Commerce

1842 · réf. 3123 — New Orleans: January 21 1842. About very good. 3pp. on a folded folio sheet. Old folds. Small loss from wax seal affecting a few words on third page. Light wear and soiling. A wandering "woe is me" missive from Charles Penfield to his business partners back home in Massachusetts detailing his numerous misfortunes on a journey by boat to Mexico and thence to New Orleans. He writes: "To tell you of my misfortunes I think you should rather console with me than to sensure sic me however you can write your friends in Baltimore & let them see me &c. First of my troubles I was fined in Mexico as you have the documents to amount of moste 600 dollars with the expenses. Next misfortune was detained in town 22 days to attend to the board 2 dolls. per day horse hire about 25 or 40 dolls. with expenses on the road vessel being 40 miles before the town. Next I took the yellow fever or Mexican fever & as you must expect my bill was high when I went to town. The deaths was 25 a day population of 6000." He goes on to detail freight costs to New Orleans and the other expenses related to the journey writing: "You had better get these papers translated by some Spanish merchant in Boston & make claim on Mr. Brown." He also notes in a post script that the price of freighting cotton to Liverpool is a half penny per pound. A detailed account of the trials and tribulations of uncertain business ventures in antebellum America. January 21 unknown