My ever Dear Uncle 

     It is with much pleasure that I have taken my seat this morning  inform you that we are all well at present and hopeing these lines will find you all enjoying the same good blessing.  Grandmother received your letter two weeks ago and was glad to hear from you and that you were well.   Papa has been very sick for the last two weeks but he is well now or nearly so.  Grandfather is well and has rented his house and farm and all his negroes but two to Uncle Thomas for the next four years.  Uncle Thomas has married again he married Emily Kincade daughter of Dlois ?? Kincade.

    We have heard from Uncle John and one of his children was dead so Birt?? Johnson wrote to James Johnson that is all we have heard from since last fall.  Uncle Richard received a letter from them.

     Aunt Nancy and children is well and doing as well as could be expected her mother is staying with her now, Paten is getting large enough now to help his mother to do a great many things, the babe can crawl where he pleases, his name is Samuel Ablvin?? Russel.

     Uncle Harts family is all well they are looking for cousin David and his wife and cousin John and his wife.  Uncle has sold his mountain place to David Bridgeman for 1000 or 100 dollars and I have forgotten which and he is to pay one 100 dollars rent a year until he pays for it.

     Grandmother consented for Papa to sell the Negroes thereisent any of them here now but Lidia and her 3 youngest children and Terys??.  Uncle Carey bought Houston and Cleantra ? and her 3 children.  Old Henry Queener hired That and Calhoon is at Uncle Richard's and Angetime ? is at Uncle Hart's.

      Cousin Mary Phillips has a fine son they call him John Horce.  Aunt Harriet has left Grandfathers she lives at Uncle Carey's  I have some things to tell you that I recon you have not heard George Smith and Inlid Smith daughter of Sterling Smith is married have twins a girl and boy their names is Arley Jane and James __________  for their father and mothers.
I have now wrote all that I know of at present that I think you want to hear so I will come home and write awhile we all want to see you very much and I can't see for my life why you don't come and see us for I don't think you have any thing to keep you at home.

     I forgot tell you that Uncle Russel has moved to Washington City they are going to stay 4 years, John and Jane and Elizabeth came down here and staid 3 months before they started.

      Give my love to Uncle Henry and Aunt Mary and all my cousins and tell them I want to see them very much write to me as soon you get this letter I would write more but I want to write to cousin Penelope no more at present but remain your affectionate neice Ann E. Wheeler

A message from Grandmother

Very bad and she wants to know if you are ever goin to come to see her again she says tell Uncle Henry she wants to see him also this is a very bad pen I can tell you.

Eliza Parkerson ?

Ann E. Wheeler was daughter of John E. Wheeler, cousin to Benjamin Sidney Smith Wheeler.  Ann was bn 17 Jan 1830 so she was 16 when she wrote the letter.  She later married Martin C. Robinson and moved to Cooke Co., Texas with her parents.

Benjamin Sidney Smith Wheeler, bn 15 Jan. 1810, Campbell Co., TN; d. 10 Mar. 1866, Marshall Co., AL, was a son of Benjamin C. Wheeler, bn 29 Jan. 1769; d. 24 Sep. 1825,  Benjamin S.S. Wheeler went to Marshall Co., AL with his oldest brother, William Henry Edward Wheeler after their father died in 1825.

Uncle Thomas was Thomas J. Wheeler, bn 5 May 1815; d. 8 Nov 1860, son of Thomas Wheeler.  Thomas Wheeler was living with Thomas J. Wheeler in 1850 census of Campbell Co.

Uncle John was more than likely John A. Wheeler,  bn 1804 Knox Co., TN; d. 1856 Washington Co., AR, brother to Benjamin S.S. Wheeler, he married a Lucinda Johnson 20 Oct. 1826 in Campbell Co., TN so that would explain the Johnson connection.

Uncle Richard was Richard Drummond Wheeler also a brother to Benjamin S.S. Wheeler. 

Aunt Nancy was Nancy Jane Smith Wheeler, daughter of Wiley Smith & Lucy and widow of Samuel Alfres Wheeler,  bn 1813; d. 4 Oct 1844 in Campbell Co., Nancy and her children went to Texas locating in Fannin Co..

Do not know who Uncle Hart is but a Thomas Hart married a daughter to Melinda Emily Wheeler Carey.  Thomas would be too young for this Hart.  Richard Drummond Wheeler married Charlotte Bridgeman a possible connection to David Bridgeman.

Uncle Carey was William Carey whom Caryville was named after.  He married Melinda Emily Wheeler, daughter of Thomas Wheeler & Elizabeth H. Elliot.

Do not know cousin Mary Phillips.  Aunt Harriet was daughter of Thomas Wheeler and married a Thatcher and ended up in Honey Grove Texas in 1852.

The Smith's were connected in several marriages  to Wheeler clan.

John A. Wheeler and family went to Washington Co., Arkansas by the 1850 census.  The Uncle Russel may have went there with them.

Uncle Henry and Aunt Mary were William Henry Edward Wheeler, brother to Benjamin S.S., and Mary was Henry's wife Mary Barton.  

Eliza Parkerson was Eliza P. Wheeler, sister to John E. Wheeler and married to Jordon Smith.

The original letter belongs to Max Brown, Rt 1 Box 52D, Ringgold, TX 76261; mbrown99@aol.com