Claiborne-Webster County Louisiana Archives History - Letters .....Letter of John Murrell to brother Isaac Murrell July 14 1853 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Laura Bonde lbonde@bluemarble.net November 9, 2004, 8:51 pm From John Murrell to Isaac Murrell Plantation July 14th 1853 Dear Isaac, Elizabeth informed me that you said if I did not hear from you in 10 or 12 days to write you at Harrodsburg, Ky. This is now about 15 days since you left and have not yet heard from you since you got to the river. So I now write you according to request at Harrodsburg, knowing you will be compelled to stop there awhile to see the girls. Our health first has as yet been good with one exception. Hiram died on the 7th inst. He was taken with a pain in the rite thigh while at dinner and in a few hours he would walk stand nor scarcely care to be moved, fever rose second day and he got worse strate along till the 8th day and died. McFarland says it was an attack of inflammatory fever. Dr. Hightower believes it was typhoid fever. I doubt either knowing what the disease was. Sister Martha’s child Laura was buried yesterday—it was death from fever. The fever is getting very current now in the country but have heard of no other death’s except that of Mr. Gill. He died at Mr. Jones about the time you left, I think of typhoid fever. The crops are doing well now. Has rained almost every day in this month; will be a plentiful crop of corn made; cotton is yet very small but growing fine and if rain continues will be a fair crop made. Ours is certainly a lean prospect. I can’t tell you what your boys are doing in the store as I have not been there but once (I believe) since you left and then but a few hours in the store. Grifin said it is dam dull time. I have driven off Bill Rester, and have had to do my own overseeing since the 4th inst but on next Monday I have the promise of Marion Tramel to succeed Rester. If he comes I can then in my next tell you some of the tricks of your boys of what they are doing for their country. You recollect that the Democrat convention has to come off on the 4th inst so it did and they now have in the field for representatives your old father-in- law (J. Kimbell) and WB Scott, for clerk DH Dyer, for sheriff Reubin Warren, for recorder SM Williams and for assessor Johnson. This list will be hard to beat and cant be done under present circumstances unless a host of those fool Whigs comes down that have announced their names. It is thought that McDonald of Minden will run for representative alone on the Whig ticket, if so he will be apt to come in this time. The Railroads meetings are now going on. One came off at Homer on the 13th with a barbecue. Saturday is the time for the meeting and barbecue at Minden. Mr. Coleman and John Rey are the speakers. They can tell all good attending railroads and know no will that attend them. Mr. John Nihill’s shot at a Mr. Tramel on the 4th at Taylor’s store. Tramel was not dead last date but it was thought he cannot survive. This is the Tramel that once lived with J. Scarborough in Union Ark. Nihills is in jail and old Bill Dyer set to guard it. You know he’s safe. It is thought that Nihills will pull rope sure. How is it I like to forget to tell you that old Drak was dead. This is so sure and he made another will in his last hours giving to R Drake (his brother0 or his creditors almost the whole of his estate. Old Shields is as mad as the devil about it and is not almost willing to admit that Drake was not the clean thing. The Mahala college not getting as much as he anticipated in the first will is what hurts old Shields with Bro. D. I guess some of those creditors of R. Drakes will soon test the titles that Drake held on our lots in Minden as that claim of lands are a part that went to the creditors of RD. I saw Mr. Whitson, he says your letter was all necessary. Two requests to make of you first is don’t forget my schoolteacher and second get you a housekeeper, for it seems that I cant loan mine out any longer than till you come back. It seems to me that if you were to strain a point you could find between this and N. York some one that would be simple enough to promise to oversee your kitchen things if Becky wont. Again Old Fuller is still worse. Tom is going with him to the Sour Lake. I have no idea it will be any advantage to him. He will have to the way of all Creation soon. Nothing more that you want to hear that presents itself to my mind but remain Your Bro & John Murrell P.S. Our Homer House is progressing after the old stile no lumber yet Ragland has purchased the mill of Phillips. Enclosed in the letter is the following invitation addressed to Mr. I Murrell: Mr and Mrs J Chaffe’s compliments to Mr Murrell and request the pleasure of his company Tuesday Evening 18th inst 7 o’clock Minden May 13th This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/lafiles/ File size: 5.3 Kb