Letters from Fanny: 1852-1859

The correspondence between the two women spanned nearly a decade, but only five letters survive, preserved in the Filson’s collections (Ballard family papers, 1840-1899).

These letters are all written from Fanny to Cecelia, but from context we can piece together much of what Cecelia was writing about and preoccupied by. The women exchanged news of their lives, and Fanny relayed messages from Cecelia’s family. They seemed to have goodwill and even affection toward each other despite their long separation and the world of difference in their situations.  

Fanny wrote that she did not blame Cecelia for liberating herself and brought up fond remembrances of the two growing up together. Fanny’s letters also give a fascinating insight into some the ways slaveholders who considered themselves liberal or benevolent thought about the people they believed they owned.