Harrison Co. TX - Jesse Grimes Letters ----¤¤¤---- CT # 23 Marshall .. April l8th 1858 Jesse, Yours of the 17th ult. was rec'd on the 4th inst. It is now before me and for the purpose of reviewing some small portions of it. Before the rainy season set in, I had decided on bringing out waggons and negroes by land. Bought two waggons and made my arrangments to start about the first of December. The man that bought Everitt's place failed in making payment accouding to contract. This detained us one month and that was what done the mischief. You say we have entered the promised land. Well I can say like the boy said to the priest about his father. If I am in I shall certainly try to stay here. We have just finished hawling home our years supply of provisions for teams and folks. We sent to New Orleans and received it at the R.R. 7 miles off & good road. The death of brother James is an event I have been expecting about two years. If Jesse returns to Ala. by this way about the middle or last of November, I think he would get company. I had seen in a newspaper the melencholy accident that happened to Henry's family. I deeply sympathise with them. Is old Henry Jackson so little respected that no one will take pitty on him & help him out of the world. If it would be a charitable deed, why not do like his son and have the honor of one good act and that his last. My folks have quit complaing about soap. The water wash pretty well without and by throwing ashes in a branch and diping out water below is found to answer the purpose admirably. Col. Lister says you would meet with many warm friends in Harrison. We join in saying come & see. Page 2 I would be extremely glad to go down there this spring but how to do It I cannot tell. My time & presence is needed at home. My team has not recovered from their journey. I have but a mule for which I paid $175. to help in the farm. My corn is coming up and I expect to finish planting cotton by the 25th. The neighbors are generally done planting now. Last Wednesday morning there was a white frost but as everything was dry it done but little damage. There is more Industry and better planters here than I have seen anywhere else. The land is not rich but produces well and is more on an equallity than any other part of the State I have seen. If you go to see your Bosque land, come by here. Perhaps I might go with you although I do'nt want to see the red- skins that are roaming about there sometimes, Soon after my people left Alabama, I was violently attacked with neuralgy in my right side from head to foot and very severe in the hip, shoulder & arm from which I am not relieved. It is with dificulfcy that I can use my hand to hold the pen and my arm is very weak and frequent twitching of the muscles that spils letters etc. This is getting to be a convenient country and I may decline the notion of going much further west. Time and further exploration will be required to satisfy me. For when I buy it will be to settle permanently. We are well situated at this place. A fine woolen factory & corn & wheat mills drove by steam within half a mile. Milling is easy. Can get our turn & home by sunrise every Friday morning. Page 3 There Is a great deal more show of wealth here than there was in that part of the State when I was there. Brick masions are quite common and a great many elegant framed & painted dwellings. The roads are good. Only in the rainy season, at the time we came here, they were in the worst possible condition. Upon a close investigation of things & matters, this country will do but I would like to look about some and intend doing so before I settle. Shreveport for business appears to be rather better than Houston. The freight on goods from New Orleans to this place is the same I have usually paid from Mobile to Bladon and same freight to Petersberg at the terminus of the R.R. on the Caddo Lake. There is a road building from Shreveport on west which if ever completed as far as Marshall will send the cotton to Red River instead of the lake. This might be a small advantage and would much increase when the Vicksburg road reaches Red River. We have received several letters lately from Ala., from Jo and others. The news is of little importance in general. There is but few of the old stock remaining there. The new are of a different pattern and nearly all scrubs. So you see it was an easy matter to get out from amongst them. If I should roll down there in the stage before roasting ear time, would Johny Kettle be able & willing to trot me round there a week or too. That would be as much as I would require from him. If the response is yea, you may look out for me some Saturday evening. Wm. Grimes. The fold on the paper indicate that this letter was inclosed in an envelope but same was missing. __________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Sharon Timmons ___________________________________________________________________