Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch discussing a new candidate for the Ursuline sisterhood. According to Madame Baptiste, the 58 year old woman has changed her opinion "respecting widows and old ladies becoming nuns." July 8, 1866. 4p.
Short letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch about the ongoing effort to solicit funds for a new convent including writing a letter to General Sherman to "recommend our cause at Washington." May 20, 1866. 2p.
Letter from Madame Antonia in Baltimore to Bishop Patrick Lynch informing him of the availability of a priest for his diocese should the Bishop require one. February 26, 1866. 2p.
Mary Lynch Spann writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about the death of her daughter and other family news and describes the effects of the late war in Texas. January 29, 1866. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch discussing renovations on the property at Valle Crucis, new pupils and new curricular materials, and the Bishop's upcoming trip to New York. February 3, 1866. 4p.
Copy of a letter sent from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Verot concerning the Ursulines' plans to open a satellite institution in Macon, Georgia. February 12, 1866. 2p.
Francis Lynch writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about the health of their sister, Anna, and the 50th anniversary of their parents' wedding, and details his financial situation for the coming year. April 1, 1866. 2p.
Letter from John Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch asking him to write letters of introduction for Dr. Gibbs (sic), a man "trying to serve his country, and science", who is travelling to Cuba. January 24, 1866. 2p.
Letter from John Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch about illegal logging on one of the Bishop's properties. John is unable to stop the logging and asks the Bishop for the title to the land to prove that the "island tract" is rightfully his. January 24, 1866. 3p.
Letter from Henrietta Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch inquiring about purchases the Bishop had made in Europe during the war that had finally arrived in Charleston. August 4, 1866. 2p.
Francis Lynch writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about plans to plant a crop for the upcoming season and has employed several freedmen. The local commandant is scheduled to speak to the area planters and freedmen shortly, but Francis believes "the erroneous impression made on the negroes that they were to be invested with lands, is in great measure dispelled." January 7, 1866. 2p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about the potential for growing crops at Valle Crucis and tells the Bishop of her disappointment concerning the exchange rate on 5000 Francs given to her by the Bishop on his return from Europe. January 21, 1866. 3p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about recent gifts received by the Ursulines and the purchase of several lots in Columbia for a future convent. March 5, 1866. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch concerning the long delay in getting furniture for the convent, the Bishop's declaration on Lenten dietary restrictions, and a troublesome lay sister. February 13, 1866. 8p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about a visit from General Preston and other news at the Ursuline Convent and Academy. February 21, 1866. 8p
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch commenting on the disappointing donations the Bishop has received while fundraising in that "great commercial emporium of the North." Madame Baptiste also takes issue with a Tribune reporter who has written disparaging comments about the Bishop during his trip to New York. March 15, 1866. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch with news from the Ursuline Convent and Academy. She writes that the Bishop's former slave, Daniel, is in a "half-starved condition" and has been visiting the convent for handouts. She mentions that she has read about former Union prisoners who praised Bishop Lynch for his kindness during the war and writes of her fears of a cholera epidemic that "will no doubt decimate the whole country this summer." April 29, 1866. 8p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch describing springtime at Valle Crucis. She writes that the sisters have created a "month of May altar" and have decorated it with a small statue saved from the convent on the night of the Columbia fire. May 16, 1866. 4p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about recent inquiries concerning the burning of Columbia and their convent during the war and asks the Bishop for permission to publish their account of the events. April 6, 1866. 4p.
Francis Lynch writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch detailing his plans for the season's crops. Francis informs the Bishop he is planting 650 acres in cotton and corn and writes of his plan to mix crushed bones with sulfuric acid to create his own fertilizer. May 20, 1866. 2p.
Copy of a letter sent by Madame Baptiste to Senator Manning petitioning the U.S. congress for $150,000 to rebuild their destroyed convent and academy. April 9, 1866. 2p.
Letter from Anna Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch telling him she has arrived safely home in Cheraw after accompanying the Bishop to Baltimore. November 1, 1866. 3p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch describing her plans to travel with a couple of the Ursuline sisters to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to help start an academy. Madame Baptiste writes that she has yet to tell the sisters which ones she has chosen to accompany her to Alabama. September 2, 1866. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch describing her plans to travel with a couple of the Ursuline sisters to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to help start an academy. August 23, 1866. 6p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch concerning the purchase of a second piano for the convent, the efforts to find housing for a local priest and a "Mr. Jones" who is travelling north soliciting funds for the Ursulines. January 18, 1866. 4p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about legal papers that need to be formalized before hands can be hired to work at the convent grounds in Valle Crucis. December 24, 1866. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bp Patrick Lynch informing him that she is ready to return to Valle Crucis after helping set up a new convent and academy in Tuscaloosa. November 29, 1866. 3p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about the Ursuline sisters' annual retreat, the start of the school year and plans to set up an academy in Alabama. August 4, 1866. 7p.
