Transcription
of a letter written from Lucy Ware Webb to her niece Sally Ware Stribling -
prior
to 1830
Research
& transcription by Judy Ware, 2007
No
year and postmark illegible Your Uncle Thompson Ware’s
daughter, Sally Russell, has been as ill as ever any person was, to recover. She
had a son and in three weeks, was taken ill with child-bed-fever. When her life was despaired of by her physician,
Dr. Innes, (and every person that beheld her) they sent for Dr. Scott. They kept him three days there. Your Aunt (Mary) Webb went
from her last week. She was there for two weeks
and at the time Dr. Scott was there. She told
me she was satisfied that she (Sally) would not have lived until morning. When he (Dr. Scott) came, she said it really appeared like raising the
dead. Sally was taken with strong convulsion
fits in an hour after he got here – which lasted nearly two days; one after another. But before he came away, she began to mend slowly
and has been mending ever since. She can now
walk about the yard but not entirely come to her reason.
I suppose your Aunt Ware (Thompson’s wife) would have been frightened almost
to death had not Dr. Scott told them she would be quite childlike – perhaps for two
or three months. Your aunt (Mary) observed
to me, with tears in her eyes, “O, if he could have only seen Fanny (Fanny Conn, her daughter),
I think she would have got well.” I suppose you heard his (Thompson’s)
daughter, Polly Allen, died very suddenly. Her
child was about 3 or 4 weeks old. She had been
quite sick for two weeks, but Mary thought had gotten nearly well. She (Polly) got up in the morning, put on her clothes, walked
to the fire, fell sick, was carried to the bed, and died in a few minutes. She left a son – Kitty (her sister) takes
care of it as if it was her own. (Kitty later married
Polly’s husband Grant Allen in 1830) Lucy Ware, another of your Uncle
Thompson Ware’s daughters, has married Mr. Bedford. (Henry Clay Bedford) He married two of Mr. Blanton’s daughters
– both of them died in childbed; I have no doubt of want of skill in their
physicians. He then married Miss Hutchcraft. She had two
children and died when the youngest was 6 months old.
Their first child died at a year old. He
then married Lucy Ware. I should have disliked
being any man’s fourth wife, but he is a very clever man, not more than 26 years old,
made an excellent husband and is quite independent. I
hope she will do well. Kitty and Cassandra are still
single, Daniella and
Frances grown, Eliza is ten or twelve years old now. Charles
William I suppose never will walk a smart child. He
was taken sick and continued so for a year. His
head enlarged (opened) when he was sick at about two years old. He has never walked since; his head very large now. Whether he took too much calomel or what, I
don’t know. James is a fine boy; 15 years
old I believe. (These were all also
children of Thompson Ware) Your Aunt Scott (Catharine “Caty” Ware Scott,) with her two daughters, lives
with Betsy Sharp (her
oldest daughter). Catherine and Arabella – they are amiable girls. The latter thought handsome of
a very wild turn, and the other very sensible and economical. She would make one of the finest wives for rich or
poor. Your aunt’s son, John, started
three weeks ago to
Your Aunt Webb (Mary Todd Ware Webb)
looks well; though thinner than usual. Nancy Innis (her daughter) has 4 children: Charles, Your Uncle George Ware’s family are well. He has
two daughters, nearly grown. One is named
Catharine (she is a handsome girl; good figure) and his other children are Mary, Anne, James, Abram, Your uncle and aunt are members
of the Baptist church. Your Uncle Thompson
Ware (and all his family) and your Aunt (Mary) Webb, Winny Williams (Mary Webb’s daughter), Catharine Ganoe, Fanny Conn’s daughter (the daughter of Mary Webb
who died) -all
are Unitarians. Mr. Ganoe
is a Unitarian preacher – no great thing. He’s
a smart man enough if he would let preaching alone. Catharine
Ganoe (Fanny’s daughter)
has a son and calls him William Conn. If her
mother (meaning Fanny)
had lived, she (Catharine)
would never have married Ganoe.
Her Grandmama (Mary Ware Webb) was very much opposed to it, but likes him very well now. He’s a sickly man, worth nothing, but her
father has bought James Conn’s place adjoining him.
They live there (if he ever pays for it) though the payments are quite easy.
