Thomas Jackson Signature

Passionate Abolitionist and
Witness to the American Civil War

THE ENTIRE COLLECTION


JW_letter_1861-12-25

Valuable insights progress of the war

 

As elsewhere we see the overwhelming filter through which John Watson views his life and his religious filter to judge his family members.

Not coincidentally perhaps reveals that he is very lonely now his wife has passed and is planning to take on another wife. “I think we need a sympathizing friend more in old age than in youth.”

Also feels slaves should be released but only progressively with the children being educated first.

Includes other topics worth further study.

P1

N Jersey   Middlesex Co

Metuchen Dec 25 61

Respected friend and Cousin William Slater 

I received your letter duly several months since and again acknowledge my neglect of answering     hoping to do better in future my health is rather better except tooth ach     I am still solitary but think some of looking out again Charles grows fast still goes to Metuchen to school    he is gone to N York to spend a few days with his 2 & 3 cousins from my Uncle John Watson descent & families      we are only 4 of family    I am all alone 

this afternoon I have seen Bros William & Amoss lately they are all well. I have not heard from Thomas Jackson in 3 months.   we have received no likeness of Aunt Riley yet     I received the letter you enclosed in mine? Our neighbours are about the same as when you was here    Mr. Plumly sends his respects to you. 

Now I must tell you a little war news altho I perceive you know nearly as much as I do from your papers (I thank you for that Lincoln paper I learned from it that Dr Cook of Gainsboro is living over old physician) 

This is aterrible rebelion the most wicked that ever happened 

 I suppose slavery is the foundation of it but you know I am no politition    we have not suffered much here yet except dull times but I learn there is terrible devastation in those states were it rages     fences &  buildings are burned    trees cut down    every thing going to destruction and now the slaves are rising    they have burned a large portion of the city of Charleston S Carolina which indicates that providence is against them the Union has near six hundred thousand men in arms and we think is making progress but the papers are so one sided that we scarcely know really what is going on    many northern men work a war living South have had to come home prercipitasly and leave their property behind to the amount of from 1 to 25 thousand dollars     a missionary was driven from the Choctaw Indians because he would not join the rebels he is going to deliver a lecture at Metuchen on the subject the cotton carrage & other factories have all stopped which makes very hard times for operaters     my Bro Amoss says he shall be 2 thousand dollars minus from bad? Debts. Through this war and as you say we shall have high taxes after this 

 

P2

Indeed we know not what the end will be nor when it will come, if it was not the believing in an overruling providence I should despair     the victory is at his disposal altho we are to use the means    when we read the history of mankind we find it is nothing new  how true that pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall both in nations and individuals but there is a receipt For the cure of our troubles made known in the 1 & 2 Chronicles  “If I shut up heaven that their be no rain or if I command the locust to devour the land if I send pestilence among my people, if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways and seek my face, then I will hear from Heaven and forgive there sin and heal there land.”   This aplys to us and is too plain to need comment.   

 I have been delaying a few days during which time the British have sent a demand for those thus rebel prisoners viz Mason & Slidel which was taken from an English vessel.     I suppose you have heard all about it long before you receive this     they was given up for peace sake for we cannot buy peace too dear if we do not buy It with sin.   When I read the foreign news I was surprised at the English menacing and talking of going to war with us as I thought they would have done the same thing themselves under similar circumstances      I thought they appeared to take advantage of our present troubles     I see the English press especially the London Times are misrepresenting our northern states very much and very untruthfully they are making us out barbarians or worse. I hope I shall not live to see a war with England.   it would be like parent & child fighting each other     the blessing on peace makers implies a curse on peace breakers always.    The 3 Railroads through N Jersey have been carrying troops & munitions of war all summer & it is not stopped yet the army is still accumulating & will soon be 700,000 we are nearly ready to attack the rebels in 3 principal places as I read and according to human Judgment the rebellion 

 

P3

Will soon be put down and England will obtain cotton sooner and easier by letting us alone if they obtain it by force  The price will be blood which would make  it too dear in the end.  

this is a terrible war I suppose the effects of it is left in every quarter of the globe and God alone knows what the end will be and when it will come. The expence is very great still the money is only changing hands      very little of it goes abroad our private solgiers [sic] receive 13 to 20 Dol pr month and they are continually sending money home to their families and friends. 

