Washington March 26th 1820
My dear friend,
I look forward to the time when I hope to see you
with much impatience, which I hope will take place in about
a month from this time - The day of adjournment is not yet
fixed, yet the 17th of April is now supposed to be the time which
will be agreed upon - I am the more anxious to be at home
before the first of May, to relieve you from any care respecting
our spring business, especially if Garfield should chose to leave the
farm - however I am determined to be at home if I am well
about that time whether congress adjourns, or not - I have
received no letters from you for the last week which, according
to this unusual arrival ought to have been received yesterday or
the day before - The mail has been robed [robbed] again near Baltimore
the driver murdered and all the letters carried off - on account of
the money contained in them - but I have just learned that
the robbers have been taken and are now confined in the jail
at Baltimore, and will be hanged I hope - A very unpleasant
occurrence has happened at Washington during the last week,
Commodores Decatur and Barron have settled a point of honor
agreeably to the laws of this part of the country, Decatur was
shot thro' the body and died in about 13 hours, and Barron was
shot into his hips - but is not dead and probably will recover - he
is in great distress, and not able to turn himself in bed, nor to
be raised up without fainting - Decatur has been justly considered
the pride and ornament of the navy - and was universally esteemed
as a citizen and a friend - I believe if the president had fallen in
his stead, his death would hardly been more regretted - he has left
a wife, but I understand he had no children - he owned a fine
seat near the president, were he resided, and it is said has left a
large estate - His funeral was attended at 4 o'clock on Friday, -
congress adjourned in season to allow any members who chose to
attend, an opportunity - I went up near the house where I could
see the procession - it was very numerous - attended by a fine
band of [ ] all the military - the president and heads of Depart-
ments part of the Senate and house, foreign Ministers with their
suits and an immense number of citizens - supposed to be in the
whole 8 or 10 thousand - and during the procession minute guns
were firing at the Navy yard - so much in honor of a man
who was killed in a duel - It is such men as these which gives
a sanction to a practice, which has already taken a deep root
at the South, & probably will never be eradicated, at last before
millenium takes place-
My health remains good, and I wish I could be sure that
yours and the children were as good - I conclude Samuel is at
Burlington - I have written two or three letters, and directed to
him these, & sent him a few dollars - but have had no letter
from him - I hear nothing from Hartford, except by Mr Reefs,
but I have written several times to your brother & sent him
such papers and documents as I supposed would interest him -
Give my love to Mary & tell her I will write to her next
week - and believe me, whether present or absent, your faith-
ful and affectionate friend
Samuel
Mrs. E Crafts
S. C. Crafts
March 26, 1820