Charles Dickens in America
A Day-by-Day Guide to Dickens' whereabouts in America in 1842
References:
PL3:[page] n[note] - The Letters of Charles Dickens, Pilgrim Edition, Volume 3
EFP:[page] - Dickens Days in Boston by Edward F. Payne
WGW:[page] - Charles Dickens in America by William G. Wilkins
AN:[chapter] - American Notes by Charles Dickens
SCD:[page] - The Speeches of Charles Dickens
A special thanks to Philip Currah and his work on Dickensdays which provided me with a starting point for this research.
| Date | Place/Activity | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Jan 3 | Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool | PL3:6 |
| Tue Jan 4 | Sailed from Liverpool aboard Britannia | PL3:6 |
| Wed Jan 5 | Aboard Britannia | |
| Thu Jan 6 | Aboard Britannia | |
| Fri Jan 7 | Aboard Britannia | |
| Sat Jan 8 | Aboard Britannia | |
| Sun Jan 9 | Aboard Britannia | |
| Mon Jan 10 | Aboard Britannia, hurricane described to Forster | PL3:11 |
| Tue Jan 11 | Aboard Britannia | |
| Wed Jan 12 | Aboard Britannia | |
| Thu Jan 13 | Aboard Britannia | |
| Fri Jan 14 | Aboard Britannia | |
| Sat Jan 15 | Aboard Britannia | |
| Sun Jan 16 | Aboard Britannia | |
| Mon Jan 17 | Aboard Britannia off Newfoundland | PL3:11 |
| Tue Jan 18 | Aboard Britannia | |
| Wed Jan 19 | Aboard Britannia - Ship runs aground entering Halifax harbor | PL3:13 |
| Thu Jan 20 | Landed at Halifax, Nova Scotia | PL3:14 |
| Fri Jan 21 | Aboard Britannia in the Bay of Fundy | PL3:13 |
| Sat Jan 22 | Tremont House, Boston | PL3:15 |
| Sun Jan 23 | Tremont House, Boston | |
| Mon Jan 24 | Tremont House, Boston - Visited State Capitol in the afternoon - Tremont Theatre in the evening | PL3:18 & n3 |
| Tue Jan 25 | Tremont House, Boston - Sat for Alexander's portrait | PL3:20 n3 |
| Wed Jan 26 | Tremont House, Boston - Sat for Dexter's bust - Ball at Papanti's Hall | PL3:18; EFP:47 |
| Thu Jan 27 | Tremont House, Boston - Sat for Dexter's bust - Dinner with Dana, Ticknor, and others at the home of Francis C. Gray | EFP:50; EFP:55; PL3:40 n1 |
| Fri Jan 28 | Tremont House, Boston - Dinner at the home of prominent historian William H Prescott | EFP-58; PL3:40 n1 |
| Sat Jan 29 | Tremont House, Boston - Visited Perkins Institute for the Blind, the State Hospital for the Insane, and the House of Correction. Represented the passengers of the Britannia in presenting Captain Hewitt a piece of plate for their appreciation of his handling of the perilous voyage | PL3:32-33 n5; EFP:61-67 |
| Sun Jan 30 | Tremont House, Boston - Went with Longfellow and Sumner to hear Father Edward Thompson Taylor preach at his church the Seamen's Bethal. Afterwards the three enjoyed a walk to Bunker Hill and other Boston landmarks. | PL3:39 n2; EFP:72-81 |
| Mon Jan 31 | Tremont House, Boston - Attended the National Theatre in the evening to see J.S. Jones's dramatizatin of Samuel Warren's new novel Ten Thousand a Year | PL3:44 n4; EFP:85-89 |
| Tue Feb 1 | Tremont House, Boston - Continued to sit for his portrait by Francis Alexander - Spoke at the banquet in his honor at Papanti’s Hall | PL3:45 n2; EFP:90; WGW:23-87 |
| Wed Feb 2 | Tremont House, Boston - Breakfasted with Dr William Ellery Channing | PL3:48 n1 |
| Thu Feb 3 | Tremont House, Boston - Visited Lowell, Massachusetts, his first trip on an American railroad, a journey of 26 miles accomplished in an hour at a cost of 65 cents | PL3:48 n1; EFP:116 |
