LETTERS OF HIRAM BINGHAM SR.
TO SAMUEL WILLISTON

Thompsonville Ct. April 8,1851

Hon. Samuel Williston
East Hampton

Very Dear Sir

The kind interest you have long taken in my family
leads me to think you will be glad to hear from us if I have anything im-
portant to communicate.

My children have been in New Haven for a good while.
I shut up my house in Chester in October & have boarded here in a small private
family of the brother of my son in law, have preached occasionally, & have
been writing the life of " Bartimeus of the Sandwich Islands ", & working on
the Memoir of Mrs. B. which will require some months yet. The former I have
sent for publication to the American Tract Society. ( Note: The son-in-law
mentioned no doubt was William Augustus Moseley, a merchant of Hartford and
husband of Sophia Moseley Bingham, their eldest child of Hiram Bingham.)

Seenote pg2 par 3

I have desired a home. I did desire it at Honolulu.
My heart was truly there & the affinity between me & my people and church now
of about 2,000 members, able and willing amply to support their pastor (but
which has not been open to me) has been so strong as to operate as an objection
to my return while my post was occupied well by another.

I have been some time in correspondence with a very
worthy Lady of excellent natural powers, highly cultivated, of suitable age,
say 47, distinguished for intelligence and refinement, & for more than a quarter
of a century a laborious and successful teacher of young ladies, one who would
I think be well adapted to elevate and refine society on a well cultivated
missionary field, & give the finishing touches to the education of the daughters
of the missionaries, of merchants & chiefs at Honolulu, if we were quietly
located there, but that is not to be just now. She does not think she ought to
leave her school for it.

I told Dr. Anderson ( probably J. Anderson, a secretary at Mission House Boston, for the A.B.C. F.M.) a few days since as he asked me of my plans, that I had been writing and preaching, named the two works above mentioned, & said I had now the prospect of going into a Boarding School enterprise in company with a lady. " With your daughter ? " said he. " No, sir, but with the teacher of my daughters ". I spent two nights and a day with him, without his suspecting my intention of Marriage, which I concluded not to name further to him, but to another Secretary. The engagement is of recent date, & of the time of marriage, should it take place, is not settled. We have thought some of purchasing the building and its premises, called York Square Seminary for $5,000 & making important improvements, but are not able, & shall probably have the owner make the improvements & then rent it for $500 or $550 per annum, with a fair prospect of doing good, & covering expenses. The paragraphs above are confidential.

Lucy ( his fourth child) continues an assistant at
York Sq. Seminary for the ensuing summer. She is engaged to a worthy young
preacher of the Senior Theological Class In Yale College, who is not decided
whether to be a foreign Missionary , a western Home Missionary or an Eastern
pastor. ( this was Rev. Charles O. Reynolds who wed Lucy Feb. 18, 1852 and

Sheet Three---

I expected and intended to pay him myself, though you had generously & delicately offered to do so. There was to be more extra lettering than you probably had expected, & the quality, form & workmanship of the stone was to be more costly than you probably thought I should procure, and I would not in fact nor seemingly take the least advantage of your generosity to get at your expense for my Dearest One, an extra nice and costly monumental article, & therefore took that responsibility entirely on myself, without saying clearly whether I would or would not accept your kind offer.

Hearing that the work was nicely done I sent for Mr. Kinney's bill & told him the money was ready for him. He replied that he had exceeded his estimate about three Dollars having to cut to some disadvantage into a larger slab, & the marble was so white & fine as would be difficult to match, & his bill was twenty eight Dollar which he said Mr. Williston had spontaneously paid him intending it as a present to me, & appeared well pleased with the work.

After your many favors before to my family, accept Dear Sir, my warm thanks for this generous expression of kindness & respect toward me and mine, cherishing the feeling that with your delicate aid the widowed pilgrim husband of the best of friends departed has set up a suitable and durable monument to her deeper and far more enduring memory; for the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.

New York Ap. 23, 1851.

I have come to the city to attend to the printing of " Bartimeus ", a little tract volume of about sixty pages. Suppose it will be all in type tomorrow noon, & I am now arranging to return North at 4 o'clock P.M. tomorrow.

Elisabeth & Lydia have gone to visit in the vacation at Mr. Chauncey Chapin's in Springfield. Hiram remains in New Haven.

A line from you ( addressed to his call) which I should be glad to get, will be likely to reach me quickly and safely.

I have thought of devoting a year or eighteen months to a visitation and preaching tour throughout the Sandwich Islands, should the Board think it advisable to send me for that purpose to rouse & stimulate Hawaiian Christians to maintain & propagate the gospel and to aid for a little time in winning souls to Christ in that interesting field.

