From Selena James Reid to Rachel Fulton Caldwell
Selena was living with her son, William Washington James, at the time of this letter …
Rachel is a widow living in Arkansas with her son, James Leander Caldwell
Footnotes revised March 10, 2001 and punctuation added for easier reading
Geo Picking County September 11 1895
rite when you get this letter
rite me all the news
[written sideways at the top]
I have rote all I think of so I will jes rite my name. Selena Reid Dear Neice1, I will try to answer your kind and onexspected letter. it was welcomely received. this leaves us all well as common.William2 complains more than I do. Wheat is vary good. corn crops is tolerable good. the come a wind blowd it down so that it will bad to save foder and a heep or the corn wasted. We have fruit plenty. We have a selection of fruit from the earelst to the latest. our cabbage the worms nearly eat up. have nice irish potatoes. the have not tried the sweet potato. Well Rachel I have rote all I could think of at this time. May god bless you and protect you in this world, save you in heaven is my prair for my neice. Well I will tell you how many children I have. William and Jarusha3. Jerusha is in Texas. William is living with me. they have one son and daughter living with them not married. the have 4 girls 4 boys living, 4 dead, 18 grandchildern living, 10 dead. Jarusha has no childern. Gilly Godfrey4 has 13 childrn, all maried but one. liza5 has 3 by her first man. he died in time of the War then she maried Steven Coward. had no more childern she lives at the ballground [Ball Ground, Georgia]. Gilly lives at her old place with her son in law [Patrick C Daly who married Alice Godfrey]. has 4 children in Mosura [Missouri], none of them doing much good [The husband of Augusta Godfrey Lansdown has escaped prison in GA and gone to Missouri.]. Brother John6 and wife is dead. 2 of the last childern, Isabella7, Mary ellen8, emaline9 is liveing. Georgaan10 is dead. these three lives so I can see them.John11 moved to Texas to pleas his wife. died with poverty, he not able to work to keep her going fine. Well Rachel I saw ester morison12 yesterday. she had bein over to see her sister Betsey allen. is vary sick dont think she will live. Mrs anda Morrison13, Mr Watson14, Gilly and Polly15 Godfrey is all that live her now that was here when you left. all the prices16 is dead. a few of John prices childern living. Mr Simmons17 is dead, left his young wife. Mr Mullinax18 and wife and childern all dead but one. Marimon Moss19 and wife is dead. Moses Jones20 and wife all of his childern is dead but one. Mr Joe morison21 wife and childern all dead. anda morison22 and all of his children but two is dead. Mr Dunigan23 and wife is dead. Martha24 is liveing yit her and soafas gall25lives is out in the mullins settlement [in the edge of Cherokee County], keeping up publick entertainment for all that pass that way, and keep up some troble with the nabors as usual. Well Rachel, I have but one child to look at. I have no Brouther nor sister liveing but myself. sister Nancy26 died the last day of May a year ago, was in her 78 year old. I went to see her 4 years ago this summer she did not no me. William went with me. he got sick. I did not stay but one week. he wanted to come back before he got worse, so my visit was not much to me. there town [Blacksburg, SC] is where our cows did ranges. well Easter morrison said she had not for got the buger that you and her found over at her house and how you slipt along over thare. she said to tell you that she was living in town where hasezel Wood27 lived. there is a nice little town [Talking Rock, GA] down at the lower end of father [Sherod James] place and some of mullinax place. Easter and her son lives togeather. runs a hotel. her son has 7 childern in Texas. Lula28 lives on town creek. emley and eller…
1Rachel Fulton Caldwell
2William Washington James, Selina’s son by Cherokee Indian Johnson Alberty
3Jerusabella Reid
4Abigail Ann James who married Tommy Godfrey
5This may be Eliza James, Gilly’s sister, who first married Jasper Compton and then married Stephen Cowart, her neighbor
6John Shelton James moved to Texarkana, TX with his second wife Mary Street
7Isabella James Price, d/o John Shelton James and Martha Harriet Henry
8Mary Ellen James Rucker, d/o John Shelton James and Martha Harriet Henry
9Harriet Emmaline James Sabders, d/o John Shelton James and Martha Harriet Henry
10Georgia Ann James, d/o John Shelton James and Martha Harriet Henry
11John Shelton James
12Ester and Elijah Morrison lived next to Allison and Frances Caldwell
13Mrs. Andrew Morrison (Elizabeth)
14Elijah P Watson, JP and Clerk of the Court
15Mary, wife of William Godfrey and neighbor to Gilly?
16Two Price families from NC lived near the Morrisons; John and Elizabeth Price had 5 children as of the 1860 census
17Could be the Simmons who owned store on Old Federal Road
18Mullinax family changed their name from Mullineaux to Mullins; 2 of Selena’s neices married Mullins boys
19Marimon Moss and his wife, Mary
20Moses Jones and Malinda Jones, and children William, Hugh, James, Levi (as of 1860 census)
21Joseph and Delitha Morrison, and children Mary, Nancy, Laura, Alfred and Elizabeth (as of 1860)
22Andrew Morrison
23 Ira Dunnegan and wife Elizabeth
24Martha A Dunnegan apparent d/o Ira and Elizabeth. Living with them (at age 33) in 1860, along with Elizabeth (age 12). Elizabeth marries Alfred Mullins in 1866.
25Sophie’s gal might be the daughter of Stephen and Sophie Cowart, who lived next to the Dunnegans
26Nancy James, married to John Calhoun Smith, who died June 1, 1894
27May be referring to Isaac and Jane Hazelwood’s home
28Lula Godfrey
30Emily and Ellen ??