Person:James McKENZIE (5)

Claiborn Parish, La. April 30, 1854

Dear Father and Mother: It is through the merceys of God that I am this one time more favored with the opportunity of dropping you a few lines wich fines us all in tolerable health with the exception of the hooping cough both of our children has it and Laceys it has been very light on mine though. Margaret's baby is right bad with it now. Wit's (?) family is all well and we hope when these lines comes to hand they may find you all in good health. We are mightly behind with our crops. We have had a mighty cool backward spring. We had a right smart frost yesterday morning and it is cool this morning though I dont think that anything is injured by the frost. We have plenty of fruit yet. I have not got any corn or cotten up yet. I finished planting 8 acres of corn the second time yesterday. I have 8 or9 acres of corn to plant yet. People generly is mightley behind with thear crops this spring. The spring opened earley through it has been the most of the time verry cool and dry. We neede rain verry mutch now. Wit received a letter from B (brother?) David dated some 3 and 9April which gave us grate satisfaction to hear that you was all well. He also stated that he had not herd from Texas in sometime. We have not herd since people left here. We had never herd anything about Vineys baby being dead until we red his letter nor as mutch as she had one. I will give you the price of produce and grocreys. Corn is worth from 75 to $1. Bacon I no of none selling. Molasses is wroth 22 cts per galleon by thebarrel. Salt cosse $2.000 per sack. Shoogar 5 cts. per pound,coffey 14 cts. Our Navigation was berry late. The boats has notmade but some 4 or 5 trips to Minden yet and it thought that it cannot make more than 2 more trips. The cotten is not half from the landing yet though ours is all in the citty. Cotten is worth northing here now scarcely. I expect that you want to no something about our land we all have good land on the last survey some 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 miles from Homer. I have some 30 acres of open land. Some red and some sandy. Father you no whare my place is it is the Grigsby place East of Lacey's. We yet hop that if the Home sted has not passed that it will pass. Some say it is a law and some say it is not. I recken we will know after a while wheather it is or not. We have all registered our land which will hold good till the land---wheather the home sted passes or not. May 7 we have had a splended rain 4 and 5 inct. My oats is(blank) though mighty low. I am done clearing up my ground with the exception of about 3 hours work. My cotten is coming up very nice. Horses is very high. Cows and calves is worth from 15 to $25. Hogs is tolerable low. Chickens is worth 15 to 20 cts. Butter is worth 15 cts. eggs 10 cts. i have some sweete poetatoes slips set out. I ad no More, but Remain you affechonet children. J.M. McKinzie and I.M. McKinzie. The spelling is as James Madison wrote. You can almost hear him talking when you read this. These are not typos! Note how he spelled his last name!

Claiborne Parish, La., May the 13th, 1854

Dear Father and Mother: It is through the merceys of God that I am blessed with the oppertunity of dropping you a few lines which fines us all in common health and we hope when these lines comes to your hands they may find you all enjoying the same blessings of Gods mercys. I have nothing verry strange to Rite to you we have all had the worst colds that we ever had though we have had the most changeable weather I ever saw and the nicest weather for work that I ever saw. There are corn in my neighborhood that is waste high and has been hit down 3 times with frost. People has there crops in fine fix to grow though we neede Rain now very bad but I think we will have some in a day or so for it has been cloudey for better than a weeke. Lacey and Wit has been done planting some times and I finished yesterday.I have ten acres of new ground planted down where I was clearing when you was here and I think that if I have seasons I will make corn aplenty and I hope to share. I have 6 acres of third yearland in corn that Reyley looks fine. it has been some time sincewe Red any letter from any of you. I red a letter from Mother and David dated 16 of March wich was the last scratch of a pen we have got and I recon that you have tought long of the time of us not riting. I should have rote sooner but I thought it would never do to Rite and say that I had no corn planted at home yet but as soon as I was done I thought that that was good news tome and wold be to you all too. Lacey got in no new ground this spring he intended to take in some 6 or 8 acres and had it allmost cleaned off and was taken sick with a disease of his liver and lungs thought I think it was something about such a spell ashe had once before of influenzy cold. He was sick some 3 weeks. Our Little girl is verry pretty and smart and can sit alone and as good a child as common. Melissey is in prittey good health. She has made a verry good hand in my new ground picking up brush and dropping corn. She can bee a help. I have got her a wheele and timber to make a loom. Brother David Rote to us if we wase likely to suffer for provissions for the want of means to let him no and if his credit was good in old---.he wold help us for which I return him my most hastey thanks for his kind offer for it is more than I could think of him offering as far from us as he is through he has alwayes showed to me the respect that one brother ought to have for another and I will never for get him while my head is above the ground I wold just say to you all that I have corn and fadder Bacon and flour enought to do me and some bacon to share not boasting I thought that you wold want to no. We have a beautiful Irish potatoes as large as a hens egg.We have some 8 hundred slips set out of yams. Alexander talks of you all and says that he will come and see you when he gets large like me. I will ad no more but remain your affectionet children untill death. JM & IM McKinzie.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} McKenzie Cemetery, Claiborne Parish, LA. McKenzie Cemetery, Claiborne Parish, LA.