Uncle Joseph Peace of South Carolina (Hazard Diary 028)

Our uncle Joseph Peace of Charleston So Carolina, and brother of my dear Mother, was educated in England, and returning to his native city of Charleston So Carolina there opened his office as a Lawyer, and almost immediately had as much as he could attend to. Very soon, the famous Langdon Cheves of South Carolina, entered his office, and ere long became his partner.

Not many years thereafter, our Uncle Joseph, having made a sufficient fortune, removed to Philadelphia, where he bought the Brick house of three stories that then stood and until it [was] replaced by one of four stories, some fifty years or more ago I think in, by one of four stories.

Uncle Joseph, lived in this three story house as long as he lived as his winter home, while he spent his summers at his residence in “the Bank” of the Delaware at Bristol, Pa. that was then a place of summer resort and had been for many years and so continued until fever and ague invaded the banks of Delaware, and held [illegible] very many years – and perhaps not entirely vanished, since.

Langdon Cheves also moved to Philade about the same time Uncle Joseph did, where he soon became President of the famous United States Bank of Philadelphia, career of which had been so advantages to the city, and profitable to its stock holders, until the famous Nicholas Biddle of Philada, became its President, and by incompetent management ruined the Bank entirely – Stock not worth a penny – though he was a man of unquestion ability and integrity, – until  declaration to the contrary – that [Cheves?] (and perhaps others) unhesitatingly contradicted.

Transcribed by Jessica Wilson