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Submitted by Sandra Lake (Newton) Lassen

Letter from Samuel Reid  of Abbeville, South Carolina
to his niece, Miss Susan Miller, in Pontotoc, Mississippi
4 January 1855

Original transcriber unknown; copy given to Sandra Lake Lassen 
(then Miller) by Miss Harriet Venable Miller, aunt of Sandra's 
first husband, Charles Groff Miller, in Leesburg, Florida, in 
the early 1970's.

Note regarding persons in letter: Susan Miller never married.  She was 
born 14 March 1808 to Ebenezer Miller and Margery Reid of Abbeville, SC.  
The family removed to Pontotoc, Mississippi, where Ebenezer died in 1848.
Susan resided with her mother Margery.

Letter below preserves original spelling and punctuation.

I would like to exchange information with the Miller and Reid families of
Abbeville, SC and Pontotoc, Mississippi, as I am preparing a family tree
for my two sons, who are descendants of this line.

Sandra Lake Lassen
1499 Lakeside Drive
West Jefferson, NC  28694
on line as: slassen@infoave.net

All names have been capitalized for ease in reading.
__________________________________

South Carolina, Abbeville, January 4, 1855

Dear SUSAN,

I have been promising you a letter for the last six month but owing 
to a sick family I have deferred untill now hoping I could inform you 
that we were all well.  Our negroes were taken sick in August has 
never been all well since we have had about a dozen cases of tipoid 
(sic - typhoid) fever some four or five at a time, the half of them 
very bad cases lasting from 10 to 15 weeks.  LEAH lay 15 weeks and 
died at last the poorest skeleton you ever saw.  Your AUNT BETSY ANN 
toiled and waited on them day and night and is still unable to sit 
up but verry little yet but is some better.  The negroes are all up 
at preasent some of them not out yet  it is a dreadfull fevour the 
Drs seems to not be able to do any thing for it of consequence it has 
to take its course and wear itsself out or kill the patitne.  it is
said that we have been blessed to have as many cases and lost but one.
Many families have had it and lost 5 or 6 and some as many as 15 or 18.
We had DR. BAKER amongst us last fall holding protracted meeting  He 
preached a week at Longcain.  We had a wonderfull revival the like 
never was seen at Longcain, many deeply affected.  A full hous 
throughout the meeting  we had yonge men and young ladies.  We have 
elected and called a yong man by the name of HOLT.  He has had a spell 
of sickness has not come on yet but is looked for shortly.  My croop 
is only midling.  I hope we have corn t odo us, owing to sickness.  
we are only gining and packing out cotton at this time  I think I will 
make near 20 baggs weighting 400 lbs.  LEMUEL family and WELLOONS 
have had good health last fall  MRS. ISA MILLER is sick at this time 
is better as it is getting late at night I must come to a close.
remember me to your mother and all the family also ERSKINS and 
ROBERTS familys.  Wright soon
		Your affectionate UNCLE SAMUEL REID