Dear Polly
Transcript of hand written letter from Rebecca Wright Goodloe, Mufreesboro, Tenn. to her daughter, Mary "Polly" Douglas on Brushy Creek, Red Oak, Ellis County, Tex.
Contributed by Sylvia Smith
October the 6th 1851
Dear Polly,
I hope this will find you all well with the blessing of God. I
am as well as well as usual. Hannah is still complaining. She
can walk about and smoke the pipe and that is all she does.
I have just heard from the Western District. Mr. Nance has the chills and fever and Docy and four of the children has the chills and fever. Cynthia Orr and all her family has been sick. Your brother Sam is in Lebanon going to the Law School. We have not heard from Mobile since spring.
My sister Betsy Woods is very sick and low with the Dropsy. She was tapt [tapped] last Thursday and 4 gallons of water was taken from her which relieved her misery some. I have no hopes of her ever recovering. Mr. Andrews family will give you all the news.
Well, Polly, I send you some cloth by Mr. Andrews for you to dispose of as you think best. I wish Mr. Douglas and Warren to have coats if they choose. There is 22 yards of jeans reshrunk - I allowed the green for George coat and breeches.
I could not get the filing all dyed. The weaver, Martha Ann Adams, was in a hurry to get the cloth out of the loom, as John wanted to move to Arkansas. You must have some walnut bark and a little copperas and dye the breeches black, as the last end is not all of a color. There is 13 yards of dark brown and 5 pale brown.
I send some summer cloth for Jesse and Warren pantaloons, and eight and a half yards of plaid for the little girls winter dresses. I send a pair of yarn socks for Mr. Douglas and a pair of cotton stockings for yourself and a pair for Laura, a pair for Mary, little blue ones, and some yarn to knit the rest of the children some stockings.
I send 8 yards of calico to Rebecca and if it is not enough to make her a dress, she must give it to Susanna. I send Susanna and Laura cotton dresses. There is three and a half yards of blue check calico for little Mary, it will make her a dress, if not, take it for something else.
I send some pea-feathers and goose quills - I send some sage and some good turnip seed I raised myself and a little starch. I am sorry to pester Mr. Andrews so much, but he is very willing to do anything in his power to oblige Mr. Douglas. He says Mr. Douglas has been a great friend of his.
Remember my love to Jesse and Henry and all the rest and accept the same for yourself from,
Your Mother
Rebecca Goodloe
(P. S.) We had a 4 or 5 day meeting at Cripple Creek Meeting House. Brother Trott and Corlee preached and Sanda Jones and baptized 14. John D. Smith, Everett E. Houghs, two of Nathan Hall’s daughters, Ptolema Jones, Emily Goodloe and Altamira was baptized before.
It seems like I can't write no more now. You must write us as often as you can. Rebecca and Susanna to write by the mail every opportunity. I like to forgot - I heard Susan Barr is a going to get married.
The braid is to trim Susanna's green sack. Put two rows around.
To Mary Douglas.
••••
Following note by Elmo Headrick in
1961:This letter was written Oct. 6, 1851 but mail service was so slow and uncertain in those days that in April she had not yet heard from them and did not know whether they had received the things sent. So, on April 18, 1852 she wrote another long letter at the end of which she said that Alfred had just come with the long overdue letter which gave her great joy.
The second letter follows.
Rutherford County, Tenn.
April 18th, 1852.
Dear Daughter,
I received your letter with Rebecca's dated October 18th, 1851. It came to hand in due time. I would have answered it but I thought I would get another as soon as Mr. Andrews got there - and have been waiting all this time and have got none. You wish me to write often as I know by myself how glad I am to get one, yes I am glad from my very heart to hear from you all.
I am glad to hear that Susanna was baptized. I hope that she will do good, that she will be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for herself a good foundation against the time to come, that she may lay hold on eternal life.
My sister Betsy is no more. She died the 26th of January. She suffered greatly - she was tapt 7 times - she lived 9 days on a little snow water. She was very willing to die. There fell a big snow on the 18th of January. I visited her all I could while she was sick - I was there by her when she died.
I heard from you all by John Cock ?. He says you was all well but Mr. Douglas. I am sorry to hear of his affliction - I wish he could take care of himself and get well. I do not know how you can do there where everything is so scarce and dear.
I would like to hear whether the few things I sent by Mr. Andrews was damaged or not in carrying and if the peafowl feathers went safe. You must give my sincere respects to Mr. and Mrs. Andrews for their kindness and generosity. I would be glad to hear that they were well pleased with the country. I wish them all the prosperity in this world and happiness in the next.
Rebecca wants to know where all the girls are that married since she left here. It is more than I can tell. I think some of them had better lived single. Isabella Hill has moved too the Western District. She has a daughter named Rhoda Lavenia. Her health was very delicate when she went away as I heard.
