Contributed: Unknown Date
Lunceford Letters
September 25th, 1851
Dear brother and friends
I take the present opportunity of writing you a few lines
informing you that I am well at present and hope these few
lines may find you enjoying the same blessing. Brother we
have had one of the finest revivals you ever heard of it lasted
12 weeks and there was fifth three or four converts there
was twenty eight baptised last sunday. I do not kno how many
more will joined the Baptist church. I have not joined any
church yet. I do not no when I shall. I have not determined
which church I shall join yet. I rather think I shall join
at the ? dist but I can't say for surtain yett. Dear brother
I wish you could have bin here in the time the glorious work
was going on ...state here that was Troy Sanders ck it was
a glorious time you knew Thom ? well enough he professed and
was baptised last sunday. Brother Cross are very sorry in
this county. The people are done getting foder they will make
short crops of every thing pappy made 44 stacks of foder papy
and family are all well at present. There has bin some sickness
here this fall. There has bin some five? deaths about here
late by. Thomas Bagby died last Sunday morning. We shall have
to elect another clerk. there is several candidates and among
them all there is William S. Balinger and H. H. Hobbs. I do
not no who will get Elected but some of them will get Elected
I am Surtain of that much. I am clerking for office David
C. Carrington at this time. Brother I have nothing more to
wright you at present. Give my love to Sister Elizabeth and
tell her to wright to me you and Sister must Come this fall.
Give my love and respect to all inquiring friends tell them
all to wright to me and ? must be surtain to wright to me.
tell Brother N. B. to wright to me tell him I want to see
him very bad. You must excuse bad wrigint and spelling for
I am ? your kind andaffectionate Brother until death fare
well Brother
R. D. Lunceford
Smithfield, Johnston county NC
October 27,1852
Dear Brother
I have this morning seated myself for the purpose of writing
you a few lines to let you know that I am yet in the land
of the living provided you get the letter after I direct it.
I saw a letter you wrote to pappy a few dayes ago. You stated
in that letter that you had written me two letters since you
had received one from me. I am unable to account for the reason
why you do not get any letters for I know I have alwayes bin
punctual in answering your letter. Your last one to me I am
sure I answered it about three days after I received it. My
health is as good as ? better than it ever was. I hope this
may find you and your family all well. My wife is in better
health at this time than she has bin for some time past. I
would like very much to take her out to see you and your wife
and pretty children, but I am so pore I am not able to do
so yet ?. I would also be more than pleased to see you Sister,
? and the children at my house. but the question here arise
in my mind can it ever be that we shall all ever meat together
under one roof. Yes it is possible and I ? that meating may
take place before a great while. Pappy is sick but not dangerous.
emily has bin sick for about two months? ? ? better as ofett?
? is a great deal of sickness in this part of the country
at this time. Times are hard money ? ? savy ? & Provisions
very hye, new corn is worth four dolars per barel at the ?
pori is and will be worth ten cents per pound. Cotton some
of the new crop in this state has bin sold as hye as twenty
& a half cts pr pound. Crops are coming in very ? the
pea crops in thes country come very hear being a complete
failure. I comensed gathering corn yesterday. Pap got a letter
from a Price the other day he said they were all well. He
also stated that they had heared from Brother Napoleon &
he ? in California a farming & doing well. I must bring
my letter to a close for I have got a very sore hand &
it troubles me greatly to wright so you must excuse this short
and bad written letter. Wright to me soon. Give my love to
all & tell Sister and the children howdy & kiss them
for me.
I remain as ever your true friend & brother, farewell
R. D. Lunceford
David Lunceford
July 27, 1853
Dear Brother David
I have this morning seated my self in order to write you a
few lines in answer to your kind letter which came to hand
a few days ago. Brother it afforded one great pleasure to
hear from you and your sweet family once more and to hear
that you were well and engaging your lives as well as you
are. brother you stated in your letter that you hadnt had
any rain in eight weeks and you though there was a chance
for starving next year. brother we had no reign for six or
eight weeks and our crops looked very sory but for the last
two or three weeks we have bin flooded with rain. There has
bin one of the largest freshets in swift middle and Black
creeks that ever was known. It has killed all the corn that
was on them creeks. There has bin a fresh in nuse? River but
not a very large one as yett. We lost corn enough to ov made
about 25 barels. Brother hour crop looks very prosperous at
this time but I cant tell how it will turn out but I hope
we shal all make a plenty to live on. Brother I am not married
yet and I cant tell when I shal be but I want to get of to
house keeping between this time and the winter if I can my
house is not finished yet but it will be before long. Brother
father and family are well at this time they all sent there
love to you and your family. Brother we are not done hiling
corn yet and it has rained so mutch that I dont reckon we
shal finish this year. Brother you must excuse me for so short
and uninteresting a leter and wright to me the sooner for
it. Brother I want to see you all very mutch but I cant tell
when I shal get the chance to come to see you again. Give
my love to Sister Elisabeth and the baby and tell them to
wright to me. give my best wishes to all inquiring friends
if there be any. receive my love and best wishes for your
self and family. Nothing more at present. Your affectionate
brother until death. farewell brother David.
