Letter 41 Martha William Crump Wright Charlton to Mary William Wright Moody

Date: Nov 1848 [unknown]
Location: Petersburg, Virginia
Surnames/tags: Wright Moody

Dear Martha

The conference clos’d it sesion, Thursday night, and as the bustle is over, I have concluded to write you a few lines, thinking you would like to hear from from it, I think there was as great a crowd as there was at the general conference; all your Northampton friends were in, they say they miss you very much, and will be pleased to hear when you expect to return; Mr. Wilson is returned to your circuit, and Mr. Crowder the presiding elder.

I hope before this that health and happiness is restored to your family, for I know you could not be happy with a sick family so far from home; I was some what surprised when I heard you had sent for more servants and the carriage, do let me know what are your intentions how long you expect to stay in Columbus; Mrs Grey said she was afraid you did not inting to return any more, when she heard the cariage and servants were sent for. when you write again let me know how brother Leigh’s family are geting on both spiritheally and temporally, I should be pleased to hear from all my relations in that part of the country.

Mrs Grey inform me, Mrs Newsons health is very bad, she says she cryes about you every day, she thinks her ill healh is partly trouble about you, I feel uneasy myself since I heard that Jack and the children were sick, I suppose it was nothing more than chills which we all about here are subject to about here. It is past nine oclock Mary and Virginia in bed and fast asleep Anna intends to write so I will conclude my love to all

Your Mother

My Dear Mary & Alice,

I have been expecting a letter from you for some times but have not as yet received it. Mr. Foote was in at the Conference and told me you were very anxious to return home-- he heard but perhaps you were sick at that time and felt low spirited. I hope you have intirely recovered your health and are enjoying yourself finely-- Give my best love to Johny and William and kiss Brother and Sister for me. I must not forget to tell you Mr Joseph Lockhart was in town a few days ago he was taken sick soon after he got here and had to go home sooner than he other wise expected. I did not see him but once and that for a short time-- Dear Mary you must not be very long in answering this very short note of mine. Alice write me a long letter and I will answer it very soon I go to school and do not have much time for letter writing but it would give me a great deal of pleasure to answer one of your sweet little letters Tell Sister Cousin Washington-Greenhow is dead. he died in Tennessee-- It is very late so I must tell you Good night Write soon to your fond

Cousin Georgia

[In the same hand--Georgia's]

My Dear [torn]

I have written to Mary and Alice I have concluded to address you a few lines. It would give me a great deal of pleasure to see you all. I can assure you that though you are many miles from me I often think of you Dear Brother. I should be very much pleased if you would write me a few lines though I dont reckon you would know how to write to a little school girl like me. I think it is quite time for me to stop writing as it is very late I will now bid you Good night

From your affectionate

Little Sister [torn]

Addressed to: Mrs John M. Moody

Columbus

Mississippi

Postmarked: PETERSBURG Va. NOV 19 10 cts

VLR (Virginia Leigh Refo)

A letter written to the family in Mississippi from several members. First, Martha Robinson (Crump) Wright Charlton writes to her daughter, Martha William (Wright) Moody. The conference was a Methodist conference held in Petersburg--Martha Charlton was married to Rev. George Charlton, a Methodist minister. Brother Leigh refers to Rev. William Leigh, also a Methodist minister, and husband of Martha's sister Julia Ann (Crump) Leigh. He and his family left Mecklenburg Co., VA, where his brother-in-law Rev. H.G. Leigh (Julia's sister's husband) had gotten him a job at Randolph-Macon College, in 1846-47 to go to Columbus, Ms. Julia died there in Nov. 1847. William was a poor steward and apparently had little money sense. See letter # 36 from Julia before she left Virginia. I do not know Mrs. Grey. She may have been a housekeeper. Mrs. Newson[m] is mentioned in numerous other letters and was apparently part of the household. She is listed in the household in the 1850 North Carolina census. (It is to be noted that John Mason Moody and his family are listed in the 1850 census both in Northampton Co., NC and Columbus, MI.) "Jack" is Martha Moody's husband, John Mason Moody. Mary and Virginia are George and Martha Charlton's other two daughters, Mary Charlton and Virginia Charlton. See letter #40. Mr. Wilson, the circuit minister is mentioned in letter # 30.

In the second letter Martha Charlton's youngest daughter, Georgeanna Charlton writes to her half-sister's (Martha William Moody) older daughters, Mary Elizabeth Moody and Martha "Alice" Moody. Johny is John Mason Moody, Jr. and William is William Scott Moody, sons of John and Martha Moody and brothers of Mary and Alice. "Brother and Sister" are Mary's and Alice's parents, John (Jack) and Martha. Joseph Lockhart is the future husband of Mary Elizabeth Moody, to whom the letter is written. I do not know Cousin Washington-Greenhow who died in Tennessee. Could it be the sculptor, Horatio Greenough, who did the hugely unsuccessful statue of George Washington? I didn't know he was a cousin.

The third letter is in the same hand writing as Georgia wrote to Mary and Alice and is evidently a brief letter to her half-sister's husband, John Mason Moody, whom she refers to as "Brother."

Date: Nov. 1848 There was a Petersburg District Methodist Conference in November, 1848. Rev. William Leigh died in 1851.

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.