Stevens, Oliver Winn. "Letter to Mrs. Stevens, 1836 December 10." In 1830s [Folder]. Valdosta State University Community Archives: Bennett Collection (CA-05), Box 1, Folder 03. Valdosta, Georgia. Retrieved from https://vtext.valdosta.edu/xmlui/handle/10428/7043.

Description:

Letter from Oliver W. (Winn) Stevens, in Sunbury, Ga., dated December 10th, 1836, to Mrs. (Amarintha) Stevens, mother of Mary A. (Anna) Stevens, in which he asks for her daughter's hand in marriage, and expresses his deliberation and maturity in taking this step.

Subject Headings:

Brooks County (Ga.); Quitman (Ga.); Georgia; Letters; Family histories; Genealogy;
Sunbury (Ga.)

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Transcript:

Sunbury Dec. 10th 1836

My dear Mrs. Stevens,

My object in sending you this letter is to ascertain whether I may not obtain your consent to offer myself to your daughter Miss M-- for marriage. This is a question of serious import to me at least and after mature and prayerful deliberations, I cannot resist the conviction that a sense of duty sanctions it. You may think that the feelings which prompt me to take such a step in respect to Miss M-- are premature, but I assure you ma'm that they are not of recent origin. For years past I have had an extraordinary degree of regard and esteem for her: but, having resolved never to marry until I should have at least a prospect of supporting a family, I have been enabled to control my feelings in so far as to prevent them from ripening into real affection: but since my return from the north, and upon more mature reflection and a further examination of my feelings, I am obliged to admit that Miss M-- is and has been the only object of my affections since I was a school boy. Deeming it therefore a [?] duty to solicit her hand in matrimony. I have thought it proper, first to ask your consent. If therefore you are willing that I should take the proposed step, you will please intimate it to Mrs. Maxwell who had consented to hand you this.
 
Yours with deference,

Oliver W. Stevens
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