(Sunday), Septr. 15, 1867
Your letter of 13th Just came to hand yesterday morning by due course
of mail & I do Assure you that I was glad to heare from you &
the
kin viz your children and thiri familys; my self & family are in
common good helth. I am so horce that at times I can scarcely speak so
as to be herd through suffering of pain.
I presume from the way you
wrote you had not herd of the death of Brother James. If I am not
miztaken in my recollection he has been dead over three years. All his
sons are dead. Suster Polly Barnett has been dead some 2 or 3 years
&
Frank Barnett her husband married a gain but to whom I have not herd.
One of Brother Joshua's sons was shot through the head killed at
Murphreysborough, Tenn. His son-in-law, Addison Morrow was killed at
home in Walker County, shot by a disterter that he was gardin. The
diserter managed to get Morrows gun from him. Old Jimmy Burk died about
the first of the same month that your husband died. Sister Eliza had no
children by Burk. She married shortly after to a very fine man by the
name of Rasullus Hughes, one of her nearest neighbours. Since there
marriage they have had a son. I think he is weaned. Sister Isabell is
living in sight of Eliza and about 20 miles from here right toward
Talladega.
My daughter Polly
about 13 miles off. She has 2 daughters living & one son - her
second daughter is dead, Laura lives about 1 mile. She has 3 sons &
1 daughter living & one infant son dead. Susan lives about one
hundred yards off. She has had only one
son. It has been dead perhaps 4 or 5 years. My son Thomas has
only 2 children living, one a son the other a daughter - he has 2 sons
& one
daughter dead. Thomas's wife died on the 13 of July after being sick
22 hours, he is in Talladega at work at his trade, his children &
Little Sarah, Sister Isabel's daughter that Thomas took to raise are
all 3 living at present with me.
I presume you have long
since herd of
the death of my first wife Catherine. She died of Rhumatism on June 2,
1863. My son James died in the Montgomery Hospital at the White Sulphur
Springs in Virginia some few months before his mother. Hillary was
wounded
at the battle of the Wilderness (in Va) in the left leg it had to be
taken off above the knee. 18 days after he took fever & died in a
few
days. they neither of them had ever married. Abner went out in the 10
Alabama at the first commencement of the war, came home twice on short
furlough before he returned the last time he married went back &
there remained till the Surender his wife has no children. ---
My first
wife died June 2 1863. I remained a widower 2 years & 4 months
lacking one day. On the first day (Sunday) of Oct 1865 I married a Miss
Sallie J. Williams whose parents live near Carrollton, GA about 65
miles from here. She had spent some 4 or 5 years in teaching school.
She is about 31 years old. Says she does not know that she ever did
weight more than 96 pounds. Dark eyes and hair & amongst if not the
very best natural women living. She had no mail connection by the name
Wiliams living except her father & 2 little brothers her two older
brothers died in the Confederate Army, My understand is that they
both took
sick on the same day & died on the same day. My wife is a member of
the Baptist Church.
My sister the reason of my writing
such a letter as
this is that I don't know what you may have herd of my self or the
connection before this. There is one thing
I do know I have taken
more pains to try & keep up a coraspondance with my relations than
any of them has with me. If you have not forgot at your house I
complained of your not writing me. I think the excuse was want of
paper. I handed you a half quire if no more requested it to be wrote
up in letters to me. I have never seen or herd of it since. I wrote
several times to you since but no responce. I have no quarrell on the
subject but have the most friendly feelings for you & your
children.
As such I close with my best wishes to
all. Your Brother
R. E. W.
McAdams
