[Letter from Eugenia Bertinatti to her cousin Robert, 30 Aug 1867] [transcribed by Mark A. Murphy, 22 Oct 2003] B Constantinople Aug- 30th/67 My dear Cousin Robert After thanking you a thousand times for your kind acceptance of the power of attorney- which I sent to Ella for you- I must also try to give you some information, if I can do so relative to my affairs in the United States. All my indebtedness was in the hands of Fellowes and co- New Orleans. The amount I can not tell you now as I have none of my papers. I speak of these debts as my own- When really they were only assumed by me after the death of Mr Bass The property being all mine. His creditors or persons professing to be- came to me, and urging their claims induced one to assume their payment. I of course could not forsee the disastrous consequences of the rebellion the burning of cotton & all its attendant evils besides the emancipation of my negroes and loss of revenue as certainly I should never have embarrassed myself in this way. However- the past cannot be recalled and I must abide the events of the future- and if possible save something for my dear Ella and Concil. Unpleasant though it may be- I shall if it is possible avail myself of the Bankrupt law- for I know I can never pay the notes held by Fellowes against me and there were some of the notes sent me whilst I was in Washington I believe to be spurious as they were enacted at Princeton in January Feb- & March 1861- When I was in Washington during those months as my brother Henry- and many others know- Now you know dear Cousin, the confusion and trouble we all had to endure during the succeeding four years prevented even the regulation of even the most simple affairs. In the mean time I lost sight of creditors and almost everything else except the sorrow and distress which I had always around and about me. In our state (Mississippi) a married woman cannot be sued- and her estate is seperate from her husbands- How can those parties then act against me My husband has no interest in my estate and he is not identified with me on any note or in any law suit There has been a law suit decided against me in the Supreme court of US- in which Mr Bass and myself were defendants against James Brown & co- of Baltimore. Beverdy[?] Johnson was my lawyer. He has never written me a word relative to the suit and I learned the fact through other sources. Perhaps some compromise might be made They hold a mortgage on the estate (land & negroes). I knew a brother in-law of this Mr. Brown- who was a very gentlemanly person- Something might be done through him. His name is Greenleaf of Baltimore He married Mr Browns only sister. I never spoke to him of the affairs because I knew nothing of it untill just before my departure and I employed Mr Johnson to defend the suit Perhaps I had done better to have given the case to another. I certainly paid Mr J. five hundred dollars for nothing. The case of course will have to be tried again in Mississippi.. Judge William Yerger of Jackson and Mr Valliant of Greenville have been my lawyers in the courts of Mississippi Judge Hughes of Washington has also been always kind in giving me advice. I must appeal to you now my dear Cousin- for I am so far away- I can do nothing. I know you have tact and good judgement good heart-experience- and ability- and what I ask now is that you will try and save my property from those cormorants- for Ella's sake-for myself I have struggle so long in that country I have no more courage to sustain me. I was exhausted even before the surrender of Lee- God only knows the torture I endured during that horrible war and then after= to see the infecting cupidity of men whom you had the misfortune to owe money pressing and grinding to the earth those who had nothing left except the house that sheltered them & their little ones Surely my dear cousin had I not known yourself and some few other men of honour- I should now believe - honour-charity- and proberty[?] were but words- words without meaning or wright- but thank Heaven- I have known some few men who redeemed even their kind. May God Bless you my beloved Cousin Robert- for all you have done for me and mine Ella and Concil are yet in Paris Concil has been very very sick there with typhoid-fever- caused by staying so long in a malarious region- I can not expect them to arrive before the 15th of September- Ella wrote me the other day she had been inconvenienced by not receiving her money from the house of Mhoon & co Memphis. Having given Mr Riggs a check for the amt in their hands- My poor brave girl- my heart bleeds when I think that she is obliged now at her age to be subjected to trials- we little imagined would even be forced upon us. For Concil- except that he may be moral and industrious I ahve little anxiety. Men can at least in the United States always create their fortunes, But women are always helpless. My great anxiety is now for Ella, noble and good as she is- she must have also other realities[?] beside personal ones- to make her life agreeable- I regretted much to learn Annie did not accompany Ella- She perhaps would have found Constantinople a pleasant residence. The Corps Diplomatique is agreeable, Of the residents I know little, as we arrived late in June and left immediately for our summer residence on the Bosphones[?]