Mis106TN-X
TENNESSEE, MISC
April 7, 1844 State
of Louisiana
Written to
Perleamon Pate
Dear Bro.
After a long
lapse of time take my pen in hand to inform you that we are all well, hoping
when
you receive this
you will all be enjoying the same state of happiness. I received your letter
dated Dec. the
15, 1843 which give us great satisfaction to hear from you that you was all
well
and well
pleased. I can inform you that we have
another daughter. She was born Oct.
the 3 1843.
She is not a
dunham but rather on the popcorn order.
We call her name JANE S. PATE.
You said you
wanted to know how we was off for preaching and schools in this country.
There is plenty
of both. There is a regular baptist meeting
once a month in 7 miles of my house
then Methodist
has preaching every Sabath some where in reach of me the old lady is fixing now
to go to a
methodist meeting. The stand is to be
occupied by old father Stevison. I
heard him
preach a
funeral the first sabbath in March that agreeable to my weak judgment was the
best
sermon I ever
heard though I don't profess to be a judge.
It was the funeral of a young woman
that was
murdered by some un-named villian. It
is thought she was defending herself against his
villiany. It is not known who that miserable son of
Devil is. The text was Hebrews the 12th
chapter
vuerse 4 (ye
have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin) from this verse he
delivered his
eloquent surmon
to a large and attentive congregation.
I will now return to our more domestic
concerns Our
cotton was worth from 8 to 10 cents a pound.
Corn is worth 50 cents per bushel.
Our country is
improving very fast. Joseph M Cartey is here now improving his place to move to
next fall. He is improving a mighty pretty place with a
first rate spring in 40 yards of where he has
built his
house. He is at my house at this time and sends his best love and compliments
to yourself
and family. I have
a first rate spring myself in 30 steps of the door. I am living with Dyer this
year
again and have
took the hands cleaned and planted ten acres of my own land. At home we are done
planting corn
and I want to commence planting cotton in the morning. We have had the wettest
winter and
spring I ever saw. We made 41 bales of cotton last year that averages 500 lbs a
piece
and that at 8
cents a lb would be $40 a piece and 41 bales at $40 a piece would be $1640 and
I
had the seventh
of that and we make 1400 bushels of corn and 700 bushels of sweet
potatoes.
Tell Sabe that
Alfred has cleaned him four acres and has it plowed both ways and is going to
plant
it in cotton. I
have the rails made and he done all the rest himself. The old lady sends her best love
and compliments
to you and family so I must bring my scribbling to a close. May the saving grace of
our Lord and
master Jesus remain with you and finaly save you all in Heaven is my prayer for
Christ
sake,
Amen. I have the honor of subscribing myself
your affectonate and unworthy brother until death.
Anthony Pate