Posted By: John Corn
Date Posted: Aug 3, 2008
Description: Sheriff John Lewallen b. 1812 d. 1896 - son of Anderson Grant Lewallen
Date Taken:
Place Taken:
Owner:
Dorothy Campbell - Mar 17, 2009
John Lewellen's letter to Campbell Lewellen in Tennessee. dated February 20, 1876.
"Texas
Howard, Bell county
February 20, 1876
Mr Cambell Lewellen
Dear Son and Daughter
I this day take the pleasure to write to you and to let you know that we are all well hoping these few lines will find you and your family all well. Emley has lay sick all winter with her old complaint and has mis caried her child. She is now up walking about. You wanted to know how we was getting along with our fences. I think A.S. and me will get our fence done in time to save a crop. Cambel you wanted to know how much I made last year. I made 12 hundred and 30 bushels of corn. I paid one third for rent of that I paid Isaac one fifth of my part from my croping with me. I made 8 bales of cotton for my part and it lact a small fraction of bringing five hundred dollars and cotton was very low. It brought from 10 to 11 cts a pound. I give him one fifth of the cotton. I have between 40 and 50 acres of land brook. I have not got a fare chance this year to make a cop for I have not got the time to cross break my land and I have plant with out cross breaking my land. I have plenty of corn and bacon to do me this year. Yall write soon.
John Lewellen to Cambell Lewellen,
A few lines from Emley to Miley Ann.
Well Miley Ann you wanted to know how I stood my trip to Texas. I stood the trip the best I could. Well Cambel we have plenty of bacon and lard to use. We have 150 pounds of lard. (The last few lines wasn't plain enough to copy) It was signed Emley Lewellen to Miley Ann Lewellen".
Billie Harris - Mar 17, 2009
Wow, that's a lot of lard to use. In fact, that was a very interesting letter. My grandparents raised cotton as well as tobacco and lots of edible crops. I still have vivid memories of the cotton fields and sitting on the tow sacks that my grandparents and mother pulled down the rows, or sitting under the shade of a tree while they were picking cotton. Used to go with my grandfather in the old wagon to the cotton gin to sell it, too.
Brings back lots of memories.
Dorothy Campbell - Mar 17, 2009
Old letters are sure very interesting. Not like today's texting, that is for sure. They took them very serious.