Scope and Contents A letter begun on 17 July and continued on the 20th, 24th, and 26th, as follows: July 17: News of the ship's progress mingled with expressions of affection for Catherine: "all I can say is that I want nothing more to make me happy but my dear beloved wife." Coles also notes that he has received two letters from some anonymous "designing person" who is trying to enter "into my heart the most severe pangs of Jelousy" regarding Catherine. July 20: More news of Liverpool's's progress and...

Scope and Contents July 26: A continuation of the entry from the previous sheet. Coles describes the evacuation to the ship's boats, and provides an ink sketch of the three vessels (pinnace, launch, and jolly boat) as they proceeded southwest towards Newfoundland. He is doubtful about their chances for survival: "my Dear Beloved Wife is allmost a widdow. it is now I bid my wife Farewell, perhaps forever." July 28: A short entry describing the bad weather and conditions in the open boats. July 30: The sighting...

Scope and Contents August 3: Receives an order from Captain Lee to procure water for the trip back to New York. Believes that his return is imminent and is glad at the prospect of "see[ing] the dear beloved of my Love." August 4: Coles falls sick, but recovers over the course of the day, and learns of his impending departure for New York. August 6: Now writing aboard Eliza, bound for New York, Coles eagerly awaits to be in "the arms of my ever beloved." August 7: Aboard Eliza. Hopes that Catherine will not...

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August 8: Aboard Eliza. Word of the ship's progress, and expressions of love for Catherine. August 9: Coles relates a dream of the previous night in which he returned home and "as soon as You [Catherine] saw me you got up and went out of the house without speaking to me." This reminds him of a strange fear he had of Liverpool prior to its departure, and how his uncle had advised him that "if I was fearfull of her that I had better not go in her."

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Aboard Eliza. Coles relates another dream, in which he returned to his father-in-law's residence in Jamaica, New York only to find Catherine unhappy at his homecoming. In his dream, Coles "at once burst into Tears." Upon awakening, he is thankful that "I put no confidence in dreams." Admits to "how happy a man am I to be bless'd with the Girl who ever since I was 14 years of age I have been wishing to call my own." The sheet also contains two poems writen by Coles for Catherine.

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Aboard Eliza. After providing word of the vessel's progress toward New York, Coles praises Captain Lee for his actions during the shipwreck, and for his treatment of the crew in the aftermath. There follows a brief discussion of Lee's personal life: his wife in Liverpool and his loss of property in the wreck. Coles concludes with reminiscences of his and Catherine's courtship.

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Aboard Eliza. Coles notes the vessel's slow progress toward New York. He mentions that he is enclosing each of his previous letters in separate wrappers, to better preserve them. The balance of the letter discusses his family and memories of his courtship and marriage to Catherine. He also philosophizes on the need to be happy following such a near encounter with death, and that to be "dourhearted" would "be departing entirely from my true character."

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Coles dedicates much of this letter to imagining his homecoming, and telling Catherine of his adventures. He also speaks of the possibility of changing professions and becoming a farmer.

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Coles explains that Eliza continues to be delayed by inclement weather. He worries that Catherine may have heard news of the wreck, and so "suppose that we had all either met with a watery grave or if not that, perhaps in a State of Starvation either in the Boats or on some distant Land."

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Eliza is now just east of Long Island; Coles expects to be home in two to three days. He writes of conversing with Liverpool's first mate, Mr. Wilson, about their respective wives, and imagines the activities Catherine might have engaged in on this particular day.

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A ballad of twenty four-line stanzas recounting Liverpool's wreck and the open-boat voyage to St John's, written by Coles for Catherine. Odd lines are in tetrameter; even lines in trimeter. Glosses are added in the margin.

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On his return to New York Captain Lee writes to his father, telling him of the Liverpool disaster. He laments that his wife, in England, will not hear of his safety until the arrival of letters sent from St. John's. He also notes that his nephew William Woodward is with him and in good health.

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Captain Lee's nephew William Woodward, who had sailed on Liverpool, tells his aunt of the wreck and the open-boat voyage to St. John's. Of note is Woodward's account of the evacuation to the ship's boats. He writes that Lee remained with Liverpool as she turned over on her beam ends, then jumped into the sea and swam to the nearest boat. Woodward also provides a pencil sketch of the sinking Liverpool and the boats.

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Nancy Lee's response to Woodward's letter. Lee describes her emotions upon hearing the news of the Liverpool as well as the reaction of those to whom she had shown Woodward's letter: "even strangers could not hear the letter read without crying . . . ." She concludes by reminding Woodward that "you never must forgett the Mercy of God to you, in yett preservng you from a waterry Grave."