<hi rend="bold">Letter from Cornelia Phillips Spencer to Charles Phillips, September 8, 1869:</hi> Electronic Edition. Spencer, Cornelia Phillips, 1825-1908 Funding from the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supported the electronic publication of this title. Text transcribed by Bari Helms Images scanned by Bari Helms Text encoded by Amanda Page First Edition, 2005 ca. 26K The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina 2005

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 Cornelia Phillips Spencer Papers (#683), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Letter from Cornelia Phillips Spencer to Charles Phillips, September 8, 1869 C.P. Spencer 8 pages, 11 page images 1869 Call number 683 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

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 </bibl> </taxonomy> </classDecl> </encodingDesc> <profileDesc> <langUsage> <language id="eng">English</language> </langUsage> <textClass> <keywords scheme="unc_history"> <list> <item> Any special keywords assigned for this project </item> </list> </keywords> </textClass> </profileDesc> <revisionDesc> <change> <date>2005-08-05,</date> <respStmt> <name>Amanda Page</name> <resp/> </respStmt> <item>finished TEI/XML encoding.</item> </change> </revisionDesc> </teiHeader> <text id="unc09-36"> <body> <div1 type="letter"><pb id="unc09-36-p01" n="1"/> <head>Letter from <name key="pn0001592" reg="Spencer, Cornelia (née Phillips)" type="person">Cornelia Phillips Spencer </name>to <name key="pn0001357" reg="Phillips, Charles" type="person">Charles Phillips</name>, September 8, 1869</head> <div2 type="letter"> <opener> <dateline> <name reg="Chapel Hill, NC" key="name0000165" type="place" rend="yes">Chapel Hill</name><lb/> <date>2 p.m. Wed. Sept 8. 69 </date></dateline> <salute>Dear <name key="pn0001357" reg="Phillips, Charles" type="person">Charley</name> </salute> </opener> <p>Your long & exhaustive & most welcome & highly valued letter of last Sun. arrived this morning & tho' I cannot reply (properly) till Friday, I will begin now while the impressions left by it are warm & write awhile & conclude in time for F'<hi rend="sup">s</hi> mail. I had begun to think I was not going to get the promised letter, supposing your college duties would be too much for you. I am greatly indebted for it. I read it over to myself, then to Ma, commenting as we went along, & then to <name reg="Love, Julia Spencer" type="person" key="x">June</name>. <name reg="Love, Julia Spencer" type="person" key="x">June's</name> remark was "and <name reg="Phillips, Lucy" key="x" type="person">Lucy</name> never said a word about the doll!" I do feel grieved enough at all accts of the <name reg="Fetter, Manuel" key="pn0000510" type="person" rend="yes">Fetter's</name> I get. <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Norwood</name> ( <name key="x" reg="Carr, John W." type="person">Carr's</name> clerk) was here last night & said that <name key="x" reg="Carr, John W." type="person">Carr</name> had been making some proposition to <name reg="Fetter, Manuel" key="pn0000510" type="person" rend="yes">Mr F</name>. about payment of the heavy debt he owes him & <name reg="Fetter, Manuel" key="pn0000510" type="person">Mr F.</name> had written a "pretty rough" letter back saying he could not pay unless he c<hi rend="sup">d</hi> sell his house & if he c<hi rend="sup">d</hi> sell that, would pay everybody. Poor <name reg="Fetter, Manuel" type="person" key="pn0000510">Mr. Fetter</name>, what a sad close to a long day. Did <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">K.</name> say anything to you about getting a situation to teach? I was glad to hear all you could say of the Mitchells & the Oxonians. It does one good to see an old lady maintaining her dignity & state<pb id="unc09-36-p02" n="2"/>as <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Mrs Mitchell</name> does. Her children can look back upon her, after she has left them, with respect and gratitude. <name reg="Phillips, Samuel Field (2)" key="pn0001364" type="person" rend="yes">Sam</name> writes to me that he & F. enjoyed their visit to you "greatly," & were pleased with everything (& body) they saw. He says he is to be here the middle of this month. <name reg="Worth, David Gaston" key="pn0001822" type="person" rend="yes">Gov Worth</name> was dying even as you were writing of him. Poor <name reg="Swain, Eleanor (née White)" type="person" key="pn0001640" rend="yes">Mrs. Swain</name>. I imagine she <hi rend="underline">is</hi> neglected. If <name reg="Argo, Thomas M." key="pn0000043" type="person" rend="yes">Mr. Argo </name>were not the author of <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">B. Barlow</name>, do you suppose he & all the family, <name key="pn0000795" reg="Hubbard, Fordyce Mitchell" type="person" rend="yes">D<hi rend="sup">r</hi> H.