RUTHERFORD COUNTY TN - LETTERS - Letter from Dr. J.D. Bellah to relatives in MO.

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Letter from Dr. J. D. Bellah, Rutherford Co., TN to Newton Co., Missouri

relatives [From a typewritten copy, with some punctuation added. Notes at the

bottom.]





   Murfreesboro, Tenn

   Jan. 12th 1847



Dear Relatives,



    I again embrace the present opportunity of writing to you. I wrote to you some

time ago & had hoped to have received an answer before this time. You surely

have failed to get the last letter I wrote or you would have answered by this

time. I am requested by my father to write you again for fear the other letter

miscarried. Our family is all in good health. Grandmother has enjoyed better

health last summer & fall than she has enjoyed for many years. I have really

nothing of importance to write to you. There is but little general news of

consequence afloat in these parts that would be of interest to you. Cotton crops

have turned out very well & it is likely that the prices will be good. We did

not plant much cotton on the account of the pike, which we had to finish, and

therefore the good crops and good prices will not benefit us much. Corn crops

were generally very good through parts of the country but just in our

neighborhood they were rather short on the account of a short spell of dry

weather we had about shooting time. We had the most remarkable weather during

Christmas that I ever witnessed at that time of year. It was very warm and

windy. So warm that we could do very well without fire. The wind has been

blowing for eight or ten days incessantly from the west and southwest. My father

wishes you to write and order the money for Henry¹s hire if you need it. He

promised to send it to Aunt Nancy annually if she required it. Cousin Matthew is

now of age and more than likely wishes a settlement. My father wishes him to

give him a short notice before he demands the settlement so that he can be

prepared. Money is hard to get and he wants sufficient warning. Lucy is yet

alive but her foot will kill her ­ all the rest of the Negroes are well but we

have had a great deal of sickness in our family during the summer and fall.

There has been a good many deaths in our neighborhood this fall and winter.

Logan Henderson died some two or three weeks ago. The widow Lawrence died lately

and I might mention several others but it unnecessary, as they are persons with

whom you are not acquainted. G.T. Lawrence and family are well and doing well.

His wife has three children all girls and in a family way to have another.

Robert Donald is dead; he died but a short time ago.



January 17th. 

    I was writing the above lines when William came from town and

brought a letter for me from Cousin John. I put away the one I was writing and

did not begin it again until today. My father wishes to sell grandmother¹s

Negroes and wants Aunt Nancy¹s. The reason why he wishes to sell them are 1st

they are getting so trifling that they do him no good & they are so ungovernable

that they do as they please. (name) & Esther both on Christmas said that they

would live & rot in the woods before they would live where he wished them. 2nd

all of Esther¹s children are diseased with the (Schnofula). Lucy will die with

it & Mary has not done any good for near two years. They might be sold now &

bring a good price at grandmother¹s death than half of the Negroes. When a

family of Negroes takes (Schnofula) they generally die off fast & he is afraid

that they will go so if Aunt Nancy & her children are willing to the above sale,

please let him know it in your nest letter. Also let him know if he must send

the money for the hire of Henry last year. He is hired to the same man this year

for $75, $15 more than last year. Nothing more. Write soon.



   J. D. Bellah 







… J. D. Bellah is Dr. John Davidson Bellah (1818-1889), son of John D. Bellah

and Sarah Davidson.



… Grandmother is Elizabeth Anderson Bellah (ca 1770-1849), widow of Moses Bellah

(1758-1828)



… Aunt Nancy is Nancy Bellah, who married 1812 William Gibson in Rutherford Co.,

TN



… Cousin Matthew (1825-1903) is son of William and Nancy (Bellah) Gibson



… Logan Henderson d. 8 Dec 1846 in Rutherford Co. He was the son of James

Henderson and Violet Lawson. His brother, William Henderson, married Mary

Gibson, probably sister to William Gibson.



… G.T. Lawrence: this probably should be John T. Lawrence, who married Margaret

Jane Henderson, daughter of William and Mary (Gibson) Henderson. At the time of

the letter, they had daughters Jane, Malinda, and Julia. Son, John Lawson

Lawrence, was born next but date is not known.



… Cousin John is possibly John Anderson Gibson (1817-1864), son of William and

Nancy (Bellah) Gibson.