December 22 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam wrote to his mother-in-law, Olivia Lewis Langdon, thanking her for her gift of the ninth edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Sam had been “confined to the house & in the doctor’s clutches for about 3 weeks….” And that this was his first day out to shop and “selected some birds to send you for our Christmas” [MTL 6: 602].

Sam also wrote to sister Pamela Moffett and a separate letter to his mother (letter now lost). Pamela was still trying to win an appointment to the Naval Academy for her son, Samuel Moffett; Sam wrote that he’d tried everybody but the President, “& all to no purpose” [MTL 6: 603].

Fidelia Bridges (1834-1923) wrote from Brooklyn “…will forward by express tomorrow the two water-colors you commissioned me to paint and have framed.” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “From the water-color artist, Miss Bridges”. Many of Bridges’ paintings can be seen on Artnet.com.