</name> included, w<hi rend="sup">d</hi> tell me he was! I hope <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">James</name> will have a good time at <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">B<hi rend="sup">'s</hi></name>. I was so glad you went over to see <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Mrs W.</name> It is worth an effort, to give as much pleasure as I know you did by going. I only wish I could go there for a day or two. I have concluded to take <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">D<hi rend="sup">r</hi> Easly's</name> children, 4 of them. More for <name key="x" reg="Love, Julia Spencer" type="person">June's</name> sake than anything else I believe. Ma may turn ugly, but it can't be helped. They all understand her pretty well. <name key="x" reg="Love, Julia Spencer" type="person">June</name> <hi rend="underscore">must</hi> have some child's company at her lessons & to divert her from other things. So I shall venture it. I have said & done nothing about the well, but if <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Mason</name> buys <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Col. Martin's</name> I must have it done. I sh<hi rend="sup">d</hi> want to cut off all communication between the lots, with the Masons there. <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">D<hi rend="sup">r</hi> Davis</name> had another stroke on Sun. & has been<pb n="3" id="unc09-36-p03"/>lying speechless since. I did not suppose he w<hi rend="sup">d</hi> ever go to <name key="name0000041" reg="Arkansas" type="place" rend="yes">Ark.</name> with the Coopers. They say he was much agitated at the thought, & it probably precipitated the attack. He was at Ch. to hear <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Cooper</name> preach, & I noticed, was very infirm. Old aunt <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Tempe Hillyard</name> died last week. <name key="pn0000741" type="person" reg="Hilliard, Ann "Nancy" Segur" rend="yes">Miss Nancy</name> has certainly done her duty by her, supported her entirely since the surrender. I am sorry to hear that <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Miss Tenney</name> has underbid <name key="pn0000741" type="person" reg="Hilliard, Ann "Nancy" Segur">Miss Nancy</name> & some of her boarders are going to leave her. <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Jule Carr</name> paid me a long visit Mon. He said the two or three boys who came here prepared for college, are disgusted. Whitted from <name key="x" reg="x" type="place">Henderson <hi rend="underscore">county</hi></name> says he has no use for one of the faculty, that they don't teach anything. One of the classes has five recitations a week. <name key="pn0001385" reg="Pool, Solomon (b. 1832)" type="person" rend="yes">Pool's</name> correspondence with <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Holden</name> was fixed up across <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">H.'<hi rend="sup">s</hi></name> office table when <name key="pn0001385" reg="Pool, Solomon (b. 1832)" type="person" rend="yes">P.</name> went down to see about getting the militia. <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Holden</name> writes & asks what was the no. of <hi rend="underscore">applications</hi> to join College. <name key="pn0001385" reg="Pool, Solomon (b. 1832)" type="person">Pool</name> writes that the average no. in attendance the last few years of college during war & since was 60 — that the <hi rend="underscore">applications</hi> since last March are 52! The whole correspondence is characterized as <hi rend="underscore">fraudulent</hi> by every man in <name key="name0000165" reg="Chapel Hill, NC" type="place" rend="yes">C.H.