Mary T. Worthington Macomb, the eldest child of Thomas and Eleanor Worthington of Ohio, was the wife of David Betton Macomb, a lawyer in the Florida and Texas frontiers. Although David Macomb came from a prominent family, he could not support his wife and children. In 1819, Macomb's belongings were sold at public auction to help pay his debts. Eventually, the family moved to Florida where their financial difficulties continued.
Living in Tallahassee at the onset of the Second Seminole War, Mary Macomb as a witness to the savage fighting between the settlers and Native Americans in Florida that arose in late 1835 and early 1836. Lured by the promise of wealth, David Macomb moved his family to Texas. Mary became ill during the journey and never recovered. She died shortly after arriving in Texas in October 1836 and her despondent husband committed suicide on Valentine’s Day 1837.
“Mary Worthington (1797-1836)” Adena, The Home of Thomas Worthington.
This letter was written by Mary T. Worthington Macomb, dated February 8, 1836, to her mother in Chillicothe, Ohio. The letter describes the conflict between Florida settlers and the local Native Americans at the start of the Second Seminole War; her plans to move to Texas with her husband; and the various means of transportation by boat from Galveston to New Orleans, the Mississippi River and the Red River.
This collection is open for research use.
Macomb (Mary T. Worthington) Letter, 1836, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
This collection was processed by Evan Usler, November 2010.