52-07-26 letter to Mr. Augustine Damerell, Putnam, Putnam Co., Missouri from 
Martha Mayhew of Coal Grove July 26th A.D. 1852

Dear Sister & brother
I have at last heard from you again by way of a letter that Jesse Ballard recd 
from you a few days ago.  I was very glad to hear from you once more in this 
life I had witten to tell you twice and got no answer to either of them.  
Jesse says that he has written several times and no answer.   Jessee's letter 
asks several questions I shall not be able to give a full answer to all of 
your questions.  So far as it relates to my own family I can give you some 
information-something like four years ago Elisha was taken down with a fever. 
He was very low so that the Doctor thought that at one time he would not get 
well but he did after a long time recover so that he was able to ride about 
some and attend to his business but was never well-his disease turned in the 
shape of a chronic affliction & finally it terminated in the consumption 
Bonchial which wasted his flesh, strength & constitution and on the 19 Dec 
1851 the Lord saw fit in His providence to take from me the partner of my 
youth--although affliction seems severe in mercy oft they are sent and now it 
follows that in my severe affliction I must trust in the Lord--but whither 
shall I go but unto the Lord.  He has provided to be a husband to me & a 
father to my children.
We expect to have a sermon preached in commemoration of the death of Elisha 
and the babe on the 4 sabbath of September.  Elizabeth's funeral was preached 
before she was buried on account of some of Polley connexions being here and 
they lived about fifty miles from here.  so as the distance is so far that you 
can not be here in person.
Elizabeth was married the 10th of May 1849 to a man by the name of Peras R. 
Polley.  Early in last fall she took a chronic disease which proved in time to 
be bronchial consumption which terminated her existence in this world on the 
25th Dec 1851.  She left two daughters.  Her oldest is named Ruth Mariah and 
lives with me. Her youngest I kept untill the 28th March when it died its name 
was Martha Fannetta.  The babe is in heaven and Elisha & Elizabeth both gave 
us assurance of their acceptance with God.   This you know is a great 
consolation to us to know that God has taken them to Himself in Glory.  they 
both belonged to the Batist Church and Elisha was ordained a preacher.  It is 
a mournful loss to us yet our loss is their eternal gain and we hope by the 
grace of God one day to meet them in Glory where parting will be no more.  
Bethena, John, James & Martha together with myself & P.R. Polley all belong to 
the same Church to which they belonged when they died.  I have two more, 
Elisha and Susan the two youngest that are living that are not converted yet. 
 You may not have heard of the death of Mary Sidney, my next to youngest, she 
died the 14 May 1849 of croup.  This in less than three years death has been 
making inroads in my family.
We have been having a very good meeting at our Chruch it has been kept up the 
most of the time for the last six weeks by the Baptist & Methodists there were 
twenty three joined the Batists & some fifty to sixty joined the Methodist.  
We think there are thirty or forty of them converted.  Among those that joined 
the Baptists were John & Martha Mayhew, James & Mary Jane Ballard, Jesse's 
children and Francis & Elizabeth Deering.  Bro James' daughters & P.R. Polley. 
 The Lord works and none can hinder.
We heard from Bro. William a short time ago and they were all well and doing 
well.  His Elizabeth is married to a man by the name of Jacob Everman and they 
have a son.  We hear from Garret Riggs every month by way of our Pastor living 
in Garret's neighbourhood.  they were all well last week.  Jesse & his family 
are all well but Amir she is as well as common for here she has not been well 
for more than a year.
Bro. John lives in Davis County, Mo.   his post office is Victovia.  We have 
not heard from him since eary in the spring.  they were all well then. John's 
Henry and Sara are both married since they went to Missouri.  Mary Ann Married 
a John __. A. Layne  about five years ago they live about four miles from 
here.  They have three children, two girls and one boy.  they too are well.  
Bro Anthony is in Wayne County, Mo. his post office is(name forgotten) he was 
not well but getting better.  last spring they had all been sick but got about 
well.  they left here two years ago last winter.    P.C. ?.C.


to Mr. Augustine Damerell, Putnum, Putnum Co., Missouri  from Martha Mayhew
post marked from Ohio

John Ballard & family were all well two weeks ago.  John was married some time 
in the spring of 1851 to a Miss Cassy Riggs a niece of Garret Riggs & daughter 
of Levi Riggs.  They are doing well as far as I can learn all of them living 
very agreeable together.  She likes the children and they like her.  They have 
a fine boy added to the family recently.  I have not had an opportunity of 
going there since Susan's funeral was preached but I see John frequently I saw 
him and his oldest daughter two weeks ago at meeting at Jesses.    
Bro. James' is in California yet.  Lydia and the family are well now and have 
been so the most of the time since James has been gone.  they have been making 
a comfortable living by the farm.  James has sent to her a draft of three 
hundred dollas.  he writes that he has been very well and hearty all the time 
with one single exception when he had a little sickness not so as to keep him 
from work.  he says that it is much more healthy in that country than in this; 
the air is so pure.  he writes that he is making about five dollars per day 
and he expects to do much better this summer by his connexion in a company to 
turn the north fork of the American river in a canal.  their canal they 
finishes last season and had the river running through it five days and than 
their dam broke but the foundation is still solid.  by his last letter dated 
June 12th we learn that the company was to commence repairing their dam the 
14th day of June that the snow was nearly all gone  he writes that during the 
five days that the water run through their canal last year that they got gold 
enough to pay all expences of the work and ten dollars dividend to each man.  
He writes that it is no guess work  now for they had tried it and they had 
washed as high as two ounces of gold out of a pan full of earth from the 
bottom of their river and that it will pay to wash 50 cents worth from the pan 
full.  He writes also that he is quite homesick.  that he longs to be at home 
with his family.  that he is not at all satisfied  with the mixed and 
heathenish society of California.  that they have not had a chance to hear a 
sermon until the Sunday before his last letter but expected to hear a sermon 
every two weeks as long as he staid there.  he writes that he will be at home 
by the first of Jan next.  We hear from him some oftenen on an average than 
once a month and we think on the whole that he is doing well.  He writes that 
he still sticks to his integrity as a christian and asks an interest in the 
prairs of all his friends and connexions (pray for him)  His Post office is 
Mormon Isalnd Sacramento County California
We are all well and doing as well as my circumstances and station in life will 
admit.  We had 12 or 15 acres of oats and about 45  acres of corn ?.C. the 
season tolerable good.  write to me soon as you get this Direct to Coal Grove 
Lawrence County Ohio.  give all of our respects to all of your family.  I 
close for want of room.  Martha Mayhew
P.S. You will remember me and my family at a throne of Grace M.M. You can be 
with us in mind to pray for us that we may bear our afflictions with patience 
and meekness and as becomes the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and that 
the Lord will be with us in our trials.