“. . . i think thare tha worste deceved
peopel that I ever heard of . . .”
~ 1836 ~

Randolph County, Missouri
Copyright © 2000, Frederick Smoot. All Rights Reserved.



Stampless folded letter sheet:
No postal marking, probably carried outside the mails.
Addressee:

        State of Tennessee, Sumner County
        to Mr Thomas Hunt

Letter’s authors:
        Levi Fawks & Nancy Fawks

Contents:
Randolf County
August 28, Mo 1836

Dear Brother and Sister and inquireing friends,
once more I gladly imbrace this opertunity of informin you that my self and family are all well threw tha mercys of god - Margret Cooper and family joins us in our compliments to you and family and tha are all well at present through tha mercy of god - Margret is settled and hir land and mine joins B Eagens and S G Johnstons joins to hirs - Charles W Cooper two miles from hir - Leacy Cooper is married and lives Six males from hir and she married a man by the name of Mills Saps and my Daughter Salrina was married July last to a man named Robert Profet - William C Fawks and his family are well and wishes to be remembered to you all - Ira Thommas and Melisa Sends their Best respects to you all and Mary B Falks Sends hir best same to hir aunt and uncal and famly - I will Say to you it has been a long time Sence I have heard anything from any of you that I sometimes think you have forgot us as non of you has said one worde about tha Death of old Edward White nether can wee hear whether Sister Hunt has recoverred hir helth or no - dear Brother if this letter reach your hand pray Send us a anser and tel us how Stands tha times and how Sister Marys helth is got and what you no abouth Brother Edwards Deth and also from Charles and tha rest of tha Brothers in tha District and if you have heard from Father white - I will say to you that I wrote a letter to Mr Wily Bunton North Carlolina and he answered it Some three weaks Sence which gave me grate satis faction to hear tha old man was well and living with Joseph and was well Satisfied Some three miles from his old place and he said Joseph kept a eye over the negroes that was left on the old farm and that tha they had had a very good prospect for crop - times he said was very good and Brisk and tha connecttion was well as far as he knew except his wife - Shee has what tha call tha Sweled leg for this two yares past - then to return I will just name thare are grate prospects for crops hear this year tha remarke abit wet for tha time of Season and I Fear will keap corn green too long if forced frost Should come it may do much injury to corn and tobaco - our cuntry is healthy this year more so than commen - then you may say what about the Maurmans in your country then I will answer tha are very numerous as tha have immagrated in mana [many?] thousands to tha cuntry and my nerrest neighbor is a Maurnon prieast and i think thare tha worste deceved peopel that I ever heard of as tha profes to profecy to heal tha Sick and to give tha Holy ghost by tha laing on their hands thar and many other marricals tha profes to Speak in tha unnone tungue and that none can get to heaven with out being immerced thes and many other strange notions and that Joseph Smith is one of gods most favouride proffets and the dawn of tha malenaum is now come and tha are tha Later day Sants and Criest is to rane with them a thousand years on earth and tha Shal See him face to face then I must conclude By remaining your Brother unto Death

Levi Fawks & Nancy Fawks

Notes:
1. We find a Sumner County Tennessee marriage record of a Levi Fawke to Nancy White, 29 Dec 1806. We have seen a record that Laverne (Sabrina?) Hunt, married Charles White 30 Nov 1810 Sumner Co., Tennessee. Then we see this claim “Thomas Hunt, b. c. 1778 Bute Co., NC, md. Mary White, and d. c. 1831 Sumner Co., TN” -- this from the late Bill Linder’s website. (Now offline) Therefore there are kinship links between the Levi Fawks and the Thomas Hunts.

2. The author used no periods to end sentences. Therefore, a dash has been added where it seemed obvious a period should appear.

3. The names Mill Saps could be the “long s” or ss to spell Sass.



From the Collection of Frederick Smoot
Provenance: eBay Online Auction, 1999



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