Plummer Papers

To Children From Mary K Henderson

German Town paid 25 paid July 27th Tenn
Mr. Wm L. Henderson
Abingdon, Virginia

Dear Children

I fear that you have almost come to the conclusion, from my long silence. That I have forgotten you yet I assure you that such is not the fact. I do not believe that one hour of My day passes without my mind being away in Virginia or with my beloved sons and other dear relations. Oh how long dear the time appears to me since parted with you at my dear Sisters. I hope providence will spare our lives and permit us to meet again. This side of the grave. We received a letter from Will yesterday and were much gratified to hear that you were not getting along so finely and were also surprised that you did not mention the receipt of a letter written by your Father the 2nd of July in which he enclosed twenty dollars to defray Wills expenses in the excursions though the adjoining counties I hope before this you have received it. there is at this time a great deal of sickness in this country. Mrs Quinetchet was buried yesterday she died in a congestion Will - Mr Means cook died the day before yesterday. This is the third negro he has lost in the last 12 months

Rachel's babe is as fat as a Berkshire pig and as white as skin can be . Let is sick I have just sent for Sackey ? To bring him up here the balance of the family are all well.

Rachel and myself expect to go up to Dr. Stouts tomorrow to hear Mr. Williamson preach Margaret McMillins funeral on Sabbath it is twelve miles from here.

Mr. Perkins has sold his mills and has commenced building at the Ipray Place they* will move up as soon as they get their house built the Reverend Sam McKinney sent us a letter a short time given which he had received from Con expressing a great desire to go to school to him and requesting him to beg us to let him come, now let me tell you my dear son once and forever that you should go without an education before you should receive it from a McKinney I think him a black hearted unprincipled sort and my reason for saying so are these when Mrs Wilson arrived in this country Sister Dunroe did not pay any marked attention to him she was much insulted and commenced abusing the whole concession at a wonderful rate assented that they were a low family and that they were all made rich by purloinging from Uncle Kings estate and Sister Rachel's children you know that your Father located some land for them and Robt McKinney the Doctor sold his part of the land and Bob gave his to the tanners wife and children. She did not like the land and because Mr. H would not let her take it where she pleased the whole family with the exception of Peggy Jane commenced lying in good earnest They assert it where ever they go that M. H has cheated them that he does not stick to the truth ? And the Dr had the imprudence the other day to tell M. Henderson that Dr. Trigg had long since put him on his guard about him that he had made some statements to him that even prejudicial to his character, and he also stated to Mr. Means that Dr. Trigg one of the first men in Virginia had made him acquainted with some of Mr. H inappropriate conduct and that he had once thought him a gentle man but he now finds he is mistaken he cannot be prevailed* on to tell what Daniel told him. Therefore set it down as a lie.

I wish you however to see your Cousin Daniel and ask him for my sake if your Father has done anything to injure him or any of the family that he will let us know it and he shall be payed fourfold I do know that Mr.H never wilfully injured a human being in his life more especially one of my Dear Sister Rachel's family whom he always loved as well as he did his own sisters tell Dan that I wont him to make a statement of the whole matter for I feel appruned if he did say anything against my husband that he has been wrongly informed.

I wish you William to inquire into this matter as soon as possible and let me know the results. Tell your Aunt Betty that I find she knew the McKinneys a great deal better then I did the only way to get along with him is to have nothing to do with them Alexander says he can never be an inmate of ours again dear me what shall I do.

? the Reverend Samuel thirteen dollars more for your tuition than he ought to have done according to contract so you perceive that they are all birds of a feather and buzzards at that. Aunt McKinney lives with Raften I visited him the other day and I really believe that he old lady sincerely loves me I told her that let her childrens conduct toward us be what it might that so long as she lived I would visit her, she is in good health and I think a sincere Christian don't come to the conclusion from this letter that we are all in a state anarchy here we have lived long enough to learn with such matters calmly and to receive them as a matter of course knowing that all things shall work together for good to them that love the Lord. I hope you will have a great deal of pleasure during the vacation and be enabled to return to your studies with renewed energy* be careful of yourselves and do not run into danger such as young into deep water climbing? Tell Ann Trigg that I am disappointed weekly in not hearing from her In my last I gave her such a glowing account of her aristocratic kin in these diggins that I expected an immediate reply is Rach Buchannon living in Abingdon

give my love to all relations especially to my brothers and Sister farewell may heaven bless you is the prayer of your affectionate Mother
Mary K Henderson

Alexander Raften gave your Father a letter to put in the post office for Con Mr. H. paid the postage. I mention this thinking you might pay the postage when you write to him which I do not wish you to do MKH

Contributed by Sylvi

University of Texas at Arlington University Libraries Special Collections
Collection: Plummer Papers
Location: GA10
Caption: 1837-1839