BARRETT FAMILY BRANCHES
Following is a letter that David wrote to his father in law about the trip and the land that he settled at when he took his family to Tennessee. It was sent to me by Karen Hett, a leading Barrett researcher. This letter has also been published in a Whitten descendant's book called "Letters to Rebecca". Letters like these are so important, they enable us to get to know the ancestor we are researching. Please enjoy!
April 9th 1826 Fayette County Western District State of Tennessee
North Fork of Wolf River near the head half way between Browns Ferry on Tennessee River and Chickasaw Bluffs on the Mississippi distance from the one to the other 125 miles
Dear Father,
We landed here on the 6th day of March last & are all in good health Betsey excepted and I think she is in general better than she was in South Carolina Tho she frets a good eal about you all and the distance She is expected to be (I will: scratched through) to be shure this Country is not without its failings they are these, I do not like the general chance of water I do not like the comman creaks they sink too much tho I think the cause is from the Vast looseness of the earth as a proof of my oppinion wells will not do without Walling imediately after or before done digging for caving in also the Surface of the earth is to loose You may track almost ant animal where the woods is Burnt. Springs also are Tolerable Scarce & they all boiling ones tho good water & it free stone also in places. Timber & Rock Very scarce I think these are the Principal falts I have to this country & as to the advantages are these Good Land is tolerable plenty Peraries thought to be the best as to summer range I cannot make you Sensible of the appeance of that except you had been acquainted with Such countries the grass now a great deal of it & weeds are half to high I do not know how high it will get I am told people can Save as much hay as they pleaseany where in the Woods the comman Land I am bound to believe is good for 1000 lbs of Cotton & acre my reasons are the Sight of the old Stalks & the peoples Word Corn from 8 to 13 Barrels & acre There has been Small experiments on small grain & they are promiseing Markets are Plenty & convenient Steam boats run almost all round us & keel boats come within 12 miles on two Directions & I have Settled as Fair from Market as I could git on the dividing ridge & within 7 or 8 miles of the Indian line on the south the beatifulest Country I ever saw (page 2 starts) I will now give you some of our difficulties in getting hear we took water in East tennessee on the 18th day of december last & left Browns Ferry on the 24th of february following & I believe I can safely say I was never well one day (after the first week) untill we landed hear and in fact Betsey was down most of the time & always some of the children Lucy I believe stood it best of any I worse than all We had Very Disagreeable companions in the boat with us they were of this new Sect cald Cumberland Presbyterians & I must confess I got tired of them & their religion --- When we landed we had then to come by Land 65 miles & that took us till 6th of March all sick & traveld slow but thank the Lord I never have Saw my family as hearty Since I have had one Tho bad coalds are Very prevalent in this & the adjoining Countries There is another Misfortune attends this country at the preasant tho I hope it Will not last Very long corn is Scarce at one Dollar per Bushal & Cash also tho Mills plenty near us Bacon plenty at the Chicksaw Bluffs at 6 cents Flower at $4 Corn at 50 CS KC which as before Stated is about 60 miles from us Gallatin has been there Since we landed here with my waggon & brought me what Bacon I wanted & a barrel of flour I also bought a Cow at Browns Ferry & drove her here & when we landed the grass was so good we never fed her any more & she now gives as much milk as we all can eat Say Three gallons a day besides sporting her calf The time for Spaculation in land is pretty well over in this Country to make a fortune quick as a heap had done Tho Vast quanity of Vacant Land here Yet there is great Stur among the new Settlers about occupent claims the occupent is entitled to 200 acres of Land if he is living on it the first day of May or any quantity under at 50 cts & acre & has till the first of July to pay & have his land run out others has after July to give $1 & acre for all Vacant land he takes up I have bought & am living on occupent claim Which if I can Save I Shall be I think Well Satisfied I think I have it 40 or 50 acres of as good land is common I do not expect to try to Save more than about 75 acres tho cash is Scarce as well as corn & I do not know how it will be----- Page 3 starts
There is no person except by expearance Knows the expence and trouble attending so great a Journey with a family & to be Scarce of money tho poor people has always to labour under disadvantages --
The Religion of this country appears to be going on by forces of arms Cumberland presbeterians and Methodist are vying which can be most powerful & I fear Poppularity is what most of them are after there is also a new kind of Baptist caled United Baptist I am not much acquainted with them & I believe I do not want to be--- Then there is Regular Baptist enough in this purchase to form an association called the Forked-deer association tho none about us there is but one man & his wife that are regular baptist any where in my acquaintance & they live in sight of us we both Bring water out of one Spring & I would not risk them in a swap for any Strangers tho we appear to have a wonderful good neighbors Esqr. John Reagan lives in about one mile of us and his Children are Settled all about him he is a son of old Charles Reagan he is well settled -- Betsey wants me to write Something about the Children & in particular the little girls I cannot tell what to write they are as hearty as you ever saw them & are full of gab & growes like little pigs While we was at Brown ferry lying there was Six Steam boats past us at Waterloo Betsey went in & explored it I was not able to go in with her She gives a great account of the inside the Children was mighty pleasd at the sight & motion of them We got our Dog Taylor Drownd While coming down the River by the fool conduct of the man in com I expect to git in about 8 acres in Corn cleard Sence I come har I have begun to Plow & have got about half Rails to fence it no chance of hiring done it all my Self as gallatin has been gone two trips I had to send him to Browns ferry after part of our things him & his mother went me & John stayed at home & workd as we have to make every edge cut that can I expect to take up a school the first of July for 8 months necessity drew me to it as I could do better to improve my place we are living in a 14 feet cabbin on the dirt without a chimney cook out of doors no time to get pencheons to lay the floor & the house too small far to have chimney Excuse my flying about on So many subjects if I could See you I could tell you I think for a month & if I quire of Paper was in one place I could fill it. When you write direct your letter to Summerville in Fayette--)D Barrett
) &
) E Barett
Letter postmarked: Wolf River Tennessee April 26
Addressed to John Whitton Esqr.
Greenville District, South Carolina
Greenville C.H.
The letter evidently was accepted for posting in Fayette Co., Tennesse on "this the 23rd May 1826"