"The rebellion is doomed and with it Slavery!"

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, American poet (1807-1882). Autograph letter signed ("Henry W. Longfellow").

€ 850,00

To a British admirer "J. R." from Camberwell, London, who had written Longfellow a poem in commemmoration of the recent and tragic death of the poet's second wife: "I ought sooner to have thanked you for your words of sympathy and for your beautiful and touching poem. But you will understand how difficult, nay how impossible it is for me to speak upon that subject. I can only thank you, and lay my hand upon my mouth and my mouth in the dust [...]". The remainder of the letter discusses the American Civil War, then in its tenth month. Longfellow reports that "political affairs are going on better and better. The last week brought us news of three important victories; Roanoke Island in North Carolina; Fort Henry in Tennessee and Springfield in Missouri. The rebellion is doomed, and with it Slavery! The North has at last begun to move, and it is in the cause of Freedom; for disguise it as you may, this is a part of the great battle, the 'irrepressible conflict', which is always going on in the world between Right and Wrong, between Freedom and Slavery [...]".

Mr. J. R.'s poem, entitled "To the poet Longfellow on his late bereavement," consists of seven stanzas, beginning: "The dearest form that claimed thine earthly love / No more on earth can greet thy tender gaze. / Her spirit radiant now in realms above, / Sings in the anthems of celestial praise [...]". Longfellow's wife Frances Appleton had died in July 1861 after setting fire to her dress in a household accident. Her tragic death affected Longfellow very deeply, and it is telling of his gentleness and sense of duty that he would grace such an unexpected submission with so personal a response.