Dear children: Once more I seat myself to write a few lines tho unimportant
to be the subject matter. It has been a great while
since I have written to the present destined office. From your last
to me you signified your determination to emigrate to Illinois,
of which we have never had a countermand from yourself, but from
Vincent last fall we learn that you have come to a
conclusion to remain in Vigo (County) a while longer which I think
will be well for you, if you stay north. I have not written
much during the fall and winter season, some ten letters since the
middle of October, partly on business. Among the rest, one
upon the subject of my land claim for which I had received an answer.
It had arrived and would be attended to as soon as
business would permit, and one to our state Capitol for information.
I have received several since yours, but none of
importance since my last to Vincent, one quite lately, from C. Brown
and one from your cousin Paulina Kelly in Texas, all in
health. Your Mother and I have quite lately been to Prices and Alexandria
to see Polly and the boys. Nicholas has been here
since, left here 1st inst. hauling wood on Little River, all well,
and all well here. I am doing nothing now but expect to try to get
at the old trade of basket making or school teaching if I can get
employment. Your mother appears to hold her health very
well, if she was not afflicted with a shortness of breath or phthysical
effection and caugh, which is troublesome more at night
than in day time, and is all the time weak. We rode to Alexandria,
she bore the trip very well without punishment. John and his
wife just returned from a visit to her people to show their brides
each had one to carry; their names James and Henrietta,
found all well. People in this country are generally very healthy
and have been.
The country has produced a tolerably faircrop of both cotton and
corn, and people have had a fine time foregathering it.
Cotton as you see bears a tolerable qood price and what many of
you northern people call an abomination to the earth, bears
a better price, viz, slave property. Provisions of most kinds sell
well but of must come down, One thing, while are all
measurably confined by the cold weather, we in our country are either
visiting or out. on business trips. Clarissa's husband,
Christian, is now on a business trip to New Orleans and Natchez,
both to collect money and too purchase negroes, if he
succeeds in collecting.
I calculate on writing more frequently hereafter. For a month or
two past I have been short of paper, but when I was at
Alexandria I supplied myself with a ream which I am daily expecting
by a steam boat. We have had so much election business
on hand for the last six months that the noise of the railroad cars
is not heard amongst us and but little talk about them. Next
Monday week our legislature are to meet under the new constitution
of the state, we then perhaps shall hear more about the
railroads and their conveniences and their profits, and more elections
for Parish officers.
While I was at Prices - Alexandria, I saw a letter directed to Clement,
which show your declination in going to Illinois and as
before I said tell Vin and Nicholas to come and see how we do here.
We have plenty to eat and I think soon will have some
money. I have two sources which makes me think I shall have some,
part for my land, and for my school teaching last summer.
The mare I got of you belongs to Mr. Price, Polly's husband, at
one hundred dollars and he has refused one hundred and
twenty five, not willing to take $150. She does well in a carriage,
he can carry himself and family all at once, only six altogether.
People in our section of the country are clearing off their lands
in preparation for planting. Thus far our winter has been very
favorable tho somewhat wet, not extremely cold and very suitable
for laboring in ---- You may tell Vincent that the shoes he
made for me are still on my feet and are yet passable, having been
half soled, and our clothes the girls made are yet in good
service and decent. The horse I got for Dobbin I still own him,
the balance of chimney corner information I shall postpone until
further consideration.
A great many of the old settlers that were in the swamp when you
were there have since died and some have moved away,
two of which dead you will recollect, Mrs. Spamn and Mrs. Frazer.
Mr. Frazer since married but a few months afterward, a
young woman perhaps not over twenty years old.
For to do all justice, as my communication is not to be counted instructing
or informing, I will give over for the present and write
again when you answer these. I stop with writing.
(Signed) N. Yeager
To Wm. H. H. Yeager, Vigo County, Terre Haute, Indiana.