R. D. Lunceford
Smithfield, NC
May 8,1853
Dear Brother David,
I have this evening seated my self for the purpose of writing
you a few lines in answer to your kind letter which came to
hand a few dayes ago and hapy was I to receave it and to find
that you were all yet spared by the mercy of god and were
enjoying peace and health in this world brother David . I
enjoy tolerable good health in this world but peace is an
entire stranger about my fathers house Brother you know how
it was when you were here but it is worse now than it was
then. There is scarses ____ one dayes and to another when
I come about the house I am provoked by that tormenting month
that has bin at work here so long you know whoo I mean she
never bothers me or has any thing to say to me but it greavs
me to think that my pore old father who is nearly ready to
dye has got to spend his last dayes in this kind of a mes
she never speake to him good. Sister Manerva has not spoke
to her in three months and she sayes she never will again
if she can help it there is one consolation to me I shal get
out of it in the fall if I live until then. Brother there
is not mutch nuse of improtence at the present people are
generaly healthy in this part of the cuntry but they are generaly
backward with there crops the most of them are a bout half
done planting we are not done planting yet we comoneoed weading
corn yesterday what of our crop that is come up lookes tolerable
well give my love to Sister Elizabeth and the baby tell her
I am not maried yet tell her to right to me soon. Brother
it would be _____ to see very ____ ____ you and your family
once more but I do not kno that I ever shal but if we never
see each other again in this world let us try to meet in heaven
where there is no more parting and where troubles trials pain
and afflictions are entire strangers. Brother you must wright
again soon theres nothing more at present give my and receive
a large portion for your self and family I remaine your kind
and affectionate Brother until death fare well but I trust
not forever---- R D Lunceford to his brother David Lunceford.
R D Lunceford
Smithfield NC
January 8,1855
Dear brother David.
R D LuncefordI received your letter which was mailed the 15th
of Dec It aforded me great pleasure to here from you once
more and I was very happy to learn that you were all well
. I was highly pleased to hear of your fine boy you have named
him after two very sory chaps I reckon but if he ever gets
large enough to ware britches he shal have one fine suit of
clothes if I live and luck well, Brother you say that you
intend leaving that country if you do I want you to move back
to the good old N C , the state for it is the happyest cuntry
in the world I reckon. Trew it is pore but a man can make
a living and when he has made it he can enjoy it, I have bin
thinking where you could buy a tract of land near me, I reckon
you could buye the Yelvington Tract of land that is up not
fare from where James Youngblood moved from . I am not certain
about that but I know you can buy a tract of William G Balinger
it lies on the other side of the river from me. it is called
the Gum spring tract of the land , you know where the gum
spring is well enough over not far from John Davises on bufalo
where the old campground used to be it is true it is all piny
woods and none of it cleared but you could make a very handsome
living on it and there is a splendid range for stock out on
old bucklebury. Brother I expect you could buy this land cheap
if you wish to know about it and will write me in answer to
this letter I will go and examin the land and find out what
is can be bought for and send you word in my next. Piople
are generaly healthy in this country at this time I have enjoyed
better health than I did before. I am not married and I do
not expect to be soon I am living a bachelor just as happy
as a king, I make a plenty to eat and thank God that I have
got health to ear it, I fatened twenty head of shoats they
made over two thousand pounds of poark. pork is worth 7 cts
here, corn is worth 4.00 per barel, papy and family are well,
pap has killed about half of his pork he killed a fine lot
the other day he killed 24 head that wayed 3775 lbs , brother
tel sister Elixabeth and the sweet little babs houdy for me
give them my love, Oh I should be so happy to see you all
once more in this, would if we all live and mothying hapens
I will come to see you after a while give my love to brother
Joel and family tel them to write to me give my love to all
inquiring friends if ther be any and espechaly to the girles
ask them is some one of them would not like to come to the
good old North state to live, Brother I should be so happy
to be with you and your dear family. we could spend these
long evenings together., in love you must wright again soon
I must now come to a close may happiness and prosperity attend
you forever is my prayer.
