Leonard Stephens Letter, 5 Jan 1866

[Penciled note: Answered Jan 15, 1866]

Beech Woods, Kenton County, Ky., 5th Jan. 1866

Dear Brother William,

I have now seated myself to answer your last letter of the 19th November, and there is such a barrenness of news or there has been so little change here that I scarcely know what to write about. But I am admonished that with both of us the privilege of writing will shortly come to an end. When men to attain our ages they can of course make but little calculation of anything that is in the future & especially when they find themselves beset with disease. When I wrote you in the fall I was not well & with the exception of a short time have not had good health since. I have a portion of the time had derangement of the stomach attended with low grade of fever that was very unpleasant and have also had more or less cough all the time. Generally about two spells of coughing through the night and day. Still I have been a good deal favored for I have not had to lay up on account of it, & of course it is a much less burden when a body can keep about.

My black folks, Oh now I have from habit made a mistake. I no longer have any black folks, for the powers that be decreed that there shall no longer be any such thing. If you & I were to travel through Yankee land we would hear them speak often of the poor suffering colored folks & that the Southern lands ought to be divided & parceled out among them. But if we heard them say anything about their poor it would be our hired men & women servants with not the slightest expression of sympathy for them & if they were sick the talk would be that they no longer had any employment or use for them. Well, I have straggled off from the point for I was going to speak of the negroes that are still here. Freed men, women and children, & there are Three men, four women, & four children besides the two boys that were Lutie's, Tom & Ralph. They all are still here, and in tolerably good health. Henry came here the other day & said he would stay here with the others so long as they stayed, but I heard afterwards he was trying to hire to someone else, so I don't know what he will do. I have agreed to give those that are here 10 $ a month for the next two months, the men, not the women, in order to get our corn in, & the hay halled off, & at the expiration of that time to give them at the same rate, for the year if they think proper to stay. I disliked so much to see them leave here this winter that I have made them the above offer to prevent the sort of suffering I was satisfied they must undergo if they left here before spring, for really I can't help have very kindly feelings for them. I have no idea what they will do, & suppose they themselves don't know.

Our Christmas passed off here very pleasantly, for a prettier Christmas day I never did see. It was much more like Spring than winter. We dined in the back porch without being at all uncomfortable. There were not so many folks as usual, but a very cheerful company. A part of Napoleon's folks were not here. Rebecca & Kate did not come on account of Kate's delicate condition. So much for marrying a widower. Bittie Respess prevented by the same reason. The rest were all here, & our two sisters, both of whom were in apparent good health. A terrible accident happened during the holidays, in the neighborhood of Florence. A Mrs. Cloterbuck got burnt to death. They had permitted a negro frolick to be held at their house, & she had laid down before the fire waiting for the frolick to be over before going to bed. She got to sleep & her clothes caught fire & burnt her so badly she died the second day after. She was a very clever lady and a great loss to the family. She leaves a husband and eight children, several of who are quite small.

I got a letter a short time back from Betty Haden. She states they are all well & doing tolerably well. That their two black men were still with them & professed a willingness to stay and work for a part of the crop & wages. That Ben Stephens & his family & John Waller Stephens had all got there safe.

We have had the finest fall & winter so far that ever I suppose was known here. No snow & but about ten or twelve days of to say cold weather. This is the third snap we have had. Yesterday was quite cold & last night. It now has the appearance of moderating, but I suppose will continue cold for a few days yet, so for the balance of the winter of course we know nothing, for there is time enough yet for a plenty of cold weather, Tho I sincerely hope we may be favored for really cold weather sets very hard with me. Our neighbors over the way are quite a condary about a place to live. They have to give possession the first of March and so far they have not been able to find another place to go to. I think they could sell the balance of their land perhaps rapidly but that would not give them a house. Should the negroes leave here on the first of March I shall not know how to despose of myself from that time untill September for my house in Town is rented for a year & the time will not be out untill then I & I can't stay here without some one to do the house work. That is Milk, cook scrub & wash & I am afraid if I get married that wife would not do it cheerfully. Do you think she would? Well, I have given you a pretty full detail & of course shall expect you to do likewise. Remember me affectionately to all your children & Grandchildren and for yourself accept a Brother's love.

May God Bless you.
Leonard Stephens

Notes:

William was in his 84th year, and Leonard his 75th. Return.

Lucy Hughes Blackburn, Leonard's granddaughter. See above, 12 Dec 1863. Neither Tom nor Ralph identified. Return.

Among the guests was Reuben's sister, Mary Beckley Bristow, who felt less festive than Leonard. She noted:

. . . Dined today at General Stephens. Sat at a table spread with every luxury this vain world can afford. Had many thoughts, while noticing the profusion of rich provisions around me, about the destitution of the citizens of the South, torn up and destroyed. Perhaps thousands who had been used to all the luxuries of earth have not this bright, beautiful Christmas the bare necessities of life. . . .

The day was so pleasant that we dined in the porch, so whenever I raised my head I could see the hallowed spot that contains what was mortal of my beloved Mother . . .

She was expecting her first child, Rebecca Athey (1866-1910). Return.

Another granddaughter, Catherine Bristow Respess, was expecting her second child, Frank Breckinridge Respess, who was born the next March. Return.

The unfortunate lady was Catherine Willis Clutterbuck (1835-1865), according to Roy G. Clutterbuck (via the Internet). Her widowed husband, William E. Clotterbuck, a farmer from Virginia, was found near Florence at the next census with seven children at home and another boarding nearby. He had not remarried. Return.

Benjamin Stephens (1823-1874), son of Leonard and William's brother Benjamin. He had married in 1849 Hetha Ann Brady (1831- —). Return.

John Waller Stephens (1834-1891), was Hetha's nephew, son of William Waller Stephens (1810?-1856) and Mary Jane Brady (1814-1854). Return.

Read: quandary. Return.