Loyalist Women in New Brunswick, 1783-1827: Letter from Penelope Winslow to Edward Winslow, 20 November 1812, [n.p.]

Do not my dearest Edward attribute my long
silence to any falling off of my affection for
you — this — indeed is not the case — But your
situations are so critical and variable that it
really seems a forlorn hope to dispatch a
letter to you — but as we (you know) are
quite stationary — you can have no such
reason for not embracing every opportunity
of writing to us — and I,ll do you the Justice
to say that as yet we have had no reason
to complain of you — we had two epistles
from you while at Madeira — those that were
sent to Quebec we have heard nothing of —

This hateful American War has frighten,d
us not a little — this province has not as
yet suffer,d much by it — But there is
horrible work in upper Canada — poor Went
worth is in the midst of it — we were in
sad distress about him a month since
he was brought into some scrape at the
mess table and very foolishly was advis,d
to send in his resignation — which was
accepted — and he wrote us that we might
expect \him/ at home immediately you will
easily conceive my dear Brother our
wretchedness at this information — my poor
Father almost sunk under it — for in addition
to the disgrace of leaving the very scene of action
at this time — yet the Idea of his coming
home to be dependant on his father, who
is at present little able to support any addition
to his expenses was too distressing — and to
be candid with you the horrible example that
awaited him here, appear,d the most formidable
evil that he cou,d possibly be expos,d to — Murray,
past Manner of living has distroy,d every princi
ple of a gentleman in him — and he is my
dear Edward the greatest source of Misery
we have ever yet had to contend with — but
thank Heaven Wentworth was prevented sharing
our Mortification by General Sheaffes kind
interferance — who while we flatter ourselves
get him reinstated — he is with General S–
at present and any one that sees and
knows \him/ cannot help living and feeling {unclear: }
for him — I know of no great changes
in our domestic concerns since I wrote you
last except the marriage of your Cousin
Lucy to an assistant surgion of this
regiment (Doctor Woodforde) which took place
last week he is a very fine young man —
only three and twenty years old — you will
recollect that there must be some disparity
in there years — which was the only objection to
the match — it was a very sudden affair
and has excited a few ill-naturd remarks in
the society — the number of Spinsters in our
circle is reduc,d pretty low — and Fredericton
is more stupid than ever — our present
president (general Smythe) is not very popular
he is a stiff pedantic old thing — his wife
young, handsome gay and throughtless — quite
unfit to be at the head of such a society
as this — he has pitch,d upon Guy Coffin
as his aid de camp — and him and his
wife have remov,d to Fredericton — I have
been a great invalid this year past and
was sent to S^t John this summer for
the Benefit of my health. and I assure
you {damaged: } jaunt had a very salutary {damaged: }
effect upon me — tho' my condition is {damaged: }
healthy yet — you have of course long
ere this receiv,d our letters of acknowledge–
ment and thanks for the things you sent
us in the spring, Indeed my dear Brother
I,m afraid your good-will towards us has
induc,d you to be more bountiful than
you cou,d well afford — your donation of
muslin was most acceptable — and has made
us fine for some time at least — every
article you procur,d for us was exactly
what we wish,d and wanted — but you
did not pay my figure a proper compliment
in the size of the gown and pelise — they were
about an inch too large in the waist and
more than two inches too short in the skirt
I am much reduc,d in bulk since you saw me
the Judge has been afflicted with frequent attacks
of the gout and violent pains in his head of
late — the gout is not so violent as it us,d to
Be — returns much oftener —

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Aunt Sally is still with us just as Bad
as ever — poor old sister is just dying —
which will really be a relief to herself and
all her friends your friend Jenkins is a
Capt \in/ the Glengary regiment and fighting away
in Canada — we here lost our neighbors Gorden
and Lee — they Both died this Summer — Charles
is employ,d in the commissariat and is certainly going
to marry Sally Odell —