I remain you affectionate Friend and Brother untill death.
R D Lunceford
Smithfield 20th October 1855
My
Dear Boy, I have seated myself for the purpose of ansering
your leter recived some time sence. I am hapy to hear that
you and your family ware well and duing well and also to hear
from joel and family. We are all well as could be expected
you just exuse me my dear child for note writing to you offened
as I am old and worne out . We have a fines fall so far but
it is raining now and looks gusty .Your sister Mynerva will
start to the west in a few days If nothing hapins they talk
of going to arkansas is it may be that they may come by your
house but I cant tel you that you know my dear Boy this is
murder to you pore old Farther, But David I never have seen
a pasel of children as ar thankful as you all ware and a few
more days well close this troublesome seams with me and all
the friend you ever had is gone exept your dear wife Cleave
to har and love hear . Our crops is purty fare hear and property
frabley hot. They hogs grease and baken worth 18cts . all
of your family hear is well at this time. Mr Ellis has been
rite sick this fall but is mearly well now. David I advise
you to stay whar you are for I learned you have good land
and a healthy plase. we all must dy and you can never call
back gone by days and whene a man is dewing well enuff let
well a nuff a lone. Write me soon and excuse my short letter
give my love to all your farther and friend,
David Lunceford senior.
Smithfield Johnston Co NoCa
March 23rd 1857
Dear
Brother
by the direction of my father I am wrighting you this letter
as he is unable to wright he has requested me to wright to
you & explain his situation & condition & he has
bin confined to his bed for three weeks & the greater
part of the time has been purfectly helpless he is a little
better to day I think but I must say to you that I do not
think that he can live long he may posibly be several months
dwinling a way but I do not think he can ever enjoy any health
again the rest of the family are well I am well except the
fatigue from sitting up. My family are well he has given me
one hundred dolars, which I shall enclose in this letter to
you to bare the expences of them children out here he says
he wants you to manage the way you think best & the was
to get them to him on the cheapest plan that you can. he says
if you will have them a box of provisions fixed and put on
the cars when they get on that they can get along better,
and cheaper. he told me to ask you to wright to me all the
particulars about Joels estate & whether or not there
was any thing comeing to the children, that is if you knew
any thing about Jels business. & B he also Said but does
not want you to say any thing about it that if he lives he
intends to get all the negroes that he gave to Joel &
brother Nepolion back again for the benifit of you and some
of the rest of his children, that is if he can asertain where
they are for he says they had no wright to them from him he
has obtained legal authority & they say that he can take
them where ever he finds them by proving them. Brother say
nothing about this to nobody but write me if you know where
the negroes are & who has got them. I suppose you will
send the children by Mr. O'Neal if he has not left for home
when you get this letter wright as soon as you get this so
that I may know whether the money reached you safe or not.
There is just one bill on the bank of Capefear Note 1776 dated
20th April 1835. I have nothing more of interest to wright
you at present I remain as ever your friend & brother
R. D. Lunceford
One half of the bil I send by this mail and the other by the next.
Smithfield Johnston Co No Ca
June 29th 1857
Dear
brother David,
I seat myself this morning for the purpose of wrighting you
a few lines in answer to a letter which I received from you
some days past. I have neglected to answer your letter for
the simple reason that there was no nuse to write that would
hav bin of interest to you. I hav no good nuse to wright at
present ,times in this state are harder thatn they ever have
bin corn is worth six dolars per barel whear crops are comeing
in mutch soryer than people expected, flour is worth eight
to nine dolars pr barel fodder is worth from one and a half
to two dolars pr hundred, bacon is worth from 15 to 20 cts
pr pound the prospects fo the present crops are more gloomy
than they ever have bin in this country. before corn is about
as large now as it generaly is at may court and since the
whear srops has bin gathered the chinch bugs are flocking
in countles numbers upon the corn crop and if they do not
stop in one month more they will have over half the corn in
Johnston county lying dead on the ground a great many persons
are trying to destroy them by taking larg torches and burning
them together with the corn which they are on there is some
sickness in this part of the country but not a great deal
as yett, papy and family are well I am feeling very badly
today, Cornelia is also un well with these exceptions my family
are well, Cornelia sends her love and best respects to you
all if I live and can get off I expect to move to your state
this fall or winter if I go to Mississippi I expect to settle
about 75 miles south of where you live. I would be glad to
come and live neighbor to you but the land is two pore up
where you live. I have written you all the nuse that I have
so I will close let me hear from you soon. Give my love to
Sister Elizabeth and the children and receive a large portion
for your self tell sister Elisabeth to wright to me.
