Augusta: C. C. Baldwin to Alexander H. H. Stuart,
January 14, 1867
Summary:
C.C. Baldwin discusses family matters and a literary project, a "local color"
story about his former slave, with Alexander H. H. Stuart.
A. H. H. Stuart, Esq
Jan 14-67
Balcony Falls
Dear Sir:
I hope my daughter sent you, according to my request, a copy of my sketch my butler Jo, which appears in the Val. Jour. of the 9th. It swarms with very great typograhpical errors -- many of which you must have observed. The greatest of them [deleted: in] connects in changing foibles or the not horrible word follies in the sentence; "Undoubtably he had his foibles & his faults" &. I have requested Sandy to correct that in his paper, & and that alone out of a hundred, some of which pervert my meaning.
I have sent a clean copy to the Rich. Whig, with several additional paragraphs, & and a number of smaller additions [added: & some vital changes] throughout the piece. If it appears in the Whig, I would thank you to read it there (if you can) & then give me your candid opinion of it as a delineation of Jo's character. I think it paints the man to the life. If the coloring is rather warm, I agree with Macaulay that the best portraits have something of caricature -- making up in [unclear: impessureness] what they want in fidelity.
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Is any trait omitted? Is any thing awry? Please run your pen through
any [unclear: usage] & word you think ought to be struck out,
& write me any additions. I want to make the thing as perfect as
possible.
I intend of course to send copies to our friends in California, & if they approve it, to submit the piece for De Bow's Review (De Bow having requested me to write for it.)
I would like to have Aunt Martha's opinion, having the highest respect for her literary taste. Present her with my kind regards.
I am sorry I did not retain the sketch to retouch at my leisure. I wrote it in
two days currente calarro, & I hurried off to
Garter. I had just recd a letter from Cornelia
giving me the particulars of Jo's last illness, & enclosing a copy of
the proceedings of the San Francisco bank &c. She returned from Europe
last spring. Her health is delicate but she thinks improving. I have
incorporated in my sketch nearly all the information she gave me. I do not know
what the surgical operation was, but I guess it was
for the piles -- an hereditary disease
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in
our family -- I mean my father's. Pa is quite well for a man of 76.
By the way, permit me to introduce to you Briscoe G. Baldwin the 3d, a fine boy of mine, just a year old. Please introduce him also to your family & to Aunt Martha.
I have only two children by my present wife -- both boys -- the oldest Charles Cornelius Cyrus -- 7 1/2 years old.
I hope to be in Staunton in a few weeks.
Favor me with an early answer.
Yours very truly
C. C. Baldwin
P.S.: Among the typographical errors alluded to, let me
note the following: In speaking of my ever-revered mother -- the best human
being I ever knew -- I described her as refined --
not retired -- I said Jo's life was uneventful -- not eventful -- that his instincts were all chivalrous> & -- not
his interests -- that he was fond of field events & horse-racing --
not some racing -- meaning racing horses along the
road -- that in conversation was well-informed --
not well-expressed -- that his tales were all natural -- not rational -- that there was no cant, bigotry, or
intolerance about him -- not intemperance
&c &c &c
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His sense of the ridiculous was very keen, &, when his blood was up, old Sam Kasm himself could hardly excell him in sarcasm, ridicule, invective, and denunciation. X X X
He was an original, adventurous, & and intrepid thinker, even to audacity -- I go on for ten or fifteen lines.
His highest ambition was to be a chivalrous high-toned gentleman, spotless & reproachless; next and accomplished lawyer & a[deleted: n] [added: learned,] professorial & philosophic jurist; & then a justified scholar & an eloquent writer & speaker -- a backwoods Lord Broughkam as he would have expressed it. We [added: are] inclined to think that he would have preferred the jures intellectual sermon of Marshall as the great Constitutional and philosophic jurist of America, even to the effulgent glory which emblazons the name of Washington.
I beleive this is strictly true. In all his letters to me he was a better lawyer than any thing else & that his highest ambition was to be a great jurist.
I may show you some of these times portraits &c drawn of you & Mr B in strong contrast in some respects. Neither of you had any better friend in this world -- Excuse the trouble I give you.
