Hi Folks - There is a letter on sale at E-Bay from Esek Hartshorne WILLIAMS to his wife Amelia Lines LIPPINCOTT - written in 1841 - thought someone on the list might be interested in it. I have no connection to the seller. - Glenda Frank Moser LETTER FROM E. H. WILLIAMS from Clinton, Mich. to Mrs. Amelia L. WILLIAMS in NYC written in 17 Jan 1841 on sale at E-Bay at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=689&item=5527397668& rd=1 "This stampless letter has a circular date stamp for CLINTON Mic. [Michigan], a handwritten 25 cent rate, and is addressed to Mrs. Amelia L. Williams, 52 Front Street, New York, and is a two and a half page letter written by E. H. Williams to his wife. The headline is Adrian Jany. 17, 1841. I did some looking around on the internet and I think the writer of this letter was Esek Hartshorne Williams who married Amelia Lines Lippincott. Some abstracts: "I last wrote from Detroit a week since today …. I left Ann Arbor with Judge Wilson for this place distant 38 miles in a sleigh, on our way we passed through Clinton, where we had a customer. I found he had run away leaving us $900 minus, there was 2 or 3 New Yorkers on hand who had attached his effects, and had completely and [?] him up, so that our chance is almost desperate.” ”I have had hard times since leaving Detroit, we had yesterday quite a thaw but last night it cleared up cold and I hope the sleighing will continue.” ”I have seen a number of New Yorkers since I last wrote, more than I am intimately acquainted with.” ”At this moment a man has come in with whom I have some business & I must stop my pen in order to drive a trade with him.” ”I have a trial here tomorrow at 2 o’clk to test the right [sight?] of some property under our attachment.” ”I can truly say I would sooner quit the trade than thus to subject myself, I cannot picture to you the feelings I have and the vicissitudes I am compel’ d to undergo, tis too much. I would sooner make a simple living at home than a princely fortune in this way.” [there’s a tear on the second side of the lettersheet and several words are missing; however, they seem to be easy to guess at, but I’ll type it up all the same] ..”Kiss our dear little children for me dear and don’t let them forget me, give my love to all the folks and may you all continue to enjoy health and all the blessings of this life in the fervent prayer of your ever devoted & affectionate husband.” Condition of the letter rates poor, due to the missing piece of paper, and other tears, which were mended with archival tape. As usual with stampless letters, after writing on one or more sides of a sheet of paper, the letter was folded several times and mailed. An interesting letter good for genealogy and history research. See my other auctions for similar items.