ENPages
Natchez 17 Sept '53 Dr Col { Louisville, Ky }
I have just received your letter of the 8th inst: The fever broke out very early here & was declared epidemic about the 16th of August, since which time there have been about 260 interments, & the deaths continue at 5 to 10 a day.
We have had nothing of it at my house till yesterday when old George was attacked. He had been going regularly to town for marketing & of errands. The same day, my little son Erroll was also attacked with what seems to be a moderately mild form of the fever. He had much pain in the head, but we think he is in a good condition now, & under Dr Davis' treatment we feel great confidence of his recovery. At the same time the prospect
is important, for it will be probably six weeks to frost, & in all reasonable probability the disease will go through with us all. I feel no alarm myself, as the treatment is very simple & quite successful, but still we are all labouring under great anxiety. As long as I am free from it myself I will keep you advised.
You ought not to come down till you hear of a frost. The crops will all be short unless "Outpost" should be an exception.
Carter Walter was sick but has got well & finished at Magnolia & gone to Lefine. I will not send any gin stand to Karnac but have ordered one for Lefine & "Outpost", &[?] stand [?] has come for Magnolia
I wrote to you about 4 weeks
since directed to Grayson Springs. Suppose you did not get the letter I have since been in bed three weeks with poisoned legs, from the effect of poison wine, but am recrd well.
One of the new hands, a boy, died at Lefine lately. There have been three children born there lately, & three more looked for. George & Bryan Briscoe have been out three weeks.
I write to the places every week, but cannot leave home to go anywhere. I have made one sale of "Forest Hill" cotton at 12 cts.
Judge Maney is aid to be in a dying condition this evening. No other of your acquaintances are sick. Mr Ernest is with us here.
Remember me to your family Very truly yrs Saml S Boyd
Karnac Plant Sept 18th 53/
Mr R C. Ballard Sir I take this opportunity of writing to you again I still have a good deal of sick I lost the little girl Joanah last week I am now picking I serppose 100 bales out about 511 Ginned out I am now putting up our new cook shop and building 2 cisterns at the new Quarter it appears as if it is verry sickly this season they are 20 going up rapidly in Grand Gulf with Yellow Fever and it is also in Warrenton Tolerable warm the sickness I have is confinned entirely to the new negroes from some cause or other I reckon not used to the climate or river near Alexander is here to build my cisterns and repair the old one and put up the cooking affair Quarter Chimneys all completed Saddle Horse stable up and completed the crop of cotton is bound to
be light I really do not believe I will make over 500 Bales this year So much wet till it has taken The Rott with everything else and it is bound to be light and it still continues to gain nearly all the time and their is no telling when it will cease nothing more at present.
Come down as soon as you can conveniently. If you wish cotton shipped you must Direct yours Respectfully J Westbrook