Washington City
Feb 14. 1844
Mary,
I went last week to the party of Mr.
Wickliffe the Post Master General and staid
about one hour. It is impossible for me
to give you any description of the party but
to say it was a great crowd of people of
all ages & both sexes, but very well dressed,
fashionable & well behaved. These parties of
heads of the departments are composed only
of those who have recd. invitations but, at
the Presidents all go who choose & of course
it is a motley company.
At Mr Wickliffes, there were four
parlors of ordinary size, that is two on each
side of the entry or hall & each of these over
threw open on into two long parlors & all
was crowded so as to move with difficulty
A small space was cleared for cotillion dan-
cing in one end of our room. A large
part of the company was members of congress
but many citizens of the city & a great display
of ladies. I never saw such any such display
of female dress, ornaments, & jewelry
I saw there Mr Upham & lady, but they were
occupying but small space or attention & I
there also saw Mr Geo. Marsh & lady. At
these parties persons are constantly coming and
going when they please & without looking back.
I left in about an hour.
I have formed a considerable acquaint-
ance with the whig members of Congress in both
houses, but with very few of the other side and
indeed except in the way of duty in the house
and on committee little intercourse takes place
between the members of different parties with
a few exceptions. At our Congressional prayer
meeting, Saturday evenings, we form acquaintances
with those who are professors of religion of both
parties and I think the whole of that number
does not exceed thirty, out of about three hun-
dred. I have attended that meeting every
Saturday evening but one since I came here
There is not much visiting among the
members & still less among ladies.
Gentlemen are occasionally invited to dine
with a different mess & on such occasions
they go without their ladies. Several
different members have dined with our
mess & our gentlemen have dined out. I
yesterday dined with a very fine mess &
had a sumptuous dinner. All whigs.
I have adventured upon eating ice cream
I concluded it was easier to do it than to
make eternal apologies. I do not yet ad-
mire it.
Yesterday
two young men of this city, the one
about nineteen & the other twenty and fought
a duel with rifles a few miles from the city
the eldest was shot in the head & carried to
his mothers house for she is a widow, & died
this morning. It is wonderful to learn
from this proper talk of such transactions,
and justify & sustain them.
Mr. Lyman wrote to me to pay over
for him here two dollars which I have drew
it inclosed. I send you the receipt .Hand
it to Mr Johnson who will give it to Mr.
Lyman & take the amount & hand you
I have sent by mail a quiver
of note paper, being sound of that
which is furnished to me. Hand
a half quire of it to Harriet.
Tell Mary I shall call on Mrs.
Mayhew if I go to Baltimore but I should
hardly feel authorized to go there to spend
a Sabbath until I was acquainted with
Mrs. Mayhew.
I am much relieved as to my
anxiety as to the epidemic. Bless Lord.
Give my respects to Mr Wright
& say to him I will write him soon
With love to our children.
I remain Your
Affectionate Husband
J. Collamer
Mrs Mary N. Collamer