Fannin County TXGenWeb
All of these letters are written to Daniel Adams and his wife, Susan McCrary Adams. I have transcribe them EXACTLY as written--mistakes and all. They are sometimes hard to read due to a lack of punctuation and spelling errors, but they give wonderful descriptions of life in Fannin County, TX in 1847. The originals of the letters are found in the Johnson County Heritage Library in Warrensburg, MO.
The first two are from Hugh Braly and Nancy Braly of Honey Grove, Texas and Elijah M Braly (Elijah including a note on his father's letter). They mailed on the 11th April 1847 to Mr. Daniel Adams, Johnson County MO Warrensburg (according to the envelope's information).April 10, 1847
State of Texas Fanin County
Dare Brother and Sister,
I have once more got my pen in hand to write a few lines to you to let you know that we are all yet in the land of the living and injoying tolerable good health and hops thos lines may find you all well. We rec'd your letter dated January 10th,1847 which gave us grate satteshfaction to hare of your wellfare, James Cummons and family is in tollerable good health at preesnt, we have had a verry hard winter and a backward Spring. people are backward and with thear planting yet, wheat looks wors this Sprin than common but it is begining to rise and it may make a good crops yet, wheat now is worth one doller per bushel corn fifty cents per bushel; the mxeican war is going on yet one coumpany of vollenteer Started from this county last Sunday,the Indians has been Stealing horses on trinity and about the ..x..timbers, all winter we are expecting a call for men to go theare as the rangers has ben cawled off to the mane armey, I wount you to tel Hobson that I am neading what he is owing me and I wount him to pay you forth with, I may go to se you this Spring but I have not farely determend, Mary Adams is living withJames Cumons, Henderson and Melissey is living with me if I could get fixt with horses and a suteable wagon I would take the childern to thear grandfather Adams, Cummons wounts to keep Mary but for my part if Some of the childern is sent back I wount them all to go to geather Kates brot his child to Cummons last fale and left it theare and waus to have been back for it in march but he has not come yet, I wount you to write to me as soon as you can when you gete this, I got the Ponny by chance that W T Braly sent back to me from Srievesport an have Sold him for three cows and calves gave my respects to friends and neighbors, We remone your loving Brother and Sister while life Shal last
Hugh Braly
Nancy Braly[Also written at the bottom of the letter were the addressees:]
Daniel Adams Susan AdamsElijah's section starts without salutation or date:
It is comomon to make fills her on vacant land and I hav found a vacancy in fathers leter and now I file on it father leter comes back I will come back with him you sed in yur leter that ma by you wod winter heir and we have got alarge frme bilding onhans and if you come we hav got two good fier places and if you shold come we can fix fir you to stay with us very comptabel if we donte come back we will finish the house this fall then we will hav rome a plenty, I am now agoing to till youhow the winter has Sarved us it has made sum of the catle mosts racked [a fold in he original makes this word difficult to decipher] poore we hav had ice three inches thick and sum sno but not a nuf to cover the ground the timber and praries is gren and beautiful so no moor at presantElijah M Braly
The next letter is from E. M. Braly. The envelope reads: Wright to me on the Recept of this I think hour letters are pass now without interRuption. E. M. B
Addressed to: Mr. Daniel Adams
Warren Burgh
Johnson Cty Missouri
It has 2postmarks: Paid and HONEY GROVE TEX NOV 9Honey Grove Texas. November 6th/ '55
Dear Uncle
My self and Fathers family are in tolerable health at ths time hoping if this comes to hand it may find you all enjoying the same
I recd yours of Oct the 4 which was much satisfaction for me to heir from you, the friends and Relations are all well as far as I am aquainted at this time Wm Joseph Dickson and his oald Lady lef heir yesterday. They are all well out in Colin Cty. This has bin a verry healthy season For the Docters are a bout to starve or work for a support. Times are hard in this country money scarce and stock high Good work mules are worth $100--mules coates 30 to 40$ Oxens run from 40 to 65$ pur yolk. Cows and calvs are worth 16$. and stock cattle are rating by this lot at 7 & 8$ per head. Hogs no sails. I was at a sail a few days since whair a lot of Spanish Mars of one hundread Head was soald at from 35 to 71$ pur head on a twelve months credit such as I have and purchest in Mexico for 15$ pur head and colt throad in and the coalts are worth 15$ pur head now tho I woud not take that for them as they are no expence to to me and will make a big interest on the money I soald two mares & one mule of the same stock at that sale on 12 months credit for curiosity One of them braught 65$ & the other 61$ & the mule 45$ them was big licks for Texas money is is hoped to be plenty in a year from now.
