Ouachita County Louisiana Archives Obituaries.....Purvis, George December 12, 1862
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Lora Peppers loradpeppers@hotmail.com November 4, 2009, 9:01 pm

Letters From the Register & Receiver at Monroe 1862-1864
Land Office Monroe La
December 12, 1862

Sir
	It becomes my painful duty to announce to you the death of Geo. Purvis, 
Reciever [sic] of this office.  The incident of his death is indeed a most 
horrible and heart-rending calamity.
	Between 3 and 4 o'clock yesterday morning his dwelling was consumed by 
fire – in the flames of which perished, four out of six of his children, 
together with their nurse.  In his efforts to rescue them, he himself was so 
badly burned, that he died this morning about 1 o'clock.
	About two hours after the fire at Mr. Purvis', the dwelling of Dr. C.H. 
Dabbs was also burned to the ground.  The origin of either fire remains a 
mystery, and renders it probable that both were the work of incendiaries.
	The vials of wrath, it seems, are being poured out upon our little 
town.  Phisicians [sic] pronounce eight or ten cases of Small Pox in our midst –
 not confined to the Hospital, but scattered through several families.
	It will be necessary to appoint a Succession to Mr. Purvis and I beg 
leave to recommend Dr. Christopher H. Dabbs as a most fit and proper person.
	In the mean-time I shall close the Land Office until I receive 
instructions from you.

					Respectfully Yours,

					R.M. Jemison
						Register

Hon. Wm. J. McCulloh
	Commissioner of Public Lands
		Opelousas, LA




Additional Comments:
Document # 530.00230 Page 80

Thanks to Certified Genealogist and handwriting expert Mr. Philip B. Adderley 
for showing me this database and helping me translate Mr. Jemison's 
handwriting.  The acutal letter has been scanned into the Louisiana Land 
Records database and can be found at 
http://1webfn.doa.la.gov/slodocs/SLO/hist_records.htm.  

George was a native of England and married Caroline K. Morrison in Ouachita 
Parish on March 8, 1849.  They were the parents of six children.  In 1850, they 
are living in Lafayette, Jefferson Parish.  George has two sons, Michael, 9 
years old, and George, aged 6.  Caroline is only 21, so the children are 
possibly from a previous marriage. The 1860 Census lists:  M.C., Female, aged 
11; C.K., Female, aged 9, J.M., Male, aged 5; Jas., Male, aged 3 and a six 
month old Female infant.   Also in the household is George S. Purvis, aged 17.  
This may be the 6 year old son George on the 1850 census.  On the 1870 census, 
Mary, aged 18, and Charles H., aged 8 are all that are left.  It is not known 
what happened to George or Michael.  Unfortunately, the "Nurse" remains 
unidentified. 

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