Title: Letter from Tod R. Caldwell to John Caldwell, August 2, 1837: Electronic Edition.
Author: Caldwell, Tod Robinson, 1818-1874
Editor: Erika Lindemann
Funding from the State Library of North Carolina supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text transcribed by Erika Lindemann and Cynthia Dickinson
Images scanned by Mara E. Dabrishus
Text encoded by Sarah Ficke
First Edition, 2005
Size of electronic edition: ca. 12K
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: John Caldwell Papers (#329), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title of document: Letter from Tod R. Caldwell to John Caldwell, August 2, 1837
Author: Tod R. Caldwell
Description: 1 pages, 2 page images
Note: Call number 329 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Topics covered:
Examples of Student Writing/Letters and Letter Writing
Travel and Entertainment/Travel
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

Caldwell tells his father that his money for the session was stolen on the trip to Chapel Hill, NC.
Letter from Tod R. Caldwelllink opens in a new window to John Caldwell, August 2, 18371
Caldwell, Tod Robinson, 1818-1874



Page 1
Chapel Hill 2d August 1837.

My Dear Father

I arrived at this place in good health on last tuesday morning after a very warm ride.2 I had the misfortune to loose the money you gave me. I expect in Salisbury I did not miss it before I passed Greensboro. I felt my pocket several times to see if it was safe and could always feel paper, so I thought all was safe untill it got so warm that I unbuttoned my waistcoat to get some air and percieved that my watch-pocket had been ripped open. and I then felt for my money & it was gone, and a piece of blank paper slipped in its stead. I hope you will not atta attach any blame to me for it, for it was unavoidable, I took all possible care of it. It was stolen at night when I was asleep.
I travelled from Salisbury to C. Hill hill with Mrs. Hutchison and she requested me to give her love to Ma. She was very much pleased to see me when she found out who I was.
Neithcl Neither of Col Avery's sons3 have reached the Hill yet.
You will have to guess at this letter for I am so nervous that I can't write. Give my love to all

Your Son

T. R. Caldwelllink opens in a new window


Envelope page

Endnotes:

1. John Caldwell Papers, SHC. The letter is addressed "John Caldwell Esqr / Morganton/ N.C." The letter has been stamped with a circular postmark in the upper left corner; "CHAPELHILL N.C" appears inside the circumference of the mark, and "JUL 2" in the center. The amount of postage, "18 3/4" cents, is written in the upper right corner.

2. The journey from Morganton to Chapel Hill, a distance of about 173 miles, took six days. The first half of the journey, from Morganton to Salisbury, NC, was a three-day stagecoach ride. In a January 14, 1838, letter to his father, Tod Caldwelllink opens in a new window describes the route from Salisbury to Chapel Hill: "We reached Salisbury on Thursday a little after 4 Oclk & remained there until after eleven next day and then travelled 31 miles to Brummels from there we came 15 miles this side of Greensboro and then to this place to day 37 miles" (John Caldwell Papers, SHC).

3. Clark Moulton Averylink opens in a new window and Thomas Lenoir Averylink opens in a new window were members of the Dialectic Society. Moultonlink opens in a new window , as he was known to students, graduated in 1839; Thomaslink opens in a new window graduated in 1841. Their brother Waightstill Averylink opens in a new window had graduated in June 1837.