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Correspondence of Rhoda Waterbury and
G. W. Clinton |
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Correspondence of Rhoda Waterbury and G. W. Clinton 1865 - 1867 Edited
by P. M. P.O. Box 299, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri, 63166‑0299;
and Research Associate, Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo, New York, 14204.
Email: mailto:patricia.eckel@mobot.org December 1865 Vol.
2. No. 117 [D 112]
Schoharie, Dec. 23rd, 1865 My
Dear Mentor, Now
I know you are not crass! if you was a real
“Bluebeard” the women would never dare to hang the wash in your
garret. How much more amiable you are than I am they never dare to invade my
den. Well
Homer came the day before Thanksgiving, just exactly the right time was it
not & he has been quite improving in appearance until this week he was
again taken with chill & fever and for three days we were very anxious
about him, but he is better again. I cannot tell you half how we enjoy his
being at home and his war stories, he was in the cavalry and was out with Wilson
& Kauz on their great raid in the summer of
‘64 has never been wounded or a prisoner. His colonel, who was also a
Schoharie boy and class mate of mine (S. H. Mix) was
killed at the first attack on Petersburgh. The
mosses are covered and napping as you say, my last ramble, the 12 of Dec. was
a forced one, after all it is useless to try to cheat yourself into the
belief that rambling in winter is pleasant, unless you are on skates; we had
two days of fine skating before the snow came but I was not well enough to
try it. I am cross and unhappy when I am confined to the house, the fresh air
does wonders for me and in winter I try to skate, and - (now don’t be
shocked) ride down hill, it is glorious fun when my brothers will go to draw
up the sleigh and we girls have only to ride and laugh. There now how old do
you guess I am? I must have out door exercise and walking does not give it,
besides it is so dull and lifeless when you go along saying “here I go
for my health, hear [sic] I go for my health” but I always feel that it
is rude to break all conventional rules as I do in riding down hill (when any
one who has becoming dignity finds it out). But I have just put up the few
plants I have for you and the State Cabinet, and can not help feeling they
are of not much value, the 500 Polemoniums
excepted. I put in a cotton plant not for its value but our folks make fun of
it and say it must be a new dwarf variety and Homer who has just come from
Virginia is quite inclined to agree with them, and I think myself it will
have to pass as a Schoharie variety. I had some plants four feet high but they did not ripen. Here
the Holidays are just upon us. I have my Christmas presents all done up and
ready for every one of the family, what a pity you are not near enough that I
might have the fun of surprising you too. Well Merry Christmas to you! at any rate. By the way, Mr. Peck wished me to save a
specimen of Polemonium coeruleum
for him, will you please let him have one of the 500. I have a presentiment
they are going to be somewhat broken on the journey and they are not half so nice as they were three months ago. Please do not
forget me during the winter though I can be of no service unless indeed, as
you are pleased to say my rambling epistles do you good. I have to confess a
strong love of approb... after all, though I
sometimes try to think I will try to ... above it, it is useless, I am very
week [sic] and think the world of my friends when they make me pleased with
myself. I fear [it] is the truth. But
you cannot imagine your responsibility how heavy it would weigh upon you if
you could, and I dare not tell you what an elevated position you hold in my
thoughts. Oh these old maids! some of them have a
grand ideal of what God created in his own image, I know. I must close this
hasty scrawl for the fire is out and my fingers stiff. I will try to do
better another time. Goodbye ever
your disciple Rhoda Waterbury Hon.
G. W. Clinton Recd.
Dec. 28, ands Jan 2. The Union Generals James H. Wilson and August
V. Kautz were dispatched by Ulysses S. Grant in
June, 1864, to the Staunton River south of Petersburg, Virginia to destroy
the bridge and the railroad track and associated rolling stock. The raid,
occurring between June 21 and July first of 1864, was in conjunction with the
June attack and later siege of Petersburgh.
Confederate forces used the South Side R.R. and the Richmond and Danville
R.R. over this river. The Union raid was to deprive the South of this
critical transportation link that would also supply Petersburg and Richmond.
Although miles of track were destroyed, the Confederates were able to fend
off destruction and capture of the bridge. Both North and South declared
victories - as a battle it was a victory for the South, as a raid, the
benefit seemed to be to the North. See Greg Eanes,
1999. Destroy the junction: The Wilson-Kautz Raid
and the battle for Staunton River Bridge, June 21, 1864 to July 1, 1864
(Virginia Civil War battles and leaders series) H. E. Howard, Pub. Rhoda’s youngest brother, Homer,
participated in the raid on the In early June of 1864, the city of Rhoda’s classmate was killed on the
first attack on Petersburg in June of the year previous to this letter. The garret is where, in Clinton’s house,
he processed his own field collections. The reference to a Bluebeard must
refer to an acknowledgement that Clinton had several females in his
correspondence, perhaps even another old maid. However, Rhoda had her
revenge, perhaps, for she wrote to Clinton’s colleague, Dr. Samuel B.
Woolworth, Secretary of the Board of Regents the following note: Vol. 2. No. 116 [D 113] " Schoharie Dec. 26th, 1865 S. B. Woolworth, Dear Sir, I send you by todays express a package of plants for the State Herbarium and Hon. G. W. Clinton, please treat
them tenderly for his sake. Yours truly,
Rhoda Waterbury S. B. Woolworth, L. L. D." Woolworth sent Ms. Waterbury’s note on
to Clinton noted “Recd. from Dr. W. Dec.
28.” Vol. 2. No. 118 [D 111] [on printed stationary] "University of
the State of Office of the Secretary,
Albany, Dec. 26, 1985 My Dear Judge, Judex carissimus,
justissimus Augustissimus,
et cetera ad finem. I have yours of the 23d. A copy of the Report
will go with out delay to your friend at Bordeaux. I have sent to the others
you named in a former letter. We cannot hold the Annual meeting without you.
You will regard this as a Mandamus, that is it I
believe. The Chancellor is doing Europe with his fair bride. He will not be
home til the 20th of Jan. I can not give you a pass
on the R. R. but I will pay your expenses if you are not too extravagant. [Visi, visi??? vim, vim, visu?] Most truly &c.
S. B. Woolworth Hon. G. W. Clinton I have a package of plants from Mr. Lord, and
also one recd. today from Schoharie, probably from Miss Waterbury. Give me an
additional list of those to whom you will have reports sent. I have
enough ... reports.
Recd. Dec. 28" The Latin: "Judge most dear, most just, most august and so on to the end." |
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