Cameron Family Papers - Records of Enslavement

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your [land?]- setting up a large and unfounded claim & have engaged an attorney (Mr [croft?]) to defend you &c. Very soon after Mr Collins left for N. Carolina to get his family & hands, Polk (the husband of the late Mrs [Vick] She being also as he said in town) appeared at my office & demanded a settlement: to which I replied the utter impossibility of a settlement here without the presence of Stone & others to explain matters right- and the further fact that the [session?] of [illegible] & my business precluded me from giving the matter then my attention. Polk [affected?] to believe he might

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lose that was due &c the war probably having made you unable to pay it to which I offered to be your surity & to give any bond asked and told him he & wife certainly had in hand (including the gold) nearly or quite enought to pay them: when to my utter surprise he put up a large claim alledging that the money sent out to you was (a good deal of it) Vicks own money for which you owed it. The claim was so absurd and unfounded- that I said some rather sharp things to Polk: hence the letters of his wife to you. I explained

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to [Meloote?] my wish to settle fairly & without law - that they must, at their cost, withdraw the attachment: & I think they will settle. I will try & affect a settlement only. I write in haste. Let me know of the safe arrival of this letter & the enclosed papers. I remain. Very truly yours A. Wright

Commerce Miss Jan 8th '66

My dear father, Yours of 30th reached my hands on Sunday the 6th, and it was no little enjoyment to me to receive it. It was handed by Luke Wright who came down on Saturday, he is well & says the Judge's Family is also. But I saw the Judge on Christmas week he was down prepairing to settle with his hands. He is looking forwar with great pleasure for the arrival of you in Memphis. You spoke about Mother being down at [illegible] with Maggie & Benny, I am quite sure that she is having a very hard time putting up her [pork?], [Forth?] on acount of hands & on account of the inconvenience that she is [put?] up with. I am afraid that she will exert herself too much, for her health is not good. I am sure that Maggie ['is' slashed out] will do her part in helping her, for she is always ready to help. I am sure that you had cold weather in N.C. for we have had some bitter cold weather here. And the weather is beautiful, we are making rails fly, and also cleaned up some ditches, though we have not burned any at all. This weathr is very fine for burning as the ground is dry & the grass dry. I think Brother is working for the best & to make every [illegible]. We will finish ginning cotton about Saturday. I shall be glad of it

for it is dusty work. Brother will make about fifty five bails when he expected at least 40 more, you can judge about that how the crops are by that, and he made a better crop in proportion to the number of hands that he worked, except Mr Abbay & Cock & Fly. Mr Potter planted 65 acres & made 8 bails. The old negroes that we brought out are doing very well & I think Brother is pretty well pleased. Your old man Green from Alabama is now in the bottom, he came here last week for his ['wife' slashed out] daughter Nellie who was [Japhet's] wife to carry her back with him. And when he came down the River the boat landed him on the Arkansas side and robed him of his money so he is working with Brother to make money to pay his way back. Speaking of the enjoyments of Christmas, I dont care one straw for [time?] now. I have resolved to work instead of loafing & you shall hear that from Brother. I have done enough of that to last me my life time. Please ask Cousin Annie to write to me & answer my letter that I wrote her. You must give my love to all my relatives & to Dr Curtis's family also, you asked me about my debts, I only have one bill to pay & that is for a pr boots which I had footed by a man at [Mebanesville?]. Give my love to the family, Write soon I am as ever your affect son Duncan Cameron

January the 14 1866

Mr P C Cameron I send you Bags with 33 Bags of Meal I ground 55 Bushels of Corn I send aul the Bags full that I have

Yours respectfully [Calvin Clark?]

Mrs Cameron I send you kindly aul that I could get on the hill for William

Person Co NC Jany 19th 1866 P.C Cameron Esq

Dear Sir I have your statement of wheat in the mill as delivered to Mr. [Samuel?] [Cord?]. P.C Cameron 13 6 1/2 Bush. J.A. Cameron [77?] In cleaning the wheat for [illegible] there was some [loss?] the amount. I do not know precisely, but, I am using it for horse feed I want about ten pounds 10 [dy?] nails & some tallow & oil for the mill. For the plantation we want about

Norfolk. Jan 20th/66. Mrs. Cameron Hillsboro, NC

My dear Mrs. Cameron - I am so glad that Mr Kirkland has put off his return until Monday so that I can send you a letter by him. I can not express how glad I was to hear from you for it had been so long & [tho'?] I have written, my letters seem to have gone astray- I am so much obliged to you for the handome present you sent me. I shall make [use?] the flannel & wear it with genuine delight. My supply of confederate stockings [afforded?] me a vast deal of pleasure- I am Confederate all over & over [mean?] to be. I often think of you all & wish I could pop in upon you.

My sister [Milly?] and I will soon be in our own house- a very wee house to be sure but it is so clean & sweet

& though we will live plainly yet- we will be very comfortable. How dearly would I love to welcome you here- never forget your promise that if you can come to Norfolk you must come right to us. I hope you will let Maggie pay me a visit- if Mr Cameron would only come on & bring her. [Brother?] John says he would delight to have you all visit [him?] and I feel that I cannot come show my appreciation for all your kindness and affection. We have an excellent clergyman as our pastor Rev. M. [Barten?] [Dr.?] Curtis knows him . He has put us all to work & we are very much interested. I will tell you of one thing -

that we are engaged in. We have started a Parish school on a part of the city where there are children in abundance. There are six of us who have it on change. Two each day & we dove tail on so that the [one?] of the day before follows with [numbers?] on the succeeding day. We have been very successful so far- the school numbers forty odd & is classified nicely. It is very interesting. we teach from ten until one. It is a great thing to be employed & I am rejoiced that the church [illegible] is astir & trying to push forward.

Please give my best love to Mr. Cameron & all my friends. I have not heard from [Mr?]