Petition to Mss. Martha & Abigail Crocker owners of a certain farm at West Barnstable, by their tenant F.A.M.

Honorable Ladies! The petitioner who rented your farm at Great-Marshes for three years, following the first of May 1847, by a agreement dated New York April 23 1847 arrived here with his family after a long and expensfull journey May 15 1847 and was put in posses of the farm by your brother Mr. R.F. Crocker as your attorney May 27, 1847.

— Notwithstanding the sowing time was past there was not work of any description done on your farm, the fences being down the cattle run at large over the hole promisse, the fields who has not received any manure in the last two years abundant with sorrel blackberry-vines and other briers.

— I began to work put as it was to late to do much for this season i worked for the following years. i understand very shoon that i has to do with a cold and sour soil, i layed my fields in ridges, ploughed three and four times to make the soil mellow and to enrich him by the influence of the atmosphere, i tok great care to make manure, for that purpose i fed all my hay what i could have sold to the cattle, i ditched the lower part of the orchard and carted the mud on the upper part, carted sand and clay, and clay on sand-soil, shortly, i dont worked like the common farmers in this country i used all the means of improved farming and all the help of my whole family, Ms. Meissner, two industrious boys and two girls (the later alone picket eight cart loads small stones up), we all worked steady and hard to accomplish our destiny.

One year has past, put on the very day as i was, one year ago, introduced to a wilderness, and the same farm who at this period could not support his laborer, shows a verry different view and promissed a tenfold increase.

If you will please to inspect your property you will find: near the house a small nice garden united with some other improvements, the fields will show you: four acres of Ry not surpassed on Cape-Cod, three acres of Oats, two acres of Corn, 1-1/2 acre with Potatoes, 3/4 acre prepared for Cabbage. The land has received 175 cartloads manure and from 30 to 40 loads more will be carted out in a few days.

Now i shall leave the farm leave all my work leave all my hope, after i expended my last cent for the support of my family and my self, at present where it is to late for a farmer, it is hard it is horrible!

— Why could i not stay to autumn if i may not stay till the expiration of my lease, it would by as well to your interest as to my own, perhaps Mr. Crocker calculates to have the harvest allone, but he will not be able to take care of the crops and you will lose more by waste as you will gain by this unfair way.

You may say we dont know anything about farming we commit the hole business to our brother, but he acts in your name, you will be, if not lawful but moral, answerable to his deeds, if you know that he is in your name to deprive a family of her earnings and dont hinder it you will be guilty your self.

But I shall never belief that you will consent to my ruin i ame told that you both very noble-minded ladies i pray to you let me remain to the first of November next let me have the harvest of my seeds the earnings of my labor. I shall I will not despair, if humanity is expired in som mens breast, she is preserved in females bosom.

Commander John Percival Dorchester Mass.

W.B. May 28 [1848].

Sir! Only for a moment i had the honor to see you last summer by your visit at Mrs. Crockers farm, i ame a stranger in this country, but i feel confidence to you and take the liberty to pray you to further the enclosed petition to Mrs. Martha Crocker, and if it is not against your principle to support its desire. Mr. R.F. Crocker lead by som notion or by som bad consellors want to drive me of, against his one intereste, and you will act as well to his and his sisters profit if you can make understanding him his error, by this you will oblige a family who hope to you as to a father and will thank you as children.

To: Mss. Martha & Abigail Crocker by theirs attorney Mr. R.F. Crocker.

Sir! I hereby give you notice that i shall not deliver up to you the thirteenth day of June next as requested by you that farm of which i ame in possession by a lease for three years following the first of May 1847, because you have not at present fulfilled the determination of the agreement to cancel this lease — .

i reserve all my rights given to me by contract under Law but i ame very willingly to settle differences by mutual agreement.

I handed to you account of boarding som time ago of which account i annex a Copie West Barnstable June 6 1848 [Here intervenes an inquiry about some seeds shipped from Germany — LPM.].

Ms. Martha Crocker, Boston.

W.B. June 19 1848.

I wrote a letter of petition to you dated May 28 which I am assured was delivered to you by Mrs. Percival, but all my hope of relief from you has been in vain. I have not received an answer. Your brother acts like a devil or insane in your name and if you don’t hasten he will succide and blame your honor and wound your heart. I wish to know if you will grant my petition to stay until the harvest is done. I ame unable to writt any more, my mind is as much agitated that i ame sick and confined to bed, so Mrs. Meissner.