</name> That is its animus<pb n="4" id="unc09-36-p04"/>& evident intention is to mislead. <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Holden's</name> letter is so framed as to give <name key="pn0001385" reg="Pool, Solomon (b. 1832)" type="person">Pool</name> a chance to reply in words within the bare outline of truth, yet the gist is deception. <name key="pn0000795" reg="Hubbard, Fordyce Mitchell" type="person" rend="yes">D<hi rend="sup">r</hi> H.</name> has written a scathing expose of it for the W<hi rend="sup">m</hi> Journal, signed <hi rend="underscore">A.B.</hi> w<hi rend="sup">h</hi> I hope you will see. I wrote a dozen or so lines to Sen. two weeks since, very quiet & statistical, giving the no. of students & nothing more, signed "J.W." <name key="pn0001385" reg="Pool, Solomon (b. 1832)" type="person">Pool</name> & C<hi rend="sup">o</hi> flew down to <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">John White</name> & <name key="pn0001736" reg="Watson, Jones" type="person">Jones Watson</name> —"J.W." certainly pointed to them. Did you ever know such asses? So <name key="pn0001736" reg="Watson, Jones" type="person">Jones</name> & <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">John</name> write to Sen. begging him to tell the world they are <hi rend="underscore">innocent</hi>! "J.W." is coming out again. & flows out in a "pome" w<hi rend="sup">h</hi> I hope you will see also. <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Ashley's</name> attitude at the Convention is in keeping with all I hear of him & <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Martling</name>. <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">M.</name> is coming out "glorying in the name of carpet bagger." <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Norwood</name> told me the oldest daughter said in <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Carr's</name> store, "she only wished Southerners could know how carpet-baggers despised them." <name key="pn0001179" reg="Mickle, Andrew" type="person" rend="yes">Mr Mickle</name> says the <name key="pn0001135" reg="McIver, Alexander" type="person" rend="yes">M<hi rend="sup">c</hi>Iver</name> stock is going down fast in <name key="name0000165" reg="Chapel Hill, NC" type="place">C. H.</name> A very damaging story is going round about him, w<hi rend="sup">h</hi> is every word true. They all expected 50 or 60 students this session & <name key="pn0001135" reg="McIver, Alexander" type="person">M<hi rend="sup">c</hi>Iver</name> sent to<pb id="unc09-36-p05" n="5"/> <name reg="Philadelphia, PA" key="name0000867" type="place" rend="yes">Phil<hi rend="sup">a</hi></name> for certain text books, of w<hi rend="sup">h</hi> he had some, but not enough for <hi rend="underscore">all college</hi>! Books arrived a week ago at <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">D<hi rend="sup">s</hi></name> xpress. <name key="pn0001736" reg="Watson, Jones" type="person">Watson</name> takes them at <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">D<hi rend="sup">s</hi></name>, pays freight C.O.D. & bill also C.O.D. & brings them on to <name key="pn0001135" reg="McIver, Alexander" type="person">M<hi rend="sup">c</hi>Iver</name> expecting of course to be re-paid, & thanked too. But our Scotchman not choosing to have the loss of books for w<hi rend="sup">h</hi> was no market fall on his hands, <hi rend="underscore">refused to take them</hi>, alleging as his excuse that he w<hi rend="sup">d</hi> not deal with a firm that C.O.D. & wouldn't credit him. That it was a virtual insult to a Prof in the <name reg="University of North Carolina" type="organization" key="name0001146">N.C. Uni.</name> ! &c. &c. And <name key="pn0001736" reg="Watson, Jones" type="person">Watson</name> had to keep the books. Incredible, but perfectly true. The worst is to come however. <name key="pn0001736" reg="Watson, Jones" type="person">Watson</name> calculated that by selling the books at $1.00 he c<hi rend="sup">d</hi> clear himself & put them in <name key="pn0001179" reg="Mickle, Andrew" type="person">Mickle's</name> hands to sell. Now <name key="pn0001135" reg="McIver, Alexander" type="person">M<hi rend="sup">c</hi>Iver's</name> price for the same book was $1.75. The boys got hold of it. <name key="pn0001135" reg="McIver, Alexander" type="person">M<hi rend="sup">c</hi>Iver</name> got hold of it too & went to <name key="pn0001179" reg="Mickle, Andrew" type="person">Mickle</name> & said if he offered those books at $1.00 he w<hi rend="sup">d</hi> change the course of study in college so they c<hi rend="sup">d</hi> not be used, that he w<hi rend="sup">d</hi> not have himself undersold on his own ground!!! <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Brewer</name> went to <name key="x" reg="x" type="person" rend="yes">H.