James Conn (brother of
William) moved near the blue licks or rocks and mountains; his wife (Lucy’s daughter,
Kitty) very much opposed to his selling or moving. I have no doubt but it will be his ruin. Kitty’s oldest son John (Lucy’s grandson)
is living with James Webb. He (James) got me to
write to his (John’s)
father (James Conn)
that if he would let him have John, he (James Webb) would educate him and give him whatever
professional character his talents would best suit. He
sent him. Kitty is living with me. The other two (sons of Kitty and James Conn),
Joseph and Thomas, are with him (James Conn) – to my sorrow. I wrote a letter to him (James Conn) the
other day that if he would give up their mother’s (Kitty’s)
property that Mr. Webb (Lucy’s
husband and Kitty’s
father) gave her (though but little) we would take the other two boys and
educate them and insure to them the property when they came of age. But I did not send it, knowing it would displease
him very much. James Webb (Lucy’s son)
is living in
John Webb (another of Lucy’s sons) is living in
Lucy Scott (a daughter of Lucy’s who married Dr. Joseph Thompson Scott)
has 5 children living; Lucy, Mary Epps, Catharine, Isaac Webb, and James. (Lucy and Dr. Scott went on to have 6 additional children after this
letter was written) Lucy and Mary are going to school in Betsy Cunningham (another daughter of
Lucy’s) has two very interesting boys, Webb and Robert. _____ to see her, but we
had so soon to part overbalanced my ______. She
would have been so delighted to have met with you and Josiah. Isaac has two children; Lucy and Edward
live ½ mile from him on Miss Winny Webb’s farm. (Edward died in 1833) I have been trying to write close so as
to have room to write to Josiah, but I’m afraid you can’t read it. My son, Cuthbert, lives this year with Dr. Scott (Joseph Scott),
as Lucy was so lonesome since he moved to the country.
She is so pleased with raising so many fowls, she and Winny. I was up there two weeks ago, and I never saw the
like of the fowls in my life. I believe we had
150 turkeys and as many ducks and chickens. I
was all but distracted with the noise and fuss with feeding.
When I came home, I found a calm both in the house and
yard; but for fowls and children.
This letter, I fear, will not be worth
the postage. It will be about an hours conversation when we meet, which I
hope will be soon. Mrs. Jones came while I am
writing and desires to be remembered to you and hopes to see you once more. Her daughter, Amanda, married a Mr. Burton Paris
– a hatter. She has married very well
(both infidels) but he coins money and has joined the Presbyterian Church. I now find no room to write Josiah, but
give my warmest love and affection to him and his wife.
I want much to see you all and Sigismunda (Sally’s daughter). Tell him (Josiah) I often look at my breast pin and think of him. I can consciously say, though I write seldom, you
will ever be remembered by me as wonderful, beloved relations. And, my dear child,
let me unite with you in praise to our Heavenly Father for his unbounded goodness to us in
restoring you and your dear child to good health again.
And I pray that we may be enabled by divine grace to see His hand in all things. I often think, “who am I that He should be so
kind to me in giving me such affectionate children and such kind husbands and wives to
them all, and, particularly, giving them spiritual blessings; as I hope they are all
members of the church – both husbands and wives (with the exception of two or three) for which I hope ever
to be truly and humbly thankful.” When I
look around and see large families all contentious, quarreling, and parting with husbands
and wives - it brings fresh to my memory the goodness of God to me (who is so unworthy).
Tell Josiah that Dr. Flournoy and his wife are parted.
He married Miss Blackburn, they parted, each got a
divorce. He then married his cousin, Mary Ann
Conn. She found, before married 11 days, she
could not live with him; but stood it as long as possible for fear of the reproach. He then drove her off. She is now at Father’s with two children. He has now sold off everything – going off I
suppose to deceive some other person.
Tell Josiah that if my life and health is spared, I will write
him in a month or two. Farewell, my dear
relations. May God forever bless, protect, and
direct you through life will ever by my prayer.
I had not room to entreat you not to forget your promise in
visiting us if you possibly can. Kiss my dear
little niece for me Sigismunda for a while. We got a letter the other day from Mr. Cunningham. They are all well.
Betsy had been very sick but has recovered. “. . . [In 1833] Sister Winny’s infant was not two weeks old when news came of the death of her parents and her brother reached her. She was kept in so much terror of cholera (because) all the bank officers had died of cholera – (except Mr. Scott [her husband] and one other,) and he [was] called upon to write wills of persons who had cholera. When Betsey was told of the death of Papa, Mama, & Isaac, she (without thinking) ran into Sister Winnie’s room and said, ‘O, Sister, Ma, Pa, & Isaac are dead.’ Sister lost all reason though Dr. Scott went to her and said, ‘Winnie, you are not sick but frightened. I assure you, you are not sick’ . . . and when brother was told, he exclaimed in anguish, he ‘had killed them all.’ ” Winnie died shortly thereafter. “Maria [Cook Webb] took the baby who was William and weaned Lucy [Lucy Webb Hayes] who was two years old. The cholera was at its height at that time.” (ref.174) Between
just the months of May and September of that year, they buried eight of their family
members from this dreaded disease. “Isaac Webb Sr. his wife Lucy Ware
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