Well now I must write something about my self and my own affairs. With the blessings of Almighty God, my health is reasonable good. I can stir about and see to business as usual, and knit and sew and cord and spin some on the little wheel. I have bought me a loom and Mary has wove me 2 webs of cloth this winter. I find it better than to hire my weaving. I have been gardening - peas come up and Irish potatoes coming up, onions a growing, beans and okra planted and beets, cucumbers, peppers and cabbage plants a growing. We have planted some corn and will plant cotton this week. Mary works out this crop with Gordon and Sam. Judy has a baby boy name Jim Fuss three months old and she does the cooking and washing and Amanda is a Betty Graham's and I don't know whether I can spare her out of the crop or not. Alfred let Mr. and Mrs. Arbuckle take Tom this year for his victuals and clothes to learn how to work and be smart. Bill is here. He carries water and minds the children. Enough of this. [the underlined names are slaves].
Cousin Betsy Adams, Billy Adams widow, has moved and rented the Connatza house from Mr. Hall. I have let her have some land for her boys to work. Her son Billy attended the Saw and Grist Mills. Brother Jacob has bought the Mills from Ned Adams and is carrying on a good business. Brother Jacob is as busy as a bee, he is building a bridge at home. They are all well. Rebecca and Linda Alexander is well.
Granville Jetton is married to Elizabeth Conn. Dick James has married the third wife, Miss Mary, daughter of Silas McHenry. Mary Wright to Sam Rucker. Mary Goodloe still remains helpless and was worse the last time I heard from her. William Goodloe has moved to the Western District, Gibson County, Trenton and Henry's two daughters Altamira and Emily [are] with them on a visit to spend the summer with their relations. John Goodloe is married to Miss Ann Neal of Gibson County and lives in Trenton.
Rebecca wished to know how Ned Adams and cousin Betsy was. They are well and doing better than they did at first. They have lost one of the twins - the little girl is dead. I cannot think of half the news Rebecca would like to hear. Cousin Livve Posey is well and all my family except Hannah. She is very weakly and has some very bad spells. Betsy has bought a house and lot with her own money and has got a deed in her own name, in Woodbury. Well Polly right her Alfred came home and brought your long looked for letter which I have read with great satisfaction.
I commenced this letter Sunday, I wrote some yesterday, this is Tuesday, I was just coming to a close when Alfred came. Julia is at Betsy's in Woodbury.
I remain
Your loving Mother,
Rebecca Goodloe.
To Mary Douglas
••••
On Wednesday a page was written and enclosed for Susanna.
Wednesday 21st
Dear Susanna,
I was nearly done writing when your grateful letter came to hand. I read it with pleasure and assure you it was a great consolation to me. I thank you my dear granddaughter for your gratitude and I hope you will always remember me as you grandmother. It is a very good letter and I did not think you could write so good.
I am very sorry for your father. I would almost persuade him to try the water cure. It might benefit him if he knew how to apply it. He must be the best judge of himself.
For the cramp colic have hot water, dip a blanket in it, wring it out and wrap the sick person in it as warm as possible, put on warm blankets or a feather bed. Put warm rocks or boiled corn to the feet and shoulders so as to sweat them quick. I write this for the benefit of you mother as she used to be subject to the colic.
Dear Susanna, you must write me again and tell me what you are all doing. Give my love to Rebecca and tell her to write to me as soon as this comes and tell the boys to write to me.
I send my love to all the family. I expect I will try to write again. The rest of the family must write for themselves. This is all I can do now. No more
From your affectionate Grandmother,
Rebecca Goodloe
To Susanna Douglas
(P. S.) Hannah was might glad to hear from you all.
••••
This
is probably the last letter Rebecca Goodloe ever wrote, as
less than two weeks later, Alfred, her son, wrote that she was
dead
[d. 6 May 1852]. She was a noble Christian
woman who loved her children and grandchildren dearly, who
abounded in good works and who rejoiced every time she learned
one of her grandchildren had become a Christian. Her influence
is felt through all the generations.
On December 9, 2016, Sylvia Smith adds:
Rebecca, the grandmother in Murphreesboro TN is my great, great, great, great grandmother; her name is Rebecca Wright Goodloe.
(Interestingly, the last letter was written on April 18, 1852 and Grandmother Rebecca Goodloe died in May 1852)
Polly, the daughter to whom the letter is written to in Ellis County TX is my great, great, great grandmother; her name is Mary Goodloe Douglas.
Susanna, the granddaughter Rebecca mentions is my great, great grandmother who later married Joseph (Jody) Monroe Bell. Jody was the first person buried in the Bell’s Chapel Cemetery. Both, Jody’s father and uncle were Methodist ministers (& circuit riders).
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