Harrison Co. TX - Jesse Grimes Letters ----¤¤¤---- Sunday evening January 26th, 1851 Jesse This being an idle day no person here to keep my company, I have concluded to employ the evening writing letters. Your letter and public documents of September last were in due time received and I have recently seen that your Govenor Bell has been over ruled in the territorial boundary of Texas by the cool calculating citizens of your State. In this I suppose you feel that you have triumphed over the Governor. The matter has been settled satisfactory to your views I believe and I am sure It is much better done than the Governor could have done it in his way. The idea of a conflict of the character of the on' desired (at least urged) by Governor Bell is too serious to be countenenced by any lover of our great and glorious Union. Texas has made within the last four months heavy draws on Alabama. She has drawn a great many of our best, wealthiest and enterprising citizens, thousands of negroes & tens of thousands of dollars have left our State for Texas. The roads are cut up by their waggons which have been almost dally passing for months. The increase of your population must be without paralel in any new state except Californis. Albert wrote several letters to his friends here that he intended to come back this fall. In my last letter to Nancy, I said that some of the family was looking for him, for myself I would say as I did by Frank, if he come very well, if he stayed there it would suit me better. Since then I have heard nothing more of his coming back. Since I wrote to you & William M. Ranking (while Nancy were here) of the deception that Frank was practising, he has quit writing to me. It went hard with his feelings I presume to be thus exposed. It become my duty or I would not have done so. Page 2 The corn crop of this country was much less than common yet there seems to be plenty at from 60 to 75 cents per bushel and but few buyers. Pork is very scarce, so much so that there is no demand for that article. Bacon in Mobile is selling at 91 $ per cwt. Pork 131 per barrel The cotton crop was the best in this neighborhood that we have had for several years. The country is clear of debt once more with plenty of money and that of good quality & cheap. Negroes, horses & mules are very high and in good demand. I have twenty five acres of the best land on the Harris tract cleared and nearly ready for fencing. The timber has been deadened three years. The land is in complete order for a good crop and I expect to plant it in cotton should the season be dry, the caterpillar & boll worms in __. You may expect to hear of a good turnout off my new ground. The family is in pretty good health. Asha Is declining but keeps up. Some complaint amongst the blacks though nothing serious. Joe & Martha are going to school near the Cartwrlght old place. Our Immediate neighborhood has improved. Several families of respectability have moved in and have given life and energy to the dying & disponding feelings of the few that remain here through the storm of adversity. We have an excellent school house and Church three hundred yards N. of Cartwright's old house. School has Just commenced with fine prospects of good & constant school My respects to all the family and old acquaintence there. Wm. Grimes. Address shows:- Old W.C. House, Ala. Jay. 27/51 .10 Hon. Jesse Grimes, Anderson, Grimes County, Texas. __________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Christine Grimes Thacker ___________________________________________________________________