[Rarebooks] Manuscript American Travel / Cincinnati/ the Mississippi/ Galveston & texas

[Garry R Austin]

We offer the following postpaid, for your consideration;
FOUR LETTER’S OF TRAVEL FROM A JOURNEY 
FROM BALTIMORE TO TEXAS 
VIA CINCINNATI AND NEW ORLEANS
1859

An interesting glimpse back to mid 19th century rail and steamboat travel down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. Texas looms in the writer’s future as a destination and an idea and an El Dorado. The writer is educated, focused, observant and respectful. Three of the letters are written in ink, one in pencil all retain the original mailed envelopes with postage.
The collection; $595.00 / $400 net to trade


1. Robinson, Matthew. Cincinnati, November 22nd, 1859. Three pages to "Mother". Letters measure 9 1/4” x 7 1/4”, with envelope. Full text below. 	

						Cincinnati, November 22, 1859. My Dear Mother, 
				As you will perceive I am in Cincinnati. I arrived this afternoon at fifteen minutes to three o’clock. Nothing occurred to cause me any the slightest alarm. I reached Benwood on the Ohio River to-day at 3 A.M. having till that time been in the car, in which I seated myself at the Camden station. At Benwood we took splendid cars, my ticket allowing one any seat in the train I chose to select. Subsequently we changed again to still more comfortable cars. The trip thus far has been as pleasant as journeying on a railroad generally is. On arrival here where I am familiar, I commenced looking for a place to pass the night. After some trouble and solicitude I have found one, the precious freight I carried making me more solicitous then I was when last I was in this flourishing city. I have to-day in the car’s been through several hundred miles of the State of Ohio. The prospect from the car window was continually enchanting.  It all looks like New Jersey and Delaware as far as a level country is represented. But the soil is black with fertility, the land is in its character is slightly undulating and the houses are numberless. Every few miles a large town is reached. Horses sheep etc. dot the fields.  You would have been charmed with the prospect. Such mountains of hay, such black soil, such lengths of fencing, such numbers of cattle, and finally a country in all respects so inviting, I never before witnessed.  This land is worth about $30 the acre. The farms are generally smaller than you would think averaging about 100 acres each. Several companies of soldiers joined us at the Relay house for Charlestown. I saw the famous engine house at Harpers Ferry where Brown and his followers were cornered. In the cars I met a man who is been in San Antonio Texas, as an employee of the U.S. Government. He told me he had been at Castroville. He said the government trains are continually growing up thither, though they do not go so frequently in winter, because of the badness of the roads. He speaks of that section of country in the highest terms saying that many fine farms are there about. He however may have been taking at random without confining himself to facts.  My trip so far has been most pleasant.  Send to me at New Orleans the power of attorney and also a copy of the Denton County grant. I see by the papers that several boats are up from this place for New Orleans. I will visit them in the morning, and if it suits me I will go directly from this place to New Orleans. Otherwise I will go to Louisville and there obtain a boat. I will however write you before I leave here informing you how I shall proceed down the river. I write you this to let you know of my safe arrival here. I will also write you from Louisville. I hope I shall be successful at Galveston, the object of my journey. I write this very rapidly. Give my love to Grandmother and Uncle Nicholas, and of course to all the family. I will frame the advertisements in good time. Love to all.					    Your affectionate son,
								     Matthew Robinson

This letter sent to Mrs. Mary L. Forest, 98 East Baltimore St. Baltimore Maryland.

2. Robinson, Matthew. Cincinnati, November 23nd, 1859. One page to "My Dear Mother". Letters measure 9 1/4” x 7”, with envelope. Full text below. 	

						    Cincinnati, November 23, 1859. 
My Dear Mother, 
				 It is now after eleven. At 12 o’clock M. in a few minutes I go in the steamer “Superior”, for Louisville which is 140 miles from here. I will get there in 12 hours.  I will write at full length from Louisville. I only write this to keep you posted as to my exact whereabouts.
							      Your affec. Son 								         Matthew Robinson

This letter sent to Mrs. Mary L. Forest, 98 East Baltimore St. Baltimore Maryland.

Robinson, Matthew. “Mississippi River”, December 1, 1859. Four pages  to "My Dear Mother". Letters measure 8” x 5”, with envelope. Full text below. 	

