Letter written by Henry Ebenezer MacDonald - Harris County Texas

John Hendry <john@thehendrys.freeserve.co.uk> 13 May 2001
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Transcript of a letter from Henry E. MacDonald of Houston, Texas, to his 
brother Roderick in Melbourne, Australia.

Houston, Texas
Aug 4th 1878
My Dear Roderick,
		I received your paper dated June the 10th on Monday July 
29th and was glad to get it.  I thought you was dead.  I sent papers July 
11th to you.  The Yellow Fever is very bad, as you will see by the papers 
that I send you now.  There was only 100 sacks of coffee in the stores of 
Galveston last week and there are 1 Ship & 1 Bark from Rio de Janeiro 
quarantined out side the Galveston Bar. RailRoads are also Blocked.  People 
next door nebours are going north.  The Double Barrled

Page 2

shot gunn is the only remidy here to keep people from infected Districts.
	Little Roderick is well, also Annie.  Received no letters from you 
since you wrote about 8 or 9 months ago.  I know you must have wrote but 
never got an answer.  Give my respects to Mrs R. Macdonald and to my name 
sake Henry.  Roderick is playing by my side and I am telling him “I am writing 
to Uncle Roderick” I would write you a long letter but there is a man going to 
the Post office which is 1 1/2 miles from me.  [With] The papers I send you 
two packages and hoping we will be all alive to see better times.

Page 3

Now Roderick I will conclude & give mine & Annies respects to Mrs Macdonald.  
Also do not forget little Henry for me.  Hoping you are all well and wishing 
you all well.
		I am Your
			Affectionate
			Brother
		Henry E. Macdonald

(PS)	The other day I met a Scotchman from Dundee.  He has two peices 
of the bark of the Hawthorn Tree where Bobby Burns was with his Highland Mary.  
He told me I should have a peice.  If I get it I will send it to you.
	I will be waiting very anxiously to hear from you in answer to my letter 
of July 11th 1878 - Good by.

Page 4

I did not receive no letters from home  I feel sorry it is not my fault.  I 
wrote home but got no answer.  When I get an answer from you giving the address, 
I will write right away to them.
		Roderick write soon
			be sure.

Address
H. E. Macdonald
care   H & T CRRd
	Houston
      	Harris County
	Texas