I called on Dr. Adams about the 2nd. instant and found him quite unwell, momentarily expecting the application of leeches. I saw him but a few minutes. ( This refers no doubt to Dr. Nehemiah Adams who ( 2nd) married Miss Sarah Brackett, daughter of Maria Williston, sister of Samuel Williston. His church was in Boston)

You will I trust excuse the length of this letter. With very kind regards to your father, Mrs. W., your children & sister, I remain as ever,

Very respectfully and affectionately yours,

H. Bingham

Sheet Four

New Haven Feb. 20, 1956

Hon. Saml. Williston
East Hampton

My Dear Sir:

We see by the papers that the loved and venerated parent whom with filial kindness and pleasure you have so long nourished by your side has been called to go up higher, as one who had finished his course, fought a good fight, & kept the faith, for whom henceforth there is laid up or rather we trust already bestowed & to be worn a crown of righteousness with the words of the Condescending Saviour " Well done, good & faithful servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord ".

Another precious one is laid down in the family cemetery, where other loved ones dear to us are slumbering, & whose spirits we are comforted to hope are happy, as before the throne of the Redeemer, they celebrate the praises of " his bleeding love ".

To honor father & mother with filial affection is to secure a promised blessing of great value which I trust you will richly enjoy. May that blessing rest on you & your house to the last praise of our covenant keeping God.

I mentioned in a former letter the plan of a family gathering at Bennington, Vt. of the seven living sons, & three daughters of my honored parents who finished their earthly course nearly at the same time while I was at the Sandwich Islands & after they had rejoiced to hear the triumphs of the Gospel there. They were married, & through their whole wedded life, lived & at length died in the house where their 13 children were born, & where 12 were trained up to maturity under the influence of the Christian religion exemplified by our parents & grandparents & their large family.

The seven brothers, all over 60 years of age, in comfortable health, had a very interesting meeting with our three surviving sisters, where we spent a delightful week, attended " Thanksgiving "-- spent a Sabbath together, and held a sacramental communion season Sabbath evening at the house of our eldest sister, Widow Martin, who is in poor health but was able to enjoy it highly in her own parlor.

One sister died in infancy--- two, at mature age, one about 32 & the other about 46 years of age.

It may be said of the 12, they were all friends & advocates of Temperance, none being addicted to the use of tobacco in any form, or intoxicating drinks. They were all singers & most of them very good singers. They were all more or less successful school teachers; they were all professors of religion in orthodox churches. Five of the brothers still live with their first and only wives. One has been a widower for about a year & a half, whose wife had borne him a large family, one of whom is now the honored governor of Michigan, late member of Congress, a friend of temperance & freedom.

There are in the family two preachers, two doctors, two deacons, & now two widows of deacons.

Sheet Five

All are accustomed to active industrious habits--as well as temperance.
All have sought to benefit the world by their efforts--none rich-- none very
poor. The blessing of Abraham has, i think, been upon the family--none of our
heads show any signs of baldness. The eldest is 77 years old-- & the youngest
brother 61-- he is 6 feet tall & weighs 175 lbs-- & has had distinguished
success as a physician. Ought not such a family to offer unto God thanksgiving
to our Heavenly Father. The two doctors take perhaps the strongest ground in
opposition to slavery--but all are antislavery , all decidedly in favor of
perpetual freedom, in the territories & all free states & all new states.

Perhaps you will think I have let my love of freedom carry me a little
too far in inducing me to subscribe for one share of the stock of the New
England Emigrant Aid Society--by which I hope to contrib. my mite which I
could wish were multiplied a thousand fold--tho' I may need it soon for my
son now apparently broken down so as to be obliged to leave Andover. He has
been with me three or four weeks --with Bronchitis & dispepsia (sic). He
cannot sing & must speak with a low voice. He does not go out of the house--
& cannot expect to earn anything in any way & we fear he must relinquish his
favorite profession. But the Lord reigns & he knows what is best. He thinks
he will go on to farm the ensuing summer & try to recover. I would like
to hear from you. I know you took an interest in the family with which I am
connected so I have written freely.

Respectfully Yours

H. Bingham

Our kind regards to Mrs. W. and your children. How quickly did your precious niece pass away after assuming the duties of wife and mother with prospects so fair. ( Note: The neice was Miss Sarah Brackett, daughter of B.T. Brackett and Samuel's sister Maria Williston. Sarah ,b. Dec. 7, 1816 married , in May 1850, as his second wife Rev. Dr. Nehemiah Adams of Boston. She died Nov. 28, 1854.)

Hiram will need to improve a great deal before he can travel or work in garden, or do any kind of out door work. He has ardently longed to be a missionary. He thinks his present position is peculiarly favorable for learning patience and submission to the will of God. He has improved slowly since he came home.

