Family Letters of the Smelley Family, Talladega, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/talladega/history/letters/smelley.txt ================================================================================ USGENWEB NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed and copyrighted by: Linda Bock ================================================================================ February 1999 Family Letters of the Smelley Family - Talladega Co., AL A LETTER WRITTEN TO MRS. CINTHY SMELLEY, RENDALEY P.O. TALLADEGA CO WALNUT GROVE ALA JULY THE 1 1888 DEAR MOTHER AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS NEPHEWS AND NIECES ONE AND ALL AFTER ALONG DELAY AND A HEAP OF TROUBLE AND SICKNESS WE RITE YOU ALL A SHORT NOTE WELL DEAR KINFOLKS WE LOOKED FOR SOME OF YOU ALL LAST FALL AND WINTER BUT ALASS YOU DID NOT COME WE GOT A LETER FROM W.W. MATSON A FEW WEEKS AGO STATING THAT YOU WAS ALL WELL AS FAR AS HE KNEW HE SAID HE HEARD FROM MOTHER A FEW DAYS BEFORE HE WROTE AND SHE WAS AS WELL AS COMMON WE WAS GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL WELL I WILL TRY AND TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT OUR BAD LUCK ELIZABETH WAS TAKEN DOWN WITH NEWMONEY FEVER IN MARCH AND LAYED 30 ODD DAYS THAT WE ALL THOUGHT SHE WOULD DIE WE HAD 3 DOCTORS PART OF THE TIME AND 2 ALL THE TIME AND JUST AS SHE SEEMED TO TAKE A CHANGE MENIDA AND GEORGE GOT THEIR HOUSE AND EVERYTHING THEY HAD BURNED UP THEY HAD MOVED TO THEMSELVES BUT WAS WITH US HELPING TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR MOTHER WHEN THEIR HOUSE WAS BURNED WE HAD BUILT THEM A GOOD HOUSE AND THEY HAD FIX OFF TO HOUSE KEEPING VERY WELL HAD BOUGHT AMASHENE AND STOVE AND WHEEL AND CANDLES AND TRUNKS AND WAS WELL FIXED AND WAS DOING WELL BUT THEY LOST IT ALL THEY ARE LIVING IN THE HOUSE WITH US AGAIN THEY HAVE TWO CHILDREN THE OLDEST A BOY AND THE OTHER A GIRL WELL MY HEALTH IS VERY POOR I AM NOT ABLE TO WORK BUT VERY LITTLE I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL AND HOPE SOME OF YOU WILL COME SOON TELL W.W. I WILL WRITE SOON TELL HIM IF HE CAN TO COME I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM PETER AND JOHN HOW THEY ARE GETTING ALONG WITH THEIR CALEN TELL SISTER CYNTHIA AND JINEY AND LEE ALL TO WRITE AND LET ME KNOW WHETHER THEY ARE AT THE SAME PLACE OR NOT AND HOW LITTLE JAKE IS GETTING ALONG WITH HIS FINE MULE TELL JEFFERSON AND HIS FAMILY WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM TELL THE GIRLS SAVANNAH AND DIXIE TO WRITE AND LET ME KNOW WHETHER THEY ARE AT HOME OR NOT SISTER ROENA AND JULIA I WANT YOU BOTH TO WRITE US A LETTER AND TELLMOTHER IF SHE IS ALIVE TO SAY SOMETHING IN YOUR LETTER AND TELL HER I WILL COME THIS WINTER IF SHE LIVES AND I DO TELL SALLEY AND JIM I HANTE FORGOT THEM YET I HAVE GOT SO NERVEROUS I CANT WRITE AND WILL CLOSE BY ASKING ALL OF YOU TO GET TOGETHER AND WRITE US A LONG LETTER I WILL CLOSE G.W. TYLER AND FAMILY SISTER ROENA I HAVE THOUGHT A HEAP ABOUT MOTHER FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS KISS HER BROW FOR ME SHE IS OLD AND FRALE BUT SHE IS OUR DEAR MOTHER --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A LETTER FROM G. W. TYLER AND FAMILY TO CINTHA SMELEY AND FAMILY. WALNUT GROVE ALA. NOV. THE 7 1889 DEAR SISTER AFTER SOME DELAY ON THE ACOUNT OF SICKNESS WE RITE YOU A FEW LINES WHEN GOT YOUR KIND LETER ELIZABETH WAS ALLMOST IN THE JAWS OF DETH WE LOOKED FOR HER TO DIE ABOUT 3 WEEKS EVERY DAY AND THE DOCTOR THOUG SHE WOOD DIE SHE IS SOME BETER BUT VERY FEEBLE SHE CAN WALK ABOUT THE ROOM A LITTLE DEAR SISTER I AM SO NERVOUS AND TRIMLEY I CANT RITE SO YOU CAN