1849 LEXINGTON KY Letter – GREAT CONTENT – Susan Shelby Carter CHOLERA EPIDEMIC

Description

1+ pg. letter, approx. 7-3/4″ x 9-3/4″, written at
Lexington, KY, and dated June 20, 1849
, from Susan Shelby Carter, (signed “S.S. Carter”), wife of Col. William Grayson Carter, to a friend of her and her husband’s, Mr. T.J. Hood, at Grayson, Carter County, Kentucky (Carter County was named for her husband, Col. Carter).
The stampless folded letter has a blue LEXINGTON/Ky. cds postmark dated June 22 and blue “5” rate handstamp.
The letter is datelined “
Richland”
– which was the name of the William B. Kinkead house on Richmond Road in Lexington, where she and her husband were staying at the time.
William B. Kinkead was a Lexington attorney and Judge, and was married to Elizabeth Shelby (1824-1895), a cousin of the writer of this letter.
The writer of this letter,
Susan Hart Shelby Carter,
(1813-1901), was the daughter of Isaac Shelby Jr, and the granddaughter of the 1st and 5th Governor of Ky., Isaac Shelby; She was
married to
Col. William Grayson Carter
, (1803-1849),
Grandson of Revolutionary War Col. William Grayson, who served as Aide-de-Camp to George Washington and a Va. Statesman; William Grayson Carter served
in the Kentucky State Senate, 1834-1838; Carter County in KY is named after him (1838);
He owned a large estate (Plantation) comprising 3000 acres overlooking the Little Sandy River on the west side of Grayson, Kentucky (named for his Grandfather). In 1850, after the death of Col. Carter, the estate and 15 Slave were sold by his wife, the writer of this letter. Her husband, Col. Carter, died in Lexington just 11 days after this letter was written, at the age of 46.
Great content,
in which Susan Shelby Carter notes that she is writing at the request of her husband who “is somewhat weakened from an attack of Cholera”, (this was during the Cholera epidemic of 1849, which ravaged the U.S., and would result in the death of her husband 11 days later), and who wants to give some information to T.J. Hood about two young ladies (two “divinities”) he has taken an interest in (“one of whom you have been worshipping to some extent for a year or so past”) – that they have gone to the Estill Springs in Tenn., and some additional information regarding two other “exquisites” – obviously the Col. and his wife are playing matchmaker for their friend back home in Grayson, KY. After discussing the various “wealthy fashionables” who will be there, she jests about the danger that the Cholera may make it’s appearance there, and send them all home, writing
“unless Cholera, a formidable gentleman of the present times, should intrude his haggard visage and lean proportions into their midst & send them to retire to their respective homes!”
The letter reads:
“Mr. Hood,
At the request of Col. Carter, who is somewhat weakened from an attack of Cholera, I am seated for the purpose of giving you some information of which you can avail yourself if it should suit your views & wishes. He desires me to say that the two divinities, one of whom you have been worshipping to some extent for a year or so past, are now at the Springs in Estill, both heart free and useless unlike the ladies generally, quite ready to receive the adorations of you lords of creation. Miss Shelby and Miss Bunn left the first of this week and will remain probably during summer. The former in a state of health calculated to excite apprehension in the minds of her friends and greatly depressed in spirits. Miss B., however, is unusually gay for her and will be followed by shoals of small fry as we understand. A lady of some pretention from Jessamine will likewise go up, if not already there. Two exquisites, the Misses McCan of Lexington & many others will swell the list of wealthy fashionables, who will figure at that point, unless Cholera, a formidable gentleman of the present times, should intrude his haggard visage and lean proportions into their midst & send them to retire to their respective homes!
The Col. says tell Hood that you saved my life and he had better get himself a wife who is the best muse, for no one will take the same trouble she does! As his acting Secretary, I have too much to engage me to write more at length. Shall we not see you here in a short time?
Love to Robert’s family & believe that I am as ever,
Your friend,
S. S. Carter”
Very Fine.
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