Grimes Co. TX - Jesse Grimes Letters ----¤¤¤---- ST # 22 February 25th 1855 Jesse. Your letters of Christmas day & 20th Jany were both received In proper time. They contain a great deal of Information Interesting to me. I requested William to answer them last night. He wrote & left it for me to mail. On examining it this morning, I think he was in too great a hurry to get through and will add a little myself. I have your last letter before me which I propose reviewing as the best mode of answering it. I have not seen Atcherson nor had any particular account of the reception of Jackson & wife since they left here but from what I have often heard A. say, I am satisfied they were anything but welcome visitors. If they did make friends, I shall be gratified to hear it. I did not hear anything from Ann Grimes about Reubin Branch's daughter that James married and am at a loss to know how they become acquainted. I am surprised that he should become enamoured with his couisin and imagine that she possessed no very enviable reputation for virtuous habits and amiable disposition. From his knowledge of the stock, I do not wonder that old Archy should be opposed to the match. If the rupture between James & his father does cause him to leave there & go to Texas some incidental good may result from his marriage. I expect from what Dr. Gillespie said about James, he will not find it an easy matter to wind up his business and leave there very soon. If my conhecture is right you need not look for him this spring. Thomas Grimes ere this has no right to complain of my negligence. I wrote to them about the First of December which had not reached them before he wrote to you. You mentioned in your former letter receiving a letter from R. Branch, that he spoke of moving to Texas and that he has a son in Gonzales County. His wife died in Decr. 53. I suppose that was his first wife, Ann Herring. I would like to see him & his children. Henry has the foundation for a fortune. I hope will build cautiously & prudently so that everything may stand firm if misfortune should visit him. If he was of my opinion, he Page 2 would not wait to split all the pines in his pinery before I sold the land and machinery. I shall expect to hear that he has made a big pile by his mill. I saw nothing in that country that I would sooner resk for immediate gain than his mill. I was much pleased to see it work under the management of the young men that attended it and am glad to hear that he retains the same hands. My best wishes is with him. I did not see Rufus's place. I suppose it is the retreat where he has built and is now living. I saw Ogden twice a few minutes each time. Did not think him capable of managing a store like it must be to make it profitable. I hope Rufus may save enough to give him a start in some other business. Jacob is of a different turn and will watch the corcern where he is. This Is right for that lazy stupid fellow. White,looked to me like he would tumble to pieces. I did not like his looks nor motion for a merchant. If he had means & credit to start on Jacob done well enough to unite his fortune with him. Nothing but that should have induced him if I am not mistaken in the man. You mention the progress and prosperity of Anderson. The schools are of much advantage to the place. There was also some pretentions to manufacture some articles for the use of the country. This helps some. I thought there seemed to be goods enough to supply the wants of the neighborhood. I noticed the stocks of goods in all the stores in Anderson. They were generally cheap and of ordinary quality, selected of course to suit the trade etc. Our roads are as good as they ever were. There has not been but two or three showers since August that made any show in the creeks and then it was out Immediately. There was a warm spell in Jany, cloudy & damp but little rain. Done some injury to pork. The winter has been remarkable for dry, cold, clear,frosty weather. More cold weather than was ever known before. I recollect the Howell tract. We passed by Ogdens on our return from the high preirie towards Brasos, saw him with his gun, noticed his habitation & farm, pronounced him lazy etc. Frank must have seen a different kind of country on Spring Creek from that on the road where I crossed else he would do well Page 3 to keep himself and family at a respectable distance from there. My worthy and much respected friend D. Frisble returned to his mother about Newyear. I have not seen him but hear that he saw the elephant, paid for the sight, neglected bills for board and returned in disgust and to the disgust of others. This is what I expected when I saw him. Ransom will not risk a return to this country soon. It would be unwise in him to do so as his personal safety would be endangered thereby. Would it not be wise in Ephraim Smith to move close down in the fork of Brasos & Navlsota where the stanch and measma arising from the swamp would soon relieve him of a family & a life which is nothing worth keeping? You will no doubt recollect what I thought and said about the death of Sadler, that there was foul play in that tragedy. If the matter can be properly investigated, I have no more doubt that I have of his existance. My greatest wonder is that Mitchell was not arrested Immediately,It was much plainer a case than that of Webster & Parkman and ten times the ground of suspicion. I hope sufficient proof may be made to convict the guilty murderer. It was a cold unprovoked deed and ought to be punished. I have been noticing for months past the progress of Kinney's expedition to Central America. I suppose him to be the Col, Kinny I heard you speak of living in the S.W. of your State, I do'nt recollect where, that never had quite money enough to answer his purposes and was always trying, sometimes without success, to swindle the Govern- ment. Such an expidition would suit such a man if there is money plenty to start with. Your Senator Rusk and the great lawyer, Wigfall of Marshall, passed through Ala. about the last of Nov. on their way to Washington. Stoped a while in Mobile & received some attention from citizens and editors. I believe I have noticed all the important items in your letter and every other subject connected with that state that I expected to. William I see has said something about my prospect of moving there. Whether I move there or not, is what I cannot tell. My mind is made up about it. If anybody will give me $10 per acre for my land in cash or its equivalent, I will sell and once sold out, I would loose as little time as possable'in getting off. Now the question to be settled is, can I sell my land for that price. Land lying on Pooscus Creek no better than mine was sold last fall for 12$ per acre. Page 4 William did not state in his letter that he came within a day or two of starting to Texas in the last of January but it was so. I had been encouraging him and Ann to pay you and Frank a visit without proper reflection on the after part or consequences that would necessarily follow such a trip. William follows no other occupation but that of planting. He would be away too long to make a crop this yearand would loose an entire year and make him dependant on me for cloths & money. He has not abandoned the trip and wishes me to go there next fall on horseback and for me to go with him. Whether this will be done or not I do not pretend to say. I would like very well for Ann to stay with Nancy a year but she is not willing to depend on Frank's kindnes altogether and if left there she would have to stay right or wrong. They were to go by water. Albert works very hard, makes excellent crops and has lost his taste for whisky. It is but seldom he gets any. He wo'nt quit work to go after it and there is none to be had very convenient. Eliza & children are here. All well. I have seen the rest of the children lately. All are well. The widow Jerry Worsham was thrown from a horse and her thigh broke about 8 weeks ago. She has not recovered yet & but little probability of ever getting well. Joe is waiting for take this to the office. I must close without correcting errors. I hope you will be able to read it and write again before long. My love and respects to all. Wm. Grimes. Note: This letter was evidently inclosed in an envelope which was missing, __________________________________________________________________ Copyright. 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