| I transcribed the letters from the Marches to the Whites over 20 years ago. I have in my files a photocopy of only one of the originals. The others were too fragile or faded to make useful copies. I have scanned the copy which is on several pages of legal size paper which best matched the size of the original. The dimensions of the segments below were determined by the dimensions of my scanner bed. Click on each thumbnail to view a larger, for the most part readable, scan of the copy. File sizes are relatively large to preserve enough resolution to read the handwritten text. To enlarge for closer scrutiny in Windows Explorer, click on the icon that appears when you move the cursor over the lower right corner of the image. The full sized images are set to 700 pixels width. I believe if you save each image (after enlarging from the thumbnail) and paste them into all into Word or some graphics program, they should, with a little work, line up so that you can print them as a continuous readable document. | |
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Letter Cover |
Addressed to Mr. Thomas
White
White Oak Springs, Wis. New Diggins February 26, 1844 Dear son and daughter, I received your kind letter of the 9th of Feb. and was glad to hear of all of you being in good health as this leaves us at present thanks be to the Lord for his mercyful goodness towards both you and us in spareing our lives to this present time as wee have been such unprofitable servants so long toward him but he is wonder working God and his grace is sufficient for all who truly believe in him. Dear children you seem to think that you would be much more content if you were with us and not more so that wee should be to have you with us but if far distant from us and the seas betwixt us roar you are not out of thought for our prayers ascend a throne of grace in your behalf both night and day as respects our situations the houses is made of wood logs and planking with lath and lime plaster within. Our fireing is likewise wood which costs us no more than labour. Yet the climate much the same as with you only a few of days a little colder in winter and warmer in summer. This summer I paid 2s per acre for hay land which produced 200 stone per acre for 13 acres. The remainder of my hay land I had given. I payed 4£for a twelve acre field which I sowed with oates except 2 acres that I let Wm. Bushby have and about 1 acre I planted with potatoes. We have fed the oates to the cattle so and have so far a good deal yet wee are feeding 16 head of cattle and 1 horse besides comers and goers. We have no snow at present nor not like for any more the sun hath taken it all away without rain. I think we can spare about 1500 stone of hay. The land is a rich strong clay in general laying on Limestone Rock only needs once ploughing a year. It produces great crops of every kind of grain without either lime, manure or any other things. We can grow popkins and mellons of every kind. Onions and cucumbers and every kind of garden vettageable with the least trouble imagineable. The country is healthful abounding with plenty of water springs, little creeks and large rivers. Wee are getting a large village very fast. There is 4 good stores with a good supply of both wearing apparel and all kinds of eatables. Flour s1 per stone. Beef and pork 3 cents per lb. Coffee 12 cents per lb. Tea and shugar a little lower than with you. All kinds of cottons about the same as with you. Shooes and Boots cheap. Hats much the same as with you. Butter you can sell for 1s per lb. to the stores now. In summer 6 per lb. always good sale. Cheese 4s per lb. about half new milk. You can buy cows with good calfs with them in the spring for about 30s per couple. Good sheep for about 8s per head. wool is worth 1s per lb. Sheep clips out 4 lb. each. Horses from 8 to 10 £ each. Harnesses much the same as with you but a great deal of the work is done by oxen about home and the Diggings. A good yoke costs from 5 to 6£. Wm. Bushby and wife sends their kind loves to you. Ann is like to be confined every day. They are milching 3 cows and hath half of a of Yoke of Oxen and cart with me. They like the country well. No more of Old England for them. They have bought them a good House, which stands them to about 5£. His hay only costs him the labour. There is beautiful pastures in summer free for everyone and an excellent butter country. Good land can be bought of Government for 5s per acre with as good a title as any free land in England without improvements on. I think you could rent a farm for 10 pounds per year that you could keep as much stock on as you do on yours. No poor rates or taxes of any kind except property taxes which is very small. Bushby lives quarter of a mile. Son Wm. and Dorothy, Thos. March and John Hillary hath bought themselves a house about 200 yards from ours but Dorothy and Thomas March still sleep with us. Wee got all our hay together and keeps all our stock together. George and T. March says they could like to come and see all their Relations friends and old acquaintances once more but if John March comes too Amerrica this spring as he is Expected to do it is a a great chance that either ( ) or you will ever see them again unless you (come) to see them in Amerrica. Mary hath got married and is liveing about 3 miles from us. Your brothers and sisters and all old acquaintances are well and sends their kind loves to you. Your mother hath had her health very good for a long time. I had some illness in the beginning of winter which was brought on by violent wetting to the skin when from home seeking some strayed cattle but all of us in Good Health at present. Thank God for it. Wee have a Sunday School where the Children goes every Sunday. Four of them got new testaments for saying the Ten Commandments. We have a free school about 9 months in the year. Free for all children. It is a free country and newcomers have the same priveliege for their children as them that hath been thare for all their lives ln your next letter let us know all perticulars about your children. Give our kind respects to Brother Edward and wife and Mary says she is going to rite to them this week. Likewise to Sister Nancy and family and wee could like to have them with us. John could like to have them come on as soon as possible. They can get them. Likewise to Nephew John Richardson and family. I could like to have a letter from him to how he gets on and what family he hath and whether he could like to come to Amerrica or not. You never name what anything about your Brother John nor whether he would like to come to Amerrica with you or not. Rite with speed and let us know all perticulars about both you and him. Give my respects to Thos. March and tell him I have looked for a letter from him for a long time. Give our respects to all of our relations all old neighbours and all Enquireing friends. I should be Glad to have a letter from any of them that will rite to me as they will never have an oppertunity of seeing me again in Old England. If you think of comeing let me know in your next letter that I may be able to provide a situation for you. I think it will be one year from this before you can get your affairs settled.
George and Sarah
March
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