A Child of Misfortunes - Part two - Letter One

By TRB

Rebecca Rogers Codwise of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, a member of the early American wealthy class was married in 1796 to James Codwise, himself a member of the upper class. But James, unlike his brothers, each one successful, had not found his way in life. Instead he was a heavy drinker, who gambled away several fortunes and borrowed but did not pay back family and friends. Finally, he was forced to go to debtor's prison or join the Merchant Marine. At port in St. Croix, he was expelled from the ship by the captain, who was afraid his fellow mariners might kill Codwise over his gambling debts to them. Finding himself alone on St. Croix, he used his family name - still highly regarded in social circles - to obtain employment from the super-rich Beekmans, a New York City family to whom he was related. It was in his job, as overseer of the Beekman sugar plantation, that he first met the lovely Rebecca Rogers. They were quickly married despite her young age and suddenly George Codwise found himself the owner of one of the island's larger sugar plantations, Mount. Victory, a present from Rebecca's father, John Rogers. This was the first time in James's life he had owned anything of substance and in need of mature, responsible oversight to turn a profit. This was the most important test in his life. One he would fail miserably.

She had been married to James Codwise long enough to know she had made a terrible mistake. He was off to Europe again, gambling with the family money (most of which originated in her family) and losing it. She had become almost obsessed with the shipping schedules from St. Croix to New York City, where three of her precious children were forced to live with other relatives and friends because Rebecca, from whom James had stolen everything, could not afford their upkeep on St. Croix. She could frequently be found on the St. Croix shipping docks either sending something to her children or receiving letters from loved ones.

Often mail was stolen or lost during voyages to or from the island. To insure against this, when she sent something of value she made a point of delivering it personally to the captain of the vessel. A gift of a bottle of rum or a jar of pickles was offered if he would promise to deliver it in person when he arrived in the States. Other times she forwarded letters through third parties, who were passengers on departing ships. A small gift was offered if they would deliver the letter directly to the addressee on their arrival in New York. Their efforts were noted in the address, thanking them for their "politeness."

Rebecca had been off the island only twice in her life, both trips to New York City - the first for her wedding, the last for the baptism of her son, George. These visits made a lasting impression on her. Thirty years later, she wrote of the "wonderful opportunities in America," and expressed her fondest wish as being able to spend her final days there in the company of her family.

In 1834 she received word that her deceased mother's inheritance has cleared the courts in Denmark and was hers for the asking. It amounted to several thousand dollars enough, she wrote, to pay off most of their debts on the island and move to the States. This was clearly her intention.James immediately sailed for Copenhagen to secure his wife's legacy, which, by dint of his marriage to her, was legally his. (There is also evidence that James had petitioned the Danish crown in regard to a land dispute back on St. Croix. Apparently Rebecca had rights to two properties on the island, but James was in possession of only one.)

Arriving back on St. Croix nearly a year later, James Codwise satisfied some of their debts with what was left of the inheritance, but, incredibly, he used the majority of the funds as a down payment on another plantation, Bethlehem. Not surprisingly, the deal eventually soured, in large part because the deed holders determined that James did not have the financial means to purchase the slaves it would take to run the plantation and the down payment could not be returned.

"I can assure you my dear child that our situation is a melancholy one," Rebecca wrote to her son, now assigned to a ship at Norfolk, Virginia. "We have not the means of supporting our house. God only knows what is to become of us. I never knew the want of a dollar until now. I have always had a little money to purchase any thing that I stood in need of. It is truly hurting that in my latter days (she was now 50) that I should be in want..." And yet somehow the family managed to survive and retain ownership of Mt. Victory, although the bill collectors, who she described as "the enemy" were always at the door.

Sacrifices had to be made. She sent her two youngest daughters off to the States, to join her two youngest boys, living with relatives. It broke her heart, but she could no longer afford to feed them. She dulled her senses with increasing amounts of opium. She rarely spoke to James, but tried desperately to run the family and the plantation without him. Her children and their welfare were her primary interest. Rebecca managed to survive through every family disaster and more than a few political and natural ones.

On an undated scrap of paper she described, in what was probably written court testimony concerning the St. Croix slave rebellions, an event she witnessed firsthand."On the estate grove of Codwise there were thirteen Negroes," she wrote. "They refused to join the rebels during the Insurrection ... the rebels were so brutish as to put a Pynchon of rum in the mule pen, set it afire and throw the 13 men in the flames. They were burnt to a coal. The other two died shortly after. What I have written is a positive fact and will show you how barbarous they are in this enlightened age." These words on this scrap of paper are the only known evidence of black-on-black violence during the slave rebellion. It is likely that she wrote them down for a lawyer to use as evidence in court. Women were not allowed to appear in court as witnesses.

