Josiah Parker Papers Letter 20

At Jeremiah Parkers the 26th 7 Mo 1826

Dear Father and Mother brothers and Sisters I Recd. thy letter 19th 7th Mo on blew River which I was very glad to get I left my uncles in Ohio the 22 of last mo I was tolerable the blacks had the hooping cought and Measles Hannah was very sick all the way and is not sattisfied I believe not one of them they have got homes about 16 or 17 mile west of Richmond they are not wanted here Friends do not want them and they fear they will be brought into difficulty thereby the worlds people do threaten to have it a a slave state if blacks do continue to flock in and many of them would be willing those that bring them here might keep them on hand or take them away Some Friends are this way inclined or I have been told so I never intend to bring any more here I have heard an onld Friend say sometime ago that he would give $20 to get them out of wayne County Zang and Moses quarrelled hannah was driving and some of the little boys were driving for Moses they locked wheeles broke a spoke out of M wheel this brought on a rapid quarrel Carbit and Moses quarreled also but not so bad M says he bought 3 quarts Cabit bought some frequently 15 blacks came here the property that belongs to the trustees I cant get anything for it scarcely Edward or the horse that he had is not worth $1 Zang perposes to give ten dollars for the other and I dont [k]now what better to do with him although I dont know how he will pay for him he says he will work it out with me or If I Should want him the wheeles I have not sold the [charts?] nor covers I dont think I can get anything for I intend to take care of the wheels and get something for them if I can I do not know what is best to do with them Samuel has entered a quarter of land on little blew River about 45 miles west of Richmond it is some hilly has a verry good spring its in Rush County just on the line has a [pen?] up lives in it the land is good I exspect to enter there there is no meeting established theres a Committee attends there once a month or I believe so there are but few friends out there yet. Joshua and James are there have bought land in Madison joins S. P. or Joshuas does J L B is a little way off J B and J P B have bought places a little improved all or nearly all of them are unwell Jane was quite sick when I left there 2 day morning last Jno. Parker S son was very unwell the rest were up about them the land where it is not entered is pretty much covired over with spice bushes and woods of different kinds Stinging nettles are plenty enoughf Dears Turkeys Sometimes Bares and wild varments of divers kinds. When I left Mt Pleasant Aunt Sarah was quite low I think She was on the mend though she kept her bed wile I was there. Caleb P got home after about two weeks journey was weakly pretty much as he was there his sister Sarah died while I was there with the consumpson I think [three] of the girls are going the Same way I went to see Joseph Benajah Jesse and George there was not much Complaint amongst them uncle Jacob lived with George he can get about smart for a man of his age he asked me Several times when I was going to Northampton he wished me to give his love to his relations and old acquaintances as Joseph Parker a very hilly place but rich and a gang of boys one daughter only he is pretty well fixed there Samuel left Barnsville the 13th last mo. I was detained on account of the blacks being sick as I have already Stated and had a bad wet time to come over the hills the road was very hilly until we pasfsed Zanesville 20 or 30 miles about 100 miles from Mt Pleasant we did not travel more than 10 or 12 miles Some days among the hills after we got to level land we got along better we saw some beautiful fields of corn on the road in the lower parts of Ohio the cut and army worms have done considerable damage there and in Indiana also Wheat crops were very sorry in the lower parts of Ohio and corn too in some places here is a very great [plow?] or places for raising Stock amongst the [perrearo?] which are large and are covered over with vegitation when I came through there from 1 to 2 feet high Ive seen no hereara land in this State yet the ground is dry here now the corn looks well in general though some of it is small for the time of the year in corn _____ of the army worms. Corn about 20 or 25 cts p bushel Wheat 37 I heard from Benajah or saw a man that pafsed thru 22 of last month he told me he was getting better he lived in 6 miles from where he BB lay he said B had been very low and could not bare to be raised up without fainting the cause of BB getting crippled was dogs fitting [fighting] frighted his horses or two of them the lead one turned round fell down John was under him BB was trying to save him the horses did or could not run much so they used their hind feet. I suppose BB big hor[s]e kicked him and Whether he was wounded more than his leg broke or not I cant tell though I exspect he was wounded in his body we all staid with him 8 or 10 days left him came on to Ohio William B went after him in a few days after J B and J P B got there they brought news BB was likely to recover soon but when W B got there he found him very low indeed Jms was up next day fishing. I saw Micajah B Jerard P at Still water monthly meeting M B and family were pretty well his family increased one pretty soon after they got to J Ps house Jerard P laid open a concern before Still watter Monthly Meeting to go to Baltimore and a party of New york I dont know how much farther his prospect extended now I have been at his house he has a comfortable house his land is not first rate by some himself and family were pretty well then I saw William Flanner heard him preach he lives at Barnsville I have been at his house there and at his house near Mt Pleasant there he lived when I got to Ohio he was pretty well his wife weakly he moved soon after I got there When I got to Ohio I thought that I should like to stay there they persuaded me so to do and told me some of them Indiana was a very sickly state and I believe some parts are so some few instances of the ague, I have been to see Elijah Coffin he is rather weakly himself his family tolerable I have been to Benajah Hiatts himself and family tolerable they live about 15 or 16 miles west of Richmond near Milton Where Elijah keeps post office direct letter to Milton for me it is in Wayne Ct Milford is the name of the Monthly Meeting I heard a Friend say he would give $20 for his part toward getting the people of color out of Wayne County another said he do something pretty smart, B H will have nothing to do with them or best little I have talked with him on the subject I believe he thinks it would be as well to let them stay there and leave them I know not what is best to do with them Ive seen Charles Osborn he looked pretty well I did not have any conversation with him; I heard from D Puckett he is tolerable I have not been in that settlement Cader and Luke wooard Nathan Parker and [Shin?] got to Richmond some time before we did have gone to Newgarden settlement uncle J P saw them 7th day last they were tolerable except a little complaint produced by water I saw Joel Peeles sister at her home in Barnesville She has two Daughters about six boys were all in tolerable health I asked them what I should write Joel. Carillys said set his negro free come to Ohio I say Indiana it soots people from the lower parts of that state or I think so tell James Scott I dont have any thing from his brother I exspect I am about 100 miles from Pike C.t. I want thee to write me about my new ground how it looks and many other things one dollar is worth as much here now as 1 1/2 or 2 was when J P Came here or some people say so Benjamin Copeland was Sick when I last saw him, thee did not inform me any thing about him nor R. C. I want thee to inform me thy prospects about coming here I think if you were here I should like it better although it looks like hard work to begin in the woods but not more so here than there the land appears to be easier ploughed here than there; that is fresh land its not rocky to hurt. White water has very steep and high Banks: theres a mill below Richmond the water ponds about 20 yards above the dam Joshua B gave $400 for 80 Acres improved J L B gave $500 for 160 Acres not quite so well improved. I have not bought a horse yet: and If I get a quarter of land I shall not be able to get one I do not need one yet. If I Should come back this fall which I Should be glad to do: I shall stand in need of sum: I dont know that I Shall: I have it in view to get land and clear some of the trees; and if it stays several years it may or would be but the better to Clear the land where it is settled looks nice in the woods there is not many small bushes there are large trees walnut beach sugartree ash of different kinds there are [numbers?] of trees from under 12 inches in diameter I have been to see Robert he has got him a pretty good house and land open sufficient to raise support said he would not go back and spend the remainder of his days if thee would let him have all thy poor land and great buildings I have not been here long enough to think so yet if ever I do; but If I had a good quarter of land here well improved I believe I could get a living easier here than there and I think a plantation may be opened here with lefs exspence than there one acre here will bring more here than 3 or four there unlefs its manured well I blieve I have wrote all I can think of or as much as is necefsary its badly done exspose it not. I saw 6 or 8 large millstones in one house on the Muskingum River at Zanesville they run with what they call a reaction wheel I was told they would run 10 or 12 feet underwater I could not see them the wheels, they run beautifully so concludes give my respects to all my friends and relations. I would be glad to see you all I [k]now not when I shall [return] whether ever or not

