Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Hale, Aurelia (ca. b. 1798) to Sarah W. Hale

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC08934.026 Author/Creator: Hale, Aurelia (ca. b. 1798) Place Written: Mount Meigs, AL Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 19 September 1829 Pagination: 4 p. : address : 20.8 x 25.9 cm. Order a Copy

She expresses that she is deeply unhappy with their move to Mount Meigs following her husband buying land in the area, saying that although being a planter in the area can be very lucrative (which she measures in money and in number of slaves), it is not very comfortable; there is often not enough water. She says that she misses her friends from South Carolina and may go back there for a year in the near future. She promises to write to James soon, and also declares her intention to send Horatio some money. (Note: The Horatio referred to here appears to be a relative, possibly her brother's son.)

Aurelia Hale was born in Glastonbury, in Hartford, Connecticut sometime before 20 December 1798.

Hale, Aurelia, 1798-?
Hale, Sarah, 1801-?

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources