Asa Gray correspondence files of the Gray Herbarium, 1838-1892 (inclusive). Correspondence with George Engelmann, 1857-1884. Botany Libraries, Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, Mass.

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Correspondence from George Engelmann to Asa Gray and Sereno Watson, 1857-1884

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Engelmann, George Mar. 2, 1857 [1] (seq. 1)
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Engelmann, George Mar. 2, 1857 [1] (seq. 1)

Frankfort March 2d '57

My dear Doctor

I just learned that the plants my brother collected on the upper Platte etc and towards Bridges Pass have been sent to Prof {Jacob Whitman} Bailey at West point by the head of the Expedition, Lieut. Bryant, and that B. refuses to receive them! Did you ever hear the like? They no go begging! My brother advised the Lieut. to send them to you; whether he has done so he could not inform me of. Please take the necessary steps to secure this collection, and in looking it over see that I get a good share of them. — More from Berlin, where

Last edit 6 months ago by Judy Warnement
Engelmann, George Mar. 2, 1857 [2] (seq. 2)
Needs Review

Engelmann, George Mar. 2, 1857 [2] (seq. 2)

I am going tomorrow by the way of Goettingen.

But you will no doubt have letters from me sent before this, which I sent to St. Louis, can have reached you.

Yours ever truly G. Engelmann

Prof {Professor} Asa Gray Cambridge Mass. {Massachusetts}

Last edit 6 months ago by Judy Warnement
Engelmann, George Mar. 23, 1857 [1] (seq. 3)
Needs Review

Engelmann, George Mar. 23, 1857 [1] (seq. 3)

Berlin March 23d 1857

My dear Doctor

I had thought myself entirely forgotten by my American friends, for not only you but every body else kept an obstinate silence — when your agreeable letter of Febr 19th arrived about a week ago. So you have recovered my letters from New York and from shipboard, but it seems have not got one dated Paris Dec 12. Under that date I wrote to you, Torrey and Emory; the latter has got his and answered it — how it is that the others have not arrived, I do not know. I wrote to you about our friends in Paris and about my hasty examinations of the Herbaria; about Michaux {Sparganium} angustifolium, — which certainly resembles very much the White Mtn plant than his Sagitt. graminifolius {Sagittaria} gramininifolia} from Canada, which is certainly nothing but the {Sagittaria} simplex Pursh. What is to be done with the synonomy? Michaux name is bad for many forms and may stand for one variety, something like {Sagittaria} acutifolia. It is possible that some of the old Humboldt in Euphorbias are the same as ours; {Euphorbia} [?] for example is perhaps serpillifolia etc.; but I have those now in hand and shall soon be able to say more about them. I also wrote to you about {Auguste} Trécul. In Paris I was told that he had left for America in a state of great poverty, expecting to make a living as druggist

[last page] already he suffers much from sleeplessness, thirst etc.

By the way, Braun & {Heinrich} Poselger never got their "Cactaceae" — B. got a small package from America for which the post office charged [ thaler?] 4 — and which thereupon he refused. It probably did contain the {cacti}. — I have seen a good deal about Cactaceae, have been enabled to correct some errors, and shall soon send you an appendix. I believe I have already sent you diagnoses of {Cereus} roetteri and Opuntia pes-corvi.

Give our love to the Agassiz family and all those who remember us. I shall write to A. as soon as I have seen Humboldt. By the way I learned with pleasure that Mr. Carey's family will be here soon. — I have seen several Americans here, yesterday a Mr. Kimball from Salem, a cousin of Rev. Russell, who sends Brassica seeds to Caspari. —

Your 2d manual is much liked — but people every where ask about finishing the Flora!!! The first word after, whenever your name is mentioned! — Does Putnam not send a number of copies to Hamburg or Leipzig? —

I was greatly pleased to learn from Mrs. Gray's letter to my wife that you have that young German now in Cambridge — It will cost you and Sprague some time to instruct him, break him in, but I do not doubt you will be amply repaid.

