THE MIMS LETTERS ~ Page 4
FROM DR. MIMS TO HIS SISTER-IN-LAW SARA McIVER MIMMS (2 Letters)
(1)
Walnut Ridge near Dancyville
Tenn
Feb 25, 1850
Dear Sister,
In the course of human events I have concluded to drop you a few lines. We moved to Walnut Ridge about the 20 of December last.We have a splended double cabin with a brick chimney at each end of it. The house made of large Pop____________ spirt open kitchen of the same brick chimney. Also the balance of the outhouses very good. The land is of the finest quality, I think the best track to its size in ten miles of it. We have a splended young apple orchard something over 100 trees and a peach orchard with from 100 to 125 of trees in their prime. Well the old woman has some 20 hens 5 ginneys 7 geese and the promise of 4 ducks, 2 english and 2 (miss coveys?). Tell Peter Edwards that the old woman is at her tricks again, making butter. We have five cows. We are making a desperate effort to get out of debt. I have hired an overseer or (cropes?) to attend to my farm. I give him part of the crop for his service. Is I think a very fine young man.
Harriett has taken Elisor for her cook. Bellow and Ealey works out in the farm. Bellow plows finely. Harriett says she can (crow ?) over you largely. Elisor after cooking breakfast a few days ago put on large pot of grease and lye, made soap of it, cooked dinner for all hand, washed two whole suits for Jimmy with said soap, dried and ironed them, boiled two bushels of cotton seed for cows and had her supper cooked and on the table by candelite without any nye (rye) face grumbling groon. Who would have a yankee woman when they have such a negro.
I have my shop in Dancyville (1 1/2?) miles from here, have taken a partner in the practice of phisic. A young man of some four years experience, very well read and a man of influence. I go to Dancyville immediately after breakfast, take dinner there and return by night. We have got it so that it is a one sided business. We are doing nearly all the practice, but this country has proved to be the healthyrest country ever I was in in my life. My Little flock has enjoyed perfect health. They know not what sickness is.
Jimmy is a large fat fellow. Has been standing alone for two months and pushes a chair all over the house for four months. About once a week walks three or four steps alone and stops for a week or so. You had better proswade Brother and all of your friends to come out to this country and enjoy health with us. What few diseases we have out here are not fatal. They are very (tractable ?) very little congestion and inflamation here.
Well Harriett received a letter from Hannah week before last and one from you last week. The first letter or letters that has come to us from our relations since the one received from Brother Tom informing us of the death of Kitty. I wrote about that time to Brother, Mr Nolen wishes him to forward the money due him in check on New York if collected, If not sue forthwith so that it will be forth coming certain at some time hense for he needs it.
Harriet has weaned Jimmy about a month since, Harriett will write soon. Tell Samuel that we cant come back to them old red hills it is too sickly there to stay long time. Tell him as soon as he gets big boy or man he must come out here and stay long time with us. We were surprised to hear the Columbia was with you. Tell Brother amd Mims they must write to a body. Harriett joins me in love to all.
Yours
Saml A. Mims
(2)
Dancyville Tenn
Dec. 30th 1850
Dear Sister
As you will be anxious to hear from Harriett I will drop you a few lines on the
27th of Dec. Harriett eat her supper and at Jimmy usaual bed time prepared him
for bead went to bed with him he went to sleep and at a quarter before twelve Sam'l
Evander was at her breast filling his little Belly. She had an unusual easey time. Evander
is one of the best looking Mimmis you prehaps eaver saw not so large as Jimmy was
has black hare well shaped head kean pearsing eye slim long hand
and upon the whole a plump fat good and good looking Boy he turned ofer from
one side to the other the night after he was Born, Harriett says she would hav believed
that she or aney one else could hav had a child and suffer as little as has
this time while in labour and since if she had not experienced it herself. Your brother
left hear the morning before the baby was born for Henderson Co. to see your Uncle
Thos Jas will get a school but not in our neighborhood. I have hird of two or three
places where he can get a good school I have bought a house & lot in Dancyville
and moved into it two weeks last Wednesday I have a man with a family manageing
my farm in interest in Walnut Ridg
Harriett says she got your letter by Jas & Bundle all so and that she will write soon
as able. Jas I think is verry well pleased with this country
Mrs Jane smith is staying with Harriett She is a very good nurse as ther is lotts of Smiths out here I mean by Mrs Smith Mrs Nolens Mother. Jimmy is dooing finely learning to talk verry fast when aney on troubles him he tells them he is Father's Boy he thinks that is enoughf for them to no he is a great mimic trys to do every things he sees done and say every thing he hears said he sometimes sings Preaches neels down and prays in but little time he is the mos affectionate I eaver saw and the easiest managed A mean look from me is sufficient at aneytime, he is verry fond of horseis but nows nothing of the youse of whips as yet for we ride on horseback and all his wriding has bee in my lap.
