Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-06-22
LETTER FROM MAJOR Dowx,xc
From the Portland Lo,,r;s.

From the Portland Courie,
To Uncle Joshua Downing, Post Master
DowninsVlle, in the State Of Maine T1fi.
be sentsby my old friend, the edto, , IS
Portland Courier, with care and sp,eJ " "e
PHILADELPHIA, June 10, 1919
Dear Uncle Joshua,
We are coming on full chisel. I've bee, D..
ing ever since We started to get chance 10 w
a little to you; bur when we've been nm ,hs "'"s
could'ntcatch my breath hardly limo snan .uaa'
write my name, we kept flying 50 FAST; and sa. %
we made any stop there was such jam round ~.
there Was ut elbow room enough for muks.,.
to turn round without knocking his wipos , If
I'm almost afraid now we shall get ,o n",-
ingvilie before this letter does, So that we sh.I
likely to catch YOU all IN the sud, belors oe
think of it. But understand th,re is w., ~,
mail goes on that way. and me an to send =! a''
that, 50 I'm IN hopes you'll get IT time enon,h :!
have the chiIdren's faces washed and head. roah
ed, and the gals get on their clean gowns a"I
if Sergeant Joel could have time eboupn n ' ."S
90, my old DowningviIle Company and "a, ,h ,."
uniforms brushed up little, and CONS down ~,
road as tar as your new barn to meet us. ,h.r.,s
nothing that would please the President hsns.
As Tor 'Ictuais. most any thing wont come ami,..
We are as hungry as bears after travelling bn,
dred miles day. A little fried pork and s,,.
or pot OF baked beans and an Indian pudJ,a,'
would suit US much better than the sof, stuff ,hsS
give Us here in these great cities
The President wouldn't miss of seeing voo f..
any thing IN the world, and he will 90 10 Dasn
ingvilIe if he has legs and arms enough left ub,r
he gets to Portland TO carry him there. RI, n.
fear any thing should happen that he should'n,Ss
able to come, you had better meet u, in Par,
land, say about the 22d. and then you can % m
to DowniDgville with US, you know.
TINS travelling with the President, is capital
fun, after all, iflt wa,'ut so plaguy tire,one-
We come into Baltimore on a Rail Road and
we few over the ground Ike herrycane. There
is Mt horse in this country tina, could keep IN
with u, il he should 60 upon the clean Gin
When we got to Baltimore the streets were & ed
with folks as thick as the spruce tree down IN
your swamp. There we found Back Hawk
little. old, dried up Indian king. And thought
the folks looked at him and the Prophet ABOUT as
much as they did at me and the President. gave
the President wink that this Indian fellow was
taking the shine of US little, so We concluded
we wouldn't have him in our company any more,
and shall 90 on without him.
can't stop 10 tell you in this letter how we %,
along to Philadelphia. though we had pretty
easy time some 0fthe way in the steam boats
And can't stop to tell you of half the fine
things | have seen here. They took US up into
the grea. hall this morning as big as meeting
house. and then the folks began to pour 10 BY
thousands to shake hands with the President;
federaIists and all, it made no difference There
was such stream of 'em coming in that the hall
was fuH in few minutes, and it was 50 damned
up round the door that they couldn't get out
again il they were to die. So they had to knock
ou' some Of the windows, aud get out ',o,hsr
way.
The President shook hands with all bis Nigh,
hardly stand it. took hold and shook for. him
once in a while TO help hin along, but at last he
got SO tired he had to Law down on soft bench
covered with cloth and shake as well as he could,
and when he couldn't he'd nod to 'em as thsy
come along. And at last he got so beat ont,
he couldn't only wrinkle his forehead and
wink. Then they concluded it was best to 3D.
journ for day
And Eve made out to get away up into the gar
ret in the tavern lung enough to write this letter
We shall be of to morrow or next day for New
York, and if can possibly get breathing time
enough, there shall write to you again.
Give my love to all the folks ~ DownnsSl'ie,
and believe me your loving nefu.
MAJOR JACK DOWNING.