November the 21:1876
Mrs. Lucy Haskew
Dear ant I seat myself in order to drop you a
few lines from which you can learn that we arte all alive an well as comen an I hope those lines may find you all the same
It has been some time since I have heard from you an I want you to answer this
as soon you can an let me no how you all are getting on . Ant Lany is well an
still stays at John Pearsons miss Pearson herself is ded she dide in June. uncle Billy is hear yet blind as a bat he is getting
on tob???? His health is not good hear at late. you wanted to no if I had him to support. I had him on the??????. But it bin
hard to get him dress as we only but I like it will be so he can get it after a little while. we haven’t heard a word
from Lucious since march. the country has bin in an whiter since the election
an an strate yet I think when times get strate it will be beter an uncil billy will get his money. times is dull? Cotton is
low. this fall. mothers health is not good but can kick up. I have had a heap of sickness in mi family this year. the scarlet
fever amonst mi children but they are all got well an my baby is walking now. mi two olders is nearly grown. you must rite
as soon as you get this an let us hear from you. i will ??/ for the want of something
to rite your truly
Frank Townsend
I spoke about the election
I did not tel you how it went. the
democrats??/? ?/?/ ???/ Marlborough by a large majority for the first time since the war an we all hope for beter
times an management. you must let me no how all your children is getting on
EDITORS NOTE.: . Ant Lany
appears to be Lany Townsend age 56 listed as a servant for John Pearson age 80 an elderly farmer. Ruth Pearson married John
Haskew about 1760 and they lived next to each others families in Three Creeks. Townsends also.
Bennetsville
SC
Sept the 23 1875
Dear sister an ant i take pleasure
in droping to you those lines from which you will learn
that we are all alive an as
well as is common we received your kind letter an was glad to hear from you again as far as I no the conection is well Liser
is living on Ely Goodwin land an is getting on very well she has had two children
by her last husband but the oldest one is ded. sammy is not married yet. he lives there with his mother. I cant tell much
about Catherine .I ant seen her since the war. she lives up in north Carolina
but I don’t think she is doing so well. uncil billy is gon rite blind and is gon to house keeping with Lucious an Jane
on the three creeks. wee don’t see him often now. ant Lany is well an doing well???? As far as thin nor fat concerned
but she ant in no church yet. she stays a part of her time at Sarah Pearsons an a part at Nancy Pearsons an once in a while
she stays a week or so with us. Mamy sed tell you that she feld older than you an she wants her lasts stays to be her best
and she don’t expect to see you no more in this world but she wants to meet you in heaven. little Lany is well an doing
wel.l crops is only tolerb? This year an cotton is only 11 and 12 cts bacon 20 cts corn1 30 flour 10 an 11 dollars dry goods
chee ? frank has out 5 bales of cotton has sold two at 12:12 ½ that don’t look like we get pay for own labor. frank
is talking of clearing some more land this fall I am going to give you mi childrens
names in rotation commencing at the oldest. James B., John F. ,Robert Sh?. ,Henry
C. ,Fletcher, Albert R., Doctor F. ,an he is the boy after all he is a big fat fine boy to his age. mi litel girl is well
and grows fast. Mamy sed tell you
that Tom Haskew an his wife is geting on a litel better than common. it ant been long since mamy saw them. has there bin any
worms in your country to eat up your garden. the gardens in Marlborough
has bin eat up to the stems by a green fuzzy looking worm. tell Mary not to get out of heart because she has three babies
to stand up to it with a good resolution an have 7 girls an then a boy an quit. then like me. so I will close mi lines asking
you to look over hand riting an correct all mistakes an to rite soon an often to us?? Mamy an ant Lany talks a lot about you
an wants to hear from you as often as possible they both look old but ? think they get on ?my well ? this age so nothing more at this time rite soon an fail not I am the same
Frank Townsend
Riton by his wife Nellie Townsend
Bennetsville,SC May 2 1873
Dear anti, take mi pen in hand
once more in order to drop you a few lines from which you will learn that we are all still living and doing very well .i have had some sickness in mi family this year but they are all on the mend. I have wrote
three times to you since I have had a letter from you but we all ant hear from you. i had I thought I rite again an see if
I would hear from you. i have no thing of interest to rite since have has a very wet date cold spring. I ant slun? Planting
yet a mother an cdnt??. Lany is as well as common. ant Lany is at mi house today today. uncil Billy is well or at least he was this last time i saw him but he is about blind he cant see how to work ??/. all
he ant been blind long it only com on him the first of this year. he is living below with
Lucious an I ant seen him rite latly. i have pade for my land. anti getting on very well with mi big family. I can
tell you I have lived to see the eight child borned. it will be a month old the eighth of this month. it is a girl. I want
you to rite to me as soon as this comes to hand an let me no how you an all your children is getting on. ant Lany wants you
to let her hear from all your children an how they are all getting on an if any movd is married an how where they live from
you an all about how many children your children has that is married I an how your own health is those days so I will close
by asking you to write soon as you can so nothing more .
Frank Townsend to ant Lucy
haskew
Augusta Geo. June 6 1864
Mrs Haskew,
Dear madam it is indeed with
a very sad heart that I rite to you this morning to inform you of the illness of your son Mr. H.J.Haskew He was on his way
to Virginia but when he got to this place, he was too ill to go further. May a Merciful god prepare you for what I have to
say_Yes my Pour friend, Yesterday God thought it proper to take your handsome dear boy to himself .He died at one oclock P.M.
yesterday. June the 5th . He got here about 8 days ago- his disease was typhoid pnenomonia. I would have written to you sooner, but he was so very ill when he arrived , that I know you could not
possibly get here in time to see him- but I’m sure it will be a great comfort to you to know, that ?? ?? attention imaginable. He was at one of the finest Hospitals
in the Confederacy and had constant attention from the best and kindest nurses day and night- I went to see him daily and
sent him cake custard every day- He seemed to care for nothing else and I kept
him well supplied_ Occasionally he drank a little milk-I don not think he suffered much as he was in a stupor all the time,
and would seldom rouse himself longer than was necessary to take nourishment when he was awake. He seemed quite cheerful yesterday
(Sunday)when I went to the Hospital. I found him so very low, that I would have
given so much to been in my place- Yes, my unknown friend, my heart bled for you, and prayed for you & your dying boy!---Most
tenderly was he prepared for ??ifference- so often seen in the Hospitals- He is buried in a beautiful cemetery in this city-
The graves of the soldiers are numbered and their names registered by the section-
I would have sent you some of his hair but it
had been cut so close in order to keep damp cloths on it, that I could not get any for you.
If I have
not told you as you wish to know, write to me and I will answer you with pleasure- I would have written to some one to have
broken this sad news to you, but I only had your address from your son, which I got a few days before his death- hes very
??? ??/ except to ask for what he needed and slept nearly all the time-
You may rely on all I said about the Hospital as I have no interest in praising it- I go there daily as a friend to our dear
sick soldiers-I would be glad if you would let me know if you received my letter.
Adieu my poor friend- Accept the sympathy of
one who has known sorrow- for not many yards from the spot where your dear son
lies- I have a father and a husband---
May God
strengthen and protect you----
If you wish to write to me , my address is –
Mrs.D? Sledge
Augusta
