RKFP-006

[illegible] Hickory Grove Jany. 23d 1848

Dear Brother & Sister

I believe you owe me one letter but I would not care to wait for payment, if I had anything to write that would be of interest to you. - Time with us jogs on quietly & soberly bringing peace & plenty. (Sometimes too great a plenty of hard work.) but on the whole we have little to complain of. - I have spent the winter thus far in threshing out my grain. Cutting fire wood feeding my cattle &c. - Our winter has been very warm thus far, we might have ploughed more than half of the time; no snow yet. Wheeling is now good. Our market has been steady & good for some time past; Wheat ranges from 60 to 90 c corn from 20 to 30 c Oats 15 @ 20 Beef & pork 2.5 c per Ha[?]. I suppose John wrote you all the particulars of Old Fathers departure. We all felt relieved when He was gone for we felt that our loss was his gain. Still we miss him more than you can well imagine Our Christmas party failed. New Years was not as joyous as usual. - In order that you may know how matters stand at Old Homestead, as well as for other reasons. I send you a copy of Fathers Will[underlined]. Know all men &c I appoint my son Joseph & Joseph Filkins[?] my executors. Unto my Daughters Avis & Adelia I bequeath all my Household furnature to be divided equally between them. I leave my Home stead 88 acres of land with the buildings & improvements, Team Cattle Waggon Farming utintials[?] &c in the joint possession of my Daughters Avis & Adelia & my Son Alonzo to have[strikethrough] &[strikethrough] to[strikethrough] hold[strikethrough] the[strikethrough] same[strikethrough] hold & have

the use of as long as they can agree among themselves and live hapily together My Object in this is that the girls Avis & Adelia may have a home. In case of one or more of them marrying Missunderstanding &c Then the Executors must dispose of the property and divide the same among the whole Hass[?]. One Yore of Yearling Steers I give to Alonzo the Baleance of my property consisting of 40 acres of land East of the grove together with obligation against R Adams & others I divide eaqually among my Children * (I furthermore full it my duty to recomend to my son Hiram in consideration of old obligations I hold against him, to be considerate and liberal to Avis & Adelia, which matter I leave intirely to his sense of Righteousness & justis[?] - *) - Hiram is or was inclined to think that the hand of Joab was in this, but he is mistaken - Inventory Notes of Hand & interest amounting to 40 acres of Land appraised at 88 - - - - besides this afre some small accounts against some of the Heir, a Watch (which [was?] James') which will I think nearly ballance the claims against the Estate. The notes of hand are secured by Mortgage on the mill place. We shall foreclose the Mortgage as soon as possible, unless the owner of the Mill place chooses to make a good payment before the Court sits. The next Item 40 acres of Land mostley Prairie which is only good for hay and pasture I think ought not to be taken from the homestead & cannot be sold (only divided). Now in order that we may settle the Estate we think it best for the Heirs to Quit Claim to one of us then it can remain untill the other is disposed of I will inclose a Quit Claim Deed which you and Mary Ann can sign if you [illegible] have

[written to the side in the middle of the page] 2162. 240. 1056. ---- 3458.

It acknowledged by a notary or other County[underlined] officer, please inform me of the amount of cost for the same. Next Homestead All of us here feel disposed to further Fathers wishes as far as possible that the Girls may have a Home, for they have truly deserv[ed?] it Avis in particular. how long this may be done I cannot tell I think Alonzo is disposed to marry soon; if so I think they will have to be careful or the place will have to be sold to the best bidder; in which case I will remember your request. - We have all been well, but poor Asa (and Wms little boy Mark who is now well) Asa made us a visit in the fall I wanted him to enter into partnership with Wm but he was not inclined so to do. He does not like Carry very well & thinks that Wm loves the Almighty Dollar a little to well. Up to this [page torn] [wi?]nter Asa has made a living We will see that he does not lack for means untill he gets well and can provide for himself Alonzo is attending school prehaps because a certain Yankee Girl attends too. The Girls are chearful & as happy as may be, they know they have a good home and if that fails they have homes enough to fall back on. I shall make it my particular business to look out for their interest. I have nearly used up my Sheet; before I say good by pemit me to say in the words of he loved diciple. Love one an other and cherish a firm reliance on Him who careth for us. I feel more solisitous on these points as you are seperated from us - And as I believe they are [page torn] sources of Happiness. May God bless you Joseph

To my Dear nices & nephews - I have only space to write you a [illegible] [page torn] but I love you not the less for all that. I hope that when Pa & [page torn] writes me a letter you will always write some to. If Mas [page torn] Edward & George cannot write they must make their m [page torn] that is if they remember Old Uncle Joseph

[upper left] Wheeling Ills Jan 24

[upper right] Paid 10

[addressed] Mr John. H. Tennisson Monticello Mississippi