Harrison Co. TX - Jesse Grimes Letters #### Letter # 92 Old W.C.H., Ala April 28th, 1857 Jesse, I have the pleasure of acknowledging the receipt of your several letters of the 11th January, 1st February & 26th March. The last was recd. this week. I was expecting it in answer to my enquiries about the Rail road from N.O. westward. Soon after I wrote to you about this road I saw in a N.O. paper, a better description of this road and the prospect of getting through on that line than I had seen before, yet it is not satisfactory however, if the distance between N.O. and Galveston can me made in 20 hours and part of that by land I think I could hold out to make the trip and survive again, but my mind is not relieved of the anxiety about the distance or time by water. Now if half the distance can be made by R.R., I can risk the other half on a log or plank or any other way that others travel. So there is a chance or the prospect of a chance for me to get to Texas by this new rout but I must hold on a while to learn something more of the certainty of getting through on that line before I can venture. You say if I will get there by the first of May you will take another tramp with me, well Ic an’t that the time is too short, if I was now ready but I am not ready. I have been trying all the winter to get matters arranged so that I can leave home a few months contentedly but not accomplished it yet, nor do I see any prospect of doing so in a short time. I want to see that country again and expect to see it by my time is not set nor can I fix it with any degree of certainty yet. I have the mind and means to carry me through if my business can be so arranged that every thing can get along without my attention. I had my land all prepared for an early start for a crop plant early and in good faith and for while was satisfied with the appearance of the young crop but when it snowed four hours of heavy snow, four weeks of cold north winds & white frosts which is yet upon us has thrown us back to mid winter. I have just finished planting over my corn but the weather is so cold and dry it cannot come up before rain, cotton had come up partially but whether there is seed enough left in the ground to make a stand in the question. Jim has given possession and moved to a place where Nathan Grimes lived many years on Sintebogue it is a low swampy place if they keep healthy through the summer it will be more than I expect. William Smith also five possession and built a cabin near his old place & hired out part of his negros and is trying to make a little corn crop. George Dunbar intends going there, Quiny Jordan & Alfred Gough are on the list they will probably go there or part of the way if they can raise the means. Eaton & Simeon Worsham sons of John and nephews of Jeremiah Worsham left here very quietly last winter and we hear they went that way. Eaton had a wife & child which he took with him. This country is over run with strangers, when I to out to a public gathering about one half of the company or stranger to me, they are from the eastern part of the State and generally poor and of a class that will not improve their own condition nor that of the country much. About the 1st of March James Johnson known as pine barren Jim, died poor without means or friends, he died at his son in law’s Sam Faith. No other death amongst the old citizens about here of late. Land is still in demand about here and small poor places are readily sold at high prices, etc. I could say a good deal about weather, that February was fine Spring like weather, March cold and wet, April colder, dry & frosty. On Sunday the 12th we had heavy snow that continued upwards of four hours, then faired off and next morning a white frost & much in corn & cotton was all killed, gardens damaged and every think cut down that frost could kill. We have planted over the corn crop & would plant over the cotton if we had seed. Since I have writing we had a pretty little shower and it is now warm, if it remains so a few days we will see whether we are going to make anything or not. When spring opens if I see any probability of making a crop I will write to you again. Wm. Grimes ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Betty Grimes ___________________________________________________________________