Amos J. Cullen and Alice Weissinger

Marion,  Ala. 1870.

Dear Henry,

Wesley Coleman 1 had a letter sometime in August from Alice Weissinger giving information of your Uncle John Weissinger's death. He died in April 1870, after two months of intense suffering.

He was taken with pains in his limbs and high fever and rising on different parts of his body.  Suffered so that he was constantly screaming out, from severe pain which lasted as long as he lived.  The weather was so hot they had to fan him all day and all through nights.  No neighbor and no one to assist in nursing him.  He told his daughter that it was the mercy of God that took him to Brazil.  If he had remained in the States he never would have been prepared for death.  He read the life of Caroline Elizabeth Smelt and requested his family to read it once a month.  He said in Brazil there was nothing to arouse his terrible passions.  His hatred to the Yankees was so great, that he could not remain in their country.  Before his death, he expressed himself as being perfectly happy.  He died without struggle.  Alice says they are doing very well  says nothing about a wish to return.  Your grandfather George Weissinger was born in Weilhem [sic] Wurtemburg Germany July 6th,1769.  Your grandmother4 in Newberne, North Carolina, September 28th,1777.  Miss Patrick3 has been sick for months, and one  whole side is now paralyzed, her mind frequently wanders. She is confined to her bed. Mrs. Huntington5 sends love to Emma and yourself, expresses great interest in you both. Write soon to your affectionate mother, (E.M.B. Weissinger)

Fannie Sharber6 was married last month to her cousin William Porter6 and left immediately for Texas.  William Johnson7 has bought a small farm five miles from Marion on the Tuscaloosa Road and will move there with his mother and sisters in December.  Sally8 and her little family well.  Her baby is a sweet child.  Mr. Apsey 2and wife, Hallie Whitsett that was, started on a pleasure trip, reached Nashville, was taken with a congestive chill, fortunately recovering return home. Mr. [sic] Pleasant' s9 youngest died with consumption a few weeks since, but one of her sons left and he lives in California. Mr. Sam Strudwick 11 and family and all the young men from here who moved there have returned,  but Andrew Moore10.

---------
NOTES:
This letter to "Dear Henry" is from his mother, Eliza Mary Bond [husband Leonard Anderson Weissinger] to her son Henry Yarbrough Weissinger (HYW).  At the time, mother (EMB) is living in Marion, and HYW and wife, Emily Elizabeth "Emma" Miller, [m Jan 1870, Mt. Pleasant, TN] are living in TN.  It seems logical to presume that the "home news" consists of family connections and Marion, Perry Co. AL neighbors From the opening sentence I deduct that this letter was written in the last half of 1870, although not fully dated beyond 1870.
- fpm 8-99.

(1) found a Wesley Coleman in 1850 Perry (but not in 1860?), age 24 SC, Mary 22, Wm 7 AL and Elizabeth 2 - the text seems to indicate that this is face-to-face info, not a letter? - maybe I could find 1870? Perry Co. AL somewhere? 8-99.

(2) there is a J. G. Apsey, 22 Eng, listed in 1860 census[1860:46] at Bruce House Hotel; also a Whitsett family (same area, Marion?) with a "Hatie, 10".  This is only Apsey, and 1 of 2 Whitsett; ages about right, live Marion? So this could be them.

(3) Both the Perry Co. AL 1850 and 1860 census list only 1 Patrick=John, 50 [1850:4-1860:41] born Ireland.  He is with an Eliza 54 in same 1860 census; also 1850 [age 44].  This Eliza Patrick would have therefore been 64 +/- in 1870 letter time-frame. Also,  I wonder if he is the "Mr. Patrick" of the Tampa letters of 1854-6? They live in vicinity of Geo. D. Johnston, so this is probably Marion.

(4) This letter written to Henry Yarbrough Weissinger [HYW]; his grandmother was Winifred Anderson.  This is the only letter/correspondence I’ve found to date [8-99] that gives any biographical information about Winifred Anderson.  We have a number of descriptions of work, personality, character, but not much else. 

(5) Huntington could be William Huntington, a local silversmith-jeweler.  This William Huntington lived in Marion and died in 1874.  His wife was Frances R. House, who died 1877. [Harris:135]  There is a Howze connection with the Yarbrough who were related to EMB - could this "House"have been in error?
Also a Leonard Anderson Weissinger connection with William Huntington - both names found in list of founders of Marion  Female Seminary [Harris:94]

(6) The author of this letter, Eliza Mary Bond [EMB], had a half-sister (both children daughters of Frances Wilson Doherty, who m1)Bond and had Eliza Mary (and others) and m2) Porter and had Mary Jane Porter.  Mary Jane Porter married Joseph W. Sharber.  I think? Porter also had children by a prior marriage.  This "Fannie Sharber" could be one of their children? So this marriage would have been a marriage of  half and/or step cousins?? - [8-99]

(7) I have two William Johnson in my database; 1 marries Laura Kent, daughter of Eliza Weissinger who married Robert Kent; the more probable, however, is the 2nd =William Gregory Johnson (1839-1877), son of Helen Doherty Bond, full sister to the author, Eliza Mary Bond[EMB]  Helen Doherty Bond married George Tucker Johnson (1813-1864) and had William Gregory Johnson, Marius (d 1864) Frances, George Thomas (1844-1869), Sarah Eliza m 1868, and Helen Bond Johnson (1857-1883).  At the time of this letter (1870) Helen Doherty Bond, his mother, was a widow, his 2 brothers are dead, 1 sister has already married, but there is still Frances (b 1842) and Helen (b1857).  This would then refer to the receipient’s [HYW] first cousin, William and HYW’s  aunt Helen. [mbm:35]

(8) "Sally", I believe, coming after this other, refers to another child of Helen Doherty Bond, Sarah Eliza Johnson (1848- ??] who married 1868 R. Preston Yeatman - at this time [1870] they had 1 child William Preston Yeatman, b 27 Oct 1869; Their next one (of 10,  was not born until April 1871. [mbm:35]

(9) There is but one Pleasant in both 1850 as well as 1860 censuses = William (Willis?) M. Pleasant, 55 NC.  The 1860 census[household #764] shows a large family - 7 children, at least 3 of whom were sons.

(10) Andrew Moore is, I belive, son of ex-Conf. AL Gov., Andrew Barry Moore,  According to the 1850 census:67 This son was 2, therefore born ca.1848.  In 1870 he would have been 22 or so, just the right age for adventure in CA! - This Moore family and HYW’s parents were close enough to picnic and such together [other letters]; the younger Andrew was only 6 years younger than HYW; therefore of an age and of interest to him.  The family is not found in the 1860 census, but could have been living in Montgomery? AL because of Moore, Sr.’s political activities.  Interestingly enough, they are found in the 1850 in consecutive households with the W. M. Pleasant9family.

(11) I could not find a Strudwick in either the 1850 nor the 1860 censuses.  However, "and all the young men from here who moved there" [CA] makes an interesting place to continue searching for "lost" ex-Perry Countians? (It could also be that this name was typescripted incorrectly? - in which case, who knows what it could have been?)