To Mr. Oliver Wheeler of the town of Montgomery Hampshire County folded letter
Collection: National Postal Museum
Object type: Covers & Associated Letters
Date: November 20, 1810
Place of Destination: Massachusetts
Place: United States of America
Medium: paper; ink
Dimensions: Height x Width (folded): 3 1/4 × 3 3/8 in. (8.26 × 8.57 cm) Height x Width (unfolded): 12 1/4 × 7 1/2 in. (31.12 × 19.05 cm)
Credit line: Bequest of Joseph J. Geraci
Description: Italy and the Old Italian States are one of the most important specialties in the field of philately, with deep roots in the classic period. International mail systems first emerged in Italy during the late Middle Ages as city-states including Florence, Venice, and Milan established organized postal services to facilitate the exchange of diplomatic and business letters and documents. Italy pioneered the use of postmarks, stamped paper, postal treaties, and the creation of an established itinerary of post offices and post roads. Later, Italy became one of the main theaters of the Napoleonic wars as French, Austrian, and Spanish armies fought for domination of the Italian peninsula. The Italian states began issuing postage stamps in 1850, just ten years after Great Britain and three years after the United States, making it one of the earliest stamp-issuing areas in the world. After unification, Italy became a founding member of the Universal Postal Union. Postal history and stamps from all of these eras are well-represented in the Geraci collection through high quality material.
Mr. Geraci also left substantial collections of archival documents and his research library of books, scholarly journals, and conference proceedings to the Smithsonian. These holdings together make the National Postal Museum an important center for study into philately of the Italian area.
To Mr. Oliver Wheeler of the town of Montgomery Hampshire County and state of Massachusetts to Be Left at the post office in Westfield
257 Jan Jan 26 1846 Augusta
Mrs MacMillan
Dearest Brother and sister after my Respects to you informing you you that we are enjoying a comfortable state of health I Rec d yours of the 2 July 1810 on the first Monday in August where you cast heavy Reflections on me about your Estate I shall endeavour to clear myself of any censure I in the first place after I left you spoke to father concerning you told him I thought he should give you some assistance he talked of a piece of Land or of a horse beast not as much value as the 20 pound I told him this would be of but little service and that you would never get much benefit of the it so I know not what he would do till after his Decease then finding some thing left you as a friend and brother I inform d you of it thinking you would be Desirous to know the Distribution among the Rest I undertook to give you a sketch of it and if I made a mistake yet am I innocent as I did not know it you accuse me of Ranking you with the Vulgar I think you Ranked yourself there by making that your excuse to know the whole value of the Estate you appear to be doubtfull as if you are intitled to more if you are not yet satisfied with in your first letter and I will get a copy of the will certified by the clerk of our court at your Expence and send it to you the authority you sent was Doubled and hung on a balance for some time at length I promised to clear them of Danger and have obtained part of the sum and have put in this a bill of Ten Dollars for which I gave ten Dollars and twenty one cents; as the Merchants Give the same and they can't be obtained at a cheaper Rate I have acted as carefully as I could as we have not understood each other very well I shall exact a Receipt for this Duty witness with the town County and State annexed and an attested order for the Rest which was it my case I would not Risk much at once
I have another bill of twenty Dollars obtained at the same rate and Ready to send w th the other comes the Difer- ence between silver and bills you
The Merchants go to Philadelphia or Baltimore for goods silver being weighed they give two and one half percent Difference for Bills if you Disallow This you Must send some other way for your Money and small Sums are safer than large as they will not be suspected please to Remember Me and family to uncle and aunt and all Enquiring friends the Number of our Children are five the youngest a son we call him Wm Maynard in honour to both Father and Mother I am at present but will Remain your Brother and sister
Isaac and Mary Woodward
20 th Nov 1810
To Oliver and Elisabeth Wheeler of Montgomery Me
Your Note of 30 Oct r appears to be contracted in a rather place of your letter I ought to have directed as soon as it comes to hand Wm Caldwell and I will answer at all times
Mrs MacMillan
Augusta Nov 26 1810 257
To Mr Oliver Wheeler of the town of Montgomery Hampshire Co. and state of Massachusetts to be left at the post office in Westfield