I remain as ever your trew friend and brother,
R D Lunceford
David
Lunceford, Jnr.
Fulton Mips
Smithfield 27 September 1857
My
dear boy it is a grate pleasere to me that I am able to sit
at my table and write a few lines in ansere to your of and
your last in asking of whitch I find you and your family well
and truly glad to hear that Elinder Clifton is marraid But
I wish you would have said to me who she did mary and what
you thought of the chance but David its sest for hir any how
and I glad to hear that you and your Farther inlaw will take
the two boys as I am not able to sea to any thing my self
and if nothing happens at my death I will have something for
them children. Iwant you David to divide the hundred dollars
I sent you fore parts and give the girles twenty five dollars
a peace as they can take care of it them selves and give Henry
Clifton Twenty five dollars for the benifet of the boy he
takes and keep the other for the benifet of the boy you keep
your self I thought of comming to your house this fall before
know and my wife and myself was both takin sick and she is
sick yet. and I am not well enuff to leave my home I intedned
coming and getting these neagorws Joel and Neapolion should
as give a way in that county as they had no rite to the miagrowes
Joel wanted to sell Iham hear and I would not let him. and
Jain I sent them for a nuf for your sister as you know David
I thought of send you a rite to Isham and Jain and let you
get them your self and if keep how many children Mary had
after she got there I would give her and hir children to Mynerva
I want you David to find that out and have the law of Misippa
is in the case of Niagrows. I want you David to search among
Joels papers and find a bundle of letters from Charles G Edwards
to me and take good care of them for I think they are worth
a good Farthing to me at any time. when any body will go to
Dallas County Alabama in Chala Haba and search the supiorer
court offic and see what Edwards dun with the money he collected
tor me as my agent in a suit at law a going the Adminesitrators
of Norah W Nicholes to the use of David Lunceford you can
find out anything a bout law by inquiring of Henry or John
Clifton as they know all these laws respecting niagrows the
law hear is that a man can prove his property and take it
where ever he finds it and I can prove by you David these
niagrowes is myne and if these boy had and rite to them I
neaver give it to them If I could git them I would get them
Niagrowes in my possesion and they might sue me. If they chuse
to due so you write to me all a bout it keep it a seacreat
as would run them miagrows if they thought I would come for
them tell your wife not find fault of me. for not writting
to hir where I remember hie in every letter I write , your
Farther and Friend,
David Lunceford
Smithfield Johnston Co NoCa
Sept 22nd 1861
Dear
brother,
I have bin wraiting for some months for an answer to my last
letter to you and it has not come yet. So I have concluded
this morning to write to you again. I have no nuse of any
improtaence to write you at present. we are all well except
our little girl she has bin sich sor several weeks but I think
she is better today. There is a great deal of sickneps about
heare there has bin a great many deaths in this section from
typhoid feaver this season. We are all preparing to go to
the war old Johnston has all ready about seven hundred men
in the feald and there are twelve other companies in operation
in the county when they are made up that will more about fifteen
hundred men for old johnston the people in North Carolina
have waked up at last. About our business I do not know when
it will be settled if it ever is. The legislators of North
Carolina has given the people four years to pay there dets
in and it has also given administrations four years to settle
estates in and I find a great many of them are disposed to
make use of the time so I think if we ever settle it will
be a wonder to me. Crops in this country are very good what
the freshet did not destroy as we had a large fresh in the
river in July I lost about one hundred Barels of corn by it.
but I am in hopes I shal make a plenty besides. It is sileys
for me to think about moving to that country at this time.
I have bin trying to sell my land ever since I got back I
can find a plenty of persons that want to buy , but they have
got nothing to buy with property of every discription is down
very low. Times are hard and money very scarce I look opon
every body as being allmost insolvent. I expect I shal get
off to the war before a great while if things do not alter.
