Bickley's Mills Va., Sept. 20th, 1833
My Dear and Precious children,
I now retire for a few moments to let you know how we are getting along.
my health is as good as usual. The rest of the family are all well, your
letter came to hand yesterday which brought the ppainful intelligence that
all was not well. O my Dear children I am sorry to hear that you are sick
in a distant land where I cant see you. Dear Mary you want to know how I
am satisfied. I cant tell you how I feel, sometimes when I am engaged at
business and don't study about it I feel tolerable well but when I begin to
reflect and see other girls passing about and can't see my precious Eliza
and Mary I can weep and cry. Harriet will say "Dont cry mamma, the poor
children will come back." The children all want to see you. O, if I could
only see your precious faces one time more then I think I could give you
up, My Dear Eliza you must write, I want to see a line from you and I want
you both to write and let me know how you are doing and what business you
follow. As to my part I am doing the best I can you know my dears that
there is a great deal of work to do. I have got all my wool spun and had
move my blankets and have got a piece in the loom for linsey. I got
Polly's wright to use my janes and I shall weave my coverlid myself as I am
not able to hire much. When I first began to weave it made me feel very
sore and bad for two or three days but now I can do tolerable well but I
must come to a close as it is almost time for me to go to milking and my
little babe is crying. Dear Eliza and Mary don't forget to write often,
you must not mind my bad writing. No more at present but remain your
affectionate Mother until death Elizabet Bickley.
On the preceding page you have an acknowledgement of the receipt of your
letter of the 16th of August, with some account of the health of the family
and domestic concerns, in which vent has been given to some of the tender
emotions of a fond Mother's heart etc. etc. There being yet plenty of room
I will add a few words on passing events. Caleb Osborn & family, James
Jesses & family with Widdow Brown's son Daniel arrived in this neighborhood
about the first of the present month all in good health except Jessee who
was shaking occasionally with a complaint common to the western country,
with which some of you are perhaps personally acquainted. I suppose it is
not an uncommon thing in your part of the country to see a fellow in the
month of August sitting by the fire with a chucnk of cornbread in his fist
& shaking & shivering to such a degree that he can hardly get to bite any
of it. But dropping this, I will inform you that on the 14th inst. Lee
Jessee, S. Jessee, James & John Gray, Joseph St. Clair, Nancy Whitaker & a
family from Baptist Valley in Tazewell County by the name of Daily & all
their families amounting in all to near 50 persons started for the far
west. Jas. Gray's youngest child had been very sick for some time with the
flux, old Jerry Boys sent by old Mrs. Gray some medicine verry severe which
had like to have killed immediately, it lingered until they travelled to
Coldwell's in Lee county & died.---George Gose was taken with a pain in his
head on the evening of the 22nd August, he at first supposed it was an
attack of his old complaint--his illness prevented his answering John's
letter. I think he is troubled about his business one way and another.
Aaron has gone with the cattle and Burress has done so badly since he has
been sick that he has dismissed him and says he will not employ him any
more, He says he is done stock driving entirely--he has not yet heard
anything from the cattle business. We had a quarterly meeting here on the
29 & 30 of August. Mr. Marshall & Lady with W.J. Brownlow put up with us.
Brownlow was in bad health, just recovering from an attack of Billious
fever, they had a quiet meeting, none joined the church--we have laid the
foundation for a new meeting house, took down the old one & hauled it away.
We expect to raise Monday next on the ground given by Father. Gray went
off with the cattle without giving any. There has been frost for some
nights past on Copper Ridge. I have not seen any yet. The Mercury has
been as low as 38 to 40 degrees & I believe 85 is the highiest I have
noticed in the shade this summer. Corn is verry green yet, we are engaged
saving fodder. Corn is tolerably good much better than was immagined in
the fore part of the season.
Not long since I received a letter from Counsin Wm. Bickley dated
Washington Mason County Ky. August 25th from which I will give you an extract.
"The Cholera first made its appearance in the fall of 1832. It was not
verry fatal, we had two cases in our family both recovered without their
general health being impaired. It returned in the last week of May 1833
with tenfold violence. Many of our neighbors died & I believe for the
space of two weeks there was not a single instance of one recovering who
was attacked with it; about this time (the end of the two weeks) our family
was visited by the disease, myself first, a servant next, then Father, John
& finally my wife. I recovered in two weeks & was able for some time to
attend on the ballance of the family, two of whom were confined to their
beds at one time, but before they all recovered I was attacked the second
time which injured me more than the first. We were all attacked with the
diareah save John who was first taken with vomiting, & being verry weak
before the disease injured his stomach so much that he never regained his
health. He died on the 20th of Feb. 1834. Father suffered for a long time
from the effect of the disease but has entirely regained his health and
looks as well now as ever I saw him; all the others recovered in a short
time. We were not molested again by the edpidemic, plague, scourge, or
whatever the doctors please to call it untill last June when there was some
hundred cases in this county about 40 or 50 of which proved fatal. But
looking upon me as an old acquaintance it did not fail to pay me a visit.
I had two verry severe attacks from the effects of which it is verry
doubtful I shall ever be clear as I was attacked by vomiting. I have been
able to ride about in the neighborhood until ten days past when I was taken
with the billious fever which in a few days assumed an intermittent form.
I am now recovering rapidly, the remainder of the family are all well-- You
express a desire to be informed concerning my children; we have two
daughters and a son, Our oldest is a daughter named Mary & born on the
21st January 1832. The second is a boy named Joseph Hurt born 24th April
1833, the youngest is a girl named Caroline Matilda born 23rd of December
1834. so you see we have stuck by the old family names and if my wife and
myself should live to an ordinary age & prosper as we have done in this
line I hope not only to rival in propagating our name but to exaust all the
Christian names ever borne by the older set of Bickleys."
If any of you should ever travel near to Cousin William's, you must call
on him. I doubt not but that you would be kindly treated. I have informed
him of your removal and settlement.
John Taylor expects to start on a tour to the west or rather to
Mississippi first of next motnh. Col. Alderson talks of accompanying him
to Allibama. Taylor on his return will go to the north, by whom I can send
what money I have collected. Betsey says give her respects to Oscar and
John as she was crying so when she wrote that she forgot it. Father,
Mother and the children join in love to you all, please accept of mine.
John Bickley
To Oscar and Mary H. Love
John and Eliza G. Gose