Autograph letter signed by Jonathan T. Patten to his brother, Rufus. New York, New York, 30 December 1863. 3 pages, folio. 

A New York man writes to his brother, revealing his financial woes due both to the Civil War and personal tragedy: "Since the Southern Rebellion has come over our country I have lost all my property, my business having been nearly all in the Southern Country. If peace should be restored to our distracted country I do not expect to collect but little, if any of my debts. It is a hard case for me to loose everything at my time of life. My only dependence now is one son, William, and he is like myself without means having been a partner with me in business. At present he is engaged as clerk and it is a slim chance to eak out a living for both of us…he was married last Jany/63. One other son, James had the misfortune to fall from a jimasium five years ago while at school and broke his arm. His head, by the fall, was injured so that we have been compelled to confine him in the asylum four different times for 3 to 4 months each time. We fear that we shall have to confine him again in the lunatic asylum."

He continues his letter on January 14th: "we were compelled to place him in the asylum again on the 9th inst. and we expect he will remain there 12 or 18 months. His attacks have been periodically for the last 5 years and we now fear he will never recover so as to us to be able to do anything for himself. Last April we procured him a birth onboard of a merchant ship as common sailor for [San] Francisco & China. We expected he would be about 18 to 24 months thinking it benefit him. The vessel sprung a leak and put into Rio South America. A vessel was coming to the U. S. and he returned home after being absent four months. I have not the means of paying his passage, consequently he shipped as a common sailor."

Despite the hardship, his affection for his son is evident: "Instead of being a help to me, his expenses have been over a thousand dollars the past year and about the same each year since his fatal fall while at school. We have not spared any pains or expenses to restore him. The loss of all my property is nothing in comparison to this sad affliction. We always called him the flower of our flock." 

His letter concludes with updates on the poor health of his wife and himself, lamenting that "I have not had any business for the last two years to earn a dollar." 

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