Louisville, Kentucky Slave Owner & Merchant, John M. Carter Manuscript Archive Incl. Cholera Epidemic Content

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Eric C. Caren - How History Unfolds on Paper:...

By Cowan's Auctions

Sep 8, 2017 - Sep 9, 2017

Set Reminder 2017-09-08 10:00:00 2017-09-09 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Eric C. Caren - How History Unfolds on Paper: Live Salesroom Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/eric-c-caren---how-history-unfolds-on-paper-live-salesroom-auction-2575
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• Lot Description

  Lot of 12 letters written from Kentucky slave owner and cotton merchant, John M. Carter to his wife from 1846-1849, during the great cholera epidemic in Ohio. Plus one additional letter from a daughter, Sallie, describing an inebriated pastor giving a sermon.

  Originally born in Kentucky in 1821, John M. Carter was the middle of eight children. He was, at one point, a slave owner, however, the amount of slaves he owned could not be accessed. Prior to 1847 he traveled to New York where he met Francis M. Cutter, whom he affectionately called Fannie. Before they were married in 1847, and during the first several years of their marriage, they lived in separate states. Carter managed his business in Louisville, KY while she lived with her family and raised their children in New York. He described himself as poor, going so far to write he was as "poor as a snake," even though Fannie kept at least one servant (May 25, 1847). During their separation, Carter lived through the worst epidemic of cholera in United States history. The disease traveled from Cincinnati to Louisville, KY. Many perished, including some people Carter knew. He wrote to his wife:

  Mrs. S had slight diarrhea and Cincinnati but by promptly using the right remedies it was checked before it got worse. She got home yesterday she was very well indeed but today how changed she lies cold in her shroud. How awful and certain is death. The cholera is indeed a dreadful disease. A good many have been sick in our city with common diarrhea but have recovered by early using the means to prevent a continuance'.I urge you to keep quiet and not let anything you hear about the cholera in our city frighten you, for I readily report the exact state of the health of our city. Every physician I hear say everything about it remark that there is less general sickness and fever death than ever before, I do not feel at all alarmed but am reconciled that I can as likely as many other to have the disease (Louisville, June 19, 1849).

  Childbirth was another cause of death within his family. One of his sisters had a particularly gruesome birth. He described, "The suffering was intense occasioned by the large size of the child which had to be crushed and then cut to pieces. But all to no avail. As soon as it was taken from her she expired" (Louisville, July 21, 1849). His daughter nearly had a brush with death when she bit through her tongue during a sledding accident. The doctor commented that if she bit through a few inches over, she would have bit through a major artery and bled to death. Thankfully, she survived into adulthood.

  Carter wrote his wife very little about his own business dealings. He mostly commented on the health of others during the cholera epidemic and the lives of the people he either lived near or worked with. One amusing event happened involving his daughter Sallie's pastor and his congregation. She wrote:

  He quoted this passage Whoso climbeth ner the hall the same is a thief and a robber—but instead of thief he said sheep and talked about sheep stealing. He told the people they were very likely they would all be dead the next day, but he should be alive'The children laughed Mrs. Fine and a good many more cried'the next morning the word was circulated that Mr. Fine was drunk (From Sallie, Rosedale, Friday Morning).

  After further investigation, the clergymen admitted to being drunk'often.

  Francis moved to Kentucky to be reunited with her husband sometime before 1860. However, by 1867, the family returned to Brooklyn, NY where John worked as a cotton broker to support their large family of at least six children; five of whom lived at home with them in 1880. John lived until at least 1900 and resided with his daughter, Minnie and her husband, flour merchant William Roberson in Manhattan.

  Condition

  Most of the letters are in good condition, some are missing their final pages. All have toning and folds of the paper and do not include their original letters. One has some separation at the folds and some holes at the folds.

  
  
  In excellent working condition.
  
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