Poe Archive

Floyd, Louisiana
August the 25, 1867
Mr. J. A. W. Jackson

Dear Sir,

Yours of August the 11th came to hand yesterday. We was truly glad to hear from you all once more and that all was well. This leaves us all able to eat our short rations and jogging on after the same old sort. The papers you speak of came to hand. Please accept thanks and for a fire now, I will send you some of our Parish papers. Well, Wad, I have no news but hard times and was a coming. We had made fine corn crops in this country, such a thing as has not been done since 1862 and then but few of us got to stay to eat it. Our cotton is a total failure. The worm will entirely cut it off. Great many have turned off their hands and the cry is, “What are we to do?” Wad, I am afraid we have got to see (as old women say) sights.

Our elections have yet to come and we have Negroes here in abundance. Some are beginning to talk quite bold and then you must remember there is a great many young men here who were Quantrill’s, Garrett’s, Pool’s & Lee’s guerrillas. It has been with great care and persuasion they have been kept quiet but I am afraid something will turn up to give them an excuse and then up goes Carroll Parish. A great many people are going from here to British Honduras, Brazil, Cuba, and other points. I can’t go, getting too old.

Wad about that gal baby--You and old woman had best have two beds and never crawling. Times are too hard for so many in family or at least keeps us scratching to keep the pot boiling.

I wish you would send someone down this way with plenty of funds to buy us out. Perhaps might emigrate to Old Robertson as Pamelia is continually going up there (that is in dreams). We have 3 places, all convenient to market navigation & in fact, everything conducive to the cultivation of cotton but I wish to raise no more. Times too hard, labour uncertain. In fact, I am not constituted to manage Free N____rs and must quit them.

Write soon. Tell me all the news. Our kindest regards to all the kindred and people of your section. In haste,

W. T. C. Anderson

Well Sue, as Mr. Anderson has written to Wad and room enough left for me to write, I will write you a few lines in answer to that long and looked for letter of yours I received a few weeks ago. I was very anxious to get that letter after Wad told me in his last that it was a long letter and all the news in it. Well, it got here after a long time and I tell you, dear Sue, I was glad to get it. It done me a great deal of good and I have read it over a dozen times or more. Emily was up here yesterday and she had to read it. I want you to write me another letter like that one as soon as you get this. Don’t put it off so long. I get tired of waiting for an answer.

Well Sue, I do think that you and Wad bests all the world for having babes. How do you get them so fast? Please tell me for I want one more. Sue, how glad I would be to see you and Wad and that nest of youngins and all of my dear relation up there. Tell dear Addy to write to me. I would be so glad to get one more letter from her. Give Emily, Addy, Sally, and Mary Ann my best love and all their children and tell them may God bless them all in this world and in the world to come. Sue, I have got the worst cold right now I ever had in my life. Tell Wad to send some more of the Springfield papers. I was so glad to get them. It does me a heap of good to look over them. I will now have to quit. Write as soon as you get this. May God bless you forever. I ever remain your loving sister,

P. J. Anderson [Pamela Jane Jackson Anderson]