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

W.B. June 19 [1848].

Sir, The kind answer of my letter to you, by Mrs. Percival make me belief that you will have the goodness to direct this letter to Mrs. Martha Crocker. As you will understand my situation you will excuse the trouble made by me to you.

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

W.B. July 4, 48.

Dear Sir. Your letter, i recived, was a great joy for me my wife and childern, as you was [ill] we feeled much uneasy for your health, and are very glad now to see that you got better.

Your promiss to assist me to buy a farm i accept with a warm thankful heart, and as much as i know my self you shall not be decived, and if not great misfortune should happenen you shall not runn a great risk. Neither of this farms you mentioned to me will suit me very well, the price is to high and the territory to small, i ame most sure bitwin here and auttum to find a place what i shall call a good farm for about 1000 dollars, i want a good soil and as much land to keep a team and som other stock to make manure, i ame not anxious that i shall not prosper, Barnstable is such a good place for farming as i know any where, all produce sell high and som of the soil is productif if worked well, if you help me to the first, the soil, i with my family shall furnish the last, the work, and i ame sure that i shall be able to make a living and to pay interest for the capital, perhaps the first 2-3 years will go a little hard, because every farm you can buy cheap is in a poor condition but i am not affrayed i shall go over that. I feel very happy in my mind an mak calculationen for the best conduct of my farm in hope.

I have looked at a farm who will be sold at auction for debt in course of this summer, he is situated on Hay-Pond four miles from this place and five miles from Sandwich, thereon is a small dwelling house, a good barn and about 100 acre land, including 40 acres Woodland, the soil is good as the Weeds show who grow on, and a small orchard beared last year 30 bu. apples. It is supposed that this farm will sell very cheap. Besides this farm i have som other farms in view and shall tell you about as schoon as i know particulars.

Your good information about going to sea has cured my William perfectly, he works contented by our landlord Mr. Fish for boarding and seven dollar a month, Wilhelmine is very happy by Mrs. Bunsby, Leonore is by Mr. Nathan Schmidt, so my housekeeping is small, and i got my children all close by and see him every day.

I shall follow strict your advice about speaking my views to others, this place is a great place for tales. My wife and children greet you heartily. We dont know how we shall thank you, but you will understand our feelings, accept the best wishes for you and your Mistress happiness from.

Your obedient servant.

F.A.M.

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

22 Aug 1848 [excerpt].

… Or should you advise me to go west? Perhaps 300 Dollars there would do as well as $1000 here, but by this I should lose many things I have procured this summer for my household.

To Mr. Robert Wesselhöft, Dr. — Brattleboro, Windham Co, Vermont.

W.B. August 24, 1848.

About Sep 21st 1846 I took up my courage to introduce myself to you by letter. I lived at that time still in Woodwardsville, Essex Co, N.Y. Your friendly answer was a true holiday for me and my family. One can only imagine this feeling, who has lived in this country in such a wilderness, where only unknown sounds hit his ears and his few neighbors are unfeeling, selfish people. I did not believe I could follow your advice and go west. Therefore I traveled to N.Y. in the spring of 1847 to look around for a job as a gardener. Here I got to know Betine Crocker, who rented his farm — situated in West Barnstable, Mass. — to me for three years. I picked up my family and arrived here after a long and hard journey. This place is on a narrow peninsula.

One can see the ocean to both sides from a row of sand hills situated in the middle. These hills look alike to the "Lüneburger Heide." The northern bank, however, has partly very good soil and a lot of salt meadow. People are generally more egoistic and selfish than anywhere else, at the same time sanctimonious and false.

The farm I rented is one of the best around here, although very neglected. Betine Crocker is a cheat, however, who always travels to N.Y., hires there immigrants, has them work for some time for him and cheats them for their salary with the help of the law. A letter of a German girl, who has a good name among all the neighbors, asks: is there no way at all how to get rid of this beast? He transferred his property to his two unmarried sisters. His creditors in N.Y. brought an action against him since years, which attacks the transfer as fraud. But he succeeds always in getting free through bribery.

The corruptibility and injustice of the law courts here in this state surpass all limits, so that it is impossible for somebody without means to get his rights. If one reads besides this in the newspapers all the quarrels and accusations of the opposite candidates for the election of president, so one cannot lose the thought that the American liberty is still far from its goal.

