Memphis
Dec. 16th, 1866
Dear John & Sister,
I should have written
you before this but something has prevented me all the time so I didn’t.
Well, we are all well as usual hoping that you are all enjoying
the same blessing. I believe that I told
you in my last that I had sold the mill to Capt. Pease and a man by the name of
Mitchell, and have agreed to run it for them for a while. I now think that I will stay until May
sometime and I may go back to Chicago at that time.
I have got a warrant for the arrest of Tourtettole but have
not done anything with him as yet, but I may, however, in a short time. He is at Chicago as I have heard from parties
that have seen him there. He tells a
great many lies such, for instance, he tells that he layed out about four
thousand dollars in the mill and got nothing.
I suppose he left it all for me.
(over the left)
I suppose that I should have seen you before this but I had
to postpone my visit to you for a while, but still I am a peculiar soft of
fellow and I assure you may not be surprised to see me at your door looking
like a beggar, perhaps somewhat worse.
But I can assure you I am getting as fat and as strong as ever, and
Richard is doing first rate. He is
running the engine here now and he feels the best that I have seen him for some
time. He has got a little dog. He gets plenty of rabbits and opossum. He got one today and we will have it for our
supper tomorrow evening. There is plenty
of game here. We have something every
little while. I suppose that you have
some game out there and when I come I must bring my gun along with me.
We had a letter from home a few days ago and their letters
have been returned to them the same as yours was. I don’t see why we don’t get our
letters. We send to the office very few
days. I think I wrote to you in my last
to direct in Capt. Pease’s care, lockbox 112, Memphis Tenn. and we will get
them right away. Capt. Pease is
boarding with us here and we have been building a new house near the mill. We are going to move in a few days and the
Capt. is going to bring his lady here in a few days. They are from Boston. I don’t know how she will like it out here in
the woods; he enjoys it very well.
We had some bad luck here a week ago. Mr. Mitchell came up and paid all the hands
at the mill and they had to go and get drunk.
The Capt. was in town and had been for a number of days and he heard of
our trouble. He discharged all of them
and now we have a new crew again. There
is an Irishman that keeps a kind of grog shop about a quarter of a mile from
the mill and they all go there to get their whiskey. It came very near being a dead shot whiskey for
they all got a fighting and threatening to killing one another. This a great country to drink. I mean the people are great on the
drunk. I don’t think I have found but
one or two men but what drinks more or less.
We had a little snow last night which lasted nearly all day
today, but Friday evening we had a very heavy rain. It made everything so wet that we did not do
much at the mill on Saturday.
You must write me soon and let me know how much of a crop
you made this last season and how you have got along generally. Father & mother has been very sick for
some time and they want to hear from you very much. Richard talks of sending some money home this
next month. He has been sick so long
that he was not able to send anything for them this summer. Also, my misfortune prevented me doing
anything for them.
I bought a cow and calf the other day and I paid forty five
dollars for her. I sent Richard and
negro to get her home and I expect they beat her so that she don’t give us a
pint a day. I am real sorry but she may
come out all right yet. I have sent to town
for a turkey for our dinner Christmas.
And by the by, I hope you all will have a Merry Christmas and Happy New
Years.
I must close for the present in love to you all, and Frances
& Richard, Hattie and all wishes you all a Merry Christmas.
Yours as ever,
Edwin
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