Cameron Family Papers - Records of Enslavement

Mr Cameron Charles goes up with a small land such as I can pet the mill has almost come to a stop for want of watter the dam very open and [needing?] repairs I had hoped today to make a start one the repairs but the hands refuse to work on it I offer 25 cts a day for good work they make lite of the offer and ask one dollar so I am at a stand still on the job the whole frame of [hued?] timber and rafters to be got and to be covered with plants to make it stand through the next winter. It is a job that cannot be done in flush watter advise me what to do in this matter I think I can hire hands in the neighbourhood for 25th and pay them in corn tole from the mil my Bro. George will take the job W. Southerland has Carrington threshing his wheat not cleaning any Card threshing in person the negroes are dwn after corn say card is behaving very badly there I fear too truly drunk all the time carries off corn 2 buzo whiskey with it poor foolish man I suppose you for the sake of your interest will be obliged to [illegible?] him 2 family all are very anxious to get out the wheat for report the snow hill damaging as it was put up too wet will have it spread out first fair weather all hands idle at every place wont do any thing towards plantation work thy talk of going in the country to work for wages but I dont hink they intend to take any work for themselves or as any one else. Johnson asks me to tell you many is about breathing her last and wishes to remain bur will retrun as soon as she is gone to his place I cant see what we are all to come to here if the negroes remain we all will have to leave as soon as the cold begins to pinch them the plantations will be turned out fencing burnt up and every thing wasted please send Charles back by [illegible?] for your bros mill spindle and the cartings for threshing machine as one of them will do to work with. Respectful S. Piper

Raleigh 2 Feb 1866

My dear sir

The girl whom I had engaged for Mildred made her appearance this morning, so that I will not trouble you to send down to Stagville for [illegible] as [illegible]

I hope you reached home safely and found your invalids all improving - me as much as you left us -

With best love to all

I am very truly yours

[Signature illegible]

"Ridge Pole" Feby. 11th 1866 Dear Sir Your love & very welcome letter of the 24th Jany. reaches us this morning & made our hearts glad with news from home & the [illegible?] ours there we were much amused by your description of the scene that ensued on your announcement that [Annie?] & the children had returned to [illegible?]. when the photographs were recd we had been some time without news & though your letter was two weeks old it gave us great pleasure especially as your extended into details but trust she has been releived as this by Dr. Strudwicks still backed by [grad?] nursing Maggie too has been suffering we sincerely hope she is now quite well again. As for the rise or fall of bottom in future I do not allow myself to speculate open it. I have put my all into this undertaking as it is too late now to look back even if it were advisable to withdraw. So that my only road to success is through hard work untiring energy, prudence & economy & with the blessing of providence if my health continues good I have no doubt of a moderate return for my labour & this is all I expect. The [illegible?] from mobile

a good many untouched - all my ditches have filled up & I have not time to get them properly opened in order to secure dry land to work. but with all these difficulties I feel confident of moderate success & we are all happy & contented with too much to do to have any time to waste in thinking about the past. Judge Wright informs me that he has gotten me a man (a yankee) who has agreed to furnish me more hands & I expect them this week so that I may perhaps soon be able to do better than I am now doing - the agreement between us is that the man is to furnish me any number of hands from 10 to 20 that I may may choose & receive a certain per cent of the net proceeds of the cotton crop as yet I do not know how much for I left that with the Judge Wright & have not yet heard from him about it. The Mississippi is up again & some think it will not go down again till mid-summer Indian creek is over its banks & there is a good deal of water in the low grounds near our house but not enough to interfere with my operations at all as yet. Some of my neighbours I hear can not plow or do any thing else. I killed 10 small hogs the other day which gave me 1000 pounds more of meat which was a great gain

can blame nobody but yourself if you fail besides you can not tell how long your father will be able to afford you these advantages So many others in the country have been entirely deprived of them through no fault of theirs & it may be the case with you, so now is the time for you to work.

