Madison-Elbert County GaArchives History - Letters .....James Calloway Campbell's Daily Dispatches April 6, 1902 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Letitia Vaughan letitia.vaughan@gmail.com and Austin Mitchell March 30, 2006, 10:25 am Book Title: Mitchell-Vaughan Family History Of 1993, Austin Mitchell, Author James Calloway Campbell's Daily Dispatches The following are daily notes Great Great Grandfather James Calloway Campbell wrote to his children near the end of his life. The spelling of words is sometimes peculiarly his, but often times, the seemingly misspelled words are spellings found in the Old Blueback Speller of that time period. These “dispatches” as he called them were found in my Great Grandmother Sally Campbell Vaughan’s possessions after her death in 1936. No. 1 March the 28, 1902 Madison Co., Georgia My dear children and grandchildren I have concluded to write you a day by day dispatch to let you know that we are yet alive. I have been sick and have a hard time getting through this winter and not through yet. I am not well, verry paly, had cole all this winter. Your ma is well, so that suits me, I can’t do well without her. They say I am getting old, and I reccon I am. I can’t get about mutch. I an’t got mutch to do, I not able to do little, I have hard time doing noting. Jerusha is getting dinner and that suits me. I most go out and look around. No. 2. March 30, 1902-Sunday I very paly yestaday, it seems I almost got one foot in the grave and the other on land. Yes, God is taking my tabineccle down, I feel resign to his will. I also ready. I am a burden to my self and this world don’t suit me now, its to fast, I can’t keep up, I will try and endure until the end. Jerusha have been reading the paper, it fell, now she fast asleep. So the Lord is good He gives us food, sleep and rest. No. 3. April 1 We are well this morning, thank the Lord for all his blessings. Jessy and Dory is married, they married brothers, their names is Odis and Joe Die, they are nice young men and well to do. Jessy stade with us last nite. Buly Bouhers has a girl, she pade us a visit Sunday. Jerusha is stepping around verry lite. Jimmy is going to Athens with a big bail of cotton for her. She says she is going to kuit farming and rent the place out, so that suit me. Everry thing is moving on finely. I am calm and submissive. I must go out and look around. No. 4 April the 5 We are well by I am brokedown. I work in the garden all day and now I hafter rest, my legs will give out. My children and grandchildren is so good and kind to us, we can’t do without them. When I get sick they are standing a round my bed and giving me physic and mush and Milk and heap of good things. They often bring us things that we haven’t got, so we are thankful for all their kindness. We ought to be happy, but we are old, our limbs acks, we can’t be happy in this tabineccle. No. 5. April the 6 I am feeling well, I am at home, I can ly down and get up when I plese. Jerusha is setting up fast asleep. I went to se Livona yestaday, they are all well. I also went to se Cornelias, she gone. And then I went to see Jessy and she gone, so I return back home. Home is a good place to stay, but we must go slow, we may fall down. I have nothing to rite about but foolishness, so I will beg your parden. So, come see us. J. C. C. No. 6 April 15 We are well. Jerusha says she is going to have a good dinner to day, so you know that will suit me. I got through planting out my garden, I will hafter ly down and rest. What have become of Gip and Hatty? I recon they are looking after their own business, I hear nothing from them. I note there is nothing pure now, from the pulpit down, every thing is corrupt. Selfishness and money is all the religin. Most all is in the brod road. They say there is no hell fire. You most keep in the narry road. No. 7. April the 16 We are hear yet, thank the Lord. Our town is on a boom, we have too stores. Jimmy and Loullen is getting rich, they got a big trade. I am a fread they will get in the broad road. Our doctor has several plantations and wants more, I am a fread he will lose his sole. We have a roly mill and a blacksmith shop and a plain mill. We have a new court house, it cost twente thousaend dollars. A good many new houses have been built in the country. I am content and submissive. Another good dinner to day. No.8, April 17 Thank the Lord for this beautiful day. I went a round my plantation, every thing is moving on finely. I am nearly broke down, will have to rest. Jerusha is getting dinner, she is verry handy, can’t do well without her. She has 40 young chicks and a lot setting and wants more, so we aut to be happy I went to see Cornelias baby, it is so sweet. Jessy keeps a nice house, she is verry good, she says she has religin, so that suits me. I love good people espeshily if they love more. I have wrote enough of this stuff, must go out and look a round. No. 9, April the 18 I am halfe sick, Jessy is sick, Morris baby is sick. Mr. Randels baby is sick. Eliza and Dan is living with Jessy, she is getting on finly, she is verry industrious, she gets a good deal of sewing. Odis thanks a lot of Jessy and that suits me. I am well pleased with all my croppers, they give me no trouble. I have no trouble with any one but my self, I can’t get well. Jerusha is fast asleep and that suits me, I want her to rest. We aut to be thankfull the Lord is taking care of us, we are trying to obay his will. No. 10. April 18, 1902 I am not well, I am verry paly, I am on the wing of time, I am waitig to hear the Lord say come home. Thank the Lord. I can get about and draw water, I bring the stove wood yet. Jerusha slipt off to see Cornelias babe. She has 50 young chicks and a lot setting and wants more. The hawk cout one, so it made her verry huffy. I took dinner at James yestaday. Jerusha went to the chapple yestaday, came back rejoicing. I haven’t got throu college, so you can see that I have not spelt all my words correct. I hope you can read it. I must go out and look a round. No. 11. Monday, April 21 I am verry paly and febel can’t get about mutch. I will try to be submissive and obedient to God’s will. I am glad that 77 and 6 months years a way back, there wasn’t so many temptatiouns. I am glad I had good Christina Parrents, it does me good to think about them. Jessey is verry sick. Jerusha is well, has a lot of young chicks and wantsd more, can’t do well without her. Jessey and clarry have gone to Athens. I don’t know when I will get through with this dispatch. Went to a meeting yestaday, heard a good sermon, now I will hafter rest. Must go out and look a round. No. 12. {April 22} I feel very well this morning. The sun is shinning, the plows are rolling, so that suits me. I thought I would not send this off but they say send it, so I obey. This letter is intended for both families, I would be so glad to see you all, you all must come up this summer to see us, we are getting old, may not be hear long. Write to us. I would like to know where is Early and his Post Office, I would write to him. If you can’t read this send it back and I will pay all fraight. I will Hafter draw water to wash. Yours Truly J. C. Campbell Jerusha Additional Comments: James Calloway Campbell was born November 30, 1824 in Elbert Co., GA and died January 24, 1906 in Madison Co., Ila, GA. He married Jerusha Higginbotham December 1, 1846. He was the son of William D. Campbell and Sarah Dillard of Elbert County, GA. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/madison/history/letters/jamescal277ms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 8.1 Kb