Polk Family Papers Box 9 Document 04

{in pencil: 7-7-40 LP to sister Susan}

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To Miss Susan S. Polk, Raleigh, North Carolina

Bayou {struckthrough: Lafourdes} {penciled in: (Lafourche)}

Apl. 7th, 1841

My beloved Sue:

I received your letter at New Orleans and thank you for the good account you give of your journey. I hope ma gave to those naughty young folks, who dared behave so much amiss as to marry without her consent, a patient hearing, and a kiss or two, by way of forgiveness. I did my best for them, and as a requital shall hold them bound to be very civil to me from this out, and be very good neighbours. Give my love to them and say we shall be expecting them home very soon, and that when they come they must bring ma and Sue back with them.

I thought I should have found time to write you when in N. O. but had not. I sent to ma as a specimen of the growing national extravagance, a certain paper,a coverlid which I hope she received. On its envelope I marked the date when I was in N. O. I spent near two weeks in the city the greater part of the time Lucius was with me. He has grown quite stout and weighs very nearly as much as I do and you know that I am now the heaviest man of the family. Lucius I expect will ere long be rolling and trundling along quite like a certain great ancestor of ours. We came up the river and turned into this Bayou for the purpose of examining lands. This is the great sugar region and we have been looking and are yet to look at more plantations. We are pretty well pleased, but do not know whether we shall purchase or not. It is a most singular looking country. By looking at the map, you will see that this Bayou leaves the Mississippi River

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at Donaldsonville and runs off west and south into the gulph. It is what the name implies " a fork" and is a fork of the Miss. river branching off at Donaldsonville and down to Thibadeauxville 40 or 50 miles it is a continuous village of small French farmers with occasionally an American planter among them. The bayou is about as wide as an ordinary street in one of our cities and is navigable for large steam boats, which ply on it regularly and seem to pass just by the door. There are also boats of other kinds and I had well nigh said of all kinds also on the Bayou, sail, oars, flats and boats drawn by horses which go on the bank like those on the canals. Indeed it is a canal. Shrubbery grows finely, and the orange is in perfection. You may say to George, that we are at Mr. James{underlined} Porter's,{underlined}an acquaintance of his. He lives very comfortably and has a fine estate. Mr. Porter has made very particular enquiries for him. I hope myself to see more of him.

We shall be here some time yet and shall then go up to Vicksburg and by way of Mr. Madison's plantation home. I am as you may suppose extremely anxious to get to my own habitation and more I am fatigued mind and body. And I have promised myself and my wife too that this is the last time I shall be so long away from her. I am told that all my chickens are turning finely. Kate is talking rapidly and Sally a perfect rosebud. Not dont you envy me the treat I am to have in that said library, "riding gemnan ", "running way wid stage" &c. I become sometimes so impatient I can

{ [4-7-41 ] }

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hardly wait a moment. But I must look a little, now I have finished my visitationof the Diocese, after my private affairs. I shall write ma before a great while. My love to her and tell her I love her more and more every day. With my best love to Sally and Griz and all you will take for yourself, I remain

Most truly yours

L. P.

I shall write Andrew before long.