November 20 Monday – In London, England Sam wrote condolences to H.H. Rogers upon learning of the death of Rogers’ mother.

I know that that which was to come has come, & that your first friend is gone; a release for her—for death is always that, whether is come early or late—but an affliction for you. She was good & fine in her nature, & beautiful in her life, & this is your best comfort in your loss—no words of mine or another can add to it. … Come to London. Will you? Won’t you? Write & say you will [MTHHR 416].

Sam also replied to the Nov. 20 charges from Henry Ferguson, explaining that he had edited the logs of Captain Josiah A. Mitchell, and two of the passengers (the Ferguson brothers, Sam and Henry, ages 28 and 18 respectively) of the Hornet (“43 Days in an Open Boat”), first published by Harper’s Monthly in the Dec. 1866 issue

The journals were copied by me, in the sweltering heats of the Pacific during the long calm, & I got the permission upon this express condition—to wit, that if I published them when I reached home, I was to send all the money received for them to an Episcopal church in Stamford. I sold the MS., which included a word or tow of comment of my own, for something more per magazine-page that Harper was accustomed to pay. (because it was a church matter), & I sent all of the money to the church. To be exact, Harpers did it for me.

The home-voyage lasted 28 days; their was abundance of time for the editing of the diaries; that you did not edit them, & did not put upon me any restrictions or limitations of any kind, was your fault, not mine. If you were surprised, afterward, that you neglected to edit them, that was your affair—& remains so.

The whole first page of your letter is made up of pure imaginings, with not a supporting fact behind them. They make against me, by innuendo, a charge of discreditable conduct, & I will ask you to withdraw it.

….

Can I not (in case of republication in book form) “suppress all names that are mentioned in any unfavorable or doubtful way?”—Certainly. It would have been done 33 years ago if you had thought of it. You can send me the names which you wish suppressed, & they will be suppressed.

And can I mention that you & your brother had hoped that these suppressions would be made before the original publication? Why should I say that, when it is not true? If there had been such hopes, they would have been mentioned. Was I to guess out those names?—unknown people to me. By what divine insight was I to select them from the others?

With the recent article [“My Debut as a Literary Person”], I sent a letter suggesting that you be asked for a photograph. I judge that this was not attended to; it would have given you an opportunity to speak, & I am sorry you lost it.

If the publisher of the book (Harper) is willing to leave the article out altogether I shall not object. If you desire it, I will write & ask him. / Truly Yours…[MTP]. Note: Ferguson replied on Dec. 8. See also MTL 1: 351, 354n2. The Ferguson brothers were from Stamford. Samuel Ferguson died shortly after returning to America; the above Henry Ferguson became an Episcopal minister.