Home

CORVIZ

Main content

Title: Matilda Bell, Lexington, U.S.A., to "My Dear Richard".
ID2447
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileShaw Bell, Matilda/18
Year1853
SenderShaw Bell, Matilda
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationunknown
Sender Religionunknown
OriginLexington, Mississippi, USA
DestinationIreland?
RecipientRichard
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipsiblings
SourceDonated by Mr. W. Shaw, 4 Coolreaghs Rd, Cookstown. Transcribed by Ruth-Ann Harris, Brookline, U.S.A.
ArchiveUlster American Folk Park.
Doc. No.9702278
Date10/06/1853
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 24:02:97.
Word Count934
Genre
Note
TranscriptLexington, [Mississippi?] June 10

My Dear Richard,
It is a long time since I have herd [heard?] from any of
you. I wroat [wrote?] to you last Summer, but I never got
any answer to it so I will try it agane [again?]. I wonto
[want to?] of written to you before this but my health
has been verry [very?] bad since last July now nearly A
year, and this is the first letter I have tryed [tried?]
to write Since that time. I think I am getting a little
Stronger, but God only knowes [knows?] how long it may
last. Sometimes I will be pretty well for A week on such
A matter, and then I am taken down with the Chiles
[chills?] and fever. That is something you do not know
any thing [anything?] of and it is hard for you. Only
the Lord may restore me to health and give A few years
more in the land of the living. If not I hope I can say
with resigenation [resignation?] thy will O Lord be done.

I have been thinking A great deal about you all.
Ideed [Indeed?] if you knew how much I would like to hear
from you, you would write to me. I Spent last week at Mrs.
Stiglers. She was complaning [complaining?] a good deal.
Sarah and the childern [children?] ar [are?] all well.
She has got a verry [very?] interesting family, 3 girls
and 2 boys. Aunt is liveing [living?] thear [there?] this
year. Her health is pretty good. She has ben [been?] viseting
[visiting?] a good deal this Spring, mostly amongst her old
pupels [pupils?] who ar [are?] now growen [grown?] and in
houses of thear [their?] own. I believe Aunt is a general
favourit [favourite?], liveing [living?] about one mile
from Mr. Stiglers so I have not been to Mr. Moor [Moore?]
for along [a long?] time -- has not been well enough to go.
I seen Margret ashort [a short?] time ago. she did not look
very well. She has three fine childern [children?] all going
to School. Mr. Moore has a mineral Spring or [?] Spring for
there is several of them on his plantation. I am going to try
and get down to try if the watter [water?] will not help me.
It is a beauty [beautiful?] place whare [where?] the Springs
ar [are?]. I wish you ware [were?] hear [here?] to go with me.
Alicia was well when I saw her which was two week [weeks?] ago.
She has ben [been?] sick for three weeks before, but was then
well. As for James we never hear from him. We have all written
to him but it is all the Same he will not let any of us hear
from him. So I suppose we must give him up. Edward writes
sometimes. He [His?] step daughter got Married last winter
and is doing well. George's Widow is living in Lake
Providence. She lost two of her childern [children?]
last Summer the time the Yellow fever was raging in that
place. She and all her family had it. The youngest child
and herself recoverd [recovered?] and the two eldest died.
That is a very awful epidemic. Thousands ware [were?] swept
off by it last Summer and fall. I supose [suppose?] old jack
frost was never more welcome than he was last fall. Luis and
I was in Wilkenson countay [county?] and could not get home,
was afraid to go on the river, so we had to wate [wait?] for
frost. My health was so bad I could not stand the land rout
[route?], but the day we got to Yazoo Citty [City?] they had
one case. A young man who lived oppesite [opposite?] the hotel
where we put up. [Luis?] was verry [very?] uneasy on my account
and got a hack and went out of the citty [city?] to a
gentleman's who lived 4 [mile?] in the countary [country?].
The cholera is on the river at this time and of course the
[they?] have it in New Orleans but the [they?] try to keep
it as still as possible. We got the sad inteligance
[intelligence?] of the death of a brother of my husband on
last week. He died of cholera on board a boat. He had ben
[been?] down to New Orleans and was returning to Vixburg
[Vicksburg?] whare [where?] he resided. He took the cholera
and died in three hours [after?] the attack. The [They?]
would not allow the boat to come in. We have a very backward
Spring. The weather very cool for the season of the year,
planters complaining of thear [their?] cotton being backward.
I hope your crops will be good in dear old Ireland and her
people may have peace and plenty. Tell Mary I would like to
hear from her or some of her family. Is Matilda married yet.
Do dear Richard, tell me some thing [something?] of [Anna?]
[Bella s?] family. I wroat [wrote?] to M and her Uncle William
but got no answer. Tell me brother Johns direction and send
me a paper sometimes. You do not know what a good husband I
have got. I wish he ware [were?] rich and I would visit you
all if I would get well but that plesure [pleasure?] will
never be mine. Ther [There?] was a time when Robert Moat
would write to me but he [too?] has given us up. Give my
love and my [L?] to all our dear relations and all enquiring
friends and now dear brother except [accept?] the same
yourself, from yor [your?] Sister.

God bless you all --
Matilda Bell