Tuesday 31 Harriet is still dooing well has had no fevor as yet. Mrs Smith sends love to you. Well I must close as paper will______________ as well as news & we hav no invellops to wrap up our complements Harriett joins me in love to all we were glad to hear the news Jas that Saml and Betty have not forgot us
Your Brother
Saml A. Mims
FROM HARRIETT McIVER MIMMS TO TWIN SISTER SARA McIVER MIMS (3 Letters)
(1)
Dancyville
June 26, 1849
My Dear Sister,
As the mail will leave here to-morrow, & is only a weekly mail, I must not let it go, without sending you a short letter, although I have already found more to do, than I can hope to do, in weeks yet to come, but knowing your great anxiety to hear from us, something about our journey to this new home of ours, in this far-away land of the West. I have determined to write to you, tho it be but a few lines, as I must also write to sister Hannah to day.
Well to begin with our journey here, I will say we had a delightful ride down to Branchville, but found it very dull there, & the heat oppressive for several hours after leaving there, but we had a refreshing shower towards the middle of the afternoon which made the ride to Hamburg very pleasant. We left Augusta about 8 o'clock & reached Atlanta at 8 o'clock next morning, where we staid until Monday one o'clock. I would have written you from there but did nothing but sleep the greater part of the day as I had not been able to sleep from the time we got up in Colunbia, so that by spending the day sleeping and eating, for which I felt somewhat ashamed, but could not help it. I was made sich. I had a bad headache Sunday night and Monday morning had a slight attach of Choliramorbus so that I was not able to get out of bed until nearly twelve and had to leave at one for Rome. Doctor went out to church Sunday Night at Atlanta. Dr. Baker heard a short time before we left Atlanta that Doctor was there and called to see us. He expressed his regret that he had not known we were there the day before, & invited us to spend several days with him. I did not see him until after we went on the cars, he came on to speak to me. We reached Rome Monday about six and left in the stage just after sunset and reached Blu-pond at daylight and as soon as we got breakfast we went and got to Gunter's Landing between 9 & 10 at night where we had to wait for the boat until twelve, when we got on, & slept well the rest of the night. We got off the boat at Decature at 9 next morning and got on those most miserable cars that are so rough that by riding on them for one day you are sore for several days, we however got off them at 5 o'cloc and took the stage, again that night which we had to ourselves, however we were not crowed at any time in the stage, The greatest number of passengers that we had, was three gentlemen the night we left Rome. tho we had crowded cars all the time. After leaving Tiscumbia Wednesday night and traveling that night we came on quitely, sleeping both Thursday & Friday nights & reached here Saturday at 1 o'clock With the exception of my sickness at Atlanta, we all stood the trip very well indeed. Doctor improved on it every day. And little Jimmy stood the trip far better than we had any idea he could, & was a good child except the days we were on the Alabama Cars which jolted him so badly that he was rather fretful.
I have not been here long enough yet, to say anything about the place, for I have not been out of the yard except Sunday to church which was very near, I heard Mr. Nolen & was well pleased with him. We are anxious to hear from you and hope to hear next week from you, we often felt we would been glad could we have heard how little Betty was, tho. We hoped that when we left she would not be much sick. I will not close before night as Doctor is not home, he had a call this afternoon & did not expect to get back before night.
