Letters to Stevie E. Barton from George Ellsworth, 5th and 6th of June 1866

Abstract

Letters to Stevie E. Barton from George Ellsworth, [1866]. The envelope contains two letters. The first letter is dated at Buffalo, N.Y., June 5 and is four pages. He arrived Saturday night. He met a gentleman and his two daughters at Spencer House and this morning he left and they all travelled together. He accompanied them to the falls 23 miles below here. They took a carriage and went over the bridge to Canada. They had a glorious time. He left the Falls for Buffalo and they went to N.Y. Since he has been there he has met the special correspondents of the New York, Chicago, Boston and Cincinnati papers. They fear the Fenian War will not last long enough to give them a good spree. He met a company of British troops in Canada yesterday from his old stomping ground, Whitby, C.W. They are eager for the fray. The Fenians swear the war has not begun yet. There is no doubt but thousands of Fenians are moving to the Canada frontier and “this scrape don’t draw the U.S. and England into a war”. The Canadians are bitter on the U.S. authorities. The second letter is dated at Rochester, N.Y., June 6. Ellsworth writes that as he predicted, he leaves Buffalo today for the supposed seat of war in Ogdensburg & the Vermont border. A company of Volunteers left on a pleasure excursion for Albany this evening. He will try to go to N.O. to see your good people. There is great excitement in the country[?]. Everybody is sympathetic with the Fenians but from Gen. Meade’s present policy it will block[?] them from getting into Canada[?]. The envelope is addressed to Stevie E. Barton, Western Union Telegraph Office, Cincinnati, Ohio, postmarked Buffalo Jun 5.