ALGREENE-L Archives

From: "Elizabeth Chatterjee" <>
Subject: 4th of July 1848, Boligee
Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1999 14:56:58 -0600

I've been trying (unsuccessfully) to attach a letter and send it to the
list. I'm just going to copy it into this mail and see if that works.
I have many old letters exchanged between Boligee and Texas after parts of
the family moved to Texas. My family were the Caufields, Johnston,
Castles, Greenlees, etc and lived in the Irish Settlement. Maybe you'll
find one of your family members mentioned...if not, you may just enjoy this
from a history perspective.

Regards,

Elizabeth Chatterjee

A LETTER FROM BOLIGEE, AUGUST 23, 1847

In the early 1820's several families immigrated from Derry, Northern
Ireland to what was known as the "Irish Settlement" in Greene County. More
family members came in the 1840's during the famine and resulting political
unrest. These families were: Caufields, Johnstons, Dunns, McMillians,
Castles, Hayes, and others.

The Thomas Caufield family was amoung the first group that came to the
United States in 1822. Thomas Caufield's sister was my
great-great-great-great grandmother, Elizabeth Caufield. She was married
to George Johnston who established a mercantile business in Greene. Some
members of the family moved to Texas in the 1830's and 1840's and continued
their close ties to their Greene County relatives with regular
correspondence between Greene Alabama and Robertson and Leon Counties of
Texas. Many of these letters have been preserved and provide a unique look
at life in the "old days". As I read, and re-read these letters, I'm
struck by how precarious life truly was; health, crops and weather are
always topics discussed. I'm also struck at how these people kept their
senses of humors in tact.

I've transcribed one letter, written by Henry J. Caufield, a son of Thomas
Caufield, to his brother in law, William Ewing Young. William married
Henry's sister, Mary Jane. This particular letter, describes the fourth of
July celebration in Greene County in 1847. I've left the spelling alone,
but have modified the punctuation to make the text easier to read.

The Thomas Caufield family is:

Thomas Caufield, born 1788 in County Derry, Ireland, died 1-12-1859 in
Boligee, Greene County Alabama, married to:

Mary Ann Watson, born 1795 in County Derry, Ireland, died 7-21-1845 in
Boligee, Greene County Alabama. Their children were:

Wat, born 4-9-1821 in County Derry, Ireland, died 11-14-1903 in McGregor,
TX

Mary Jane, born 10-18-1825 in Boligee, Greene County AL, died 4-3-1888 in
Coryell County TX

Henry J., born 1-1-1827 in Boligee, Greene County AL, died 7-11-1915 in
McGregor, TX

David George, born 1-1-1837 in Boligee, Greene County AL, died in Robertson
Co, TX

Elizabeth, born 10-18-1836 in Boligee, Greene AL, died 10-25-1854 in
Boligee, Greene AL

Submitted by Elizabeth Graham Chatterjee

Boligee, August 23, 1847

To: Mr. William C. Young Robertson County
Texas

Dear Friend………Yours of the 10th July came to hand on Tuesday the _____ of
August

which gave me great satisfaction. I also read one from you several days
before which I will answer bye

and bye. I was very glad to hear that, inTexas as well as Boligee, they
kept up the great day of freedom.

Since you have given a description of your celebration, I will attempt to
describe ours.

It came off on Saturday, the third. The place where it was was at Sam
Johnston's mill. It was a very

pretty place there - about eight hundred people there and about three
hundred ladies. At ten o'clock,

the Boligee Troops were paraded at the store and marched over to the
Barbacue Ground, where, after a

little training, twisting, and marching, they were dismissed. After that,
the Declaration of Independence

was very ably read by John Y. Johnston. Then a splendid address was
delivered by Williard M. Judge.

Then the order of the day was read aloud by Mr. Friend, one of the
committee of arrangements. But

before I proceed farther, I must describe the speaker stand, which was as
usual erected some feet above the ground. It was hung over with garlands
of flowers and a wreath swung over he speakers' heads so large that it was
as much as you could lift.
When dinner came on, the ladies were handed to the tables, three in number,
which were loaded with the good things of Boligee. After the ladies had
refreshed themselves, the gentlemen took possession and I tell you that
there was some eating done about that time! I believe we had a lot of as
choice meats as ever you clopped your eyes on! It was given up to be the
best Barbacue that had ever been in Greene County or any of the adjoining
counties. There was not a drop of Liquor on the place that day. After
dinner, men rode Tournament for about two hours. The ladies, and others
not riding, looking on.
As soon as the Tournament was over, we repaired to the arbor where a couple
of loads of saw dust had been scattered. The youngsters of both sexes had
then a chance of shaking their feet to their hearts content, and I reckon
there was some of it done there.

Now I have given you the particulars of our celebration as near as I can
remember.

William, we had two other neighborhood barbacues and a squirrel hunt along
with them…..they were decent affairs. There was about eight hundred and
fifty squirrels killed. We have four more such to come off. Means
proposes giving one. Squire Gound, Tom Bleakly, and David Watson all wish
to give one. They will all come off this fall.

We had a splendid party at James Watson's the other day. There was about
seventy people, or perhaps more……it was a quilting party. After we had
dinner, we tied up the quilts and danced until dark and had supper and
danced a few more sets, then out for home.

I had the pleasure of being at a weding, not long since, down in Sumter..
The Bride was a sister of Mat Phillips. I reckon there was some
frolicking! We kept it up all night and then went home in the morning.
There was ten young men from Boligee. Some of us had lost our horses, some
saddles. And some lost their blankets. We all got home without any broken
bones, anyhow.

William, have told you enough nonsense now. For sense - our crops out here
have been doing very well. Our corn crops are as good as any, need but for
cotton (alas). The boll worm has made his appearance in a great many
places. They are doing our cotton a great deal of injury. It has been
damp weather for several days, which is very much in favor of them. We all
made very good wheat crops this year. William, I think if the worms eat
the cotton this year as bad as they did last year, you will find a boy
about my size leaving this part of the country towards where they have some
other mode of making a living than by growing cotton.

The health of Boligee is a good as usual, only a few cases of chill and
fever. I suppose you did not hear of the death of Mrs. Nat Friend. She
died of the consumptions after and long and hard illneww. William Castles
lost his youngest child a few days ago. It died of fits. Tom Bleakly's
wife presented him with a fin son the other day, and Kate is down at Mr.
Stewart's, now in the expectation of something in that line.

William, I made known your request to Randall S. and he says that he will
attend to it. Tell your brother John that I hear that he is going to run
his head in the matrimony; tell him from me to go ahead, tha's all right.

Tell Cousin Mary Robertson (Mary Dunn) that I beg a thousand pardons and
made as many more excuses and that I will write to her next week.

Dr. Hunter met with an accident day before yesterday. He was stopping down
behind his horse, when the vicious animal kicked him, breaking his arm up
near the shoulder.

Mother is getting a little better than she was when I wrote before. She is
very weak yet. I hope you will be able to decipher this excuse for writing
- all blotches, mistakes, and bad writing.

My best respects to all my friends in Texas. And receive a portions,
yourself. No more at present, but I remain your friend,

Henty J. Caufield

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• 4th of July 1848, Boligee by "Elizabeth Chatterjee" <>