AN IRISHMAN WRITES TO AN OLD FRIEND, REPORTING ON MUTUAL ACQUAINTANCES AND EVENTS IN THE ROSSES, COUNTY DONEGAL IN 1871

An autograph letter, 8 pp., approx. 1700 words, signed by John Boldge (sp?), dated The Den, Friday 3 Feb'y, 1871, and addressed to his friend George Sproule. A few holes in the first leaf, affecting a few words, else all legible. The author mentions that Col. Connolly, "brother to the spendthrift" and a Mr. Goldrick had been through town, along with several other men, and drummers and fifers, "beating up for recruits but it was no go." They had no more success, apparently in the towns of LKenny [Letterkenny], Dunfanaghy, Gweedore, Rosses, Letter, Glenties & Donegal where they "did not get a man." He goes on to report on a trip to Letterkenny and names (truncated) several of the merchants there who were feeling the pinch in sales and attributed it all to the War [a reference to the Franco-Prussian War on the continent]. He names various mutual acquaintances from his visit to Arran [sic, Aran Island?], says Dick & Co. are for California in the spring, others are already in New York, Richey Hunter's son was killed in a mining hole in New Zealand, and the Devitts have given up Glenties Inn. He mentions a Dr. Ronsonby who is a captive in Germany, and notes that "[t]he Dublin ambulance rather put their foot in it & all about here are French mad just as if France cared a curse for them." [Ireland sent volunteers to serve in a Franco-Irish Ambulance Brigade during the war.] He predicts some of the young men will leave the Rosses "ere the ballott, or conscription bill is passed & will come out your way to avoid it." A lengthy letter, full of local names and news. A George Sproule, born in County Donegal in 1839, immigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in about 1870. The 1880 Census lists his occupation as a bookkeeper. He died in Philadelphia in 1894. Perhaps this is the man to whom the letter is addressed. (Inventory #: 69984)