Hurricane hits Apalachicola
Author
Recipient
Date Written
Oct. 25, 1852
Anna Maria Hayward was 28 years old when this was written.
The recipient, Elizabeth Austin Hayward Chamberlaine, was 21 when it was received.
It was written 170 years, 11 months, 8 days ago.
It was a Monday.
Apa. [Apalachicola]
Oct. 25, 1852
My Dear Sister,
I received your letter last Monday & as Bro. Hale was going to write, I thought I would defer doings so, until today, we have been at home now a month, but I have not got carpets down or things put to rights for the winter yet. In fact I have been very lazy & beside felt somewhat discouraged by the destruction caused by the recent gale [hurricane] of which I believe Bro. H. wrote you. Poor Henry I feel very sad at his death.
One window in my bed room was blown in & the back door, the panels were blown in. It was truly an awful time and many of the poor are now homeless & some camped out in the outskirts of the town. Bro H. is well and you dear Lizzie must write to him more frequently, he thinks a great deal of you all & sometimes gets a little homesick. I know that altho’ he will not acknowledge it & he cannot bear to be disappointed in not getting a letter, so I beg you to write him once a week & if you cannot, get yr. husband to do so for you now do dear Lizzie not neglect to write him once every week, for he is disappointed & indulges more freely after—
Love to the Doctor, Miss B. & all. When I commenced, I intended to write a long letter but have been interrupted & have only time to close to go by mail tonight.
Your sister in Haste,
Henry{?]
Don’t forget to write to Hall wee, affect. & truly yours.
[The gale was actually a hurricane which late on October 9, made landfall a short distance east of Apalachicola]
Scans of Letter
