CUMBERLAND-RIVER-L Archives

From: Patrick Meehan <>
Subject: Letter from Zerelda Cowan July 1857
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 10:23:17 +0000

In going through my files I gound the following copy of a letter written
her brother Samuel Cowan and his wife Catherine (Dysart) Cowan in July
1857. I have copied it her exactly as it was originally transcribed. I
do not know the source of the letter or the name of the transcriber.
What you see, is what you get -- all caps, no punctuation, and spelling
errors included. I hope this may be of help to those interested in
COWANS, DYSARTS and others. Zerelda Gibson is my 1C4R, and I believe
that I can identify most of the other family members identified in the
letter. I would be happy to share this information with anyone who is
interested.

Copy of a Letter Written in July 1857
From Zerelda Gibson (Married Lee Nunnelly in 1858)
To her Brother & Sister-in-Law, Samuel & Catherine Dysart Cowan,
who lived in Rockcastle County, KY.

DEAR BROTHER AND SISTER WE RECEIVED YOUR INTERESTING LETER WAS A GREAT
PLEASURE TO US TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL WE ARE ALL WELL AND ALL THE FIRENDS
LITTLE JIMMY COWAN IS VERY LOW AND HAS BINN A FOR SOME 2 OR 3 MONTHS.

DEAR BROTHER AND SISTER WE RECEIVED YOUR LETTER

DEAR BROTHER AND SISTER I SIT DOWN THIS MORNING TO RITE TO YOU A FEW
LINES TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL WELL AND ALL THE FRIENDS SO FARE
AS I KNOW ONLY LITTLE JIMMY COWAN HE IS VERY LOW INDEEDE I HAVE NOTHING
INTERESTING TO RITE WE RECEIVED YOUR LETTER SOME TWO WEKS AGO DATED THE
15 th OF JUNE AND ALL SO ONE FROM UNCLE SAM AND ONE FROM UNCLE MARTIN
THAY WAS ALL WELL AND DOING WELL FATHER JANE & LOUISA IS GOWN TO THE
ASSOCIATION TO DAY AT THE CABIN HOLLON (?) I WAS THARE YESTERDAY AND TO
DAY AT HOME BY MY SELF AND AS LONE SOME AS YOU PLEASE MR LEAKE COMMENCED
A PROTRACTED MEETING LAST NIGHT AT HE BAPTIST CHURCH NEXT SUNDAY WEEKE
THE CAMP MEETING COMENCES MR BARNS COMES TO SEE US VERY OFTEN AND EVERY
TIME HE COMES HI IS INQUIRING ABOUT YOU ALL AND SAYS HE WOULD BE SO MUCH
DELIGHTED TO SEE ALL OF HIS OLD ROCKCASTLE FRIENDS ONCE MORE THE LAST
TIME HE WAS HEAR HE HAD A VERY BAD SPELL OF THE COLACKE WE HAVE FINE
CROPS CORN LOOKS VERY FLATERING AND WHEAT IN ABUNDANCE SAM & ANDY RAISED
ABOUT SEVEN HUNDRED BUSHEL OF WHEAT THIS YEAR I SEEN UNCLE CHARLEY
YESTERDAY HE LOOKS WELL AND HARTY EMILINE & ADAMS (?) HAS ANOTHER FINE
SUN AMANDA COWAN HAS A FINE SUN CATHERINE DONT LET SAM FORGET TO HAVE
YOURS AND HIS & ALL THE CHILDRENS MINATURES TAKING AND SEND THEM BY MALE
IF NO OTHER CHANCE DONTE FORGET IT FOR I WONTE CAPTAIN WE HAD A LARGE
CROP OF WOOL THIS SOMMER TO WORK UP WE HAVE WOVE SEVENTY 2 YARDS AND
HAVE NINTY 4 YARDS TO WEAVE YET I MUST COME TO A CLOSE AS IT IS HIGH
TIME I HAD THE TABLE SET CATY RITE SOON AS THIS COMES TO HAND O I CAN
TALK SO MUCH FASTER THAN I CAN RITE CATY I COULD TELL YOU SOME LONG
YARNS IF YOU WOULD COME OVER TO SEE US

JIM TRY AND MAKE YOUR ARAINGMENTS TO COME AND SEE US SOON AND I WELL GO
HOME WITH YOU

ZERELDA GIBSON
JULY 1857

Patrick Meehan

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• Letter from Zerelda Cowan July 1857 by Patrick Meehan <>