We are all in grait spirits about the grait Picific Rail Road, evry man in this country has taken stock but me and I doant want any Road stock Polaticks in this state is at a high pitch and getting worse all the time. Democrat & nonuthings is all the talk
I have declined coming to Missouri this winter with stock as I think it would be a dull business I may go to Saint Louis in February next if the River rises to get some mashienry and try my hand a gain in that line I either have to leave Texas or Get married or brake a promise and to leave the state is much the easiest for me to do tho pretty girls is pleanty heir and Land is Remarcable cheap and wheat groes fine & sells well and some Cheat to the wheat crop in this County is rated at one Hundread & twenty five Thousand Bushells by the men that run Thrashrs in this County. And if next year is a crop year for wheat they will be as much again or more. The preasant crop is about soald out at and $100 pur Bu Corn is selling at 50 cts pur Bushel & pleanty at that. Tho if the foart contracters comes in heir they will raise the price Corn n the western cty is now worth 100$ pur Bu. Groceries is verry high salt is worth 12$ pur sack & verry scarce. Coffee 25 cts pur pound. Sugar 16 2/3 cts. I have nothing of intrest to write to you tho you can sea that from the above lines
Mother send hir respects to you all and that Aunt Elizabth Cummins Has as bad health as she allways has. Aunt Caroline & Uncle Stephans is a doing vrry well they have two children one sun & one Daughter & naims being William Albert & Nancy Ana, I can say for Uncle Hiram Kimzey he is well and lives one mile from heir & Bachelors as is common with him he is a
Justice of the Piec and maks a vrry good Judge.
Yours Fraternally, E. M. BralyThe next letter is from Elijah McCrary to his son and daughter in Buchanan MO [his daughter is Susan McCrary who married Daniel Adams].
May the 25th 1846
Buchanan MODear Son & Daughter I take this privilege of Sending you a few lines I am
tolerably well at present and all the friends except on of Pleasant Yates
little sons are well. Wishing these lines may find you enjoynig good
Health -- Times are hard the peple are very late in pitching there crops
and Some are not Done Planting yet -- I wish to know if you have ever
heard from the Land office yet whether the Pattent has come back yet I
wish to come Down as Soon as I get word that the Patent is come If you
get any word Send me a Letter -- We have got two Letters from Texes
Since I was There Cates and Coming had Landed Safe and Betsy's
[Elizabeth Cummins] health was much improved and They were all well
pleased with That country -- I have notheing of importance to write to
you but remains yours affectionate Father Till death
Elijah McCraryThe final letter is from Levi Braly to Daniel Adams.
Fannin Co. Texas august the 31 1856
Deer ucle and family I this Take my pen to inform you that J and Martha
an is both well hoping these lines may reech you enjoying the same state
of helth I havent any thing of much intrest to right to you. our County
has been remarkeable dry this yer. Stock water is very scers, corn crops
and onls [or ouls, but that doesn't make sense either] are not more ten
half as good as comun though therwill be enougf made for the next yer
half is cheap. cows and calfs can be baught low enoughf Mules are hy
enoughf threw tis cuntry. Negros bares a very fare prise field hands are
worth one thousand Dollars and one Sanies [???] are much higher then
that Land is raten low enough aman can by vry good tractes for one
dollar puracre I have baught aplas joining Uncle James Cumins our
houses are not more the one quarter of amile apart. His family is all
well he is doing vry well.
Fathers family ws all well the other day grandfather and grandmother
is as well as could be expected I havent hrd from uncle William Peeryes
for thre weeks they wore al tolerab well at that time James Peery was
elected surveyor in the Deestrict of Cook County he got a majority of 40
vots sow that there friends ware very neere equall brother Elijah has
been running a thrusher the Last three mounths I havent herd any word
from ol uncle Abrim Adams or his family
Tell them if they are liven yet that John Adamses children are bote well [a third child, Melissey, died in 1853 and is buried in Grayson County]
that Mary is a stoute helty good looeking yewng Lady well behaved and
industres & Henderson is as large of his age as any he is a sensable
Smarte boy. Wright to me when you can you and ant Susen My PO is
North Sulpur Fannin Texas
I remain yowrs
Levi Braly [full name is Hugh Levi Braly]To Mr Daniel Adams
Johson Co Misouri
If you have questions please write to <steve@stevefry.com> Steven is related to the following families: Fry, Braly, McCrary,
Adams, Peery and others in Fannin County. The Frys settled in Ladonia.
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