LETTERS: Between Levi Magruder & James Burch, 1900 Bullitt Co., KY Copyright (c) 1999 by Sallie Cannon. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. sacannon@prodigy.net ******************************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Names mentioned in the letter: MRS. AUD, BENEDICT BLANFORD, CHARLES BLANFORD, JAMES BURCH, SAMUEL BURCH, ELIA CECIL, WASHINGTON CLARK, JOHN COALMAN, ANGELINE DOWNS, BEN DOWNS, FERDINAND MAGRUDER, LOYD MAGRUDER, PERRY MAGRUDER, WILLIAM MAGRUDER, JOSEPH MUDD, MATT MUDD, ELIAS F. THOMPSON, DR. WISE "Bullitt County Ky. Dec. 1849 My dear and well remembered friend I now take my pen in hand to acknowledge the receipt of your letter which I have just recd. bearing date of Nov. 4th, 49 and also to write to you an epistle in answer to yours. And to express by way of a letter the satisfaction it gives me to know that you have not forgot your old friend and neighbor. And I am happy to know that you are all very pleased with your country and enjoying good health. Well we have had a great deal of sickness the past summer in this country. We were visited with the flux in July and it carried off a great many persons and among them were several of my relations. I had the flux in my family but they all recovered. And we are enjoying tolerably good health at present and hope these lines will find you enjoying the same blessings. My Mother- in-law old Mrs. Aud whom you have not forgotten died in August last at a very advanced age. Well James you have given me a very flattering account of your country. And I have no doubt but that you have found a very fine and right part of the world and I wish you to write to me as soon as you get this letter and tell me all about your country. How you are off for mills, what pork and beef are worth per pound, and also what the different qualities of land (2nd page) in Texas are worth per acre. You spoke of raising cotton and sugar. I should like to know which you can make the most at raising, them or corn. Well James I will now say something to you about old Bullitt. If you were to come back here you would hardly know it was the country that you left, for it has changed a great deal in the last twelve or fourteen years. Yes the country is more open and they are farms now where there was nothing but forrest when you left Ky. And a great many of the citizens have moved away and others have taken their places. Loyd Magruder and Dr. Wise have gone to the Missouri, and Elia Cecil has moved off and Mat Mudd owns a farm on Rock Run which was in woods when you lived here, and Washington Clark lives on his old place. John Coalman has moved away and Joseph Mudd has bought his farm and lives on it. And Elias F. Thompson lives where Charles Blanford use to live. Well now I'll say something about what I am doing. Well James I have about five hundred acres of land and 9 negroes and I am carrying on a distillery and raise a great deal of stock and I might say I am very well fixed to live and as (3rd page) I am getting old I do not know that I shall ever move from this place. Though I might if I could better my condition and my children's for I have a large family of children and I should be happy to see them all situated so that they may do well. I have fourteen children living and one dead. I have four children by my second wife and since you spoke of fine children I would just say if you will come to Ky. I will show you the finest that you ever saw. My two youngest children are twin boys and they are given up to be the finest and prettiest twins that have ever been seen in any county. They are a mere two years old and it is hard for the family to tell one of them from the other. I have three daughters married and Ferdinand, my oldest son was married on the 19th of November 1849 to Angeline Downs. Wm. and Perry are grown. Perry is a Doctor. Wm. is carrying on the farm with me. Hogs are the most value stock we can raise and they are a great many raised. Corn is worth 25 cts. per bushel and wheat is worth one dollar per bushel. Flax seed was worth $1.25 per bushel. Pork is worth generally three dollars per hundred. Beef is worth from three to four dollars per hundred. James I (?should?) you and all of your (4th page) father's family. Tell your parents that I want to hear from them again and that I shall be glad to receive a letter from the old man at any time. I will now say something about your relations, Benedict Blanford recd. a letter today from your father. Ben's family are all well except one of his daughters who has been sick about a year and I suppose she will surely die. The balance of your relations in Ky. are generally well as far as I know. Well James I will now bring my letter to a close fearless I weary you with reading. When you write to me do not be afraid of tiring me for do not work much and I am pleased to read the news from any of my friends. Nothing more at present but remain your friend until death. Write soon Levi Magruder To James Burch P. S. Tell Uncle Sam that I saw his cousin Ben downs a few day since and he was inquiring about him and he said he would like to know whether Sam has traded for any more corn stock horses. To Js. B. L. M." ----- Names in letter: BROWN Catherine, BROWN Ignatius, BURCH James, CARPENTER, Will H., ?DOWNS? Ben, LUTZ William, MAGRUDER Elizabeth ?Surrilda?, MAGRUDER Dr. James Perry, MAGRUDER Lutitia, MALEDEN John, VIDITO Miss, WILLMOUTH Louis. Bullitt Co, Ky Feb 26th 1851 Dear friend I now take my pen in hand to acknowledge the rec'pt of your kind letter dated Dec. 1850 and was happy to learn that all of my friends are well and doing well in Texas. We are all well at present and hope these few lines will find you enjoying the same blessings. Well you wanted to know who I and my Daughters married. I married your Uncle Ignatius Brown's Widow Catherine, Lutitia married Will H Carpenter, Almira married John Maleden and Surrilda married William Lutz, Louis Willmouth has married Miss Vidito and is living on his Father's old plase. Ben I think is living in the Illinois. We had a very dry Summer and crops were lite Corn is worth 35 & 40 cts. per Bushel Wheat is worth 70 cts oats 35 cts Pork 4 cts per lb. and Bacon 7 1/2 cts per lb hog round Beef is from 3 to 5 cts per lb. flour is