Poe Archive

Savannah February 7th 1828

I received my dear daughter with great pleasure your acceptable letter of 10th ultimo–I was truly rejoiced to find you were again restored to health, and I pray god this blessing may long be continued to you--We have had a good many arrivals from Boston to this place, without a line from your sister or yourself–I have wrote your sister Charlotte pretty frequently for mail and have sent her a good many newspapers with “well” marked on it, but I supposed those newspapers have never reached your sister as the roads are said to be so bad this uncommonly warm winter–We have had the warmest winter that I ever recollect–My roses have been in full blossom all the winter, and my Palma Christi is green and in full growing–the Jessamine and Cherokee Rose are in full bloom, my blackberrys are all in blossom–also the peach and nectarine. I send this by Brig Jasper Capt. Isaac Parker with some prime head rice, and sweet oranges but I fear the latter may decay notwithstanding. I have put up each with great care in separate paper–I find by the paper that the Brig Atlantic ______ arrived in Boston on the 19 ultimo–by her I wrote you, and sent sundries, which I hope you have received–and that they proved agreeable------I do not think I ever found Savannah less agreeable than it has been this winter–the yellow fever of the last fall left a gloom on the people–and my building a house at ______and marrying your sister in Boston–they say I can have few ties in this place, and they begin to suspect that I wish to leave them–in that I do not think they err much–yesterday I dined with Dr. Daniel, his guest was the late governor Troup and his daughter, Wm B. Bullock–Judge Davis McLaw, Col Williams, and many more dined there–Today I shall dine with Mr. Leat my neighbor–

I wrote your sister that I had made a sale of all my people on Hutchinson Island to the number of twenty–old & young, big and little. Among them are Sambo, Friday, Sampson, Jenkins–Lucy, Rose, Phoebe, Rachel, Peggy, Dianna, Clarinda, Daphne, Midday, Nanny, & Milo–15 in all, who are in your Mother’s marriage settlement–Midday, Nanny, and Milo are children–and Rachel is very infirm and Lucy is quite old–By your Mother’s marriage settlement, she retained the right to give her son, Wm. L. Pierce, one third, which I purchased from her, and paid William about $3,700, and his one third was vested intirely in myself, which is on record in this place–By the marriage settlement I have retained the right to sell this property and vest it in other property–which I mean to do–It might however be proper for all the heirs of your Mother, who are now of lawful age–to send me there full consent in writing to sell and dispose of this property to the best advantage–Therefore it will be proper for yourself–Mr. & Mrs. Oliver to give me under their hand and seal–to sell and vest the above named Negroes in some good stock–for their benefit at my death–also all the other Negroes provided I have a good offer for them–You will please to remember me with kind affection.

Affection to Mr. Oliver his children, his worthy Mother, and all the family–I pray God to bless you and to have you constantly in his holy keeping–your ever affectionate father–E Jackson