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Nacoochee. July 25th 1866.
My dear aunt Sarah-
I know you have cause to complain of my long silence, which has been quite unintentional I assure you. Your letter directed to the care of Mr. Patton reached me while making preparations to go to Griffin. I had run entirely out of clothes during the war, and after it closed, goods were so high that we had bought scarcely anything; so I had a good deal of sewing to do-we had no help either and the house work consumed much of my time. But I put your letter away in my trunk, intending to answer it after I got there. After entering school my studies occupied the greater part of my attention. We were not dismissed till six in the afternoon-and then I had my letters to write home-shopping to do-lessons to learn &c. On Saturdays I had to sew, and write my compositions for the following week. Thus the time passed away, without my being able to find a single moment in which I could answer your letter.
Pa came down quite unexpectedly on the Saturday before Commencement week-he was taken sick the next day, and was confined to his bed till Wednesday evening. He had contracted a cold, which affected his throat as it always does, and threw him into a high fever. We nursed him well, had a physician to attend him, and he was able to go out Thursday night to the Concert. There were only three graduates. The examination went off very well
[end of letter written in top margin]
[margins of page 1]
I heard some time ago that Emma was to be married soon. Is it so? Aunt Sarah I wish I could go to you, or you could come to see us. I think you might come easy enough[;] we would be so glad to see you. You speak of my wee letters. I think you generally write the weest ones I ever saw
Do write me a long letter dear Aunt, and tell me all about yourself and the girls. Much love from all. Remember me affectionately to all your family.
Ever your niece
Lulu
Object Description
| Rating | |
| Title | Letter from Lulu |
| Description | Letter from "Lulu" (Martha Louisa Starr) in Nacoochee, Georgia, to her Aunt Sarah. |
| Digital ID# | 20-006 |
| Physical ID | 20-006 |
| Object Type | Letter |
| Creator | Starr, Martha Louisa. |
| Subject |
Women's clothing--United States--History--19th century. Women--Education--History. Arp, Bill, 1826-1903. Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877) |
| Geographic location | Nacoochee (Ga.) |
| Date (original) | 1866-07-25 |
| Time period | 1860-1869 |
| Original Collection | Williams (Daniel) Papers |
| Publisher | Mississippi State University Libraries (electronic version). |
| Rights | Copyright protected by Mississippi State University Libraries. Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required. |
| Format (original) |
2-page letter 24.8 x 19.7 cm. |
| Format (digital) | 200 dpi JPEG image |
| Repository | Manuscripts Division, Special Collections Department, Mississippi State University Libraries. |
| Location of Original | Williams (Daniel) Papers/Box 2/Folder 1 |
| Related materials | A digitization project sponsored by the Consortium for the History of Agricultural and Rural Mississippi (CHARM). |
| Language | eng |
| Contact information | For more information send email to sp_coll@library.msstate.edu or call 662-325-7679. |
| facet format | correspondence |
| Transcript | Nacoochee. July 25th 1866. My dear aunt Sarah- I know you have cause to complain of my long silence, which has been quite unintentional I assure you. Your letter directed to the care of Mr. Patton reached me while making preparations to go to Griffin. I had run entirely out of clothes during the war, and after it closed, goods were so high that we had bought scarcely anything; so I had a good deal of sewing to do-we had no help either and the house work consumed much of my time. But I put your letter away in my trunk, intending to answer it after I got there. After entering school my studies occupied the greater part of my attention. We were not dismissed till six in the afternoon-and then I had my letters to write home-shopping to do-lessons to learn &c. On Saturdays I had to sew, and write my compositions for the following week. Thus the time passed away, without my being able to find a single moment in which I could answer your letter. Pa came down quite unexpectedly on the Saturday before Commencement week-he was taken sick the next day, and was confined to his bed till Wednesday evening. He had contracted a cold, which affected his throat as it always does, and threw him into a high fever. We nursed him well, had a physician to attend him, and he was able to go out Thursday night to the Concert. There were only three graduates. The examination went off very well [page 2] and we had quite a good exhibition. We left Saturday, and reached home Tuesday night 10th July-travelled all day Sunday, for the first time in my life, but cousin Alfred had been to Atlanta and heard of Pa's illness, and we knew Ma would be very uneasy about him. We found them all well at home, Mamie is almost grown, and is just as great a tom-boy as ever. Dr. McKinney is teaching now, and Henry is one of his pupils. Amelia is studying at home, she is brighter than Henry, and can read as well as any grown person. Sallie is spelling and learning to read. She talks sweeter than any child I ever heard. She is by far the stoutest looking out of Ma's children, and has an enormous appetite. But "the flower of the flock" and "the pink of the family" is Ellene, my baby sister. She throws all the rest of the girls in the shade but she is so sweet and pretty we willingly yield the palm to her. She is walking every where and is as mischievous as children generally are at her age. She can't talk any yet, but says, "Ma" and "Ba". I received your letter addressed to me at Griffin a few days since, it had been forwarded to Nacoochee. I would have been delighted to have spent a few weeks with you-but Ma's eyes are so poor she needs me to sew all the time. I don't know whether I shall return to school or not. I should like to graduate very much, it would enable me to obtain a situation as teacher much easier-but Pa can't afford to send me again. The tuition and board are so high. My education was interrupted by the war. I had to stay at home during Pa's absence in the army-and after he came home, he was afraid to send me off while the country was in such a state of confusion [page 3] and wickedness. The schools when we do have any here, are generally poor. Cousin Mary was a very good teacher. Yes, we have read Bill Arp's letters, both before and since their appearance in book form. I always considered it a treat to peruse one of them-they are most undoubtedly excellent. I am sorry he corrected the orthography, tho' his reasons for doing so were