This remarkable letter was written by 70 year-old Mary Elizabeth (Woolsey) Hubbell (1783-1858) who lived with her daughter, Alida Livingston (Hubbell) Taylor (1812-18xx), and son-in-law, Royal William Taylor (1808-1879)—a merchant in Fort Wayne, Allen county, Indiana. Mary was the widow of Wolcott Hubbell, Jr. (1778-1841) and the daughter of Melancthon Lloyd Woolsey who served as an aide to Governor George Clinton in the American Revolution and afterwards as a Major General in the New York State Militia.
Mary wrote the letter to her son, George Henry Hubbell (1818-1906) who was a law clerk and farmer in Trenton, Grundy county, Missouri. A biographical sketch states that George left his home in New York State in 1835 when he was 16 and became a student at Marion College in Marion county, Missouri. After three years he left college and relocated to Howard county where he taught school, studied law, and was licensed to practice in 1841. He made his way to Grundy county a few years later where he was elected clerk of the Circuit and County Courts in 1847—a position he held for many years. During this time he also purchased a farm in Grundy county two miles outside of Trenton.
What makes this letter most remarkable is a mother expressing disappointment in her son’s decision to pursue law, rather than the ministry, and more importantly, his decision to embrace slavery in Missouri. “If you still persist in advocating that diabolical system, I shall soon go sorrowing to my grave,” she wrote.
TRANSCRIPTION
Fort Wayne, [Indiana]
September 7, 1853
My dear George,
I have been expecting a letter from you or your wife or dear little William. I wrote the 2nd of June but suppose you have not received it. I was disappointed that W. did not see any of you and have been in hopes you and your oldest son would visit us this fall but you say nothing about it.
I feel very lonely today, Alida left us yesterday for New York. Mr. [Royal W.] Taylor accompanied her as far as Toledo and will be home in a day or two. Your sister is going with her cousin and Mr. & Mrs. Hoskins who live at Seneca Falls. She will reach there tomorrow. They will visit the City, the Crystal Palace, the Public Gardens and wishes to increase her variety of plants &c. They will visit their Uncle Sidney at Newark, then to Old Louisborough—the home of your honored ancestors. Mrs. Tracy and your Aunt Mary live there. Mrs. Tracy may have some of her grandchildren with her. The house is large and once was the residence of one of the best and happiest families in Massachusetts. But alas, where are they? The grave yard joining their garden where the old, mouldy, weather-beaten tombstones will tell. One fair cousin was buried there this spring—Frances Tracy. [She was] highly gifted and accomplished [but the] the reverse of fortune from opulence and ease was too much for her tender frame. She went South as a private teacher in a gentleman’s family. She never complained. Her nerves were shattered and a fever ended her life. Mrs. Tracy is very inform. Alida wishes and will if Mr. Hoskins consents to go to Champlain to see her uncles Silas and Julius, their wives, and some cousins.
Frederick Hubbell, son of Silas, died with inflammation on the brain this spring. He was a pious, excellent man—a lawyer of good standing [and] has left a very interesting wife and children. Martha Magat has left her husband and moved to Chazy near her Father. I wish you could see her relatives in that quarter. [They] commenced law when young men and poor, the county new and unsettled. Now they are rich, honored or beloved. They have both been elders in Presbyterian churches for many years and entertain their friends cheerfully & pleasantly.
Your Uncle Loring when home last year said if I had not gone, I might have been as good and happy as my brothers. He is a very unhappy man. He has all the polish and elegance of manners that a man of the world who has traveled so much has, and when alone with Alida and me would tell us some of his trials. He cannot come North. His wife, her attachments and property, are all there. In his last letter to me he says he feels it a duty to read the Bible with his two boys verse [ ] and pray with them. He wishes them to be protestants. Their mother is a set Papist. I expect to write soon and shall tell him to repent, have his heart right with God. He did not ask me or anyone what course to take—the bible will tell him.
