Anne Brown Adams to Alexander M. Ross thanking him for his writings about her father - American History 1493-1945 - Adam Matthew Digital

Keyboard Shortcuts

The full content of this document is only available to subscribing institutions. More information can be found via www.amdigital.co.uk

Field name	Value
Collection Reference Number	GLC03007.08
From Archive Folder	Collection of John Brown documents from Alexander M. Ross
Title	Anne Brown Adams to Alexander M. Ross thanking him for his writings about her father
Date	13 April 1879
Author	Adams, Anne Brown (1843-1926)
Recipient	Ross, Alexander Milton
Document Type	Correspondence
Content Description	Thanks him for "placing my father before the world in his true light" with "a truthful and just estimate of his character and motives" in his writings for the public. Mentions that she was with John Brown just two weeks before his raid, and that she "taught in the Contraband's schools" towards the end of the war. Also discusses personal matters.
Subjects	African American History John Brown Abolition Slavery Woman Author Women's History Children and Family Literature and Language Arts Education Contrabands Civil War Military History Union Forces
People	Adams, Anne Brown (1843-1926) Ross, Alexander Milton (1832-1897) Brown, John (1800-1859)
Place written	Bridgeville, California
Theme	Slavery & Abolition; Women in American History
Sub-collection	The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1860-1945
Additional Information	Anne Brown Adams was the daughter of John Brown. Alexander M. Ross was a famous Canadian naturalist, also a prominent abolitionist and a strong supporter of John Brown.
Copyright	The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Module	Civil War, Reconstruction and the Modern Era: 1860-1945
Transcript	Show/hide [excerpt] Dr. A. M. Ross, I received a letter from my mother and your 'Recollections and Experiences of an Abolitionist' which you so kindly sent to me. I wish in addition to thank you for the book & express my unbounded gratitude to you for thus placing my father before the world in his true light. It is not an enthusiastic or sentimental eulogy, by an admiring hero worshiper, but a truthful and just estimate of his character and motives by one who understood and appreciated him. You sympathized with and comprehended him, you knew him…I was with my father until two weeks before that Affair, when he sent my sister in law and I home, we were his 'housekeepers'. I had supposed until recently that my brother Owen and my self were the only now living survivors of that little band, but it seems that you too belonged to our Company…During the winter of 1863 & 4 I taught in the contraband's schools in Norfolk and Portsmouth Va., attended Sunday school in Gov. Wise's Mansion at his plantation on the Elisabeth river. We little knew what changes a few years may bring forth…In one of your kind letters to Mother you mentioned sending her some books on the 'Natural History of Canada'. She wished me to say to you that she never received them. This I very much regret as I think I should have been very much interested in them. I do not know whether you are the style of naturalist that my friend Thoreau was or not for I am proud to say that I had a personal acquaintance with him. He used to tell me that he believed that people must work hard to gain immortal life, that the drones in this life would be annihilated. I do not believe that the author of 'Excursions' can ever die. He still lives in the hearts of those who read him...Annie Brown Adams

Previous Item Next Item