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Copyright - May not be
reproduced without permission from: Victoria
Rumble
Period Correspondence
and Letter-writing
Throughout the nineteenth century letters were
what bound business deals, and what kept loved ones in touch with each
other when separated. Before the days of telephones and instant
communications letters were beautifully written and a pleasure to
receive. We can easily duplicate the etiquette of period letter writing
and incorporate that into our impressions, or revive a practically lost
art and communicate with friends and family bringing them the same joy
our ancestors experienced when receiving a creatively penned missive.
There were three guiding principles of writing a
business letter: first “Never to waste time in more compliments than
are demanded by the common courtesy due from one man to another”; the
second, “never to say anything that has nothing to do with the subject”;
and third, “always to say all that the subject really requires, and to
say that clearly”. The writer was cautioned that the person receiving
the letter might have limited time to spend reading the letter and that
it should be kept concise so as not to waste that person's time.
In less formal correspondence which was half
business, half personal these principles were somewhat relaxed, and the
writer was allowed the privilege of “speaking on paper which is the
great and true perfection of letter-writing.” Even in friendly
letters the writer was cautioned against using slang and vulgarity,
improper grammar and punctuation which took away from the refinement and
gracefulness of the written letter, “which enhance even the most tender
passages of love and friendship.”
The art of letter writing was considered a
necessary talent for any social class. “To the poor it is a comfort, a
solace, a blessing; with the middle and higher classes of society, it is
an indispensable acquirement --an exhaustless source of enjoyment and
pleasure.” A well-written letter might receive an affirmative response
in proposing marriage, enforce one's feelings for a friend, or secure
assistance during a time of need. The tone and wording often determined
the response of the person receiving the letter, and the writer knew his
character and habits would be judged according to his writing style.
There were certain phrases common to 19th
century letters which we should familiarize ourselves with, for example,
“I take pen in hand to write you these few lines,” or “We beg to inform
you.” During the Victorian era there were also subtle ways of
addressing certain topics such as childbirth, “Mother has been confined,
and the baby is a boy.”
A letter should flow continuously in a manner
similar to poetry - not switch from one topic to the other losing the
reader in the process. A suggested way of covering all topics so that
the writing continued without backtracking was to write down on a scrap
of paper all the points one wished to make in the letter. Number these
from one to end with those of the most significance first. As you begin
writing the letter progress from one topic to another bringing out all
the phrases you wish to use and all the points you want to make as you
go.
Once your topics and selected phrases have been
committed to paper begin to write using the same style in your writing
that you would if you were talking to the recipient in person. When
reading original letters today and attempting to duplicate them we must
remember that these letters did not require the inventiveness
reproducing a period letter does. They were sent to people well known
to them and discussed people and situations of interest to both the
writer and the reader. If your first person impression is known to the
recipient of your period letter this same familiarity can dictate the
topics and style of your writing.
Going straight to the heart of the matter saved
time for both the writer and reader. Even if your letter is to be a
long and descriptive one stay focused and do not use an entire paragraph
in explanation before making your point. Two shorter sentences that
clearly state the idea are better than one long rambling sentence which
may leave your reader without a clue what point you are making.
Using proper grammar allows the reader to revel
in the beauty of the letter and the sentiment being expressed rather
than puzzling over jumbled words and phrases to ascertain the meaning of
what has been written. Misspelled words, and incorrectly formulated
sentences leave the reader to wonder at the intelligence of the writer,
and tend to devalue the opinions being expressed.
The various components of a well-written letter
combine to form a whole that is pleasing to the eye and clearly conveys
the ideas of the writer. Tools of letter writing include punctuation,
spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphs to separate different
ideas. Even
between the best of friends proper etiquette was observed in letter
writing. A proper salutation might be, “Dear Boy”, “My Dear Sir”, “My
Dearest Annie”, “Dear Miss ____”, “Honored Sir”, etc.
A letter might end with, “Your affectionate Son”, “Your friend and
kinsman”, “Your obedient servant”, “I remain your loving Husband”,
“Believe me to remain ever yours affectionately”, “Your affectionate and
Devoted”, “Yours ever sincerely and devotedly”, “I remain, Sir, your
sincere and well-wished friend”, “Your devoted servant until death”,
etc.
The stamp was always placed in the top right hand
corner, and an envelope was used for all but strictly business
correspondence. The envelope kept the letter from getting soiled in the
mail and insured privacy. Use of the best pens, paper, and ink was
recommended for all correspondence, and the writer was advised not to
soil the paper while writing. Failure to adhere to this advice
indicated slovenliness on the part of the writer.
When finished the letter was to
be neatly folded before being placed into the envelope.
Letters of condolence were to be written on
black-edged paper and sealed with black wax, even if the writer were
unfamiliar with the deceased. The return address and date of writing was
to be entered at the head of every letter. Postscripts were to be
avoided as they tended to indicate lack of concentration on the part of
the writer resulting in an inability to cover all topics of interest in
the body of the letter. They also spoiled the beauty of a well-written
letter.
Long letters are more easily written than short ones, but they indicate
less concentration on the part of the writer. This is not to say that
long letters are improper, but the length should be determined by the
content. As long as you have new information to present continue to
write, but do so in a concise manner without a descriptive narrative.
Choose your words carefully, go straight to the
point, and express yourself just as you would were you in the presence
of the receiver and speaking to them face to face.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Chesterfield`s Letter Writer and
Complete Book of Etiquette. 1837.
Dick & Fitzgerald. New York.
The Sophronia Winn Smith Letter
The following letter was written by my ancestress, Sophronia Winn Smith.