</name> before session opened & told <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Strayhorn</name> (who leans to the present faculty) there would be 50 or 60 students in & the<pb n="6" id="unc09-36-p06"/>Societies ought to be set going & asked <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Strayhorn</name> to come down & inaugurate the <name key="name0000284" reg="Dialectic Society" type="organization">Di</name>. <hi rend="underscore">S. promised to do it.</hi> <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">F. Hargrave</name>, <name reg="x" type="person" key="x">Carr</name>, <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Strayhorn</name>, & <name reg="Battle, William H." key="pn0000119" type="person" rend="yes">Judge B.</name> are the Committee appointed by the <name key="name0000284" reg="Dialectic Society" type="organization">Dis.</name>. <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Jule Carr</name> told me that he told <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Strayhorn</name> if he came down to <name key="name0000165" reg="Chapel Hill, NC" type="place">C.H.</name> on any such errand, he & <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Fred H.</name> had influence enough here to have him tarred & feathered & ridden out of town, <hi rend="underscore">& they w<hi rend="sup">d</hi> do it</hi>.</p> <p>The "Agr. Lectures" were to commence on Monday. Wonder if they did, & who delivers them nobody knows. <name key="pn0001135" reg="McIver, Alexander" type="person">M<hi rend="sup">c</hi>Iver</name> keeps quiet & no one sees him. <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Brewer</name> has bought a fine horse $175.00 & rides about very like a meal-sack. <name key="pn0001385" reg="Pool, Solomon (b. 1832)" type="person">Pool</name> said down street last week he did not <hi rend="underscore">want</hi> more than 50 students! Dear-dear-dear! It is hard to live here & be a Christian, is'nt it?</p> <p>I went to the E. Ch. last Sunday & joined them at Communion, having asked permission & being assured of welcome. I sat there shedding many tears, recalling the friends who once filled those pews. I believe I was the only person there who was there when that Ch. was consecrated. And this is the first time I have ever communed with them. About a dozen in all. <name reg="x" type="person" key="x">Miss Mary Smyth</name> was one, & begged me to send you all much love.</p> <p>If there are any prospects for a shoemaker in D.,<pb n="7" id="unc09-36-p07"/>I expect the Newtons w<hi rend="sup">d</hi> be apt to try it. She told me the other day, they were feeling as if they <hi rend="underscore">must</hi> go somewhere, anywhere almost, away from <name key="name0000165" reg="Chapel Hill, NC" type="place">C. Hill</name>. What about your invitations to <name reg="Columbia, SC" type="place" key="name0000214" rend="yes">Columbia</name>. Were they official? I have a letter from <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">L.</name> who seems to be in clover. I am so glad she went. It will do her good in many ways. <name reg="Grant, Eliza North (née Mitchell)" key="pn0000606" type="person" rend="yes">Eliza</name> is waiting anxiously to know what <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">L.'s</name> decision will be.</p> </div2> <div2 type="letter"> <dateline> <date><hi rend="underscore">Thursday</hi> evening 9<hi rend="sup">th</hi></date></dateline> <p> <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Young Evans</name> has just been down again about the well. He will not 'bate a jot of $45.00. If it is to be done at all, it had better be done now. I read most of yr letter to <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">D<hi rend="sup">r</hi> H.</name> yesterday evening. He says I must tell you he thanks you for it. He has seemed very sad since you left. I had a visit from <name key="x" reg="x" type="person"><hi rend="underscore">Mrs Slater</hi></name> yesterday, asking for my patronage for a dancing school she is trying to get up here. If not me then my daughter. I was very civil to the poor woman, for she has the manners of a lady. Poor thing, so shabbily dressed & yet carefully, with four children depending on her exertions. She went back to <name key="pn0000741" type="person" reg="Hilliard, Ann "Nancy" Segur">Miss Nancy's</name> & said it was worth a trip from <name key="x" reg="x" type="person" rend="yes">R.