New York, Wednesday, July 18^th 1832

 Dear Brother and Sister, - - -

            We received your letter of the 4^th instant a few days since, and were thankful to hear that you arrived at home in safety and in health. Although sickness and death are on every hand, we are all, (through the mercy and kindness of our heavenly Father,) alive, and in usual health. Jane and I have been quite anxious to go to the island, and remain there until the hand of God should check the progress of disease and death; but our business is such as to render it impossible for me to leave the office; and Jane felt rather unwilling to go unless I went with her. We feel, however, content to remain here, under the circumstances; believing it to be our duty to do so; and believing also, that the Lord is able to preserve us in the midst of the cholera as in the country. Jane has been somewhat alarmed, I believe from fear that she should come to want. She had been working for customers for a long time, when that failed; she then went to Mr. Gurnee’s for shop work, but to her great surprise and affliction she found he had gone to the country and the shop was shut. After shedding a shower of tears, which, you know is her last alternative, she was happily delivered from these pressing circumstances.

            Before I go any farther I stop, (with feelings which I cannot express,) to inform you that our beloved brother, William J. Webb, has finished his earthly pilgrimage, and is now numbered with the pale nations of the dead!! Yesterday afternoon I saw his remains deposited in the silent mansions and last dwelling place of all men. Oh! What a sudden and almost insupportable stroke to his afflicted mother! * Last Saturday evening he stopped at our house as well as usual (as he was returning from his work) he stayed an hour or two. He then went home, went to bed, and arose on Sabbath morning apparently in good health. While attending family prayer, and while praying for his father, he was so violently seized that he was compelled to stop in a moment. Before 12 o’clock it was thought he could not live. By the exertions of Dr. Reese his pain and cramp were soon mostly removed; yet he seemed very low. Sunday evening Jane, and I with the family, and several others sat up with him, watching, as we thought his last breath. He lingered, however, until about 2 o’clock Tuesday Morning, when he breathed his spirit into the hands of Him who gave it. His death was that of the triumphant Christian. O that you had seen and heard what I never saw nor heard before. He called each person in the room, to him, bade them an affectionate farewell, and gave each that advice and exhortation which seemed most applicable. It was astonishing to hear him speak so fervently, appropriately, and so correctly; -- it seemed as though he was strengthened and assisted by an invisible arm. During the night his mother came to the bed side an dwelt and grieved affectingly. In his peculiar fervor and voice he said, “Mother! Don’t’ weep. – Don’t weep, mother! Can’t you say with Job, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord?” After requesting all to leave the room, he talked very piously to his father, and Edward, and made them promise to read the Bible and serve the Lord. I believe Mr. Webb prayed in the family last evening. My faith in, and love to, God have been greatly increased by this providence; so that scarcely one fear of the cholera or of death now remains. Blessed be God for the consolation, comfort, and support afforded by religion.

            I think the sickness of the city is rapidly increasing. I presume it is altogether unnecessary for me to give you any account of it, as you have the accounts as correctly as we have. It is, indeed, a very solemn spectacle to see sick person carried through the streets in such vast numbers. Also to see 7 and 8 and sometimes 9 coffins thrown into the poor house hearse at one time to be buried. Last week four persons died in one family on the corner of Grand and Crosby-street, within two days of each other; --three lay a corpse and were buried at the same time. Great fear and much excitement prevail almost amidst all classes of people. The cholera! The cholera! Is the common and almost the only topic of conversation. Oh that his fear might lead the wicked inhabitants of this city to humble and unfeigned repentance, for, and forsaking of, their sins.

            “Aunty Smith’s” folks went to the country a week or two since, expecting to return when the sickness shall subside.

            It is now Thursday evening.  Mrs. Fordyce is quite unwell; not, however, we think with the cholera. Dr. Reese has been here this afternoon; and thinks that, by proper means, she will soon be restored to her usual health. She has not been very well for several days. A letter from Mr. Fordyce, received yesterday, informs us that he is in good health. Mrs. Holliday and Ellen went to Long Island early last Monday morning, as well as usual, and it is probable they will return so, unless they intemperately indulge in eating fruit. It is thought that William’s death was occasioned by his imprudence in eating cherries. Wm Harned escaped, tarried not, and scarcely looked behind him; but got to the country as soon as possible.

            P. P. Sanford has had a very severe fit of sickness; so that he has been incapable of doing anything since preaching the first Sabbath. He is now recovering. It is well that Mr. Coles remained here; for Mr. Durbin has been in Phila two or three weeks, and he is now the principal editor. Mr. Brown (the preacher) has been very sick of the cholera; but is, I believe, getting better. We had a letter from Walter about a week since in which he tells us that they are all pretty well; and says he expects soon to return to New York! But the why and wherefore this sudden change we know not.

            Robert was in New York a week or two since. His health is considerable improved. I wrote a letter to George 2 weeks since requesting an immediate answer, but --- that is the last on that score

            Having dwelt this long on particulars. (according to your request,) I close by saying that things in general, I believe, “continue as they were.”

            Jane and Mrs. Fordyce send their kind love to you both, and also to Susan. Grandmother, (who is sitting beside me, hemming towel) says I must not forget her. She says she feels better and has for several days back, than she has for some time. Give my love to Susan, and accept of the same from

                                                                        Your affectionate

                                                                        Addison A.

Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson

*She is now confined to her bed and is quite low of the same disease, --the cholera. It has no doubt been brought on by her almost excessive mourning and grief. (She is rather better this, (Thursday) afternoon)

Courtesy of the Davenport Historical Association, Davenport, NY, 13750. Over 500 letters from the Ferguson and Jayne families, most dating from the mid-nineteenth century, are available in The Ferguson-Jayne Papers, 1826 - 1938, edited by Mary S. Briggs, Interlaken New York: Heart of the Lakes Publishing, 1981. Transcribed for this web site by Margaret Monaco. All misspellings have been carefully preserved..

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