Letter 16 William Henry Wright to John Mason Moody

Date: 28 May 1834 [unknown]
Location: Bolivar, Tennessee
Surnames/tags: Moody Mason Wright Bolivar Tennessee

May 28th 1834

Mr Moody

Dr Sir,

I have almost given over the expectation off receiving another letter from you, as I [torn] some time past, expected one either from you, or sister in answer to mine, and cannot account for your silence, but am in hopes you will write on the reception of this, for I do assure you, that it will afford me great pleasure to hear from you,--I have understood that Frank is living at Col. Lockhart’s, and goes to school to whom, and what kind of a teacher, I am quite ignorant, but should be glad to know, as I wish him to go to a good school, or none at all,-- I had much rather he would not go to school during this year, than to go to one that would be a disadvantage to him; as it is my intention to give him a good education;----

I have not received a letter from John Bell since the death of Mr. Lassiter,--I do not think he has acted towards me like a gentleman, but has been unfeeling, unkind, and very unfriendly;----

I mentioned in my last, that I intended leaving the w. district, I am in the same notion, and shall leave so soon as circumstances will admit;----

I think it proballe I shall locate myself in the chickasaw nation, as it is equally as healthy as the district, the climate more regular, and the soil much better adapted to the cultivation of cotton, therefore that is the country in which most any kind of business may be conducted with propriety and advantage,--I wish you would come and explore that country yourself, and see if you dont like it well enough to settle there, I should be very much pleased if providence would so order it to live near you, that we might see, and enjoy each other’s company,----

I will now say something about the present prospect of the crops,--in consequence of a late frost, say on the twenty seventh of last month, that destroyed some crops of cotton almost entirely, consequenly they are backward, but are as promising as could be expected;--Jack this is not a country for the cultivation of cotton, it is too far to the north for the certainty of a cotton crop, therefore one hundred and twenty or thirty miles farther south, will be much more certain;----

Bolivar is quite healthy at this time, business not very brisk, times hard, money scarce, and religion [torn] religion, the best of virtues, too much neglected both by the religious and irreligious,--Tell sister that the Episcopal religion has the ascendency over any other in this town, as it is quite fashionable;--I have had the pleasure of seeing and hearing Bishop Otey of this Diocese, he is quite an agreeable, and inteligent man, he was spoken of in the highest terms by the citizens of Bolivar,--I must draw to a conclusion by requesting you to give my love to sister Martha, tell her I want to see her very much, My best respects to Mrs Newsom to Capt. Moody, to all enquiring friends accept them your self and believe me

Yrs. sincerely

Wm. H. Wright

Mr. John M. Moody

Addressed to: Mr. John M Moody

Pleasant Hill

N.Carolina

Mail

Postmarked: BOLIVAR TE MAY 29

Postage: 25

VLR (Virginia Leigh Refo)

A letter from William H. Wright to John Mason Moody. John or “Jack” as he is called, is the husband of William’s half sister, Martha William (Wright) Moody. Frank is Francis Marion Wright, William’s son, who is about 7 at the time of this letter. William’s wife, Peggy (Bell) Wright, died when he was an infant. Col. Lockhart is Benjamin Franklin Lockhart, Sr. (LEV William Barrett Lockhart is the father) B.F. Lockhart’s daughter married Joseph J. Bell, who most probably was Peggy’s brother. John Bell may be another brother, or possibly the same, the initial J. being for John. William is in business with James Bell, probably another brother (see letter #11). There is reference in an earlier letter (#2) to Mr. Lassiter being a possible caretaker for Frank, but I don’t know the relationship or connection.

Col. Benjamin Franklin Lockhart (LEV William Barrett Lockhart is the father) and his wife Sarah (Gee) Lockhart were the parents of Benjamin Franklin Lockhart, Jr. and Joseph Gray Lockhart. Joseph married Mary Elizabeth Moody, oldest daughter of John and Martha Moody. Benjamin, Jr. married Seignora Macon Stith and their daughter Seignora Eaton Lockhart married John Hamilton Patterson Leigh, the oldest son of Dr. Hezekiah Gilbert Leigh and Martha Alice (Moody) Leigh, John and Martha Moody’s middle daughter.

Mrs. Newsom is referred to in several letters (#33, #34, #41, #47, #54). I don’t know the exact relationship or connection to the Moodys, but she lived in the household in the 1850, and was well liked, as many people ask to be remembered to her. William Wright, Martha's father bought land in Greensville Co., VA from Riggin Newsom who inherited it through his wife Ann (Ragland) Newsom. That may be the connection. But Newsum in its various spellings is a common name in Northampton County and Southside Virginia.

Capt. Moody is William Moody, John’s father.

Bishop Otey was a noted Episcopal Bishop in Western Tennessee. Eliza Binns (Jones) and William Pannill named one of their children "Otey". Letter #21 mentions William going to the West. Perhaps, like the Moodys, they had homes in both places, or spent some time there and returned East.

Acknowledgement

• Many thanks to cousin Virginia Leigh Refo whose research and transcriptions added to this profile. The originals were donated to the Library of Virginia in 2004 by Liz Edens Vermillion with the help of Virginia Refo Moody Family Papers, 1750-1881. Accession 40535, Personal Papers Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.