Letter 22 David M Dancy to Capt William Moody

Date: 7 Dec 1836 [unknown]
Location: Decatur, Alabama
Surnames/tags: Mason Moody Wright Decatur, Decr. 7, 1836

Dear Uncle,

Your very kind favour of 23 Nov came to hand yesterday & I shall improve the first opportunity to answer it. It contains the melancholy news of the death of my beloved Aunt. My sorrow you can better conceive than I can express. The loss of one who I knew loved me, is truly painful but to the will of heaven we must submit. When I was at your house & bade you & she farewell; I then thought I should not see her again: but although I shall never see her in this life, yet from your letter I shall meet her in heaven & I pray that you may meet us there. I am pleased to hear of her happy departure; & that you do not "sorrow as those that have no hope." That you may be fully prepared to meet her in the kingdom of Glory is the prayer of your nephew and sincere friend. I know how to sympathize with you; for I have had a very afflicted family for 2 years. My Wife is now quite unwell & has the second Son. We have 2 Likely sons. The youngest is 2 weeks old & we have not named it. Since I have written to you I have had the misfortune to lose my affectionate Father. In the loss of Papa I lost much indeed. But my loss has been his gain, for he died in peace. His children are now Fatherless & Motherless, but thank God they are all grown & he has provided well for them. We are all scattered & like lost sheep. I am living at the place Papa gave me near Decatur. Bro John has lost his Wife & has gone to Texas. Bro Albert has mooved to South Alabama & Bro Charles has sold his property is will start for Texas about Christmas. Joseph Sykes is living adjoining me. Jos Sykes & myself manage Papa's business.

The death of my affectionate Father has changed the nature of my arrangements very much indeed. Uncle David Dancy has married Miss Cheatham formerly of Virginia and has gone to Mobile to live. Dr. Frank lives in Greensborough in South (Ala). My relations are all well about Decatur. Mr George Mason's family are well. Our crops of cotton are very short & ceritton[?] is falling. Corn crops are tolerably good.

Before I close I must mention matters. After I left Virginia I wrote you some letters & you answered them & afterwards I wrote 2 more and never rced any answer. I knew the reason you did answer them was that you did not get the letters or you might have forgotten it. I have been intending to write for some time & was telling a few days ago, that I would write to you & I shall now embrace the opportunity. I have intended for some time to send you the money I was owing you, but please bear with me, I have been so situatiated that I could not do it without great inconvenience to myself, & I felt assured that you would not push me. Your kindness to me I shall never forget, for I have found you a friend, when others I had every to believe were, have failed to do favours such as you have done. Write so soon as you get this & I will write immediately. Give my best respects to John and Lady & be pleased to accept the same love and friendship for yourself.

Your true and sincere friend and nephew

David M. Dancy

Capt William Moody

Raleigh

N. Carolina

By mail

Postmarked DECATUR AL DEC 8

Postage: 25

VLR (Virginia Leigh Refo)

A letter from Rev. David Mason Dancy (1810 - 1853), upon the death of his aunt, Mary Mason (Dancy) Moody. It is written to her widower, Capt. William Moody, serving at that time as Senator from Northampton County. Please see letter from David's brother Charles, letter # 20. The author is David Mason Dancy, son of William Dancy and Priscilla (Turner) Dancy. William Dancy is the father he mourns in the letter and was a half-brother of Mary Mason (Dancy) Moody.

Rev. David Dancy married in Madison Co. AL in 1835 cousin Jane Elizabeth Mason, the daughter of George Mason and Elizabeth (Jones) Mason, granddaughter of James Mason, granddaughter of John Mason, Jr. (For another Mason line see letter # 7). The 2 week old son mentioned is George William Dancy, born 11-23-36. The other older son must have died. The couple had 2 additional sons and 2 daughters. Rev. David Dancy died 4-28-1853 in Lawrence Co. AL.

Uncle David, David Mason Dancy (1783-1846), William's brother and Mary's half-brother, was also in Madison Co. AL in 1836. Dr. Frank is probably Dr. Francis W. Dancy, the author of letter #17, or possibly Dr. Frank Sykes, son of Sarah Dancy, Mary's sister, and James Turner Sykes. Brother Charles F. M. Dancy is the author of letter # 20. His brother, John W. Dancy, also mentioned in that letter. Another brother is Albert G. Dancy--all sons of William Dancy. Almost all of the Dancy family and much of their related families--Sykes, Turners, Rhodes, Crumps, went South in the 1820's, first to the area around Decatur, AL and then later to Lowndes and Monroe Counties, MS, and then, as this letter indicates, west to Texas and beyond.

Joseph Sykes is "Shouting Joe" Sykes, son of William Sykes and Burchette Lundy (Turner) Sykes. He married Louise Dancy, niece of Mary Mason (Dancy) Moody.

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.