1865 – Two letters sent by a woman in Washington, DC, to her mother and sister in Pennsylvania discussing canning, a hired ‘girl,’ and ill-fitting shoes

Washington, DC, 1865. Envelope or Cover. Very good. These two letters were written by Mary Smith in Washington, DC on October 1st and 2nd, 1865. They are enclosed in the same mailing envelope, which was sent to Miss Lizzie Smith. The envelope bears a 3-cent Washington stamp (Scott #65), and a double-circle Washington postmark dated 6 October. In nice shape with a bit of toning to the envelope.

In these letters, Mary provided a report about how busy she had been in the kitchen.

“I couldn’t get time to rite. We got a lot of chicken grapes a wild shiny black wild fruit) and we had them to pick off and put up seven crocks full in molasses and I was canning some tomatoes and I had a busy week of it I have thirty seven cans full of tomatoes ten of peaches and nine of blackberries I want to can some more tomatoes this week. . .. I made apple butter . . . strong to keep for winter and I made some that I didn’t boil down so mutch that I am using and will make a little mor. . .. I have not got apples dried nor I wont et maney more for they dont fall very fast now. . ..

She also told of her problems and success in hiring a servant, probably a black woman based on her use of the diminutive term, ‘girl.’

“I rit to you before in told you that I had a very bad girl well I sent her off and done alone for a weak and then I got a rite good girl the one I have now does very well only she dont know much about baking our kind bread but she does very well at every thing else. . .."

And finally, she writes about her inability to find shoes that fit.

“I wish I could see your new gaiters [and] I wish you could see the nice shoes I were. my leg and feet are swollen so mutch that I can were aney shoes that are fit for a white person. . .. I got a new pair of shoes . . . but I cant were them I think I get my feet shaved down or els cut them off for they have no shape. . .."

. A folksy letter that gives an inkling of the amount of work a homemaker needed to do simply to ensure fruit was available over the winter months.

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