| Fri Feb 4 | Tremont House, Boston - Breakfasted with Longfellow, visited Harvard, attended a session of the Boston court | PL3:48 n1 |
| Sat Feb 5 | Tremont House, Boston - Breakfasted with Richard Henry Dana Jr. Left Boston for Worcester MA by railroad accompanied by Governor John Davis and stayed at Davis's home | EFP:129; PL3:67; EFP:132 |
| Sun Feb 6 | Home of Massachusetts Governor John Davis, Worcester MA - Dinner given by Governor Davis in the evening | PL3:67; EFP:134 |
| Mon Feb 7 | Worcester MA-Springfield MA by roadroad then on to Hartford CT via steamboat Massachusetts on the Connecticut River | PL3:68 |
| Tue Feb 8 | City Hotel, Hartford CT - While in Hartford Dickens visited the Insane Asylum and the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb | PL3:52; AN:5 |
| Wed Feb 9 | City Hotel, Hartford CT | |
| Thu Feb 10 | City Hotel, Hartford CT | |
| Fri Feb 11 | City Hotel, Hartford CT to New Haven CT via railroad, stayed at the Tontine Hotel which was besieged by the whole population of the town | PL3:68 & n7 |
| Sat Feb 12 | New Haven CT to New York via steamboat New York - Stayed at Carlton House - Met Washington Irving | PL3:69-70; AN:5 |
| Sun Feb 13 | Carlton House, New York | |
| Mon Feb 14 | Carlton House, New York - Boz Ball at the Park Theatre | PL3:66 n4; WGW:109-115; Account of in American Heritage Dec 1957 |
| Tue Feb 15 | Carlton House, New York - Confined to his room with a sore throat | PL3:62 |
| Wed Feb 16 | Carlton House, New York - Confined to his room with a sore throat - “Bozless Ball” held without him much to the disappointment of the attendees | PL3:65 n7 & 66 n1 |
| Thu Feb 17 | Carlton House, New York - Dinner party at the home of David Colden | PL3:72 n5 |
| Fri Feb 18 | Carlton House, New York - Gave a speech at a banquet in his honor presided over by Washington Irving | PL3:74; SCD:68 |
| Sat Feb 19 | Carlton House, New York | |
| Sun Feb 20 | Carlton House, New York - Attended St John's church with former president Martin Van Buren | WGW:118 |
| Mon Feb 21 | Carlton House, New York | PL3:74 |
| Tue Feb 22 | Carlton House, New York | PL3:76 |
| Wed Feb 23 | Carlton House, New York | PL3:77 |
| Thu Feb 24 | Carlton House, New York - Attended Novelties Club dinner at the Astor House | PL3:73 n2; WGW:118 |
| Fri Feb 25 | Carlton House, New York | PL3:78 |
| Sat Feb 26 | Carlton House, New York | |
| Sun Feb 27 | Carlton House, New York | PL3:92 |
| Mon Feb 28 | Carlton House, New York | PL3:95 |
| Tue Mar 1 | Carlton House, New York - Catherine ill | PL3:97 |
| Wed Mar 2 | Carlton House, New York - Catherine ill - Visited the New York House of Corrections-The Tombs prison | PL3:102 n1; WGW:119 |
| Thu Mar 3 | Carlton House, New York | PL3:98 |
| Fri Mar 4 | Carlton House, New York - Catherine better, they enjoy “laying low” as it is supposed that they left New York on Feb 28 | PL3:98-99 |
| Sat Mar 5 | Carlton House, New York to United States Hotel, Philadelphia via railroad 5-11 pm | PL3:99-100 & :99 n2 |
| Sun Mar 6 | United States Hotel, Philadelphia | PL3:99 |
| Mon Mar 7 | United States Hotel, Philadelphia | PL3:108 |
| Tue Mar 8 | United States Hotel, Philadelphia - Held an impromptu levee at the hotel in the morning, shaking hands with upwards of 500 people. Toured the Eastern Penitentiary in the afternoon, and attended a party at the home of Henry Charles Carey, former publisher and future economic adviser to Abraham Lincoln, in the evening. | PL3:99 n1 |
