Schley County GaArchives Photo Document.....Letter, Edwards To Cheney January 20, 1871
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
M.J. Weaver thejane@webtv.net December 29, 2007, 9:26 am

Source:             Personal Document
Photo can be seen at:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/schley/photos/documents/lettered15843ph.jpg
Image file size: 239.4 Kb

The scanned document is the first of two hand written pages.  The full 
transcription of the letter follows.

Notasulga, Ala.  Jany 20th '71

My friend John,

Yours of the 20th(?) inst is at hand.  Good to hear from you but sorry to find 
any misunderstanding in regard to titles & c.  There was no intention on my 
part to take the advantage of any person in that matter.  Niether do I feel 
that I have.  I thought everybody knew I had taken a homestead & that house & 
lot was the same.  Further thought a homestead title was as good as could be 
made and I am yet to be convinced if it is not so.  Therefore feel as yet that 
I have not (?) off any cheat or swindle in the matter.  People are liable to 
differ in any matter but according to my understanding of the law and the 
ablest council, that title is a good and sufficient one - as much as can be 
made and Jack Womack's judgment can never touch it if properly defended.  No, 
not unless you fold your arms & sit out of the way & let him go his own way 
with it.  If he orders a levy, all you have to do is to file your claim and if 
necessary defend it.  I stand ready & willing to render any assistance that 
may be necessary.  You spoke of J.W. told you "if he did not come to terms."  
Now John, I have not time or space to say much about these terms.  Suffice it 
to say that I have made every proposition to Mr. W. long before I went into a 
homestead business and since all to no effect on his part.

Knowing as I did that Homesteads were good & held supreme over everything 
else, I never suppose for a moment that there would ever be any trouble or 
after claps(?) in the case or it would never been offered for sale.

It may be that W. has been advised that he can recover on that lot but I 
believe it not.  Niether do I believe he can recover, but if he attempts this 
thing, all I can say (is) file your claim & defend it as you would any other 
property.  I am ready & willing to render any assistance in my power and to do 
anything that is right in the (?).

Sam Hawkins of Americus is my attorney (in general).  See him & hear what he 
says.  If you wish employ him.  In conclusion let me say to you & your Pa(?) 
that there was no intention of (?) upon my part & hope you will not allow 
yourselves to entertain such an idea.  Write & keep me posted upon that & all 
other things & oblige old friend.  

C. Edwards

P.S.  The sum your letter spoke of not.  Edwards


Additional Comments:
This very well preserved letter begs for understanding of who the parties 
where and what circumstances brought about the letter.  Being incredibly 
curious, I set about to find out what I could about this situation.  The 
letter is dated Jan. 20, 1871 and was addressed to Dr. John N. Cheney of 
Ellaville.  The writer was Charles Edwards, who through census data, we know 
was a physician living in Marion Co. (probably the portion given over to 
Schley in 1857) in 1850, married and living in Schley county in 1860 and moved 
to Notasulga, Macon County, AL, and was a farmer by the 1870 census.  He does 
not appear on an 1880 census that I could find.

The only Jack Womack I could find on the Schley census was a son of Alfred A. 
Womack, born about 1854, which would make him only 17 or so, in 1871 when this 
letter was written.  I think he is unlikely to be the same Jack Womack, but 
can't be sure.

Dr. John Newton Cheney is well known in Schley Co. history for not only his 
position as a physician, but also Clerk of the Superior Court for a number of 
years.



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