Cameron Family Papers - Records of Enslavement

time to come! I will consent to no sort of [misprudence?] – I will go up to Rockingham on the 24 or 25 of this month. Please return the letters to me by first mail – the are all putting [lull?] of my own household, but fear that Aunt Mary Kirkand is having “a hard time” of it – I do hope that you are doing all thatyou can do to build your self up – [Nurse?] that cough – and come to Hillsboro and be advised as to what is best –

With a [tender?] of my love to the entire household I am my Dear Sir Faithfully yours P. C. Cameron

Sep 21st 59

Mrs. Medway,

Madam,

You are perhaps surprised that no answers have yet been given to your letters addressed to my daughter Annie & myself. The explanation should be satisfactory, when I state that my daughter has not yet seen or heard of your letter, nor was its existence known to myself until I received it, enclosed with yours to me, on the 16th inst. They were received here during my absence in the upper part of the State in anxious attendance upon my sick child, where she has been confined by lingering illness since the 4th of July.

They were withheld from me until the above date to save my already overwhelming distress from an added bitterness.

You will hardly expect that I shall communicate to her a letter so well calculated to mortify one of her tender years, until she is sufficiently restored to health to bear its annoyance. As her convalescence is very slow & tedious, & I do not know when she will be strong enough to travel homeward, I can not advise you when it will be proper to put your letter into into her hands. Indeed, I can not promise that she shall ever have the sight of it. It must first be ascertained, if possible, how far she has been guilty of any discretion in the matter charged upon her.

of shells is nearly exhausted & none can be procured till winter time when oyster packing commences our gas companies here use shell line to purify their gas with & sell it afterward a 3 ½ to 4 [illegible] we applied to them intending to send some that as a sample but find the have 6000 [illegible] to deliver to one party & then 2000 to another for agricultural purposes & this will take themsome time to furnish this is a lower price than they have ever sold their lime at 5 [?] to [illegible] being the usual price

We fear the delay attendant on any shipment of lime now may make it undesireable should this be the case advise us – we will do any thing we can – such people as usually burn lime are a very [poor?] set & any agreement we make with them for stipulated time in the furnishing of it is hard to be relied on as they have no responsibility –

Your draft shall have due [illegible] on appearance & in any way we can expedite such or any other matters we are always at your service

Yours truly Rowland & Bros

Wilmington N.C. Sept 24. 1859.

Sir. Your letter through Mr. Wright has just now been put into my hands, & while I thank you for it, allow me also to express regret that you are suffering an affliction in your family, & how truly pained I feel at being compelled to bring an unpleasant subject before you at such a time. To me the justice to believe I would not have written that letter at that time had I known that you were otherwise under great anxiety.

Respecting my letter to Miss Cameron; if you think it likely to be too agitating or in any wise impervious, by all means suppres it. I have no wish – God forbid I should! – to cause any one the smallest pang, but you must also remember what a heartfelt one has been inflicted on me. I will bear all I can, & as patiently as I can for sake of your sick child’s feelings; but a s this does not concern me alone I think

Norfolk Sept 24 1859

P. C. Cameron Esq Hillsboro N Ca

Dr Sir – Your Grain (20 [lbs?]) & also the ½ ton for Mr Piper have all been placed in the depot we have the promise to expedite it soon as possible with the boxe in some chance by perseverance in getting it along at once our Rail Road here we must say show [?] than ordinary accommodation & a spirit to push matters ahead for they for some time have worked all night & day & have succeeded in sending on an immense quantity of freight – we will forward the bill soon as [gone?]

We have made farther inquiries for Lime & can deliver at once – he offers to deliver it at the depot – @ 9 ½ [illegible] we have to furnish the empty [illegible] & all labor filling [cooperage?] working &c [illegible] will hold [illegible] 16 to 20 [Bins?] the [illegible] labor & cooperage will be about $1.50 [illegible] & hardly less as we will have to collect them together which is attended with some expense & labor

the piece 7 ½ [?] is at the kilns up the River & it is boated some distance the main demand for this lime goes by water conveyance & the kilns are not allowed in town – we are thus particular in giving you a full account of cost &c

Flour remains very quiet but with rather [illegible] the at some concession sale for shipment have been made at $5 ¼ super $6.00 extra we have had heavy rains here for some days past

Yours truly Rowland & Bros

Some time since Mr Piper sent us as case shoes we forwarded it as marked to [Rives?] Battle & Co mobile to be sent to your plantation there we [illegible] you have given R Boles the proper directions for its care

it with my entire household in less than a month from this day. I am very well pleased with it and though I deem it quite a good looking house, still if it be true as has been said that the useful is an element of the beautiful, then I have no doubt but that I will find in its accommodating something which “[passeth all show?]” and that it will [prove?] quite a comfortable home for the rest of my natural life.

I am sorry to learn that your wife and daughter are still compelled to linger away from you and more particularly that the health of the latter continues feeble. If she is not wholly restored by the time the winter sets in, I think it not improbable that a change to the milder climate of this part of the State would benefit her and I assure you that it would afford my wife and myself much pleasure to welcome her with Mrs Cameron & yourself & the rest of your family to our new home. We have an abundance of room and both heart & home will be open for your reception, Kate is now at the Sound where she has been for two or three weeks past, & doubtless would send her love to yourself & family if she knew I was writing to you. Very sincerely Yr friend Joshua G. Wright.

P. C. Cameron Esq.

Charlotte NC Sept 26th 1859

Young & [Wriston?] Dr To Col. P. C. Cameron Dr 26 ½ “ wool 2[?]¢ $7.15 Cr By cash Enclosed 7.13

Col. Cameron Sir, Your sample of wool by Express is rec'd, and we have this morning assesed & examined it in store. We find several grades of wool in it, and most of the Fleeces with an objectionable quantity of Burrs in them. We estimate the loss in the wool at 5” [illegible] when ready for the washing, besides the expense & trouble of ridding it of the burrs, and consider 2y [?], its full value. It would then cost us 40 ½ cts clean. Therefore we cannot do better than we offered you in [?], [?]. pay you in plain Kersey 29¢ – and [twilled?] at 32¢ – And we could not furnish the Kersey before in November.

We remain Yours Very respectfully Young & [Wriston?]

New Orleans 27 Sept 1859

P. C. Cameron Esq Hillsboro Orange Co: N.C

Dear Sir Enclosed you will find Invoice of the Osage Orange Seed at your dr in a/o $32.54. which we have shipped pr S.S. Cahawba to Messrs Brown & De Rossett: N. York – to be forwarded to and held by Messrs Rowland & Bros: Portsmouth: Va: for your instructions – advising the parties to this effect.

Yours Very Resp. Battle, Noble & Co. [?] Jno. A. [H?es]

Tax List [for] 1831.