Letter from John Moore to William F. Weeks, September 1863

Letter from John Moore to William F. Weeks, September 1863

Moore has received a letter from William F. Weeks about prospects in Houston, which have confirmed his decision not to move farther west or south unless the Mansfield area is invaded. He also discusses family business, including horses stolen by runaway slaves and the death of Allie's only son.

John C. Moore

Records of Ante-Bellum Southern Plantations, Series I, Part 6, Reel 18

Image scanned from 35mm microfilm published by UPA. Published here by W. Caleb McDaniel.

September 9, 1863

This item is published solely for personal research and nonprofit educational use under the terms of fair use. No copyright in the item is asserted or implied by its publication here.

PDF

English

Text

70AB67CE-04FF-4394-93BA-C64EEAE8280C

Near Mansfield Desoto Parish La September 7 [9?] 1863

Mr. W. F. Weeks
Houston Texas

Dear William,

Yours of the 22 ult. mailed at Alexandria on the 5th Instant came to hand last evening and I feel under great obligations for the information and details given. I had previously decided not to move further west or south unless this part of the country was likely to be invaded and your letter convinces me that I was right. You living on the spot where all the necessary information can be obtained can judge better than I can. In my opinion the speculation of sending cotton to Matamoras would not pay. You would be giving five dollars in Confederate money for one in Gold [illegible word] all the risk [illegible word] which would be considerable. I did not send the carriage back for your mother, because it is so out of [repair?] that I feared it would not reach home and we had [illegible words] to take it. The only good horse we had was stolen Marcellus when he ran away, and I could not trust unruly mules & besides in case of a necessity of moving again we wanted every Horse & Mule that we had, having lost four on the way. I should have met you on your visit to New Iberia but my Ponies were so poor and worn out that I feared they would not take me home. They are now in better order, but my Buggy is out of order and must be repaired before I can travel any distance. Should I be able to get it repaired and the news we may acquire from the eastern side of the Mississippi & elsewhere will warrent, I may attempt to visit home. My inclination is strong that way, but my [duty?] requires me to give all my attention to the very valuable property I have under my charge. [Tho?] very little of it is mine but my duty is mine but my duty is not the less imperative and I feel equally interested.

You will no doubt have heard of the death of [Edward?] Meade on the 19th Ult. Poor Allie, what a loss, an only child and so promising a boy. I was sick in bed when the intelligence was conveyed to me by Maggie Weeks and I was so shocked that for an instant I feared that it would terminate my existence. It seems that Mrs Brashear had written to me giving the details &c but the letter miscarried & I did not receive it for a month afterwards. I have sent it by C. C. Weeks to your mother. How melancholy for her, just after receiving the news of D. W. Magill's death, another favorite Grand Son. It is a hard case, but we must submit to the will of the Almighty and God forgive me for complaining. The negroes of John Moore & Co. and your mother's servants have been nearly all very sick, some with violent fevers. I have had three attacks of Chill & fever. Mr. Johnson has had an attack also Mr. Easton, yet we have lost but on negro woman belonging to Mr. J. and yet strange to say the Magill negroes have been very healthy tho not over ten miles west of us and ours is an old Settled place & we thought therefore would be more healthy. I am now with Wm. Lourd supposing that a change might have no influence on my health and I am improving. Mr. H. Hopkins is here with us and has the four negroes [left him news by ___? Concludes with food prices in the area]

Manuscript