		   			Mississippi River, December 1, 1859. 
My Dear Mother,
				 The boat I am on is now about 700 miles below Louisville. I am on the Steamboat “Atlantic”, a new boat, and this is her first trip. A large number stood at the whf. to witness the boat’s departure. She is the largest boat traveling the waters of the Ohio. We have passed boats that left days before we did leave. So you will see I am on a staunch boat. I wd. have written before at Louisville, but did not know for certain what boat I would take, I arrived at Louisville about eight hours after the (boat crossed out) packet had left and this was the next one going. She however continued delaying so, that till a few minutes before my departure, I thought I would be forced to take some boat coming down from Cincinnati. She however at last started. She is thronged, quite a world being on board. She charged high prices, but persons wishing to go down flock to her. I feel exceedingly well. A large number on her are going to Texas.  Five deck passengers, myself being one, adhere to-gether, and provision to-gether. That is we were five at the start. One left at Cairo being bound for St. Louis. One of them still along is from Kentucky, where he is a farmer, and in comfortable circumstances. He is on his way to New Orleans to take a Red River boat for Texas, in which state he owns land, and if he likes it is going to remove there. He carries an immense Bowie knife and in case we were molested would protect the crowd. He is in manners quite a staunch and respectable personage. He has with him a late map of Texas. A gentleman in the cabin has on board some 8 or 9 negroes whom he is conveying to Texas. Another passenger has 600 sheep at least on the boat which he will drive to Texas where he has been living nine years. He has engaged the services of one of my fine friends and has carried him to the cabin table and will take him to Texas with him. They leave this boat at the mouth of Red River and will go entirely across the state of Texas to Mata  Gorda Bay into I think Lavaca County.  He told me he could go in an hour and a half from his home to Galveston. I could’ve gone along and would have had my expenses paid all the way.  It would however have taken 40 days and that wd. I suppose have consumed too-much time. In Louisville I bought a draft on and. N.O. for thirty five dollars from Hunt & Co’s banking house on Main St. for which I paid 25 cents. My main carpet bag is in charge of the Porter of the “Atlantic”. There are so many passengers, and every cent is in danger great of being stolen. Two men on Tuesday night on this boat had their pockets ripped whilst they were sleeping, and their money abstracted. My provisions do not cost me much as my companions club in. We have three times a day tea or coffee. They talk Texas here as we in Baltimore would speak of Ohio and Kentucky. All speak of it as a great country.  It is farmed all over.  Roads run through it. It is from what I can gather by no means a wild country, but quite a well-settled and thickly inhabited country. I will have no difficulty in getting over the State. I think we will be in N.O. next Sunday. The rest of my things are piled with those of my friends and one of us is always by them on guard, which we keep alternately. The South is a great country. Money is now abundant and the chances of making a living are abundant. No one having land in Texas would hesitate to settle on it unless they were well fixed at the place from which they would start. It was very foggy yesterday and we early in the day tied up for a time. The boat goes carefully. They are solicitous to have a fortunate trip. She cost close to onto $100,000. I will write you from N.O. I feel quite improved in health. Love to all. 
								Your affectionate son, 									         M. R.
				
This letter sent to Mrs. Mary L. Forest, 98 East Baltimore St. Baltimore Maryland.

4. Robinson, Matthew. New Orleans, December 14, 1859. Two pages  to "My Dear Mother". Letters measure 9 1/4” x 7 1/4”, with envelope. Full text below. 	

		   			New Orleans, December 14, 1859. 
My Dear Mother,
				I have been here one week, yesterday. The boat on which I came was making her first trip and we had such dense fogs that she did not get here till two days after the time we thought. I have rec’d the powers of atty., and also another letter from you. The letter containing P. O. stamps I have not received. I am well and have in cash $46. The passage from here to Galveston in the 1st Class is $20.  There are two lines running, and the boat which carries deck passengers has not yet come. As soon as she does I will leave in her. I would’ve written before but have been daily expecting to leave and thought I would write you the day before my departure. There has been heavy weather and it has detained her. I may get off to-morrow evening. I had a pleasant trip on the Atlantic, although  a tedious one. I had to pay $4.65 from Louisville here. This and the expenses from Cincinnati to Louisville and the delay there took more of my funds than I had expected. I have however left $46, having made some little money whilst waiting for the Galveston steamer. I expect to get over for $6.  Kirks suit has taken me aback. Go to the clerk’s office of the Superior Court and learn if he has sued you for damages or has sued you in equity for the specific recovery of the property. Inform me of the fact. I have written to Brune, giving him a brief history of the transaction. I am sorry about it. I had hoped the matter was dropped. My testimony must however crush him. I like it out here as much, and if I fail to sell the lots in Galveston, am certain I can soon make the money to get back the things from B’s. I have been aboard of the Red River boats and find so many going to Texas. Write to me at Galveston. My love to all. 
								Your affectionate Son 									Matthew Robinson

This letter sent to Mrs. Mary L. Forest, 98 East Baltimore St. Baltimore Maryland.
Garry R Austin
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