IX

    Revolutions of 1800

    november 1800–march 1801

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    197

    To Sarah Savage Thatcher

    “Representative Hall in the Capitol,” Washington, D.C.        21 November 1800

    My dear—

    I hasten this morning to give you some account of my Journey & of myself since the scrawl I wrote you the day I left our dear habitation—And I cannot omit to express here the sensations with which I set out were peculiarly painfull—never before did I leave any of the family unwell, or the family without yourself at home to take care of them—these circumstances made my journey less pleasing than any former one—The stage did not reach Biddeford till it began to <lined out> grow dark; Olive my fair companion1 & myself crouded into it & after a most tedious & dangerous three hours we got safe to Kennebunk—We reached Boston on tuesday evening—We slept monday night at Newbury Port [Massachusetts]; I called a few moments to see our dear little Lucy [Thatcher], who was very well—She grows, & looks handsome—I kissed her about a thousand times for you & all her brothers & sisters—They were all anxious to hear from Phillips, & nothing could exceed their joy on hearing of his being on the recovery—Had he been Mrs. [Mary Atkins] Searls son she could not have have [had] enjoyed the news with a more heart feeling gratitude—& the little Girls Katy, & Fanny expressed the same2

    We made no stay at Boston, but left it early on wednesday morning, & reached Hartford on Fryday morning; I breckfasted at Mr. [Barzillai] Hudsons; I left Olive in the arms of her friends & got into New York to dine on sunday, & immediately passed the North River & pressed on to Elizabeth town [New Jersey] which we reached about eight oClock in the dark & with some hazard of being turned over—but no accident happened. I breckfasted in Philadelphia on tuesday morning; the mail for Baltimore had left Philadelphia that morning, half an hour before we arrived, which compelled me to tarry till wednesday morning; but having some Letters to leave & a few friends I wished to visit I did not regret the delay—

    At eight oClock on wednesday morning I left Philadelphia & crossed the Susquehannah at the distance of seventy miles before nine oClock; I went to bed & slept till twenty minutes before twelve; when we were roused by the Stage man, & tho I never in my life longed more to continue in bed I forsed myself out & reached Baltimore, at the distance of thirty seven miles by eight oClock on thursday—The moment our Stage drove to the door, the Washington Stage was going to start, but we informed the Stage man we wished for a passage & he ordered it to stop till we could breckfast, which we did, & at nine oClock steped into the Stage & drove off for this city which we reached before five oClock in the afternoon. And here ends my rout of six hundred & ten miles in eleven days—

    Last evening I put up at a Tavern—to day I shall look around for permanent lodgings; Every thing is new—& as rough as barbarians could wish—money is needed in large sums—board is from ten dollars upwards, how high I dont know—Our Hall3 is convenient and every thing is doing to make life comfortable—

    The snow fell last night to about three inches on a level—

    Mr. [Peleg] Wadsworth & Mr. [Silas] Lee with his wife arrived some days ago, & are well—

    As I have out run the mail I dont expect to hear from you under two or three days, but my fears & anxiety are distressing—adieu for the present I shall write you again in a few days

    yours most affectionately

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    ALS, TFP. Addressed to Biddeford; franked.