James in Illinois to His New York City Brothers, 1878

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="34b085a3.jpg"> <div> <B>     </B></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="County Carlow Coogan Immigrants"><B>Home</B></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Symbol" ><B>   ·   </B></FONT><A HREF="site_map.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Site Map"><B>Site Map</B></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Symbol" ><B>   ·   </B></FONT><A HREF="list_of_letters.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="List of Letters"><B>List of Letters</B></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Symbol" ><B>   ·   </B></FONT><A HREF="family_history.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Family History from Letters"><B>Family History</B></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Symbol" ><B>   ·   </B></FONT><A HREF="names.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Index of Names"><B>Name Index</B></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Symbol" ><B>   ·   </B></FONT><A HREF="family_list.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Family List"><B>Family List</B></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Symbol" ><B>   ·   </B></FONT><A HREF="news___politics.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Coogan Name in 19th Century NY News "><B>19th C. 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When James arrived in New York, there was a family reunion of all the living children of Mathew and Catharine, except for Michael, Brother Declan, who had recently arrived in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, with other founders at Mount Saint Joseph Abbey.</B></div> <div> <B>James' letter gives a glimpse of this gathering of the clan after his absence of 25 years. </B></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>James in Illinois to His New York City Brothers, 1878</I></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="6" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="610" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#CCCCE4" BORDERCOLORDARK="#6633FF" FRAME="VOID" RULES="COLS" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#330066 HEIGHT= 45 WIDTH="438"><div> <B>Lincoln, Illinois</B></div> <div> <B>Sept. 5th, 1878</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#330066 WIDTH="143"><div> <B>Names</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="438"><div> My Very Dear Brothers,</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="143"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="143" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 102 WIDTH="438"><div> It is with pleasure that I write you these few lines hoping to find you all well as this leaves us at present. </div> <div> I got to Chicago Friday evening at 7 o' clock and arrived at home Saturday morning at 3 o' clock. The children return their sincere thanks for the many beautiful presents sent them.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="143"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="102" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="143" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 76 WIDTH="438"><div> I am going to write to Michael in a few days. Please let me know whether or not you have written to him yet. Thomas Townsend sends his best respects to all, but particularly to Pat's wife for taking him through the Virginia Reel.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Michael Coogan</div> <div> Tom Townsend</div> <div> Mary Sheehan Coogan</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 76 WIDTH="438"><div> We all send our best wishes to Matt and family. Tell him to send me word how his little boy is getting along. Also Mrs. Doyle and Mrs. Meany and their families. Give my best respects to James Sheehan "Oh them clam chowders."</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Mathew Coogan</div> <div> Margaret Doyle</div> <div> Bridget Meany</div> <div> James T. Sheehan</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 134 WIDTH="438"><div> I think we will soon have to go back to New York again as we can get no such fare in the west. The children all send my mother their best wishes. Tell her she must not worry if Hugh joins that long-tailed family she dreads so much, for he is old enough to take care of himself and she must not meet trouble half way. Tell Dennis I missed the Weis Bun[?] since I came to the West. We have no schooners in this city.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><bR> <div> Catharine Nolan Coogan</div> <div> Hugh Coogan</div> <div> Maria, later Hugh's wife?</div> <div> Dennis Coogan</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 159 WIDTH="438"><div> Give my best respects to Thomas Fernan and John Burns and their families, also Mr. Sexton and family. And last though not least Barney, tell him I think he had better come west as we are all great tea drinkers. <A NAME="sexton"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> Kate sends her best respects to her cousins Delia and Kate Doyle; she expects they will send her their photographs with Miss Sexton's. Give my best respects to Mary for the kindness we received from her during our stay in New York.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Thomas Fernan</div> <div> John Burns</div> <div> Cornelius Sexton</div> <div> Barney <U> ? </U></div> <div> Kate Doyle & sister</div> <div> Delia [Bridget]</div> <div> Mary or Margaret Sexton</div> <div> Mary Sheehan Coogan</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="438"><div> I will bring my letter to a close hoping to hear from you soon. I remain your loving brother, </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="143"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="38" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="143" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="438"><div> James Coogan</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> James Coogan of Illinois</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 39 WIDTH="438"><div> P.S. Thomas would like to hear from Bridget as he expects to change his life soon. </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Tom Townsend</div> <div> Bridget Coogan Meany</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="438"><div> <I><B>Added on facing page</B></I><I><B>:</B></I> My Dear Uncle Matthew, I would be pleased to hear from you soon. Please accept the best wishes from your nephew,</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="143"><div> Matt Coogan</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 33 WIDTH="438"><div> Michael Coogan      </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="143"><div> Michael, son of James of Lincoln, Ill.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>