Hannah Pearce wrote this letter on August 23, 1856, from South Newport, McIntosh County, Georgia, to her brother James Roach at Swift Creek Bridge, Craven County, N.C. The ECU collection guide identifies her as Hannah Roach Pearce.
She tells James that his check has come and that the mortgage “on dick,” apparently a slave, has been lifted. She writes that she wants to take the slaves she held back to North Carolina before the November court and have James buy them or sell them as he thinks best. She says she does not want to sell them in Georgia, and that if anyone but James buys them she wants the full price, but she will pay their passage back “for the sake of their going home.” Except for Dick, the letter does not name them. The writer’s own words are kept as written below.
Letter from Hannah Pearce to her brother James Roach – South Newport, Georgia, 1856
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.
South Newport
McIntosh County
Georgia August 23rd 1856
Dear Brother
as I have received the check and the mortgage is lifted on dick all is strait now I went to the Dr. yesterday and I feel better I hope to recover soon.
I wrote you a letter instructing you how it stood with me. now I want to carry the negroes home before Nov. Court and I can trust you any way I want them sold or just as you please as you think best I want them out of my possession and if you take them at my proposal in the letter you can I tell you I dont want to pay any thing more than I have in this suit and I must sell there or here and I dont want to sell the poor things here I dont. but if any one else buis them but you I want the full price but I will pay their passage back for the sake of their going home please to do the best you can for I know you will never see me suffer I hope this may find you all well
My love to you all I remain your
affectionate sister
Hannah Pearce
to James Roach
Swift creek bridge Craven County N.C.
[Second page:]
I directed your letter to love I shall write her as soon as I get strong enough
About the original
The second page has only the two lines above; the rest of that page is ink showing through from the first page.
“dick” appears to be the name of a slave on whom there had been a mortgage. The letter does not name the other people she wanted sold.
Source: Hannah Pearce to James Roach, 23 August 1856. 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.
Images courtesy of East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University. View this item in ECU Digital Collections.
Part of the Roach Family Papers collection on East Carolina Roots.