This summer — after the farm was worked up and taken care for and we were filled with hope for a good crop, Crocker started a row with me and I thought myself lucky to escape his hands by a meager comparison [compensation? — LPM] (settlement). But at this occasion I made the acquaintance of his uncle, Capt. John Percival, U.S. Navy, Boston, and I seemed to have won more through this than to have lost otherwise. This old honest gentleman did not shy at the trouble to make a trip from Boston down here to W.B. to help me against his nephew. He writes (among other things). : "I believe in the integrity of the Germans." — he promises me to help me buy a farm: I will make the arrangement for the payments. You will ask the question of yourself why does the Captain take so much interest in me? It is this: "You have been wronged by a relation of mine. I don’t want anything from you, Mr. Meissner, direct or indirect. If there is anything it is to show to the world I did not misplace confidence …

… in the stranger and I must show the world I did not act or was influenced by selfish motives or self interest." -.

But now to the main problem of this letter: my oldest daughter, a girl of 14, had had her first monthly period nine weeks ago, but only weakly, after this it did not occur any more. After this she suffered often under nose-bleeding, since eight days she feels very sick. It started with nausea, vomiting, and headaches, which passed quite well after the use of some Schuler tea. She has, however, still continually a stomach ache, sometimes weaker, sometimes harder, she looks very pale, is tired and helpless, has no appetite, and is in a bad mood. The tongue seems to be all right and obviously she has no fever. The doctors around here seem all to be only quacks. I am very worried about my daughter’s health and my wife joins me in my request to you to give us your kind advice and help. Should you prescribe something, so could I have it made in Boston, for which you maybe can recommend a drugstore to me. If I could not imagine that your affairs are very urgent at this time of the year I would like to add a second request, namely: whether you could write some grateful lines to Capt. Percival for his noble behavior. -.

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

16 Oct 1848 [excerpt].

… Before you buy a place for me I wish to tell as I told you before, that I could not work a farm with success unless I could have the necessary stock or inventory.

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

7 Nov 1848 [excerpt].

… I have got this morning the resolution of Henry Lawrenz that he will sell to me Beckers Neck for $1250 payable as you proposed.

To Karoline Gerstenberg in Kummerfeld near Hamburg, Germany Nov 7, 1848, West Barnstable, Mass., N.A.

I answered your letter, in which you informed me about your marriage on August 1st 1847 and I told you that we moved to another place. You don’t seem to have this letter of mine received, as your letter dated Nov. 28, 47, which I received only in May of this year, was still addressed to Woodwardsville. You wrote me in your letter that you mailed to me a barrel with seeds, which I have not received so far and I could not either find out anything about it, although I wrote already several times to N.Y. about it. I would have written a lot earlier to you, but I was never sure where I would be the next day. Your worry about us is unnecessary, because here there is nothing — even the emperor has no power.

If you have received a receipt by Slomann after having given him the barrel with the seeds and if you can write to me, by which ship and at what time you mailed them and to whom in N.Y. they were addressed to — I still might be able to find out about them. Otherwise they are surely lost. I expect your answer with the next steamboat so that I can still use the seeds next spring or else they have lost all of their value to me. The interest you owe me is 121 [S?]. I would like to know very much, how high our bill is and I ask you to let me know about it. I would like it best if you could pay me the capital. I thought earlier to make it easier for you and accept at least part of the money in goods, but the two attempts I tried took all my interest away. But still I would like to give it another try next autumn but only if you have the will of doing it promptly and well. I look forward with desire to your next letter, in which I hope to hear the news, how you are feeling, what your little son is doing, and whether you are happy in your new state. I was ailing nearly all summer long, but now I feel better, since the weather is cooler.

Address your letter to W.B., Mass., North America and write underneath "by Bremen steamer." So much for now.

Regards to your husband and to all good friends.

Your father

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

12 Nov 1848 [excerpt].

… I confess that the price for Beckers Neck is pretty high but this place has a great many facilities for improvements as it was clearly understood between us before, and I thought as it was your early home it would be some satisfaction to you, to see it flourishing again, and by this I would be enabled to give you some reward for your kindness bestowed upon me.

