Transcript of Dunlap Letter – June 27, 1841

Transcript of Dunlap Letter – June 27, 1841

Letter from Rachael Dunlap to her son Ephraim. This the second of two letters that were given to Julian Scott Perry by his grandmother Jennie DuPoy Dunlap. They were in her husband’s (John S. Dunlap) wallet after he died. Julian had them framed between glass in the late 1930’s. His wish was that they be given to the Historical Society of Adams and Quincy County. They are now in the possession of Julian’s daughter, Susan Perry Ferguson, who promised that they would go to the Historical Society.

Letter is written by Rachel (mother) and Narcissa (sister) to:

:

 

Ephraim Dunlap, 2^nd child of Rachel Malone and Andrew Dunlap

Lucretia Dunlap, 1^st child of Rachel Malone and Andrew Dunlap, sister of Ephraim, widow of James Tomlinson

Emily, aka Emlla, daughter of James and Lucretia

James Andrew, son of James and Lucretia

Euphrazina Dunlap, aka Zina, 4^th child of Rachel Malone and Andrew Dunlap, sister of Ephraim

Colatinus Dunlap, 5^th child of Rachel Malone and Andrew Dunlap, brother of Ephraim

 

Children referred to and still residing with Andrew and Rachael:

 

Narcissa Dunlap, aka Narsisa 3^rd child of Rachel Malone and Andrew Dunlap, sister of Ephraim

James Dunlap, 6^th child of Rachel Malone and Andrew Dunlap, brother of Ephraim

Legrand Dunlap 7^th child of Rachel Malone and Andrew Dunlap, brother of Ephraim

Elizabeth Dunlap, 8^th child of Rachel Malone and Andrew Dunlap, sister of Ephraim

John M. Dunlap, 9^th child of Rachel Malone and Andrew Dunlap, brother of Ephraim

 

Others in Indiana:

 

Thomas Maloan [correct spelling Malone], referred to as “Uncle Thomas” Rachel Malone’s brother

Nancy Stuart Maloan [correct spelling Malone] (referred to as an aunt), wife of Thomas

Gill Maloan, “cousin Gill”, son of Thomas and Nancy

Poly Jane Malone, [aka Mary Jane], daughter of Thomas and Nancy

Joseph Messick, husband of Poly Jane Malone

 

Jonathen Gill, Polly Gill & Emley Gill, children of Samuel Gill & Sarah Malone, Rachel Malone’s sister

 

Mr. Ephraim DunlapAdams Cty

Illinois, Liberty Co

[in green ink]

Ladoga, Ind

June 29

Gv it Eph

Front

Page 1

June the 27^th 1841

Dear Children onst moar I am permited to writ to you to let you no how wee ar our famley ar jest tolerale [tolerable] well narcisa is not well noar has not bin well foar soam time she has somthing like the same complaint that she had in kentucky wonce before Elizabeth and john and legrand has soamthing like the hooping coaf and is pourley with it but is not confined to the bed noanfo [?] them your Papey is goan to meating to day to the Cross roads and oald brother John Smith froam kentuckey has bin hear [here] in this Countrey he preached in ladoga 22 of the 23 and 24 at the Cross roads

Ephram your pap has 17 acres of coarn in and looks tolarble well the season has bin dry and croaps not verey good oats is verey low [?] our wheat looks verey well but the flax is no acount [account] hear [here] well Ephraim now I a goaing to say soam thing a bout mooving and I do not no what to say foar wee do not no how we can sell our croap yet but your pap [paper torn]s he entends to come if he can oald doal [a horse] looks well and joab [a horse] looks well but oald print has the same disease that all the rest of the hoases had she has a tolerable good Coalt [colt] and douls Coalt is a good Coalt and the Cows looks verey well and the hoags is in good living oaru [?] times is verey hard hear [here] and money scearse and

we cant tell yet what we can do but we think we will moav [move] some hows ar [or] a nother so I think you may pre pare foar us to come to your Countrey I want you to soe [sow] turnups seed foar us soe we drop the subject about moaving now about adminster on the a stat [estate] of Lucreca [wife of James Tomlinson, recently widowed] is it makes no diferns a bout it onley this if you do not adminster on it [,] what she makes so loang as she lives can be takeing froam hur So you adminster and be shoar to adverst insoalvent and then you will all be safe So we will quit the subject

