Lewisburg, June 1, 1879 

Dear Daughter and Family, 

I desire to rite you a few lines to let you know of my helth.  I am not well at presant nor haint been for some time.  I am sick in body and strength. My hands are so weak that I hardly hold a pen to rite at all.  Hoping these few lines may find you all well when you receive them.  The helth of our country are not good nor haint been for some time.  A good deal of sickness and some death.  S. L. Davis wife is dead and child Steward Cochran is dead.  Dr. T. I.  Kennedy is dead.  John Smith's wife is dead and some others in the country.
Sis Moor is in bad helth.  She is sick at this time confined to her bed. All the rest of the connection are well as far as I know of at this time.  I have nothing of grate importance to rite to you at present.  Times hard on account of money matters.  Provision low, wheat $1.00,  corn 40 cts, flour $3.00, good coffee 5# to the dollar, sugar 8# to the dollar.  We have had a cold and wet winter past, our wheat looks bad for the time of the year,  we had frost the 2nd day of May.  We are dry and needing rain at this time.  The ground are so dry that corn can't get up, everything in the ground needs rain. 

Now I should like you to rite to me as soon as this comes to your hand and tell me all the news that you know of and how you are getting along in this world and if you ever hear from Lisar and family.  I should like to see you all in this life, but my helth and strength will not purmit me to handle the trip at this time.  So I will close for the presant.  Rite soon if you can, so
fair well for the presant. 
 

July 12th 1884
Cochran Mills, Tenn.
Mrs. Maggie Bryant 

Dear Aunt, 

I received your letter one week ago and was glad to hear from you all - but sorry to hear you was not well.  This leaves us all I am thankful to say.  I am as well as can be.  Mother still complaining with her arms and thumbs.
Children all well.  Aunt tell Grandpa I received a letter from him this
evening, was glad to hear he was well for I felt so uneasy about him, this warm weather, but it has been raining for 2 weeks most of the time.  Wheat is damaged badly, ours is not threshed yet and only sell at 75 cts, corn looks fine only hard winds blown it down,  no rosen ears yet, fine gardens.  Aunt, all the time seems lonely to me but it seems like Saturday and Sunday is the worst.  Aunt, this is a trying time on all of us.  There has already been things passed I never had any idea I ever could see, but alas my troubles are coming, things I never thought of, but I am trying to bear them the best I can, but sometime they overpower me in spite of all I can do and then I wander off to my self and let tears relieve me. Oh aunt, they all tell me not to do so, could I have you, who have gone over this road to talk with.  It would be so much comfort to me.  I have lost my dearest friend.  I often think what will become of my children if I was taken from them.  Then I think God will provide for them.  I think who would take them.  They had a kind Father, oh how we miss him.  I can't tell you how, but I am doing all in my power to raise them right.  I have been to church today, Brother Brown took his testimony from 22nd Chapter and 42 verse of Luke, he preach a good talk but it is hard to say "thy will be done" but we have to submit the best we can. 

Tell Grandpapa Mother says to tell her all about how is and when he is coming.
Tell him to take good care of himself and if he begins to fail to start for home.  You and him go to see Lizzie and Mat, Avalon is their post office.
Some of you come home with him.   Gally Morris was buried today at Wilson Cochrans.  Today I seen Joe and Willie Johnson, all well there.  Mother says tell you and Aunt Eliza, Aunt Mary and yourself she would be glad to be with you, but she fears she never can any more, says tell you all to write. Tell Grandpa Josia and Tom has a baby, a boy 17 months old, but can't walk.  He went to Nashville to the poor house after it - they are very much please you
know what comes up with me,  that is, no harm comes out.  I thought they were shouldering more that I could, not to be any kin to me, this is their business.  Worth Rossen is able to sit up some, the health of the neighborhood is generally good.  My children all join me in sending love to Grandpa, all 3 Aunts and children.  Everyone write soon and tell me all the news. 

Emma

Submitted: Sun, 31 Jan 1999 20:52:50 EST
By: Melinda Unruh  <Pjmju@aol.com

                Laird Miss. Sept 11 1900
Mrs. Anna Luna Bryant, Matt. and W.C.
                  Talley Tenn.

