Title: Letter from Charles L. Pettigrew to Ebenezer Pettigrew, September 17, [1834]: Electronic Edition.
Author: Pettigrew, Charles Lockhart, 1816-1873
Editor: Erika Lindemann
Funding from the State Library of North Carolina supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text transcribed by Erika Lindemann
Images scanned by Mara E. Dabrishus
Text encoded by Sarah Ficke
First Edition, 2005
Size of electronic edition: ca. 17K
Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2005

No Copyright in US

The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South.
Languages used in the text: English
Revision history:
2005-03-15, Sarah Ficke finished TEI/XML encoding.
Part of a series:
This transcribed document is part of a digital collection, titled True and Candid Compositions: The Lives and Writings of Antebellum Students in North Carolina
written by Lindemann, Erika
Source(s):
Title of collection: Pettigrew Family Papers (#592), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title of document: Letter from Charles L. Pettigrew to Ebenezer Pettigrew, September 17, [1834]
Author: Charles L. Pettigrew
Description: 3 pages, 4 page images
Note: Call number 592 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Topics covered:
Education/UNC Student Life
Health and Disease/Diseases
Examples of Student Writing/Letters and Letter Writing
Editorial practices
The text has been encoded using the recommendations for Level 5 of the TEI in Libraries Guidelines.
Transcript of the personal correspondence. Originals are in the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved.
DocSouth staff created a 600 dpi uncompressed TIFF file for each image. The TIFF images were then saved as JPEG images at 100 dpi for web access.
Page images can be viewed and compared in parallel with the text.
Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
Letters, words and passages marked as deleted or added in originals have been encoded accordingly.
All quotation marks, em dashes and ampersand have been transcribed as entity references.
All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as ".
All single right and left quotation marks are encoded as '.
All em dashes are encoded as —.
Indentation in lines has not been preserved.

For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions, see Dr. Erika Lindemann's explanation under the section Editorial Practices.

Document Summary

Pettigrew tells his father that brother William has been ill but is now recovered; students have driven away a fellow student for stealing money from them.
Letter from Charles L. Pettigrewlink opens in a new window to Ebenezer Pettigrewlink opens in a new window , September 17, [1834]1
Pettigrew, Charles Lockhart, 1816-1873



Page 1
Chapel Hill Sept 17th

Dear fatherlink opens in a new window

I now write you to inform you that I have sent your subscription to the Episcopal school to Raleigh 2and now have the a reciept from the treasurer, which I shall enclose in this letter to you. The business has been adjusted without any trouble on my part. In passing through Raleigh I was unable to see Mr Freemanlink opens in a new window for having arrived their at about eight I left at three in the morning. I wrote you in a previous letter informing you that brother Williamlink opens in a new window was unwell, but I take pleasure now in letting you know that he has quite recovered, and regaining his flesh; he was sick during about a week and a half, having a fever every day though never very much, and without any chill: When he was first taken, we supposed a three grain pill would be sufficient, but finding that of no service, we concluded to send for Dr Yanceylink opens in a new window , which was accordingly done, but after attending about a week, and no visible change apparing, for his medicines were week, brotherlink opens in a new window sent for him again and told him his situation, and that he wished to get well and be detained no longer from his college duties, and therefore he wished him to administer something strong and that would at once over come the desease; Dr Yanceylink opens in a new window then did3 that, which we were on the point of doing before sending for him viz he order prescribed to brotherlink opens in a new window to take 3 of his pills, and on the morning "Seidlitz powders" which he accordingly did and ever since that time has continued to mend.

Page 2
A l circumstance occurred here last friday night similar to Mr Benton'slink opens in a new window case. For sometime young men were losing their money, and they were unable to account for it; for some lost their money after midnight when every one is asleep except those who prowl about for some unhallowed purpose, others before they had gone to bed when they had steped out but for a few moments, other again lost their money in the open day; thus were robberies committed, which in no manner be accounted for, to suspect a student they were loth, and how any other person could have affected was a mistery. However the rogue was discovered in the following manner; having passed a note to one of the merchants here with the name of the original owner Mr Southalllink opens in a new window a young gentleman in college, it came to the hand of the owner who immediately whe went to the merchant demanding of him from whom he had got the note, he answered from Mr John L Henrylink opens in a new window , the note was carried to Mr Henrylink opens in a new window to ask him from whom he had gotten the note, not in the least suppossing him to have been the thieft his accounts were unsatisfactory, and many of them filled with glaring absurdity. He was then pitched upon as the theif, after a while he confessed one or two thefts, and denyed4 the others with oaths of the most violent kind, and he would then confess it and so on denying and confessing untill he by degrees made a full disclosure and went and got the money from an old hollow tree where he had hidden it; this was about 12'Oclock at night he was much frightened indeed so much so that he did not know what he said telling lies and then denying them with the next breath; th those who detected him told him that

Page 3
wo that they would hang him the next day. Some who pittied his misfortune gave him some money and started him that night to clear himself he started with a napsack and has not been heard of since, one person who gave him $5 also gave him this encouragement "be sure you do not steal a horse". He broke open trunks and robbed coat pockets. The officers were after him the next morning. He stole $250,00 besides money last session also knives and pocket-handkerchiefs, happily he took not from brotherlink opens in a new window or5 myself Give my respects to Messrs Davenportlink opens in a new window & Brickhouselink opens in a new window ; brotherlink opens in a new window joins in love. Believe me your affectionate son

Envelope page

Endnotes:

1. Pettigrew Family Papers, SHC. The letter is addressed "Mr E. Pettigrew Esqlink opens in a new window / Cool-Spring/ Washington Co/ N.C."; the amount of postage, "18 1/4" cents, has been written in the upper right corner. A circular postmark has been stamped to the left of the address but is too faint to make out. The number (or date) 1835 appears at the far left edge of the envelope face, and a second date "[1834]" has been penciled in at the top of page one by a later archivist. Despite a relatively contemporaneous date written on the envelope face, the letter refers to events that occurred in 1834, not 1835. Dialectic Society minutes reveal that John L. Henrylink opens in a new window , the student mentioned as having stolen other students' money, was expelled from the Society on September 17, 1834 (Vol. 8, UA). Francis A. Southalllink opens in a new window , whose money was stolen, was himself suspended for two months in May 1835 for disrupting the "peace and quiet of the village" and evidently did not return to the University (Philanthropic Society Minutes, Vol. S-9, UA).

2. The following announcement appeared in the American Annals of Education and Instruction, April 1834, pages 193-94:
An Episcopal School will be opened on the first of April, near Raleigh, in North Carolina. It is to be superintended by Mr. Cogswell, recently of the Round Hill School at Northampton, assisted by a chaplain and teacher. The prospectus treats instruction as only a part of education, and presents physical education and the discipline of the mind, the formation of the character and of religious principles, as essential objects in such an institution. The pupils are to constitute one family, and the whole will be under the entire control of the principal and rector. No honors or distinctions will be conferred; the spirit of emulation being considered only a temporary excitement, and are consistent with Christian principles. Systematic instruction is to be given in the Bible and in Religion, as regularly as in the Classics and Mathematics. Parental supervision and training is intended to supply the place of premiums and severity. (Knight 4:38)

3. A comma following did has been crossed through.

4. Pettigrewlink opens in a new window wrote i on top of y.

5. Pettigrewlink opens in a new window wrote r on top of y.