LETTERS ADDRESSED TO
MISS NANCY STEPHENS,
EVANSVILLE, INDIANA
"Victoria, Bolivar Co.,
Mississippi November 17, 1846
Dear Sister:
I assume my pen to inform you that we arrived safe in
Mississippi on the first of November. We had a very pleasant trip of five days.
Mr. Wilson is overseeing for Isaac Wilkerson and I expect he will continue in the same business next year. I like the
country very much, though I am sure you would
call it perfect wilderness. We had a protracted meeting which broke up last
Sunday, I suppose the first meeting that ever was in the country. I had an
introduction to a great many of the ladies and found them very social and
intelligent.
When you write to
brother John, tell him to please be social enough to call and see us, opposite
the Island of Seventy in Mississippi. My pen is so bad, I must conclude.
You must not fail to come and see me the first opportunity that
offers. Direct your letters to Victoria, Bolivar Co., Mississippi. No more at
present, only that I have missed the ague entirely and become healthy. Excuse
my bad writing; I will promise to do better next time, providing I do not have
to write with a cane pen. No more at present, but remain,
Your
affectionate sister,
Susan
Wilson."
The above letter was addressed to Miss
Nancy Stephens, Evansville, Indiana. It was mailed at White River, Arkansas,
November 22, 1846, and the postage was ten cents.
OTHER LETTERS
"Mississippi, Bolivar County, February 20th, 1848
Dear Sister:
I take this opportunity
of writing to you to inform you that we all are enjoying good health and
prosperity and we hope these lines will find you enjoying the same blessings.
This is the second time that 1 have written you since I have received an
answer, and I should have written several times between if it had not been so
far to the Post Office.
When I
wrote you last, we were living at Isaac Wilkerson's, we are now at home and are
very happy and contented, and we expect to be able to come to see you once a year
after this year. We have very kind, good
neighbors, though not very enterprising. There is no prospects for the
improvement of society. This is certainly a very fine country. I was in hopes
that John would have come and settled in this country.
When you write to him, send him my love and tell him where we
are and how we are doing. I must bring my letter to a close. Give my love to
all the family.
Farewell, nothing more, but remain,
Yours affectionate
Sister until death,
Susan R. Wilson."
Mississippi, Bolivar Co. April 14, 1849.
My Ever Dear Sisters:
After a long silence, I have the pleasure of addressing you once
more, and I sincerely hope that these few lines may find you in better health and
spirits than I am at this time enjoying, although I have no great reason to
complain, for the Cholera is raging from New Orleans to within five miles of
us. I do think that if you knew my anxiety to see you all, some of you would
certainly come and see me. When I think of the uncertainty of life, I think
that I would be willing to sacrifice everything that I have to see you all once
more, but I can delay no longer telling you how happy we are in being blessed
with the sweetest babe you ever saw. I wish you could see her little round
face.
I suppose you know
that Mr. Wilson is overseeing this year for Isaac Wilkerson. He and his wife
have been up to Raleigh, Kentucky, ever since we have been here, but he has now
returned home and is preparing to start up there after his wife and child. Our
time is not out until next Christmas, when we expect to come and see you, if
nothing prevents, but our prospects look very bad at present. There is not an
acre of land in the country but is under water, but I believe it is falling.
Our society is improving, we have several really enterprising neighbors. I
could tell you much more if I had time, but mother is almost ready to start and
I have a letter to write to brother John. He wrote to me that he intended to
come and see me but he never has. Tell Samuel to come this summer if possible.
Farewell, my Dear Sisters, nothing more at present.
S.
R. Wilson."
"Dear Eliza:
I
would be very glad if you would come down and spend the summer and fall with her
(Susan) and she will go up with you in the spring and spend a month or two
with you all. The water is over everything now, but is falling. It is very
discouraging to Susan but we never fail to make a crop.
Nothing
more at present, I remain,
Your
friend,
John S. Wilson."
"Mississippi, Bolivar County.
August the 20th, 1849.
Dear
Sisters:
After a long silence, which I hope you will forgive me
when you know the 'cause, I have no paper, there
was a little store on the river two miles and a half from here, but the
storekeeper died in March and there has been none here since.
Dear sisters, I
suffer a great deal of uneasiness about you on account of the Cholera. Every
paper that we get states that the Cholera is raging in Cincinnati, but I trust
to Providence that we will all be spared to see each other once more, as for my
own part, I never enjoyed better health in my life, and alt of the family have
enjoyed very good health all summer, except mother, whose health is declining.
I like to have forgotten to tell you that we had a Methodist protracted meeting
a few weeks ago. I believe there were twenty joined the Church. We have a
Sabbath School of twenty scholars, society is improving fast.
We are getting fixed a little comfortable at
home, but not half as comfortable as you are there in the city. I want Samuel
to come with you. Tell him he can get some of the finest fishing poles he ever
saw and plenty of fish, too. The men have fish fries out on the lake every once
in a while.
Dear Sister Nancy, I
want you to come as soon as you can, and fetch Sis. I want each one of you to
write to me as soon as you receive this letter and do not wait for me to write.
I want you to write me a journal of everything that happens. You do not know
how interesting it will be to me. Be sure to write to me as soon as you hear
from Brother John. Nothing more at present, but remain,
Your
affectionate sister,
Susan
R. Wilson."