Duplin County, NC - Jesse Grimes Letters ----¤¤¤---- ST # 21 Sunday morning, September the 5th l84l Jesse It has fell to my lot to transmit to you the melencholy information of the death of Esther Branch. She was afcacked with pain in the right side & fever on the 9th of March and died the l8th of May & was "buried at the Manor old field between the road & deep bottom on the left hand going down. This information I have received by letter from Branch after he had passed through the days of mourning. The old stock of our relations in Carolina is near- ly extinguished. Joe Grimes & wife is now perhaps the oldest remaining. The places of those we once knew are now supplied by others that we know not. You say, who lives near James of his old acquaintance? I will name some of them, Peter & Levia Watkins, Alex'r Keaton & family. Fed & Charles Hines, David Hooks widow, her three sons & three sons in law, Ned Williams, David Wright & John Stalllngs, John Phillips & John McCan (from the Grove), John Powell, David Bryant & Amos Waller. These three last married James wife sisters, John Winders also did, & William Sloan a brother of James wife. From Phillips down are all connected. James is living a widower with four children. Has a good place and conveniently situated & is doing as well as he wishes. We have had a dry summer. Corn crops generally have suffered excessively and in many places I hear there is not enough raised to supply the necessi- ties of the inhabitants, consequently they will look for another country. My own crop is not good but equal to any of my neighbors. The health of the country I believe is very good. My family are well & Frisbee is the only sick person I know of. He has been sick for several days. He is in declining health & without an unex- pected change will not survive long. Albert talks of visiting Texas this winter. I am incouraging him to do so but don't look for him till you hear he is in the neighborhood. I rec'd your letter by James Johnson but have had no talk with him since his return. He has been sick & I supposed was taken about the time he left Texas. We hear that you threaten to visit Ala. before next spring. You have friends here that would be glad to see you. If you were here no doubt you would have company back home. In my answer to Branch's letter containing the account of his wife's death, I mentioned the probable call that would be made on him the insuing winter for your money. As I am sure he does not keep it by him, I thought it best to give him a hint. He has not wrote me but this one time for more than three years & now pondered for while the letters was wrote by his youngest son & signed by himself, the style & language is that of a Branch. I addressed my letter to the son with but few compliments to either. Esther had two daughters. They married John & Stephen Daniel & are living In Gibson County, Western Tennessee & are increasing the Daniel family rapidly. The two sons are living with Archy. The oldest a fool & the youngest too smart. I have infcentially omitted everything of a public or political cast supposing that all matters of interest in this way are copied in your newspapers. I don't think of anything else at present. If there be any thing omitted that you want to hear - ask & ye shall receive. Wm. Grimes. Address shows:- Washington C. H., Ala Sept. 6, l84l rec'd 10th Nov paid 18 1/2 150 Hon'b Jesse Grimes, Montgomery County, Via Texas. New Orleans __________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Sharon Timmons ___________________________________________________________________