland's
family are nearly all married - Old William & Jimmy Jackson are both
widowers this some time past, but it is not expected they will ever
marry again - Old Jimmy Stewart is dead - He signed over his land
to his son John in order to get him a rich wife, & the poor fellow
was but badly handled in his old days Stewart's family of
chewgrove are well - The old couple are still alive - Mr Nelson is
still able to teach & preach - I suppose my Mother was dead before
you left Ireland & that you are aware of the weighty charge my
father had - His affection for his children & desire to promote
their happiness & interest prevented him from ever marrying again,
tho' he was but a young man - He struggled hard with the world for
a considerable time, but at last got the better of it, so that he
now lives pretty comfortably - He educated three of the youngest of
us at Mr Nelson's Academy & my Brother James & I have come out here
