State of Arkansas                                                              May 25^th/ 71

Sebastian Co.                                                                     Cole Township

Dear cousin I avail myself of this opportunity of droping you a few lines in answer to your letter of the 9^th of April which came to hand a few days ago.  Your kind letter found us in tolerable health onely.

These lines leaves as I mene the connection tolerable health the tolerable health of this country is not as good as it has (been) heretofore.  I believe it is oweing to the like of emigrants droping in from almost every where quarter here and they have to suffer more or less for the first 12 months.  I hardly no what to write that would interest you.  I shall say we have had a seviere winter and an unusually spring frost on till the 22 of April which cut our corn and considerable injured our fruit leaving hardly a half a crop of fruit.  Our corn at this time is waist high wheet harvest will come off in a few days.

I will state that we have had some of the heaviest thunder & lightening here this spring that ever was known in this portion.  The lightening struck one house in one mile of me knocked one younger woman across the house knocking 3 others down taring one boys hat all to pieces.  It was on his head twisting singing his hair considerable.  They lay prostrated two weeks & has recovered.

And shortly afterwards there was a tornado swep through a portion of this neighbourhood in 3 miles of here tearing 6 houses and out building fence & trees some of the house timber was carried a distance.  The roof of one house was carried 1 mikle & let down in a neighbors field where it first struck.  Thar was three citizens lived farms all joined one was a mashinest one a gun smith the other a blacksmith two was also farmers.  It killed the blacksmith dead wounded about 22 persons little & big some sevire one has died since some others their cases doubtful.

I visited the sene of distress next morning & have to say I never beheld the like before.  Their household & kitchen furniture was scattered every direction fether beds clothing corn meats brickleware all broke.

It reminded me of a sudden overflow in some rapid streame rising when the forest trees is all clothed with leaves coming evidently in one nite sweaping everything in its course houses fence timber in short everything in its course.  We will send our Potograph the one on the right and the one on the left you will no the one standing up you would not no-that is Marthy. P. McCurry Margaret. P. McCurry oldest child she is 16 years old Marthy.  I wants your potograph or as many as you please.  We will thankfully receive them.   Yours as ever 

To: S. M. Watson                                               R. S. F. Winchester

 Note on side of letter:

I have bin thinking of taking a visit to Texas for two years.  I don’t know how it will work as yet.  In the receipt of this answer if you can you didn’t say how you liked Texas.