To:
       Daddie, Bruthurs, Susters, all our People, nebor and frunds
From:
       Sarah McClendon, wife of Benjamin - Henderson Co., Ky.
Date:
       Sunday April 1797
Letter:

Dear Mother, Daddie, Bruthurs, Susters, all our People, nebors and frunds -
       We was surprised and thankful, when Preacher Hobson located vur little bilage and brought us yor leters and from Benjamin people. We red and rered and let all the pepople here red them. I was worred about Daddie sou glade the boys toke his worke over and had a good ductor. It is a lounge way hear to get a ductor. Preachur Hobson gave and renewed the word of salvation to us. He is pretching ever night here. Benjamin had bilt a circle for us to have church and covered it with timber, our new log church is almost done. The nebors and al are splitting logs, putting legs on for benches, all are getting animal skins dried to cover them with making animal oil lamps - Preacher Lambast left a bible, it is in alter of church on the pulpit, covered with skin.

Saturdaey

       We are getting cloth spined to cover it. It is center of our litle vilage. Kiut worreng bout us not havin plenty to eat. We hade boiled wild geese, wild plum puddin, wild cherry perserves, corn bred, cracked hominy, wild greens, roaster deer, dandelions, beaten white bred, goseberry purserves made with honey, hog meat, milk, butter, kottage, cheze, gravy, mushrons. All this wild food is better than what you others have, popcorn, lots of other things we are healthier. We never go hungry. I never want for help. Benjamin is good to me, he still calls me Love, and I have a surprise now do not worry bout me. I am in the family way with my first baby, Benjamin say it makes him love me more, but I do not see how he could love me more. He said we will name him William that is a name in both our family. I never was in better health in allmy life - my mid-wife Nancy is watching over me as all and they are happy for us. No women in our clan everdie when they have a baby and I have walked and lived with God, so has Benjamin and we want this baby.

Monday

       We are well fixed for the cold weather and are well guarded from the wilds of our country. We like here. We live, love, pray, work together.

Friday

       We have plenty warm clothes, We are progressing. Back home l know you have more in livirg than we do - but back there it started like we are here. Preacher Hobson is hear third time, he will stay here and marry Kanny Crampfell. She is getting her dress spined and will color it with berry and we will have a big weddin for them. The men and negroes are rushing to get there 2 room ready. Benjamin gave the land. We are nebors dividing our furniture.and everything. She is a pretty girl. We are giving her Fanny - 14 years old and she can tran her to help. We want them to stay and preech hear and he will teech the youngins, soon our little William will be big to go. Mary is still with me. Benjamin is a good man, like my Daddie and Bruthers. I wood like to come back and we plan to some. You and Daddie ought to come here , they are making board boats now and could cume on them to Illinoisy. Benjamin has a fast, fat, fine steeds and will come and meat you. You wood like hear - not many sins here. I no all the youngins of you all are in school and hope all got nough money to pay for hime and live now alright. You all could help more people there like we do and feel better.

       Each day I rite a little more and am trying to rite all I no so if some one get out this way I can sent it. Benjamin sends his love, not to worrie about us, when we get our family will bring back home to see you. If you here about the pirates coming round hear forget it. We love God and know he will be with us. Rok is here and sees after us. Poore Old Jim Smucker that come with us, got awful sick and died. Preech Hobson said the last rites. Mary has five of,his children. Henry Upp is going to marry her, his wife Nancy died and he has her two boys. Both of them need each outher and he is a good working man. How did John little boy Billy get, does he still have the thisis or has he lost it. I pray for him as I do all of you. I love you all. I know you hated for us to leave but we never wish we had not. Sometime it was hard but we made it, all of us together and we wood not have it any other way. People tels it is worse than it is, They have not ben hear and don’t know. We dry wild apples flavor better, crab apple purseves with honey -blackberry Jam, butter, hot bred, just like you have, wild rice all this wild flavor better than when you tame it. I hope you all will keep the negro to help you. You are getting older, we all want you and Daddie stay hear long time til God see fit to take you from us. I hope to do the same for mine, but what a loving sweet memory you will leave us. Tell Uncle Watch, Aunt Marry and everybody helo and I know they are still praying for us. Benjamin with his long bread and me still love you all. Will add to this -

Thursday

Yesterday the sun shined all are getting ready for spring work today a howling cold wind but the trees keep part of it away. The men all have a blacksmith shop, when cold cold they get in it swap tales of old, some make brew or wild peach brandy, some get too much but what can you do about it but Benjamin do not. We all like peach brandy seasoned with honey. I tell you this wild taste is a better taste - a beter for your health reason we are healthy here. We had lots of deep snow - we cut ice off creek and had wild grass piled up to covered the ice to make ice cream when it get hot. Nothing healthy more the creek runned all time with clear water. I wish you all could see this spring. It runs as far as you can see cutting the ditch wide and deep. Benjamin a nd the men are piling up big rocks and will put them inside the spring, make a wall, they will dig it deeper. It is pretty here, they take the pepperming put it in candy. Mary makes soap and puts wild roses in it, it makes you smell good. We have about what you have we eet it a different way. Preacher Lampkin brought us some champhor and fedita, we divide, Rok and the Indians showed us what weeds to make medicine from with help of old Ductor Burdon that come with us, before he died - Sam Crumbream it all from him so when we get sick and can not see Ductor Rankin we get Ductor Sam. We buried Ductor Burdon and when Preecher Hobson come he said the rites a lots of pretty things about him. Soem time the hail and sleet gets so thick and heavy on the tree limbs they bend, bend and creak, til they break off, it is kind of a music sound, when spring opens up the mean chop them up, that is one way God helps us, sometime he send the deer and buffalo by so we can have meet when the snow is awful deep, he send the snow bird to chirp to us with the hail covered trees swaying crackling poping with music, the bright sun coming up through the tree tops no place but heaven could be prettyr than this, the eagle and birds flying or setting in the tree tops with there music wabbles, just come and enjoy a while what we live with the year rond in God Country where peach and sin is littler. Will ad to this.

       We Was glad everbodie rote a little and sent in your letter, that tell us they still love us.

       Each day I rite a little more and am trying to rite all I no so if some one get out this way I can sent it. Benjamin sends his love, not to worrie about us, when we get our family will bring back home to see you. If you here about the pirates coming round hear forget it. We love God and know he will be with us. Rok is here and sees after us. Poore Old Jim Smucker that come with us, got awful sick and died. Preech Hobson said the last rites. Mary has five of,his children. Henry Upp is going to marry her, his wife Nancy died and he has her two boys. Both of them need each outher and he is a good working man. How did John little boy Billy get, does he still have the thisis or has he lost it. I pray for him as I do all of you. I love you all. I know you hated for us to leave but we never wish we had not. Sometime it was hard but we made it, all of us together and we wood not have it any other way. People tels it is worse than it is, They have not ben hear and don’t know. We dry wild apples flavor better, crab apple purseves with honey -blackberry Jam, butter, hot bred, just like you have, wild rice all this wild flavor better than when you tame it. I hope you all will keep the negro to help you. You are getting older, we all want you and Daddie stay hear long time til God see fit to take you from us. I hope to do the same for mine, but what a loving sweet memory you will leave us. Tell Uncle Watch, Aunt Marry and everybody helo and I know they are still praying for us. Benjamin with his long bread and me still love you all. Will add to this -

       We Was glad everbodie rote a little and sent in your letter, that tell us they still love us.

Note:
       Found in Hugh B. Chandler’s file. His wife Sallie was grand-daughter of Sarah (Sallie) McClendon.) The McClendon letter’s are from research of Ora B. Chandler.