Norwich Dec 7th 1865
My Dear Nephew
		    Tis thanksgiving
day to day the great Day with the 
good people of New England the
roast Turkey.s Smoke upon the well
Loaded Tables and the rich chicken
Pies Send forth their fragrance while
Pies Cake [etc.?] make up the Programe
of thanksgiving Dinner so attractive
to all [chapes?] in Yankee Land. –
Well here we are Just in time to 
Share in this time Honored institution
reminding us of the days of our
Boyhood when to our Young minds
and especially our appetites it was
the best day in the year: Well we
will respect it for its time honored
associations and Endeavor to feel in
Some degree the Gratitude we ought
in view of God.s goodness to us during

the past year Both as a Nation
and as Individuals: We arrived here
safely last Thursday forenoon and
found Brother.s family all well and
prospering and gave us a cordial and
hearty welcome and every effort made
to make out stay pleasant and agreeable:
Day before yesterday we visited the
Great Manufactory of cotton cloth at
Baltic 960 feet in Length by 80 feet
in width 3 high Stories or 4 including
the warping room besides the Great
Basement room for Storing Cotton:
It employs about one Thousand hands
when running full quota and they are
now preparing to put up a Large
Building in addition as they have
abundant water power for the purpose:
   This Large Mill manufactures cloth
enterely for Calico I believe: It is not
printed here but taken to another of
Sprague.s manufactory.s where it is
printed into its Different Styles of print:

About 2 miles below tis
Manufactory on the River they
have built a Dam for another
which is to be the largest in the
United States 1500 feet in Length:
     a Gentlemen Said when taking
us up to Brothers the other morning
that as much machinery was preparing
for manufactoring as was now in
operation in this Section of country
which Seems almost incredible:
     There are Large Manufactories
all around us and the Business is
very profitable: The Gentleman alluded
to who is well informed Said they admitted
they cleared one dollar a pound upon all
cotton manufactored which must be an
enormous profit. The people here are
prospering and men are laying up money
while they live well rather ahead of us
westerners: Br Noah would See a great
change in Norwich in the Splendid
Buildings erected Since he left here

Business Lively and wide awake full of
Yankee enterprise = A gentle Snow has
been falling all this morning and the ground
looks white although not any frost in the
ground to speak of as it was a good time for
digging out stone yesterday and mild as october
almost = Well Joseph how are Matters
progressing there in Highland? How do you
Succeed in collecting the average on the
Parsonage? Have you enough to Settle
up with Frank for this payment?
How is Sarah as she was quite feeble
when we left? Brother Seymour and
family would have been very glad if Br
Noah & Wife had found it Convenient
To have made a visit here too
Br Seymour & family are pleasantly situated
and Steadily advancing in property
     His Daughter has two children Boys
one Eleven and the other 4 years of age:
The youngest one is chatting way near the
Stove and Herbert has just brought him
a present of a Silver plated fork to Eat his
thanksgiving dinner  with that Shines like the
burnished Silver = It was from Mrs Hebbard a
near neighbor – Please to remember us to Br
Noah & wife and our family with Kisses for
the Little ones: How is the weather there?
    Please to write and Direct to Clifton
accept regards from	    Monroe Co
	Uncle John                  NY