| Title: | [Joseph Witherow?], Louisiana to Rev John Witherow, Co. Derry. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3390 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Witherow, Joseph/26 |
| Year | 1867 |
| Sender | Witherow, Joseph |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | former soldier at Am. Civil War |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Milliken's Bend, Louisiana, USA |
| Destination | Co. Derry, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Rev John Witherow |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | T 3631/1: Photocopied by Courtesy of Mrs W. Shannon. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9405010 |
| Date | 03/12/1867 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 27:04:1994. |
| Word Count | 871 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Millikins [Milliken?] Bend La [Louisania?] Dec 3rd 1867 U.S. America Revd John Witherow Dear Cousin after a [lengthened?] Period of time from hearing from any of my relations I once more take up my Pen to write you a few lines trusting to God that those few lines will reach reach [sic] in due time as I am very anxious to hear from you all once more. I have wrote several letters to Uncle George & never got no answer. It seems to me that he does not think it worth his notice to make me any reply but if he got those letters and did not answer them I have no more to say on that subject but I now ask you as a Cousin with the greates [greatest?] of gratitude towards you to please answer those few lines and give me all the information you can how all my relations is getting along and all my friends and all the old neighbours that you know I would be glad to hear from for I am not one of those persons where out of sight out of mind. I allways [always?] bear a friendly feeling towards all my relations and all my friends and particular [particularly?] to my old comorade [comrade?] Robt [Robert?] Robinson please give my kindest respects to him and all the family remember me to Eliza and let me know how Mr & Mrs Robinson is or what is become of them all I understand the [there?] are a great many changes about home since I left from Mr Miller, Mary [Ann Kanes?] husband but he could not tell me much about Galleney [Gallany?] or Aughlish he is here at presant [present?] he has been staying with me pretty much ever since he come over he is not in very good health at presant [present?] he has Chills & Fever he has spent all of his money and no [?] of getting any more without by hard work & if he was able to do hard work as he is not it would be mighty hard to get it [as there are?] no money in the county nor no business a doing so I think it would be but right John Ramsey & John [?] would send him some money to take him home again for Cousin Ramsey's Estate is worth nothing at presant [present?] It would not pay [the first?] debt that is against it at [this time?] and it is hard telling if ever it will be able to pay the debt for this country is compleetly [completely?] broke up since the war and every year it is getting worse. Cousin Robt's [Robert's?] Estate [owes me?] upwards of nine thousand Dollars I never expect to get the one third of it I never received a cent from it yet his [land?] is lying here waste no man would take it and pay the [taxes?] on it the [there?] are a large amt [amount?] of Levee serifs [serfs?] here but it is not worth one cent on the Dollar before the war it was worth Dollar for Dollar in the way the Estat [Estate?] stands in at presant [present?] there is no man would advance one hundred Dollars on the whole Estate I have wrote this home several times before but [?] Miller tells me the [there?] never was any of my letters seen and he says if the [they?] had been seen the [they?] would not been believed If I was to write all I know about the matter it would take two or three sheets of paper to hold it all [but?] if you answer this letter the next letter I write I will give you the whole details of it Mr Miller is getting the matter [-i-ed?] up if ever the Estate will be worth any thing that it will not be lost [?] and has [?] in his power for those that perhaps is happy at home I know the [they?] are a [good?] deal happier than he is he has lost heart a good deal to think that he has had his [journey?] all for nothing and is now here without any money and his family at home all I say I am sorry for him but is not able to help him any for the day that we surendered [surrendered?] to go home from the army I was left without anything but the suit of clothes and it half worn that was on my back I had plenty of confederate money but as soon as we surendered [surrendered?] it was no acct [account?] one hundered [hundred?] thousand Dollars of it would not buy one [?] [victuals?] I had to beg my way to an old friend's Mr [Wat--?] and thank God I can make a living ever since but that is all I would not stay in this country only I think it hard to leave what I had [?] before the war for if any one [?] [?] money out of it I will the law will for the [they?] alow [allow?] it to me so give my Respts [Respects?] to Uncle George, Aunt Isabella and all the children in Particular [little George?] also to [?] Mary Ann & all the family |
