Letter: Henry J. Ulsh to James Smith, August 14th, 1854

SMITH, ULSH, MATHEW, MOORMAN, MORMAN, EGGELSTON, BROBST, ROBISON, KLINE, HOWARD

Posted By: Beth Johnston (email)
Date: 11/18/2001 at 09:42:34

This is one of several letters to James Smith and his wife Rebecca "Jane" Mathew Smith. James moved from Fountain Co., IN to Marion Co., IA in 1854. On 4 Jul 1854 James married Jane, who was a daughter of John Mathew and Lucinda Moorman or Morman Mathew. The Mathews had moved to Marion Co. from Ohio.

The envelope is with this letter and reads, "Paid 3 Ely August 15 Iowa" and is addressed to Mr. James Smith, Wheeling, Marion County, Iowa.

Ely Iowa August the 14th 1854
Mr. James Smith

Dear Friends
I again take the oppertunity to write you a small Letter yours (dated 5 of July) came to hand about two weeks ago I was very glad to hear from you Although you did not write very much but what you did write was very good:

I have now got some very bad news to tell you it is this. Alanson Eggelston and his Father was out bee Hunting. Alanson had a gun with him they had their Bee Bate siting on an old tree top Alanson s[t]ood up on some lims and as he went to s[t]ep down a lim broke and as he slip[p]ed down he nocked the gun loose with his foot and the ball went through his left hand (as he had it laying on the muzzle of gun) and passed through his left cheek (tore his jaw bone very much) and the ball came out back of his neck--about the joint as it happened we was thrashing and the old man came running a cross the hill like he was crasy he said Alanson had killed himself Uncle Brobst and some others went up to where he was and they found that he was alive yet they went after the doctor in a hurry Father hitched up in the Spring Wagon and we all went out and tuck him home a dreadful time it was indeed Oh; he looked miserable I could scarsly bare to look at him I though I could not touch him at first but finaly I had to help carry him a piece and after a while I did not mind it much It is awful indeed to see how he has to lay on his bed in misery from a Wound of a Gun. It all most makes a person afraid to tutch a gun--this happend last Thursday he is geting along very well indeed, much better than could be expected Robison is his Doctor

I will now let you know that we are all reasonable well at present Father is not able to work steady yet but he can do a good bit of work if he takes his time to it the rest of the folks are all well about here now excepting Ruben Kline he had the Fever this Sunday and he got over that and now he has got the ague and he is midling bad off: as soon as he gets able he calculates to start to Pennsylvania on a visit I hope that these few lines will find you and your familly in Good Health next time you write pleas tell me how you and Jane get along and how times are there [ornament, ornament and dashes] Times in Marysville are midling dull this summer on account of the Damn going off in the Spring so that they could not save any [sic] there is only one bilding going up now that is John Howards[.] Hiram B., Ely J., K. S______, and P. Kline was a-going to bild but on account of bad luck at the mill they could not Uncle has the Damn midling well secured he put in a Frame Damn a very good one I think!

I will now let you know that we Thrashed out all our Grain we had 3.68 bushels of oats and 3.40 bushels of wheat about 1.50 bushels of it was Fall Wheat we had a seperater and it wasted a great deal of wheat If I would say 25 bushels I do not think I would say any to many the expences of thrashing was about $60.00 Wheat is worth 80 cts a bushel and Flower is worth $3.00 per hundred at the Skunk Mills; next sabath I expect to be at Atica [Indiana Township] Perhaps you could make it suit to be there too I shall look for you there anyway We have some very good meeting here we still keep our regular meetings I must now bring my letter to a close Pleas write as soon as this comes to hand and tele me what you are driving and wether you improve your farm any or not try and write me a good long Letter I must now close

Yours Respectfully Henry J. Ulsh