E. M. Ross' Letter ~1867 All Our House Servants Left Us

Members of the Daniell family pose on the steps of "Retreat," home of the Freeland family. On the front row is Dr Williams, who married the widow of the builder of Windsor. Next is Smith Coffee Daniell, IV, Katherine Freeland Daniell Williams, Aunt Lizzie. On the back row are Priscilla Daniell Magruder, Thomas Freeland Daniell, his daughter Katherine Crane Daniell.

Elizabeth Magruder Ross writes another letter to Sue encouraging the family to use their land for farming. She complains about the free Negroes and their wages, and that all the house slaves left including Charity and Abe who were mentioned in previous letters. She informs Sue about the well being of Smith Coffee Daniell's family. The children are maturing and the rumor that Daniell's widow is to remarry is not true. Smith's widow did remarry on 21 Nov 1868 to William G Williams.

Direct your letter Care of Mrs C. S. Daniell
July 9th 1867

My Dear Sue

Your welcome letter was received one month after it was written; it remained unansered (sic) longer than I entended (sic); I had a good deal of sewing to doo (sic) at the time I received it, and have just got through.

I was very glad indeed to hear from you all once more. hope you have entirely recoverd (sic) by thise (sic) time. your hair of course will grow out as thick as ever, and may come out curly. I have often seen it the case. I am glad you and your Sister are so well employed. I hope you will be successful in your undertaking, and trust, you will prosper in every thing you undertake, so that you may make useful and happy women. If your Brother is industrious and enerjetic (sic) and perfers farming, I think he could hire sufficient hands to put all of the land in cultivation, and he could overlook them and keep them at work, -for they will not work with out. I think by perseverance and industry, he will be able to make and ample support, and live comfortably. he can raise his one meet (sic) and corn and vegetables; he can make mony (sic) by his Orchard and garden, raising fouls and selling butter. I think a farmer's life is much the happiest life. I think your Mother would be much better satisfied at her one (sic) home. We find it hard to get along with free Negrows (sic), have to pay them such high wages and get very little work out of them. we hardly make enough to pay expences (sic).

All of our house servants left us, one hundred and fifty of our Negrows (sic) never left us. Charity Fleet and Abe left several years ago I do not know what has become of them.

I am sorry Mr Brown has acted so as to cause dissatisfaction; I use to like him so much, and thought him such a good man; I hope all will turn out for the best, and you may find him to be and honest man.

Cove is not married yet. I think she is very hard to pleas (sic). She is living withe (sic) her Sister, helping her to take care of her Children. Cecilia was hre (sic) a few days ago she looks well, has three fine Children lost two beautiful little Boyes (sic).

What you heard about Catharine is not so, I do not think she has any idea of getting married. She does nont (sic) believe in Widows marring (sic0 again Pris is nearly as large as her mother and Tom is almost grown in size. they have a vacation at this time. Pris will go to New Orleans in the fall to complete her french and musick (sic).

You did not say any thing about your Grand Father's family; when you write let me know what has become of them.

Let me know what has become of Mr Andrew I would like very much to hear from him.

I hope you will come and see me as soon as you can it will give me much pleasure to see you. I would like to visit you all again if I ever should get money enough to travel on. I am afraid I never will I cannot find the receipt for the money I let Tenly have. if he is not honest enough to pay me you cannot make him. if you should succeed in getting it just inclose (sic) it in your letter when you write I will not trouble you about getting any thing. I believe I have said every thing I can think about.

Give my love to your Mother and Susan. I think of them often and wish them well my love to all that ask for me; let me know what has become of Mrs Worthington Sisters

I remain with love E. M. Ross

Here are additional Windsor posts:
The Magnificent House ~ Windsor
The Brick Makers of Windsor
Cecilia Beall's Letter ~ 1854 Reunion of Slaves
E. M. Ross's Letter - 1860 Go Without a Servant
E. M. Ross Letter ~ 1867 No One to Protect Us

SOURCE
Windsor 1830-1969 - Vertical File - SF/Windsor 1830-1969 - Picture found in this file.
Ross (Elizabeth Magruder) Letters - Z/1480.000/F/Folder 1
Letter and picture found at Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

E. M. Ross Letter ~ 1867 No One to Protect Us

The Civil War is over but the sting of defeat is fresh. Elizabeth Magruder Ross writes to a nameless niece about the devastation of war on Windsor, the death of Smith Coffee Daniell and his four children since the completion of the house.

Smith Daniell has in his 1860 household Eliza Ross, 55 years of age, born in Maryland. In this letter, Ross refers to Daniell's wife, Catherine, as Sister. I have not seen anything in the census records that supports they were siblings, maybe, it was a term of endearment.
__________________________

January 25th 1867

My dear Child

Seeing your likeness to day prompts me to undertake my long neglected duty: though sevelal (sic) months have passed, since the reception of your most welcome letter. I have not forgotten that it ought to have been enswered (sic) long ago but plead as usual my extreme dislike, to writing; time passes away so rapidly that it seems to be but a few days since I received it. I was delighted to hear from you all once more; I had almost dispaired (sic) of ever hearing from again.

Sad changed have taken place in the last six years. Smith Daniel and four of his little Children have died, only six of us left, my Sister Catherine, Pris, Tom, and little Smith who was born six months after his Fathers (sic) death. We had no one to protect and fight for us during the war: the anxiety and trouble we passed through is pass (sic) discription (sic), all of our property taken from us, one hundred and sixty five horses and mules taken from us, three steame (sic) gins, three thousand bals (sic) of cotton burnt at one time. Our hous (sic) searched about twenty times; Grant made this his headquarters for two days and then made our house a Hospital. Had between (sic) foure (sic) and five hundred wounded in the house at one time they would not suffer us to leave the house; aloud (sic) us four rooms in the third story.