Cornelia and the children send there love to you all. Give
my love to Sister and the children and receive a large portion
yourself. mothing more at present of interest let me hear
from you soon. Sister Carolin is very sick. I remain your
trew friend and brother,
Smithfield, Johnston County North Carolina
April 19th 1868
Mr.
David Lunceford
Fulton Miss
Dear Brother
I received your letter some time since I have been waiting
to try to come to some definite conclusion that is whether
I would answer it or not or whether I would treat it with
silent contempt as you did several for me. If you are in your
right mind and you mean what you say in your letter it deserves
to be treated with contempt by me but I will leave that with
you and your own conscience to deside & I will try and
answer it. I will state in the outset that I am nearly thirty
six years old & I have had dealings with all sorts of
people but my honesty has never been impeached before. It
seames from the tone of your letter that I am to be held responsible
for the war and all it's horrible consiquences specialy on
money & negroes. Now I will come to the point in question
and if I don't track the truth so far as I understand it,
I am willing to be counted a liar and a thief too. In the
first place you authorized me to buy you some negroes from
Mr. Mitchiner and bring them to you together with the one
you had left you ? your father. I made the trade & brought
the negroes to you which trade amounted to fourteen hundred
Dollars & when I took a bill of sale from Mitchiner for
the negroes I gave him my note with the understanding that
what you liked paying for the negroes when I got them to you
he was to wait for the balance until Papie's estate was settled.
Mr. Mitchiner was not fool enough to let me take his negroes
off to another state and wait ? years for the money without
any note or any claim for pay of any kind. Now you say I did
rong in giving my note for the negroes. How the Devil did
you expect me to make a trade for negroes or any other property
without a note or money one. You no better than any such stuff
as that all though your letter is full of it. You did not
say I had done rong when I brought the negroes to you &
told you what I had done, but what did you say I recollect
as well as if it was yesterday, and so do you. You said to
me when you paid me the eight hundred Dollars if I never get
a read cent from the estate you shant loose anything. You
state in your letter that I told you when you were paying
me the money that you were paying me to much. So you were
if the estate could have bin settled according to the accounts
of sale, but I did not tell you at the same time that we were
going to have a civil war of four years & all the negroes
to be set free and the estate not be settled in six or seven
years and then probably? be insolvent. You say now that you
understood the trade that Mitchiner was to take what was coming
to you from the estate as part pay for the negroes so I did
but you did not understand if you did not get anything from
the estate that Mr. Mitchiner was not to be paid for the negroes.
That is the way your letter reads but you new better when
you were writing it. You talk about my disposition to quible
look at this farely & squarely and I think if I understand
the word quible and there has bin any disposition to quible
it is on the part of some one else not me. You said in your
letter all that you wanted in this world was your just rights
. Them you shall have so far as I am concerned & you nead
not give yourself any further uneasiness on that point but
in the meantime I do not want to be accused with acting unfarely
because I can't make every body pay there debts & make
honest men out of Dam Raskals. You said in your letter that
you did not expect to live long & when you died you wanted
to go with a clear conscience. That is my fix exactly honest
fare dealing & cursing the Dam Yankees is any only hope
for happiness hereafter. The truth of the whole matter that
has caused you so much dissatisfaction? is that you authorized
me to make a fourteen hundred dollar trade with Mr. Mitchiner
for you and when I delivered you the property you gave me
eight hundred dollars to pay the bill expense and all &
now you claim that I owe you four or five hundred dollars
in Gold or it's equivalent in greenbacks. In your letter before
the last you claimed only one hundred & in your last no
definite sum but four or five hundred dollars. Now the truth
of the matter is I don't owe you a read cent & I hope
never shal but I am in hopes when ...... is all settled there
will be money in my hands coming to you which you shal have
just as quick as a train will cary it ..... Papie's estate
turnes out better share I expect .... suffered to collect
the hole amount of that ..... & you refuse to pay it I
shall loose six or seven hundred dollars by the operations.
