Robey Family

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Mary Graves to Elizabeth Robey, 1854

Note: Mary Graves is a daughter of Hubbard and Cynthia Robey Graves, and granddaughter of William and Mary Collins Robey. She is writing to her aunt Elizabeth, identified as Elizabeth Robey. A note says she was Mrs. Francis Asbury Robey, but I question that, since her name was Annie Solemnia, not Elizabeth. This is probably Elizabeth Jemima Robey Harrell, wife of John Harrell and daughter of William and Mary Robey, but Elizabeth was already married to John Harrell by 1854, the year of the letter; hence the confusion. Every effort was made to preserve the punctuation, spelling, and grammar of the original. This letter is courtesy of Mrs. Jane King Fohn. R. Campbell, Ed.

Oct. 15, 1854
Stephenson county, Illinois

Dear Aunt Elizabeth,
I have seated myself on purpose to write to you and shall endeavor to finish it as there is a letter by my side partially wrote two months ago; but I guess you never received it as it has never left my trunk long enough to find you. Our folks have gon to meeting; i.e., Mother, Clara, Lora, Willy, Caroline & Martha; they went over to Uncle [?] last night and will return this evening. As for Charles, no telling where he is for he scouts about so much that his sisters never know where he is. I believe I have mentioned all but Father & I. We have been sick for the last week. I feel much better today, but Father will be quite sick tomorrow, as he has the ague every other day. I hope he will get it broken up before it reduces him very much. I have not been very well this fall & have been pretty hard to work spinning for a few weeks, racing with Caroline. You must believe me, our wheels did burn; but she has held out the longest & consequently has the largest pile of yarn. I hope I shall be able to go to work in the morning to finish the task we so much abhor. My school has been out 2 weeks, and I have been off on quite a visit for me. I dismissed my school two weeks sooner in order to go. [Leroy?] Wait came from Chicago. He visited a week with us & then coaxed us to go with him up into Wisconsin. There was a party of six ladies --gentlemen went on the trip in two carriages. We went to see some of our friends near Madison, the Capitol of the state. We found them well and they seemed glad to see us. We visited the Capitol, having two other young ladies in company. We ascended the building to its highest parts; inscribed our names up there; and a fine view of the lakes, the trees, the buildings, the scenery around on every had which was bery beautiful, & then descended to the lower part of the House, visited several rooms, among others the Executive Office; had a pleasant chat with the Governor who quite willing to entertain us. He explained some of the splendid drawings, & the nice specimens of Wisconsin minerals, & showed us many things which were interesting. I guess He thought me a little impudent as he talked more to me, asking me some questions that I did not feel disposed to answer. I can hardly tell how I did manage, but I did not tell him who I was or where from. But we soon retired & thought to visit the museum, but the keeper was away. We went back to our hotel where we were well treated much better than we deserved for they understood us to be a wedding party, & we held out the idea so well that we succeeded finely. We started back for Cousin Johnson's (Oregon) the distance of 10 miles, & stayed all night. Next day went to another village (Stoughton) to see more friends (Ophelia Davis); found them well & friendly as ever. Some of the men worked in a mill (flour), so we went and paid them a call; went from top to bottom of the mill, talked & laughed pretty loud so as to be heard, [WORD] all weighed on [1-2 WORDS]; went up to the depot, saw the cars come in and out, took supper with relations; started back for Mr. Johnsons pretty well fagged. The next morning we started for home. stayed in Monroe all night with Mr. [?]. Found them well but they did not know us at first sight. Rebecca with her family happened to be there. She looks quite natural. She says [Robey?] Moore has been very sick this summer; they think he is consumptive & will not long survive his suffering. Mrs. Moore looks very pale; and sadly repining the loss of her daughter who died a year ago. They were down to see us last summer with [Nelly?] Moore and her husband Mr. Truett. On Mr. Truet's return home, the train ran over a flock of sheep killing 40 but hurting the passengers not at all. It pleased me to hear Mr. Moore laugh about it. He thought there must have been abundant mutton there for somebody. His time for Sheriff will be out next winter, when they will return to their farm. Uncle Jack (for that sounds best) told me the number of his grandchildren which amount to 16: Rebecca 5, [NAME?] 6, [NAME?] 3, Jackson 2,--which he calls a jolly mess of children. Mr. Chambers talks of visiting Texas soon on account of ill health. I think some of our folks will get started for there this fall, if nothing happens in the way. If Uncle Levi goes, Mother will go with him & Father will stay with us. But if Uncle does not go he will, for he is anxious to get the family home. Uncle Wads were up a short time ago; they told mother to be sure & go, and they would come next fall without fail; but whether they will or not, I cannot tell.

Well, to be sure, my sheet is full, and I have not told half I intended to. I wish I had taken a larger sheet, but now I will splice this so it will be worth three cents to read if it can be read. I hope my being sick will excuse this scribbling,--and too, father's pen ain't worth a cent.

[Rest of letter lost.]