1810s Archive 37 Letters Thomas Connolly Philadelphia Bermuda Ships Travels Land in Kentucky Philadelphia Theatre Burned Down Fire Duel Stephen Decatur

Item Details

An interesting archive of 36 letters largely between Thomas Connolly and his brother-in-law, Edward Evans in Philadelphia.  Connolly was often traveling at sea and sent many letters from Bermuda.  They talk in great detail about land in Kentucky owned by Connolly's father, John, who was a notorious Tory Colonel in Dunmore Rebellion.  There is great content throughout.  The letters are primarily from 1815 to the 1820s.  They say in small part:

Our city is in quite an uproar.  The convicts of the state prison lately made a general attempt to break out and had well nigh succeeded, add to this the burning of the New Theatre and some valuable buildings on the west side with nightly alarms...the death Commodore Decatur in a. due with Commodore Barron has excited considerable interest...

The tin trumpet of political controversy is now blowing an assinine blast on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean but it is to be hoped that the good sense and past experience of the governments of either states as well as the insignificant of the subjects at variance will induce them to endeavor to allay these heats and not precipitate a fatal appeal to the sword, an instrument scarce dry yet from the blood of former sacrifice...reflecting upon the instability of existence i the sickly time when the troops are dying daily...

Your letter arrived yesterday by the arrival here of his Majesty's Sloop of War, the Cyrene...You have doubtless heard of the malady that broke out on this island immediately almost after our arrival, its savages in the community has been fatal indeed, our men, military were more peculiarly ...have suffered propotiionately...Colonel Connelly's will, I am glad that the parties on the Ohio seem to have come to their senses....

Many houses have been set on fire by a gang of incendiary's which infect the city especially the theatre has been burnt to the ground the fire has much inured the Shakespeare buildings, the Union Circulating library, and the Dupuy's house.  The Great Commodore Stephen Decatur has fell in a duel with Commodore James Barron...To accept a public situation often requires a man to be armed with a double case of loaded pistols...

I have been lately bled copiously, it has clarified my upper story.  I witnessed a boat launching, I waved my hat and joined the huzzahs of the spectators. 2 of the crew got overboard in rolling the boat to try her bearings, seeing them swim like drowning rats to shore and breaking two bottles of christening water over the bows afforded great might to the assembled spectators...

The uncertainty which attends all law suits but more particularly that which I am engaged in the recovery of the Louisville estate...if recovered would be a fair compensation for the risk of losing all...you will find of those having land claims in Kentucky that the general allowance without expenses is one half...