Doctor Joins me in much love to you.
From you affectionate sister
H.C. Mims
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(2)
Dancyville
August 20, 1849
My dearest Sister,
This mornings mail brought to us Brother's letter to Doctor informing us of the birth of your second son. And I do assure you it was with heart felt joy that we read Brother's letter bringing to us such good tidings of your safe and speedy delivery and also that you have such a fine boy.
You can scarcely know my dear sister how anxiously been for the last fort-night to hear from you and now after hearing from you my anxiety to see you has greatly increased-- I feel thankful to Brother for writing to us immediately and am indulgeing the hope that he has written again by this time, and remembering Nancy's kind promise, I am confidently expecting a letter from her, by the first or second mail that comes after this; in that I expect to have an axact description of that wonderfully smart boy.
I had no idea Sister when I received your letter that I would be half this long in answering, but as Doctor wrote to Brother three weeks ago I thought I would wait until the next week, but the Methodist of this place are carrying on a meeeting here in hearing distance of us. I attended their meeting the first part of the week until they became too rowdy for me, and ran me home one evening by their insurportably noise & folly: and after that I did not go back, but indeed their was no need for it for I could sit here at home and hear them distinctly, and often at night to my great annoyance, for their was very little sleeping to be done while their meeting lasted which was until toward eleven o'clock. And last week Jimmy was somewhat sick enough so to make him fret for me to nurse him all the time, on those days on which I should prepare my letters for the office for there is a bad arrangement in the mail which leaves here as it only leaves here twice a week and that is Tuesday and Wednesday mornings so if we donot write on Monday or Tuesday we need not write that week unless we are willing that our letters should lay by us until the next week. I said above that Jimmy was sick, he was slightly feverish one night and day Has had diarrhea for the last week but thought it was altogether from his teething in his upper teeth which have been expecting a long time came through about that time.He will soon have more. He has grown and improved very much since we came here and is very much admired here. He attracted a good deal of notice while we were traveling and several passengers in him. He stands up in a chair to play in it and can walk round the room after it; he does not crawl and I suppose will not as he can now go anywhere in the room that he wants to, by rolling over and over and taking site at what he is trying to reach.
I suppose Aunty will leave you about the time this reaches you for I know how anxious she will be to get back to help Hannah out. How is her health this summer?
I will send this by Mr More a brother of Mrs. Campbell who went out with Doctor to be put in office in Winnsboro. I also am preparing one for Father & he leaves this morning so I will not have time to write more, but hope now it will (not?) so long before I write again and then I'll try to write a longer letter.
Give my love to Nancy and Flora. Kiss S.& B. for me. Tell S. I often dream of him. 'Tis' hardly neccessary that I should say we send love to you and Brother. Give our love to Aunty if she is still with you.
Write soon and often to
Your ever affectionate Sister
Harriet C. Mims
(3)
Walnutridge, near Dancyville
October 8th, 1850
My ever dear Sister,
Your very affectionate & highly valued letter was received by me last Thursday, & I fo assure you that it did mea agreat deal of good, to get a letter once more form you after six or eight months have passed without my having one from you, but as you haven't had one, as you say in 10 months, I cannot complain of you, yet surely I must have written several times during the spring - since that time I confess I have been rather remiss about writting because Doctot has written to you some 2 or 3 letters bus suppose all of his have not reach their point of destination, but in future I promise to try to do better in the way of writing, especially to you and sis H. for she has been the best correspondent we have had tho I have sometimes thought she might do better.
