| Title: | John Nevin, U.S.A. to "Dear Friends", Co. Antrim. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1958 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Nevin, John/18 |
| Year | 1804 |
| Sender | Nevin, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | goods trader |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Knoxville, Tennessee, USA |
| Destination | Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | unknown |
| Relationship | writes to his family |
| Source | T 3727/1: Deposited by Professor Ruth-Ann Harris. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9802475 |
| Date | 10/04/1804 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 09:02:98. |
| Word Count | 840 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [From?] James Nevin Knoxville Tennessee [U.S.A.?] [To?] [Loughconnolly?] [Skerry East?] [Co. Antrim?] [Ireland?] Knoxville, April 10th 1804, Tennessee State. Dear Friends, Happy in an appertunity [opportunity?] of writting [writing?] I now embrace this your Last favours I recd [received?] in life the Ten weeks from this Date I have also seen Mr. Stewart from the Garden a few Days ago on his way to Natchez which left Ireland in November last and Informed me that troublesome times is not Likely to be over yet. O that I could but have you all in this Countery [country?] with the Value of your Property. here I enjoy Equal Right and Priveledges [privileges?] Governor and I am an Equal Companion of our first rank whilst you must Pour out your Purse to Landlords and [whiperins?] And your hats in your hand at same time you have mentioned your desire to know my Business in the Injin [Indian?] Nation and also in Charleston in South Carolina I went down the Tennessee River with a Boat Loaded with Flower [flour?] and a number of other articles. Sold them to the Ingins [Indians?] & Bought Steers off them And after stallfeeding the the Oxen Drove them to Charelston [Charleston?]... And I just now am waiting the Arrival of a Boat I have bought to go Down the river again And Expects to go in three days from Now No Dout [doubt?] you will think that a dreadful Business to Tread [trade?] with the Ingins [Indians?] But you are Intirely [entirely?] Misinformed Respecting the Tread [trade?]. You Expect that we that go there must have Ingin [Indian?] wifes [wives?] True the white Men that lives in the Nation has Mostely [mostly?] Red women but that is their pleasure .. I have my Licence from the Agent of of (sic) War for one year and I can go and come at my Pleasure During that term without Either woman or man or without Company I See Cause to Take along ...I had intended being home Last Spring but it was Out of my Power but God willing I shall see you all this one Coming... I am sorry to Heir [hear?] of so many of Countery [country?] men being Confined and Sume [some?] Executed But the Permissave [permissive?] will of God must be Done - you are under the Rod of Affliction in a high Degree and : O : that it may be Sanctifyed [sanctified?] and Improven. You must wait with Patience your Deliverance (if not come before you receive this) is fast Hastening. You complain of a Declintion [declining?] of Religion in me which I may with Shame Acknowledge in Part but such Religion as we Now have here No Man hath Ever seen I have been yesterday at a Sacrement [sacrament?] (and Exercise as they call it) hath not been half so Bad as sume [some?] Other Meetings I have Been at. But we have them here to Ly [lie?] two or three days as if Dead being struck Down at their Meetings and then to Break out into the Greatest Raptures of Prayer that the Minister is sume [some?] times obliged to Quit Preaching to [till?] they are Done Prayer... Running sume [some?] jumping sume [some?] Jerking and twitching Like a Person in a Vailent [violent?] Convulsive Fitre [fit?] Others Praying Others Singing and Others Shouting Glory Glory as Loud as they can Bawl and wringing and Clapping their hands and Such Other Conduct Sure Man Never Seen in Religious Worship and I wish it may be the Direction of Heaven for it is as fare [far?] Beyond my Tongue or Pen to Describe - in my present attempt to I am far short of it as you may think I am beyond Anything you have Ever seen - And Although it hath Alarmed me yet I cannot Approve of it as God is a God of Order and not of Confusion... we are Now in this Countery [country?] Under a Real Republican government and the Best in the Worled [world?] And has got into Possession of a New and Extensive Countery [country?] which Ireland would not be a Garden to. - the river I go Down Goeth into it and perhaps I may visit it Er [ere?] I return. My Situation in Life has not changed as yet and What is still worse No appearance of it and (sic) for my Health Thanks be to God alone. I [----?] never However (I May Say) what it is to be sick one Hour. If you Receive this in Time And it in your Powers Please send me on sume [some?] Linnen [linen?] this season that it may be sume [some?] addition to my Stock in going home. Please Remember me to Brothers ans Sisters Cousins and families, Mr. Steph [Stephen?] Hunter, Mr. [-----?] family and Loughconaly [Loughconnelly Townland?] People and all [torn] and please make my appology [apology?] for not writing as my Distance and few appertunitys [opportunities?] Put out of my power to write to every one... Whilst I Remain your Tender and Ever Affectionate Brother till Death. John Nevin |
