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Contributed to Maine Memory Network by Maine Historical SocietyMMN # 5481

Date: 1862Description: In this letter Rebecca Usher wrote to her sister, Martha Usher Osgood, she recounts the difficulties of traveling -- lack of hotel space in New York, poor weather, and train delays.

U.S.A. General Hospital Chester Penn. Friday morn.Dear Mat, I arrived here thismorning quite unexpectedly asLizzie Chase had written Louisethat I would not leave Portlandtill Thursday. I had my usual luckwith beaux. I had plenty at startingbut nearly all left me before theend of my route. I left Portlandin charge of Mark & Mr Boyd, atBiddeford Stephen Lane & Mr Piercecame on board; Stephen left atBerwick, Mark & Mr Pierce desertedme at Boston, & then I had MrBoyd left, who took charge of meto the end of my journey & whomI found a most delightful travellingcompanion. We discussed the dif-ferent routes to New York all the way

to Boston & decided to go in thecars the weather was so rainy & dark.We had just time to say good bye toour friends & ride from one Depotto the other, without stopping for anyrefreshments. But I did not mind that,the excitement of travelling was victuals& drink to me. At Springfield werushed off the cars, bolted a piece ofpie, & swallowed a cup of boiling hottea; consoling ourselves with the an-ticipation of a nice supper in New –York. We arrived there about twelveat night, took a carriage for FifthAvenue Hotel, had our trunks takenoff & supposed ourselves establishedfor the night; but to our great disap-pointment there were no spare roomsin the house. Mr Boyd then left ina pouring rain between twelve & oneat night in search of lodgings. Duringhis abscence I amused myself by watch-ing the boarders return from the Opera

and entering a box about six feet square whichwith sliding doors ^ ascended to their roomson what looked like an immense screw cyl-inder. In about an hour, Mr. Boyd re-turned, having applied at all the hotelsin the neighborhood without success, buthad finally succeeded in getting two roomsat Union Place Hotel, opposite the monu-ment of Washington. We remained heretill five oclock in the evening, but itwas so rainy I did not go out. It wasenough for me to see the ladies trailingtheir long muddy garments along thepavements & looking like so manyfowl in a rain storm. I sent a noteto George Woodman in the morning,& in the afternoon he came to seeme. I did not tell him in my notethat I was on my way to the Hospital,but he said he suspected at once that thatwas my destination; said he hadbeen expecting to hear of me there, eversince the war began. He said they wereall well, & that Lucy talked often of goingto see the Ushers, but he did not know

when she would be able to accomplishit. He asked if you was not coming tovisit them this winter, said he thought that was the understanding. Mary DwightBoyd also called to see me. She is spendinga few weeks with her Father in New York.At five oclock we took a carriage toJersey City Ferry – a dismal laby laberynthof dark alleys, with nothing to direct astranger where to go. However underMr Boyd’s charge I got safely over, & thenthe agent insisted on putting us inseparate trains, saying that the Wash-ington train did not stop at Chester.Mr Boyd put me on board the Washingtontrain, hunted up the conductor & foundthat the train did stop at Chester.So we were all right & were soon on ourway. At Philadelphia some accidenthappened to one of the cars & we weredetained half an hour or more for re-pairs, so we did not arrive in Chestertill half past one. Mr. Boyd felt sorryto put me off at midnight in astrange place in a pouring rain, not-withstanding I assured him I was not atall afraid. There was a dim light inthe Depot & two or three men standingthere. I marched up to a very respect-

able man & asked if he could get a car- riage to take me to the Hospital. He looked astounded at my asking for a carriage at that time of night, &asked me if I had not better go to ahotel for the night & go over to the Hos-pital in the morning. I said very wellif he would take me to a hotel I wouldgo there. So he offered me his arm & wewalked on together through the mud &darkness – rung at one house & after wait-ing al a lady opened a window & askedwhat was wanted – & to the gentleman’sinquiry if she had a room for a ladyshe said no, every room was occupied.Then we went on again, & at the nexthotel found the host up & obtaineda very comfortable room. In the morning I breakfasted & then went to theHospital. I like Mrs Tyler very much.think her admirably fitted for her position. & the Hospital is very comfortablein all its arrangements. Mrs. T leftfor Baltimore the day of my arrivalso my ward will not be assigned tome till her return Monday or TuesdayMust send this to the mail now.Send me a barrel – as soon as convenient. Send all the stockings you can

as we have not enough to change allround every week. Send also somebandages, dried apples, slippers, towels,handkerchiefs, & shirt collars would beacceptable though not so necessary.Send in the barrel my red cloak & myworsted hood, a pr of big [crossed out]woodenneedles & a pair of smaller ones. the bigones are in my upper drawer in theold new bureau in the kitchen.Send me also a piece of bar soapShall write a continuation of thisletter to Ellen this afternoon.I am delighted with hospital lifefeel like a bird in the air ora fish in the sea, as if I had foundmy native element Good-bye – love to all, Bep.