Lucy Chase wrote these letters to family and friends between January 1863 and 1870. Transcription is available for selected letters. She describes her experiences and observations as a schoolteacher for the New England Freedmen’s Aid Society.
About Lucy Chase
Lucy Chase (1822-1909) attended the Friends' Boarding School in Providence, Rhode Island, from 1837 to 1841, and in January 1863 began teaching in Virginia, along with her sister, Sarah Earle Chase. During their time in the South, the sisters wrote letters to family back home in Worcester, Massachusetts, describing their experiences and observations. Lucy continued teaching in Virginia, Florida, and the Carolinas until 1869. She and her sister then traveled in Europe, writing home letters and keeping fragmented journals. In 1902, Lucy visited Cuba and wrote several articles based on her observation of Cuban life and social customs. She returned to Worcester and remained there until her death in 1909.
An 1862 family album of carte-de-visite photographs provides additional visual context.
Transcription
- Correspondence of Lucy Chase, January 15, 1863- December 1863 (Box 2, Folder 13). Download PDF
- Correspondence of Lucy Chase, January 1864-March 8, 1865 (Box 2, Folder 14). Download PDF
- Correspondence of Lucy Chase, April 2, 1865-1870 (Box 2, Folder 15). Download PDF
Digital Copy
Box 2, Folder 13
View the remainder of folder 13
Box 2, Folder 14
View the remainder of folder 14
Box 2, Folder 15
View the remainder of folder 15