I write to you now, not because I have something to interesting to communicate, but from a sense of duty & that I may thereby hear from you the oftener. If I were to write every time I feel an inclination to write you, I would soon weary with a number of dull letters, for the news of the neighborhood would not interes you, & to be constantly writing about ourselves would be irksome to both of us. You asked me in your letter several questions which I will answer whilst I think of them. The first in regard to cousin Sara Myers, is that I have not heard anything very directly from her, Uncle Thomas told me when he was here that she was very much dissatisfied with the place where she lives and I fear companion- Cousin Catherine is living in Henderson County in three miles of where her father (rents ?) this year. She likes this county very well. She has three children. Uncle Thomas did not come down to the convention in Sommerville & we have not heard from him, we only heard thro his pastor that he told him ht Sabboth before convention met that he would meet him Wednesday morning at a certain place and that he failded to do so, from what cause he knew not. I learn this summer from a lady from Bolivar that the Berry's have moved to Arkansa, Lizzie married some five or six years ago & Sallie not more than a year or two ago.
Doctor went to the convention held at Sommerville as a delegate from our church, he was very much pleased, and said it was alareg assemblage of very intelligent men. He did not hear a single serman during the meeting for he remained there only one night and then he did not go to church where the preaching was held. He did not go in on the sabboth it being communion season at our church and two of the other deacons were in S. He brought home a minister with him on Saturday night the one who preach for us the next day. This church has four deacons, the one who keeps the things belonging to the church table & prepares the elements was in S. and his wife with him, so it fell to Dr. part to furnish the bread - You will imagine that my feelings were somewhat peculiar on that occaassion for it brought fresh to my mind, days long gone by when I used to see our beloved Mother preparing with so much sore and delight what I was then trying to do. But I have wandered off until you will certainly say well Sister hasforgot herself.
Dr. met with Dr. William A. Macherson (who was raised in___) at the convention was very much pleased with him, he is one of the ablest men in the con. & has a vast fund of knowledge. He promisde to come out and spend a night with us when the conv. closed, but he had a patient there, wife of one of the mimisters who went to the convention: he is a very skillful physician. I felt very much disappointed he did not come easpecially when Dr. told me he was much like brother except his hair is more like the colur of "Mims"---- & he is larger than brother.
I know you must miss "Mims" a great deal when she lean how delighted I would be if she came spend as long a time with us. I suppose Father & sis H. have paid you a visit as before she wrote to Dr. that they would go up before this. I think it hightime "sissy" had gone up and stay some with you for I hope to have her out here next summer. I wish I had time to write you a long letter tonight for I do not expect to do much more writing in the next three or four months, but will try to write one more before Christmas, about which time you may expect to hear from Dr. Tell Nancy that I am surprised to hear that she has still been for that letter that should have gone to her more than a year ago, while I have been hopng for one from her for months passed I've a great deal of love to her for one and tell her I will rejoice or mourn with herm just witch she will have me do. Mrs. Smith and Mrs. N send much love to you they enjoy fine health, the old lady seems to enjoy herself finely, everybody seems to like her. I expect her to come over this week to help me sew, she has become a great seamstress since she came here. I say seamstress because folks here get her to do all sorts of work. Mr & Mrs Nolen think so much of this young daughter that tho she is now more than a year old, they have not yet found a name fine enough for her. Jimmy talks but does not try to join words together yet. He is a very healthy child and very affectionate & could you see him you would be amused to see how much he tries to put on the man now since I have put him in long draws and short dresses and his father got him a mouse coloured Buena Vista hat, which is very becoming to him, and a pair of shoes he steps along very largely when he gets them on and takes hold of his fathers hand.
Tell Samuel when Jimmy is older I will tell J about hime so that he will know something about him and then will send messages to him. If he could talk now I would expect he would tell you about his little gourds whichgrew in my garden this year, he has nearly two doz of them and when they get dry I will send you some of the seed that you may get your mother to plant a line in garden for you next year that you may a great many for you, Betty and Johnny.
Doctor unites with me in sending much love to Brother, yourself and "Mims" and sister Hannah if they are with you. Do write soon to your devoted sister.
H.C. Mims
P.S. Bella and Eliza send howdty to you and the children E. says I must ask you to tell Uncle Jac that she is married. She married Mr. Nolen's Sam two weeks ago. We gave them a small wedding and all things went off finely. They also send howdy to your servants. Elsy sends heap of howdy to her mother and bro and says tell her she likes this country mighty well. She seems to enjoy herself as much or more than any of the servants.