folder 03: 1830–1835

Mrs. Mary Battle to The Court } Petition for years allowance } Clerk's fees $2.65 - The Same to The Court } Petition for Dower } Clerk's fees $3.75 Register's fees .40 tot. $6.80

Rec'd payment of Mrs. Battle [Wm H Battle?] 11th Aug't 1830 Benj H Blount, Clerk of County Court (seal)

Receipt Clerk of Nash Court to Mary Battle

ch'd.

Oakendale April 2nd 1831

Dear Dossay Your truly acceptable letter of the 5th Ult. was received some days since, and afforded no little pleasure to the dwellers at Oakendale Hall. We were no less pleased at the information which it contained, than at its style and execution. We think it stands in no need of the apology, which you make for it, as many a worse letter has been written by persons who had enjoyed much better means of education than has fallen to your lot. Without intending any undue praise, we say without flattery, that we were highly gratified at this specimen of your talent in epistolary writing. -- In my present communication, I cannot promise you any matter of news. A letter despatched from this place a few days ago by Lucy to Richard, has completely monopolized the news department and to that I must refer you. I design this epistle as a conclusion of the account of my Northern trip, and as a detailed exposition of the scheme which was hinted at in Lucy's letter to Richard. - Let us return then to the City of New York where I believe I left you at the conclusion of my last letter. The only other objects of any interest that I visited during my stay in the City was the meeting of the Literary convention in the City Hall, the Park Theatre and the Catholic Church. It having been contemplated to establish an university in the City of New York, those interested in the proposed institution thought it desirable to have all the information possible on so interesting a subject. For that purpose a convention of all the most distinguished literary characters in the adjoining states was suggested, and accordingly invitations were given to that effect. The convention had assembled and was sitting at the time of my arrival in the City. I heard it spoken of, and gladly availed myself of the opportunity of seeing the Northern literati & of hearing their discussions. The day of my visit to the meeting was the last day of its session. There had been several very interesting debates on the previous days, but the subject discussed on the last day was one proposed by Albert Gallatin of Pennsylvania and attracted great attention. It was whether in the proposed university there should not be a course of studies prescribed, in which the dead languages should form no part, but which yet should entitle the student to a collegiate degree. Mr. Gallatin had left New York that morning so that I missed the pleasure of seeing & hearing him. Dr Gallaudet, Instructor of the Deaf & Dumb Asylum, opened the debate, and in one of the most lucid and satisfactory arguments I ever heard, advocated the propriety of such a plan. He was replyed to by several presidents and professors of colleges, who thought the Latin & Greek languages a sine qua non in all collegiate institutions. Dr. Gallaudet was supported by only one member Dr Mason President of Geneva Colledge New York. If I mistake not the debate resulted in a vote that there should be an enquiry into the propriety of such a measure. I should have mentioned that previous to the commencement of this debate, Mr. Perdicari, Professor of Greek in Cambridge Colledge, a native of Greece, made a very handsome address to the convention on the subject