| Wed Mar 9 | United States Hotel, Philadelphia to Fuller's Hotel, Washington via steamboat and railroad | WGW:164 |
| Thu Mar 10 | Fuller's Hotel, Washington - Visited President John Tyler in the White House and then the Capitol | PL3:116-117; WGW:166 |
| Fri Mar 11 | Fuller's Hotel, Washington - Visited the Capitol again | PL3:119 |
| Sat Mar 12 | Fuller's Hotel, Washington | PL3:114 |
| Sun Mar 13 | Fuller's Hotel, Washington - Attended luncheon with John Quincy Adams. Dinner at the home of Robert Greenhow, a translator at the State Department. | PL3:113 n3; WGW:167 |
| Mon Mar 14 | Fuller's Hotel, Washington - Dinner with The Alleghany Club at Boulanger's. Dickens gave a short speech and left early on receiving word that long sought for letters from home had arrived | PL3:132 & n1-2; WGW:168 |
| Tue Mar 15 | Fuller's Hotel, Washington - Attended a levee given by President John Tyler at the White House | PL3:134; WGW:171 |
| Wed Mar 16 | Fuller's Hotel, Washington - In the evening boarded a steamboat for the first leg of the trip to Richmond VA spending the night aboard ship | PL3:138 & n1 |
| Thu Mar 17 | Aboard steamboat on the Potomac, woke early to see Mount Vernon. Coach from Potomac Creek to Fredericksbug VA, then railroad to Exchange Hotel, Richmond VA, arriving between 6 and 7 pm | PL3:139 & n8; WGW:177 (Wilkins wrongly sets the date of boarding the steamboat at the 15th rather than the correct date of the 16th; AN:9 |
| Fri Mar 18 | Exchange Hotel, Richmond VA - Attended a social supper in his honor at the Exchange Hotel | PL3:141 & n2; WGW:181 |
| Sat Mar 19 | Exchange Hotel, Richmond VA - Breakfasted with actorEdwin Forrest. While in Richmond visited State legislature, a tobacco plantation and manufactory | PL3:149 & n4; AN:9 |
| Sun Mar 20 | Exchange Hotel - Richmond VA to Fredericksburg by rail, then by coach to Potomac Creek, then to Washington by steamboat | PL3:140 & n2 |
| Mon Mar 21 | Washington to Barnum's Hotel, Baltimore MD arriving about 6:30 pm | PL3:144 n2 |
| Tue Mar 22 | Barnum's Hotel, Baltimore MD - Dined with Washington Irving and others | PL3:143 n5 |
| Wed Mar 23 | Barnum's Hotel, BaltimoreMD - Visited the Maryland Hospital and the penitentiary. Dined again with Washington Irving and shared a mint julip | PL3:143 n5; WGW:193-194 |
| Thu Mar 24 | Barnum's Hotel, Baltimore MD to York PA by railroad. Dined, then by coach to the Eagle Hotel, Harrisburg PA | PL3:167 & n3; WGW:195 |
| Fri Mar 25 | Eagle Hotel, Harrisburg PA - Visited the State capitol and the city's model prison. Left on canal boat 3 pm | PL3:168; 169 1 |
| Sat Mar 26 | Aboard Canal boat to Pittsburgh via Pennsylvania Canal | AN:10 |
| Sun Mar 27 | Aboard Canal boat to Pittsburgh via Pennsylvania Canal - Crossed Blair's Gap Summit via railroad | AN:10; PL3:171 & n1 |
| Mon Mar 28 | Aboard Canal boat to Pittsburgh via Pennsylvania Canal | AN:10 |
| Tue Mar 29 | Aboard Canal boat to Pittsburgh via Pennsylvania Canal - Arrived Exchange Hotel, Pittsburgh 9:30 pm | WGW:200; PL3:148 n5 |
| Wed Mar 30 | Pittsburgh PA | |
| Thu Mar 31 | Monongahela House, Pittsburgh PA - Met with Allegheny City mayor, William Foster, and his sixteen-year-old son Stephen Foster, future folk song composer (Camptown Races, Oh Susanna, My Old Kentucky Home) | PL3:178 n2 |
| Fri Apr 1 | Left Pittsburgh PA aboard steamboat Messenger | PL3:176 & n6; WGW:203 |