Bienville, La. May 8th 1853
Dear Children: These embrace you all, we are all in reasonable health,
and hope you are enjoying the same blessing. I received
a letter from W.H.H. dated 21st of' March last conveying the unpleasant
news of the death of his little daughter. These are calls
we must all submit to with moderation, he that gives sees proper
to take at his own suitable time - all must go -. Not long since
I wrote (March 24th) to Vincent giving a general detail of circumstances
and transcation, we are still trying to make good our
arrangement. We have been grinding and have barely tried the saw
and expect to make a commencement this week.
My matter for epistalary or letter writing is so unimportant that
when I commence I almost fail before I get half a page written.
The property in mills that we have purchased is between six and
seven miles from Sparta, the parish site of Bienville parish, and
a tolerably good road can be made for drawing lumber to that place.
When you write again you may address me at Sparts,
Bienville, La. as that office is nearer than Ringgold, and no water
to interfere in getting there.
We have no grounds to complain of the health of our country. We may
say we have a healthy region in these low grounds and
further we may be thankful we have plenty of provisions, having
good crops last season and most of the people are aiming to
raise pork for next year. The spring season has been moderately
pleasant altho many people are very backward. We have had
extremely high waters in our creeks about the time of my last letter,
March 21st. Present crops look tolerable fair. Your sister
Polly has had another son three days old, unnamed when we heard
from her 23rd April. All we ..........
I shall make this letter short in hopes of having something more
important in my next, and I shall be glad to hear from any of
you when ever you feel inclined to write and send them. I am with
continued affection your father,
(S) N. Yeager
P.S. This not a very common subscription with me, your mother seems
in rather better health for some time than heretofore,
having obtained some kind of wafer pills which appear beneficial.
To: William H. H. Yeager, Vigo County, Terre Haute, Indiana.
Rapides Parish, La. Sept. 30th 1853
To Nicholas V. Yeager
of Sullivan County, Indiana
Dear nephew
After some delay I undertake to write you a few lines in answer
to yours of July 23rd by which we were glad to learn you
were all enjoying good health. We are all in good health for which
we feel thankful and hope you are still enjoying the same
good blessing. I have not been sick this season which is the first
that I have passed thus far in this Country without having a
severe spell of the fever.
You surprised us somewhat by so soon becoming tired of single
blessedness and becoming an accomplice in wedded
wretchedness for which "you say" you selected one from among the
many fair ones of your land to share it with you. One
whom you ought to think a perfection of Female excellance. With
all my heart I wish you both much happiness and long life
to enjoy it with which accept of my love for yourself and lady.
I should be well pleased to pay you a visit and see your
Southern Belles but as to being taken captive by them and led into
the depths of Connubial wretchedness, I cannot so
readily subscribe to. I must say it is hard to withstand beauty
and goodness combined. The health in the country is generally
very good except on some of the large plantations. In very
near all of the Towns and the Rivers they have the Yellow
fever very bad. In Alexandria it is very fatal there has been
an average of about five persons per day for two weeks which is
considered a greater number in proportion to the population than
the greatest mortality in New Orleans it is now somewhat
abated but still very bad indeed the people from the Country seldom
go to Town and now it only happens that I have a
chance to send this to the Post Office. Mr. Price does not think
it safe for me to go but for my own part I would not be
afraid to go to Alexandria there are a number of persons who will
not allow anyone that has been to Town to come into their
houses.
Our crops are only tolerable good in the spring we had a drought
of five or six weeks after which we had too much rain in
consequence of which we could cultivate our ground properly and
the cotton shed its forms. Corn is fair say an average crop
on the rivers and very good in the uplands. Cane crops are good
I suppose unless some very unexpected calamity befalls it,
there will be more sugar made in this Parish this year than has
been made in any year previous in this Parish, I expect to start
up to Bienville Parish in the morning to see how Father and Mother
and all of them are and to do some work about the mill
but I shall return ere you have time to send me an answer. The weather
here is remarkably cool for the season of the year and
we would be very glad to see frost for that will kill the yellow
fever at once. I would like for you to let me know at what rates
land warrants could be purchased there. Corn is selling at from
thirty five to forty five cents per bushel. Flour is selling at Eight
and eight and a half dollars per barrel choice brands. Bacon at
ten and twelve cents per pound. You will please to give my
respects and love to all the relatives who may enquire about me
and your Father's and Uncle Wm's Families in particular and
accept the same for yourself and Isabella form your affectionate
Uncle in friendship love and truth. Write soon and by so
doing you will confer a favor on.
