| Title: | W McClurg, West Salem Township, to David McClurg, Templemoyle. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3786 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | mcclorg, william/1 |
| Year | 1831 |
| Sender | McClorg, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | Protestant |
| Origin | West Salem Township, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Templemoyle, Co. Derry, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | McClorg, David and Anne |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | son-parents |
| Source | T 1227/21: Photocopied by Courtesy of Mr A MacLurg. #TYPE EMG W McClurg, West Salem Township, to David McClurg, Templemoyle, Co Londonderry, 18 March 1831. |
| Archive | Public Record Office, N. Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 8905212 |
| Date | 18/03/1831 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | 28:06:1989 LT created 06:11:1990 CD input 07:11:19 |
| Word Count | 1327 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To:- Mr David McLurg Templemoyle Parish Bevevah [Bovevagh?] near New town Limavady County Londonderry Ireland West Salem Township 18th March 1831 Dear parents I take the present opportunity of informing you that I am well, thanks unto God for his mercies manifested towards me in a strange land hoping these lines will find you my relations and friends enjoying the same benediction I wrote you a letter from Philad'a [Philadelphhia?] the 4th October giving you a little sketch of the voyage, I was sick a long time on sea but have had good health ever since I came on land, I left Philad'a [Philadelphi a?] fifth October and arrived in Pittsburgh the fifteenth I will give you a little relation of the country as Iwent along, for upwards of a hundred miles from Philad'a [Philadelphia?] the country is rich and well cultivated, the settlement being old the farmers live in a wealthy affluent manner their farms being large their barns are also the same being from sixty to one hundred feet in length and from thirty to forty in wideness, the doors are so wide as to admit two or three waggons abreast they have a much easier way of thrashing than you have in Ireland they tramp out their grain all with horses and oxen except rye which is the only grain they thrash, the country abounds with limestone which being laid on the land produces abundant crops, towards the mountains the country became hilly stony and something wet, you have heard say there was no stacks of grain here all was in the barns, but that is not the case I have seen a great many stacks out which the barns could not hold they do not trouble themselves in thatching as you do, a top sheaf is mostly all the [they?] get the weather being generally calm and little rain requires less care, the mountains are generally barren some of them the wildest ever I saw being covered with racks to their very summits and timber growing among them it being as natural for trees to grow on them here as heath on the mountains in Ireland, I had a fine view on the top of the Cove mountain and as far as I could see there was but spots of the country cleared the rest being an entire forest hundreds and thousands of emigrants have come to this country and yet there is room, the road on the mountains is very crooked always turning and winding around hills but upon the top of the Alleghany it is straight for several miles, the last of the mountains is by far the longest called the Laurel Hill, here I saw a bear tied to a tree near a cabin in the woods which was all the formidable animal I saw on my journey, from thence forward to Pittsburg which is forty three miles, the country is well inhabited and the woods pretty well cleared off taverns are plenty all the way from Phil'a [Philadelphia?] to Pittsburg, and have good accommodations for travellers Pittsburg lies in a low situation at the junction of the Alleghany and M[?]engahala rivers and head of the Ohio it is surrounded with hills and mostly covered with smoke from the numerous foundries and iron works carried on there it is a place of great trade there is a vast inhabitants in it mostly Irishmen I found out Mr Joseph Caskey in Pittsburg he was glad to see me he took me to Mr William Thompson's who left Carrick they both shewed [showed?] me as much friendship as I had been one of their relations they both gained independant [independent?] fortunes and are very friendly to their country- men they informed me of Brother Joseph and advised me to go and see him I stopped with them a few days, I then started for Joseph Mr Caskey came out of town and shewed [showed?] me the road and gave me directions all the way I travelled from Pitts.g [Pittsburg?] to Mercer which is sixty three miles in two days from thence to a small town called Greenville fourteen miles from Mercer from Greenville to Brother Joseph's two miles I never went one [?] of my way from Phiad'a [Philadelphia?] until I was within one mile of his house where I went a little out of my road but soon found it again I asked him many questions about his friends in Ireland and his brother in America but he never once thought I was me until I told him he was glad to see me and enquired about all his friends and acquaintances said he never expected to see any of his relations much less one of his br[others? he said I would stop with him during the winter his wife and family desired the same which I have done I have seen the m[?] uncle John McLorg's family was at the place where he Aunts [?] and Mary lies buried saw a son of James McLurgs in brother [J?] in the fall, John Neil came to Josephs in winter was glad to see me and enquired much about the old country folks let cousin Nancy George know her sister Mrs Stewart lives within twelve miles of Brother Joseph she had sent for him several times to go and see her he did not know who it was until I told him we went and stopped with her a night they were all well at that time I have much reason of thankfulness to providence I have always met with friends in this country and was shewn [shown?] friendship by many strangers Joseph owns one hundred and ten acres of good land eighty of which is in a state of cultivation has a good stack of cattle and likes this Country well it is settled and thirty four years by white pe[?] and is much improved in that time, it was formerly much infested by bears wolves and rattle snakes but happy for the inhabitants they are now mostly eradicated, I esteem my native country my relations and friends there much before any part I have seen yet in America although this settlement is mostly Irish people yet their manners and customs are strange to me, Brother Joseph desires to be remembered to Father and Mother Brothers and sisters in the kindest manner also to Uncles and aunts and all his old acquaintances but lest I tire you with a long story I must be done remember me to Brothers sisters Uncles & Aunts Cousins John & Robert with their Consorts cousins Oliver & John, John Gay and family Conoly Dale and family with any other that may enquire I subscribe myself your affectionate son William McLurg P.S write to me as quick as you can as I long to hear from you and all my friends I have heard many alarming accounts from Ireland send me an account of affairs respecting the preaching and if there be any Meeting House got up in Largy I intend going into Pittsburg shortly I could get employment here but I do not like to stop in this place the winter here is very hard but almost a perpetual calm the spring and fall is beautiful weather but the summer and winter are pretty much on extremes in my next I will give you a better account of this settlement W.M N.B. when you write to me direct to William McLurg Care of Mr Wick Postmaster West Greenville Mercer County Pennsylvania I had a letter from Robert in January he was well and stated Mrs Ross & family was well also I wrote to John in November but got no answer I heard nothing of John Hunter since I left N.york I would be glad to hear from him or any of my shipmates this is a good country for a family but not for a single man as money is very scarce I would give you an account of markets but I have not room |
