November 14, 1851

TO: Henry T Collins, Moore County, Crains Creek PO, North Carolina

November 14th 1851
Dear brother and Sister I at this time
with great pleasure take my pen in hand
to write to you that you may know
that we are injoying excellent health
at present and hoping that these lines
will find you injoying the same
We received your letter it reched us
the 10th November about seven oclock P.M.
which gave us much delight to hear
from you once more John Sears &
hardy Johnson is present at this time
and I hope that they after a
while will tell you all about it
They and family are well at this
time we have had a very warm
dry fall until the present time
we had generally good crops in this
country corn is worth $1.25 per bbl
pork is worth $4 1/2 per hundred Wheat
is worth 80 cts per bushel & c We want
to see you all very bad and I want you to
to come to this country and moove out
to arkensaw next fall for I dont
expect to stay in this country iny longer
then fall I want you to write to me
as soon as you receive this letter
and let me know how you all are
doing and what you intend to dow
About moving so nothing more at
presant but remain your efectinate
brother un til death Elisabeth
wishes to be remembered to her Mother
sister and brother she wants you all to come
Janeral Johnson to Henry T Collins respectfuly

November 14th 1851
John T Sears
Dear brother and sister I am well at
present I am Just ready to leave
this country I have got A wagon
and team & matters and things ?
to try the realities of a wetern road
I should have been gone before
now had it not been for the inconvenience
of the weather I understood from your
letter that if there was any conveyance
from macon in georgia to this country you would come
and if you do I want you to come
to where I am It seems that
you all neglected writing to me there
has sparsely any letter sent that
has mentioned my name
Dear Brother Washington and mother
I want to see you very bad
and I want you to come if you can
It has bean tolerable sickly about
here this fall but retain my health
very well my weight is 194 lbs
I expect to go to Arkansas So I
will come to a close Farewell Dear
Mother brothers and sisters relatives
and friends John T Sears
Hardy Johnson
Dear cousin I am well at this
time and in accordance with your
request I write to you the following
you requested me to write to you
how I liked this country I am
better satisfied than I was when

Several lines missing page is torn
time I expect that A person could
come from there to this Country
stage and steamboats & railfords
I have nothing A great to write to
you what corn I last summer
I sold And will have to work
for my Provisions next summer
In conclusion I would say that
Polly wishes to be remembered to
you all in that country
So Farewell Cousin
Hardy Johnson to Henry T Collins
& W W Sears
Dears Brothers If you come to this
country move out for it will cost
but little than just to come
on a visit and it would be better
for sister Jane to move southward
on acount of her cough for if it
is not stopped it will perhaps turn
inate in what is called consumption
This is the last time I ever expect
to write to you from this country
So Farewell Brothers & Sisters
John T Sears to H T Collins