Transcription of letter written by Nathan DeHart in 1858
(Note: Except where punctuation is added to clarify a statement, spelling and content are as Nathan wrote it originally.)
May the 31st, 1858 Dear and Beloved grandson Martin Dhart, I recieved your kind letter yesterday of Aprile the 18th 1858 and I hasten to answer it but first I will inform you of my Situation of body. I am getting very frail Both of Body and minde. I have a complaint in my legs which I believe is the mesenger to Sumeng me home. My legs swell till they Burst and runs yellow water in aBundanc then will heal till they appear almost well by close doctoring all the time then begins with a Severe itching and Swelling till they Brake again. As my mind is weak and feble but in reply to my relations and progenitors I will inform you as well as I can. My Grandfather by my fathers side name was Simon Dehart; his wife my grandmother was named Aylse Eleson. They had three Sons and four daughters. Sons names: oldest Simon, next Elias my father, the youngest Aaron. I have but little account of uncle Simons family but uncle Aarons family lived in Virginia, Patrick County, and some of them is there yet. Their daughters maried Odle White, Cotton Rogers and Cotral but their age and death I know not. My father Elias Dehart was Born March the 10th 1730 and died Aprile the first 1821. My Brothers names: first Elias, 2nd Elijah, 3rd Elisha, 4th Reuben, 5th John and I am the youngest. But where they lived and died I can not tell, none but John. He died in Kentucky, Wayne County. My Mothers name was Elizabeth Toleson. They lived in South Carolina, SpartingBurg County. My grand father and grand mother and the most of my uncles and aunts is Buried there. Of my Mothers jenration, Some of their off Spring is there yet living in town.
Martin, I would be glad you and all my children and grandchildren would come and see me altho I know I Should be of little Satisfaction to you for my hearing and eye Site is almost gone. So that I know I shall soon leave this world and I feel some times like I want to go. Then times I feel doubtful but most of my time, I feel like I loved, loved the Lord so good he would not turn me off altho I have been such a bad siner. So I come to a close by ascribing myself your afectionate grand. Till death, farewell. Nathan Dehart to Martin Dhart.
(Transcriber's note: Nathan died about three years after writing this letter, on 10 Sept 1861.)
Submitted by Linda Banwarth
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