These are the facts in .... you can see it if you will look
at it right .... your letter that you cant collect any old
debts out there it is the same case hear there has not bin
a dollar collected here legally since the surrender. None
pay except those that want to and very few choose to want
to. And still you blame me because I dont make Mr. Ellis collect
up & pay over & forward to you. Mr. Ellis brought
suit on some claims due the estate and the millitary had them
thrown out of court and made him pay the cost on them out
of what he had collected so you see there is no ? to do anything
under the present state of affairs. We have filed a bill in
equity for a settlement with Mr. Ellis when he answers the
bill which will be soon I will send you a correct statement
of the hole matter. If they repudiate all of the old debts
there will be between two and three hundred dollars in my
hands coming to you. Now concerning your gold you make so
much fuss about when I got home from your house I went to
Mr. Mitchiner and told him I had some Gold for him if he would
allow a premium on it. He said he would not do it for he said
he had as can have bank bills. I tried around among our merchants
and they told me the same thing so rather than go to the expense
of going to a brokers office I paid the money over to Mitchiner
rather than keep it and pay tax on it, all except one hundred
dollars of it I ? Damed Yankey have it for one hundred and
ten Dollars in bank bills and he would not have given that
if it had not bin that he wanted to get away to Yankey Dom.
Old Twitchel was ???? I hope this will satisfy you? on the
old question at least it will show you that I have not put
your money to my own use. I should regret very much ? ?? as
long a letter as this on a subject that I new as much about
as you did. Simply a like of confidence you have got it into
your head that I had saved that Gold and was putting it to
my own use but you are sadly mistaken. I have never used any
of your money yett & God forbid I ever should until you
have more confidence in me than you have at present ? much
rather sit down & written you a long letter about how
I was getting a long with my farm and about my children and
things that would think be of more interest. Tell Rufus I
have put his name in the Bill for a Settlement with Mr. Ellis.
He will no all about it when Mr. Ellis answers the Bill ?
will write to him some time soon. Tell him to write to me
& I received Nancy's letter yesterday. I was well pleased
with it. I will answer it soon. Give my love to all the family.
Cornelia & the children send there love to you all this
leaves us all well. I don't want you to think that I am mad
when you at this I only feel mortified at your loss of confidence
in me without a cause. I write this in self response? &
to try to bring you to your sences. I will close it one hear
from you again. I remain your friend & brother.
R. D. Lunceford
Smithfield, Johnston county, North Carolina
Jan 31st, 1875
Mr.
David Lunceford
Fulton, Miss
Dear
Brother youfs of the 25th inst to hand to day and contents
noticed. In answer I would say I have not seen any lawyer
yett. I will find out if an affidavit from you will answer
as well as the bill of sale if so I will rite again as soon
as I see him. Any object in the suit is to try to defend my
self & if I recover anything out f old Mitchiner I expect
to pay it over to you. If you could produce the bill of sale
or if your affidavit will answer I don’t think there would
be any doubt in my getting about two hundred dollars out of
him. I have got one of the best lawyers in the state to defend
the case. I have paid him $50.00 dolars but the Youngblood
and Ellis are all working against me & for Mitchiner in
the matter. So far as Ellis writing to you that he paid me
for you $200.00 dollars he wrote a lie knowingly. I tried
to get him to pay all the money over to me as fast as it was
collected but he would not do it he never did pay me but $160.00
dollars and I paid every cent of that to your Attorney Mr.
Abell. Ellis & everybody else that now anything about
the matter know that he & his lawyer who is his Brother
in law3 & a notable Scoundrel Stole at least 2/3 of my
father’s Estate and no body could help it. Now I will tell
you what I no to be true about the estate. In the first place
pappy was not in debt what was sold at his sale brought over
three thousand dollars besides several hundred dollars worth
of good notes that were on hand. I do not no the exact amount
but at least another thousand more. All this went into Ellis’s
hands and after keeping it ten or twelve years he comes out
& tells me if the heirs will take eitht .. he would settle
if not he would not pay anything for he was lawless? &
they could not get anything out of him only what he was a
mind to pay and his Lawyer Brother in Law had the impudence
to tell me that Ellis had made a good thing out of the Estate.
What I have written is every word true & no one could
help it for the Law did not require him to give a bond &
he done just as he pleased with it all. Just as soon as the
estate was out of his hands he bought a tract of land for
one of his sons & built a fine house on it with four rooms
to it all plastered & fixed off. & he also fixed up
his own house & three of his sons are now merchandizeing
in Raleigh. Everybody about here that know anything about
the business beleaves they know where the money came from.
