Letter to Alexander Boteler, December 10, 1765

Rose Greenhow is writing to Alexander Boteler, one of her close friends. Rose has written a lot of letters from Bermuda and also London. Alexander hasn’t written Rose back for a long time, so Rose doesn’t know if Alexander has gotten one of her letters that she has sent before. In the letters that Rose wrote to Alexander she told him what she had been doing where she was at that time. She also tells Alexander that 60 pieces of artillery was lost, also there were 8,000 prisoners. Rose also told Alexander that all the classes except the abolitionists sympathize with them and that they are only held back from recognizing them for the fear of the war with the United States. Rose also lets Alexander know that her heart gets sick when the mail comes and there are no letters for her. Rose also lets Alexander know that she is leaving for Paris early in the morning, where she expects to have a really good time. Rose hopes for some favorable results. She prays that Alexander will write back to her telling her everything and anything about anyone. Rose is telling Alexander to tell one of his friends that’s name is Col that she has to write a long letter to him. Rose also told Alexander to give Col her best regards. In closing Rose told Alexander not to forget her and believe her.

Your Friend,

• R O’ N G –

Rose O’ Neal Greenhow was born in Montgomery county, Maryland in 1817. Rose’s nickname was "Wild Rose" Rose was a spy in the Civil War so successful that Jefferson Davis rewarded her with winning that battle of Manassas. Rose was imprisoned for her efforts, first her own home then in the Old Capital Prison. In 1864, after a year of aboard, Rose fled in a rowboat, but never made it to shore. Rose’s boat capsized and she was dragged down by the weight of the gold. In October of 1864, Rose was buried with full military honors in the Oakdale cemetery in Wilmington. Her coffin was wrapped in the Confederate flag and carried by Confederate troops.

Web site:

Http://odyssey.lib.duke.edu/collections/civil-war-women.html

This particular poem was written on October 7^th 1825, and was written by Thos. M. Jordan. In this poem the narrator discusses the Merimachi fire, which killed tons of people in a town called Newcastle.

Disasters and tragedies

This is the truth what I now tell you,

For mine eyes in the part did see,

What did happen to the people

On the banks of Merimachi.

The seventh evening of October,

Two hundred twenty-five,

Two hundred people fell by fire,

It scourged those that did survive.

Some said it was because the peoples sins

Did rise like mountains high,

Which did ascend up Jehovah,

He would not see and justify.

In order to destroy their lumber,

And the country distress,

He sent the fire in a whirlwind

From howling wilderness.

‘Twas on the Norwest first discovered,

twenty-two men there did die;

when it had swept o’er the meadows,

to Newcastle it did fly.

When the people were a-sleeping,

Fire seized the town,

Though fine and handsome was the village,

It soon tumbled to the ground.

It burnt three vessels the were building,

And two more at anchor lay;

Many that did see the fire

Thought it was Judgement Day.

Twelve more men were burnt by fire

In the compass of that town,

Twenty-five more on water,

In a scow upset and drown.

A family below Newcastle

Were destroyed among the rest,

Father, mother and three children,

One an infant at the breast.

Thirteen families were residing

Just outback of Gretna Green;

All of them were burnt by fire,

Only one alive was seen.

Then it passed to Black River,

Where it did burn sixty more;

So it forced its way with fury,

Till it reached the briny shore.

Forty-two miles by one hundred

This great fire did extend,

All was done within eight hours,

Not exceeding over ten.

As I have spoken of the things collective,

Now I intend to personate

And speak of some of my acquaintance,

With whom I was an intimate.

A lady was drove to the water,

Where she stood both wet and cold,

Notwithstanding her late illness,

Has a babe but three days old.

Six young men, both smart and active,

Were to work on the Norwest,

When they saw the fire coming,

To escape it tried their best.

About two miles from where their camp stood,

There we found each one of them,

But to paint their sad appearance,

I cannot with tongue or pen.

To see these fine, these blooming young men,

All lay dead upon the ground,

And their brothers standing mourning,

Spread a dismal scene around.

Then we dug a grave and buried

Those whom did the fire burn,

Then each of us that was a-living,

To our dwelling did return.

I heard the sighs, the cries and groaning,

Saw the falling of the tears;

By me this will not be forgotten,

Shall I live a hundred years.

Sisters weeping for their brother,

Father crying for his son,

And with bitter heartfelt sorrow,

Said the mother, "IM undone."

It killed the beasts of the forest,

In the river all the fish,

Such another horrid fire,

See again I do not wish.

In this poem, the narrator is comparing a fire to the civil war. The narrator in this poem has collected a lot of information about this fire and the narrator wrote poem on it. The people that Thos. M. Jordan was talking about are people that "she" is unfamiliar to. In the poem a fire came to this town, called Newcastle, and killed all the families that lived there except one. Towards the end of this poem the narrator starts talking about "her" relatives that have died in this fire.

In this poem it had a lot of literary devices, for example this poem was all imagery. One example of the imagery in this poem is * to these fine, these blooming young men, lay here dead upon the ground, and their brothers stand mourning, spread a dismal scene around. * this poem gave me a sad emotion when I read because it is full of imagery and I could visualize everything horrible that was going on in this poem.

There is also symbol in this poem. For example the fire that this poem is talking about is a symbol of the civil war. The fire is a symbol of the civil war because when a fire comes into a town it doesn't leave without destroying everything first. And when a civil war comes to a town and everyone fights then people get killed and it destroys everything also.

This poem had a rhyme scheme also. For example:

then we dug a grave and buried,

Those whom did the fire burn,

Then each of us that was a-living,

To our dwelling did return.

The rhyme scheme is A B C B

Amber Woodcock

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