Letter from a Francis Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch asking forgiveness for not attending the consecration of a church. (The diction and handwriting suggest it is not a letter from his brother of the same name.) December 23, 1866. 1p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about the difficulties encountered on the last leg of her journey to Tuscaloosa via stage coach and the condition of the building secured for their new convent and academy there. September 22, 1866. 8p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about the continued progress being made on the new convent and school in Tuscaloosa. October 16, 1866. 8p.
Letter from John Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch enclosing a free railroad ticket their sister, Madame Baptiste, received from the president of the railroad company. John also writes about news from the Ursuline Convent, informing the Bishop of a theft of corn from the convent's fields. September 24, 1866. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch detailing the progress on the new convent and school she is setting up in Tuscaloosa. October 4, 1866. 4p.
Letter from Francis Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch concerning his crop yield and the disappointing efficacy of the cotton picking machines he purchased. September 19, 1866. 4p.
Madame Baptiste writes to her Ursuline sisters in Valle Crucis that her return to Columbia will be delayed while she finishes work on the new convent and academy in Tuscaloosa. November 6, 1866. 4p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about plans for the Ursulines in Valle Crucis to help open a parochial school in Alabama. July 29, 1866. 3p.
Letter from Anna Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch informing him that another woman, a Baltimore native visiting Charleston, would like to accompany the Bishop when he travels north. September 16, 1866. 2p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch with news from the Ursuline Convent and Academy. Madame Baptiste writes to the Bishop that the crop and livestock yields seem to meet the expenses encountered in maintaining them, exclaiming, "I had no idea planting was so remunerative." December 28, 1866. 8p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about soliciting funds for the convent and academy. She asks the Bishop for the addresses of the Visitation Convent in Paris and Empress Eugenie, who have sent aid to other American convents in the past, writing "we can do nothing more in this country." December 30, 1866. 4p.
Long letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch keeping him apprised of the news from the Ursuline Convent and Academy. Madame Baptiste asks the Bishop to help them procure more lay sisters "small in person - healthy and between 18 and 21" and choir sisters aged "18 to 30". She also discusses plans with the Bishop to open a day school in Columbia but doesn't know if they will be able to secure a building before the start of the school year. 12p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch concerning the affairs of the Ursuline Convent and Academy. She writes of the plan to petition congress for reparations for the destruction of their convent in the war and voices her displeasure of "Mr. Jones", who has been soliciting money up north on their behalf, claiming that he "goes travelling over the country on what he collects for us." 10p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about finances and the start of the school year at the Ursuline Convent and Academy in Valle Crucis and of her upcoming trip to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. To get to Tuscaloosa, she informs the Bishop, she will have to travel "via Montgomery per R.R., Selma per steamer, to Marion per R.R. and to Tuscaloosa per stage coach for 60 miles." 12p.
Madame Antonia writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch in Rome imploring him again to speak to the general superior of her order concerning issues at the Carmelite Convent in Baltimore. She mentions the evacuation of Richmond, General Sherman's stay in their hometown of Cheraw and the Ursulines' move from their burned out convent in Columbia to the Bishop's plantation two miles away. April 9, 1865. 8p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch in Rome about the ongoing recovery effort after the war and the destruction of the Ursuline Convent. She is soliciting funds to rebuild and has written Washington with their case demanding reparations. The Ursulines have accepted the offer of General Preston to reside in his house while he is abroad and are using the Methodist College for additional space. July 17, 1865. 4p.
Letter from Madame Antonia in Baltimore to Bishop Patrick Lynch in Rome describing the events surrounding the destruction of the Ursuline Convent in Columbia by Sherman's troops. She also mentions the recent assassination of President Lincoln and writes "what the consequences may be no one can imagine." April 20, 1865. 4p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch in Rome from Valle Crucis, the Bishop's property outside of Columbia, having moved the convent and academy from temporary housing at Methodist college and Gen. Preston's mansion. Since Valle Crucis is too remote for day schoolers and too small for large numbers of boarders, she writes of setting up a satellite institute in Macon, Ga., until their convent can be rebuilt in Columbia. She mentions the pardon granted the Bishop and hopes that he will soon return to America. September 25, 1865. 2p.
