http://www.greensboro.com/gcgs/journ.html


		

Vol. 5, No. 2, Fall 1978 (Issue Number 7)
Two Vickrey Brothers Go West; Trotter History; Bethlehem U. Methodist Church Cemetery;
Books Received; 

Charles Hardin; More Books Received; Some Early Guil. Co. Marriage Bonds.

 

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				TWO VICKREY BROTHERS GO WEST
	Copy of an old letter written by William Madison Vickrey (son of Abiathar
	Vickrey and his first wife, Elizaeth Swaim) to his family in Jamestown, 
	Guilford County, N. C., after he drove a wagon train from Jamestown to Pettis
	County, Missouri, for Enoch Stephens and wife, Betsy Armfield (dau. of
	Joseph C. Armfield & Elizabeth Beeson).

 

      		Note: In each of the following two letters, the original spelling
	 	and punctuarion have been retained; however, spacing has been added
		in places so they will be more readable. Names or words enclosed in
	  	brackets [ ] have been inserted for clarification. RFT

					--- 

 
                                                        Pettis County, Mo.
							August 1st / 59  (1859)

 

 

	Dear relations

 

		I seat miself this morning to write afew lines in answer to the except-
	able letter which I received the 30th which was a great satisfaction to hear
	that you were all well but sorrow to here that little Mary was troubled with
	boils but I hope they are better by this time.

           	We had a considerable chance of rain on us the first week that we were on
	the road but after that we had but one rain on us until we landed. We com-
	menced Assending the blue ridge on friday evening 20th May and camped within
	about 3 miles of fancy gap. the wind blew so hard that night that It turned
	every tent over that was on the hill. I was in a wagon some 50 yards from the 
	tents and I thought it would roll down the bend of the road and if it had it
	would have gone down about a quarter for the roads in the mountains are wound
	around and dug in the side of them. there is a precipice above on one side
	and below on the other which looks dangerous. we had some very hilly Country
	to travel through untill we crossed newridge then for awhile there was some
	fine country untill we began to come to the hills near the Cumberland Mountain
	where the country began to become poor and broken and remained so for somthing
	over 100 miles, We were assending the Cumberland mountain June the 3rd the
	day you had a storm     we had no rain on us that day it was very warm untill
	in the evening when it turned cool enough for the women to draw on their shawls.
	we camped on the top of the mountain. We drove on and crossed the cumberland
	river in the evening there was alittle frost there and when we got two or
	three days drive the corn was bitten considerably and nomore appearance of it
	from that on.   From Mt. Vernon in Ky. to Louisville there is some of as fine
	country as ever I beheld but it could not be purchased by a poor man as it
	will in places bring $100.00 per acre but when we crossed the Ohio river
	into the Indiana it was hilly and poor for some time but toward Vincennes there,
	was some very good country. We had to lay by 20th and 21st June within some 7
	miles of Vincennes resting a lame horse and their wheat harvest was just coming
	on . Our camp was at a Widow Langtons there was some of the hoops (1) about
	there to count. I coped wood there the last half day that we stayed there, and


					Page 45

					
	the old lady wanted me to stay and help her through with her harvest and then
	just to work on the plantation. I could have made $1.50 per day throug harvest
	and about $18.00 per month after that.

	        When we left there we came into Illinoise there was some tolerably
	good country for a short distance then it was quite moderate for some time
	but [in] the westren part of the state there is some very fine prairie land
	if it was alittle more rolling but there was some of as great wheat as
	ever I have seen in any of the old Carolina bottoms. they do not attempt to
	cut it with the cradle but they take the four horse reaper and they can give
	six or eigh binders enough.

		But when we crossed the Mississippi river we came into the rough rocky
	hilly country and not very rich untill we got up into Pettis [County] the
	land began to get better and not so many rocks gainst we reached the northwest
	corner of the County we found the land tolerably rich. We are in the northwest
	corner of the County in the midst of the fertile prairies where the grass
	grows better in the range with great heards of cattle and horses on it than it           
	does in the best of the Carolina meadows        in the low lands the grass grows
	about as high as my head and as thick as it can stand but the stock does not
	go there much on account of the flies. upon the high ground the grass grows
	about knee high except where it is bumt in the spring and there it is tender
	and is kepte picked off. their corn looks very wellthey run their rows
	about three feet apart and have four and five stalks in a hill and one and two
	good ears to the stalk        wheat made a failure this year or nearly so on ac-
	count of a back ward spring and the rust       Oats light. There is one great
	objection that I have to this country and that is timber is so scarce     they
	have no barns through hear and many of them have no stables that 15 or 20
	horses, and two or three times that number of cattle.

	       We landed at Calvin Dillons the 13th of July and stayed there two or
	three days      then went to Mrs. Sarah Chipman's and stayed there about a week
	untill they could get a house to go into.    then we moved out to it.     Calvin
	Dillon took his parents into the house with him and Albert and Mr. Stevens
	went in [a] house together.      Istill make my home with them for  Mrs. Stephens
	seems so much like a Mother to me, but I am at work for a man by the name of
		Wyllis Winston doing plantation work at $15.00 per month but I  cannot tell
	how long I may work for him but not long if  I can get a school.    School
	teachers can get from $30 to $50 per month.     I must draw my scrap to a close
	as I am going to the election at Brownsville in Saline. thip leaves us all
	well except cold and I hope it will find you all. well.   I did not get my like-
	ness taken at salem as they did not want to stop and I had to go on. I saw
	Lucinda Daniels and Smith Davis yesterday     they were well.

		Please excuse all the mistakes and bad writing as it had to be done in
	great hast        give my love to all relations and inquiring friends.      I want
	you all to write soon and give all the news, and Direct to Dunksburg   Pettis
	Co    Mo. I remain your affection Brother and Son

                                                      			Wm M. Vickrey

 
	(1). hoops - young, single girls. RFT