The following letter was found in an old trunk belonging to SALLY REBECCA EGGERS GRAYSON. The origional belongs to GILDER GRAYSON, Madisonville, KY (1965). Copied by RUTH E. MILLS.
[page 1 of letter]
At Home. April 14th, 1867
Good Morning! folks! How do you all do this morning? All well I hope, and happy too. We are not well at our house. MOTHER is very bad off with her hip and foot, so she can't hardly get about, and this morning her Shoulder is hurting badly. Rheumatism I expect. but her shoulder has been out of fix for nearly two years so she has not combed her own hair a half a dozen times in all that time. So you see I have that to do, and PAP well I believe he is well as usual, only tired. he has been making rails and building fence all winter and spring on the OSBORN farm. him and MR SILVER have been making a new road along the hill towards the Creek. they have shut up the old road, and made the new one on the line. And as for myself. I am almost too mumerous to [piece torn away] my health has been very poor all winter. And this spring I worked in the Sugar camp, and one week, most of the time, and helped Mother [piece torn away] between time. which I guess was too hard on me. At any rate my breath got too short. it seemed as though it wouldent come from, far enough down. I have been taking medicine now for nearly a month from DOCTOR COLTON of Zionville, and I think I am getting some better. At least my breath seems to be about right again. I have had a sore nose ever since last fall and oh! my, such another time as I have had. I have been doctoring it all winter. I think it will get well sometime if it ever does. perhapse next fall, it not sooner.
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LANDRINE has moved over where FROST BILL GRIFFORD lived. they are both well. FROSTY has gone to Zionsville. They have made a City of Zionville. got all their officers and rules established. They have got a girl for post-mistress, but some dont like her very well. MR ATCHINSON that used to keep store there has sold out and is going to Nebraska to spend the summer. Some say he is broke up, but he says not. We dont hear much news here, only of mud and mad-dogs. We had lots of snow here this winter, and more mud than was called for. it has been so very muddy that it was almost impossible to get out of the yard. but it is some better now, but we dont get out much yet. Mother has not been off of the place but once in eleven weeks, and me not much better. it has been raining a little along for two or three days. Well you see this is Tuesday morning, I began this on Sunday, and got one line on this page when we got company and so this [piece torn away] letter was laid by. but now to my dog story. its been mad dogs, mad dogs, [piece torn away] time for two months, we talked of them, dreamed of them, heard of them, and looked for them, but be it remembered didn't see any of them [piece torn away] too. JIM SMITH that lives at Jollyett just north of here had a hog and cow both bit and died. most of folks have either killed or put up their dogs. It is five dollar fine for any dog that is let go loose in Zionsville without a mussle, or the dog it is killed. LANDRINE has Trip over at his domicile. he keeps him tied most of the time, poor little fellow he is as pretty as ever. I would keep him here but mother is fraid for fear he might bite SARAH ANN. now who do you reckon our third Sarah is! well it is mother's half brothers grand child. near relative oh! her father
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JOHN MYERS cut out last fall. and some think with his hired girl for parts unknown. and neither of them have been heard from since. JOHN left his wife plum behind with three small children to do the best they could. This is the second one that they have here. she is some six years old, and one of the greatest talkers that ever I seen. She talks a fair streak, and not stopping her either. Her folks want them to keep her here, but I dont know about that, for she is spunkey as a rat. Well UNCLE ABNER you say you are going to fix up and have a great big garden going to be fine oh! hope you will have good luck. I want you to have plenty of cabbage and taters and corn bread when I come to see you, cause you know I like them.. but oh my! how I wish you wasnt so far off so I could come to see you sometimes. I would stay till you would all get tired of me maby. AUNT LUCINDA says she would like to see that mischievous SIS. well I should like to see her also, but if she was to see me, she would think, well sure enough [piece torn away] turn to Whippoewills, and SIS will soon be one. Tell the boys [piece torn away] Should like to see them, and their wives, and babies. but cant just [piece torn away] tell them to wright to us, for they can all wright a fair hand. One of them I dont just remember which, said something about comeing out here. just tell him to come on for I should like to see him, I feel quite lonely now, for LANDRINE is gone now and I have no one to tease. I used to tease him, but he gets mad now if I say much, and his frow, well she talks straight along dont like me any of the more best though. I used to have lots of fun with her brothers but they dont come here any. one is mad, and other dont know what is the matter with him. mad too, maby.
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We have made a little garden, but cant do much. it is such a late Spring. LANDRINE is plowing for corn. PAP is sowing oats when it is not too wet, building fence then. Says he hasn't time to wright. MOTHER says tell you all she is about as of old.. crippled up and no end to trouble. PAP had to go to Court the other week, for seeing WOOD CULLEY cut open, after being killed by BILL RICHARD. BILL LIELHARDDs brother in law WOOD having been too intimate with BILLs wife for several years. I think BILL was a perfect fool or he might have put a stop to it long ago. the shooting was last fall. The case was laid over till next court. PAP and DAVE McILVAIN had a settlement in the Church last Saturday. They shook hands and agreed to be friendly. I didnt hear the trail, but expect I should have laughed at them.. oh yes! BILL MILLERs wife is dead. she died about a month age with typhoid fever. she left two little children. BILL has been to Kansas [words rubbed out] you was here. and got back to Indiana [words rubbed out] where his wife died. I have not heard what he was going to do. We have not heard from UNCLE DAVES for a long time. but they were well the last we heard of [piece torn away] PAP got a letter from RICHARD EGGERS some time ago.. they were well. [piece torn away] of buying PAPs Kansas land if they can make the payments.. [piece torn away] are looking for a letter from him now.. he is in Buckhanan County, Missouri. his address is Walnut Hill Mo. Well I have told you all I can think of just now except that every bodys children have the hooping cough. so it is getting time for me to quit, for I know you are all tired of this great letter, but maby I wont wright such a big one next time. now folks I want you to wright us great long letters, and not being g----ly, or anything of that kind. I will say plenty of them too. Please wright soon.
Our respects to all, Sis Eggers
Adieu sis
Submitted by and used with permission of Linda Viel
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