Memorandum for Mr. Meissner to take to Mr. Marsten:

… If Mr. Meissner can be let off from the bargain with H. Lawrence and freed from prosecution for any damages for fifty dollars, I will send a check to your order for the same … take the deeds of the Whitman place in Meissner’s name if you see no objections. I see none, his being an alien will not affect the right of my money…. Percival.

To the Secretary of the German Company in N.Y.

W.B. Jan 8, 1849.

Dear Sir! Mr. Whitman, the writer of that letter [enclosed? — LPM], my neighbor, is a wealthy and respected farmer with wife and four children, who has showed himself towards me very pleasing and unselfish (a virtue which is rare with the Yankees). For this reason I would be very happy if his wish (described followingly!) could be fulfilled. I think it to be a very good opportunity for a fellow countryman just recently arrived here to get to know the language and customs of this country. The salary — to be sure — is not to high, but in boarding here washing and mending is included and Mr. Whitman is willing to raise the salary according to the work next year. The Germans are very highly respected here, and I dare to ask you to consider this when you select a subject for this job. The route of the journey is as follows: To Fall River by steamboat, there from to Middleboro by train, from there by Cape Cod Branch R.R. to Sandwich and from there by stage to West Barnstable.

My house is close to the road, only six miles distance from the next village, where it is best for the young man to get off and it will be a pleasure to me to introduce him to Mr. Whitman.

Mr. Christian Schmidt, Lower Red Hook, N.Y.

W.B. Jan 8, 1849.

Dear friend! You have neither filled your promise and visited us last fall nor have you let us know a single word about you. You can make us no greater joy than to make up for both of these things.

We have had a lot of trouble last autumn and after that I was always ailing but everything got better again and we are all well again and have started the new year with merry hopes and plans. Through the support of a wealthy friend I now have my own farm and I am very happy about it. If this letter will reach you well and healthy, what we all hope for, so please come as soon as possible and visit us.

Best regards from my wife and children. Your friend.

<Written in English.> Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

26 Jan 1849 [excerpt].

… People thinks the Whitman farm it too good for me and too cheap for you, and by some influence Mr. Whitman has backed out. I shall immediately take possession of Beckers Neck, and I shall have there less envy and more honor.

To the Secretary of the German company in N.Y.

West Barnstable, Jan 29, 1849.

Dear Sir! Around the 8th of this month my friend and neighbor Jonas Whitman wrote to you and informed you about his wish to employ a young German, age 17 or older and to give him for this year, that is from the time of his start till next January, a salary of $50 and boarding; and besides that to give him $5 traveling expenses. I accompanied this letter with a postscript saying that I know the Whitman family very well and that I believed this job to be very acceptable. I should be very surprised, that — if you received my letter — you should not have found a fitting subject for this job, as I know from own experience how lonely and helpless an immigrant feels — unaccustomed to the conditions here — and how he is longing for a desirable and secure place. Mr. Whitman asks at any rate for a speedy answer that he knows what to do. In case the ticket should cause difficulties there are ways to move these out of the way or in case you want more details, you can have all you want. — Respectfully.

To Mr. Christian Schmidt, Red Hook.

W.B. February 4, 1849.

Dear friend! We have received your letter dated Jan 21 and have read it with great joy. It has been very cold here, too …

… but I think not as cold as at your place. I was at Boston, when it was coldest, but I found it no trouble traveling, as the R.C. are heated.

Our farm does not have more than 27 acres, partly marshes, and is situated close to the big road, which is of greater value still to me as I think of raising mostly vegetables. It has a nice house; however, no barn. It costs $1250.00. I wish you would decide to settle down around here. I would not go back to the wilderness at any price. I can show to you a very inexpensive farm, which I would rather have taken than my own one — if I would have had free choice. It has besides 100 acre land with house and barn enough wood for your own need and could be probably bought for $500. This farm is ideal for sheep raising, which needs only little work and is very profitable around here. Sheep can be easily sold for $2.00 apiece and the sheep here have usually two lambs. If you would have enough money to buy the inventory, the cost price could be paid in payments. There is still another precious farm in the same condition as mine with the best soil for sale for $1800.00. I wish you would visit us and I am sure you will like it here. We paid $3.33 per person from Albany to Boston, and from Boston the Cape Cod Branch R.R. gets you to Sandwich for $1.50. From Sandwich to West Barnstable are only six miles, which I go usually by foot, or by stage for 50 cents. From N.Y. you go by steamer to Fall River, from there by R.R.C. to S. (namely first by C. to Boston till Middleboro, from there by Cape Cod C. to Sandwich. This last route should be a little cheaper.).