Page 2

Colatinus my little sone [son] I jest agoaing to writ a line oar [or] too to you and I wod be glad to see you and I could tell you a weney little joake if I could see you James is a plowing the coarn and it is about waist high jock maloan was to see james a Saturday nih [night?] and soens [sends] his complements to you so far well Cola Lucreca tomlison [,] your papey had the swanke place valed [valued] and it was valed to $101 . 2 Ct by thomas maloan and jock gill was the valers wee hav roat [wrote] to frank tomlison if the [there] shod [should] bee eney thing coming to you to seend it to you so no moar about the place RD

[Narcissa writes]

Monday evening my Dear Brothers and Sisters I now take up my pen in hand to wright a few lines to you to let you know what has bin a going on in our Neighbourhood a few weeks ago Barney Tweker was mrred to alsey james last week Henry Clin landed with his lady from Kentycky [spiral mark] day Behold another weding I will tel you of last Sond [Sunday?] week at four o’clock in the evening Poly jane [aka Mary Jane] Malone was married to Joseph Messick there was not a great many there the ladoga boys was there, me and Doctor labyree [?] was the atendance [attendants] Eph [Euphrazina] your oald pardner Steped in without abid no one paid but very little attention to him and he left Eupha [,] Bill Grady was there he looked as wosan [?] as ever

Jo Mart was married this spring to a a Nik Mobley near danville cousin Hock and be [?] has give out gowing to kentucky this [unintelligible] aum Nancy has been very poarley this spring but has got beter [proper name] has got another fine hous put up having more room than I thought I will tel you a little about how trifeling I am and have bin ever since Aprile I have not bin abel to doe aney thing seasley [?] I cant weeve [weave] wash nor spin I have not bin bed fast quite [?] ND

Page 3

I was a gitting better but las Saturday me and mother went to uncle Thomases and we was boath a riding dol [the horse] and when I went to get on be hind un fortunately I jumped too high and fel over dol on my back and hurt myself right smart So I went back in the house and staid all knigh [night?] cousin Gill went after Mr Williams and got me bled but I feel very soar yet so you all ma[y] guess how we git along excuse my bad wright and all mistakes if you please so now at presant but no [?] your sister untile death [?] Narcissa DT [scribble] S [unintelligible]

ED [spiral] ED [spiral] CD [spiral]

[Rachel resumes]

Lucretia and Euphrazina I was glad to hear that you was doing so well if I cant git to see you all I am glad to hear from you and to hear that you was all well and had a plenty to do foar I am not able to do but verey little but I hav to do aheap [,] foar Elizabeth has bin verey weakley all sommer and I hav ablig to nock [?] round Colatinus [,] james helps me to wash and you must help Lucreca and Zina Children I wan[t] you all to be good to your aunt polly CMC [Polly Malone McClintic?] and to liv in peas [peace] with them we ar a fred [afraid] that you ant [aren’t] as frenley as you oart to bee giv my lov to polley and william and all the famley and to all the frens in the Countrey Euphra Zina doant wear too much foar fear of your helth beeing injered by it Lucreca on request from your aunt nancy Maloan to you in particular she want you to writ perticulal wheather you do

bleav [believe] that Country is as helthey as this foar women or not she wants you not to fail in so doong and how the people looks as respecting helth bee shour and do so foar [for] hur helth is like my owne not good and nether of us likese to go to a woars [worse] won [one] if we no it o Ephraim I like to forgot you wanted to no the labred [?] of the rouse Calf well it is inglish blood

Page 4

Emley and little james andrew I want to see you boath I can tell you and eme [Emley] doant you foar git [forget] me foar I hop [hope] to see you agane John sens [sends] his lov to eme Children I jest quet [quit] by telling you all that you could not tell how glad I wod bee to see you all onst mour [once more] to gether I could not exspress my self to you by letter So far well my Children Rachel Dunlap Andrew Dunlap Ephraim Lucreca Zina Colatinus Dunlap