Nathan and Rebecca SULLINS 1848 Letter

19 April 1848
Letter from Nathan & Rebecca SULLINS
to their daughter
Mary (SULLINS) WOODARD

Transcribed 21 April 1999 by Michael S. Cole, M.D.
Copy of original provided by David P. Maloney.

The letter below was written by Nathan SULLINS (1783-1857) and his wife Rebecca (MITCHELL) SULLINS (1789-1856). The original consists of 3 handwritten pages that are extremely well preserved. It was written on beige paper with blue lines, much like paper used in school, except the paper is not white. It has been protected in an unaddressed and unstamped envelope which appears very old. Written in pencil on the outside of the envelope are the words "Grandfather Sullins letter to Aunt Mary." Inside the envelope, the letter has been further protected by a sheet of letterhead stationary folded over it. The letterhead reads:

Park City Public Schools
J.R. Lowry, Superintendent
Knoxville, Tenn. J. R. LOWRY was the husband of Laura Elizabeth (DODSON) LOWRY (b. c.1850), daughter of Rebecca Louise (SULLINS) DODSON (1833-1914). "Aunt Mary" was Mary (SULLINS) WOODARD (b. 1821) who lived in Knoxville with her husband Alexander WOODARD, M.D.

View the original letter immediately following the transcription below.

             Athens Tenn Apr. 19  1848
Dear Son & Daughter
                 I now send you a
letter to let you know we are all alive.
According to our age we enjoy as good
health as could be expected.
   Morris got home yesterday about 12 o'clock.
We was glad to hear you was all well,
but sorry to hear you expected to go so far off.
I once was young but now I am old, by
the help of providence we have raised 12
children, there is 11 yet alive so far as we
know, they are now scattered in 4 states.
My children are near to me. When I was
young and able to labor with and for my
children I then had pleasure.  I now am
not able to labor much nor to travel and
when I think of a child leaving me so far
that I never expect to see its face again in
the flesh its as much as I want to bear
Mary has always been a good obedient child

                                    [page] 2
   Oh children let us think on eternity that
there is a God to serve and a heaven to
obtain that is more sacred to us than all
this world's goods.
   We want you to write to us when you
locate and tell us where you are and where
to direct our letters
   Annis lives in Green Co. Mo. direct your
letters to Springfield to John Murray.

                                    [page] 3
         Family Record
Nathan Sullins was born      Nov. 10    1783
Rebecca Sullins "    "       Jan 30     1789
and was married              Jan 16     1804
Annis     was born           Dec 9      1806
Maston      "   "            April 22   1809
John        "   "            Dec 9      1810
Timothy     "   "            Dec 14     1812
Hazy        "   "            Jan 2      1815
Elizabeth M."   "            Jan 6      1817
James A.    "   "            Jan 1      1819
Mary L.     "   "            Jan 13     1821
Nathan A.   "   "            March 27   1823
Morris C.   "   "            May 20     1825
David       "   "            July 28    1827
Stephen B.  "   "            Aug 12     1829
Rebecca L.  "   "            May 11     1833
Annis     was married        Oct        1822
Elizabeth   "   "            Jan 1      1833
Hazy        "   "            May 28     1833
   No more at present but remains your
affectionate parents
        Nathan and Rebecca Sullins

page 2 of letter

page 3 of letter

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