Letter to Thomas T. Sloan from Bridget Sloan, December 3, 1848

Lexington Dec 3rd 1848 My dear son When you receive this it is to welcome you once more to your native land then the prayers that has been offered for years, daly, for your safe return has been heard. I requested you in a former letter to let me know by telegraph as soon as your arive I am now looking hourely for that happy news and then in four or five days we will expect a letter were in we shall learn all the particulars. As soon as we learn of your arival several letters will be writen to you unless you say you are coming hom immediently, we are very anxious to see you. I fear you have not received my letter stating the death of Mr Christy. I case you have not I now say again that he departed this life I think on the 23rd of August The old man Christy is also dead and his estate has been divided Mag and her children will get a few hundred dollars, they are spending it as fast as they can it will last long and then I know not what she will do. She and her daughters are highly insulted if econery is mentioned to them. Sarah is still with us and will remain untill spring. She is very anxious to see you before she returns home. Her father thinks of going to St. Louis to live as his boys will go into other business than farming. He will sell his farm at { ?} he can get for it must have money you know. He will be always poore certain

I received a letter from Mrs Reynolds reacently and I have answered it. She gave me the unpleasant news of you being on deducted from the navy. Robert knew it soon after it was done but would not tell me , a strange notion I think my feelings are not blunted by delay, why not tell me at once. I dislike to be deceived, I know his motive was good, he wished to spar my feelings. William Bradford wrote to him from Washington on the subject. He and all your friends of that place is of the opinion that you can be reinstated. There is one thing I should like to know, that is why was it that those officers that have been in service so long and spent their youth and strenth in hard service and are now too old to learn some other way of supporting their familys fortunately for you, you have a trade and a respectable one too if you would edit some paper of charactor. Perhaps it is all for the best, never dispond, often when our prospects appears the darkest the cloud evaporate and the way is pointed out to us by some invisible hand to prosperity and happyness such I pray may be your fate. Again I ask why was not those appointed in the time of war to go to Mexico deducted== insted those long in service? Perhaps Reynolds would not like to know I said this or have taken the view of it I have, every body think as I do I have no ill will towards any of those officers personly I only speak of what is just--Mr and Mrs Reynolds invited me to visit them this winter to meet you on your arival. It would of been excedingly agreeable to me to done so if I have known your wishes on the subject. I feared I should perhaps interfear with your previous arangements. Give my love to the good people at 188, Bridge---Mrs R. has promised to write by you to me if you come this winter. When will you come? You cannot believe how anxious all are to see you the children speake of your return home every day. Little

Anna you are coming soon, if she is asked where you are, she will say, "on the deep sea" and then spread her armes out to show it is a big watter. when she sees a ship in a book or picture she says you are in a ship and then waver her little hand to show that you are riding the waves. Mary and Paulina has a distinct and an affectionate reconlection of you, but Liz , Theodora, and Anna have you in vision and that the dear little creatures worship in truth. O, how I wish for their vision to be realized will it not be soon? tell me it will. I wrote to you a short time before you told me to stop I fear you have not goten it, but no matter Robert I think will write to you when he hears you have landed Mr Henry Clay is now giting well, he dose not yet leave the house your brother spent the evening at James Clays a few nights since who gave a supper on wild meats to a few friends Mr Brinnan is now living in Lexington, but, I know not how long Little Divinity says she is bound to have something you have brought from those for lands if it is only a pease of your coat tail that has tuched those ruins. We have Father McMahon again with us it apears like old times to have him. The sisters are now in their new house it is a fine house, there school is large there is a new superior now she pleases very much. we have had a very pleasant fall, but December came in like lion. There has been many parties given recently in consequence of the marriage of Miss Bruce and young Morgan the grandson of Y.W.Hunt, the last party given on the occasion will be given on tuesday night next at Mrs Dueses. Sarah is goes to all sick or well, but I cannot say she is as fond of Church.

Do you know Fletcher Harper of the City of New York, son of the well known editor of that place. From all I have learn he must be a scoundrel He came to Louisvill some time late last summer and was receive and domesticated in one of the most respectable familys in that place. The gentleman of the hose and this your mans father are old and good friends, the former has a sister living with him She is a very accomplished girl and has seen much of the world and is an orament to society. She was corted by this wretch she ingaged herself to him with the full approbation of all her friends they were to be married in three weeks when a report come to her brother that he was a married man. Her brother brmought her to Lexington imediently and wrote to Mr Harper his father what had occured He promply answered that his son was married and his wife was in Philadelphia. He was compeled to wed, his wife and afterwards tried to make it appear the marriage was not legal, but could not succede His father sayes he is satisfied as to the legality of the marriage and the young lady too. Old Mr Harper was so much affected when writing the letter that confirmed the report to be true that he fainted and was put to bed his wife the mother of the vilian had to finish it The young lady is happy that she was so fortunate as to make such an escape from ruin. I know her well and will tell her name some other time. However since I think of it I spoke of her spending some time with us in my last letter to you. Let me hear from you as soon as you get this. May the bless you and send you soon to us P.S. all say welcom thrice welcom home all us all your arangements Your affectionate mother B. Sloan