Our cook, cookes (sic) our meals out at her house, and brough (sic) it in a waiter from day to day until they left here, The smell from their wounds was very offensive we could hardly bear it. They made our yard their burying grond (sic). If we made any complaint, they would threaten to burn our house, so we had to bear it patiently.

We feel thankful that our house and lands have been saved to us we can rent out or lease our plantation so that we will be able to live comfortably.

I loaned Tenly one hundred dollars about seaven (sic) years ago, he promised to pay me back again when he got able; I wish you would try and collect for me. If you can get it I will let you know in my next letter what I wish you to get for me with it. I am very sorry to hear that your Mother’s health is not good. When you answer this letter you must tell me some thing about all the family how you are getting along.

What has become of Susan? Is her Father living yet? If you doo (sic) let me know. I would like to hear some thing from all our old neighbors (sic), how they are getting along. Particularly Mr Brown.

You did not say who Olinsker had married I would like to know. Let me know how many Children Josephene (sic) has, give my love to them all when you see them, and to all that ask for me.

Let me know how your Grand Fathers family are getting along. You must take time and write me a long letter. You can write a great may (sic) things that would be interesting to me, whilst I have nothing to write that would be interesting to you.

I have not written for so long a time I have almost forgotten how. You must overlook all mistakes.

Give my love to your Mother and all the family I remain with much love your

Affectionate Aunt E. Ross

The Magnificent House ~ Windsor
The Brick Makers of Windsor
Cecilia Beall's Letter ~ 1854 Reunion of Slaves
E. M. Ross's Letter - 1860 Go Without a Servant
E. M. Ross' Letter ~1867 All Our House Servants Left Us

SOURCE
Ross (Elizabeth Magruder) Letters - Z/1480.000/F/Folder 1
Letters found at Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

E. M. Ross's Letter - 1860 Go Without a Servant

Elizabeth Magruder Ross writes to a young Susan advising her not to rush into marriage, remain in school for another year, see a little of the world, and to marry well. She mentions Windsor is almost finished, and she would like to visit Susan and her family but does not have a suitable slave for the visit. She mentions Bena's illness. Bena was a nickname for Smith Coffee Daniel's daughter Lavinia.

Smith Daniell has in his 1860 household Eliza Ross, 55 years of age, born in Maryland. Ross' relationship to the family is not explained in her letters.
__________________________________

10 August 1860

Dear Sue,

I was truly gratified my dear child, by the reception of your kind letter, which was received the 20th of July; it was forwarded to me from Rodney, I received one from your mother at the same time, for which I was delighted to receive, and read them with much pleasure.

I feel gratified that you all are anxious for me to visit you again. You must not think for a moment because, I have not written to you, that I have forgotten you.

I will explain to you why your letters were not answered, the one dated the 19th of January, I received just on the eve starting to my Aunts, and Cove promised to answer it for me, and I was under the impression that she had done so until I saw her again. The next one I received a day or two before I was sent for to go home to nurse little Bena, who was very ill, we had to sit up with her four weeks.

After she got better I got Cove to write to you, it was directed to Tee Tee in the care of Mr Brown, Ever since I received your last letter I have been dreadfully afflicted with blood boils I had twenty or thirty on me at this tim (sic); I have as menny (sic) on me at this time, which are quite painful; I do not think I will be able to write you but a few lines. It would have given me unbounded pleasure to have visited you this summer, but I did not like to go without a servant. Charity had two children and Eliza is all the time sick, and I did not like to take one out of the field, to be a trouble, instead of assistance. I hope you do not intend to quit school at this time. I think you ought to go one year longer and when I go to see you I will bring you home with me and let you see something of the world before you get married. I hope you will not think of it before you are twenty years old, that will be plenty tim (sic) to commense (sic) the troubles of life. You must try and get some one that has property for you know you do not like to work much.

We have a splendid house nearly done which will cost over one hundred thousand dollars. When I heard from home last they were all well. Smith Catharine and little Bena Have gone to the Red Sulfer (sic) Springs in Virginia to spend the summer.

Every thing here is parched up for the want of rain it has been five months since we have had any rain to do any good, very little corn or cotton will be made in this county.

When you answer this letter get a larger sheat (sic) of paper and tell me some thing about all of the neighbors (sic)

You have never named Molly Lanhan in any of your letters, what had become of her? Has Mrs. Burn any more Children? I suppose your Mother’s health is entirely restored as you never say anything about her being sick; I hope she will be spared to raise her Children and see them all turn out well. I hope Bud will prove a blessing to her, and make a useful man. He always had such an innocent look. I cannot help thinking he will be a good man if he lives give my love to him and tell him he must study (sic) hard and try and turn out as I hope he will; I daily offer up a prayer in behlf (sic) of you all. Give my love to your mother Susan Sis and kiss the little Children for me remember (sic) me to the servants. When you write let me know when you heard from Andrew remember (sic) me to Mr. Pollac and all that enquire (sic) for me except a large portion for yourself

E. M. Ross

The Magnificent House ~ Windsor
The Brick Makers of Windsor
Cecilia Beall's Letter ~ 1854 Reunion of Slaves
E. M. Ross' Letter ~1867 All Our House Servants Left Us
E. M. Ross Letter ~ 1867 No One to Protect Us

SOURCE
Ross (Elizabeth Magruder) Letters - Z/1480.000/F/Folder 1
Letters found at Mississippi Department of Archives and History.