Clement B. Yeager
Alexandria, Rapides Parish, La.
Envelope addressed to:
Nicholas V. Yeager, Esq. Prairie Creek Vigo County
Indiana
Bienville, Sparta, La. July 8, 1854
Dear Brother and family:
I take the present opportunity to inform you that we are all in tolerable
health and hope you (are) enjoying the same. I saw
a letter that you sent to John and was glad to hear that you have
a notion of coming to see us this fall. It is entirely out of my
power to go to see you this year although it would be a great pleasure
to me if my business was so that I could. You must
not let that hinder you from coming to see us.
I have misplaced my book in which I took down the names of
places on the route that Father and I travelled but 1 can give
you enough names that you can come without any difficulty. You will
first take the National Road and come to Vandalia,
Ill. St. Louis is the next town of any size that I remember. 1 will
just give you the names of the largest towns that I remember
on the route. Springville, Mo. and from there to Mt. Vernon. This
is five miles from John Thompson's. From there to Ozark,
the county seat of Ozary County, Ark. on the Arkansas River. Lewisville
is the next that I can think of and then Washington
in Hempsted County, Ark. The next will be Minden, Claiborn Parish,
La. which is 25 miles from Ringgold and 30 miles from
Sparta, La. If I had my book I could give you a much more satisfactory
waybill. There will be but little trouble though in
finding the route. A good horse is wath $100 to $150.
Mother is living with me at the mill. I reccon I shall remain here.
Please write to me on the reception of these lines. I remain
your affectionate Brother,
Solomon N. Yeager.
To Wm. H. H. Yeager, Terre Haute, Ind.
July 23, 1854
Dear Brother, sister and family:
It is with some little hope and pleasure that I now write to you
of the common blessings of this life. It grives me much to
say that we have such wathless men in office as we have but I am
bound in justice to you and my self to say that I would
be glad to hear that our post officers or some of them were knocked
out of office when I read in your letter that you
have had no letter from me. It is enough to make us think that,
that respect that we once had in each other was disolved
but not so on my part, though I have but little hope that you will
ever read this judging from the past. But I will pay the
postage on this and try that now through the mercies of a kind providence
we are all alive and well for which we wish to
feel thankful to God and hope that when this is read it will find
you with all enquiring friends enjoying this great blessing.
Dear, we received your letter dated May last which gave us much satisfaction
but it bore the painful word of our father's
death in it tho we had heard of it as we had received one from John
Yeager a few days before, for the first we ever got
from him but he writes as he always does, giving us but little satisfaction
about they calculate to do, no, not so much as to
tell us where mother calculates to live. You tell us you have the
thought to visit them this fall, well come by Uncle Yeager's
He is the second on the Osage fork of the Gasknade and so on and
call and see us. Do not disappoint them and us as it is
common for the Indianaions to do. I alude to my relations but I
think it will not be so with you so we shall look for you all,
certain that if we live we shall see you this fall. You would be
glad to have my company this fall to Louisiana. This would
be most agreeable but cannot tell for certain tho come on if you
can be here by the last of October.
Now I stop without writing you much satisfaction only we are all well. Farewell.
John and Eliza Thompson to William and Nancy Yeager.
Waybill - You know the way to Vandalia. Illinois. thence to Greenville
thence, to Marine town, thence to Troy, thence to
Illinois town, there inquire for --- and if you cross to St. Louis,
then inquire for Dolens in two miles from the river, north
thence to the Dutch store, thence to Manchester, thence to North's
store, thence to Jude's springs, thence to Wishon's
store, thence to Waynesville, thence to Grigby's there take the
left hand to Uncle's mills on the Osake Ford., then inquire
for Uncle Grigby's.