very good. Sallie and Charlie are keeping house three miles from us, but some of them are here all the time begging. Charlie was sick one time, and Pa went over there to see him, he asked for a spoon to give him some medicine in and was told they didn't have any. Pa came home and went to Clarksville immediately and bought them some. He is always giving them corn, meat, and potatoes, molasses &c and yet that rascal walks about and calls Pa, Starr. Emily is keeping house. Clary went to Augusta or Charleston. Aunt Lizzie's health is tolerably good, but she looks delecate [sic]. Lou and Mary are both pretty, and have a great many admirers. We all like our new cousin, Mr. Wyliss, very much-he is quite an industrious young man. I always loved cousin Mary very much. Uncle Edwin's folks are well. Aunt Lizzie is as kind and cordial as ever. Fannie is very pretty. The negroes Uncle E. had, all went down the country again. Mr. Richardson's negroes all left, and his wife has to go to work in her old age. Miss Judy is so delecate [sic] she is able to do much. Mr. Littlejohn's family "pursue the noiseless tenor of their way". The emancipation of the slaves didn't affect them at all. There is only one daughter not married Miss Mary. Mr. Palmer has recovered his health and is living near Cleveland[.] [page 4] Uncle Charles's family have come back, we are glad to have them near us again. I didn't get to see Mr. Green. He brought his wife up and returned to Augusta, before I came home. Cousin Mary makes a very sweet looking bride. Aunt H.'s health is better. Mr. Sumter's family are the same quiet industrious folks of old. I scarcely ever see them except at church. Grand-ma Sumter is quite feeble, I haven't been to see her this year, but I am going soon. I have only seen Aunt Nancy once since Hattie died, & then she looked so sad I felt sorry for her. Hattie was such a nice girl, and the pet of her mother and Father. Aunt Nancy is very lonely now-her health is pretty good I believe. We had a two days meeting at our church last Saturday and Sunday. There were a good many out. We had five preachers, Mr. Hughs, Richardson, Palmer, Chambers, and Robertson. Cousin Ned has I suppose left his wife forever. He is in Atlanta, she here with her mother. I have never said any thing about it, because I hoped that he might come back to her. She loves him dearly, and is a nice, smart girl. I think he acted strangely to say the least of it. A Mr. Laney is living in his kitchen (his house is not occupied) and cultivating Aunt Mat's land. We have no garden at all this year, and I miss the vegetables so much. I took the children out and gathered some blackberries to make jelly and jam a day or two ago. We succeeded pretty well I believe. We have a white girl living with us, Mary McLester a great, large girl taller than Ma. She don't do as well as she might. You asked how came I to go to Griffin. Pa heard of the College there, while in Milledgeville, and when he came home he told me to get ready, he was going to send me there. I was glad to go to school anywhere, and I wanted to see cousin Eliza too. Mr. Trammell's health is good, but they do not like Griffin as much as Rome. I believe Mrs. N. has only one daughter married[;] they are at the latter place. I don't know whether Pa intends to move or not, he says if he stays here he will have to take the field next year. Uncle George has gone to Europe. [top margin of page 4] Ossy Conley contracted the small pox while in Atlanta, and when he came home, he was taken sick with it, and gave it to the rest of the family. [margins of page 1] I heard some time ago that Emma was to be married soon. Is it so? Aunt Sarah I wish I could go to you, or you could come to see us. I think you might come easy enough[;] we would be so glad to see you. You speak of my wee letters. I think you generally write the weest ones I ever saw Do write me a long letter dear Aunt, and tell me all about yourself and the girls. Much love from all. Remember me affectionately to all your family. Ever your niece Lulu |
| Collection Title | Daniel Williams family papers |
Description
| Digital ID# | 20-006-p01.jpg |
| Original Collection | Williams (Daniel) Papers |
| Publisher | Mississippi State University Libraries (electronic version). |
| Rights | Copyright protected by Mississippi State University Libraries. Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required. |
| Format (digital) | 200 dpi jpeg image |
| Repository | Manuscripts Division, Special Collections Department, Mississippi State University Libraries. |
| Related materials | A digitization project sponsored by the Consortium for the History of Agricultural and Rural Mississippi (CHARM). |
| Language | eng |
| Contact information | For more information send email to sp_coll@library.msstate.edu or call 662-325-7679. |
| Transcript | Nacoochee. July 25th 1866. My dear aunt Sarah- I know you have cause to complain of my long silence, which has been quite unintentional I assure you. Your letter directed to the care of Mr. Patton reached me while making preparations to go to Griffin. I had run entirely out of clothes during the war, and after it closed, goods were so high that we had bought scarcely anything; so I had a good deal of sewing to do-we had no help either and the house work consumed much of my time. But I put your letter away in my trunk, intending to answer it after I got there. After entering school my studies occupied the greater part of my attention. We were not dismissed till six in the afternoon-and then I had my letters to write home-shopping to do-lessons to learn &c. On Saturdays I had to sew, and write my compositions for the following week. Thus the time passed away, without my being able to find a single moment in which I could answer your letter. Pa came down quite unexpectedly on the Saturday before Commencement week-he was taken sick the next day, and was confined to his bed till Wednesday evening. He had contracted a cold, which affected his throat as it always does, and threw him into a high fever. We nursed him well, had a physician to attend him, and he was able to go out Thursday night to the Concert. There were only three graduates. The examination went off very well [end of letter written in top margin] [margins of page 1] I heard some time ago that Emma was to be married soon. Is it so? Aunt Sarah I wish I could go to you, or you could come to see us. I think you might come easy enough[;] we would be so glad to see you. You speak of my wee letters. I think you generally write the weest ones I ever saw Do write me a long letter dear Aunt, and tell me all about yourself and the girls. Much love from all. Remember me affectionately to all your family. Ever your niece Lulu |
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