| Sat Apr 2 | Aboard Messenger to Cincinnati | PL3:178 |
| Sun Apr 3 | Aboard Messenger to Cincinnati | PL3:180 |
| Mon Apr 4 | Arrived at Cincinnati 3am. Drove to the Broadway Hotel at 8:30 am | PL3:182; WGW:206 |
| Tue Apr 5 | Broadway Hotel, Cincinnati - Shown around Cincinnati by Judge Timothy Walker, attended a party at the Walker's residence in the evening | PL3:194; WGW:207 |
| Wed Apr 6 | Left Cincinnati aboard steamboat Pike. Met Peter Pitchlynn, Choctaw Indian chief. Arrived at Galt House, Louisville KY at midnight. | PL3:192 & n4-6; WGW:209 |
| Thu Apr 7 | Left Louisville at noon on the steamboat Fulton | PL3:192 & n7; WGW:210 |
| Fri Apr 8 | Aboard the Fulton en route to St Louis | |
| Sat Apr 9 | aboard the Fulton en route to St Louis. Passed Cairo Illinois. | WGW:210 |
| Sun Apr 10 | Arrived Planter's House St Louis 9pm | PL3:192 |
| Mon Apr 11 | Planter's House St Louis - Toured the city | PL3:192; WGW:216 |
| Tue Apr 12 | Travelled by coach to see the Looking Glass Prairie in Lebanon, Illinois. Stayed the night at Mermaid House, Lebanon IL | PL3:199-201; & 200 n5; AN:13 |
| Wed Apr 13 | Planter's House St Louis - Returned to St Louis by coach. In the evening attended a ball in his honor at the Planter's House | PL3:193 & n1; WGW:223 |
| Thu Apr 14 | Left St Louis aboard the steamboat Messenger en route to Louisville KY | WGW:225 |
| Fri Apr 15 | Aboard the steamboat Messenger en route to Louisville KY | PL3:192 |
| Sat Apr 16 | Aboard the steamboat Messenger en route to Louisville KY | PL3:192 |
| Sun Apr 17 | Aboard the steamboat Messenger. Arrived Louisville KY stayed at Galt House | PL3:204; WGW:226 |
| Mon Apr 18 | Galt House, Louisville KY - Boards the steamboat Ben Franklin en route back to Cincinnati | PL3:204; WGW:226 |
| Tue Apr 19 | Arrived in Cincinnati at 1 am. Stayed at Broadway Hotel | PL3:204 & n3; WGW:226 |
| Wed Apr 20 | Left Cincinnati by coach at 8 am en route to Columbus OH. Dined at Mansion House hotel in Marion OH. Travelled all night | PL3:205 & n3 |
| Thu Apr 21 | Arrived at Neil House, Columbus OH 7am. Rested all day and held a levee in the evening | PL3:205; WGW:227 |
| Fri Apr 22 | Left Columbus at 7 am on coach bound for Upper Sandusky. Stopped for the night at the log inn in Upper Sandusky. | PL3:205-207 & n3; WGW:227-231 |
| Sat Apr 23 | Left Upper Sandusky at 7:30am on coach bound for Tiffin, OH where they took the railroad to Sandusky OH, arriving at 6pm and stayed the night at the Steamboat Hotel | PL3:207 & n3, n8; WGW:231 |
| Sun Apr 24 | Left Sandusky OH aboard the steamboat Constitution. Spent the night aboard ship at Cleveland - Seasick | PL3:208-209 |
| Mon Apr 25 | Onboard the steamship Constitution. Called at Erie PA | AN:14 |
| Tue Apr 26 | Arrived Buffalo NY at 6am. Departed by train for Niagara Falls at 9am. Stayed at the Clifton House Hotel | PL3:208 |
| Wed Apr 27 | Clifton House Hotel, Niagara Falls, Canada | PL3:212 & 211 n2 |
| Thu Apr 28 | Clifton House Hotel, Niagara Falls, Canada | PL3:211 n2 |
| Fri Apr 29 | Clifton House Hotel, Niagara Falls, Canada | PL3:214 & 211 n2 |
| Sat Apr 30 | Clifton House Hotel, Niagara Falls, Canada | PL3:221 & 211 n2 |
| Sun May 1 | Clifton House Hotel, Niagara Falls, Canada | PL3:225 & 211 n2 |
| Mon May 2 | Clifton House Hotel, Niagara Falls, Canada | PL3:211 n2 |
| Tue May 3 | Clifton House Hotel, Niagara Falls, Canada | PL3:231 & 211 n2 |
