| Title: | Matilda Bell, Lexington, U.S.A., to "My Dear Richard". |
|---|---|
| ID | 2447 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Shaw Bell, Matilda/18 |
| Year | 1853 |
| Sender | Shaw Bell, Matilda |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Lexington, Mississippi, USA |
| Destination | Ireland? |
| Recipient | Richard |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | Donated by Mr. W. Shaw, 4 Coolreaghs Rd, Cookstown. Transcribed by Ruth-Ann Harris, Brookline, U.S.A. |
| Archive | Ulster American Folk Park. |
| Doc. No. | 9702278 |
| Date | 10/06/1853 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 24:02:97. |
| Word Count | 934 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Lexington, [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 |
