Description

In this letter dated June 19, 1971, Henry O'Donnell writes to his wife Elizabeth Sarah (Mousley) O'Donnell during his second trip to visit his uncle Columbus O'Donnell and family in America. Among the topics he writes about are the Tichborne case, his visit to his grandfather's (John O'Donnell. 1749-1805) tomb at First Presbyterian Church, preaching at St. Stephen's Church, and his visit to a Methodist church in Baltimore, where the African American minister Bishop Revels invites him to preach. (Editor's note: Both the opening and the closing (written sideways across the page) of the letter are found on page 1. The African American bishop mentioned on pages 3 and 4 is believed to be Rev. Willis R. Revels, M.D. (1810-1879), brother of the first African American to serve in the United States Congress, Hiram Rhoades Revels (1827-1901), who served as a state senator from Mississippi, not Louisiana as Henry O'Donnell writes, from February 25, 1870 to March 4, 1871. The Methodist church in Baltimore is believed to be Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (A. M. E.) Church.)

Record Contributed By

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

Record Harvested From

Digital Maryland