From Gauss and his Children

Contents 1 Letter 2 Source 2.1 Transcriber's Notes 3 References

Letter

Ucaldo, Texas, Oct 24th 1870

Dear Ginnie

Your letter of the 16th of last month as been on hand Some time. I received one a short time previous from Lucretia which I have answered. I have received one also from Robert which I will answer the next chance I have.

In my letter to Lucretia I enclosed a bullet which was taken out of my shoulder. I also gave her the particulars of my second fight with the Indians in which I came off second best. I supose that My letter has been received. My wound is doing well now & I hope that my shoulder will be as Strong as ever after a while. I can not use my shoulder joint much yet.

The party which attacked me went on down about a hundred miles below here & killed a man & his wife carried of two children & wounded a little girl. About two weeks since twenty five Indians with about three hundred head of horses passed up between the Nausus river & the Rio Grande

A few days after I was wounded one of my Pastors ran away & stole about twenty five dollars in clothing & money, the Sheep were left at the mercy of the woolves. Since the first of September there has been lost & killed by the woolves about one hundred & fifty head of sheep.

I expect ot move down near to Fort Ewel where I hope that I will not be so convenient to the indians & also have a better country for the sheep. In a few days I will have a barrel of Pecans started for you all & a Fawn skin which I killed & Old Enatic my head Shepard dressed. its for Mr. Albert. I will put in a little such for Mr & Mrs Charley Shepard. please send it to them, send Lucretia a portion.--

I have selected the largest I can find in town but there is not a very good crop this year. I will pay the freight on them as far as the coast. I can not pay it any farther conveniently. I should like to send you some of our many strange growths but there is none near town worth sending; the Musquit beans have all fallen. I regret very much to hare of the death of poor E.O. Fielding he leaves a helpless family. We hae just received an account of the death of our good Old General Lee. I am glad to hear that the cittizens of New Oleans have shown many tributes to the memory of Genl Lee.

I have just received a letter from Frank he says that Brancy has had the chills but the balance are all well. he says that he has got something over six bales of cotton gined & halled home. cotton is now low but I hope that it will soon be a good price. Frank seams to be considerally discouraged with his farming operations & I am afraid will quit. if he should I do not know how the balance of the children can get along or how we can provide for them. He is a prudent boy & I have told him to advise with Willis about his future operations. I am under obligations to one of my St. Charles nephews for a copy of the St. Charles Cosmos. I found it interesting as it has been so long since I have seen anny thing published in your town. I do not Know anny thing about the political Men of Missouri. But I supose that Gratey Brown will be some thing better than the present Governor.-- We have awfull accounts of the distruction of the crops on the Guadalupe & Colorado rivers by high water the people on those streams have a hard time of it, a little more than a year they ago, they had their beautiful vallies swept of every thing. we have had a great deal of rain & high water here also.--

I have just got the Pecans put up & marked to Mr. Gauss. I am now stoping with Mr Martin. Mrs Martin has been very kind to me, tomorrow I start below give my love to Net & Eugean & all the young folks --

Your Brother

Source

Handwritten original in the private collection of the Chambless family. Transcribed to softcopy by Susan D. Chambless, March 13, 1999.

Transcriber's Notes

This letter is not signed, but by the distinctive handwriting, it was certainly written by Benjamin Keyes Fawcett.

References