Letter from T.O. Ellis to W.H. Davis 30 August 1863

Date: [unknown]
Location: San Luis Obispo, California, United States
Surnames/tags: Ellis Davis

After the death of Sarah Jane (Ellis) Davis (1838-1930), a collection of family letters, including the following letter, was found in a trunk. The original is held by members of the Davis family. The index to the complete collection is found at The Letters of Rev. T.O. Ellis, M.D.. The letters are all written by Reverend Thomas Oliver Ellis, MD (1808-1879), and almost all of them were to his daughter, Sarah Jane, and/or her husband, William Hale Davis (1828-1871). Ellis wrote from various locations in central California to family members also in that area.

Biographical and Historical Context

In the following letter, T.O. Ellis sought to comfort his family about the recent loss of two of his sons, reported in the letters of 14 June 1863 and 21 August 1863. He also used the opportunity to exhort his daughter, Sarah Jane, and son-in-law, William Hale Davis to raise their children as Christians by being examples and holding family prayer time. He related a dream with a religious theme he had about his daughter Malinda “Sophia”, who was staying with the Davis family in Hornitos, Mariposa County, California where the letter was sent.

Ellis again described the family illnesses. A grandchild, Samuel Leonard Newton Ellis, was seriously ill and his son, Richard Watson Ellis, had an infection around his fingernail. On a lighter note, Ellis related that Richard missed his elder sister, Sophia, nicknamed “Topa,” and would "whip the man" who took her away. This may refer to whoever conveyed Sophia to the Davis residence in Hornitos.

Faith, illness, and family continue to be themes in Ellis’ correspondence.

Note: spelling and line breaks preserved from the original. Transcriber's additions or interpretations in [square brackets].

The Letter

San Luis Obispo, Cal. Aug. 30/63.
W.H. Davis Esq,
Your short note, in conjunc-
tion with Mr. Crocket's, giving an ac-
count of receiving the sad intelligence,
the Departure of our little George Lunsford
Ellis, was received last night. Our fam-
ily are well. W.J. Ellis' little son Samuel
is very sick with an inflammatory fever,
threatened with inflammation of the brain,
but, to day, is better, & I think will now
recover. The rest are well & send you
compliments. It is mine, & your Mother's
request to you all, that you should not,
& ought not, to grieve immoderately. Better
“prepare to meet God.” “If we believe that
Jesus died & rose again, even so, them that
Sleep in Jesus, God will bring with him.
“This we say unto you by the Word of the
Lord, that they, which are alive at the Sav-
ior's second coming,” shall not “prevent”
or go before “the dead” though confined
ages in their graves” for the Lord himself
shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the Archangel & the trump of God:
the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we
which are alive, “at that time,” & remain
shall be caught up, together with them
[page 2]
in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the Air: &
so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore,
comfort one another with these words!
“Sorrow not as others,” the heathen & the unbeliev-
ers “who have no hope.” 1st Thess. 4 chap. 13-18
verses. Tell Sophia her Pa dreamed an ex-
traordinary Dream about her last night.
I thought I was at a large Meeting, where
very many were engaged in Religious ex-
ercises, & all of a sudden, I was march-
ing along with others, & came to a large
Room, in which a Love-feast was hol-
ding.^[1] Before I went in at the door, I
heard speaking in the opposite end from
me; I knew the voice, & hastened in & be-
hold! Sophia was, or had been giving
in an humble, but glowing Christian
Experience! As she finished, & before I
or she was seated, I spoke right out,
‘I am glad Dear Sophia thus to hear
you talk about & enjoy the Christian
Religion.’ I thought I never saw her
dressed so plain & coarse, & look so
care worn, as though she had had, a
great struggle. True, it is a dream,
only a dream, but such were my feelings
of anxiety for her, that sleep fled
from my eyes the most of the night.
[page 3]
May the Great God, for Christ's sake
help her, & bless her, & give her all the
“fullness of the Gospel of God! If Sophia
was hungry would she not ask her Pa
for bread with the full Belief she would
get it. so then, says Christ, “If ye being
evil know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more! shall your
Heavenly Father give good things to
them that ask him,” [Matt 7:11] O! comforting
words, that God for Christ's sake, is
more willing to bless us, than we are
to give Bread to the Children we love!
I want you, William to take up the
Cross & duty as before. You are ra-
ising children, & family Prayers will
bless you & wife, & be a lovely example
before your precious Babes. Tell Sa-
rah Jane to do all that the Savior re-
quires & let her Prayers unite with
her Fathers, in Christ, to bless us &
all our dear connexions, & spread
light & Salvation all over the Earth!
May the Divine Savior bless you
all at Camp-Meeting & else where.
We all send you love. T.O. Ellis Sr.
W.H. Davis Esq.
[page 4]
P.S. Little Richard has a very bad
Run-round on the fore finger & a few
minutes ago, Aug. 31st, 1 oclock P.M,
George tramped on it accidently, &
he like to have gone into Spasms. He
talked about Sophia last night & said
“he would whip the Man that took
off Topa. We are all up to day.
[To] W.H.D. Love to all T.O. Ellis Sr.

Another letter written on the same date was addressed to William Crockett. Since it was in the possession of Sarah Jane (Ellis) Davis in 1930, it likely never reached the recipient.

Sources

1. ↑ Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Nashville: J. B. McFerrin, 1858. A Love-feast is a Methodist meeting consisting of singing and prayer, a short address by the pastor, sharing bread and water, passing the collection plate to benefit the poor, and sharing by attendees. It closed with singing and prayer.