READ IT BUT I WILL DO THE BEST I CAN AS I NOE YOU ARE ANCIOUS TO NOE WHAT IS THE MATTER I DONT NOE WHAT TO RITE I WAS SO BOTHERED WHEN WE GOT YOUR LETER ABOUT MOTHER AND THE DETH OF ROEANY AND YOUR ROENA I THINK EVERY DAY ABOUT ALL THEM LITTLE CHILDREN AND MOTHER ON YOUR HANDS IF MOTHER IS ALIVE I WANT TO NOE WHETHER SISTER ROENA LEFT ANY SMALL CHILD OR NOT AND HOW MANY LEES WIFE LEFT AND WHAT HE IS DOING POOR FELLER I CAN ALLMOST SEE HIM IN HIS GREAT DISTRESS AND WHAT PETER LIMBAUGH IS DOING I THINK IF MY WIFE GETS SOE I CAN LEAVE HOME I WILL COME SOON AND IF MOTHER IS ALIVE AND WANTS TO COME AND LIVE WITH US WE WILL DO THE BEST WE CAN AND LET ME NOE AND I WANT YOU TO TELL ME WHETHER THE TRAIN STOPS AT RENDALEY AND WHAT TIME IT GETS THERE AND HOW FAR IT IS FROM YOUR HOUSE AS I AM SO TOTERY AND BLIND OF A NIGHT AND IN A STRANGE PLACE I WOULD BE BOTHERED AND THERE IS SO MUCH MEANESS GOING ON THAT WE NEVER NOE WHEN WE ARE SAFE DEAR SISTER PLEASE LET ME HERE FROM YOU AS SOON AS YOU GET THE NOTE AND I WILL CLOSE FOR THE PRESENT G. W. TYLER AND FAMILY TO CINTHA SMELEY AND FAMILY. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A LETTER WRITTEN BY JAMES RAYFORD SMELLEY TO HIS WIFE CYNTHIA WEBIT TYLER THE STATE OF GEORGIA, CAMP NEAR LOVEJOY STATION ON THE MACON RAILROAD ABOUT 30 MILES BEFORE ATLANTA THIS SEPTEMBER THE 16TH 1864. DEAR WIFE AND CHILDREN I TAKE THE PLEASURE THIS MORNING TO DROP YEW A FEW LINES TO LET YEW KNOW THAT I AM WELL AND I HOP SINCERLEY HOP THIS WILL CUME SAFE TO HAND TO FINE YEW ALL WELL AND A DOING BETER THAN I HEAR YEW AIM A DOING FOR I NOW TIMES IS HARD EVERYWHERE I NOW HIT IS HARD TIMES WITH US HOUN MUSHENS IS VENEY SHAN WE AIN A GITING A HALF POUND OF BEAF PENDAY AND A POUND OF MEAL AND THAT IS ALL WE GIT PENDAY I THINK THARE IS A BIT MORE ON HAM FOR WE DREW A SLICE OF BACON YESTERDAY AND A HALF GILL OF MOLASES TODAY TO THE MAN AND THAT IS A SUNTAIN MOORE WE ALL BEGIN TO FIX UP WHEN WE DREW THAT SORT OF NASHEN CYNTHIA I RECEIVED THE LETER YEW SENT BY LIMBAUGH I RECEIVED HIT THE 11TH OF THIS MONTH I WAS GLAD TO RECEIVE HIT FOR HIT HAD BIN A MONTH SINCE I HAD RECEIVED A LETER FROM YEW I WAS SORRY TO HEAR THAT YEW WAS NOT WELL I DO HOPE THIS WILL BRING SAFE TO HAND AND FIND YEW ALL WELL AND A DOING WELL YEW NOUT TO WEE ABOUT CUMMING HOME YEW KNOW I WOULD CUM IF I COULD GIT LEAVE I NEVER WANTED TO SEE YEW ALL ENEY WORSE THAN I DO NOW I HAVE NOT SEEN YOUR ANATHEN IN SOME TIME HE WAS WELL WHEN I SAW HIM CYNTHIA YOU HAVE NEVER NOAT TO ME WHETHER YEW WANTED ENEY MONEY OF KNOT I HAVE HAD A LITTLE MONEY ALL THE TIME BUT VERY LITTLE WE HAVE NOT DREW ENEY MONEY ON A COUNT SINCE WE HAVE BIN OUT HEARIN THEY HAVE JUST FIXET OUT HOUR PAMEALS TO DRAW MONEY THEY SAY WE WILL DRAW MONEY PUNTEY SOON AND WHEN WE DRAW I WILL SEND YOU SOME BY THE FIRST GOOD OPPERTUNITY CLAY TAWL IS OWING ME 30 THIRTY DOLLARS AND HE NOAT TO HIS BROTHER WIKE TO PAY HIT TO YEW AND HE HAS GOT A ANSWER FROM HIM AND HIS MOTHER SAID SHE WOULD PAY HIT TO YEW FOR HIM I WANT YEW TO GIT HIT FROM HER AND MAKE HER PAY YEW THE NEW ISHUE FOR THE OULD ISHUE WANT PASS HERE I DO HOP I WILL GIT TO CUM HOME BEFORE LONG IF I DOUNT I WILL SEND YEW SUM MONEY AS SOON AS I A DRAW HIT CYNTHIA I LOANED OUT SOME MONEY BECAUSE I COULD NOT GIT A CHANCE TO SEND HIT HOME I LOANED ALBERT SIMS TWENTY DOLLARS AND HE SAID HE WOULD RIGHT TO HIS FATHER TO PAY HIT TO MAG MORGAN RENNALDS FOR YEW AND I WANT YEW TO GIT THAT ALBERT SIMS FATHER NAME IS HENRY SIMS HE LIVES A WAY BELOW MATERSVILLE CYNTHIA TELL JOHN SMELLEY WIFE HE IS WELL THE CONNECTION IS ALL WELL SO FARM I KNOW AS I HAVE NOT SAW THEM FOR SEVERAL DAYS HANT MOORE TO RITE