Group of Letters from Abraham Paul Leech to his son John Leech, Jamaica, New York, 1877-1884, with 15 watercolors by Leech, 1859-1870

The collection includes twenty-one letters, 115 pages, including sixteen letters from Abraham Paul Leech to his son, and five from friends of John Leech to him, with one pencil sketch and fifteen watercolors by Abraham Paul Leech, circa 1859-1870.

These letters were mainly written by Leech from his home in Jamaica, Long Island, New York, to his son, John while he and his mother were away during the summer months, in Connecticut and New Jersey. Leech relates the happenings and incidents that occurred in Jamaica during their absence.

Abraham Paul Leech is remembered as an early friend and correspondent of Walt Whitman. A group of 9 letters from Whitman to Leech and with drafts of Leech's letters to Whitman were discovered in 1985 and sold at Sotheby's in New York (May 22, 1985, item 385) and are currently held by the Library of Congress. These letters dated 1840-41 are the earliest surviving letters of Whitman. Leech was a bookkeeper and member of the Presbyterian Church who lived out his life in Jamaica, Long Island. Their friendship appears to have been short lived, whether Leech was aware of Whitman's subsequent literary career no documents or record survives.

Leech was from a young age an avid draughtsman and both he and his brother Benjamin also wrote poetry, some of which was published locally. In the 1840's Abraham prepared an amateur newspaper entitled: Jamaica Journal & Reporter, which contained an assortment of notices and observations, including his poetry and comic illustrations, (two of which pertaining to the Mexican War and other topical matters are now in the collections of the Huntington Library).

Leech's style of drawing was naïve, and it remained so into adulthood. Some years ago, this firm sold an illustrated correspondence of Leech written while traveling through the American south during the winter of 1873-1874, in the company of his eldest son, and namesake, Abraham Duryea Leech, who was dying, the son died shortly after their return to Long Island. That correspondence, like the one offered here, was written to his younger son John.

"Jamaica July 26th, 1877

Dear Johny,

…Mr. Lampman preached in his own pulpit last Sunday morning … and lectured on Tuesday evening on the Sunday School lesson. The lecture was good: the evening hot; and the audience small. … Tal a mas preached on Sunday evening in our church. There was a good turn out. I think every body was pleased. I wish you could have been here to hear him & also to attend his lecture on Monday evening. Mr. Lampman in giving out the notice of the lecture urged it upon his people to attend the lecture as a matter of duty: inasmuch as the proceeds from the price of admittance were for the purpose of preparing two of the sons of Tal a mas as Missionaries. The people turned out tolerably well considering it cost them 25 cts each. I think about as many as usually come to Sunday evening service. I am glad I did not stay home as the lecture was very interesting and instructive. His name in the Indian tongue is Tal-a-mas-meo, in our language the Revd John Bemo. He appeared on Sunday in Black Broadcloth, and on Monday evening in the costume of the tribe to which he belongs viz the Seminole, tell Duryea & Carrie that he is the nephew of the celebrated Florida chief Osceola. I suppose they have formed some acquaintance with him in historical romance. Tal a mas is a sixfooter and broad in proportion. Lampman looked a dwarf by his side in the pulpit. … He commenced his lecture however by saying that the audience had a real live Indian to address them; not a wooden one such as they had seen so often in front of the tobacco shops. He said he knew tobacco was an Indian weed but he didn't approve of it. At the close of his lecture he gave an Indian whoop (by request). But before doing it, he advised all the little girls to hold fast of their hats and all the little boys to hold ion to their heads. He told us very much about Indian Customs &c which I shall take much pleasure in repeating to you …" [With a pencil sketch by Leech of Tal-a-mas-meo]

"Aug 20th, 1883

… The Jamaica Saengersbund went past this morning with a band of music. Ten wagons decorated with branches, and flags and flowers, and mostly filled with young ladies & children made quite an interesting procession …

Aug 21st

… We had another procession yesterday afternoon. The Italian Italian Somebearcorned [sic] consisting of 2 men 2 bears and children & Darkies ad infinitum. Music by 2 french horns. The bears stood on their hind feets and performed many feats, to the delight of the crowd. …"