[7]
Copies of the following two letters were placed in the H.B.
Stamps Memorial Library of Rogersville, Tennessee by Mrs, Vera Boyatt.
According to Vera, the original letters are in the Reuel B. Pritchett
Collection, Bridgewater College, Virginia. The first letter was
written in 1845 by William Terrell to his mother. The second letter
was written fifteen years later to his brother-in-law, Thomas, son of
Joel. Because of the many mispellings and grammatical errors, I have
attempted to reproduce the transcriptions as closely as possible.
The transcription of the first letter reads:
"Mary Gillenwaters Hawkins County Rogersville Tennessee
Harrisonville ___Wm. Gillenwater
Wm Gill__________VanBuren M Harrisonville, Missouri"
Van Buren County Mo Jan 3 1845
Dear Mother & Friend
_____Though the mercies of God we are yet on praying ground and
pleading terms. Mary Jane and her three sons has chills and
Fever
tho not quite as bad as at first Mary has the fourth son and
calls
his name Robert __It is quite a fine Boy. She has four
interesting
Boy. The Ballance of the family are in common good health
_Betsy
has her spells of sick head aches though I think not so often as
she
youst to have ___my own health has been very good I think I am
stouter than I have been for the last ten years __I am of the
opinion
that this Country will agree with me very well. __I trust that
these
few lines will find you an all of our friends in good health and
doing
well for time and Eternity.
____My lasts weeks mail I recd your kind letter dated the 8th of
Dec
1844 which was a Welcomed Visitor We was glad to recieve it and
hear
that you was all well and yet aiming for a better mode of
existance
that you was blessed with pleanty of the Goods of this World. We
are
still striving by the grace of God to serve him and walk in the
good
old way and trust that if we never see each other in this world
we
will meet in Heaven where parting will be no more. Calvin
Gillenwaters
left our house about the 10th of September fo Tennessee Father
Roddy
was at our house on a visit and started the 14th of Sep they got
together and ...vited to Bellville in Ill there Father left him
and
after Father got home he wrote and said that Calvin had not got
on yet.
I have not heard from Calvin if he did turn back with E
Thurman(/?) in
Ill part he is in the neighborhood of Warsaw about 60 miles south
east
of where we live and his wives Brother & Uncle lives there. I
wrote by
Calvin and expected that you had received it some time before
this it
is reported here that Mary (s) Father is Dead tho have not heard
for
certain. The crops in this country was very light last season in
fact
there was divers of people that did not raise one bushel of good
corn
owing to the great quantity of Rain. The Rain commenced the 8th
day of
May and the ground was not in plowing order until in July we got
about
75 acres planted a part came up and a part was never could get a
stand
and about 10 acres we never got planted we ploughed 15 acres
twice and
part we ploughted once and harred a part we never ploughed and a
part
that we did plough the horses was up to their knees in mud. I
once
thought that it would not be possible for us to raise a bushel of
corn.
Then after all we raised I expect about 12 hundred bushels of
corn and
about 150 bushels of wheat. We saved a good chance of prairie
hay. So
i think we can make out. We had a good mast which made our hogs
tolerable pork we killed them mostly off the mast. They weighed
4686 W
and three Beeves 1557 W we have been wonderfully favored this
winter it
has been Very Warm and dry with the acception of 3 or 4 days cold
and
one snow tho not cold. I never saw as fine a winter in my life
to my
recollection and if I should live to see the 30th April I shall
be 50
years old. This is the fines Country I ever saw and I am of the
opinion
if we can have our health we can do well here. Wm Brown has got
1116
acres of Land (all Valuable) which cost $2.44 cents per acre with
considerable improvements on each tract to with 3 places improved
now is
the greatest chance for a man that has money to save land for his
children, We comenced a Tan Yard which I think will be a money
making
business in this country as we can buy dry hides at 6 1/4 cents
to 7
cents per pound and sel (Good?) Leather for over 25 to 33 1/2
cnts per
poumd. At the river 35 miles from us we can get Salt at from 37
to 40
cents per bushel at Harrisonville 3 miles from us we can get
coffee at
10 cents per u. Sugar the same. Yard wide Damestic 10 to 12 1/2
cents
per yd and all other goods at the same rate. Pork this years from
$2 to
$2.50 per hundred. Hemp from $3 to $3.12 1/2 ct. A good crop
here.
Corn 10 cnts bushel Wheat from 25 to 37 1/2 ct pr bushel port
from $1
to $1.50 pr Crt. Butter 5 to 6 cents. Tallow 4 to 5 cents.
