Northampton County, NC - Letter - Conwell, William H-1862 Civil War File contributed to USGenWeb Archives by Moody The following letter was written by William H. CONWELL and dated 17 Aug 1862. The letter was in the possession of Raymond CONWELL when Charles MEADOWS copied it in 1982. Punctuation has been added to aide in understanding the letter. Dear Children, I rite you a few lines to let you now that i am not well. But i hope these few lines may find you well. I understand you all are doing nothing. Berta is wating in the sip. Sarah is riding about. Bil and Dinks is beting apples. Nat and Jim is picking up apples. And their is no work done. I am sorry mi house is come to be a hospittle. And I am to suffer and punish miself to death to support you all. If that is the way you are going to live, I will get mi little children a home and sell everything I got and you all make shift for yourself. For Bill will not stay at home and take care of nothing. And all Ive got will come to nothing. I told you about them calves in the cotton. I want you to rite me word what you are going to do. Jim is most naked dear son. Jim, I want you to send me word in the nex letter and i will get you some close if it takes the last sent ive got. I want you to run a fence from the house by my trees to keep the cows out of mi trees. I want you to cut round them pines from the corner of Margret's garden, straight across the slant of the hill and all them little pines. And cut round them that wont split. I want you to rite me. I sent some money home and I got no word from it. Tell Jim to go to Mr. JORDAN's and git mi coat and three caps and mi horn. Tell Mr. POPE to get you some meat. I understand Wiert went to mi house sick. I dont thank no one to go to mi house and take up. Times is hard and it is as much as mi childen can do to weight on themselves. I want you to rite me as soon as you can for i expect to go away in a shoute time. George is well. I look for him to day. Bil, I want you to take 37 dollars and 50 cents and pay John LONG and git mi note. Take them old notes and rite me word as soon as you get this letter. We are ordered away, but we have not got our gear. We dont no where we will go to. I dont no that i ever shal see you enny more in this world. But if I don't, I hope you will take care of yourself and mi little children. I want you to rite to me about mi things. It hurts mi feelings to here how you are doing. Times is hard and if you dont take care, you will suffer. I suffer miself and dont buy nothing but what I am blest to have. And you are all doing nothing. That is no profit if you dont stay home and take care and be sturdy. And you are. You will all suffer. For you dont no that you ever will see me enny more. But I trust God to see you once more. They wont give no furloes and we cant come home. Dont let mi trees get ruint. Nothing more at present, but your love to me if there is enny. William Conwell Give my love to Nan and all mi friends, if I have enny. I want you to rite to me for when I move I dont no that I ever shal rite to you or here from you enny more in this life. And if I dont, I hope I shal meet you in heven. Tell im little babys howdy for me. I want to see mi sweet children. It would give me a great deal of pleasure to see Mit and little Frank and Emer and Jim. Tell him to be a good boy and be good to Frank. Bil, James BELCHER wants you to go to his house nex Sunday and tell Lucy to sell his cane, if she can, for three or four dollars if she can. And rite to him whether she got enny one to save her apples or not. ============================================================== 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. The 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, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ==============================================================