Letter from SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD to GEORGE PERKINS MARSH, dated February 10, 1867.
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My Dear Mr Marsh
I duly received your letter of Dec. 26. a few days ago, and was glad to have a longer epistle than that of a short time before, announcing transmission of the bird pamphlet.
We were greatly delighted to hear of Mrs. Marsh's improvement in health and hope that
she will continually mend until entirely well Dr. Sims I know well by reputation and
it was in his old establishment in New York that Mary spend her month. Dr. Emmet was
for many years the associate of Dr Sims, and succeeded him in
the ownership and management of the private establishment in Madison Avenue. He is
generally considered quite Dr. Sims equal, and in some respects as his superior both
in diagnoses and operating. For a time Mary did not seem benefitted but she is now
much better and for more than a month has really been very well, making calls,
going
to parties and receptions, and enjoying life generally as she has not done for
years. We were at a very pleasant gathering last evening at Secretary Stantons and met a crowd of Vermonters: Morrill, Woodbridge, Baxter
and other members with their wives.
We are progressing slowly with the repairs of the S. I. and hope to finish in a few months, when we shall be more comfortable. Collections continue to pour in. More than I can well manage. I am still deep in the administration of the arctic specimens I wrote you about, containing among other things some 15000 birds eggs and expect tomorrow thirty large boxes from the Russian Telegraph Operators
I enclose the celebrated M'Cracken letter; which was the text of Mr. Sewards correspondence with Mr. Motley. We were surprised not to find your name in it
With much love from all of us to all of you, believe me
Affectionately YoursSpencer F BairdHon. Geo P MarshFlorence
References in this letter:
Dr. J Marion Sims, a gynecologist practicing in Paris, had operated on Caroline Crane Marsh for a noncancerous tumor of the womb in 1865.
A Democrat, Edwin McMasters Stanton (1814-1869) was nonetheless a strong unionist. He served as U.S. Attorney General under James Buchanan and in 1862 Lincoln made him Secretary of War. He was identified with the Radicals during the Reconstruction period.
A native of Strafford, Vermont, Justin Smith Morrill (1810-1898), was a Whig who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1855 to 1867 and the U.S. Senate from 1867 until his death in 1898. He was the author of the great land grant bill that bears his name and became law in 1862. Morrill was a Smithsonian Regent (1865-1898) and a trustee of the University of Vermont (1865-1898).
A native Vergennes, Vermont, Frederick Enoch Woodbridge (1818-1888) represented his district in the Vermont State House and Senate and was elected mayor of Vergennes. He was also involved in railroad construction in the state. From 1863 to 1869 he served in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Portus Baxter (1806-1868), from Brownington, Vermont, was elected on the Republican ticket to the U.S. House from 1861-1867.
American historian and diplomat, John Lothrop Motley (1814-1877) served as Minister to Austria between 1861-1867; in 1869, President Grant appointed him Minister to Great Britain. He is the author of History of the Dutch Republic. 3 vols. (1856).