Nephew John's 1828 letter

                                        Charleston, 28th Dec.., 1828


 Dear Uncle,

    Your much esteemed letter of the 23rd Oct is at hand, And it affords
 me great joy, that I can now for the first time give our relatives in
 Germany positively the pleasing intelligence that their dear Brother is
 still living.                      

 That your dear Mother died in 1809 or 10 and Uncle Michael To the best
 of my recollection in 1811 is perhaps known to you.  My Father Jacob
 died in 1823.  Aunt Barbara & Elizabeth & Uncle Leonhardt Are yet alive.
 Aunt Elizabeth has 6 children--5 daughters and I son.    Aunt Barbara having
 no child has probably enough to do her for the remainder of her life.
 Uncle Leonhardt has 3 sons and 2 daughters, and 1 son he lost in the Russian-
 French War.  My Father had 8 children--2 daughters and 6 sons, 3 of them
 had to serve in the army (which would have been my fate also, if I had
 not had the Luck to get off to this country before I got of age) this was
 a great expense to him, as they had mostly to be maintained by their Parents,
 and this added to the disasters of a 20 years War, would not fail to depress
 his circumstances very low; this will in some respect equally apply To Aunt
 Elizabeth; U. Leonhardt is much more prosperous than any of them, he has a
 good deal of property; U. Michael was well off, but as the property came
 principally by his wife (who is yet alive) and he dying without a will, so
 nearly all the property came to her, she getting all her own back again,
 besides one half of his, what fell to his relations, did not, as far as I
 recollect amount much over 600 Gilders, and it was his wish, that it might
 be divided between his Brothers and Sisters Weilheim, as they stood much more
 in need of it than his Brothers in America.  Our relations in Charleston are
 well, and are since the death of Faber (which I mentioned in my last letter)
 all living together, with the exception of Charles, who is concerned in a
 Store in King Street, in the country trade, Mrs. Faber has I son 18 years old.
 I am still staying in a store as Clerk for  $200 per A and as I have yet no
 particular home, would I now ask your advice if I might not improve my con-
 dition in the western country; and would also beg leave to ask your opinion,
 if it would be adviseable for me, to give to one of my Brothers in Germany
 (who received a good education for a School-master) any encouragement to come
 to this country, if you think it possible, that he would perfect himself so
 far in the Pronunciation of the English Language, as to be able to engage in
 the business in this country, to which he was brought up to.  Our relations
 here tender their best respects to you and family and accept the same from

                                       Your Obedient Nephew,
                                                           John Weissinger




 (The above was written to his uncle, 'Mr.  George Weissinger, Marion, Perry
 County, Alabama, in the year 1828.