[Letter from William M. Willard, May 26, 1882, Fairfield, Texas, to his 
brother, D. B. (Burt) Willard, in Cannon County, Tennessee. Written 
on stationery with an oval blind embossed seal at upper left corner of 
p. 1,  with “Mound City” inside the oval.]

[p. 1]

             Fairfield, Freeston[e] Co., Texas
                   May the 26, 1882
Mr Burt Willard
             Dear brother and sister,
   I take my pen in hand to drop 
you a few lines in answer to you[r] kind 
and welcom[e] letter that I received a few 
weeks ago. It found us all well and 
doing well, hoping this may 
find you all well and enjoying 
the same grate blessing. 
I have nothing to write that will enterest 
you. Crop[s] look verry well at present.
Most every body is don[e] laying by 
corn. I am going to lay by next 
week and I have got all of my 
cotton chop[p]ed and I will cut my 
wheat in about two weeks. I think 
it will be ripe enough. Wheat crops 
is mighty sorry in this country, 
the chintze [chinch] bugs like to destro[y]ded 

[p. 2]

my wheat [illegible] but it kept 
on rain[in]g ever[y] week or two and 
it came out and I think it will 
make a pretty fair crop. Well I will 
give you the price of a few things.
Corn is selling at Fairfield for 
one $1.60 cts per bushel one 
time but Ben sold some last 
week for one $1.25 a bushel.
He said he would not ask any 
more than that. I think corn 
is might[y] high. Bakcon is worth 
18 cts a pound. Well I believe that 
is all [I] know ab[o]ut that subject.
Farmers works hard all day and thiefs 
works hard all night. I believe I 
have heard of more stealing this 
year than I have hear[d] of in my life.
Some people is bound to steal 
or starve. Some body made a brake [break]
on me not long ago, they taken 
4 sid[e]s of bacon out of my 
smok[e] house but one was Ben[’s] 

[p. 3]

so they did not get but 3 of 
mine. Well if they can live 
with it, I can live without 
it. I will have enough to make 
out on I guess.
   Fruit crops is verry good this 
year. I will have plenty. I have 
got ripe peaches now. I wish you 
would stop over and help me eat 
plumes and peaches. I tell you 
they eat [2 illegible words] this time 
a year. Tilitha say[s] tell Sis she 
would like for her to be her[e] to help 
her eat peaches. She would like 
to see her sucking juse [juice] out 
of these with big mouth and tell 
her she has had bean[s] till we are 
all getting tired of them and can 
have fride [fried] chicken when we 
want it. We will have roasen[roasting] ears 
next week. Well Burt come over 
any time this sum[m]er and we will 
eat and drink one time more 

[p. 4]

and enjoy ourself together. We can’t
live in this world all ways so I think 
you might come to see me once 
since you won’t lose nothing by 
coming to see me. I will close 
my long letter by asking you to 
to come over and spend a few 
days with me so no more at present.
Write soon and give me all 
the news. May God bless you all.
     Your brother untill Death
              W. M. Willard
             
[Postscript written by William and Tilitha’s 20 year old daughter, Sue, who 
was only 8 years old when the family moved from Tennessee:]

Dear Auntie, a few lines to 
you as pa and ma has been writing to 
you and Uncle B[urt]. I would like to see
you one more time and hear your 
sweet voise and see you[r] smiling face.
Oh will I never see you and Uncle 
Birt no more. I do wish I could see you 
this eve, it has been a long time since
I have seen you. I was [a little] girl 
and now I will soon be 20 years old.
I just can remember how you look 
and that is about all this leaves me 
[i.e., all the space she has left on the page] 
so I will close. Write soon, your 
ni[e]ce as ever.
                   Sue Willard