[P.] R. ALS to William C. Rives, Jr., April 8, 1866
African American History Collection, 1729-1966 (bulk 1781-1865) [Box 4, Folder 64a]
Castle Hill April 8. 1866. I received your letter about the darkies, a few days ago, my dearest Son, and will, with the greatest pleasure, set enquiries about them on foot and do my best to meet your wishes. Like yourself, I think any of them would be wise to go to a country where the mild and equable climate, spontaneous fruits and fertile soil furnish the necessaries of life with little exertion, for their [?] ideal of happiness and comfort is in idleness. I have felt, and still feel a sincere wish for the welfare of the race, though I am sorry to say our own experience has convinced us that there are very few of them for whom it is possible to do any thing. I thought that those immediately around us would have more reason and intelligence than the mass and that something of the old family attachment might be developed, but I am sorry to say I have been sadly and sorely disappointed. It seems to have been all in vain that we have waited with
About this Item
- Series
- African American History Collection, 1729-1966 (bulk 1781-1865) [Box 4, Folder 64a]
- Title
- [P.] R. ALS to William C. Rives, Jr., April 8, 1866
- Type
- letter
- Recipient
- Rives, William C.
- Canvas
- Image 1
- Publication
- Castle Hill, [Virginia]
- 1866 April 8
- Method and Signature Status
- autograph manuscript signed
- Notes
- Discusses tensions between slaves and former owners, and slaves traveling to Liberia; "I think any of those would be wise to go to a country where the mild and equable climate..."
Technical Details
- Collection
- African American and African Diaspora Collection, 1729-1966 (bulk 1781-1865)
- Collection Finding Aid
- Link to this Item
-
https://name.umdl.umich.edu/africanamer.0004.64a
- Link to this image
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/a/africanamer/africanamer.0004.64a/1
Rights and Permissions
The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are believed to be in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact the William L. Clements Library at [email protected] . If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact Library Information Technology at [email protected] .
DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States
Related Links
- More Item Details
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/africanamer:africanamer.0004.64a
Cite this Item
- Full citation
-
"[P.] R. ALS to William C. Rives, Jr., April 8, 1866." In the digital collection African American and African Diaspora Collection, 1729-1966 (bulk 1781-1865). https://name.umdl.umich.edu/africanamer.0004.64a. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 28, 2025.