Sheet Six.

York Square Seminary
New Haven Jan. 14, 1957

Hon. Sam'l Williston
East Hampton

My dear Sir:

We have recently as you know had our only son ordained, married, commissioned and sent away to the fartherest Islands to convey the gosepl to the lost and dying. We believe that one well fitted to be the companion and helper of my son, heard the distinct call of Christ to go & I rejoice that they could say so heartily, " We will go ".

I was present at the giving of instructions at Park St. Church and at the public exercises on board the fine packet brig - The Morning Star, and at length watched them out of the harbor on the 2nd ult.

They wrote back brief notes by the pilot boat. My daughter-in-law said in a note to me " I feel the precious presence of Christ, and will you not pray that we may both rely wholly on the promises of Christ which never fail ?" They were detained three days & three nights at Pace Point Cape Cod & left the 6 ult.

May the presence of the Lord ever cheer them on till their great work is done.

I believe I sent you a printed copy of the ordination sermon, charge etc. If I did not I will be glad to do it now.

But after the struggles of life thus far, as for myself & dear companion, we are somewhat in straits, & for my dear wife's sake who has toiled hard and carefully, & is at present unable to meet the claims upon the school, I feel under the necessity of asking use of your name with which you have before greatly obliged us. We have a claim to meet this week, & another next which we have not at hand the means to meet. If you will endorse my note for $250 you will do us a material favor.

I dislike to dispose at a disadvantage of the little stock I have at Northampton which I had hoped might be of use to me & mine when disabled, if that time should come. But I would sell it if I could without too great a sacrifice. I feel somewhat concerned, though my children are all educated, & appear to be doing well and are all without anything material laid up for future support. About 20 Sabbaths in the year I am employed in vacant churches--can write & preach about as easily as ever.

But I must not trouble you further now.

If agreeable to you please return the enclosed as soon as convenient & oblige

Your affectionate
and Faithful Friend
H. Bingham

Mrs. Bingham desires her kind regards to you & your Lady in which I would unite with her. About the time of embarkation, myself & three daughters, my son & his wife, & her mother, were all very timely entertained about a week in Charles-town by Mr. James Hunnewell a very kind friend to me & mine for 37 years past.

We hear nothing more from Hiram & Clara since about noon Sat. 6th. ult. when a steamer helped them out of their straitened & perilous position near the breakers and but 200 yards from shore. Two other vessels went ashore there in that same gale, but the " Morning Star" held on well & rode nobly & gave a fine proof of her capabilities--before leaving finally #6# our own shores. Many prayers are, & I hope will be offered for them.

COPY

Yorke Square Seminary
New Haven, Ct., August 21, 1960.

Dear Brother Emerson,

He aloha nui ko'u iou olua. I have today obtained from Frank Jarold
your New Hampshire address, and hasten to address you, and to assure you
of my abiding remembrance of you both, and my desire to see you and talk
over interesting Sandwich Islands affairs.

I have regretted that some of my letters to the *mission*, which I considered important, were never answered. Something has been said about my returning to the Islands, but I am not well posted as to the views of the mission on the subject.

I have nothing special to add to my full and free communications to
the mission years ago on this matter.

## *(First page marginal note: The table of references to your Hawaiian Concert of Prayer, I see marks this date for "Waiolua and Hauula.)*

I have been engaged for a time in revising, and reading proofs, of an
"Ecclesiastical History" in the Hawaiian dialect now in the Tract Press at
New York. I have taken considerable time and used much pains to correct
the work and materially to improve the Hawaiian which was not well printed
nor very well prepared.

Our present printer is taking a good deal of time in setting it up,
stereotyping, and illustrating it. I have now been waiting for some time
for a proof to read. They employ but one hand in setting the types & he
is sometimes taken off.

The compiler, or translator from Goodrich, I do not know positively.
I have Goodrich, Mosheim & Barth before me, and shall be able, I think, to
give a good account of the work, when it is returned to the Committee at Oahu.

I prefix a good table of Contents - & recast or digest the *Eighth Period* into 104 regularly numbered sections.#

## *(Second page marginal note: In the Hawaiian work, the *sections* or Paragraphs were not numbered tho' the longer divisions were. It was almost impracticable to find the agreement between the *questions* and the narrative.)*

I break up the monstrous table of Questions at the end of the work
into *Eight tables*, placing each at the end of its respective chapter, and
referring all questions to their respective *sections*, so that any scholar
can readily find the answer to any question *in the book*. I abridge the
*Original preface* and add a page and a quarter perhaps of "Revisor's Preface."