Wife’s Letter Follows A Man Of God
or
“Benj. Moore Was In The Yard Whipping Negros”
~ 1852 ~

Perry County, Alabama
Copyright © 1997, Frederick Smoot. All Rights Reserved.

Perry County Alabama 
cover.

US 3 cents Scott # 11 tied by Black Circular Postmark: Marion Ala Oct,
and US 3 cents Scott # 10 tied by Black Circular Postmark:
Chattanooga Ten Oct 21

Addressee: Revd, T. F. Curtis, Care of Col. Reese B. Brabsor, Chattanooga E. Tenn ,
and:
Athens Ala , and ms: Ford (forward).

No 14.
Marion Oct 10th 1852
My very dear love.
        I have at length received your two letters one of the 24th Russleville the other from R & Nashville 28th & 30 th. I can not tell you how relived and happy they made me feel. They both came together on the 8th. These posts are wretched. I am truly grieved that you have failed to receive mine for I know how anxious you must have been. I hope before this, you have got quite a bundle of them, for I have written three times every week since I parted from thee. ---- The children are pretty well ---- Rest, I think much better than he had been for some time - his appetite and spirits very much improved, every symptom of dysentery is gone.
His dear little Smiling sister is well too, but has lost her nail for the third time. On Friday night a letter came from your brother William to say that perhaps he had better not have written, (this letter which I copied for you in my last but one), to ask you not to allude to his having done so, as he has not thought best to mention it, says that your Father is writing for you to come and see them about it all, and adds, “do if you possibly can, and if possible, immediately.” ---- A letter from you came by last night's mail saying that a line or two of your last concurs undesignedly [?] with some conversation between W. & himself, so that he would be glad if you could come either meet him at Augusta or come to Limestone early in Nov. or as early as you please. He says “If time is important & you would wish to return by your State Convention, I would meet you at Augusta any time you will fix, giving me sufficient notice between now and then. If you cannot come until after the Convention, the meeting, I believe, must be here for it is about impossible for me to leave the accounts of that period. Without thy mind, will I do nothing, but if I did not think that a plan William has proposed might eventuate on full discussion in your permanent good, and satisfactorily to al parties ---- I would ask you to come & discuss it. It is fully important enough for this, I think. Letters cannot convey all one's impressions of such a matter. Give me a reply soon as possible”. Have again copied the Cuti_ [?] letter. ---- Those are the only letters since I last wrote except Reports which with the other Board letters I will send to Hornbuckle as you desire. ---- On Friday, Mr Goodhue called here with a dispatch from Mr Garnsey Bangor ---- directed to Mr Brooks or any of the Howard Professors & saying “we are much alarmed at hearing nothing from S. Garnsey, Jr. since July.” I told M r. Goodhue we had a letter from him dated the 25th when he was in Merdisville & will he said he would write to his father to say so and send the Telegraph message to the young man. Is it not a strange affai r? Mr. Melcher called on me yesterday, nearly broken hearted at having left his wife in the North for a year. ---- He just got home Saturday to commence school Monday. Poor fellow, he has a good heart.----
        I went to church this morning, when I had been home about ¼ hours Margaret came tearing in to say that Benj. Moore was in the yard whipping Negros - I went instantly to the window but he had gone ---- Bob came up in a few minutes to tell me that his father and two or three others were in his house having come to see him its being Sunday, that they were quietly seated talking, when Mr. Moore came in, asked Bob what they were doing there, said he would not have it, sent Jim back to the house for the cowhide and whipped every one of them, also desired to render Bob the same service but Bob declined. - Poor fellow, he was sadly cut up about it, and I feel very uncomfortable to have had such a thing on our lot. Can it be right or law or anything else to punish a father for visiting his child on Sunday? Bob has been so attentive and respectful too, ever since you went away. ---- I must close or this will not go out to night. ---- Good bye my own dearest love ---- let me know the expected time when you will be with your own dear
Annie T. Curtis.

Notes:
The above letter was purchased out of a group of letters of the same correspondence. At that time, I purchased a second letter (illustration below) from this group, a letter sent from Philadelphia PA, 1852, to the Revd. Thos F. Curtis in Marion, Perry County, Alabama. It starts: “My dear Children . . .” It is very religious in subject matter. The letter ends: “Your affectionate Father, Resh Fenner” Could this be the father of Annie T. Curtis?

Perry 
County Alabama cover.

From the Collection of Fred Smoot
Provenance: Ralph Steinkellner (now decd.), Dealer. 1978



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