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Dear Brother,
       Yours of the 11th Inst was duly received and was most gratified upon the perusal of it to find that you and your family are in the Possession of Good Health and with the fair prospect of a good crop. But in return I am sorry that I cannot say that.
       Our Country for twenty miles around will not for this season produce more than half a crop for really to speak candid the Corn crop will not be sufficent to produce enough Bread Stuff were it not for the crops of wheat oats and rye the people of our country would have to suffer for food in the ensuing year. But God in his providence we can live without suffering. We have had no rain of consequence for the before mentioned boundary for three months and very little this spring.
       When I received Yours I was engaged in Invoicing Our Stock of goods. I have sold my half of the Stock to Mr. Holderman at cost and payable in 12 months for $830. 97. I am now Drawing a list of Balances of Accounts & Notes due the firm and I think it will be about $5500.00 not less out of which we owe $3800.00. My business now is to settle all the unsettled business of the concern. I am now closing all accounts with all possible speed. I have a young man employed every day and I expect it will take him and myself nearly two months to get our Accts closed with all possible Speed. If I am successful in closing our business I shall purchase a Stock of goods for myself alone some time in Oct. A Mr. T. Burns will buy them for me as he is going east and will buy them in time to save me the Expenses. I am getting tired of a partnership business unless I could form one with Such a man as my first partner a Mr. Brown. A perfect gentleman and one who knows what he about doing business. Not but that I have made money with my last partner, but it was with Great Difficulty. I had all the business to do myself with the Young man we had together. But the most Difficult matter was his Obstancy in Yielding to suggestion or Propositions. I would be most pleased to visit your country but as my business is so pressing I must attend to it.
       William H. Kidd has just returned from his fathers and says all are well and doing well. William is getting a fine education in his school in George Town. He will leave for George Town in a few days and does not expect to return for something like Three years. Our little town is one of the most moral (?) places you can imagine. And I would be most gratified if you and Sister Martha would let the people of Hodgenville think that you care for your Unworthy Brother & Wife by making them a visit and Getting Acquainted with my friends. These lines leaves us all in town well and trust that you and yours are the same and enjoying the same estimable Gift of Kind providence at the same time enclosing our best respects to you and all inquiering friends.



Dear Brother,
       A considerable has lapsed since I have seen or heard from you and being myself overwhelmed with an--- in business have been consequently been prevented from writing sooner. But now from the pressure of hard times and the uncertainty of financial matters my mind is not collected enough to Communicate even what I would wish. I an nearer out of debt by 3/4 than at any time in my life since my engaging in the Mercantile business, and have a Considerable sum owing to me than at any other time.
       But such is the fact that from Every days experience I am convinced that unless a Change shall take place to prevent the sacrifice of property, and the advantage resulting in many taking the Bankrupt benefit that dealers shall in general will be the poorest people in all Creation. I have been doing a regular business now for nearly nine years and have not at anytime seen such a time as the present.
       Could I but collect all due me I could rest at ease. But unless times shall change I shall lose half my nine years earnings. I have been greatly in hopes for the last two or three years that I would be able to in a short time to wind up and retire to the country on a farm so I could spend the remnant of my days in peace and released from all our small debts.
       I hope that times with you are better and if so I hope you will not think it hard to spend in defraying your expenses from your house to mine. As I have plenty to eat but no money, I hope you will find this cause a reasonable one and will meet with your approval. Nothing would be more consoling to my feelings & those of my wife than to spend three or four weeks in our Country as she has never seen you and sister Martha. I feel more anxious on her account . But as before stated it would be a considerable relief for you and Sister to see us and besides it would be more convenient as you have no small children to pester and here we have three little fellows. The youngest is two weeks old last Thursday, my oldest a Daughter, the next a son and youngest a Daughter. Their names are 1st Virginia Stuart, 2nd Robert Tinsley, and the 3rd Mary Brookes. I can safely say they are the finest looking children I ever saw. Chois (?) has been writing to me to come down and look at his fine Stock. This I can not dispute as I have not seen the stock. But one thing I know is that if they are fine they have sprung from a scrub breed & and further nature teaches me that by going to Greensburg when I was in your Country last I did everything I could to influence him to move to your neighborhood and he told me that he planned to do soand I suppose he concluded that he would do as well where he was. But I think not and have been trying to get him to move to this place, as I think his business would be very good here and his expenses would not be more than half what they would be in Greensburg. I could have written a more interesting letter if I was living a neighborhood with which you were aquainted, but as I am not I cannot tell you any of those things that generally fill the pages of a letter in such places.
       I must conclude by inserting all the love of my wife. For myself, my best wishes for prosperity [?] and finally true happiness.



Dear Brother,
       It seems from your ---- ---that Theresa is in your way at your home. I wrote sometime ago that I thought she should return to Uncle Thomases. I understand that you would not take her there. You told me that you would or I should not have requested it. But so far as her welfare is concerned you are under equal obligation as me. It was to you that I made request for her a home. And you sent and took her away. It is not right for me to be blamed for her being in the way of another. If you do feel that you should be under no obligation yourself & feel that it rests on me you have but to return her from whence you took her and my word for it I will do the bst I can. I would rather talk to you on this subject but have no time to come to see you.

Note:
       By 1849, Patrick T. Young had moved to Poplar Springs in Montgomery Co.,Tennessee where he appears on the 1850 census of Montgomery Co. It lists two more children born since the above letter was written. They are John B., born ca 1843 William, born ca 1845. Both were born in KY. Mary Brooks is not listed on 1850 census.