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The Dorr Letters ProjectThomas Wilson Dorr to Lydia Allen Dorr: |
Letter
Dec. 13 '44. -
Dear M.
Yours of the 6th received on
Tuesday, and of the 8th on Monday; and many thanks to
you for them, and also for the accompanying articles, which
were very acceptable. I have not tried on the stockings; but
they look right. The three pairs are amply sufficient. The
cakes are artistically made. It would be as well for the future to
omit the meat. The fruit and peppermints never come amiss.
I do not think of anything else needed at this time. I have
several bottles of sarsaparilla on hand. I take but little at
present. If I were out of this place, from the experiment made, I
think it would prove useful for rheumatism.
My health remains about the same. This is not a place to
gain strength of course, nor remarkably adapted to bilious and rheumatic cases,
especially when air and exercise on the outside are interdicted. I have involved
the “proprietors” in a contradiction in the matter of exercise outdoors, and wound them
rife with a lie among them somewhere. The physician on Monday again
referred me to the inspectors, as having sole jurisdiction of the matter. On Wed-
nesday inspector Everett referred me to the physician for his recommendation
You ask me if I read the bible daily. I cer-
tainly do; and, the more it is perused, the larger it seemed to be.
A person confined here, who had no communion with
his maker, must be very solitary.
Last week the warden came to the door
of my cell, and asked me if I should like to see Dr. Par-
sons; implying that, if so, his (the warden’s) influence might
be used to accomplish the object; who he did not say so much.
I replied that Dr P. could prescribe nothing of any importance
or that I was not already aware of (in as much as his pre-
scription would not alter the temperature of the place). This
was a sufficient answer; but I had another in my mind,
vis; that, as the Legislature is near at hand, my enemies
might take the opportunity of suggesting that I was getting
up a case for the humanity of their government. Of course
I should despise any such proceeding, and would avoid
any appearance of it. As to health, I feel much the
same as last week. Dr Brownell, I see, has heaped upon
me, in his report to the Gen. assembly, “various other infirm-
ities” beside rheumatism. As he had never mentioned any
of them to me, I know not what he means; perhaps he desired
to magnify the case; which he says he has performed (by
administering one or two doses of medicine, and measuring
my swelled knee with a string from time to time). The physician, having,
by this false statement, cut me off from the possibility of
getting any exercise in the yard, and not being aware
that I had heard of his report, I thought it would be as well
to test his voracity in the matter; and the next time he came
into the workshop, inquiring after my health, replied to
him, it is the same; this, you know, is no place for a man
to be cured of bilious, rheumatic complaints. He replied –
“certainly not; we do not expect that you will be”.’ As he
is a member of the church, I might have very justly re-
ferred his attention to some persons in scripture, which al-
lude to the character and lots of liars! If he tell the truth,
why does he prescribe [...] & some variation of diet (the fresh
meat occasionally (which is construed by the warden to
mean once a week) and why am I allowed to perform less
work than those who are considered well? as I have
said before, everything is conducted here on a system of
deception, certainly so far as the public are concerned.
I believe I mentioned some time ago that Brownell
said, that he never gave any recommendation for a
prisoner to take exercise out of doors, and referred me to
the inspectors; and that inspector Everett referred me
back to the physician, stating that the inspectors were
always governed by the recommendation of the physicians
in this matter! (inspector Rimball afterward confirmed
the statement of Everett). –
Chaplain Woods is determined to benefit
me, if he can. In his discourse last Sunday on the pass-
age – fear not them that can kill the body so – he illustrated
the danger of fearing man too much, by the case of the pol-
itician, who disregarded the good of the country and his own
interest & welfare, and what is right and just in order to
please the populace, through fear of their opinion so. I told
the warden, who dropt in, in the morning, that, as this passage
of the sermon did not apply to any of the prisoners, I thought it must
be a shot at some of the officers!
How is Burges? Does he hold out? He has been
a true and kind friend; but I have sometimes thought
that he had got tried. He seldom answered the questions
asked in my notes; and few of the matters, that I have
requested should be attended to, have received any
attention, so far as I can learn. For instance, I thought
it a good time, when the public mind was first direct-
ed toward me; when my imprisonment, to lay before the public
a brief review of my proceedings generally, and of the facts proved
at the trial, to silence effectually, the current standard of the
Whigs, and to enlighten those democrats who are but partially in-
formed concerning our affairs. But nothing has been done.
My friends in R.I. sold their arms, and take everything as
it comes. Burges in his last, requests me to furnish him with
a reply to the base “Steamboat” slander relating to the “rebellion”
in Harvard College! The facts being so easily attainable
from classmates, officers &c, one might have supposed that some
political friend would have promptly furnished the refutation.
But it is left to me, a man in the state’s prison, in whom it is
a crime to write, or know anything, to vindicate myself! Really
I have reason to marvel at the strength and duration of political
friendship – in this state – and I cannot address friends a-
broad from this place. I have much reason to be grateful
for the enduring affection of yourself and F. , which political opposition
does not impair. – Perhaps I have asked too much of B.; as
he has divided my correspondence with you; and I have not
been able to call upon the services of other suffrage men, as
I might, were there a free communication.
Burges, I apprehend, reads my letters, and casts them
aside, without referring to them. Will you remind him (as
of your own suggestion) that he ought to keep them together safely
at his house? Please also to suggest to B. to fall in with
Brownell, and ask him what he means by the various other
infirmities in his report. – I should like to know also whether
the report of my trial (at large) paid for itself; and, if not who
bore the burden? – Was anything ever done about obtain-
ing a correct engraved likeness of myself, (by way of offset to Stillwell’s
caricature as was
talked
of before I came
here? Please
to be as in mind
these questions.
The new convey-
ance is entirely
safe, so far as
fidelity is concern-
ed, but it may
lead to some suspicions, and must
not be resorted to too often. It had better be confined
to letters, or important pages of newspapers.
It is not true that John Whip-
ple has called to see me. He may
have come, with
other visitors, to
look down, through
the grated win-
dow, upon the
prisoners; but as
their backs are
toward the wind-
ow, I do not see
those who call.
Thanks for your
rules for washing.
I am but a poor
washerman. We
have hot water
for that purpose
once a fortnight.
Shirts & bed clothes
are washed in the
kitchen. –
Sam. Man’s
marriage is a
queer idea; but
marriage is hon-
orable in all, so,
as the scripture says.
The “fresh meat
Occasionally for me” is
from the warden’s
table, once a week.
We are now in
the midst of the
pork season, the
out of door prisoners
having been slain;
and all [...]
have had two din-
ners of fresh pork,
also several pork
soups. But this
will soon be over. – I have sufficient bed clothing; but my
feather bed, like the red Sea, divides on both sides, when I get into
it. But I must close, with my best regards to yourself and F. . ? are we to have a cold winter. What say the weatherwise?