Mis110TN-X
TENNESSEE, MISC
June 15th, 1845 State
of Louisiana
Written to Parish
of Desoto
Mr. Philip Draper
Trenton Sent
from Mansfield, LA
Gibson County, Tenn. June
27
Dear
Brother
I now
take the oportunity of writing you a few lines to let you now that I am well at
presance hoping theas
lines
will Reach you enjoying the Same blessing I Received your letter So long Since
that I have forgoten
the
date but think it was about the middle of April which was the first line that I
had ever Received
Since
I left home hit gave me Some
Satisfaction in one Respect & in one it didnt that I Received a
letter
from Booker Since which gave me
Some Satisfaction that I was mistaken I
Received a letter
from
Roy Carlen before either of the others
I am Sorry that I cannot Comply with your Request as
Respects
Coming to see you I would be very glad to come indeed but business is so
arranged
that
I cannot Come dyrectly but will Come indirectly I had all most as live bee dead as to live in
a
Strangeplace away from all of my Connections
I did hate very much to part with you all but I
thought
it for the best you had no idea of the
trouble I was in when I was thar is no
better yet
I
will not give way to it yet but will work along the best I can I am not capable
of advising olden
persons
but do think it best if you would Come to this Country for two or three things
that is
because
the country is new and Setting up very fast and work in your line is very high
&
another
is it would bee to my interest for this Reason I sat in to work with one of the
finest
young
Carpenters in the Country to learn the
trade and him and his pardner desolved
Copartnership
& he left the Country I had Jus got
So that I could begin to learn and I would
like
to complete my Study with Some good Study fellow the facts is this you could never
bee
out of a job if you wished the town of Mansfield is improving very fast there was a Sale
a
few days Since & I bought three lots if you wish & will come you can
have an interest in
them
if you wish I have no doubt but tha will bee valuable Some day for this Reason
it is the
county
Site & ther is no danger of its ever being moved it would bee a great
pleasure to me
for
you to come an Settle in this town the
fact is this ther is no Study workmen in this country
I
determin on beeing a workman before I Stop if you Say you will Come and will
write to that
affect
I will come out in the fall and come with you I Sertainly would do very Rong to
advise
you
that way if I did not think it best from what I saw when I was thar you was not Satisfied
thar
and whar a man is not Satisfyed he had better not be thar I suppose Texas is annexed
and
the pople will bee moving thar and this is write in the Road from Natchitoches
to _______
that
is one Reason why I think it will Sertainly bee a considerable town after a few
years & as to
health
it is as healthy as any part of the united States is has good land all Round to
Support
it
& that is very Good Symptoms I believe you would bee pleased with the
Country it is
along
ways from home but you had as well bee hear as anywhere a person has but so
long
to live no how & food is plenty & Range is good Crop is promising this
year
Squire is
living in the Same place and owns two or three lots Peyton and Stephen ar
about
one hundred miles from us tho I came by thar as I came on the last I heard tha
war
all
well I think it likely that I will go
back to tennessee Some day and mary that widow yet
the
Girls in this Country hold ther heads very high and as no great things at
last I would
not
give and old Country Girl for one dozen of the Suthern Reered girls I am so confused
I
cant give you much Satisfaction I hope you will excuse me I am yours with much
Respect
CALEB
PATE
You will direct your letters
to Mansfield, Desoto Parish, Louisiana
NOTE BY JINKS PATE LEE; 2 Jan 2002
Caleb Pate is a brother to
Booker, Squire, Peyton and Stephen.
Booker stayed in TN; Caleb
and Squire moved to DeSoto Par, LA
Peyton and Stephen moved to
Claiborne Par, LA
Philip White Draper md
Caleb's sister, Elizabeth Pate