Diary & Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 18]

MIDDLETOWN, CON., Feb. 24, [1838].
DEAR HARRIET:--I have forgotten whether I promised to
write to you or Sarah or to either of you, but it's no great odds.
I am a-going to write to you as you'll begin to suspect by this
time. What to write is the next thing to look "arter"!
When I was in Vermont I staid two days at Uncle Elliot's
and had fun for divers reasons; first, case I liked his new wife
real first-rate; second, case Belinda and the rest of the gals were
home; third, case the male cousins were gone from home; fourth,
case as how they had shells and W. I. [West Indian] plants that
I never before had seen. Lastly because there was a little cousin
there about three years old, funny too as Elek was!!! I forget
whether it was a boy or girl, but I believe it was a girl. No great
odds, though. Uncle Russell has got a real good wife. I move
he has good luck getting married. There has been very "few"
snow this winter. I 've had one sleigh-ride, but give me a
Buckeye ride in mud two feet deep [rather] than a Yankee one
in snow the same depth. There are divers things in this blue
country that I like better than Ohio; for example, Thanksgiving
dinner, or even a fast, for we had one the 22d; and if that is a
Yankee fast I move I should like to see a feast!!
The French tutor is a passionate old fellow. He looks more
like a plump feather bed than anything else I know of!! Here he
is. [Sketch.]
We have to go to meeting twice every Sunday. The priest [a
common New England designation for minister at that time]
prays thirty minutes; everything else in proportion. He's a
harder case than Mr. V -- for length and not near so interesting.
I ha'n't no more to write. Give love to all the folks in the house,
Sal, Bet, Mary, and all. Write right, right off!!! Don't excuse
nothinnnnum.
Your first-class friend,
R. B. HAYES.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 19]

MIDDLETOWN, CONN., April 5, 1838.
DEAR UNCLE:--I received your letter of the 18th of March
about two weeks since. I have nothing particular to write. I
like the school [as] well as ever. Time passes very pleasantly.
There are very fine places to walk here. About five miles from
here the scenery is beautiful. Saturday afternoons, when it is
pleasant, we walk out to a mountain eight miles off where we
can see Hartford, New Haven, Saybrook, and ten or eleven
small villages. It is a long walk, or rather run for we trot
most of the way, but it pays well for the trouble.
My clothes do very well. I shall not want any more money
this term as I know of. I gave what you sent to Mr. Webb.
I room with William Lane. We are real good chums. I do
not study French because I have as much as I can do without.
I think I shall study it next term. The Frenchman is a mean
old chap. He gets mad and goes off from table very often.
He'll not stay here next term.
I was reading the acts of the last legislature and I saw a bill
for McAdamising [macadamizing] Black Swamp. I hope now
you will have a good road there. Friday evenings Mr. Webb
reads us the speeches of the great men in Congress, so I know
more what is doing than I do at home. Mr. Webb being a
Whig was elected First Alderman of this city. Election took
place three or four days ago. There was n[o] school.
Give my love to all the cousins. Tell Mr. Pease that if the
New York election last fall did not make him feel queer, I don't
know what will unless it's the Connecticut election. Though I
suppose he's heard it before this, it will do him good to keep
him in mind of it. The Whigs have carried the State by five
thousand seven hundred majority. There is but one Van Buren
[man] out of twenty-one in the Senate. This is eight thousand
Whig gain!!
Your affectionate nephew,
from R. B. HAYES.
P. S. -- W. G. Lane sends his compliments, etc.
To S. BIRCHARD,
Lower Sandusky, Ohio.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 20]

MAPLE GROVE, MIDDLETOWN, CONN., April 28, 1838.
DEAR UNCLE:--I received your letter on the 18th. It looked
as if it had received sundry hard knocks. I will start for Ver-
mont day after tomorrow morning unless something extra hap-
pens. I shall try to act so that my visit will be agreeable to my
relations and pleasant to myself. Mr. Webb has, I believe,
written to you lately, and as he knows best about my progress in
my studies, I refer you to his letter.
I shall study France next term. We speak French at table
altogether. I shall be fitted for college by next fall, but Mr.
Webb says I am too young to enter next fall. I don't believe it,
though. I had rather go to college at the West, of course.
W. Lane is a real splendiferous chap. He is a very odd chap.
He will make, if nothing happens, a very smart man --as smart
as his father, and that will do, I reckon.
As I have a sore hand, a bad pen, and nothing to write about,
I'll stop. -- Your affectionate nephew,
R. B. HAYES.
P. S. -- Give my love to all the cousins.
MR. SARDIS BIRCHARD,
Lower Sandusky, Ohio.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 22]