My Cacti are done beautifully and cheaply (150 fr. a plate) in Paris; others I have given to an engraver here. —

{Georg} Mettenius desires seeds or plants of Ophioglossum, Botrychium dissectum, Osmunda interrupta, Woodisa glabella, Aspidum nova — Trichomanes, Schizaea. — The Leipzig {Garden} is beautiful in ferns and will be glad to exchange, through {Felix} Flügel &

the Smithsonian. — Mrs. Engelmann's kind regards to Mrs. Gray and of course my own. Farewell I shall soon write again — yours ever G. Engelmann

Last edit 6 months ago by Judy Warnement
Engelmann, George Mar. 23, 1857 [2] (seq. 4)
Needs Review

Engelmann, George Mar. 23, 1857 [2] (seq. 4)

or any way; that he mistreated or hated every body — botanist in Paris and would so in America; he was spoken of with that sort of haughty pity which is galling to a sensitive mind; he was said to be half demented in his suspicious character etc — In Germany I have had a different version. He was said to have been pushed aside because not chiming in with those at the head of his department etc. At all events he seems to be a sensitive and perhaps morbid mind, but should be encouraged, for we want in American help in every branch of Science. Do you hear any thing about him? or Torrey?

I have spent half of Decemb, Jan & Febr with my old mother and my brothers and sisters; unable to do any thing in botany. Since March 1st I have been to Goettingen and Leipzig much pleased with the my reception there by Grisebach and Mettenius, and by the medical faculty. Poeppig has given up Botany and works hard in Zoology. And now I am here, where my wife & child came to meet me. I spent a few days in Braun's house till I could find private lodgings ; he and his wife send their compliments to you and Mrs Gray; both of you are well and kindly remembered in Braun's family. — My old friend has grown very old, and is overwhelmed with business other than scientifics. He is deacon of the Philos. Faculty, Director of

the {botanical} garden etc and lectures a good deal. He looks worn out. They have preserved their South German, suebian simplicity and kind heartedness with their provisional dialect in this great Sodom; he is universally respected and liked here, but does not go much in Society, more than is absolutely necessary; Humboldt, whom I have not seen yet (he having been quite sick — but has now recovered) does not seem to favor him so much because his favorites {Hermann} Schacht & Braun do not harmonize well. Dr Caspari, now in Bonn, the intended of Marie B's eldest daughter is here at presant; the younger one, Cecilie, is a young lady of great artistic talent and acquirements; they are all very amiable, and the sons very kind to Georgie. —

I found here several well known botanists, {Hermann} Karsten of Venezuela, {Karl} Koch of the Caucasus, Pritzel of the library and best of all {Johann} Klotzsch of the Herbarium; poor K. sends his respects to you; he is an acute botanist, but perhaps too much of the closet — Kind — by the way I like Grisebach's maxim, that a botanist ought from time to time refresh and rejunvinate his mind and his eyes, dulled by looking at nothing but mouldy on worm eaten herbarium specimens by indulging in the delights of God's living nature, by hunting up and examining the plants as he madhe them etc. —

I say "poor Klotzsch" because he is a doomed man, suffering from diabetes; he holds a certain control over his disease but it will finally kill him, and

I shall go from here to Paris and London in May. Chambray has critisized Agassiz part I not very kindly.

Last edit 12 months ago by Judy Warnement
Engelmann, George Mar. 23, 1857 [envelope] (seq. 5)
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Engelmann, George Mar. 23, 1857 [envelope] (seq. 5)

Via Aachen & Liverpool

Mear. '57.

[postmark] BOSTON 30 BR PK 11 APR PAID

[postmark] AACHEN 25 3 PAID 25 Cts.

[postmark] BERLIN STADTPOST-EXP. VI. 24 3*8-9 Vm

Prof {Professor} Asa Gray Cambridge Massachusetts for 13 United States of America

Last edit about 2 years ago by Judy Warnement
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