Polk Family Papers Box 9 Document 02

Polk Letters: November 26, 1840

1840, Nov. 26

Bishop Polk, Columbia, Tenn., to his mother, Mrs. Sarah Polk, re: his great interest in building a church, describng it, hoping to have it ready for consecration by the meeting of the next Tennessee Convention in Columbia in June or July, next - if they do not have it consecrated sooner; a detailed account of work and accomplishments on the plantation there and in Mississippi, having sent Negroes, including a blacksmith and carpenter which makes a strong and good force; his intention on sending all the Negroes he gets from N.C. to Miss.; more about Lucius leaving to spend the winter in Miss., ect...; an account of George's marriage and their intention of spending the winter with her; his plans to take his wife and little ones to be with when he goes to the General Convention; more about his little girls. 5 pp. (1 mss. original and 1 typed copy).

Columbia Nov. 26th 1840

My dear Mother:

My conscience tells me I have behaved worse since I came home last Spring than I have done for several years. I crave your indulgence not because I merit it, but because I need it. I have rarely had a more active Summer work than that just past. We have you know been undetaking for three years building a church. This past Summer I had set apart for seeing the walls up and the roof on and as much of the inside work I can as possible.

The house is 65 feet long by 41. wide with ample elevation. A vestry [?] of 16 foot square in the rear & a Tower of the same [dimen?] sions in front & about 50 feet high. This I think will afford us all ample accomoda tion. We mean to have large, & comfortable pews. That then has been my Summers work & I have accomplished it. [viz?] I have all done except some work about the top of the tower. This we propose to finish in the Spring. The wood work of the inside will be finished this Winter. The lathing done & arrangements made for plastering &

finishing in the early Spring. It has required a large force, a great deal of waggoning and my constant supervision to keep every thing up and going.

We feel thankful for what has been accomplished + hope that ourselves + children + distant [?] may know reason to thank God for the protection + comfort of such a [Refuge?]. We are hoping to have it ready for Consecration by the meeting of the next [?] Convention which holds its [Session?] in the town of Columbia, in June or July next. -- If we do not have it consecrated sooner. -- I hope therefore in consideration of the good work I was about you will not be very hard in judging me . Particulary as I knew that [?] was by [?] writing (?) like a proud child all the time. -

I have also been engaged in having my [farm?] put in order + thoroughly [fenced?] . I kept the [hands?] here I intended sending to Miss: last year to build the Church + fence my land. I have now had a fence[here?] all the way [?] my whole tract of land + my farm property well fenced also, + some crop fences also This has been a great labour but one which should have been done years ago. It is now done + I feel the comfort of it as well as my stock. My lambs I have

____ off below (?) about 20 days ago. I sent (?) 36 negroes among

for my western & Southern tour, I shall go across the mtns at [?] thence to [?] thence down the mtns to Pine Bluff, thence to Botuville & Fayetteville, thence into the Indian Territory & along it through Foss Ebran & the Red [?] & down it through Spring Hill & Caddo parish to