Augusta County: E. Stuart to her son, circa 1860-1861
Summary:
E. Stuart writes to her son about inheritance and debt. She also mentions relatives and acquaintances.
E. Stuart to her son,
c. 1860 - 1861
My Dear Son
I was greatly surprised to find from your letter, that you were under the impression I was dissatisfied with the family having to pay their portion of what is due the estate. The only objections I ever heard [] were from Jefferson, who objected on two points, the Kentucky Lands & the Granny Miller Lot. . . . As to myself I never intended to charge her a cent, believing the Lott was to be the consideration for her maintenance, & for all the difference it will make to you, I would let it be settled in that way. . . . Moreover Archy had the burthen of four old negroes Old Cato Esther Ben & Stafford, & Ben was a Loathsome cripple with a sore leg, but lived with Archy 15 years. Sowers[?] estate gave three hundred for the keeping of a man, who was said to be a good gardener. You are all my children & I wish for nothing but justice among you.
//. . . .I have always my dear Son given you all due credit for your industry tact, & general good management, But then your dear Father preceded you in good management, or you would not have had the property which admitted of such good management & profitable results [] & your Grandfather also, who gave me the Land, which was exchanged for the aforesaid Kentucky Land. My dear beloved Child, do justice love mercy, & walk humbly with your God. Give yourself no unnecessary uneasiness about wealthy children, for in ninety nine cases out of a hundred they are the most thankless of human beings. I approve of your writing to Harrison on the subject of selling Archy's Land. . . . I am induced to believe that it will pay Archy's debt to you . . . .What little money Archy has at interest, I do not wish touched, It requires no management, & will always be available for the schooling of his children, & a final resort in case of a state of starvation. . . . I am also anxious Gerard should sell off his surplus Land & relieve himself of debt. I will from time to time remind him of the necessity, but you can do more than any person on earth. Whenever I allude to his affairs, or my anxiety about his debts, he will not even make me an answer, or if at all, only yes or no.//. . .I do not think in all my life, I ever felt so perfectly depressed, & unfit for business or social intercourse. Every thing seems to me in a state of confusion & helplessness. . . .Baldwin left me the day after his Mother & family went off. If you should ever need a plain faithful industrious clerk, I can with a good conscience recommend Sam Dyer. & Roscoe Stuart hes just left here. he seems to have a good opinion of Baldwin's sense[?]. I am pleased to see they appear attached to each other.
I hope when you receive this scrawl, you will have Fanny & little ones around you. God bless you all my My dearest Son
E Stuart
