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Arkansas, Pike County, July the 9 day, 1855
Dear children, through the great mercy of that providence that rules all
things to his own will, I am permitted to say to you that we are all
enjoying tolerable health, but Galla was taken last night with the cholera
morbus and is not clear of it yet, but I hope it won't hold him long. I
have had a heavy spell of it myself and am just a getting about. I earnestly
hope these lines will reach you and you will all be enjoying the best of
health and all your connection in that country. Your connection here is all
well. Times is and has been poor. Times harder (and) arduous than ever was
known since the first Settlement was made in the country and not only here,
but every State that we have heard from. Corn has been from $1.50 cents to
two dollars, bacon from $15 to $20 and now not to be had at all at no price.
There has not been a boat run (on) Red river, yes, one, and that is all
since last Spring year. Their ain't one sack of coffee in our country nor a
sack of salt nor won't be till it can be made up here at the old Salt works
between here and the Choctaw line and I hope you are a doing much better
that what we are and I hope you will try to be contented and prepared to do
well through life.
If I never see you again I wish you all the blessings that life can afford.
I assure you that you are as near my heart as any child or children I have.
Certain you are not often out of my mind long at a time. I now, I crave to
see you both and the baby than every thing in this life, but that (is)
impossible, yet if ever it should be the case in life.
So now none of the connection is married nor nothing strange took place, but
T.R. Stevens has Sold his land to his uncle Edmond Forrister and he has
bought up on the clear fork where your uncle Oliver Brewer used to live.
Over crops this year, as yet, looks tolerable well, but we are very dry now
and has been all the year and (if) rain don't come quick and a heap of it,
we can't make nothing like a good crop, and if this crop is light like the
last crop was, people can't, two thirds of them, get bread certain and sure.
So if you are in a country of plenty, like Lookout Valley was when we lived
there, and you enjoy good health, try and be contented. I assure you that I
am determined to get from this country somewhere, but I am not finally
decided where it will be. I would come there but I can't think it would be
safe at all to undertake it, the Indians is so hostile, all of them from
Fort Smith clear through the whole route (to) the Kansas country.
Country is a settling very fast and there has been a great discovery of gold
up on the Arkansas river and on the Ouachita mountain about three hundred
miles from here and the people is in a mighty stir and a going at a rapid
rate and if nothing takes place strange, there will be by Christmas, there
will be fifty thousand men in the mines by that time without a doubt. There
is large companies going every day and they say there has never been richer
prospects found in the Island of America. Though the gold stimulates the
people in general, but I assure you the signs of the times greatly compels
us all to think about how our substance comes and where from. Dear children,
keep your mind and heart desire to that great being who has power to cut
over bread and water from us all in a very short space. Let us never forget
him, for all the great prospects of gold or rubies, for I tell you now the
greatest happiness man and woman can have in this life is to have good water
and land and make a plenty to live on and do so and then you are supping the
sweet juice of the earth in abundance so full filling your own through this
unfriendly world.
Now my dear children, you say you have not had but one letter from me since
you left. I surely have wrote four before this and would have wrote ten, but
T.R. and Galla and the girls was a writing of ten. I think we have got 8
from you and from T.D. I think about 18 or 20, so I assure you both the
reason of my not writing often, it was not for hard feeling 'certing against
either of you. Certain as I told you in my house I would have been glad you
could have found a country that you all could have been satisfied closer to
me. I assure you I would have been there long before this time certain. So
you say to me you are both satisfied, so I say to you that satisfies me much
better that to know you was suffering in this country.
I assure you that there is one fourth family in this country has got one
pound of coffee or salt in their house. Its not the poor alone nor rich,
it is all. Nor a gallon of molasses, meat and bread and milk and butter.
Yes, Margret, I liked to forgot to tell you both now, that the Governor of
Georgia had to call the country together for the purpose to get grain for
the people's bread ...
Your grandmother and uncle Galla and the children was well this Spring. I
tell you now I hope that kind providence that has watched over all, over
meandering in this life, will still continue with us all through all this
unfriendly world and finally stand by us all in the ... hour of death and
finally receive us all to himself where grief and sorrow will vanish away
forever. So that will be enough for us and tell the little darling of a pup
that she has got a grand(father) and he would like to see her certain and
grandmother and uncle and aunts, and I reckon if she was here a little while
she would not think us friends, but we would like to see the ...
So I don't know what more to say, I, for you will never get it, but I will
start another soon. David Brewer & John Brewer is a writing and surely you
will hear from us. So we all send howdy to you all from the center of our
hearts, every one of us, so we remain your Father & Mother, brothers &
sisters, all through life.
John A. Stevens &
Sarah Stevens to
Oliver Brewer &
Margrett Brewer
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Letter provided by Dora Lee, Eugene, Oregon, 1977, spelling corrected.
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