1826 Fort Howard Love Letter
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner we wanted to share a love letter from Fort Howard written in 1826. Unfortunately, this letter isn’t all hugs and kisses. Lt. Loring’s “dear Caroline” never received this letter that was given to John Lawe for delivery.
Caroline, the 16-year-old daughter of the fort’s Commanding
Officer, Major William Whistler, was being courted not only by Lt. Loring, but
also Lt. Bloodgood. In the end, Caroline
never received the letter and married Lt. Bloodgood. This water stained letter in our collection
is all that remains of Lt. Loring and Caroline Whistler's short-lived
romance.
Read the letter for yourself below!
Fort Howard, Sunday morning
My dear Caroline,
A short time before I left this place I mentioned to you
that Mr. Bloodgood had said to me that he was desirous of speaking to me on a
particular subject & that I thought it was concerning you and myself this
turned out to be the fact for on the day previous to our regiment’s starting,
he in conversation with me stated his feelings toward you & wished to know
from me positively our situation in regard to each other, at the same time
disavowing any wish to supplant me in your esteem or affection- he was so frank
in his avowal & remarks- that I was led to declare to him what I did then
& must still believe to be the fact- that I considered myself bound and
engaged to you by every tie that could possibly bind a man of honor to the
woman he loved & that nothing but your father’s consent was in the way of
our being united before I left the bay- he appeared satisfied and requested
permission to mention the conversation to your parents and yourself, as he
thought it necessary to account you and them for discontinuing his visits and
attentions which from regard to me he intended doing. I told him I had no objection to his telling
you what I had said- but being fearful that your mother would be offended and
probably make your time more disagreeable, I requested him not speak to your
parents on the subject & continue his visits as usual.
Yesterday he walked out with me and told me that he had
spoken to you on the subject a few days after I left- & that you stated to
him the amount of what follows- “That
you did not consider that there was any engagement between us- that I had formerly
been very attentive to you, but for some time past had neglected you very much-
that your parents had objected to your marriage with me & for this reason
& your having been advised by your friends not to connect yourself with me,
you had concluded that we never should be married & in fact considered me
as only a common acquaintance”
The above, Caroline, is as near as I can recollect the amount of what he told me- but I shall make no comment upon it for I cannot unless I hear from yourself believe that you are so much altered- there must have been some mistake.
I must see you if possible Caroline & immediately,
therefore I wish you to make some arrangement to pass the evening from
home& inform me what I shall meet you- say at the doctor’s, or you might
walk in the garden with Rachel and your Cousin Abbot-
Nothing that may happen will ever change my feeling towards
you & believe me my dear girl,
Yours as truly
as ever,
H.H. Loring
Lisa Kain, Curator
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