David England Letter to Thomas Rotch Regarding Supplies

Written during the War of 1812, David England tells Thomas Rotch in this letter that he has been unable to find a wagon to haul Rotch's order for goods and cloth. England explains that the army was drawing on much-needed supplies, including wagons. Dry weather had also caused a water shortage for mills that further depressed economic conditions. The letter is one page and measures 8" x 10" (20.32 x 25.4 cm). Thomas Rotch (1767-1823), a Quaker and early settler of Kendal, Ohio (now Massillon), was active in the abolition movement and conducted slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad. He also served as a correspondent for the Committee on Indian Concerns. The Rotch-Wales Collection comprises several thousand items, including Quaker and abolitionist materials, household remedies and recipes, weather reports and machinery plans, and personal letters of Thomas and Charity Rotch and their family. It contains personal and business correspondence, diaries, documents, accounts, ledgers, and daybooks. A large portion of the collection consists of the personal and business correspondence, documents, and business papers of Arvine Wales I (1785-1854), who accompanied Rotch from Hartford to Ohio in 1811, worked for him, and carried on Rotch's business interests after his death. The papers of his son, Arvine C. Wales (1827-1882), a lawyer and civic leader in Massillon, are also part of the collection