The following letter was written by William Worth Ulmer to his sister 
Catherine Salena Ann McCleskey, who lived in Texas.  W.W. Ulmer was a 
Justice of the Peace from Owen Township, and married Nancy Elrod, 
daughter of Abraham ELROD, Jr.  All of these families settled in Saline 
County, Arkansas in the early 1850's.

W.W. mentions news of some of his wife's family dying.  Old man ELROD's 
wife who died may have been Abraham Jr.s wife, W.W.'s mother-in-law.  
Jesse ELROD was evidently one of Nancy's first cousins.

Mention is made of a Charlie ULMER.  He was the son of James Veazy ULMER, 
brother of W.W. Ulmer, who died during the Civil War.

W.W. then talks about some of his family: William 'John Wesley Ulmer who 
married Elmina Kesterson, Taylor Ulmer, and James Ulmer.  James was 
traveling and wrote of this to W.W.  He mentioned that he was going to 
Levi Dodd's.  Levi was the uncle of David O. Dodd and the father of Emily 
Dodd who married James V. Ulmer.  James V. Ulmer was James' uncle.  Levi 
was the grandfather and guardian of Charlie Ulmer.

W.W. then mentioned Polly's children.  Polly was W.W.'s sister Mary 'Polly 
Thirza Ulmer, who also married a brother of her sister's husband, David M. 
McCleskey.

The Uncle Dow mentioned was the brother of W.W.'s mother, Thirza (Wood) 
Ulmer.  His name was Lorenzo Dow Wood.

Uncle George Elrod was Nancy ELROD Ulmer's uncle.  James ELROD was his son.
Uncle John is apparently Nancy's other uncle.  Nancy's first cousin, Jane, 
who was the daughter of Uncle John, married Harrison McCrary.  The 
altercation between James ELROD and Taylor Mcrary was a family squabble 
since they were first cousins.

The letter is printed just as it was preserved. 
Even though some of the spelling is incorrect, some of the words usd by 
W.W. Ulmer show an education beyond that was the average person of Saline 
County in the 1870's.  This no doubt resulted in his position as J.P. and 
the confidence in his ability to take care of business matters for his 
neighbors.



Ark Saline County
July the 1, 1877
			Dear Brother and Sister
I once more rite you a few lines     leaves all in common health.
There is some sickness in the county and look for a sickly season
as it has been very wet up to this time.  We have had the most
heavy rains I ever saw in June which retarded the farmer in his
work very much.  Crops look verry well where they hafe been
worked.  They are generally in a bad condition.  I rote you a
verry lengthy letter in febuary I think.  I got the letter you
rote me about Charley Ulmer being in your part of the county.  I
inferred from what you said in that letter you had not got mine.
if you did not it     you do not know what I rote.  I will rite it
again:  on the 14 day of December last the old man ELROD's wife
died.  On the 8 day of January last Jesse ELROD died.  He lived 
in Yell County on the Ark River about 100 miles above Little
Rock.  About the first of january he was taken Tyfoid Pnewmony
and died on the 8 day of January    he had broke up Housekeeping
was going to start to Texas in about two weeks    he was going on 
a visit to see Martha       Family is broken up:  it seems if mine
ware     my boys all such to home a good while.   John was married
on the 11 of February last   he is in about a mile and a half of
me.      His wifes name is Elmina Kesterson.  She is a war orphan.
Taylor still stays at home   he has a house of his own   it is in
my yard thow it is on his own land.   James Ulmer went to Texas
he started on the 13 day of Febuary   he went to Honey Grove
Fannin County.   I got a letter from him about the first of June
he sed he was going to leave thare after the 20 of June   was 
going to Levi Dodds.   Sed he would like to go further west.   I
don't know whare he will turn up   he's inclined I think to wan-
der.      I wrote to him where you ware   he may come home or may
become a wandered   he was verry unwell at the time he rote.  I
asked you a good many questions in regard to the where abouts of
our kin   as I have lost sight of   there whereabouts particular
Pollys children      is Wm in Texas is Louisa near Waco is Joana
in Ala yet dose Uncle Dow live near you.  Where dose Uncle Johns
children live:  Uncle George ELROD and Aunt Bettsey is still
living they by them selves they have I suppose there troubels in
regard to some of there children.   there ware last Saturday and
Sunday a two days meeting at our Church in a bout half a mile of
Uncle George's    it turned out to be a verrry poor thing as it was
a law day    law and Preaching don't go together    the Suit was at
Uncle George House.   It grew out of a seveor altercation between
James ELROD and Taylor McCrary:  Taylor McCrary is a son of Harri-
son McCrary who married John ELROD's Jane.   he came to this
country about seven year ago   Stayed awhile and left.   He has
been wandering ever since in the fare west     This Spring he came
to James ELRODs    Set to crop on Shears (shares)   his crop was on
Uncle Georges farm.    Jim had fell out with him on two ocutions
lately    the last time order him to leave giving obusive language
he did leave went to Madsm made arrangement with him for bord and
time to finish his crop    Saturday morning went toplowing   Jim
comes with his team    words    Taylor drew his knife and went for
him thow not til Jim had put his hand in his pocket   Suppose to
draw his    Jim started to run and fell among some small sharp
stumps throwin his hand behind him.   Taylor was caught and
further dangers stoped.   Jim was cut in the hand which he sware
Mac did.   three others ware present who think he cut on a stone.
Taylor came to me and submited his fine for peace braking.   Jim
went to the other Justice of the Peace and got a warrant of
arrest upon the charge of attempt to kill cut and mame     Conse-
quently  was not released on my certificate the charge being a
felony.         The charge being reexamined Taylor was acquited by
giving bond to keep the peace.  James ELROD has a fus with every
one he has dealings with  he has verry few friend  his brothers
think there is nothing two mean for him to do.  Still he is in
Church on the 23 day of September    I witnessed at his house  one
of the most distressing scenes I ever was an witness to.    I went
there to transact some official business for him.   His wife was
not at home.   the morning was cool    him and the three youngest
children                           while his two oldest daughters
were buesly ingaged in perparing breakfast.    He said they ware
all well but Cora had been having some chills and he must give
her some quine (guinine) this morning.   She was quite lively and
pert         went to the table ate her meal.    She was    about
---    rather uncommon       after breakfast I did his writing   She
was running around me      I finished it gave his     he gave her the
quine his self     and about that time I took up my hat and said I
must go   he suggested I look at the pigs in the lot.    I went in
length less than five minutes       came out     Cora was a fit  now
we all run in the house found her in grate agony   I went for a
doctor that passed off an other came on in a few minits     that
went off and came on and she died.   I never saw such distress in
a family.      it was strichnine instead of quine.       By made the
mistake.   If you keep stricknine be ware   where you keep it
on top of letter.       Please rite

W.W. Ulmer

Charlotte Curlee Ramsey
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cramsey/index.html