John Smith’s eldest son enlisted last fall he soon got a situation in the hospital to deal out medicine and attend the sick & wounded for which he receives 30 Dol per month and board (the government boards all the army).  he sent his father home 35 Dol about 2 months ago the tailors, male and female have had plenty of work making clothing for the army,   shoemakers & other mechanics also for which they receive cash on delivery          

as I was going through Rapway I saw 2 advertisements of 500 each for tailors to make up government work       Charles Aunt Emiline told me last week that she made 6 coats a week by the aid of her sewing machine at 100 each. The object of this war is to restore the constitution but it may lead to the abolition of slavery    I think we have some 20000 slaves from rebel owners under their our care .  I do not think it would be best to set them free suddenly on account of their ignorance of self government etc but educate the children and free them at 21     if they were all free at once, they would come in swarms to the Northern states where they are not wanted and thousands of them would perish one way or other. 

Another matter if thankfulness is the abundance of provisions we are blest with this year    we have millions on millions of produce to spare for France & England.   Corn in the west is 10 to 15 cents per bush,  wheat 50 to 65, pork 3 cents per lb. Beef 2 ½     the English railroad company in Illinois have built corn cribs.   If placed lengthwise would be 18 miles long     they are taking corn in payment for farms. Wheat here is 1.40 per bush 60 lb corn , 65 to, 70 oats, 40 beef 5 to 8 ct per lb. pork the same,  hay 14 to 17 Doll per ton? Butter, 23 per lb. Wages 4 to 6 Dl per mo for women 8 to 12 for men and board 

[Note cross stitched on the side]

It is 2 or 3 weeks since I commenced this letter 

 

P4

Emigration is falling of very fast I suppose in consequence of the war     I wish I had a good English farmer I would give him good wages     my tax this year was 22 Doll including everything but we have an indirect tax 6 percent per lb. on coffee, 4 on sugar, 25 on tea   dry goods are raised 50 percent     many people hear[sic] have friends south and have not heard from them since the war commenced as communications is stopped and no doubt there are many relations fighting against each other          

But no matter the rebellion must be put down if it takes every man & every dollar the North can raise. 

I hear the 3 United powers are likely to meet with trouble in Mexico as they have chosen a dictater unanimous and will raise an army of 150 thousand and are determined to resist to the uttermost.    William I never expected to see a civil war it is awful they frequently bring corpses in the cars from the seat of war in double coffins to their friends     I attended a funeral of a young  man from our congregation lately, some think the war will be over in 3 months, others 3 years       may God hasten the time     May good come out of the evil it is all the consequence of sin against light & knowledge. But what are all the troubles our earth in comparison to an eternity of misery       God never put more trouble on nations or individuals than deserved      his will and our duty is made known in his word and I think the most remarkable portion is the rule of judgement recorded in the 25 of Matthew     There we are taught that Christ will be our judge and what the sentence will be on each class      if we had our own choice we could not have made a better choice than our saviour for our judge and he has taught us that not the hearers but the doers ^of the land are justified for there is no saving faith without obedience to his commands    weather is their any true obedience without faith still it is by grace we are saved through faith and those that wish salvation must use the means of grace that God requires viz repentance and works meet for repentance daily searching the Scripture, Closet prayer  a public profession of his name before the unbelieving world “do this in remembrance of me is the express command of our blessed Saviour , the Church militant and the two sacraments are his institutions and it is at our perril to disobey him 

we think rebellion against human government is bad but what is upsidedown

 

P5 

That in comparison to rebellion against the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords’ and disobedience to Gods commands is rebellion wether in the forbidden fruit or a Kingdom and every child by nature is a rebel and unreconciled but thanks be to God the atonement that Christ has made renders God reconcilable our faith in him renders him actualy reconciled therefore let us look unto Jesus who is the auther and finisher of our faith and he has said ask and you shall receive he that cometh shall in us wise be cast out and his complaint is “yea will not come unto me that ye might have life and the language of a great majority is go thy way for this time they wish to serve the worlds the best of their days and then give God a little of the worlds leaving and die glorious what infatuation “Lord teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” 

