October 24, 1848

TO: Mr. William Washington Sears, Cumberland County, Crains Creek Post Office, North Carolina

Alabama Autauga County
Oct the 24 1848 Dear cosin I now avail
Myself of the opportunity of addressing you
a letter to let you know that we are all
well and hopsd these few lines may find you
with your Mother & Family enjoying a like
Blessing. I have nothing of verry great importance
to write you Times is hard Cotton is worth
4 1/2 cents Corn is worth from 35 to 50 cents
per bushel pork worth 4 cents bacon worth
from 4 to 5 cents Lands is various prices
from one & a quarter dollars to $5 per acre
Cows & caleves from $7 to ten dollars Horses
allmost any price you could name or
call for Mules from $30 to $100 dollars
Hogs cheap enough for the money,
dear Cosen I can say to you that I received
your letter on yesterday which came to the
Post Office on last Friday it was mailed
on the 13 of Oct & came in seven days
I was much gratified to here from you all
and also to hear from or by your letter from
many of the old north carolina friends
and acquaintances and friends of my
Fathers Al though I never saw any
of them as I now of yet for the love
sake of his aquaintance with them they
fell nerar to me yes the near name
of North carolina sounds sweet to me
only because it is my native state and
again because I have many relations &
friends there who is near & dear to me
Oh Cosen you speak of moving out here I
am well aware you can do much better out
here than you can there

you said in your letter that you should
either move here or to Tennessee never
move to Tennessee never move to Tennessee
for a dime? looks a man in Tennessee
as big as a cart wheel Money is mighty
hard to get there I have had the pleasure
if I may call it so of looking at a por
tion of that country it would not suit
at all if you wish to move move here & then
if you donot like here you can move west
you wanted to know how many children Far
ther & Mother had, they had eleven one is dead
Sarah Jane 4 boys & the rest daughters he has but
3 single with him at this time 2 sons & 1
daughter Nancy marred a man by the name of
May lives in site of Farthers Brother John
married a girl by the name of Edwards lives
near Farther Margarett marred a man by
the name of Jarrett from Tennessee lives
in this county Lovedy marred first a man
by the name of Sandford he died and she
married a man by the name of Williams
lives in Prollvile near Farthers Elizab
eth marred a man by the name of Lane
& moved last winter to Loisannia they were
well when I heard from them Mary McDan
iel marred another one of the Lanes & lives in
Georgia But is a going to move here her
husband has been out & he is gone af
ter here now Martha Elender is single Brother E
ly is single Gerorge Washington is the baby
about 12 years of age I marred my own
Cosen a daughter of John Sears My wifes name
is Marian We have had 3 children 2 sons & one

daughter Both of the boys is dead their little
names is sweet to me The first boys name
was Marian Washington the 2 was Jasper
Ameracus our daughters name is
Ellen Paralee as fine a child as you ever
saw in your life She is about 14 months
old She can walk & talk she is running over the
house now I have room to mention ?? the children
they have all got for they are almost as numerous as
the sands of sea. Uncle Allen Martins people is all
well they live in about 15 miles from me they had 7
children Nelson marred a girl by the name of Johnson
lives in Mississippi Margaret marred a man by the name
of Johnson lives near Allen Ann marred a man
by the name of Lewis and lives in Mississippi
Floria marred a man by the name of McFarlin
Lives in wetumpka Gideon Briant & Charles
is with the old people yet Alexander Martin lives
with me & is well satisfied Wily Martin
has lived with John Sears this year near
us yet and is well satisfied John Sears marred
old Mys Jones daughter from north carolina
Polly was her name they had 7 children
mary Ann Howard Barney Eliza Jane Nancy
Lerviller none marred but my wife
Thomas Hannon lives near John Grimes
in Coosa County & is tolerably well satisfied
Cosen you said in your letter that you was
single and you wanted to come out here
& see some of girls I can show you more
pretty girls than you ever saw I teach singing
school and I have you one picked out all
ready so come & get her wright to me
WW Sears AK Sears

Wright to me where Isable & Anna Medlin lives Mothers
sisters their men was name littles write what
Post office they live near Excuse my writ
ing I am in a hurry and I have no kife
to make a pen yours until death
My wife sends some hair braid to you & says
you must wear is around your wrist
in rememberace of her