We are so distressed to hear of Ma's continued sickness I can scarcely realize that she is sick. I hope by this time she is entirely recovered. Annie recd yesterday a letter from Becca Ruffin which she will answer as soon as she can. She has too much to do to write much I tell you having breakfast before sunrise dinner at 12 & Supper at 7 keeps everything here stirring. We try to be very punctual for one overseer acts with us & all the hands stop as long as we do so that we have to move in time. Tell Benehan that Lilly has a beautiful puppy black & white I have not named it yet. My friend & former clerk in the army Mr. Patterson has been spending a week with us & I have enjoyed his company very much. I have a right nice horse. I got him in Memphis for $150.00 & the negroes named him Bully because he is nearly the colour of Flat River Bully at home he is a very good horse for my purposes. Tell Mr. Cameron that Mr. Stone gave us some syrup that he made in Georgia which is very nice indeed & that he says that he made for your Father has not yet been sold perhaps he had better write to Judge Wright & get it sent on to him.

Best love to all from us it is 12 oclock & I must get up at 5 1/2 so good night.

Affectionately Your Brother G.P. Collins

March 23d 1866 Mr P. C. Cameron Dear Sir I have concluded to write you a few lines in care of Dr Jones - this will inform you that the health of all in this place is very good at this time – the Spring has bin very backward this year – I never planted any corn untill last Monday - I've planted about 130 acres - have bin stoped twice this week by rain - I do not think there is any time lost in planting – for I think we will have a good [deal?] of bad weather yet – Ive been throughed very much back by ginning cotton – I got the las to the river last Tuesday which will be in Mobile to day – all of your cotton will be in Mobile to day with the exception of 20 bails which was hauled the first of all to Demopolis for the benefit of mr Collins all done through Col Jones – I was in Demopolis las week and found that

Memphis April 2nd 1866

My Dear Sir:I have had your letter of the 12th of last February - in my pocket constantly for much intending to answer it every day - but have been prevented - by the session of our Courts & the pressure of business: I ought to have written long ago. I directed Major Collins to send you a statement of the settlement with Belote, as he had the plantation Book in which the settlement was made - and which I hope you have received. The old man Belote applied to me here to pay him the balance of your note to him - which was $329.67/100 - $200.00/100 having been before paid & credited on the note given at the settlement: and on the 23rd of Feb. last I paid him the $329.67/100 & placed the amount as a credit on the note I had given Major Collins as $1096.21/100, in the settlement [illegible] me & you. Major Collins had found it very difficult to get those who owed you at the plantation to pay up so as to enable

2 him to pay Belote & I concluded at once to pay Belote. As to what is due you at the plantation (the accounts of Major Collins reports to me - that scarely a such is willing to admit he owes anything & I fear - that all these claims will be lost. He now has demonstrated that but few gentlemen exist: (thank God there are a few) and debtors - very often believe - that the [??] has given a license to plunder generally:- to deny debts - to repudiate them & to get rid of them - any [??] way. When I get leisure this summer & am in the Bottom sometime I will [??] Major Collins & see what can be done with these claims. As to the [??] of $510.96/100 to which you refer - chaged in the account of Battle, Nobe & Co. as of date March 15th 1861 - I have now no recollection whatever. I had intended to look into my old remittance Books of that date - could they be found - to trace it - but I have not yet found time - but will, some time, or other, do so & report the result.

3 I can only now say that if it was sent to me (as doubtless it was) it was applied as demds to some matter of yours: & no doubt the Correspondence between us - if not lost, will show the whole affair; but for the life of me now I cannot tell anything about it: & must defer a search until some period of more time. As to the settlement with Major Collins of what I owed you it was [??] of my own seeking: I was anxious to settle with all my creditors as rapidly as possible & voluntarily proposed to Maj: Collins to accept a settlement for you - not doubting that it would meet your approval: and I thank you most sincerely for your willingness to have indulged me however long a time, I might have wished. The debt that troubled me most - was the one to [Sale?late] for his interest in my plantations [??] sold me first before the most which then I could easily have paid at any time - but now - (interest & all) has

4 become quite a heavy & serious affair. I thought I would pay off my lesser debts first & yours among them. I acted very thoughtlessly - indeed foolishly during the [??] - in not applying a large debt - due me in the Bigley County from Gerdine - for my plantations sold him there in 1858. Just [??] of applying that to my debt to fate, as well as other debts due [??], I took it in Confederate notes (dollar for dollar) in December 1863 - so confident was I of our success in the late terrible struggle. But I hope - at the end of this year to get rid of debt. If I have success in planting - that, with my professional earnings - will, I trust, release me. To day the Court meets in [??] & Mr Croft your Counsel in the Case with Polk & wife (late [??])