Bryan Adams wrote this angry letter on July 13, 1845, to James Roach of Craven County. It is addressed on the outside “to James Roash Craven County North carner.” Adams answers a letter from Roach and says that Roach will never own his land, “if you was to offer me the six hundred dollars.”
Adams accuses Roach of speaking against him at his father’s house, of asking the neighbors not to keep company with him, and of telling Calob Smith that Adams would kill “old Sal” if she came back. He mentions Alfred and “loveia [?],” tells a parable about a king who would punish others for his own sin, and defends his “unkle Steven.” The land, the price, and Uncle Stephen also come up in the unsigned letter of July 8, 1845, in this same folder, which is probably the letter Adams is answering; the whipping post and grog bills come up again in his letter of July 20. The writer’s own words are kept as written below.
Letter from Bryan Adams to James Roach – Craven County, July 13, 1845
Transcription notes: spelling, capitalization and punctuation follow the original. Words in [square brackets] are editorial notes; [?] marks an uncertain reading and [illegible] marks words that could not be read.
Mr James Roash I Receve your letter with plasior to see your name to it so I cod give you a fue Remarks on the sobjeck on wich is the grat acting part that you have takun to towards me but as to the land you never will one it for if you was to offer me the six hundred dollars you shood not have it but I did not try to take you in about it Mr Roash let me keen [?] the case with you when you act a faver of me it was grantid never cantist you in my life but what gose over the devel’s back will cum under his Belly you have cantised me badly you wod cum up to my fathers and the wost ward in your mouth wos two good for me and bage the nabers not to ceep my cumeny nor talk with me for my cumfeny was not fit to ceep and all soe in formd Calob Smith that if old Sal was to cum back that I shod bee serting to cill her that you wonderd that I hadnot cill her long agoy its make me think of danel in the dene of lions my opinion that if Alfred and loveia [?] wod trie to hope him out when you wod lock him up alfred hafe a gentleman principle while you hafe a Rascully one thar is a grat meny likeing to the king that past a law that all the womans shood bee put to deth that had a Bastard child that the mother and father shood bee put to deth So hee was a traling and mets a woman and fell in love with her and axt her the qustion shee denid him and axt him if he did not noe the law hee told her that hee was king and shee shood not die for it if shee proved with cild but shee did prove with child but shee wod not a gree untill hee give her a silver staf but it went on untill hee forgot her then shee was brot before him and hee ask her the father of the child and shee shod the cane and told him the one that ond the cane and hee bustid out in a cri and sed goe your way my woman you ar more Ritous than I am my self and that is the case thar is grat meny that will blam pople for the varting [?] that thar ar gilty of thar self
Mister Roash you hit me in the teath of unkle Steven and hee had as good a hart as are Roash as Ever was Rasd and if I am mene I was nether brot to the whiping post nor spent five niggros for to pay my grog bil But mis Roash if your children dont candle [interlined: lor ?] thar self in other I shal cantise them so tend to your one children and let other pople a lone and your frends will like you better for noe man noes what hee is to cum to nor hoos as hee has to [blot] kis for your hous got burnt up you had a mands as to kis that you never that to kis July the 13 day 1845 Bryan Adams
About the original
Address panel (outside of the second leaf): “to James Roash Craven County North carner [Carolina],” with a flourish below. No postmark or postage is visible; the letter may have been carried by hand. A wax-seal stain is above the address, and ink from the inside shows through the paper.
Source: Bryan Adams to James Roach, 13 July 1845. Roach Family Papers (#346), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, Box 1, Folder a (Correspondence, 1820–1897). Collection guide. Digitized folder: ECU Digital Collections, 0346-b1-fa.
Part of the Roach Family Papers collection on East Carolina Roots.