of the modern Green language. He spoke our language quite fluently and his address was much admired. After the debate was concluded, several subjects of literary interest were proposed for consideration and enquiry, which upon being moved, drew from the mover some remarks upon their nature and object. Mr. [David?] Sparkes made several short addresses in this way. A short time before the meeting adjourned Dr. Wainwright of Grace Church N. York, prosed an expression by the meeting of the satisfaction and instruction which they had derived from the convention and made some very appropriate and eloquent remarks upon the occasion. A vote of thanks was given to the President of the Convention Dr. Bates President of Middlebury Colledge Vermont, to which he returned a very happy reply and there after prayer by Dr. Morgan? the convention adjourned to meet again next fall. Among the members of whom you have heard something and which were pointed out to me by a gentleman who sat near me, was Noah Webster, author of the Dictionary, Professor Patton?, Dr Woolbredge? author of the geography and Colonel Knapp, author of Knapp's dictionary. I was very sorry that I did not see and hear Mr. Gallatinn who made a speech the evening before my visit. Mr Livingstone, the U.S. Senator from Louisiana had also spoken a day or two before. I did not think any of the speakers whom I heard were as eloquent as Mr. Gaston, but there was much good sense and sound reasoning in their remarks. Dr Wainright, I thought to be most of the orator. I was highly gratified at the visit and could have gladly spent several day in the same way, had an occasion & my business permitted. The night previous to my visit to the convention I went to the Park Theatre to see Miss Clara Fisher. The decorations of the Theatre were very elegant and the performance quite equal to my expectations. Miss Fisher I found to be a great favorite. She was encored every time she sang and had to return and sing each song a second time. She acted a male part in the force to wit, that of the Little Sargeant in the Invincibles and did ample justice to the character. On Sunday I went in the forenoon to the Catholic Church. I saw what the protestants call a great deal of mummery but hear some most delightful music. I had never known until then how much music is calculated to heighten the feeling of devotion. The priest delivered a good and perfectly unexceptionable sermon, but spoilt the whole after he had finished by reading from little scraps of paper, that the souls of persons who had recently died were to be prayed for. In the afternoon, a friend took me over to Brooklin which is a beautiful place, and from which there are fine views of New York, the harbor, shipping, etc etc. On Monday morning 10 o'clock. I left the city, crossed over to Hoboken on the Jersey side, and took the stage for Patterson,

where I arrived to dinner. Patterson is a beautiful manufacturing town of 5 or 6 thousand inhabitants. It is 10 miles above New York with which it has constant intercourse by means of daily stops, & a water communication through the Hudson & the Passaic Rivers. The town is just below the falls of the Passaic and has almost unrivalled advantages for manufacturing establishments. There are 14 or 15 of different kinds in operation at present. The country is very hilly & romantic. There is a precipice just below the falls of 60 or 70 feet perpendicular. I went to see it & stood on or near the very spot from which Sam Patch made his first leap. The Morris canal runs around the foot of a hill of 250 feet high just above the town. I remained in Patterson till Wednesday morning, when I returned to New York quite unwell. In the evening I sent for Dr George S. Bett[?] (the Chapel Hill tutor) who gave me a dose of medicine which somewhat relieved me. The next evening I felt so much better that in spite of the Drs. remonstrances, I determined to take the Steam boat the next morning I did so, & slept that night at Philadelphia & the next at Baltimore. The next day being Sunday, & having to wait for a passage to Norfolk till Monday morning, I went with a gentleman with whom I had found a slight acquaintance in the Steam boat the day before, to take a ride on the Rail Road. We got on a car with 20 or 30 other persons & were carried by our house out to Elllicott[miles?] 13 miles in 1 hour & 18 minutes & returned in 1 hour & 16 minutes [We?} changed the horse at the halfway house. The ride was a most delightful one. A pleas[ant] day, beautiful scenery & the most delectable of all motions [?] jaunt a feast indeed. I got so well pleased with my companion I resolved to go with him through Washington City & by the way of Fredericksburg & Richmond, & Petersburg to L[?]burg. Accordingly we left Baltimore after dinner, & went at a pretty rapid rate over an elegant turnpike to Washington City. Next morning I went up to look at the Capitol of the U.S. Saw the paintings in the rotunda; visited both chambers, went on the top of the building &, but for a hazy day, might have had a very grand view of all the surrounding greenery. At eleven we left Gadsby's hotel, drove down to the Steam boat, in which we went to the mouth of Potomac Creek, where we took the stage, supped in Fredericksburg, rode all night, got to Richmond about 12 next day, and to Petersburg between 2 and 4, got dinner, hopped in the stage again, traveled all night & got home about 11 oclock the night after. I was very sick nearly all the way after leaving Fredericksburg. When I arrived home I found I had that most miserable disease, the Yellow Jaundice. So ends my story.