Poe Archive

Honey Grove, Lincoln Co. Ky.
Near Stanford, June 24th 1855

My dearest beloved wife

On this gloomy, rainy, Sabbath surrounded by the almost unbroken forest my heart turns with fondest love, and sweetest thoughts to my own darling wife, and our bright eyed boy. Here I am with Mr. Murphy and his family–wife & three little children, for the time, shut out from all the world, & the rest of mankind, the rain pouring down and completely penning us in the little log house, with nothing to amuse or interest us, except our own thoughts. Mrs. Murphy is a pleasant little woman, tolerably tidy; but not talkative, and living so much secluded to render it impossible that she can be well informed. Mr. M. is a man of limited education but tolerably well informed in his business–tanning. Poor company for a dull day–(you think). The children are two girls–of about six and four years--& a little boy of eighteen months of age. They are interesting children, and as the boy waddled about–his little fat feet patting the floor, his eyes sparkling, & his glad laugh mingling with glee, I think of our own little jewel, and long to have his dear little hands scratching my face, and pulling my hair. Oh! That I could fold you & him to my bosom now, and spend this day with you. I have spent these two days trying to trade for Murphy’s tan-yard stock &c, but have not brought him to my terms. He has offered me his property at a bargain, but stickles at taking part of the pay in Texas land. I shall trade with him tomorrow, I think. Tell William Atkins to come over here, and look at these lands, by all means. I know I can make an arrangement to give him a situation that will give him a fortune.

I am reliably informed that the citizens of this county will make up ($1000) a thousand dollars for any man who will establish a steam–flour–mill in this neighborhood. With that help, & the timber to be had on these lands no man of any energy can fail to make money rapidly here.

You may tell him there is any amount of Poplar here of the best quality besides every other kind of timber on the land. Daily wagons pass here going three miles beyond for lumber for Lancaster, Danville, & all the country north of this place–taking the lumber from the mill. That arrangements will be made tomorrow to complete the turnpike to my land. And in short, he had only to see it, to get a good trade. My plan is to get both places–Murphy’s and mine–sell the stock of leather–reserve the tan yards with 50 or 100 acres of land for each–and the tanbark–sell the timber standing on the land, and then I can get as much or more for the land than I can now & sell the tan yards, with the bark all of which can be done easier than selling the yards and land as they now stand. I have already had four applications for small tracts at fair prices, and am satisfied that, if it were known that I would sell it in small tracts, I could get more than I asked Atkins for it.

I have sold my house & lot in Stanford–made the sale yesterday.

I am expecting Mr. Reed & my Cin man here tomorrow or next day. If they come I shall probably be detained until next week; if not I expect to be home Saturday. I sent Thomas to Lexington to watch old man Stemmons , to keep him from blundering in my way. He will not probably be back here before Tuesday morning.

And now my sweetest, dearest, best loved one farewell! Kiss our darling little babe for me, and be assured that the fondest love of him that loved you both better than his own life, ever hovers near you and his prayers constantly ascend for blessings upon his precious jewels.

You own dear devoted husband,
D. C Freeman