My children have grown a lot in the last years. They all look forward to your visit. Has Mr. Radcliff married a rich wife? Do you know some news about Woodwardsville? But you are supposed to tell us all this when you will visit us.

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

6 Feb 1849 [excerpt].

… I feel much sorry, as your writing shows you are still unwell, to trouble you with business, and if I was not driven to by necessity I should not do so;.

-- my cow is dryed up … you was willing to assist me with $150 more in getting under way, if you would please to send me about $50.

To: Mr. Christian Schmidt, Red Hook.

W.B. March 25, 1849.

Dear Friend! I answered your letter dated Jan. 21 on February 4, but so far our hopes are unfilled to see you at our house. Besides that we did not hear anything more from you. In case you have to give up the hope to visit us, I will pay back my small debt to you (which I planned to give to you when you came), as soon as I am sure that you receive my letters safely.

Best regards from us all.

[I.T. ?] To: the City Law-Court of Pirna in the Kingdom of Saxony, Germany.

W.B. Mass. North-America.

I have been informed by my daughter’s letter, dated Kummerfeld February 12, 1849, that my Uncle Friedr. Gotthelf Meissner in Pirna passed away, further on that a respectable Court of Law in Pirna visited the heirs and that on account of the Pirnaberger Authorities a curator was put up. For what use this unnecessary procedure was done I cannot understand, as the best and shortest way in my opinion is to inform us by letter.

My father was Ernst Friedrich Meissner, minister in Schönbach and a brother of the late Fr. G. Meissner [actually, a half-brother — LPM]. I have another brother Karl Friedrich, who, according to his letter (dated April 2, 1848) is still alive at present time and feeling well and is staying with Mr. de Ray in Ütersen near Altona as gardener.

I take the liberty of asking your Honor very politely to put up an honest man, to whom I can give my authority, and I leave it to your judgement to find such a suitable one whom I safely can trust with my share of the inheritance and who will not waste it by unnecessary payments and unimportant things.

In case a certificate as it is used here should not be sufficient and something special should be mentioned on it, I ask your Honor to have the goodness of letting me know about it.

I would like also to bring to your attention the case for the interests of my brother and my cousin Karoline Zimmermann, formerly Moser. Grant me the permission to assure you my deepest respect.

Obediently …

Karl Friedrich Meissner [brother of F.A.M.], in Ütersen near Altona.

Dear Karl! I have received your letter of April 2nd 48, which you sent with Ulr. de Ray’s letter and I was very happy to read that you are well. I have received a letter from Lina [daughter Karoline — LPM] some days ago, where she informed me (among other things) that our Uncle Friedr. Gotthelf Meissner in Pirna passed away and that the Court of Law visited the heirs. I thought if this would be the case you would have written this at least to me. Please let me know more about this, but please soon, whether you gave authority to someone, and to whom, and how much the inheritance might be. Are you still fine? How are Wilhelm and Marie? Please greet them and Betty from me.

Please ask Betty to ask Ullrich whether he has received my letter for Lina. I have moved again and fought so far against many troubles and was always ailing. But my future looks better now and with it my health, too.

Farewell and write soon to your.

Brother.

Mr. Johann Gottlieb Ullrich in Ottsmarschen near Altona.

Dear Ullrich! Did you receive my letter through Lina? Please answer me soon and let me know more, how everything is going in Kummerfeld, whether the smart people put now so much money back as I was supposed to do. As I heard, Mr. Parker is living on a farm now and you with him.

Best wishes your …

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

20 May 1849 [excerpt].

I still have pasture for one more cow which I wish to buy and probably will cost $30, so if it was possible I should like to have $50.

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

30 May 1849 [excerpt].

I wish you would please to send me some money as I hardly know to get long any further without.

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

10 Jun 1849 [excerpt].

I received your generous presents … I am in want of a grindstone … My radishes sell well in Sandwich. Henry has carried up 20 bushels to date and sold already for $200.

Power of Attorney to Certificate for Mr. Karl Friedrich in Pirna.

W.B. Sept 4, 1849.

