This collection is made up of 3 letters that Lieutenant Peter Pelham received from a woman in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, while serving in the United States Army during the War of 1812. Pelham's correspondent expressed her anger and feelings of abandonment; her distress upon hearing of poor conditions at Burlington, Vermont; and her daily activities.
This collection is made up of 3 letters that Lieutenant Peter Pelham received from "M. B. S.," a woman in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, while he served in the United States Army during the War of 1812. The first letter ([November 6, 1812]) concerns the author's emotional distress after Pelham's departure for the army; she wrote at length about the perceived injustice and his broken promise. In her second letter (December 26, 1812), M. B. S. expressed her great alarm after hearing of unsanitary conditions at Burlington, Vermont, where Pelham was stationed at the time. She urged Pelham to send her a detailed report about the number of casualties and the state of affairs, offering to circulate his letter should it contain good news. The third letter (May 7, 1814) reflects on Pelham's most recent visit; though she initially remained in bed, distraught, she later socialized with her mother and other acquaintances.
The donor has collected, arranged, transcribed, and annotated each document and has written a well-researched collection description.
