Joel Woodward to Mr. Oliver Wheeler folded letter
Collection: National Postal Museum
Object type: Covers & Associated Letters
Date: November 5, 1813
Place of Origin: Kentucky
Place of Destination: Massachusetts
Place: United States of America
Medium: paper; ink
Dimensions: Height x Width (folded): 3 1/2 × 3 1/4 in. (8.89 × 8.26 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.
['Harrison M c Missent To Mr. Oliver Wheeler of the County of Hampden and State of Massachusetts to be left at Harveys Roads in the town of Montgomery\nAugust 7th\n1813 Nov 18/13\nHarrison M c Missent & family'
 None
 'Hampden Mass. Missent To Mr. Oliver Wheeler of the County of Hampden and State of Massachusetts to be left at Farners X Roads in the town of Montgomery\nAcquitted\n11th Nov 1813 Hampden Mass. Missent'
 'Franklin County Ky. Nov. 5 th 1813\nDear Brother & Sisters Take this opportunity to inform\nyou that we are all enjoying a tolerable degree of health hoping these few lines may find all of you enjoying the same blessing My Wife had a desparate Spell of sicknes in the begining of last Summer in which she suffered vastly and for some time appeared irrecoverable tho through the Goodness of our great Creator she has since recovered and enjoys as good health as ever.\nI Rec d yours of the 24 th of July which informed me of the sicknes and distress which that has happened you and your family and which was sorrowfull news and likewise the Deaths of our Relatives sad Experience we are it seems almost daily witnessing some scene of Difficulty but as far as possible we ought to hold out with fortitude and patience — you desire me to inform you whether we had been afflicted with the war I answer no tho many of my acquaintance have had a trial in the scenes of blood shed I was much surprised to hear the advice of one of the Eastern Editors after the Massacre of our Kentuckians at the River Raison Jan y . last advising to enlist fat men for the western market that the British and Indians need not be butchering lean unprofitable stock the Kentuckians born of free parents considers liberty the greatest of all temporal blessings and wishes not to let it suffer for want of cultivation Sallied forth to satisfy their voracious appetites there went a good supply of fat men for the plethorick to feast upon and lam of almost Every Description for those of a weaker Stomach on hearing of such a Great Entertainment fearing a founder or some other bad consequence Sat fire to Malden the principal fortress in the upper Province and endeavoured to make their Escape but the Brave Kentuckians pursued them overtook and Defeated them the scavage and our brave fellows are chiefly Returned to their peaceful abode. I am informed they scoured the Province of upper Canada for about one hundred miles beyond Sandwich and conkered all that dared to oppose them and now I am in hopes the Indians will not profit themselves by selling the Scalps of our western farmers their wives and Children to the British for Eight Dollars a head for I Despise a man that will murder for hire and likewise his Employer and probably since George when he heard this May think it will be as cheap to do the Best he can with his own Seamen as to Rob and plunder our vessels to get more\nI wish you to inform me in your next the proportion as near as you can of the aristocrats or Tories in the New England States for I fear that Many are misled by those that are treacherous and Vile your money is in Readings weighting an opportunity of conveying the Bills of the U.S. bank are seldom seen and York bills I hear nothing of there are muskingsum Steubenville and some from Maryland and Virginia if any of those would be current in your state Describe them to me and I will get them and will forward them to you a greeable to your direction Remember me and my family to my old friends uncle and Aunt\nLoel Woodward']