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Natchez Oct 2/53
[Louisville, Ky]
Since my last the fever has increased in the neighborhood, & decreased in the town. We are surrounded by it here in all directions. Genl [Justman?] has lost two negroes, & his son in law died of it. Recd Mr Chadbourne -on the 27th ulto. There is one sick there yet & little Turner at Mr Tyler's very sick a young lady died of it at Mrs Ogden's yesterday. Mrs Wilham has had four or five cases in her family, none fatal. Mr. Koontz also sick at his [?] Mrs. Dubuisson is now very low & hardly expected to survive the day. Miss Frances Wilkins had recovered on the 25th Ulto & there have been cases at almost every house. There has been by one more case at my house since I wrote, & that is a young negro who was attacked last night. Old George is well of the fever, but I fear will die of [?rations]
Two have died at the Asylum & all but four have had it. It is in all the river towns & in some plantations. I cannot leave home, though I fear the plantations require attention. The new screw broke at Magnolia & Capt Walter is making another. There are two runaways from there & four from "Out Post" Nat & Mary Ogle among them.
I have directed the overseers to pick the cotton clean, when they are not finished, but to save it all. No doubt the crop will be short of last year all along the river I have just got up sales of 32 bales more & "Forest Hill" cotton at 13 cents. Our merchants have moved to 122 Gravier Street. which, I believe, is opposite to the St Charles Hotel.
I hope you will not think of
coming down before you hear of a frost here. if you do, you ought to land at OutPost & stay there till frost. But there is no need of your coming, & you cannot move about on the boats, without danger, after you get here. I understand the gin stands for Magnolia have come, but they are not wanted now, & I sent word to Capt Walker to take one of them to "OutPost," if it was the right size to fit. I have already bought for "Leforne" I forgot to mention we lost a woman to Outpost by congestive chill. I think you had better get a large box of the homeopathic tinctures & three or four small boxes of their vials marked, so as we can fill them as we want, in all the places, & save the negroes from being killed by medicine at least. Also 4 of the books, Pulte's last edition Please remember me to your family & write soon Yrs truly S S Boyd
Col Ballard
Louisville
Natchez 8 Oct '53
Dr Sir Since my last the fever has spread more in the neighborhood. Mrs Duberisson, Miss Whitmore at Mrs Ogdens, & little Fielding Turner have died of it. A negro at Intmans, one at Elliots & two at Chatualds have also died, & my old market man George is gone after a fight of eighteen days. It has broke out at Washington & the people are coming back to Natchez, where it will no doubt soon show itself on the new comers. It is in all the river towns, & in some of the interior, as Fayette, Jackson, & Port Gebron. Nothing but a black frost will stop it, & no one can tell when that will come, for the weather is now clear, dry & hot, except at night & morning when it is quite cool.
My family are suffering, We have had thirteen cases here, eight of the servants & five in the house,