Written from Maryland
 6 Inch Knees and a Dead Zouve ~ 22 July 1861 :: Author: Robt. K. Cummins
There Were Some One Cheering For Jeff Davis ~ 2 Aug 1861 :: Author: Robt. K. Cummins
The Morning Star of Universal Freedom ~ 22 March 1864 :: Author: Dr. W.H. Baltzell
Written from Massachusetts
Your Mother is No More~ 26 Jan 1857 :: Author: Mary D. Balfour
WILLIAM FRANCIS JOY, died October 27. 1901, son of Francis Henry and Sarah (Goodwin) Joy of Charleston, Massachusetts. Apparently late in life, he organized his life’s accumulation of letters received by gluing them into a letter book, something akin to a scrapbook. The dates of the letters range from 1844 to 1901. He arranged the letters in sections, many of the letters are simply business letters, the section on Civil War letters is unfortunately missing, still small sections of personal letters remain.
He wrote:
“The following letters from parents, Aug 5 1844 to Dec 27, 1857. I prize above all others. Hope they will not be destroyed”
William F. Joy
Wm F. Joy’s earliest letter is from him to his parents when he was away from home as a youth, probably in school. He spent at least part of the Civil War period as a merchant in Baltimore, Maryland, but spent much of his adult life in Boston, Massachusetts. There is no doubt that he was quite successful, in fact, he was successful enough to have his family regularly approach him for handouts.
He wrote:
“1871
Letters of interest to me personally.
They are biographical and historical. Can there be formed such a lot of solicitors and beggars in any other family Connection as is exhibited by the letters in this folio.”
The letters in the section relating to Negro slaves does not name even one slave, only refers to adding Negros to mortgages as collateral. The Negros are simply unnamed chattel caught up in the note business of trading, default, and foreclosure.
One business letter from Geo. F.B. Leighton, Georgetown, So Ca, March 22nd 1859, states in part:
“I herewith hand you note I hold against W.O. Jefferies of Alligator, Fla. The note is secured by a family of negro’s I do not know how many but probably from four to six. -- They are family negros and I have not forced their sale, and it is my desire that the same should be avoided, as Wm J and myself are personal friends...”
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