Bertie County NC Letters W.J. Cox to Lucy Cox Brown -1868 File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Doug Acree figacree@erols.com http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/bertie/Diaries/.txt Roxobel NC, January 3, 1868 Dear Sister Lucy, I rec'd your letter a few days ago and was glad to hear that you were well and yet making out tolerable well. We are all up at present, though I think it is about the first morning in many weeks. We have had more sickness in our family for the last 12 months than 18 years before. Your relatives, friends and neighbors I believe are generally well. We are all getting enough to eat, as yet, though coarse fare but it looks very much like it will not long continue. This Country (as well as yours) is in a lamentable condition, and bad growing worse (it seems) everyday. The Credit System generally failing, People unable to pay their debts, money very scarce, Cotton low, Provisions high. I have sold my plantation for $2000, Steam Saw Mill for $650 for which I paid one thousand, Sold the principal part of my Stock, and next Thursday shall offer for sale the residue of my property. I am making arrangements to leave for Indiana. I expect if nothing prevents to leave by the middle of next month. I have a family moved in on me now. I was never so much troubled and bothered in all my life. I am getting old, and it is a great undertaking to sell and settle up and take a long travel to a far and Strange land, though I hope my Children will benefit by the exchange. Jane has near relations out there as they write that it is a find Country for plentiful living. If I do not like the place I shall not purchase land there but to Southern Illinois. I sell for cash altogether and hope I shall reach there with 3 or 4 thousand dollars. Can't tell though what it may cost. I shall have a family of some 10 or 12, some 4 or 5 beds & furniture, and a family buggy. To give you all the news and deaths, marriages and transactions that has taken place since I last wrote you would be utterly out of my power. I could not tell you if I could see you myself in a month. Jimmy Coxes old Nanny died a few days ago, with Pneumonia, and we can truly say that one of the most faithful has left us. The freed men here are doing very little for themselves or anyone else. I have never employed one since they became free. What is done here is by myself & Boys, and not much at that. I say to the Boys sometimes that they are trying to follow the darkeys. Tell Stephen that Henry Brown Col'd was to see me a few days ago, and requested me to write to him to know what had become of Peyton Maggett and all the rest of his family. Please tell him to write to Henry and give him the news. I think he is a good sort of fellow. Better direct his letter to Rich Square as Henry lives near there. I am writing to you for the last time I reckon from this country, but perhaps, if you write me soon again, I may reply before I leave, & if I do not, will write you sometimes when I settle again, and you must do the same. But I reckon you all had better leave and let us all settle in Southern Illinois, which is said now to be the best place in the world for a plentiful & peaceable living, land rich & provisions cheap. You speak of going to Kentucky, Elisha to Tenn. Come let us all go together. I have some Boys, you some, & Elisha some, let us put them where they can live and let them all go to work and live plentyful, happy & contented and become able to afford assistance & relief to their Hoary headed parents. I have so assiduously toiled & labored for their welfare, and felt so much anxiety for their future (as well as present) good, which if they remain here is (I fear) more than they can ever be able to do. I cannot work much now, and in a few more years at most I shall be unable to do anything for self support if I live which is hardly probable though it is possible. I have a kind of Catarral affection of the head & throat which troubles me a great deal, and I reckon will Shorten my days. I see but little pleasure now a days, a large family of my own, a great deal of company and a very few to work. Expenses heavy, provisions scarce and but little money. My hand has become so stiff and clumsy you see. I cannot write like I once could, eyesight failed very much, writing now is almost a task when one it was a pleasure. Dick & family, Jimmy, Sally, Mary & families all well I believe. If you will write soon as you get this, I may answer before I leave. Ask Elisha to write, I want to hear what he says. My respect to you all. Ask Stephen also to write. Nothing more now, my hand is very much cramped therefore must close. Yours affectionately W. J. Cox NOTES: Douglas E. Acree" I am attaching my transcription of a letter that my great-great-grandfather, William J. Cox of Roxobel, wrote to his sister Lucy Cox Brown in Mississippi. I have a copy of the original. This copy was sent to my by Mrs. Lowell Barnes. Somehow a copy of this letter came into the possession of Lowell Barnes, her late husband, but she does not recall how. Lowell was a great-grandson of William J. Cox through his oldest daughter, Georgeanna Cox Barnes, who was married to Richard Higgs Barnes. I believe that most of the Barnes in the Roxobel area are descended from this couple. Georgeanna and my great-grandmother (Mary Lewis Cox Acree) were the only children of William J. Cox by his first wife, Elizabeth Floyd. Later he married Julia Woodard of Northampton County. William J. Cox moved to Indiana with Julia and all of the children by this marriage. Georgeanna had married Richard H. Barnes in the 1850's and apparently Mary Lewis Cox was taking care of William A. Acree's infant son, George Acree, who's mother had died shortly after childbirth. Mary Lewis Cox married William A. Acree in 1869 but died when she gave birth to her son, William John Acree, my grandfather. ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.