I write you this simply becaue I think all the heirs out there
believe that I had something to do with stealing their part
of the estate. God knows I had nothing to do with it besides
I done everything in my power to try to prevent it. I always
Ellis was an honest man until he took the estate in hand but
now I now he is not. They all here are so made with me for
telling them of their Rascality they do not come about me.
I have not been in one of their houses in over two years &
a part of them I have not even Spoken to. I never intend to
have anything more to do with them again. They all would gladly
ruin me now if they could. They choused me out of several
hundred Dolars and would have broken me up if it had not been
for my wifes Father about two years ago he gave her between
fore & five thousand dollars worth of Property that Saved
me from being ruined by them. What I have written you here
I would sware to If I were dying & I hope you will believe
it. If you do not I can’t help it. I will try & write
you again soon. I hope this will find you all well. This leaves
my family all well. They all Send their Love to you. Write
again soon. Your Brother,
R. D. Lunceford
Tildon Miss Dec 2nd 88
Dear
Brother & Sister
I seat myself to right to answer your kind and loveing letter
that came to hand the other day. Alice this leaves all well
except colds I believe I haven't any news of importance to
write you. I am sorry to tell you Uncle Jim Harrison is very
low. I was at town to day I saw Cousin Henry thomas he told
me if I ever wanted to see him any more he thought I had better
go at once. He had not ? since night before last til this
morning. The Dr. don't think he will live. Brother Dave my
hogs are looking fine. they are in the bottom? I have a nice
bunch of them. Tell Cliffie and Dan to be good little boys
and come to see Uncle E. kiss the too sweet little girls for
me. I want to see you all so bad so I will close for this
time hopeing to here from you all soon Brother Dave. I have
been ditching I have cut me a large ditch through my ? 4 feet
wide and 8 feet deep.As ever your Brother until death.
Egbert D. Lunceford
Dear Alice and Dave
I will try to write you a few lines this evening to let you
know that I ? you. I feel very lonesome to day. It is very
cold. O have to stay verry close to the fire when the weather
is bad. I do not stir around much. Alice if you and Mr. Pierce
knew how glad I would be if you would move back here you surely
would come then I would be better sattisfied. I do study about
you all so much. There is a ? of land for Egbert and Dave
to tend. Alice I can't write much but if I could see you I
could tell you a good deal we have a hard time we have to
live hard but maby I c an make out some how. No one is willing
to help us but they are all trying to get what we have got.
Mr. Pierce do move back here and let us be together what time
I have to stay here. alice give my love to your sweet little
children and hug and kiss them for me. Tell them I want to
get my arms around them again. How is your little babe getting
along. Alice when you get our letters answer them as soon
as you can. I want you all to come to see us as soon as you
can if the weather don't keep to cold. I will have to close.
mu best love to you and Mr. Pierce. I remain your affectionate
mother until death.
Sarah E. Lunceford
Bowen, Miss
July the 30 1890?
Dear
Brother Dave i again seat myself to write you a few lines
in answer to your kind letter that reached me on the ? of
this month. w was so glad to here from you all. our letter
was a good while on the road. i am well at this time ? hope
this will find you all the same. i was sorry to here that
you had never ? able to work. i and a has been pulling fodder
today. we are not more than half done yet. brother Dave cotton
has turned out to be very sorry here. it has sheded every
thing off v ery ? but the ? it has been very dry for some
time ? this week you said you was very fat ?that your weight
was 110 lbs ? you are taking like a man now then so i will
have to close for this time i reckon i want you to write again
so good by.
E. L. Lunceford to D. ? Pearce
Bowen Miss, August the 30th 1890?
Dear
Sister
I again seat myself to answer your ? letter you don’t know
how glad we was to here that you was all as well as what you
are Alice i have that you was disappointed because we did
not come. i was afraid for Roberta to undertake to go that
far horse back an had no other way to come. Brother Jim told
Roberta to not under take the trip and he would take her before
long, but i don’t believe he will. i’m a going to come to
see you before the funeral if nothing happens. it will be
the ? sunday in September. you must be sure an come i want
us all to be together on that day. i will try come before
then if Ruby can’t come. kiss Cliffe an Dow for me an tell
them i think of them often. Alice i am mighty glad of me long
ballad it is wrote so nice an the words are so sweet. i will
go to town before long an ? the picturs? to hen? for you so
i will have to close for this time. i am as ever your brother
E. L. Lunceford