Hassel Nelson wrote this letter from New Harmony, Posey County, Indiana, on February 8, 1852, to his “Friend James,” James Roach of Swift Creek, Craven County. Posey County is where Turner Nelson settled; see the Letter from Turner Nelson to James Roach – 1825.
Nelson writes that “sumers” had written twice to James and was then “at Turners,” planning to start home as soon as the river ice cleared. His oldest boy had broken a leg, and he himself was getting ready to start for California. The back of the sheet has a short note dated March 6, 1852, addressed to James Roach, and several later scribbles.
Letter from Hassel Nelson to James Roach – New Harmony, Indiana, 1852
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.
New harmony Posey county indiana Febuary the 8. 1852
Friend James
i recived your leter on yesterday which gave me grate satisfacion to heare that you ware all wel mi self and family are wel and all your acquaintance so fare as i know for the satisfaction of your self and family i wright this line to let you no that sumers has wrote twice to you sence he recieved your last leter for i malde [mailed] one of them my self he is at this time at Turners i saw him last munday and he told me that he was going to start home as soon as the ice was out of the river so the boats could run he was in fine helth i have had an accident in mi family mi oaldest boay got his leg broak but has got so that he walks on croatches in the hous i expect if i should live tel the first of september to be able to tel you by leter what is going on in california as i am making reddy for a starte you wil have time to wright one more leter to me and i wish you to do so and tel mearis [Morris?] to wright if you should se him se noathing more at prsant but remaine yours
Hassel Nelson
About the original
Back of the sheet:
At the top, in a different hand: “Silve has leaf [?] to go to Miss Sally Camels [?] and home by Sunday evening to James Roach march the 6th 1852”.
Address (written upside down relative to the note): “State of Noarth carolina Craven county swift Creeke to my Swift [?] James Roach” (the word before “James” appears written over “Mr”). A circular postmark, too faint to read [illegible]; postage “5”.
Other writing on the back, in another hand, with scribbles: “k k b b Roach … to Hassel Nelson Swift Creek Craven County”; “forget me not” written twice in the margin; near the seal, “Jesse [?] Roach”.
Source: Hassel Nelson to James Roach, New Harmony IN, 1852. 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.