I was very glad to hear from Ralph Burrows. I wish you would let him see this letter and write to me as soon as you can conveniently     I am always glad to hear from you or any other of my English friends as I never expect to see any of you again in time but hope to meet you where parting is no more I still remain your well wisher and Cousin J Watson

A few lines to my respected friend and cousin Caleb 

Dear Cousin I often think of you    my mother loved you next to her own children but she is gone to the land of Spirits  oh what a loss to me but gain to her    I have no doubt and from what I learned from my mother I believe that your mother and their mother and Aunt Riley and other of our dear friends are met together and are united? In singing the praises of redeeming love and that for ever and we their children are fast approaching the eleventh hour of our existence         are we redeeming our time by preparing to follow them and join that blessed company?   if not we had better never have been born 

it is near 40 years since I saw you and I do not know what your views are or in other words what you think of Christ    do you believe that God has made him wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption to all true believer for Christ is either all in all to us or nothing at all for of his own will hath he saved us not by works of righteousness which we have done we need to search the scriptures daily for thus God speaks to us in his word     when we pray we speak to him thus we reason together but the Bible in some measure is a sealed book to every man learned or unlearned till he begins to study it with a child like simplicity and docility, daily praying that the Lord would open his understanding and honesty aiming to practice the instructions he has already received alas what multitude in Christian countries fall below the hypocritical Jews in religion They do not so much has draw near to God with their mouths nor honour him with their lips.

 

P6

Cousin Caleb I should be very glad to hear from you once more also from your Brother Charles     this is a world of trials but it will soon be over with us     I am almost 60 you must be near seventy let us receive the saviours admonition and strive to be always ready to leave this world and join our beloved friends in the mansions above. My cousin Mary Mecaskey? Is a widow She was with us from my mothers funeral till Sept during the time she received a letter from her nephew one of Chs Straws sons that married cousin Sarah Jackson      he was enlisted into our army at Washington he was well and made no complaints   

Cousin Mary is now at Scranton with her sister Ann 

 Thomas Jackson is very much out about the rebellion etc He says he has a notion to burn his naturalization papers publicly and sell out and come to England but it is all talk.   he laid out some 3000 Dol in spinning genies etc just before these troubles came on but I am afraid his troubles is all about temporal things. I wish you would remember me kindly to Elizabeth Coats and any other of that family     they have my best wishes. I hope your children will all be $ [=rich?] & kind to you in old age.    it is very deseverable at your age to have more time for retirement & rest for reading & meditation and visiting your friends and others that might be benefited by your instructiosn   My situation has been a lonely one since my mothers death as you may suppose but I have concluded to take another partner in life next week by the name of Ruth Thomas perhaps William will remember her     she is of a corresponding age and has been a member of Metuchen Church 20 years or more and bears a good character    I have made it a matter of prayer but it will soon be with us as the apostle Paul said “They that have wives shall be as tho they had none and they that weep as tho they wept not.” But I think we need a sympathising friend more in old age than in youth. We are only 4 of family     Charles goes to school     when I am tired I sit in my room alone and if it was not for my books especially Scotts [a book explaining the Bible] I should be very lonesome     we have sent you several papers.   I wish you would send me the Nottingham review now and then, Cousin Caleb I hope you will take no offense at what I have said I hope I shall hear form you oftener 

I will only add that I remain your affectionate cousin 

John Watson 

 

