Henry Boyce Letter to Mary Ryan, Rapides Parish Louisiana
Submitted by John Wettermark 

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Henry Boyce Letter to his sister, Mary Ryan, 1841 
Irene Archinard Boyce died at the young age of 24, leaving two small 
children, Henry Archinard and Louise Frances. Judge Henry Boyce writes his 
sister Mary Ryan to tell her the sad account.


Stamped OCT 11
Alexandria

To: Mrs Mary Ryan
      Urbana Ohio

Bayou Rapides Sept. 30th 1841

My Dear Sister

I got home three days ago
but alas; with the (inanimate) corpse of
my poor wife. The angel of Death over-
took me in my journey and robbed me
of my amiable pure and kind-hearted Irene.
I know I will have your sympathies, you
saw Her long enough to be able to know Her
natural character of goodness. You were all
favorites of Hers, And she often expressed
to me the pain and regret she felt in knowing
you were all in a Country where you
worked too much, And wished me to advise
you not to expose your health to such a
degree but to get help - knowing as I did
that Her disease was too deeply seated
to be (removed) by medicine and dreading the
idea that she might get much worse before
I got home, for I did not fear What has unfor-
tunately taken place. I was, when I came down
from the springs about to neglect all minor
considerations for the time, and hasten Home
with Her, but when I mentioned this she
wished me to see your Boy to College and attend
to every thing else, and she would remain a
few days at Cincinnati. 


I am now deeply sorry I did not hasten
On, I would have had the consolation of bringing
Her back alive to her Dear Mother and Children
Whom she loved so much and so terribly, she
Would again have embraced them and her other relations, 
And since it was the will of Providence
She should sink under Her wasting disease
She would have died in the bosoms of her
Family blessing them and receiving their blessings.
There is one consolation in her stay at Cincinnatti,
She received the sacrament, and as far as the
Agency of the church could go, purified herself
For heaven where I trust she is.
The day before we left Cin. She went very early
To the Church in a carriage, when she came
Back she was very much ex(h)austed and faint,
A pain in the side was very severe, and a bowel
Complaint had began. As I knew this to be one
Of the last and worst symptoms of her disease, 
I felt alarmed and hurried as, I remained one
Night in Louisville and she suffered much.
I got some remedies to check this and set
Out the next day the 10th in a Boat for the
Mouth of the Ohio, where I got there on the
Morning of the 15th. The only boat ready to
Set out was a very large one, the Louisiana.
I had to take her unfortunately. Had I been
There one day earlier, I would have been in a
Boat that got down five days sooner and


Got home before my misfortune. This boat
We came on got aground on sand bars on which
She spent nearly three days, stopped every where
to take freight as it required a large quantity
To fill her. My poor wife was every day
Becoming more feeble though she would not
Admit she was getting worse. Her cough was
Incepant and I would sometimes though rarely
See Her in tears as if she knew what was 
To be the end, though she did not say any
Thing to me, nor did I wish to discourage
Her by expressing my fears. She bore her
Sufferings with the most Christian
Resignation. I frequently found her saying
Her prayers and even teaching them to the
Faithful servant that was along with her.
Indeed she seemed to become more angelic(k)
Every day and the Ladies on board vied with
Each other in their attention to her, keeping
Her company when in her state room ( ) ( ).
They all seemed to love the mild and interes-
Ting sufferer, at length on the morning of
The 25th , a little ebefore 9 oclock we got to
The mouth of Red River. A single steam Bt
lay there and she was bound down to the
City, and was too large under any circum-
sances to go to Alexandria. No alternative
seemed to present itself but to land at a House
kept there. As the large Steam Bt could


Not approach the shore, it was necessary to
Land her in the small boat, and have Her
Carried in a chair to the House by two men.
She took an affecting leave of the Ladies on
Board all shed tears, nor could I restrain mine.
She was seated in the Boat in a chair, the
Captn. and myself beside her, As we reached the
Shore she exclaimed to me she was fainting,
And that moment began to fall off th echair
We got hold of her applied the Cologne bottle
Which she held in her Hand, she respired one
Long breath from the lungs, and the Captn. Cried
Out she is "dead" a "dying", two men ran
With a mattress and we carried her to the
House and placed Her on a bed. Alas it
Was too (t  ) Her gentle spirit had
Forever fled, but without a struggle from
Those (pallid) and now silent lips. Oh
The desolation of that moment, I do not 
Wish to dwell on it. The Ladies landed
And offered their assistance. She was dressed
For the last time, And most fortunately
The Captn of the Boat that lay there
Suggested they had ice enough to preserve
Her till I would get home. And offered 
To turn back to the mouth of Black River


To meet the other Boat. This arrangement
Was completed, I will not enter into the
Details till I write to Francis. I got to
The family mansion where my wife was
Born on Monday evening the 27th. And next
Day Her mother and the Children arrived
>From the (Riverwood) at 11 oClock. When laid
Out her features were perfect and reposed in
The mild quietude of Death. They were as
Free from the decay which follows it ,
As the pure and christal-like ice which
Had preserved them.
And at 1 oClock she was placed in the
(grave) tomb amidst the grief of a weeping
family. The priest attented and performed
the ceremonies of our Church on such sad
occation.
My dear Irene was remarkable for
Innocence and purity of feeling and character
Not only in her actions, but in her (inmost)
Thoughts.
Peace be to her gentle spirit.
My children are in good health.
They are too young to be sensible
Of their loss. Son Henry though he (Yiped)
When told, the cold features of his Mother
Could not comprehend that he ought to be sad


Though he looked serious as every thing
Novel around him. He with the innocence
Of childhooh asked me, as I held him by the hand, 
What that black box was?
Alas, that the first time this dark object
Connected with the last wants of Humanity.
Should attract his attention, should be found
To be his Mothers coffin.
In reference to what He heard the Priest
Say, when we came from the Grave, He asked 
Me How his Mama could get to Heaven
Out of that place where she had been put?
I must now bring this gloomy letter
To a close, I wrote one to Brother Mic.
Who is at Natchitoches in good Health,
And wrote some others, so many things
Now claim my attention that I wont
Have time to write you all, I will
(th  ) and write one to Frances as she
knows the family and places. I  am glad,
in their account, neither of them were
here during so painful a time.
Tell them all to write to (me) on
This Occation whilst their feelings are
Touched by my misfortune.
And wish Frances to write a
Long and kind letter to Madam (Archinard).
She ought also to write to Madam (Emily)
Archinard and Madam (Otelle) who is here.


I beg of you to take good care of all
Your healths, guard yourselves well with
Flannel in that rigorous climate, And
You must keep a Servant girl, you 
Will find as much to do besides as
You (ought) to attend to.
My love to our Mother, the Girls,
And (Mr) Ryan, And present my best 
Regards to our friends there. God bless you all.

In affliction your affectionate Brother
Henry Boyce