Letter to Mrs. Eliza Thornton, Alamucha P. O., Lauderdale County, Mississippi, “in haste”, from Elizabeth Baggott, Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, March 14, 1847

Letter to Mrs. Eliza Thornton, Alamucha P. O., Lauderdale County, Mississippi, from Elizabeth Baggott, Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, March 14, 1847

Dayton P O Ohio montgomery Co. march the 14th 1847

My Dear and affectionate Aunt

It is with the utmost difficulty that I write to you being so nervous that I can scarcely hold my pen.. I received A letter from you on the 8th of January For the first time., and you cannot conceive what pleasure it afforded us in hearing from you.. but you must excuse me for not answering your letter immediately I own [owe] an apology for not writing I believe I can say we are all well at present George has had the ague since Last June more or less continually, but I believe he is Convalescent.,

Father is married again.. He married A lady by the name of Caylor., She was about twenty when he married. She has had five children. their Names are Martin V B is 9 [originally “8"] years old Virginia Helen was ten months when she died., she has been Dead six years., Oliver P he is five years old Josephine Boneparte She is three years old James K Polk is two years old this month Mother had 8 Children four dead and four a living William is the Eldest he is 27 years old George is 23 years old and I will be 21 the 21 [sic] the sixth of next month Martha Ann will be 17 the 28 of this month

William is married he married a Lady from pennsy[l]vania by the name of Margaret Susannah Buryman she has three children Watson Curry the eldest Benjamin Franklin and Justin Ann the youngest She is about four months old

Provision is plenty of every description flour is 4/ a barrel., pork is 6 dollars per hundred., lard is 8 cents., coffee is 10 cents sugar is 8 cents .. Fruit is plenty this last season., this climate is unfavorable for Peaches.,

[on] Newyears Night there was the greatest flood ever was known in Dayton., it broke in upon Dayton about two o clock in the morning, I was in Dayton at the time and I could not get home for more than a week., the bridges were all swept away with the exception of one., houses and manufactorys were swept away the roads canals and river was blended in one the loss was estimated at about $40,000 many A poor family lost their all., I suppose you have heard of the pestilance and famine in ireland., where hundreds die with hunger., they have made up A considerable [interlined, “in Dayton”] sum for the relief of the Irish.,

I have never received a letter from grand=mother or none of them. since I wrote the letter that you received George says he is a going to start to virginia the first of June.. I will not write no more at present I will conclude, by requesting you to answer my letter immediately, and tell William to write Tell Uncle Thornton to write me a letter and Aunt Harriet also and all my relations Give my love to all and except the same yourself Farewell my Kind And and affectionate Aunt and if we never meet on earth O!! may we meet in Heaven,,

Elizabeth Baggott

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Notes: Letter to Mrs. Eliza Thornton, Alamucha P. O., Lauderdale County, Mississippi, “in haste”, from Elizabeth Baggott, Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, March 14, 1847; from the Phillip F. Schlee Collection.

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