Letter from Anna Lynch in Cheraw to Madame Antonia Lynch in Baltimore with news from the family. She writes of the losses suffered by their brother, Francis, the relocation of the Ursulines and their sister, Madame Baptiste, to the Methodist College in Columbia and the return of their nephew Conlaw to Cheraw as a "paroled prisoner." June 15, 1865. 2p.
Robert Lynch in Rennes, France, writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch in Rome about his continued education in the tanning business and his hope that the end of the war in America will finally allow him to return home. June 4, 1865. 4p.
Letter from Robert Lynch in Angers, France, to Bishop Patrick Lynch in Rome informing him that he has arranged passage on a steamer to New York. July 18, 1865. 3p.
Madame Antonia writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch in Rome asking him to contact the general superior of the Order of the Carmelites concerning matters at her convent in Baltimore. February 21, 1865. 2p.
Letter from Robert Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch asking his advice concerning an offer of employment in Le Havre, France. Robert hopes to learn the tanning trade in Europe so that he can find gainful employment when he returns to America when the war ends. February 2, 1865. 2p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Reverend J. W. Cummings describing the current status of the Ursulines in Columbia and encloses a letter for her brother, Bishop Patrick Lynch, who is expected soon in New York. October 28, 1865. 3p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch eagerly wishing his return to America. One of two similar letters sent from Madame Baptiste on this date. October 28, 1865. 3p.
Robert Lynch writes to his uncle, Bishop Patrick Lynch, of his success in learning the tanning trade during his employment in Rennes, France. He hopes to return to America when the Bishop does "for seven years have now passed since I saw [my parents]." April 17, 1865. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch eagerly wishing his return to America. One of two similar letters sent from Madame Baptiste on this date. October 28, 1865. 3p.
Letter from Robert Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch concerning employment Robert has found with a tanner in Rennes, France. Robert has heard of the fall of Columbia in the war and fears his parents are "in the hands of the yankees." March 14, 1865. 3p.
Madame Antonia writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch in Rome about an offer the Bishop has had to return to America. She fears that he will "endanger his life" if he returns and prefers that he wait "until after the season of Tedious Times is past." June 23, 1865. 1p.
John Lynch writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch that a load of corn and peas purchased for the one of the Bishop's plantations is at the depot awaiting a car and suggests to the Bishop that it be turned over to the local quartermaster as payment for taxes if the car should not arrive by tomorrow. He also writes of an offer for $400 to hire out one of the Bishop's slaves. January 21, 1864. 2p.
Letter from John Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch detailing the departure of one of the Bishop's overseers and the transfer of slaves among the plantations, and attempts by John to rent out one of the Bishop's properties. 1864. 2p.
Anna Lynch writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch asking him to save her some "blue satinet" in order to make an overcoat for their father. She mentions a fatal explosion in the arsenal in Charleston and their mother's intention to accompany the Bishop on his "foreign trip.” 1864. 2p.
Henrietta Lynch writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch asking him to send some cloth to make a suit for his brother, Francis. She has been unable to get her wool "carded" and fears that Francis will spend the entire winter without one. January 9, 1864. 2p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about several recent visitors to the convent, including one woman, a mother of a boarder at the academy, who has come to retrieve her daughter. The mother, Madame Baptiste writes, has been "implicated for running off negroes to the yankees" and Madame Baptiste fears that both "may be hanged." January 15, 1864. 3p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch admonishing him for his forgetfulness concerning the profession of vows for two sisters at the Ursuline Convent. January 2, 1867. 4p.
John Lynch writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about the possibility of renting out half of the Bishop's plantation house to Gen. Beauregard's sister, Mrs. Proctor. The other half is currently occupied by the family of Gen. Blanchard. January 18, 1864. 2p.
Letter from Henrietta Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch thanking him for the cloth that he sent. She mentions frequent parties being thrown in Cheraw and her dislike of taking refugees on as boarders. January 26, 1864. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch about new boarders at the academy and her worry about finances concerning the purchase of the American Hotel for the convent. February 7, 1864. 3p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch with news from the Ursuline Convent and Academy. She informs the Bishop she is sending a Miss Preston, fiancee to General Hood, to Richmond to see the Bishop while he is visiting there. February 21, 1864. 4p.
Letter from Madame Antonia to Bishop Patrick Lynch asking him, while he is in Europe, to speak to the General Superior of her order on the proper procedures concerning a mentally ill nun who has been taken from the convent by her mother. June 10, 1864. 6p.
