Letter to Loretta Harnage from Charles Washington's wife Sarah-- 21 Nov 1858
Names, places & dates included in letter
Dear Sissie
will move home Christmas--is this Dec. 1858?
Mr. W. & brother--which brother would this be?
Cousin George Harris
little John--Charles' son
Mike--Charles' son
Ma--and one of her sisters--this has to be Ann E. so she had to have more than 1 sister.
brother George--is he still in China?
Mrs. Parks
Mr. Post
Mr. Gibson
Kate Gibson

Dear Sister Loretta
21 November 1858
My Dear Sissie
As it is Sunday night and my little chaps are all asleep I will endeavor to wright you a
brief letter to inform you that we are all well at present with the exception of a very
bad bone felon on Mr. Washington's thumb which is very sore now. It was such a misery
to him he could not sleep. He at length concluded to go to the doctor and have it split
open which he done on Friday evening and it does not pain him much now , but is very
sore. I am happy to tell you that we will move home Christmas. I don't love the thoughts
of living on rented places. Mr. Washington has bought him a nice little place. It has
a good house on it, two rooms each, has a fireplace and a piazza in front. Every one
says he had made a good trade. It is the best of land. It will bring a bale of cotton
to the acre, five hundred weight bale. That is the kind they commonly pack in this
country. Mr. W. and brother will make about 15 bales if they can save it all, which
will bring them 750 dollars. They made a plenty of corn to do them and also potatoes
and about fourteen bushels of ground peas. Oh how I wish you would come and help
us to parch and eat. Cousin George Harris is here and I know you would enjoy yourself
finely. He has been here about three weeks. He has got him a boarding place now and
thinks he will locate here as every one thinks he would do so well here tho he has not
entirely decided yet. He has his diploma and is very smart and fine looking. He told
me to tell you to direct your next letter to him here as you owed him one. I was very
sorry to hear of your sickness but I hope you are fat and well by now. We have been
blessed with the best of health this year. My children has not had a days sickness since
we have been here. They all grow very fast and little John can walk. Tell Ma he could
walk good at eight months old and Mike is as well as the other children and has been
all the time. It has been some time since I received your letter but I never had time to
write until now as I have a great deal of work to do. It takes me all my time to keep up
with it and then don't do it every time. You must write as soon as you get this and I will
try to be more punctual. Mr. Washington is very anxious to hear from brother GEORGE
and know whether he has left China or not. We were truly glad to hear that Ma had met
with one of her sisters. Charley says tell Ma he would like for you and her to come and
see us and help us eat some of our fine potatoes. One of our neighbors made two
thousand bushels of potatoes and another made eight hundred bushels. I tell you, this
is a potatoe and a cotton country . You must give my love to Mrs. Parks & her family
and also to Mr. Post and his family and to all inquiring friends. I was very sorry to hear
of the death of Mr. Gibson. You must tell us what has become of Kate Gibson since her
mother's death. I will have to close as it is getting late. Mr. Washington joins me in
love to you all and says you all must write to us. So good bye my Dear Sister Loretta

Sarah J. Washington