HARNETT COUNTY, NC - LETTERS - Parker-Spence Family Letters ============================================================================ USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the North Carolina USGenWeb Archives by: Sloan Mason SloMas7@aol.com ============================================================================ PARKER-SPENCE FAMILY LETTERS The following letters were passed down in the family of Susie KIPP, through her family. Her father was the great grandson of Eliza SPENCE who married Jacob PARKER of Cumberland Co., N.C. This family then moved to Harnett Co., N.C. and then to Indiana. There are several letters, which will be listed here. Most were written by William SPENCE, son of Matthew SPENCE, and by Francis Marion PARKER, son of Jacob and Eliza Spence PARKER. Please contact Sloan Spence Mason, at SloMas7@aol.com or Susie KIPP, at Susbarb@aol.com if you have further information. These are transcribed by Sloan Mason; as written, much of the punctuation is missing. (Chalybeate Springs, is a community in Harnett Co., N.C.; settled in 1760.) (Letter #1) Chalybeate Springs, N.C. Oct. 9, 1905 Mr. F. M. PARKER, No doubt you Will Be Surprised to get a letter from me I hardly no how to Write to a person I have not seen in so long I don't know as you recollect me But I do you your father Jacob PARKER Was my own? Uncle and your mother was my own Aunt therefore you are very near to me cousin Frank PARKERS little girl got a letter from you so I thought I should write I am 78 years old I have been to school to your father many a day Before he left this country I have outlived all of my people I Was the oldest one of the children and they are all dead But me all of my uncles your fathers Brothers are dead I guess you are living in a good country this is not a rich place here people Just make a living this has been a fine timbered country But they are sawing it up fast We have had a Very Wet Summer here this year Crops are cut off Bad Cotton is the principal money crop here and that is short Write to me and tell me Something about Indiana I was in the confederate army and lay in prison 12 months at Elmira NY But I was a union man I have 3 children living and 3 dead Be sure and write to me and tell me about your Brothers and Sisters I received a letter from your sister Amanda in Idaho I would like very much to have your picture as I hardly Will see you again Well I will close hoping to hear from you soon I will tell you more about our people next time From William SPENCE Chalybeate Springs N.C. (Letter #2) (Kipling is a community in north central Harnett Co., N.C.) Bloomfield, Ind. From L.? Blanche ? Kipling, N.C. Aug. 13, 1905 Cousin F.M. PARKER I Will Write and give you the family record of the PARKER people. William PARKER and Lydia his wife was married Nov. the 28, 1805. William PARKER son of Jacob PARKER and Mary his wife was born March 26, 1784. Lyde wife of William PARKER Decem. The 27, 1787. William PARKER died Aug. the 19, 1851. Lyde PARKER wife of William PARKER died June the 6, 1855? Lyde PARKER was born Decemr. The 27, 1787. Nancy PARKER was borned Aug. the 29, 1806. Mary PARKER was borned the Oct. 12?, 1807. Josiah J. PARKER was bornd February 19, 1810. William H. PARKER was bornd Feb. 27, 1812. David PARKER was bornd April 7?, 1814. Jacob PARKER was bornd Aug. 15, 1816. William PARKER was bornd Jan. 10? 1819. James PARKER was bornd Decm. 14, 1820. John PARKER was bornd Nov. 27, 1825. Richard A. PARKER was bornd Octo. 30, 1827. Lea? PARKER was bornd March 2, 1830. Ange? PARKER was bornd Aug. 14, 1832. All of your uncle are dead but uncle Richard wife I will close my letter I want you to answer Blanch PARKER F.M. PARKER Use SPENCE all dead but your uncle and aunts are dead your uncle Mathew has one boy living andy? Has 2 boys living and 2 girls living uncle buck? SPENCE 4 children aunt ann has one boy living. N.Z. JOHNSON ------ ----------- not? ---------- send his love and best wishes Write soone L. B. PARKER To F. M. PARKER (Letter #3) Kipling, N.C. Jan. 29, 1907 Dear Cousin, Your letter of 23rd I received and was glad to hear from you again you said in your letter how much school do we have we have 4 months school and the negroes have schools of they own and churches of there own and they are not aloud to vote and papa has got a patroller wips it is made of rawhide and he says he has seen a Negro whipen, we keep house She has been dead nearly a year last of our first snow is own the grown now you said in your letter you were coming south to visit us you and your wife come on we will meet you at the depo it is about 5 miles to the nearest depo which is Kipling you be sure to come before long I want you to come this winter we are looking for you now. Your Truly Blanch PARKER (Letter #4) April the 25th, 1907 Kipling, NC Dear Cousin, I take my pencil in hand to write you a few lines to let you hear from me I am well and hope you the same I hope you enjoyed your wife to ashvill time? We had a