To all concerned:I, Friedrich Adolph Meissner, born in Schönbach in the Oberlausitz, later land owner in Kummerfeld in the Pirnaberg territory in Holstein, now living in West Barnstable in the County of Barnstable, State of Massachusetts, North America, hereby choose and give authority to the advocate Mr. Karl Friedrich in Pirna in the Kingdom of Saxony: to be my true and complete and legal manager in order to take care for my share of the inheritance of my late uncle, the merchant Friedrich Gotthelf Meissner, in my name and for me and for my profit alone.

And for this purpose (see above!) I hereby give full power to my mentioned manager to collect my inheritance, to sell land of my inheritance, to collect the cost price, to pay off mortgages, to make comparisons, to accept money out of the inheritance, to give receipts for accomplished work and to all other chores, which seem to be necessary and useful to my mentioned manager in order to do his duty as my manager — as complete and fully as I would have done all this myself, if I would be personally present. And I confess myself responsible to all deeds done according to this contract.

As a corroboration of this contract I have written all this by my own hand and signed and sealed.

Sept 4, 1849.

Mr. City Judge Hering in Pirna.

W.B. Sept 12, 1849.

I have received your pleasant letter of June 14, 1849 and have chosen among the two from you to me recommended gentlemen Karl Friedrich as my manager, as he is already the candidate for my brother’s affairs and I hope to simplify this affair by doing so. I want to say my deepest thankfulness to you for your kindly given information.

With respect …

Mr. Advocate Karl Friedrich in Pirna.

W.B. Sept 12 1849.

You have been recommended to me by Mr. City Judge Hering as my manager and as you have already my brother’s authority in this affair, and so I gladly put into your hands the care of my interests also, as this affair can be simplified by doing so. I hope the enclosed certificate may be sufficient. I had to translate it from English according to a pattern used here and I am not sure to have always used the right expressions, but it is done validly according to the laws here. I am convinced that you will accept the business trusted to you and will take best care for my interests.

I beseech you to give me an account of my inheritance in your expected letter and how big or small my legal share would be and also how soon I could expect some — partly — money from it.

I would like to know very much who among my relatives is still alive and is also included in the inheritance.

I ask you please for a speedy reply of my questions.

Very sincerely yours …

To Karoline Christine Zimmermann in Spitzkümmersdorf near Aderwitz [?] in the Kingdom of Saxony.

W.B. Sept 12 1849.

Dear Karoline! Once ago I have already written to you from this far-away country, but have not received an answer yet.

The last thing I heard from you was a letter which was sent to me about three years ago from Kummerfeld and in which you wrote that your husband froze his feet.

I have received the news about the death of our Uncle Friedrich Gotthelf Meissner and I hope and wish that the improvement …

… of your conditions (caused by your share of the inheritance) might not come too late and you may still enjoy it with excellent health.

I am now four years in America and I have had — to be sure — some troubles during this time, but at least not for food and I am feeling quite well. I hope — if you are still alive and well — that you will answer my letter and let me know some more details about the inheritance, who your manager is and so on, how much we might expect out of it and whether you received already something.

We suffer this summer around here very much under dryness and you have to suffer still worse evils as I can see from the newspapers. I have a nice farm, a pretty house and garden, horses and cows and nothing would cause me more joy than to be able to see [you?] still once around me.

Send my regards to your husband and children and gratify me soon by your letter.

Your loving cousin, F.A. Meissner.

In W.B. — Mass., N.A.

Post Script to Mr. Karl Friedrich:

In order to remove any doubt about my identity I enclose my passport issued by the royal Government in Pinneberg, and if this should not be sufficient, please write to Mr. Judge Advocate Kirchhof in America, who possesses a lot of valid bills of mine and where you can easily get a sample of my handwriting for comparison. But I believe this will not be necessary.

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

30 Oct 1849 [excerpt].

I have a fine stock of cattels as any farmer in Great Marshes … but I have no Stable to shelter him for the rough winter … I dont know where else to call for a barn and I hope by your help I shall have one … for $200.

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

12 Nov 1849 [excerpt].

I didn’t know that you were sick … I shall try to provide some temporary shelter … with about $25 to buy boards.

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

30 Dec 1849 [excerpt].

My harvest on this place I value … at $40.50 … the land will in due time produce crops worth $300 … the first two years I shall have a hard bargain to make a living, but I shall not lose courage.

To the Publisher of the New Yorker Democrat Newspaper, printed in the German language at N.Y. City W.B. Jan 14 1850.