</name> to be received & talked to so kindly as <name reg="Spencer, Cornelia (née Phillips)" key="pn0001592" type="person">Mrs. Spencer</name> had done! Won't <name reg="Bingham, William (b. 1835)" type="person" key="pn0000144" rend="yes">W<hi rend="sup">m </hi>Bingham</name> expose that speech of <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Ashley's</name>. I hope & trust he will. He certainly <hi rend="underscore">ought</hi> to.</p> <pb n="8" id="unc09-36-p08"/> <p>I have a long letter from <name key="pn0000606" reg="Grant, Eliza North (née Mitchell)" type="person">E. Grant</name> expressing their pleasure in your visit, & your sermons. She says her Mother is quite poorly. They are expecting "aunt <name reg="Grant, Eliza North (née Mitchell)" key="pn0000606" type="person">Eliza</name>" this month. <name key="name0000554" reg="Ku Klux Klan" type="organization">The Ku Klux </name>were after <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Ben Edwards</name> who is denounced in <name key="name0000178" reg="Chatham County, NC" type="place" rend="yes">Chatham</name> as a spy of <name key="pn0000632" reg="Guthrie, Hugh B." type="person" rend="yes">Guthrie's</name>. It is a proof positive that there were no C. Hillians in the crowd, that they mistook <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Nov.'<hi rend="sup">s</hi></name> house for <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Ben's</name>. I am told by several of our most knowing citizens that there was not one <name key="name0000165" reg="Chapel Hill, NC" type="place">C.H.</name> person concerned. Yet the negroes swear they <hi rend="underscore">recognized</hi> so & so! <name key="x" reg="x" type="person"><hi rend="underscore">Norwood</hi></name> for one & he tells me he was in bed when <name key="name0000554" reg="Ku Klux Klan" type="organization">the KK</name> rode by. <name key="pn0001135" reg="McIver, Alexander" type="person">M<hi rend="sup">c</hi>Iver</name> has the credit of writing the bitter article in Standard signed "a citizen." I sent <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Lossing</name> the portrait of <name key="pn0001638" reg="Swain, David Lowry" type="person" rend="yes">Gov S.</name> carefully enveloped in a stiff newspaper, the <hi rend="underscore">Nouveau Monde</hi>. He writes that it had been opened, presumably in the <name key="name0000165" reg="Chapel Hill, NC" type="place">C. Hill</name> office & the portrait badly torn! Nice! I think I shall ask <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Mr White</name> about it.</p> <p>Dear <name key="pn0001357" reg="Phillips, Charles" type="person">C.</name> the prospects for <name key="name0000165" reg="Chapel Hill, NC" type="place">C.H.</name> & the vicinity this fall are truly distressing. What is to become of our poor? Already they are beginning their piteous stories. <name key="x" reg="Carr, John W." type="person">Mr Carr</name> says he never felt so gloomy as now. <name type="person" key="x" reg="Love, Julia Spencer">June</name> sends her love mightily. I am going to write to James.</p> <closer> <salute> Affectionately,</salute> <signed> <name key="pn0001592" reg="Spencer, Cornelia (née Phillips)" type="person">C. P. Spencer.</name></signed></closer> </div2> <div2 type="letter"><pb n="9" id="unc09-36-p09"/> <p>Friday 10<hi rend="sup">th</hi> A beautiful cool morning. I have read yr letter in part to the Mickles, Malletts, & <name key="pn0000741" type="person" reg="Hilliard, Ann "Nancy" Segur">Miss Nancy</name>, all are as much gratified & delighted as we were. Everybody desires to thank you for the entertainment. </p> </div2> <div2 type="letter"><pb n="10" id="unc09-36-p10"/> <p> <name type="person" key="x" reg="x"><hi rend="underscore">Lindsay</hi></name> has come again & as he brought a fine large bed with him we opine that the wedding is near at hand.</p> </div2> <div2 type="letter"><pb n="11" id="unc09-36-p11"/> <p> <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Miss Sally M.</name> has just had a letter from <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Baker</name>giving an acct of your visit to him & saying that it encouraged him & made him feel like a man. So you see the good you do. </p> </div2> </div1> </body> </text> </TEI.2>