Beef $1.50
C.wt. You may get from 50 to 100 U Tallow out of a good beef and
the
Beef so fat you can't hardly eat it this is the greatest country
for
milk butter and cheese. This is a fine stock country for sheep
Cattle
and Mules Hogs tolerable. We have good society at this time and
I
think will be better tho the people as yet appear to have but
little
spirit about Education. Tho I hope the time is not far distant
when
they will awake to Education. We had some excitment in our
Presidential
Election. Tho I suppose not like you and some others had owing
to this
State being Democratical. The Whig party the one to which I
belong to
is weak in the State and we coulde not do much thou we did do
what we
could for Harry of the west. We are now looking up to Genl Scott
at the
next Election for President and Jimmie Jones of Tennessee for
Vice
President. If we don't get a bank i hope they will let the
Tariff
alone. And Texas for if Congress should reduce the Tariff and
anex
Texas. Next Comes a Ware and Direct Taxin my opinion. I believe
my
store is given out and I must come to a close. Hoping that I
shall hear
from you shortly. Give my and Betsy, Wm Brown and Mary Janes
best love
and respect to all of my friend and Relations and accept our best
love
and Good Wishes for your self. Give my respect to Wm Harlen, Wm
Molsby,
Richard Mitchell and all inquiring friends. Uncle James Simmons
in
Particular _____from your children until Death
_______________________________________________W. T and E.
Gillenwaters
Mary Gillenwater
& Bro. & Sister
I have not heard from any of the Bro & Sister since last summer.
The second transcribed letter was written by William 15 years
later, again in the winter time, as his 65th birthday approaches.
Note that while the price of farm produce has had a modest gain, the
cost of land has gone up 600% to 800%. Has the farmer ever seen
anything else?
Thomas Gillenwaters, Esq Hawkins co Home Rogersville East
Tennessee
(Postmarked Harrisonville MO Feb 10)
Cass County MO Feb 15 1860
Dear Bro & Sisters
This morning being alone in my room I concluded I would drop you
a line and let you know that I am yet among the living and
blessed with
tolerable health weighing about 184 lbs. sincerely hoping that
this will
you and the Family well also Robert Kyle and Sister Rachel and
their
family well also hope this will find you all doing well for times
and
Eternity. I can say my greatest Desire is to serve my God and do
his
will. This World is not much to me and if I can live so that
when my
Lord and Master Calls me from this World I may be ready is all or
at
least the greatest matter I should desire. I ask God for more
Graice
Good health that I may be able and willing to leave this low
ground with
resignation to the will of my God. I ask your prayers that I may
live
in the service of God and do his will let us try and be faithful
while
in this low ground of sorrow that when done with world that we
may meet
in a better. Wm Brown Mary Jane and the Children are at this
time in
tolerable health the Blacks are all well. We are getting along
tolerable
well as to this world we pleanty or as much of this worlds goods
as we
deserve there was raised last year a very good crop of corn and
grass.
Wheat and Potatoes rather short. Corn last faule from $1.00 to
$1.50
wheat $1.00 Pork $4.50 to $5.00 Beef low tho I think Oxen will
bring a
tolerable fare price this Spring as I think there will be a
tolerable
demand for the Army and Pikes Peak. Good mules and Horses are a
good
price Money matters are light although all most everything is a
good
price Land is not Selling much few Emigrants coming in to our
county
now but from accounts we get from other states we look for a ____
Emigration this Spring the territory has
.............................
...................................................
.....
then the price of our land is higher than it is in Texas. Land
is worth
and selling when any is sold from $15.00 to $25.00 with very
common
improvements, with good improvements from $30.00 to $40.00 per
acre. A
good many persons have sold their Negros South for two Reasons
one is
some are afraid they will run off and some because the price is
high.
Young Negro Man is selliong from $1200 to $1500 and Woman and
Girls $800
to $1200 it looks high to me It appears the more fuss the North
makes
the higher they get in the South Wm Brown has not sold any except
his
Boy who wishes to be sold He sold to stay in the Country He has
27 or
28 now. One just born a boy weights 12U a whooper. Wm Brown has
had his
house painted outside and papered and painted inside and is
making
considerable ........ Rock Fence. Will have this season if not
disappointed about two sides of his farm of 400 acres fenced with
rock.
You and Tho should come and see it I should like very much to be
in
that Country and see you Robert and Rachel and your children and
What
of my old friends that are in that Country and I expect that they
are
mostly Dead or moved from there. I fear that I shall hardly ever
be in
that country tho I may the Lord Knows. We have had a fine Winter
not
very cold weather quite dry day before yesterday we had a snow
about two
inches deep the deepest snow we have had this winter, but will
soon be
off. Our prospect for a wheat crop the present year tolerable
good in
places especially on Sod. Our country is quite health. You will
please
remember me to Wm Neal, Geo Powel, Stokely D, Willey B D Deck
Mitchell
W McCollough and in faith all of my old friends My best love and
good
wishes for yourselves, Robert and Rachel and all of the Kin Wm
Brown
and Mary wishes to be Remember to you all on the reception of
this.
Your Brother Till Death W. T. Gillenwaters