Dear Sir! In case there should still exist a German newspaper with name (mentioned above!) and this letter should reach the hands of the publisher, I would ask you to have a specimen copy sent to me in order to enable me to find out about the price and the right address and to make my decision afterwards. In expectation to have my request granted,.

I remain, respectfully …

From William Meissner (Sennewald).

Dorchester, Jan 21, 1850.

Dear Father and Mother! I have arrived in Dorchester.

[Page 374 continued below: see Sept 15 1850.].

From William Meissner (Sennewald).

Address: Mr. F.A. Meissner, West Barnstable.

Dorchester, Jan 22, 1850.

Dear Father and Mother! I came Monday evening to Capt. Percival’s house and found him in a good mood. The first thing he said was that he wrote already a letter to me and invited me to his house, because the ship has to be unloaded still and will start to be loaded again on the 22.

On the next morning he wanted to go with me to the ship owners which we wanted to see and who live in Boston. When we arrived there they were introduced to me. Then I was asked whether I was healthy and how old I was. [Born 24 Feb 1832; almost 18 — LPM.] Then we talked for a while and then they asked me whether I wanted to see the ship and I said yes. Then Capt. Percival went with me to the ship. There we also met the ship’s captain who seems to be a nice man judging by his looks.

Capt. Percival asked me whether I was naturalized. I said no. Then he said he wanted to go with me and have my name put on record. He also wanted to know whether Father is already a citizen. I said he will probably be one next spring. Now I would like to know whether Father wrote my name also down, if not, I cannot become a citizen without being naturalized myself.

I would like very much — if Father and Mother would be so kind — to send me my stuff in a bag, but not the straw sack. I will write again before I take off.

Please write soon again. I hope everything is going well as always until I will come back. My regards to all of you. Your loving son, William Meissner.

To Father and Mother.

[Note on outside:] Direct the bag with William’s clothes to the care of Mr. W. Noyes, Hanson Square Depot, Dorchester.

Capt. John Percival Dorchester Mass.

18 Feb 1850 [excerpt].

I am glad that you are disposed to help me to a barn and I am willing to give you a mortgage thereon.

Mr. Theodor des Arts, 78 Water St., N.Y.

W.B. February 1850.

Your Honor! In a German newspaper I have read your name listed as Consul of Hamburg. Although I am a born Saxon, my stay of 20 years in the very close neighborhood of Hamburg has made this city to a second home of mine and therefore I take the liberty to ask you whether you could take care for my letters to Germany for a small compensation. I will probably trouble you not more than twice a year (or three times!), but I would like you — every time I send letters for Germany to you — to tell me by a few lines that you have received my letters. It is so uncomfortable if one waits 1/2 year and longer for an answer and then even has to hear that the letters did not arrive at all. The post offices in this country are so unsafe, that only a short time ago a valuable letter of mine got lost between here and Boston. Besides I like to know if maybe I should receive around autumn a box with seeds, plants, (among other things) from Hamburg, whether I would be allowed to address it to you. In case you can’t or won’t fulfill my requests, I would be very grateful if you could recommend somebody else, who will.

Respectfully …

To Karoline Zimmermann in Spitzkümmersdorf by Aderwitz in the Kingdom of Saxony

W.B. [no date].

Dear Karoline! I am now already four years in America and have during this time already twice written to you, but have so far received no answer. I am healthy and have had during this time various types of trouble, but so far I have not suffered yet want of anything.

As I heard our uncle in Pirna has died and we are among the heirs. Did you already receive anything and how much do you suppose we can expect from it? I would like very much to hear more details from you about this. Who is your attorney of power?

But please before all, tell me how you were during this time when I did not hear from you. How many children do you have? Girls or boys? How old are they? What do they learn? I have learned about so many things lately that I lost all these details from my memory. I cannot make this letter entirely free and you will have to make yours free again to Bremen. But I hope this will not keep you from answering me very soon.

Is anybody of the relatives still alive? Send my wishes to your husband and children. I would be very happy if I could see you — and I live in the conviction that your love and friendship for me follows me even to this far-away country. Should somebody have troubled himself so much and have written something bad about me, please don’t be misled by that and continue believing in the friendship of your …

Address your letter to:Mr. F.A. Meissner, W.B., Mass., N.A. — Franco Bremen.

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