Box 4

AL with concern that people of Rhode Island under burden of soldiers quartered there. In Wilmington, many soldiers sick and dying with camp fever.

12 ALsS to his sister. Note by B. Ferris on the first letter he sent after he began his apprenticeship with Thomas Parker. Charles Townsend was his fellow apprentice. Had his first taste of a dish of coffee and enjoyed "Dough Nuts." In Jan. 1795, he reports that the Delaware River was frozen, blocking travel. 7mo, he notes that he learned that his sister had a piece of music in the house, and he thought she was "principled against music." Borrows books from a Friends library

3 ALsS. The earliest letter describes the rustic pleasures of Bristol on the Delaware River. 1795 ALsS sent from Wilmington

Ms copy of ALS (initials) to her brother referring to a crisis in his life. Note by B. Ferris that written when she was 16 and her brother about 20.

ALS concerning Ferris's father-in-law's estate (Jonathan Zane)

16 ALsS to his sister. Primarily family news, talk of the yellow fever epidemic, St. Anthony's Fire which afflicted C. Townsend. John Dickinson and James Logan mentioned.

ALS, a long letter that includes poetry.

3 ALsS to his mother, Edith (Sharples) Ferris

12 ALsS to his sister. Yellow fever in Philadelphia; visit of Quaker minister Joshua Evans

3 ALsS to Deborah Ferris