PERSONAL LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS OF THE

STEWART AND BARNES FAMILIES
1813 – 1931


Stewart Family Letters
1860


Clifton Bosque County
December 10, 1860

Dear Sister

I at length take my pen in hand to write you a few lines I received your letter in due time but could not write until now my hands were sore and inflamed for six weeks so I could not write or do any thing so you must excuse me for not writing sooner. We are all well at present my health is as good as it is for common Jane is feeble but she able to be up the most of her time. Caty has a son he was born the 21st of October. Allan and family is well his will (?) soon be confined from her appearance Oh it done me so much good to get a letter from you to hear you were better I hope you will get well if you take good care of yourself I was very uneasy about you Mary Davis's letter to Jennet written in June was the last I heard of you till your welcome letter came Jennet wrote to Mary as soon as she got her letter but no answer yet if she received it I have moved up by Allan we have no house yet the boys are at work at it our spring failed it has been so dry for three years we had to haul water two miles all last summer there came rain in August and water rose in a spring a quarter of a mile from the house and we rented the place in October and moved up here Mr Archibald & Allan both wanted us to come there is plenty of never failing water and good we dug a well last summer was a year but the water was not good it was rotten limestone our spring was good healthy water I dont know whether I will sell the place or not it is good land I hope it will rain and good seasons will come yet Hugh wants to go to school and Jennet & Barbara there is a good school within a 1/4 of a mile we will have a Presbyterian church organized in January Mr A & Mr McFarland is elders Mr McFr lives in two miles of us himself and oldest son has a flock of sheep and settled on his land James and Mr A. has a flock together and herding them here some of us are staying at Allans & some with A. they live half a mile apart our house will be about the same distance from each of them I get small piece of land from Allan I am not able to get much except I sell my place times are hard money is very scarce provisions dear corn sell for two dollars per bushel flour from 6 to 7 dollars per hundred Bacon (?) cents a pound there is no pork in this part of the country for sale there was nothing made to fatten hogs the acorns blasted with the drouth the Spring was so dry wheat did fill well we have not enough to do until harvest the cattle ate most of the corn in the whole country last summer the grass was parched up no fence would turn them, you want to know is I got the money you gave Angus for me he sent it in December after he went out there I should not have known it if he had not have written to know if I got the letter and money as I had not mentioned getting it but neither of them ever came I never got half of the letters he sent back a year ago last October there came one with two drafts they were for nine hundred and sixty dollars which is all I ever got of Johns estate they were in Cassidys name if any more was sent it never came I dont know who administered on the estate for the deeds that came for me to sign did not tell who sold them except one that was sold by Cassidy dl would like to know something about the business and who has it in hand likewise how much will be my share of it let me know who to apply to find out I dont know what to think of Angus going off as he did without telling me he was going he wrote to me from Corpus Christi the 24th of September and said he would start to Brownsville in a day or two and would write again if he would have a chance to do so that is the last I heard of him or perhaps ever will but am still in hopes he will not go into Mexico as they thought of doing there has gone some from here but I was not acquainted with them James says they will every one be killed if they do go in there last winter when he was there buying sheep and horse a man was not allowed to carry arms in and he was not safe without them he says the Mexicans will kill a person if they think he has five dollrs and the whites on this side of the river are no better and you may have some idea of my trouble and uneasiness I put my trust in God who is able to rule all for the best which is all my consolation for I know he will do what is best although a poor weak mortal like me cannot see or understand it now you wished to know if John Taylor ever wrote to me he sent two letters one to let me know concerning aunt Floras estate he said he thought the heirs would think he ws slow about it but it was in such a fix the notes out of date he had to go easy about it and get them renewed for to sue on them he would get nothing and he did not like to lose it the way he knew where to write to me he said was from a letter Angus wrote for you and told my post office it nearly a year since I received it he gve me an account of all our relations it seems they die off there as well as here there is but two of mothers cousins living and uncle John was the last of her Fathers children he and aunt Polly died with two weeks of each other I got another letter from him this fall about two weeks before yous ca(?) he said he was ready to settle with the heirs he sent a paper for me to sign as a refunding bond to convey my interest in the slaves my share is to be 165 dollars it is not a great sum but I would feel it great if I had it at this time for I am in need at present what come last fall just cleared up the old debts the Doctor bills and what I was getting to live on and paid for my land the people were very good and lenient to me I had to pay ten per cent interest on all that is the rate of interest for accounts here Cousin John wanted to know what he would do with Bother Johns part of aunt Floras estate I wrote him that I could not tell him my part would be one third I expect you heard from him before this time for he would want you to convey your interest in the slaves too. I believe I have written all I can recolect at this time dear Sister Pray for me and help me plead for Strength to bear my trials and keep my reason give love to Mary and her children and all inquiring friends my Children all join in sending love to you and Mary may the lord bless you my Sister is the wish of you Sister

Nancy Anderson
Write as soon as you get this tell mary to write once





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