MIDDLETOWN, CT., June 6, 1838.
DEAR UNCLE:--I have been here now four or five days and
am very glad to get back; not but that I spent vacation very
pleasantly, but it seems like home here more than anywhere else,
though I make myself at home anywhere in five minutes.
I went to see all my relations in Vermont. They are all well.
The more I see of Uncle Austin the better I like him. Aunt
looks older and takes more care of home and less of the store
than she used to do. Mary is very handsome. She wants to go
to Ohio very much. Uncle Noyes' folks tried to make an
Abolitionist of me, but that would not work. They all thought
Mr. Webb's would be a good place for George, but when I told
them there was not an Abolitionist in school, oh! horrible!
Then they'd as soon send him to a lion's den!!
You said in your letter to Uncle Austin that Mr. Webb had
written to you about my staying here another year. If [I]
thought it would be a great advantage to me I had rather stay,
but I don't think it would; for persons who have been through
college say that when a person enters college so that he can get
on the first year very easy, after that [he] don't get along so
well as those who have to work hard when they first enter.
If I don't enter college till a year, I'll have to stay a year
longer in college and that year spent in studying human nature
would be more profitably [spent] than studying dead languages.
Things being so, I had rather not stay another year.
I received one hundred and fifty dollars from Uncle Austin
the 28th of May of which I paid to Mr. Webb one hundred and
forty-three dollars the Ist of June; the rest were travelling ex-
penses.
If you think it best that I should stay a year longer, I am
perfectly willing to do it without going home.
Grandmother said she in her will had [given] Fanny and I
each fifty dollars.
Give my love to all the relations.
Your affectionate nephew,
R. B. HAYES.
Please write soon.
MR. S. BIRCHARD.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 23]

MIDDLETOWN, CONN., July 7, 1838.
DEAR MOTHER:- I received your letter a short time since
and by it I see that if you do not hear from me often [you are
worried about me. With me it] is just the opposite. When
I haven't heard from you for some time I know you are well
or you'd write to me. Every letter I get I am almost afraid
to open it for fear of bad news. If I am sick you shall hear
from me very often. I shall try to be careful of my health.
I hope that J. Rigsur may yet recover his health. He has
always been an excellent friend of mine. I know nothing of
cures, but I should think if he were thrown into cold water it
might cure him.
I think it is not best to stay another year. If I can enter col-
lege this year, I can go through very well I am certain. And
unless it is harder to enter than the college here, I can enter. I
have went through five books of Virgil more than is required
and shall review all the studies again. This term I've begun
French and I get ahead very well. The time flies as it did last
term and that's saying considerable. Converse tells me more
about your doings at Putnam than you did!
They had a grand celebration here on the Fourth. The Gov-
ernor and the best troops in this State and New York City were
here. The common soldiers were dressed better than the gen-
eral officers out our way. We have just as many cherries and
strawberries out of Mr. Webb's garden as we can eat, and have
had these three weeks. [One line cut out.]
It is laughable to see the difference between the beginning
and end of your letter. I should think by the first part that
all the folks were dead, by the latter that they were getting
married. I am glad that F. [Fanny] is going to Norwalk. I
hope it will be good hunting when I get home for if nothing
happens I will hunt considerable. Don't be afraid of writing
too long letters. Tell M. Covell I've received his letter. Is W.
L. Webb at home? I don't know of anything more to write
about. Give my love to the relations that are in Delaware and
Mr. Wasson's family in particular. I intend to send a little
paper to Jenny today. Tell F. to write too.
From your affectionate son.
P. S. --I forgot to tell you that four of us were invited to
dinner by one of the boys who lives fifteen miles from here.
We walked over there; staid ten hours and walked back by
bed time--thirty-six miles in six hours. Three of us were
Buckeyes, the other was an Alabamian. Quite pedestrians, the
Buckeyes! RUTHERFORD B. HAYES.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 24]

MIDDLETOWN, THURSDAY EVE'G, August 30, 1838.
MADAM:--I take the liberty of addressing you from the long friend-
ship I entertain for your son. My object at present is to inform you
that, as I intend returning to Ohio the next vacation, I would be very happy
of the company of your son, at the same time assuring you that I would
keep him out of danger and all dissipation. I hope you will not fail to
permit him to return, knowing as you do that it would conduce very much
to his happiness.--Respects to Miss Hayes.
Your ob't servant,
D. C. GODDARD.