At one point during the insurrection Rebecca and her family were forced to live for several days in the hold of a ship at the docks. When they returned to Mt. Victory the house had been ransacked and the cane fields burned.On the bottom of another letter, she wrote, "This moment as I closed, we all with one impulse flew from our mansion to the street petrified with the voice of God speaking in the severe shocks of Earthquake. Oh how dreadful is the presence of God. The Lord I hope and trust will be merciful to us Sinners."

Toward the end of her life Rebecca increasingly found solace in the family bible, reading it for hours each day, underlining verses and writing notes of her own in the margins. From Isaiah, cha. 16, v.4, she underlined, "for the extortioner is at an end the spoiler ceaseth, and the oppressors are consumed out of the land.” And from cha. 43, v. 24, "Thou hast brought me no sweet cane with money, neither has thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices. But thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine inequities." It is probably more than mere coincidence that this last verse so accurately describes her marriage to James Codwise.

Rebecca Codwise died on St. Croix Nov. 3, 1850. She was sixty-eight years old and suffering from a variety of serious illnesses. James, who was in his seventies at the time, lived on for eleven more years. When he died, a significant portion of the land at Mt. Victory was sold to satisfy his debts.

What follows is the earliest to Rebecca's letters. This is the first time it has been published since it was written nearly two centuries ago. When one first reads Rebecca’s letters, the impression is of a person who perhaps complains too much, who feels sorry for herself, and whose melodramatic ramblings and hypochondria are probably the underpinnings of a deeper neurosis. This heightened emphasis on sentiment, however, was common in personal letters prior to the invention and widespread use of the telephone. Emotions can easily be conveyed and detected on the telephone. Rebecca Codwise had only the written word with which to express her desperation. She did this well.On a more technical level, the letters were edited only to correct certain spellings that might be confusing to readers unaware of what passed for "acceptable spelling" one-hundred and eighty years ago. Other misspellings that were not confusing in relation to the text were left intact. Her habit - common in those times - of capitalizing words for emphasis was also left uncorrected.Punctuation was added only when necessary. Words that couldn't be deciphered were left out. Many of the letters include the names of the ship that carried them to America. It is usually located in the address. Editor's notes [in brackets] are provided to place certain events in the proper context. On the whole, Rebecca's writing skills were uncommonly good, considering the widespread prevalence of illiteracy that existed among all classes during her century.

THE FIRST LETTER

Doct. G. W. Codwise

of the U.S. Navy

(in the Carlo) Brooklyn, NY

St. Croix 13th of July 1827

My Blessed Son

I say blessed as I hope you will be blessed for all that you have done for your sick mother

for you have my blessing on your head. I wrote you by the Matinan [the name of a ship] ten days

since which I trust you will soon get. I am sorry to say that my health complaints still continue

and fear it will soon determine my end as I am exceedingly weak.

I have been once to town since you left me. Oh how I miss you my dearest George.

It appears as if it is a year since you left me instead of a few days.

I could not send the sweet meats by this opportunity as they were not ready.

I wrote you in my other letter to beg you not to go to sea until you heard from your Father to know if he intended coming on.

God grant that my wishes may be realized in settling in America as I shall never be happy

if I am to be separate from you and the little boys. Let me hear from you as soon as possible

as I shall feel very unhappy until I hear of your arrival.

Remember me affectionately to Mr. and Mrs. Atterbury

[Friends who had recently moved to New York from the island and with whom

her two youngest sons were staying.] and my dear Mary.

[A young daughter who was also in America staying with the Atterbury's.]

I wish you would try and get her for your help mate as it is the sincerest wish

of my heart for I think she is deserving of you. God in his Infinite mercies grant

that I may live to see that day when you may be settled and have a home of your

own that I could come and see you where I know I would be welcome.

I am now Labouring under a sore mouth and I am very much afraid it may be the thrush

in consequences of the other complaints but your kind Father thinks it is not.

I wish it may not be as I know it is the last stage of that complaint.

Let me not dwell any longer on this melancholy subject as it only helps to depress my spirits.

God knows I have enough when I think on my situation how different it should be if I had not been robbed

by your father's family. My misfortune has not been brought on by extravagance. That is the only consolation that I have.

You must not tire in reading my letters as it is all the comfort I have as your image is always present with me.

You must not forget your promise that is as soon as you can afford it to have your likeness taken

for one in case you sell the feather ["Feather" was popular slang for a compound used to make gunpowder.

Here R. Codwise was probably referring to stocks or shares in this product.] You can put the money out on interest for me.

Let me know what situation you have and everything relative to yourself as it will be some comfort to me.

Tell Mr. Atterbury he must not forget his promise to let Mary come out to St. Croix in the fall.

I remain your sincere and affectionate Mother, Rebecca Codwise