. I should certainly have done everything for Annies amusement and comfort. besides Bertinatti was extremely anxious to have Annie with us- for he knows well- my great affection for the dearest friend of my darling Genie[?]- I hope yet she may come while we remain here. It is a curious old place although the great influx of Europeans - Within late years has modified and changed many beautiful oriental customs. Still it is unlike any city in Europe. I think sometimes how dear Bettie would laugh could she witness some scenes that fall daily under my view. The quaint dress of the turkish women, heads and faces all covered except their eyes- their long flowing robes, all the same style- rich & poor- moving about like phantoms- sometimes you see them going out in large crowds to attend picnics- all women. The never associate with men. A man can not even speak to his wife in public- it would be a breach of Turkish politeness- And yet, I have made the acquaintance of several very gallant and agreeable Turkish gentlemen. They are always charmed when they can converse with ladies of other lands. The Turkish women now are beginning to understand the difference in their position and that of their more favored sisters of other climes and they feel disposed to rebel. Think of balls and fifes- without men- and these constantly occur in the Harems- no man- except the husband of the Harem can enter the sacred precinct and even that privilege is denied the husband when the ladies are receiving and entertaining the ladies of other lands. Kiss Bettie many times for me tell her I will write soon and tell her some of my turkish experience. And when an opportunity presents, I will send her something Turkish. Do not let the children forget me. Write soon to your affectionate cousin Eugenia Ber. [margin] Remember me affectionately to Annie & Hugh, my husband sends much love to all- [continues] B Many pardons I demand dear cousin for inflicting such a letter upon you- but I have not yet said anything about my Woodstock property- commonly known as Bass & Murphy plantation. [scratched out: I think my accounts against] Mr Murphy my partner in the estate died- in 1863- without a will- We had had no settlement for several years preceeding his death but he had sold cotton and other produce without makeing me any returns. I found a memorandom amongst his papers of cotton corn, Bacon- & other things sold to various persons in the vicinity- all of which I left in the hands of my attorney at Greenville Mr Valliant. The estate of Bass & Murphy was indebted to Bartley-Johnson & co New Orleans perhaps six thousand dollars as Murphy attended to the property. had all the papers in possession- shipped cotton & c. I did not now a great deal about the indebtedness except that the land was all paid for- and the remainder of the debt was for some negroes purchased of a man by the name of Little- a negro trader. I think Murphy must have been considerably in my debt- for he sold cotton corn &c with out makeing any return to me of money received- I suppose his indebtedness to me would cover his portion of the land (or nearly so) of the Bass & Murphy His interest was an undivided half of the land and I told Mr Leroy Valliant to petition in Chancery to have the land divided and sold- and then make out my claim against the ballance- I want to preserve the place for Concil if it is possible. The Government of the US paid me sixteen thousand dollars in currency for property taken from Riverside but nothing more. My claim was Thirty two thousand originally- Fifty thousand but cut down by the investigating committee to the above amount- I should be very glad to have the ballance. Please write to Judge Hughes and know his opinion of the case. Mr Bertinatti told his successor Mr Cervuti[?] to try and have it paid- But it is difficult for one unless interested to act- By the Bye- should you go to Washington. I insist on you makeing Mr Cerriti's[?] acquaintance (the present Minister of Italy- He is our dear[?] good friend- and one of Bertinattis oldest and most esteemed colleagues. He may be of great use to you dear cousin in the event of any hurried procedure against my property for as I am now under Italian protection. The Minister in America has the power to protect the property of Italian citizens. Mr Cerriti[?] is also a high minded honourable gentleman. I am now scarcely in condition to write of these affairs- having just heard of Concils illness- I am almost crazy. I felt so happy when I knew Ella & Concil were safe across the ocean. I was anticipating our happy reunion when the news came of Concils illness- and consequent detention in Paris. Ella wrote that he was better, but after my losses and misery-dear cousin- I am in despair when anything is the matter with one of my family- Bertinatti sends many kind messages- and hopes you receive the wine half was for you the other half for my mother. Adieu.