Julia Griffiths Crofts to Frederick Douglass, February 5, 1864

15. Grove Terrace

Leeds, Feb^y 5^th /64

My dear Friend,

We were very glad to receive your letter of Jan^y 9^th & to find that you had been so much interested in your visit to Washington & Arlington Heights—How I should have liked to have been an eye witness of your meeting with those dear & (over) neglected little children! & to have heard the singing! Well sure I am my eyes w^d not have remained dry! To think of the slave holder's "Smoke House" being converted into a school-house for his freed slaves children! Truly, "all things work together for good" & this terrible war is working out wonderful results in freeing an oppressed people from greater ills than war—Thanks for copies of Lecture & speech—which are always most welcome—Yes! I should, indeed, have liked to

have been in our old Constitution Hall the night in question, & to have listened to that grand Lecture! What extraordinary changes have taken place since I was last in Constitution Hall—I mean as regards the cause so dear to us—Must we not recognize the hand of God in over-ruling & bringing about these events—& thank Him, & take courage"?

I went yesterday to Halifax to be present at the Annual Meeting of the A. S. Society there—& to read extracts from your letters, relative to the Contrabands &c—not omitting what you say relative to your own course of action, lecturing &c—The Leeds Mercury mailed a fortnight ago, will show you how serviceable to our cause I make your letters—I bought 2 dozen papers, & scattered them up & down the land, among our friends[.] I regret to say the feeling now to be combated here is, "there is nothing more for us to do"—"we will wait & look on!"—How much some of us miss your paper. M^rs Carpenter & I were together mourning its withdrawal yesterday—it was something tangible to point to!—Reading to the H. friends & marking what you say about the Freedman's Colored asso: at Washington, I have especially commended that Society to the H. S. & have advised them to send what they desire to donate in aid of contrabands, through you, to that Asso—I dare say you will be communicated with soon, on the subject by M^rs Carpenter—I mean officially—The ladies seemed unanimous in wishing to sew for the contrabands—

Glasgow friend Miss Margaret Smith followed her there—not a year after her dear brother John's death—So it is my dear old friend.

"Friend after friend departs"—May you & I be found ready when our call comes— I trust we may yet meet again in this world—& together celebrate the entire freedom of your people. How I sh^d enjoy to peep in vain on the old spot—"the Hill"—I should think, from Rose's account it is greatly improved—& yet the old study will be about the same! Some things I should never like to see altered, & that is one! Who knows yet but that I may see you a Grandpapa, playing with your grandchildren under the peach trees—I hope you like Mr. Nathan Sprague! Write soon again please—Give my love to M^rs D—& any of the boys at home—& with best wishes for your preservation in these times of danger believe me, as ever,

Your faithful & affec^ate friend,

Julia G. Crofts—

The Bristol friends decline to aid any colored man, (or white) who advocates the war—The Rochester Society has sent its Reports every where—& doubtless hopes in future (quite independently of me—the founder) to receive all the donations from the British friends—They ignore the fact, that but for me that Society w^d never have existed—I feel rather indignant I confess—Please, send me more particulars of the Washington Colored Relief Society—& promptly—I believe in aiding the colored friends direct when possible—