P7

I thought I would write a few lines to my second cousins but I have forgot all your names except William     I think the other Brother is Chas (Charles)  I wish to know your names in your next letter,  I learned from William that two of you are teaching school at Alfreton .  allow me to give you my views on that subject   

first a teacher of children and youth should be a Christian as I trust you are for how can any one teach another the way to Heaven that does not know nor is travailing the narrow way himself      the first and greatest object of education should be to teach children what they are by nature and what they must be by grace in order to be happy both here and how after and that every day. But tis lamentable that a majority of parents never trouble themselves about the salvation of their children  all they appear to care about is this presant world, which often give teaches trouble     but I will refer you to the 6th of Deuteronomy you have sufficient instruction therein for you know that the Bible gives us every necessary instruction in regard to our duty to God and our fellow mortals that we need for it is a mortals to our feet and a light to our path if you are single it teaches you how to choose companions but You know that the carnal mind is enmity against God is not subject to his law neither in deed can be whilst It remains in an unconverted state     the unconverted considers riches the great blessing but the scriptural taught Christian would be governed by what the bible teaches from beginning to end “Let his many whom she will only in the Lord that is a true believer in our Lord Jesus Christ nothing is plainer for there is no fellowship Between light and darkness and no concord between Christ and belief of thought I would remind you of your duty altho you know it you know we are taught to admonish one another you know the apostle John says “ This is the love of God that yea keeps his commandments” and they are not greevous.    Religion never was designed to make our pleasures less? What a trifle is earth what a treasure is Heaven let us seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and these things shall be added let us be very careful of the company we keep for they that walk with the wise shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.  and who are the fools here ? let the facts answer.

 If I had all the learning that is taught in the school    If a stranger to grace  I had been but a fool.  

Let me hear from you soon as convenient 

very respectfully yours 

John Watson

 

P8.  cross stitch of p1 

To my old friend Ralph Burrows

I was glad to hear of you by my cousin William Slater  I should be glad to receive a few lines from you stating what you are doing and how you are enjoying yourself and how the cause of religion is prospering in Eastwood and if your Brother Thos is living and also your sisters and if any of the name lives in the old house at Annesley woodhouse    I often think of old times and going to school to good Joshua Burton with your Brother & sisters   I still remember his prayers and hymns that are sung every day “things our friend and thy Fathers friend forget not “    I wish you would let me know if Saml and John Harvey Is still living and if they are Christians and if you know weather my Uncle James Watson ever made a public  profession of religion and if my cousin John & Joseph Smith from near Robinsons mill are living at Kirkby Woodhouse and if they are members of the Baptist Church there for my K W friends neglect writing to me altho the way of access is so easy.

 I have been here 34 years    my health has been tolerable   good I lived without God and hope and faith till I was 44 years of age and O how little progress I have made since but I desire to lament my short commings and imperfections and to plead that perfect righteousness  which is provided for repenting sinners by Jesus Christ whom I desire to love my father did not resume his profession? till three years before his death and I believe he was unregenerate till about that time   but I have no doubt of his sincerity and happy departure. My Brother William has been a member of the Baptist Church perhaps 12 years Amoss 3 years religion appears to be at a low state the present time here professions have been conforming to the world too much in dress equipage for pleasures customs and maxims instead of setting the world an example which I think is one cause of our presant troubles what an example of humility we have in our blessed saviours earthly sojourn he condesended to be born in a stable & cradled in a manger.     he commands us to follow him in meakness of heart that we may find rest to our souls   Oh what a treasure of blessings are made known to us in the bible and yet it is the most neglected book even in Christian Countries I have bought Scotts comentary which I find very instructive  I sometimes think there needs no other comentary on the scriptures      I wish every family had one of them I see by his preface that it was the result of thirty years labor including the revision and his pastoral duties. I now must bid my friend adieu.

The Christian race with zeal pursue, and may your faith in Christ abide till you are seated near his side. 

From your friend and well wisher John Watson

Metuchen PO N Jersey N America

 

The 8 sides of this 4 page interlined letter includes separate letters to William Slater but also Caleb Slater, Ralph Burrows and his second cousins (whose names he has largely forgotten).
We are frequently reminded that John Watson was less well educated than Thomas Jackson and both spells and punctuates in odd ways. Periods, full stops and capital letters are somewhat random and that made the transcription somewhat difficult.
He describes himself as alone at this time and appears to have become obsessed with studying his religion with the help of Scotts Commentary.
He declares that he had been in America for 34 years at the time of this letter, transposing to the fact that he left England around 1827.  It also sounds as if his home in England was the village of Kirkby Woodhouse, within a 10 miles radius that would include the families of Thomas Jackson (Ilkeston) and Caleb Salter (Eastwood.)