David K. Roach wrote this letter to his mother, Polly Roach of Craven County, from Macon, Bibb County, Georgia, on December 1, 1824. It follows his July 1822 letter from Fort Hawkins, which is already on this site.
David writes that he is working at his trade six days a week, that he had just helped pursue a man jailed at Hartford for a murder in Macon, and that he is thinking about marrying a local girl but feels too poor to do it. He asks his mother to send him $50 or $100 from his estate by mail, cutting the bank bills in half and sending the halves separately. He closes with news of Marriner’s family, “our connection” in Pulaski, and the Wooten family.
Letter from David K. Roach to his mother, Polly Roach – Macon, Georgia, 1824
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.
Macon. Bibb County Georgia Decr 1st 1824
Mother
On receiving your letter this morning and taking into consideration the length of [interlined: that] time I have wholy neglected you, I think it my indispesable duty as your son to let you know I am still in the land of the living, When I last wrote to you I was just out of a long spell of sickness and not able to work & in addetion to that in debt, I implor.. your assistance but through fear of my not receiving it you did not comply with my request, consequently I had to stay tile the scale of providence turned in my favor, And I am sorry to say that at this time I am also unable to come unless I meet with better success in my collections
You need not trouble to send for me as the expence would be greater than the sending me fifty dollars two years ago by mail
It appears in your letter of this morning to be your wish to know what I am doing I am at work at my trade through the six days appointed for labor & on the seventh I go among the girls & occasionaly to church it being seldom we are favored with a sermon in this wilderness country, Yesterday & the day preceding i was in pursuit of one Mr. Joseph S Loving [?] who was aprehend[ed] & lodged in hartford goal for comitting murder on the boddey of Henry Hill of this place on sonday last in the ferry flat,
This is the way I am at present engaged but what may be my future conduct I am yet unable to assertain I have [interlined: had] a verry serious notion of marrying a girl who lives in the vicinity of this town but for my poverty I dare not least I should repent of it when too late, Was I provided with money and other nessaries I should undoutedly fetch you one of the most charming dauters in law you ever saw, If providence smiles on me you may ere long expect me at hom to be your comforter in the decline of life your staff in affliction & your help in times of need, Above all I request not to be sent for, but if you will send me 50 or 100 dollars of the proceeds of my estate I will be thankfull beyond expression, This you can do by enclosing one half of the bill or bills at different times, taking a minute of the number & letter on the bill the cashier & presidents names so as to adver[tis]e in case they were not receivd, I am well
Marriners family is well he has 5 chil-dren & doing well, Our connection in Pul-askey [?] was well a few days since but consid-erable altercation between them and the Ships [?] concerning 20 dollars Willis was accu-sed of taking from David Roach, Wootens fam-ily is in bad health, My compliments to the neighbors & give them a dance on christmas
Your verry obedient son David K Roach
About the original
Address panel (page 3): Mrs Polly Roach / Craven County / N. Carolina. Postmark written in red ink: “Macon Ga / 5 Decr”, with rate “25”. A short word at the lower right edge, possibly “[?]ing”, is cut off.
Source: David K. Roach to Polly Roach, Macon GA, 1824. 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.
