ENPages
Dec 19th 1865
My dear Husband
We received quite a bulky mail to night which makes me more hopeful that some of our letters may reach you-- I believe I have written twice every week since you left much oftener than I thought necessary but for the uncertainty of the mails. I directed nearly all of the letters to Bettie, thinking she would be at her aunts, more convenient to the Post Office and requested her to send them to you as soon as convenient. Cousin Jennie left us yesterday we shall miss her very much. Bringle was here to day he had heard through Mr Townes you had a claim on George he asked me to let him see the bonds I found four in your
pocket book-- did not look any where else he took the dates and amounts-- said he had never heard George say any thing about being in your debt-- said he rarely ever said any thing about his business and there was nothing to show amongst this papers his indebtedness to you. Sam thought after examining his (George's) papers-- that it would not be necessary to have a sale-- but I thought when he left to day he thought he would be oblige to have a sale-- They are trying to have all settled as speedily as as practicable-- The reason Sam did not think it necessary to sell property from all they would learn from George's books and accounts there were debts enough coming to him to pay all his debts-- tell
he learnt the amount of your claim-- I wrote some time ago Brindle and Pete were administrators-- George left a will in Mr. Smith's possession when he went to the army-- leaving everything he had to his wife her life time at her death to be equally divided between-- Lizzie Raimey went over to his burial and has remained in his house ever since. Ruth received a letter from Price to night written in Alabama-- all our mail was sent to us from Ridgeway to day-- they say we are to have regular mails after the first of January-- Esther and Surry are all the hire hands I have secured-- Whitaco says I may have one of his daughters a month and if we like each other perhaps longer-- Pete is still in the notion
of remaining but chooses to feed his wife out of his wages, rather than to get her fed for her services-- Jacob has concluded to take his family to the house you gave him but wants to work in the plantation here-- Almost every negro has left Mr. Townes-- (his hirelings move in to day) all will leave here Christmas but Bets family her infant is just a fortnight old-- I do not believe Mat intends or tries to get a home he just spends his time roving about-- Sam Brindle says he has excellent white hirelings from sixty to eighty dollars a white woman came to him a few days ago to hire to work in the field-- he knows her to be a good worker-- Mr Cole has a few hirelings-- all his left all of [Slaydons] but Pete-- I hope you can arrange your matters so as to be at home soon it is bad to have a part of the family absent without any certainty of hearing from them
Afectionately
A. H.
{[Miss Bettie P. Hairston c/o Mrs. Malenda Hairston Coffeeville, Miss.]}
Dec 7th 1865
My dearest Daughter:
Susan America, Cousin Jennie, Ruth, and myself, all wrote you yesterday enclosed all in one envelope but fearing it was put in careless hands to send to the Big Lick I will write a few lines to day as I have a chance to Danville. I think it very important for your Father to know the contents of the letters. The Martins are recovering: Sammie was moved from Ridgeway to his Fathers the evening after George was burried which was the day after he died-- Cole Martin was at Dr Floods sale yesterday-- Mr Foster nor Capt Flood, did not attend-- we hear of sales almmost every day-- George Pannel arranged all his papers before puting an end to himself-- I saw Brindle and Henrietta yesterday they were both with George Iriam the last three days of his life-- they said when Dr Wade gave h in a very delicate way gave him reason to believe he would die-- he just remarked-- you are very discouraging-- the Dr thought that enough to say at that time & as he seemed to cling to life-- but a short time afterwards he was asked if he felt affraid to die he said no-- a short time before he died he would reach out his hand as if feeling for something, and say where is she-- then Dr Wade asked if he meant his wife, he replied yes, the Dr said in Heaven, dont you want to go-- Henrietta said she never saw a countenance brighten up as his did-- and put arms around