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JAMES FLETCHER BLACKINTON : 1844 ORIGINAL, CHATTY MANUSCRIPT LETTER HAND WRITTEN BY AN ENGAGING BROWN UNIVERSITY SOPHMORE

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is an excellent piece of original correspondence from early 19th century America. This 3-page letter measures 9.5 inches by 7.5 inches and is in excellent condition. The handwriting is very neat and quite legible. The letter was written by James Fletcher Blackinton of Providence, RI in 1844 while he was a Sophmore at Brown University. Written to an unknown male recipient, the letter is an effort to explain certain actions that he took while on a trip to another town. Reading into the lines, it would appear that he either rented or borrowed a horse for the journey. He explains his journey and the options he had as to certain routes. It appears that he did not follow the route that he initially indicated and that he made an unplanned stop at a cemetery to visit a friend's grave. He explains his decisions and goes on to add that he feels he has done nothing wrong. He also chides the man's sister for making comments about him behind his back. The letter is well-written: Having been informed that some circumstances connected with my recent journey to S. Reading have caused you and others much anxiety I have thought it my duty to address you in explanation of my course.... The horse with which I went was recommended to me as fully capable of performing the journey in the allotted time.... [p 1] He goes on to describe his route, including stops detailing 8.5 hours of travel interspersed with 3.5 hours of rest breaks: The horse was well-kept from the time I started til I returned. I had never been to S. Reading before and knew nothing of the way beyond Boston; but from what I learned before I started and from inquires on the road, I concluded the distance must be nearly the same through Cambridge or Charleston; being acquainted with the later town, I went that way. ... [p 1] He states that even though the bill has been settled and that he believes he did not exceed the distance agreed upon, he is willing to revisit it: But what impropriety there could be in visiting a place where everything is calculated to bring to our mind the remembrance of departed friends and remind us of our own mortality I am at a loss to conceive. But if others think differently and will convince me that I have acted amiss, I will acknowledge my error ... [p 2] His criticism of the man's sister for her remarks behind his back is masterful: If a certain sister of yours thinks our conduct in going to Mt Auburn justify her in making the kind remarks and delicate comparison she has been pleased to draw - I advise her to visit those calm and peaceful shades and as she gazes on the monuments of the dead let her remember that victims have been brought to the grave by unkind words as well as other causes. [p 3] A historian would see value in this letter from different perspectives. First of all, it delineates travelled routes through this area of Massachusetts. It provides an indication of how certain transactions were carried out - in this case, apparently horse rental that included route and distance to be travelled. Blackinton is obviously a well-educated man as his spelling, grammar and construction are excellent. In reading this letter, the dry words come to life and for a brief instance; the reader has an insight into daily life in the early 1800s in rural America.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good-

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