James Hervey Otey Papers Box 1 Folder 2 Document 26

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constant fire to myself, I spent my time pretty confortably. Yesterday however I learnt to my great sorry by means of two letters that Bishop O. was taken very ill at Nashville on the 14th inst. - that tho better his physician had prohibited from traveling - and that he wished me to make the whole visitation alone. These letters were too informal for me to act decidedly upon; I am inclined, therefore, to adopt the following plan: to go tomorrow to Natchez and wait there until I receive an official communication from him. If he advises me to attempt the whole and so orders me on his authority I will attempt it, the Lord being my helper - but if otherwise I will just run down from Natchez to N. Orleans, see how cousins do - and then return to St. Louis.

I am now in the commencement of the cotton country; and so eager are the people to raise it and so profitable is it, that they have to buy all the necessaries of life. The bank of the river opposite the town is lined with flat boats and arks filled with goods and provisions of every description, generall from Ohio. One has a tin-man's shop, another a blacksmiths -one is filled with gowns and another with furniture, etc. A great many of the inhabitants of this region are from VA. and there is a considerable number of church people among them.

From this neighborhood to the mouth of the river the banks are so low that one side or the other is subject to an annual overflow to the distance of forty miles into the interior. Were it not that there occurs occasionally a bluff or hillock there would scarcely be a town or landing place on the river. Arkansas now having such, or scarcely any, the General Government is making a road opposite to Memphis across the low, marshy, overflownland for more than 40 miles. This work on which 500 men are employed Major Bowman superintends. When finished it will be the only wagon road from the Mississippi River into the interior of Arkansas.

God bless you, precious child. You can contine to write to New Orleans until further advised. Best love to all. Your affectionate father, Jackson Kemper

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