| Title: | Henry Neill, Kentucky to Samuel Neill, Co. Down |
|---|---|
| ID | 1951 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Neill, Henry/134 |
| Year | 1839 |
| Sender | Neill, Henry |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | Protestant |
| Origin | Louisville, Kentucky, USA |
| Destination | Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Neill, Samuel |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | son-father |
| Source | Donated by Hilary Murphy, 45 Ava Avenue, Belfast BT7 3BP |
| Archive | Centre for Migration Studies |
| Doc. No. | 611002 |
| Date | 16/10/1839 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1271 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Page 1] Louisville, Ky. [Kentucky?] Oct 16th 1839 Dear Father, Yours of the 6th April last came duly to hand at which time John wrote to you and as He expected an answer before He left, I must say He was rather dissatisfied at the disappointment. He left this place on saturday last on board the steam boat Wacousta bound to St. Louis from thence He will go farther up the river and probably into the interior of the Territory of Iowa. Our calculation is for him to buy a tract of land there or should He fail in that as soon as the winter sets in He will most likely go down to New Orleans and from thence to the republic of Texas. I have for some time past known but little of a country life being closely confined to the City but from [any?] information I can gather the farmers in this country are by far the happiest and most independent part of the community. And as I know you would wish to know something of the new countries, those to which the principal emigration is now progressing, are the states of Illinois Missouri Arkansaw [Arkansas?] together with the territories of Wisconsin & Iowa & last though not least the new & thriving Republic of Texas. The price of Land in this country is fixed by government at one dollar and a quarter [per?] acre, but in addition a stranger going to a new country has to pay the squatter for His right the price of which vary according to the location and improvements (if any), to explain this I may say that these adventurers or what we call squatters go back into the new countries and settle upon a tract of [Page 2] land and live principally by hunting, then when the land comes to be sold by government orders, they having the preemption [pre-emption?] rights (if they wish) can get the land by paying $1.25 [per?] acre in preference to all others, but often the squatters not wishing to keep the land or probably not being able to pay for all they have claimed, sell their right of one portion to enable them to pay for the other [&?] sometimes sell all and go farther back and squat in another track &c [etc.?] but to return to the new states, Illinois is a free state as so will Iowa when it becomes a state (all new territories are admitted to the Union as soon as they contain a certain population.) Missouri is a slave state and therefore those emigrating to it are chiefly from Virginia and some others of the old slave states with some french and spaniards &c [etc.?]. Those going to Illinois are from the eastern States with many [-------?] Irish &c [etc.?] so with Iowa, this like many other names in this country is of Indian origin and means in our language Home or sweet home. Texas is a vast extent of country adjoining the United States it was formerly under the government of Mexico but the inhabitants revolted and after many bloody conflicts have declared Independence and formed a constitution similar to that of the U.S., every male migrant to this country (conforming to the constitution) receive a portion of the public land Gratis. Your OConnell has made a bold effort in the British House against consenting to the independence of this republic, but had it not been taken from a Popish Government He would likely have kept silent on the subject slave system and all. [Page 3] I recd [received?] a letter from John Arnold on Saturday last just in time for John to see it before He started (they are all well). My health as well as Johns has been extremely good since we left you neither of us being confined one day for a short time last spring I was rather delicate at which time I took a trip to Cincinnati, Ohio since which I have been perfectly healthy. James Dixon is married. He and his Brother and their wives with Mr and Mrs McKee who came out last season are all living in Pittsburgh. Isabella Ringland is in Philadelphia and Abram [Abraham?] still in his old situation with Myers, I send you some of this country Newspapers from which you will see some of the divisions amongst us in politics &c [etc.?] Here the two great parties are one who calls themselves Whigs and calling the opposite party Loco- focus of course we belong to the Locos in Pennsylvania and many parts of the [missing] the great division is Mason and Antimason and in many parts [missing] Abolitionists (of which I could be willingly one in number but that would be folly in Kentucky) are setting up opposition to the slave system (I heartily wish them success as I am assured slaves are a curse to any country although the peoples here place great store by them and think they are their principal wealth a young lady here if she is possession of a few negroes she is thought not common but rather above the ordinary class though in my estimation being raised with those negro attendants is the very thing that renders her worthless, so much for the Maiden of Kentucky whilst the Ladies of the sister states Indiana or Ohio only separated by the Ohio River have by good healthful exercise working with their own hands acquired a far more [Written perpendicularly across previous writing] healthy [----?] and appearance and are [missing] [-----?] with [faded] industry with well worth the slave holding better with all her [----?] of Africans. I wish you to write as soon as this comes to hand as most likely it is the last letter you will ever have to direct to Louisville. My engagement here which [----?] $25 [per?] month will be up on the first of April next at which time I intend to leave unless I get a liberal advance in salary or something else unknown may occur. I would therefore wish to hear from you before that time expires and I shall again write to you as soon as I can give you any information concerning the success John may have in his voyage or where he may have settled as he will write to me as soon as he can give me any satisfaction. I board [and?] Lodge with the family of James McCrum so did my Brother until within a month or so of his leaving us. The times are rather worse here than some time ago as was expected for some time the Banks have again stopped paying [-------?] for any of their notes they had suspended some time before we landed in this country and again resumed some time after I came to Louisville and have this day for the first again refused to redeem their notes. [Written perpendicularly across Page 2] There are in this city several churches two Episcopal three Presbyterian to the first of which I belong Mr L. Breckennedge is our minister last summer they built a splendid new church so did the Episcopalians there and also Methodists Baptists and many others yes it would take a volume to describe all the different Religious denominations in this City. Although I verify [-------?] not more than two thirds of the population attend any church or religion at all. Hoping this may [faded] find you and all my enquiring friends well as it now leaves me and wishing to hear from you soon as convenient. I remain Your distant Son Henry Neill |
