| Title: | Robert Fullerton to his cousin [Mr Ross?]. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1102 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Fullerton, Robert/10 |
| Year | 1879 |
| Sender | Fullerton, Robert |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | S. Carolina, USA |
| Destination | Ireland |
| Recipient | Mr. Ross? |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | D 1951: Presented by W. S. Ferguson Esq., Mile End, Caw, County Londonderry. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9310310 |
| Date | 23/04/1879 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C.R., 12:10:1993. |
| Word Count | 1614 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Letter from Robert Fullerton, Oconee [Ocomee?] County near Westminster, South Carolina, U.S.A., to his cousin [surname Ross?] in Ireland [Armoy?]. State of South Carolina, Oconee [Ocomee?] County, Near Westminster April 23rd 1879. Dear Cousin, I once more take the opportunity to inform you that I am yet in existence and although not enjoying very good health at present, and feeling rather weak and feeble, yet not more so than is reasonable to expect of one of my age, and I am thankful to God that it is as well with me even as it is. I hope to receive a letter from you soon, and to hear that yourself, Mrs. Ross and all your family and all of our surviving relatives are enjoying good health and prosperity. Dear Cousin if you could know the anxiety I feel, and the indescribable pleasure it gives me to receive a letter from you and to hear from the land of my birth and my childhood home, you surely would write to me oftener. Now I beg you not to think that I censure you with carelessness and forgetfulness of me. On the contrary I feel indebted to you for the pleasure I have so often derived from your kindness in writing to me, and sending me newspapers that I appreciate so highly on account of their coming from the land of my home, and informing me of the state of affairs in the Old Emerald Isle. Owing to the troubled and confused state of affairs in America, I am aware that through the newspapers you can learn the condition of things here, as correctly as I could write to you. Therefore, there is very little I can write from here that would be of interest to you. And when things are quiet in Ireland, there is seldom any thing appears in our papers concerning Ireland at all. Consequently I have no means whatsoever to obtain any information how things are going on, only from a private source, and I have no other friend or relation across the Atlantic to apply to for that information only yourself. And I do most earnestly entreat you to write to me at least once a year or oftener if you don't become tired. I have in by gone years boasted to you (and justly too) as living under the best government in the world, but now I have to sorrowfully acknowledge that it is one of the most corrupt on the inhabited globe. It took about a century from the revolutionary war of 1776 to built [build?] up the United States and its Government to what it was at the breaking out of the last war; and it will require at least another century to restore it to its former purity and prosperity. One thing is certain, that as long as the present horde of tyrannical Radil [Republican?] roguish thieves retain the #PAGE 2 control of the government, and get honest just men in their stead, no change for the better. And as long as the British negroes are permitted to vote they are kept blinded by the lies of the corrupt gang now in power, that if they cease to vote for them and keep them in office, they (the negroes) will forthwith again be put into slavery. And they so ignorant and so suspicious All men in christendom could not get them to believe anything to the contrary Hence it is obvious the gloomy prospect of any change for the better soon. The Americans heretofor [heretofore?] were in the habit of crying out against the opressive taxation laid on the people of the United Kingdom of Ireland England and Scotland, and the ignorant class ready to cry out I would not live under a King &c.. I often said there is no government so pure as that of a limited monarchy. But only the well informed know the difference. I now ask such which nation is oppressed by taxation? and which is preferable to live under a King or under a government a good number of its members composed of negroes, the descendents of cannibals Dear Cousin, as I have already said, the pleasure it is to me to receive a letter if only once a year; I can feel but can't express. It is pleasant to me, Yea endearing to even read their names of the towns and villages once so familiar to me, and the remembrance of them so vivid in my recollection. It will be a solace to me and will help to dispell [dispel?] many lonely hours and melancholy musings as often as I can receive a letter from you, I can't hope for, nor promise myself that pleasure many times more, as I have already passed my three score years and ten, the usual number of days allotted to man, but it is not allowed for us to know how long, or what awaits us in the dark future. It is only given to us to know our bounden duty to endeavour to prepare to be in readiness to answer that awful solemn summons when it comes, and I hope and trust we will be able to keep out [our?] lamps trimmed, and our oil burning so as to be in readiness to meet the Bridegroom when he comes. I wish to know if Nathanial is yet at home, or if he has returned to America, and if so, how long he staid [stayed?] when he went to see you before he returned? Please let me know about the Railroad that you informed was in contemplation of being built from Ballymoney to Ballycastle, if the road has been laid out, how near Father's old place does it run, have they commenced work on it, and how is the work progressing &c.. I presume they burn coal in the engines for fuel, that I also wish to know. I am desirous to know how you make out now about fuel to burn in your dwellings? I have thought that by this #PAGE 3 time the peat bogs must have become nearly if not altogether exhausted, and that perhaps in some places at least, they had become under the necessity of burning coal, I wish to know how it is in that particular? I wish to know if the little town of Armoy has grown in magnitude, and what part of the town you live in? I well remember the appearance of the place and have a distinct recollection of the locality of the houses of most of the inhabitants when we left there. There was Alex. [Alexander?] Sinclair where I was many times sent out for tobacco, tea and sugar &c then lower down Street the house that Harry McCauley occupied, and sold whiskey ale &c.. Then down towards the bridge the two story [storey?] State [slate?] roofed house then occupied by Anthony Griffen. Then towards the upper end of town, the house where Alexander Morrow lived, and several others. And Drumrory hill is as plain to my view (mentally) as if I had seen it on yesterday. I wish to know if stoves are used now in Ireland, In this country fireplaces are nearly abandoned and stoves chiefly used instead. They are a great saving of fuel where that is scarce, but that is no object here, but they are a great about cooking, and produce great warmth in cold weather, when needed. I am desirous to know if the rot and disease that was so injurious to the potato crop some years ago, has been much hurtful of late years, let me know how the potato crop and the oat and grain crop was last year., if provisions are plentiful now and at moderate prices. Let me know if all your sisters are living or how many. It is gratifying to me to know that Protestantism is still rising in the ascendancy above Popery. I was overjoyed on reading the statement contained in the Belfast news you sent me last year, of the universal and grand display made by the Orangemen, aided and graced with the addresses of many of the most prominent and most influential men of the Land. Long may their royal orange Flag triumphantly wave undisturbed over the heads of true Protestant Orangemen. The general health throughout this country at present is very good, Provisions of every kind are plentiful and cheap. But very little money in circulation, It is about as much as the farmers can do to raise a sufficiency to pay the enormous taxes brought on by the last war. Dear Cousin as I have nothing to write to you that can be interesting to you, I expect you will become tired in answering them, if you will condescend to do so. I entreat you to exercise patience and write me a good long letter as almost any thing that comes written from Ireland that you might deem not worth while to mention, would be gratifying and interesting to me. Although I have wrote nothing that can be much interesting to you and #PAGE 4 yet some blank paper, I can't think of any thing more worth scribbling down, therefore I will stop for the present, hoping to hear from you soon. Please give my love and kind respects to Mrs. Ross and to all of your family that are within your reach to do so likewise to each and every of your sisters. It is evident now, that the few of us that remain, sepereted [separated?] by the broad Atlantic never can meet on earth, But I ardently hope and trust that through our faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, we will meet and rest in the shadows of the blest, to part no more. I request you to accept my earnest wishes for your prosperity and happiness, and believe me to remain affectionately Your Cousin Robert Fullerton |
