THE ATTIC

1831 LETTER: Dr. Francis Burdette Parmele 1815-1883
Henry, Joel, Nehemiah, Nathaniel, Nathaniel, John, John

This stampless, folded letter written by William Brown, dated Aug. 27-29, 1831, from New York City, was sent to 16-year-old Francis in Albany, N.Y. It was sold on Ebay several years ago and the buyer was kind enough to furnish me with a xeroxed copy..

Brown discusses the arrival in New York Harbor of two United States warships -- the Potomac and Hudson, line frigates -- which sailed from Norfolk, Va., to escort President Martin Van Buren on his journey to England. Brown goes on to write, in another letter written at the same time to someone else: "But on account of the outrage on board the American ship Friendship of Salem by the MAYLAYS, her destination is changed and is ordered out in that just to inflict punishment on the natives for this outrage. Mr. Van Buren has sailed to England on a packet ship."

Francis spent his early life in Albany, graduated Albany Medical College in 1842 and then set up practice in Greenbush and East Greenbush, Rensselaer County, N.Y. He was a member of the county medical society, its president in 1863, '79 and '83 and a member of the state society as well.

You can see a copy of the letter and my best attempts at a transcript by clicking here to start.