I have not as yet received an answer to my letter of July 30,
but expect to receive one soon. D. Con. Goddard's letter was
written in case that I should go to Yale College, as in that case
I told him I supposed I'd not return this fall. Now, I, as a
matter of course, should like very well to come home; but do
not (if you have determined that I shall not come) change your
mind for anything I say. If I do come, I wish to come with
D. C. Goddard, as I like him and W. Lane a little "taller" than
anybody else in Connecticut. He will go by the way of New
York and Philadelphia, as it is from here altogether the quickest
route. He says it cost him twenty-seven dollars to go there, and
back he thinks it'll cost about sixty dollars.
Tell me if I shall bring my books, if I come. I better not
unless I go to Kenyon. I have written this more on Con's ac-
count than mine. Enough of this. I am now studying French,
arithmetic, etc.
Con went to a wedding yesterday about twelve miles from
here, -- Mr. Hawes of Zanesville and Miss Hale of Glaston-
bury. W. Lane and myself talk werry "loud" of (if we go
to Yale) walking to Ohio some vacation!
(R. wants to go home very much but thinks you do not wish
him to. Very respectfully, GODDARD.)
That is a mistake.
R. B. HAYES.
MRS. SOPHIA HAYES.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 25]

MIDDLETOWN, CONN., Sept. 18, [1838].
I received your letter dated September 9 this evening. As a
matter of course, we begin to think considerable of vacation.
We will scatter on the 28th of this month. Converse Goddard,
son of General Goddard of Zanesville, Ohio, is a-going home by
the way of Philadelphia, and as we are great chums it would
be very pleasant to go in company. We had it all planned out
how we would travel when I received Mother's letter telling me
that Mr. Powers would send me money four or five days before
vacation and I should return with him, as he would be ready to
start from New York by the 2d or 3d of October; and if I find
that I'll have to wait four days, I'll call on Mr. Powers and tell
him, and go right on with C. Goddard. He wishes to stay a day
in New York and in that time we will be able to see the most
of the city.
Although you have not asked my notions "about war," I'll let
you have some of them. I should have written more as if I
wished to go to Yale, had it not been that I was afraid Mother
and Sister would think that I did not wish to see them, and that
I thought more of the Yankees than of them.
The next term of Kenyon College will begin in about four
weeks after I get home; and in a fortnight after I get home I
would like to get a little wagon and take a few books over
and be examined, come home, go and see you, then back to
college (provided I could enter), stay through freshman year,
and, if I wished, I could then go and enter Yale freshman with
W. G. Lane and D. C. Goddard, if they conclude to go to Yale.
But I won't "count the chickens before they are hatched." I
should like "bad" to learn to ride and hunt considerable in
vacation. I've grown "werry tall" since I've been here. Mr.
Webb not having yet come in and he'll have to tell me about what
is now due; so I'll stop for now.
Mr. Webb says my bill is not yet made out but that I can
carry it home, and then will be soon enough to pay it. I think
there will be ten or twelve dollars due. Do not write to Mother
as though I would be home so soon, but if I go with Converse
Goddard I'll be home by the 4th of October which is my birthday.
I remain your affectionate nephew,
R. B. HAYES.
Give my love to all my cousins and all others whom it may
concern. W. G. Lane and D. C. Goddard send their best re-
spects; being with myself the only Buckeyes here, we form quite
a friendly trio.
SARDIS BIRCHARD, ESQ.,
Lower Sandusky, Ohio.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 26]

October 4, 1838.--Birthday; sixteen years old. The fore-
noon spent on board the steamboat Columbus on Lake Erie;
very warm pleasant day. Afternoon spent in Sandusky City.