Josiah Parker Papers Letter 27

Rush Cty Indiana 3rd Mo 8th 1829

Dear Father Mother brothers and Sisters I have Recd. two letters from thee I recd. the letter thee wrote in the 11th mo in the 12th mo 12th day the letter being date 10th month 20th 1828 I did not Receive until the 24th of 2nd mo 1829

The reason M Binfords letter did not come sooner to hand I suppose was owing to West Liberty post office being in the Henry Cty the State road is the line between Rush and Henry Cty the office is just over the line I have had a bad cold have got better and am now boarding at S. P.s and working on my land and do intend to make a crop there this year I have been at old Blue River was at Peninah Moors and Dr. Albertsons Sarah Albertson was in a low state of health confined to her Room but seemed quite cheerful, P. M. tolerable well and family I was at James Whites they were pretty well there they Several of them our relations and some others desired to be remembered to you. I was at Isaac Parkers on Sand Creek and several other places where they raised Sweet potatoes had yams pretty plenty we think of trying to get some from there sometime. the winter has been very hard here it Snowed the 28th of 1st mo. the ground has been pretty much covered ever since until within a few days Mills frozed up I suppose the ice was 6 or 8 inches thick in some places. If Thomas wants to go over to bare swamp dont stop him on my account Sell if a chance should offer if the[e] thinks it will do I saw a letter sometime ago from Aaron White to John Bell stating he intended to come this Spring. I hope thee sells the Dickhommany land the[e] will send me something by him or some Safe Hand if the[e] can share something if not I Shall try to do without I think I Shall try to get on to my own land sometime this year the piece I bought joins the peace I entered I gave $140 for it cash the beast I bought works well I carted up all the corn Samuel and me raised with her she pulled as well as old Sinet I want Nathan to think of that fall he came from Massachusetts and whether there was not limestone water there and I exspect it was as strong as it is here Some had the ague and fever here last fall [such?] as lived on the River or some of them I saw William Townsend last fall at yearly meeting his son Elias was in that settlement sometime before. Married Sicilla Johnson he told me he had 80 acres of land at White Lick they were pretty well then I have not seen uncle J P since last Quarterly Meeting at Whitewater or yesterday 3 months ago he was and aunt were both weakly then I was at R Parkers some time ago they were tolerable well they have three children Catherine three Jamima four Nathan and Catherine moved close by Roberts last fall I exspect George and Jemima have moved there before this time George bought land there last fall respecting my being Satisfied. I think I shall be satisfied when I get on my own land to live and get some open or enoughf to raise aplentiful support which I exspect I shall if nothing do this Season or I exspect to get 7 or 8 acres perhaps in corn if the squirrels will but let it alone its likely I may raise some ___ there will be anumber of dead trees on it. I exspect to try to put me up a cabbin and go into it to live till I can get a better I exspect I have rail timber plenty cut walnut blue ash red elm and hickery I dont spend but little I have worked a little for wages I saw black Isaac Parker when I was at old Blue River he was glad to see me inquired after anumber of you wanted to know if [thee?] was one of the seperatist he had been sick with measles was getting better he is I believe a respectable man 3rd mo. 10th at night I am writing on my knee by firelight I have no time else only first days Samuel has been making Sugar has made 6# or 7# have all had bad colds have got better. The receipts that Micajah and James L Binford gave me run thus Recd. of William Parker $258-31/2 cts being money that James Peelle collected for me after loosing a discount of 8 p cent which would make it $280-3rd mth. 12th 1828

James L Binford

The 8th of the 5th mth 1828 then Recd. of William Parker four hundred and Eighty dollars which money James Peelle Collected for me

Micajah Binford

These are true coppies given me by them-- I think you or thee has more time to write than I have when I got here last spring I waited for a letter from you dont exspect me to write two to one. I believe I may say I never exspect to crofs the blue ridge anymore altho I should be glad to be with you awhile but its to[o] far for me to go often I should be glad if the[e] could sell thy possessions there to satisfaction for thee to come to this land altho I shall no doubt have a hard time of it for a while wheat was $ __ per bushel in Richmond the 3rd of the mo. as I understood so I dont exspect we should have much if any until we raise it. 11th it rained this morning thunder and rain this evening its very muddy here the ground is pretty much thawed out. yesterday and the day before were beautiful days spring like I heard from uncle Jeremiah by a friend that went to the Quarterly Meeting it was last 7th day he was wekly did not go to meeting its about 2 miles from S P to my land. I get up in the morning get something to ate take something along and stay till night. Blue River has not been very high this winter. we believe peaches are killed before the buds were swelled or since last fall they are apt to to be killed hard winter here away I have been at meeting to day all or Joshua James & Benajah were there Micajah had a fall some time ago has not go over it I dont know of much complaint here away at present we are pretty well at present grandmother Binford stays mostly here is here now she has been sick sometime ago she is pretty smart now S. P. has a good stock of cattle one cow lost her calf in the cold weather She gives plenty of milk for all of us a plenty of hogs he bought 7 sheep lost them all has three stacks of bees, two horses, he exspects to have another shortly he is not in debt to the amount of $5 S. Moore has paid him the principal--I have no stock buy gray She about the colour of the horse I sold Martha Roberts I exspect [to] have plenty of corn and fodder for her 12th cold wind with snow 13th Snowed until the ground was covered 14th Snow about 6 inches deep this morning not more than 2 or 3 this evening not much complaint amongst us at present I was weighed sometime ago-weighed 162, there was an ox sold to the Cincinati butcher last Spring for $86 the man that sold him lived near James Stantons I was there last spring as I came down here I was also at [Isaac?] Harveys they do oppose the seperatist and Charles Fisher and many other- I exspect I was as anxious to get a letter from you as you was from me and perhaps more so it was so long before I heard from you that I gave over loo[k]ing or almost so

I have not seen Zang since last spring I heard he had a good crop. Moses also Edward is doing pretty well I believe they were sorry to hear of their relations and acquaintances were gone to Liberia if thee should hear any thing from Liberia inform me next time thee wrights to me 18th cold to day it was our preparative meeting to day we have but little to do here there is a great deal to do in some places as high a 30 complaints at one meeting I believe if not more I went to my land after meeting and Split 160 rails out of ble ash very large ones the most of them are so large that one would be plenty for me to carry a time; tell B Copeland this is a great Country for black smiths inform me next time thee writes me about what has become of aunt Judith Copelands Children also Judith Rebecca and Joseph Parker Ill to [be?] glad to hear from my old acquaintances in general __ I have no time to steady stenography or nothing to steady I have not many books of no description I have no time to transcribe this therefore make best of it you can; give my respects to all that enquires after me

Josiah Parker
Wm Parker

[added later:]

I have had no clothes made since I left there the little b___ I took along does very well with a shaw one under it for me 19th snow 20th snow again about 4 inches deep trees not began to past out

Several families moved here last fall and meeting is about as large as yours at Richsquare theres a quarter of land joining or corners at the meeting house offered for sale as good as any land in Roanoke and level price $500 Robert White wants to sell his quarter pretty smartly improved might be got for $700 or 800 dollars Six mile Creek runs through its [believe?] there might be a good mill got on it [nior?] fails to run sufficient to carry an overshot wheel perhaps 20 but of all in a quarter of a mile I have given all the information in this that I am capable of

Envelope:

Richmond Ind
March 27th
Josiah Parker
Northampton County
by the City of Washington N. C Murfreesborough
Recd. the 9th of 5th mo. 1829 from William Parker

Recd. the 9th day of the 5th mo. 1829