26 April 1826

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah W. Hale

This letter appears to have been written in response to a letter from Sarah notifying her of their mother's death. Aurelia says that she is glad that their mother's "days of sorrow and trouble are ended," and expresses some of her fond memories of their mother, especially from her childhood. She asks for assurances that their mother was comfortable when she died and for further information about their mother's burial. She also urges Sarah to "regain" her health over the summer.

GLC08934.015

19 August 1825

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah W. Hale

She discusses her work in education at the academy, which she describes as "arduous" but also notes that she is "richly compensated" for her services. She also mentions that the number of applicants that her school receives is far greater than the number of spots, and that the commissioners refuse to admit any number over the limit, which she does not like, because the structure of her pay means that having more students would grant her more money. Part of this letter is crosswritten.

GLC08934.017

10 April 1826

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah Worthington

She apologizes for her negligence in answering letters but assures her that it is not for lack of affection, but lack of time. She expresses sympathy and concern to her mother regarding both her and Aurelia's sister Sarah's ill health, and hopes that they both improve quickly. Of her mother, she comments that "your life has been one continual scene of sorrow and trouble, but few roses have scattered your path." She also expresses interest in her brother Horatio, who she has not heard from recently.

GLC08934.018

11 June 1821

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah Woodbridge

First letter to her mother upon arriving in Georgia. She briefly mentions her trip from Hartford, which took exactly four weeks, and goes on to discuss her social engagements and upcoming work at the academy as a teacher. She wishes she could write more but says that she is too busy, and expresses that she is very content and happy in Georgia thus far and expects to remain that way.

GLC08934.020

23 June 1826

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah W. Hale

This letter was sent to her sister shortly after their mother's passing. She spends a good deal of time talking about the concept of death in general, saying: "We shall soon, my dear sister, reach the ocean of eternity. A few more days of sorrow and trouble may roll away before we go down to our graves; but that time will come, and is approaching with rapid strides." She also talks about their mother's death and expresses regret that she was unable to help care for her physically or monetarily, though she comments that her expenses are much greater in Georgia than they would be in Hartford.…

GLC08934.021

9 September 1826

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James W. Hale

She appears to have received word of their brother's death, and is very upset by the news because she considered herself quite close to him. She also expresses worry that he did not die a Christian, saying that if she was confident that he had, she would "rejoice" that he had "left this troublesome world." She goes on to discuss a fever that has been plaguing Washington, Georgia - a man who also lived in her boarding house died in the night, and the physicians are overwhelmed with the number of sick people in the area. She comments that this is very unusual, because it is usually a "healthy…

GLC08934.022

January 23, 1827

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah W. Hale

This is the first letter sent to her sister Sarah since Aurelia's relocation from Washington, GA to Mount Ariel, SC. Sarah's last letter took many weeks to reach her, but has finally arrived. She briefly talks about her experience settling into a new area, and indicates that she has many social engagements and is quite busy. She also says that she unfortunately cannot send their brother James money for their mother's gravestone nor Sarah money to visit, because she will only be paid at the end of the year. In a post-script at the end, she requests that they send her their brother Horatio's…

GLC08934.024

1 May - 2 May 1821

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Horatio Hale

Letter to her brother Horatio, sent upon docking in New York on her way to Georgia. She talks briefly about life on board the ship, including dining with several men from her hometown of Hartford, and complains that they docked in New York three hours late due to adverse weather conditions. She also indicates that while she misses home, she does not regret leaving.

GLC08934.001

05 May 1826

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Horatio Hale

This letter to her brother may have gotten wet at some point, because much of the text is blurred and difficult to read. She mentions concerns about "negroes" several times during the letter, saying that an area which she traveled to (the name is obscured by water damage) had a very different culture than Savannah and Augusta. She describes many of the people wearing little or no clothing, and compares the fervor with which residents hunt runaway slaves to fox hunting, also saying that it is a "common amusement." She also mentions is being unsafe to travel late in the evening "on account of…

GLC08934.019

27 May 1828

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah W. Hale

This appears to be the first letter to her sister in many months. She speaks at length about matrimony and says that she has spent eighteen months deliberating on it. She says that she has been reflecting on whether to "marry a respectable, pious and smart young man (that had my affections) with barely a competency - or marry for riches and perhaps without love." Despite her original intentions of marrying a "rich planter," she chose to marry for love, and on May 1 married Thomas Jefferson de Yampert, whose family has some money but who is a younger son. She says: "I feel confident that I…

GLC08934.025

19 September 1829

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah W. Hale

She expresses that she is deeply unhappy with their move to Mount Meigs following her husband buying land in the area, saying that although being a planter in the area can be very lucrative (which she measures in money and in number of slaves), it is not very comfortable; there is often not enough water. She says that she misses her friends from South Carolina and may go back there for a year in the near future. She promises to write to James soon, and also declares her intention to send Horatio some money. (Note: The Horatio referred to here appears to be a relative, possibly her brother's…

GLC08934.026

06 March 1830

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah W. Hale

She is sad that she is separated from her friends and family, and urges her sister to come visit if her physcians will permit it, and asks if their brother James can loan them the money for travel or if she will have to borrow it. She also suggests that Sarah bring Horatio. She also reports that her and her husband's plantation is doing well, mentioning that they need to "buy another negro."

GLC08934.027

25 July 1830

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah W. Hale

She addresses the logistics of her sister Sarah's planned visit and promises to pay the full cost. She enclosed $50 with the letter and promises to send another $50 soon. She expresses concern for Sarah's health, writing that she hopes it will improve. She also requests that Sarah bring their mother's silver rather than sell it. Much of the letter is crosswritten.

GLC08934.028

11 August 1830

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah W. Hale

She encloses another $50 in this letter as promised, and continues to plan for her sister's arrival. She also speaks at length about the comforts of their home, including a "very valuable negro woman" who keeps the house "well attended to." She hopes that being in the South will help improve Sarah's health. Much of the letter is crosswritten.

GLC08934.029

1821-1855

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Header Record

Title: Aurelia Hale letters to her sister Sarah, and brother Horatio [Decimalized .01- .52]

52 letters covering New England transplant Aurelia Hale's travels in the South, including her views on slavery. Born in Connecticut, Aurelia moved to Savannah, Georgia in 1821, and later migrated to Washington County, Georgia, and then to Alabama. She wrote sporadic letters to her sister Sarah and her brother, Horatio. She was not disturbed by slavery, remarking on 11 June 1821, that the people of Georgia "differ in every respect from the Northerners; are much more agreeable, polite, attentive, and friendly...When we entered Savannah we were astonished at the number of blacks...We find it no…

GLC08934

February 8, 1833

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah W. Hale

She begins by apologizing for not writing sooner, but says that shortly after she started a letter, she was called away to see her cousin Frank, who appeared to be on his deathbed. He became delirious and spoke about God and the Devil, but appears to have recovered. She mentions that the friends Sarah made when she visited.

GLC08934.038