| Wed May 4 | Left Niagara Falls via steamboat en route to Toronto, Canada arriving at 6:30pm | PL3:234 n2; AN:15 |
| Thu May 5 | Toronto | PL3:234 n2 |
| Fri May 6 | Left Toronto at noon via steamboat en route to Kingston. Spent the night on the boat | PL3:234 n2 |
| Sat May 7 | Arrived Kingston 8am | PL3:234 n2 |
| Sun May 8 | Kingston, Canada | PL3:234 n4 |
| Mon May 9 | Kingston, Canada | PL3:234 n4 |
| Tue May 10 | Left Kingston 9:30am via steamboat Gildersleeve, transferred to stagecoach to avoid rapids, then boarded another steamboat and spent the night aboard ship | PL3:234 n4 |
| Wed May 11 | Boarded a stagecoach at 8am, then another steamboat at noon. Arrived at Lachine at 3pm, then nine miles to Montreal, Canada. Stayed at Rasco's Hotel, St Paul Street | PL3:234 n4, n7 |
| Thu May 12 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada | PL3:235 |
| Fri May 13 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada | PL3:237 |
| Sat May 14 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada | |
| Sun May 15 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada | |
| Mon May 16 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada | PL3:238 |
| Tue May 17 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada | PL3:241 |
| Wed May 18 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada | |
| Thu May 19 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada | |
| Fri May 20 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada | |
| Sat May 21 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada | PL3:242 |
| Sun May 22 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada | |
| Mon May 23 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada | |
| Tue May 24 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada | |
| Wed May 25 | Rasco's Hotel, Montreal, Canada - Performed in private theatricals A Roland for an Oliver, Past Two o'Clock in the Morning, and Deaf as a Post at Queen's Theatre | Letters vol 3 pg 245 and note 3; Playbill |
| Thu May 26 | Left Montreal aboard steamboat for overnight journey to Quebec | PL3:234 n5; AN:15 |
| Fri May 27 | Quebec, Canada | PL3:234 n5 |
| Sat May 28 | Rasco's Hotel Montreal- Performed in public theatricals A Roland for an Oliver, Past Two o'Clock in the Morning, and High Life Below Stairs at Theatre Royal | PL3:245 n3; Playbill |
| Sun May 29 | Rasco's Hotel Montreal | |
| Mon May 30 | Left Montreal by steamboat across the St Lawrence, then by rail to St John's, then via steamboat Burlington to Lake Champlain. Spent the night aboard ship | PL3:249 n2; AN:15 |
| Tue May 31 | Arrived Whitehall NY via steamboat at 6am. Left Whitehall by coach and arrived at Albany NY between 5-6pm then departed at 7pm via steamboat for New York. Spent the night aboard ship. | PL3:249 n2; AN:15 |
| Wed Jun 1 | Arrived in New York by steamboat at 5am. Stayed at Carlton House | PL3:249 n2; AN:15 |
| Thu Jun 2 | Carlton House, New York - Left New York to go back up the river to Hudson and then by coach to Lebanon Springs to see a Shaker Village | PL3:251 |
| Fri Jun 3 | Visited Shaker Village | |
| Sat Jun 4 | Travelled back down the North River to West Point NY and stayed the night | PL3:251 note 2 |
| Sun Jun 5 | West Point NY | PL3:251 n2 |
| Mon Jun 6 | Returned to Carlton House, New York - Attended a dinner at Carlton House at 6pm | PL3:251 n4 & 252 |
| Tue Jun 7 | Sailed from New York aboard the George Washington | PL3:252 & n1 |