We had a delightful visit from your brother Charles. I have a hope he is a Christian. He has not made a profession yet. He says he reads his bible every day and with his family attends the church regularly. He is very sociable and intelligent. Nothing light or frivolous. He has such a good opportunity to improve in new York. He attends all the lectures he can—scientific, religious, &c. Maria went to visit her parents the 11th of July and has not returned yet. We expect her this week. She is like my own child. We all love her very much.
Do write soon. I thank your dear wife for the pretty box. I have it full of daguerreotypes. I wish I had hers and yours. I have bought a book to send you and have one for Mary, useful in raising a family of dear little ones. Oh how much wisdom and patience a mother needs. Oh how deficient I have been and how sinful to neglect the immortal part.
And now my dear George, I must tell you I have been greatly disappointed and grieved that you chose the law instead of the ministry. You never would have gone to Quincy College if I had not have urged it. My sole wish and prayer was that you might be converted and educated and preach the Gospel. Oh what a day of rejoicing when I hear of your conversion. I then thought my prayers were heard and the Lord would make you one of his ministers. But such a distinguished blessing was not for me to enjoy. Then you wrote me you intended the law should be only a stepping stone to the pulpit. Herein again I have been disappointed. My dear Mr. Lathrop who now sleeps in the dust but whose spirit rejoiced in light, always said Mr. George Hubbell ought to be a minister. I do not think it was pride or vanity in my great desire to have you a preacher of the Gospel and to hear your eloquence spoken of and your name extolled among the multitudes of DD. No, if I know my heart, it was that sinners might be turned from darkness to light and that you might be instrumental in saving souls.
And what makes me heartsick is that you think so favorably of slavery. Twenty years has wrought a great change in your feelings and views. If you live, what will 20 years more do? You have now but one slave. Woolsey was told that you was going to build a house and have your girl married in order to propagate the race. In 20 years if the Lord permits slavery to last so long, you may have a number of immortal beings to dispose of and to increase your wealth. They may be heirs of heaven at last but kept in ignorance and the probability is they will be lost. Slavery is a sin and those who have slaves will suffer by it. [Upon] they or their children the curse will fall. “Oh my soul, come not thou into secret and to their assembly mine honor be not thou united.” [Genesis 49:6]
We had in our paper here a few weeks since a notice of a poor negron burnt alive. His crime was great but what influences and bad examples had beset before him. Had his master taught him the fear of the Lord, prayed for him, and pointed him to the Lamb of God, he might have been saved. I have written very plainly and in love to you and your dear family. I have been greatly disturbed since I have learned of your plans so that I could not sleep and have been very unhappy and sincerely regret you ever left New York. I suppose it will do no good but I have freed my mind in telling you how I feel. If you still persist in advocating that diabolical system, I shall soon go sorrowing to my grave. When here you said you would like to live here, but you would lose your girl, you could have kept her as we do bound girls, [ ] her till of age, then pay her wages. We keep two good girls and have no trouble with them [ ] and faithful. I was hurt at the time to think you had rather isolate yourself from all that love you so dearly than to give up one little slave. I can say no more and you will say it is enough mother, and with your poor Uncle Loring say it is too late now.
I was sorry to hear you was cheated again. I had some hope you would leave the state if you failed getting that office. I will not trouble you on this subject again. I have told you all my heart. I will pray and sigh and mourn. It’s all that I can do. I am sorry your dear little George has been sick. Oh how I want to see him. I think him so sweet and handsome. May you realize your fondest expectations as regards your children. May they early be brought into the fold of Christ. I suppose they have been baptized in His name and pray that the inward and spiritual grave will be given. Maria returned Saturday evening the 10th. I was supposed to see her. She went to Boston, New Haven, New York, and had a delightful time of it.
I feel Alida’s absence. She is so lively and pleasant. Mr. Taylor is very kind. ______are all well. Love to your dear wife and little ones and remember you are one of my most precious ones. Your affectionate—mother
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