MOORE COUNTY, NC - MISC - James Johnson Letters - Feb. 2, 1847 ************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Glenda Biggerstaff gleebigg@geocities.com *************************************************************** This letter has been transcribed just as written, line by line. No spelling errors have been corrected NAMES MENTIONED Johnson, David SC Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson, Hardin Johnson, Harville Johnson, James Johnson, John AD Johnson, Margaret Ann Johnson, Nancy Levincy Johnson, William W Sears, Catherine Jane Sears, Mary Ann Sears, William W February 2, 1847 TO: James Johnson Carthage PO Moore County NC State of Tennessee Jackson County this the 2 day of feb 1847 Dear Brothers I have once More taken the opetunity of Writing to you to in form you that we are all Well at presant Hoping these few lines may rich you all injoying the same blessing When they come To hand I must in form you that I have bin looking for a letter or some of you to come to this country but are faild in Writing or coming And I want to hear from you very bad once more I Was in hopes that my Mother in law would come last fall I had a good place picked out for her I in tended to swap part of my land for it but has a man least it for fore year now every place is Setting up very fast I have bought one hundred acrs more land I have about four hundred acrs now I think that if you ever intend to move you had Beter leave now for land is giting Dearer and harder to come at every year if you are not able to move yet I dont think you ever will be in that Country so I would leave inahow for I have not wanted to be back there sence I left and if I was back there I would not stay for I could to to texes now And have a greatel more then when I come to Tennesseee I must in form you that we that we had a daughter bornd the 4 day September last and we call her name Nancy levincy I must in form you that Mony is scarce in this country now for tere bin a Mirel Clan of counter feiters and Robers they have split our specie Mony and has Robed a great Mony houses and some of them is Runaway and some of them is shot and some of them in gail and some of them is sent to the Penetentiary they was Wimen and men and Methodist preachers in all about 300 in Jackson county Janeral Johnson to Brother James and Harville Johnson I Must in form you that we have had a very cold Winter sence christmas there has bin thre or fore snows and I have kiled fore Deer in A few days and and they are plentier now then they wer when I come her I would write A great meny things More but I have to start to white plains so I must close my letter at presant By saying that ll of our connections are well as far as i now so nothing More at presant but remain your efectionate brother until Death Janeral Johnson James Johnson Harvill Johnson Hardin Johnson I Want all of you to write as soon as soon as posible Janeral Johnson Elisabeth Johnson I Writ no more my letter ends her is love to you my inquiring friends John AD Johnson Margret ann Johnson Nancy levincy Johnson David SC Johnson this the 2d day of february 1847 I will inform you that crops was generally light in this settlement the spring was too wet and the summer too dry and there was a hail the 27th of april last which spoiled the wheat and rye in this neighborhood wheat is about 75 cents per bushel corn is worth one Dollar per barel pork is worth 2 Dollars and a half per hundred salt is worth 50 cents pr bushel Cows and Calvs are Worth from 6 to 8 Dollars sows and pigs is worth from one Dollar and a half to 3 Dollars sugar and coffee is wor ten cents per pound wool is worth 20 cents per pound Feathers is worth 25 cents per pound and we can get any thing we want out of the store for wool and feathers iron is 5 cents per pound but there is a forge in about ten miles of us and we can dig ore enough in a day to get 20 pounds halled to us we can git seven poiund of coffee or seven dozen of thread for every dozen of chickens we can spare we can git eny thing we want for trade with out mony A man can git a bushel and a half of corn for a days work or ten pounds of pork or he can git 25 cents for makin peg shoes or 50 cents for makin a pir of sowed shoes spining wheels is worth from a dollar and a half to two dollars flax wheels is worth about three dollars in trade good looms is from 3 to 5 dollars so every thing is cheap and I dont think it necessary to rite any more about them so I end this subject William W Johnson if you can beat me a writing I can beat you a spelling from June till January for a button unkle William W sears I want you to write to me as soon as you can and let me know whither you are comeing to this Country or not I have two girls picked out for you I want you to come and take choice of them David SC Johnson to grandmother William W sears Mary ann and Catherine Jane sears when this you see Remember me David SC Johnson