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1857 - 1864 - Solomon WOOD & Emma DOTY Letters
The following letters were in the possession of Jeanette Bailey Rose who got them from her niece Nancy Hitchcock whose grandmother, Kate, was daughter of Solomon and Emma. The ink on many is very faded and could only be read by darkening and enlarging in the copy machine. Paper was hard to obtain and it was rare for any of them to do less than fill all the pages completely frequently finishing by writing sideways in the side margins or upside down in the top margin if they had left one. Emma’s handwriting is small and neat and legible if not faded too badly. Lem’s handwriting was very legible and he wrote heavily enough for it to hold up pretty well. John Wood’s handwriting was truly an ordeal to read and exhausting. One had to use intuition to decipher it as much as actual visual observation. I believe it was as difficult for him to write as it was for me to read. Daniel Doty’s handwriting was legible but the ink from one side soaked through to the other making quite a sloppy appearance on what would otherwise have been an attractive script.
The first group of these letters is form the courting days of Emma Doty and Solomon Wood. She lived in Jackson Townsip and he in Sullivan where he worked at Northrop Smith's store.
Dear Lemy
If I can not see you in person to night I will indevor to write you
a few lines to you to let you know that I am still alive but very lonesome
Oh if I could only see you but I cannot at present I received your
letter in due time and was very glad to here that you got home Safe for
It was so very dark and Stormy I was afraid that you would be discouraged
and not come again but as you got home Safe and had as you Say a very pleasant
ride I Shall look for you again Some Time
Oh Lemmy if does Seem So Strange that if one as good as your Self Should
notice me So of poor but Oh Lemmy I even love you just as well as If I
was ever So good and wealthy if you knew how often I thought
of you you would laugh I dare Say for I never would tell you
And I was very glad to here that the folk are all well over there
but Lemmy I will blot that out for I guess that you do not want to hear
anything about her
Now Lemmy I think you are to bad to say that I would have to employ
a Lawyer to read your letter for I think that you will have to get
one to read this for I am very tired and my hand trembles so that I can
hardly hold the pen
I have not been at home for the last week I have been at work
at Mr. Seely I come home tonight but intend to go back tomorrow.
Cordelia has gone back to Mr. Rose again. Oh Lemy poor folk has to work
but I will not make you Sad because I am for it ‘S all
for the best or it would not So----
Lem I have not been to church or even had a beau Sense you was here
but this is useless nonsense I can not think of enything to
write tonight that will interest you but Lemy come over here next Sunday
and I can tell you more in one minute than I can write in an hour
I know that it is very selfish for me to ask you to come but I do
want to see you ---
Pas health is no better than when you was here if it is as good - Well
Lemy I must stop writing for I am ashamed of what I have wrote it will
try your patience to read it if you can not come write
me a letter as for that kiss you are welcome to it and a hundred
more if you like So good by Oh Lemy if we both live I trust we Shall
See happyer times I live in hopes Well I must say good
by
yours forever
Miss Emma Doty
Mr. S. L. Wood
Remember vanquished hours
Let memory Softly dwell
On one that thinks of these
With thoughts to deep to tell
Emma
Oh how I do want to see you I do not think that I Should care to live if it ware not for you now - but I must not give up So I must Still work away and keep as good courage as posable for as you say I hope for better days ---
I received your letter and was very glad to hare that you had been to meeting and was enjoying your Selfe And was Still more pleased to here that you was a going a Sparking before long and I think that young lady will be at home you must not disapoint her for there is no one in the world that She wants to see as mutch as you ---
Now Lemy you must come over here next Sunday if you can for I am very
lonely Cordelia is at home now but I do not know how long she will stay
-- Well I can not think of eny thing more to write at present So good by
Miss Emma Doty
Mr. S. L. Wood
P.S. you must excuse all mistakes for I am in a great hurry
Emma
Oh Emma Dearest one If I ever have given you reason to distrust me I hope I never shall again I know I have done things that I ought not to have done but I know you have forgiven me so it dont make any difference now if I only do better now
Well Emma I saw Mary Ann last Sunday She is over to George Tanners keeping house for them while they are gone on a journey She is all alone and so lonesome she can hardly live she says but I think she will live through it
Albert and Giles and Mary have had quite a time among themselves on account of Alberts minding there business and not his own
I will not try to write the particulars but I will tell you all about it when I see you again
well Emma I dont know as I shall be able to write enough that will be interesting to you to make anything more than a note but it dont make any difference I suppose it will be just the same if you call it a note and it will be just the same if you call it a Letter so please to call it just what you are a mind to
Well Emma over one week of that long month is gone and the rest will soon follow and you may expect me to be punctual if nothing happens to prevent it you will see me quite early in the day and I would like to have you as near ready for a ride as you could. and I will not disappoint you If I can help it. for Sunday is such a long day with me now I can hardly content myself without going somewhere and when I do come to see you I want to stay just as long as I can and get home before folks are up and that I done the other morning although I did not expect to when I started
well here comes the last page and yet I keep scribbling but I must stop now for you will not have time to read it before I come and then I tell it to you a great deal faster than I can write it and I am in something of a hurry as you will see by the way I scratched this off
Oh Emma for one kiss if I could only see you for five minutes it would seem consolation but I suppose I Shall not to day
So good bye Emma and may God bless you is the humble prayr of your devoted
friend
Solomon Lemuel Wood
Miss Emma Doty
Tioga Pa Jan 3 1859
Dear friend
I could not think of going Home again without seeing you once more
if it was only for a few minutes I do not expect to see you alone
of course but if I can only see you it will be something I can not spend
the whole day so close to you without seeing you
I called in to see Cordelia yesterday after noon just a few minutes
I shall start for home in the morning - half page missing -
a week I shall see you again if nothing I suppose the time is so short
it will Soon pass you know I shall be on hand if I think it is posible
that you will be there if I do not come sunday I may be there any other
day that happens through the week as I suppose it will not make any difference
with you when you are at home so I will not write any more for you cant
read this
Yours Ever
S. L. Wood
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