ciclon 23 of April and tore down won of our neighbors hous broke up all he had in his house tore down all of it nother man out houses and the fonel of his house chimneys and another mans house tore of the porch and moved the house a bout 5 feet and papa has been helping build houses yesterday but the wind did not hurt us and did not no won got killed as I am getting tired and sleepy so I will close write soon you had out to come to an seen us last winter By by Blanch PARKER (Letter #5) (Parts of letters) (these letters have to be from William SPENCE) (page 1) Chalybeate Springs Harnett Co., N.C. Nov. 20, 1905 Mr. Francis M. PARKER, Dear Cousin I will try to answer your highly esteemed letter Which I received some time ago I was glad to hear from you this leaves me Well as usal & I hope this will find you enjoying good health We are having fine weather here now nice mild Weather We have had some cold Weather here this fall Of the old SPENCE place where you was born I pass the place very often this was Cumberland County when you lived here it was a large county and they divided it and made Harnett of this part the same old chalk level post office is up there yet my fathers name was Matthew SPENCE he got killed when I was sixteen years old I live near Uncle John SPENCE'S old place cousin George SPENCE his son lives there and owns a lot of land around here and he wants you to write to him his address is George D. SPENCE Chalybeate Springs, N.C. the rail road runs through his land there is a fine mineral spring at Chalybeat Springs this is a nice country here its not a rich country here for farming But people makes a living --------------- (Page 3-5) Christmas was about there only Holiday they went to church on Sunday all that would they had Patrolers to keep them under and When they caught a Negro without a pass they whipped him some of the Negro women worked in the fields and some of them were cooks Negro suffrage has not been a success the most of them are not informed enough to vote most of them vote the Republican ticket there has been a good deal of trouble about them in politicks if a white man voted the republican ticket after the War he was called a Negro I used to be a democrat But I am a republican now they have got the Negro out of politics here now they are not allowed to vote without sufficient education they are disfranchised the best Negroes we have here are the old time slave the young educated Negro is the meanest we have the Negroes here as a general thing are Roguish? The penitentiarys are filled up with them there is plenty of them that will steal before they will workd especially in towns I can not tell you all I want to in this letter but if you write again I will tell you more next time. Yours truly, William SPENCE (LETTER #6) (Parts of letters) (page 1) Chalybeate Springs, N.C. July 24, 1906 F. M. PARKER Dear Cousin, In answer to your most Welcome letter Which I received a few days ago I will Write you a few lines I am well as usual for and old fellow. We are having a lot of rain in this section of country crops are damaged to some extent and there has been a lot of hail storms in this State this Summer damaging crops do you ever have hail storms out in your country. country But it is full of saw mills cutting the timber up and there is a lot of cotton factories in this country and new railroads are being built I don't suppose you recollect me I do you and do you remember my mother Polly SPENCE She was near 80 years old When she died I have not got any pictures now But will have soon as I can go to Raleigh that is the nearest place I can get any taken and that is 25 miles from here I have nto got much news to Write you you But Will Write more next time. So I will close for time. William SPENCE To F. M. PARKER (different hand writing-no date) (page 3) Cousin Wm. SPENCE is in the soldiers home now ever thing is dull out here very few all the young people nearly have all married and left the country and gone to town to gather I feel some what lonesome tell your wife howdy for me and tell her to come to old N.C. You all come tell your girls to write to me and they also are welcome to come to see me (letter from Blanche PARKER-no date) (page 4) if they but only will excuse me for not ans. Your letter sooner I will try to do better sooner I will try to do better next time my fellow come to see me last night I tell you he hard to beate hi is good looking and smart with it. I have done and past sweet sixteen soon will be 17 and then 18 but can't tell where I will be when them days come so I will have to wring off for this time by say ans. Soon and a long letter Remember me in your prays. (page 5) I hope and trust to the lord we all may meet beyond the great and rolling river where we all can lay our crowns to gather at Jesus feet it is getting bed time and I will stop for I am sure you will be glad when you get to the end but here is the end but ans soon. As ever your cousin Blanche PARKER. (END OF LETTERS)