worth $4 per bbl Flaxseed is worth $1.75 cts. per Bushel Land is worth from $5 to $25 per acre I would be glad to see you all if you would come to Ky. But I never expect to come to Texas I think I aught to content myself to stay here. I have fifteen children they are all living with me and within one day's ride except the Doctor James Perry he is living in Monfordsville Hart County Ky about 80 miles from me. I have concluded that I am doing very well I have about 500 acres of land 10 negroes a Distillery and stock of all kinds I have just built a new frame house as old as I am I think I had better content myself to live the remainder of my days on the farm that I have labored hard to improve to my notion. Nothing more at present Give my respects to your father and mother and write to me occasionly and give all the news you can to your old friend. Levi Magruder To James Burch (On back of letter) Mr. James Burch Greens, Polk Co. Tx. Corn Springs Ky. Mch ------ Names shown in the letter below: BLANDFORD Benedict, CARTM(?W?)ELL Mrs., MAGARUDER Joseph, MAGRUDER William. Bullitt County Ky Aug 31st 1856 Mr. Jas Burch Dear Sir, yours of the 11th of July was received a few days ago. I was much pleased to hear from you and especially to hear of you all enjoying good health and doing well. You requested me to write to you concerning your relatives as far as I was capable. They are all well as far as I know except Benedict Blandford's family. They have had a great deal of sickness lately. As for my own family the news is very unfavorable. Since I last wrote to you I have lost a negro girl abt. 13 years of age and at this time I have a great deal of sickness in my family. My sister-in-law, Mrs. Cartm(w?)ell is living with me and is laying very low at this time with bronchitis and pleurisy and one of my negro women is also very bad with typhoid fever. The balance of us are enjoying tolerable good health at present. I have no very interesting news for you from Kentucky. We have had a very dry year and in this neighborhood there will not be a half crop raised to take it on an average. Corn in this neighborhood is worth 1.10 pr. bushel, and bacon is worth from 10 to 12 cents pr. lb. Lands are rating tolerable high here. (2nd page) Lands are worth from $15 to $50 pr. acre, hogs to fatten are sow, they are worth from 2.50 to 3.00 pr. hundred. Beef meat is worth from 5 to 7 cents pr. lb. Horses & mules are in tolerable demand. Good horses are worth from $125.00 to $200.00 and mules are worth from $100.00 to $150.00 for well broke mules. Sugar (N.O.) is worth from 12 1/2 to 15 cents pr. lb. according to quality and molasses is worth from 60 to 75 cents for plantation. You are bragging about your good looking children, if you want to see some good looking children, just come to old Ky. and I will show you some of prettiest you ever saw. I have 7 children by my last wife, 6 sons & one daughter. The oldest one is in his 13th year and the youngest is about 2 months old. Two of my boys are twin and favor so much that they can scarcely be distinguished from each other. You appear anxious for me to come to that part of the world. I do not know whether I will ever come or not. I am getting old and feel very little like traveling. I am still in hopes William or Joseph or maybe both of them will come out to that part of the country. They are both single, yet. Give my love to your mother and all of your relations. You must (3rd page) write to me as soon as you receive this and give me all of the news you may have. I am always glad to hear from you & will cheerfully & promptly reply to your letter. The family all join me in sending their love to you all. Nothing more at present. I remain yours truly, Levi Magruder ------ Names in letter: AUD Nace (?Ignatius?). BROWN Elizabeth, BURCH Jefison (Jefferson), CARTINE Poley (Polly), Van, Henry, Mary, Luwisey, Marten, MAGRUDER, William, Joseph, Marion Varlinda, Aunt Dolly was, Dorothea Brown Burch, wife of Samuel Lewis Burch. March th 17, 1858 Bullitt Co., Ky. Dear friend I received your letter on the 5 of March dated the 30 of January and it gave me much pleasure to hear from you all. I now seat myself to rite a few lines to you to let you know that we are all well with the exception of the sore eyes which we have had in the family every since last June and I hope that these few lines will fine you and family enjoying good health. James I will now say something about the hard times in old Kentucky, horses that was sold last fall for one hundred and fifty dollars can be bought for a hund. dollars now, cattle is fell in proportion, beef is now only 5 cents, hogs was selling at 6 doll, is now worth only 3 dollars. We raised as fine crops of corn as ever was raised in Kentucky but it is about two thirds frost, wheat crops was tolerable good, oats is fine, wheat is worth 70 cts a bushel, corn is worth 25 cts a bushel, oats is worth 30 cts a bushel, flower is worth from 4 to five dollars a barrel. Now James you wanted to know what had become of poley cartine and her children, poley is dead. She died last summer with the consumption and Van is living in Union Co. and Henry and Mary is living in Louisville and Luwisey is living rite here by me and Marten is in Iowa the last accounts I had of Nase Aud, he was in Missouri, all of your connection as far as I know is well James. I'll tell you something about my family, my wife's eyes is very sore. She can hardly see to work about the house. All of my first wife's children is married but William and Joseph and Marion Verlinda was married the fifth of January to a man by the name of Jefison Burch and has moved to Davis Co. Kentucky. James you said you had wrote me three (2nd page) letters since you heard from me, this makes three I have wrote to you since I received your first letter of the three. I want you to write to me as soon as you receive this and let me know how they are all coming on. Elizabeth Brown sends her love to her Aunt Dolly and all her cousins and says you all must write to her. I must bring my letter to a close. Give my love to your mother and all of your brothers and sisters except a portion for your self and family so nothing more at present only remaining your affectionate friend forever. Levi Magruder to James Burch