William Parker

[The following is in the same letter:]

7th Mo. 28th as William has wrote this much I thought I would Endeaviour to say a little something concerning our own affairs we are Able to keep mostly about tho under some complaint at this time with a kind of sick stomach sometimes so as to Puke with considerable fever My self at this time feell very much out of order tho at work at Shoe bench, John Sarah & children is reasonable well otherwise than deep could I think occations them feverish & unwell William came from Roberts 3rd day last they have a little daughter called Mary Since I wrote last, Catherine also has a little daughter near 2 Months old called Sarah Jemima has 3 Sons She calls the last Isaac they were mostly well When I last heard from them, my wife says She wants thee to tell Sarah Copeland that She thinks hard of her when She has had so many opooertunitys to have wrote how it is with my & her conections, there was an alarming accident happened some weeks past at a Raising of a large fraimed Barn after part was raised they did not prop it so well as they ought, it fell killed Jefse Davenport & wounded John Williams son of Wm so as he died in a few hours Both were brought to our burying ground n____y a meloncholy scene both left wives several children My reason for mentioning this is as care Should be taken. Please remember us to Lydia Peele Judith Copeland Sarah Elliott & other Enquiring friends in thy freedom, so conclude in with my wife & all the children Joins me thy affectionate Brother

For Josiah Parker

Jeremiah Parker

Give my affectionate love to the children of Decd. Brother for I often think of them want thee have a parental care of them as thy own-----

J. P.

7th of the week 29th of Mo. at the post office at Richmond I am in tolerable health this morning. I have not got able to work much yet I have not got over my journey yet; I am going to out for blew River this morning. I have been unwell some times back nothing more at this time

William Parker

Envelope:

Josiah Parker
Northampton County
N Carolina near
Murfreesborough

Richmond IA
Augt 25

Recd. the 22 of 8th Mo. 1826
from William Parker & his uncle Jeremiah Parker
Recd. this the 22nd of 8th mo. 1826
Recd. the 22nd day of the 8th mo. 1826. In the morning early.