Letter 35 Julia Ann Patterson to Martha William Wright Patterson, includes list of 40 slaves

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Petersburg, Virginia
Surnames/tags: Moody Wright Petersburg 15th July

My Dear Cousin

I am afraid you have come to the conclusion that we had forgotton to send your things, we should have sent them before, but have been waiting for Aunt Patsy, who expected to have gone out on Wednesday, she expects now to go out in about a fortnight, but I think you had better come in & carry her out sooner, for her health is far from being good. Father was very sick after I got home & is now gone to the North for his health, the rest of us are as well as usual. I wish you would make them look, and see if I left my Barage[?] dress at your house, please send it to me as soon possible for I need it very much. excuse this hasty scrawl, & believe me

as ever Your Afft Cousin

Julia

We shall send your things out tomorrow (Friday) you must send one Banbox back, I shall send this letter by mail.

(On the reverse in a different hand and ink lists of first names (? slaves) with a total of 40 "Forty One Nancy")

Jinny, Eliza, Loutilda, Louisa, Betsy, Sarah, Harriott, Phoeby, Loucretia, Cortestin [?], William, Allen, Charles, Buck, Wyatt, Mark, John, Annis, Harriott, Vitella, Ben, Smith, Jim, Dick, Mariah, Mary, Grace, June, Martilla, Miranda, Louis, Louis, Edwin, Billy, Betsy, Chany, Julia, Becca, Page, Harriott 40

VLR (Virginia Leigh Refo)

This letter is from Julia Ann Patterson to her cousin Martha William (Wright) Moody in Northampton Co. NC. Father is John Hamilton Patterson. The whole Patterson family suffered from and died due to consumption. "Aunt Patsy" is Martha Robinson (Crump) Wright Charlton, Martha's mother, and sister of Julia's mother, Alice Wren (Crump) Patterson. Julia's mother, Alice, died in 1841 and J. H. Patterson remarried Amelia Dupuy. Julia's sister, Mary Alice Patterson died in 1851. Julia, Mary Alice, John Hamilton, and Amelia are buried in Blandford Cemetery in Petersburg, although only Julia and Mary Alice have headstones. We don't know where Alice is buried.

Date: 1845 - 1850 is my best guess. If the list is in fact slaves, it may be the slaves Martha's husband John Mason Moody was considering taking/sending to Lowndes Co., Mississippi. However, it could have be 1841 - 1860.

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.