Sophronia was the wife of Lieut.
William Robert Smith, Co. C, 6th TX Cav. William was serving with his
brother, Capt. Joshua Lafayette Smith, and Joshua is the "brother"
addressed in the letter. Rev. James A. Smith was the father of William,
Joshua, and a third brother, John Wesley Smith, who served first in the
Dallas Light Artillery, and later in the l9th TX Cav. James settled in
Dallas in 1846 where he established a Methodist church, and built one of
the first gins and grist mills. James' wife, was Anne Killen Smith,
daughter of James and Ann Nancy McDougal Killen. Ann Nancy accompanied
her daughter and son-in-law in their move to Dallas and is buried in
Pioneer Park along with the Smith's and their family.
After the war John Wesley Smith moved to California and started a new
life for himself and his family. In 1848 he and Lafayette had served as
Texas Rangers. Lafayette was murdered in 1867 in Dallas by an attaché to
the Freedmen's Bureau. His murderer was never prosecuted. William and
Sophronia lived out their lives in Dallas. Their oldest son, a law
student, was murdered on Christmas Eve 1889 in Greer Co. TX.
Sophronia's letter was typical in content of many received during the
war years. Despair and suffering took a toll on those left at home, and
many died - lost to history. The letter describes the conditions in the
South during the war years, and we can only imagine how the two men who
received the letter felt - far from home and loved ones.
-
Dallas, Texas
-
April l7th l863
My darling Husband and Brother:
It
has come upon us and we have to bear up under our troubles and
bereavements the best we can. Your dear Papa is dead. Oh, how
it makes my heart sad to write to you. He died on the night of
the l5th 25 minutes before 8 o'clock. The day before he was a
great deal better than usual. Mrs. Linsey stayed with him that
day and he was cheerful, talked a great deal about you both and
cousin Ed. Sat up that night before supper until l0 o'clock and
Dock said he was satisfied he was going to get better. At l
o'clock Sena Armstrong and myself got up and sat with him.
About 8 o'clock he awoke and told us his feet were cold, for us
to get a hot rock for them which we did, but could not warm
them. And from that time on he seemed changed. We tried to
arouse him every l5 minutes, to turn him but could not get him
to do it. He was in a great stupor, but we were not alarmed.
At 5 o`clock I laid down, and in an hour they woke me saying
that Mr. Smith was a great deal worse. I went to his room and
he had a right bad smothering spell-his feet and hands were very
cold, we did all we could to revive circulation but all to no
avail. In about 2 hours he had another, when he suffered a
great deal, after that he got comparatively easy. Brother
Marston, Pa and Ma and brother and sister Howell were there. He
asked Bro. Marston to pray for him, which he did. He said he
could not talk much-he was glad he had expressed himself so
fully before. Brother Marston said, 'Brother Smith, you have no
fear`? He said, 'No, none at all`. Fanny was sitting with him
and Dock was lying on the other side. He laid his hands on
Fanny's head and talked to her and asked a blessing on her. He
then ordered another chair to be placed by his bed and called
Dock and Sarah Ann and told them to sit by his bed. He reached
out his hand and laid it on Dock's head and prayed for him and
invoked a blessing on Sarah Ann in the same manner. He told
them to get up and called me and my cousin Mary to come and oh,
my husband, can I ever forget those words of admonition and
prayer, that solemn earnest prayer to Almighty God to take care
of us, me and my dear husband and all that pertaineth to us? I
hear his voice now, so solemn and tender and heaven-like and
feel his hand as it so rested on my head. After which he called
all his grandchildren and blessed each one separately. He then
called the negroes and shook hands with and talked to each.
When he shook hands with Uncle Tom, he said, 'Farewell Tom, it
won't be long, do all the good you can as long as you live,
Tom.` This of course exhausted him and he talked but little
afterwards. Slept most of the time. Later that evening I asked
him if he was suffering much? He said, 'No, not much`. About
dark he had another bad spell, after which he was perfectly calm
and died without a struggle. Poor Fanny suffered most. It
looks like she can't be reconciled, it is mighty hard on her,
and she is so delicate, too. Your pa was buried today by the
Masonic Fraternity. There was a large concourse of people in
attendance. It will be some consolation to you to know, that
though it is these hard times, we got everything for the burial
that we could have wished for. Had a very nice suit of clothes
and fine broadcloth to cover the coffin. Oh, what we would have
given if you could have been here, both of you. You would have
seen him die as only the Christian can die, and would have
thought it was sweet to fall asleep in Jesus. He was the most
natural looking person I ever saw after death-such a calm
heavenly countenance-not the slightest contraction of a single
muscle. But now we are without a father, and oh how well
blessed we were having such a one. You can't imagine how lonely
it is at home now-how much we miss him. More I know than if he
had been well at the time-but now he is gone let us try to live
like him, so that, like him we may die and all live in heaven.
Oh, boys do try to live like him, and imitate his example. I
could write a good deal more if I would follow the inclinations
of my heart and feelings, but it is getting so late I must quit.
Mr. Linsey has just brought me a letter from you which was
gladly received, but it makes me feel bad to know how little you
know of the trouble awaiting you. I am anxiously expecting to
hear that order is counter minded - but if you have to go, may
God of Love and tender mercy guide and protect you both from all
harm and bring you back safe to your loved ones. Trust in God,
ready your bibles daily as your pa enforced the importance of
that. May we all live to enjoy the peace for which we have
sacrificed so much, and I earnestly pray that though Father and
Mother are both gone, we may continue to live as one Family.
Frone
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18th
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19th Century
20th
Century
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