                                             Dear Anna:
       Mother is dead. She died on the 9th of this month she died 12 min. before 7 O'clock Sunday evening. She died as easy as any person I
ever saw. She never made any struggle she taken sick last Thursday I went for (Dr.) Pearse Friday and he came Saturday morning and of
course the medicine made her sick and she did not rest good in the fore part of the night but after midnight she rested very well and Sunday
morning she talked freely and asked if she would not soon be 90 years old and she was told that she would and she replied that she did not
know whether she would reach 90 or not. She taken something like a chill between 11 and 12 o'clock and then

                                                                    2nd

she struggled between death and life until 12 min. before 7 o'clock when death claimed her Brother Tom (her son Dr. Tomas Luna) did not come at all we heard he was sick I telephoned to Will Monday morning and he got there in time to ----- her buried

Smith and Alice Porter did not get there until Monday morning after she was dead. Scott Luna came in about 2 or 3 minutes before the last
breath left her John Booker told him her condition  at New Salem.

Anna I would have Telegraphed you but I could not get it in time for you to have got there in time if you could have left home so I am writing you this Tuesday morning

Anna her and Father (Lunsford Long Luna)has met  one more time, not quite 4 years since Father died.
 

                                                                      3rd
 

Anna she would ask me about you ever time I would go over there and when she was talking Sunday morning she said she wished she could
see you-We buried her Monday evening. We buried her real nice she looked as natural as she could all the time. Old age and congestion is
what taken her off.
Of course, we are not all well but all are up.
Hoping when you get this you aa be well.

We thought of you and Matt. (Martha Luna) especially and would have been glad if you all could have been with us.

I remain as ever

                                                                               O J Luna
 
 

          Submitted Tue, 16 Nov 1999 08:11:18 -0600 by Mildred J Brown <mjbrown@edge.net>
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Lewisburg, Marshall County
September 9, 1865

Pleasant Scott,

I have frequently written to Kentucky-- but never got a line in reply- I
suppose my letters failed to reach their destination.  My health and that of
our relations generally are good - and I have never known more peaceable
times here than we are having since the close of the war- Say to Aunt Esther
that Aunt Rachel and Aunt Jane are both well- and to Uncle Jo that James
Scott died August 1861- his youngest son, Martin V.B. Scott died at Jackson,
Mississippi in the Confederate Army, in November 1862 and Newton Scott of
Louisville County, Ala. was murdered at his home by a straggling gang of
guerrillas in January 1865- And of Aunt Rachel's son, Levi J.- died in Camp
Morton prison in February 1862- John T.  was killed at the second fight at
Fort Donelson in February 1863- James died in Insane Asylum at Nashville in
August 1861- and William, they younger son is living with her and Mrs.
Louisa Gibson and family.  Aunt Jane is living with Sam C. Scott near
Columbia, Tennessee- her daughters Lucinda Barnes and Polly Carter live in
the vicinity of Cedar Springs in this county- and the two other daughters
Elizabeth and Lucretia are unmarried- I saw John and James Steele and Royal
in Nashville about 5 weeks ago-

Having resigned my office connected with the U.S. Internal Revenue last
spring, I have since that time been practicing law- except when attending
the Legislature-- which meets again in October.  The profession of law
promises to pay, and pay handsomely.  Edmund Cooper, Esq., the member of
Congress from this district is my law partner.  We would do a very heavy
business were it not that he has to be absent at Washington and I at
Nashville, this coming fall and winter.

My politics have undergone no change- I am a Conservative Anti-Slavery man-
not a Copperhead- nor a wild Radical- and think that the Representatives
from the Southern States should be admitted- and that the States, and not
Congress, have the control- each for itself, of the suffrage question-- I am
glad that Slavery is at an end-- though what is to become of the Negro, I am
not yet able to say--Time alone can solve the difficult question of
Races--each free and living in the same country.

Our crops this year are short- owing to the long drought- Money is scarce-
and a great deal of suing is going on- I would like for you to address me at
Nashville- House of Representatives- and give me the informaiton in regard
to your wife and children and my relatives and friends, if I have any in
>that Democratic Country-

What has become of Mr. Eby and family- Reeves and Frank Harris and families
and if Loui is married yet-- Is Mr. Black's family well-- How I would like
to see them all again-- and as that is not possible now- they can write to
me-

I intend for me and my wife to come to Kentucky sometime next year and see
you all-- If I were to tell you I was married, I suspect you would not
believe it- I know how incredulous you are on that subject, and will leave
you in doubt till you get other satisfactory proof-

This morning, I was trying to recollect the names of your children- Mr.
Black's- and others- and failed.  Such exciting times since I saw them- that
memory fastens on other scenes and thoughts- with a deeper impression- Mr.
La Rue is dead-- James D. Euing is in bad health.

Hoping this may reach you, my dear "Pleas"- and that you will quit thinking
about tobacco and greenbacks long enough to write me a letter acknowledging
this one, I remain as ever, Yours,

Abner A. Steele