Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Eliza Madison Preston Johnston to Louisa Bowen Johnston, July 3, 1827

Sweet Springs, Virginia (now West Virginia) in the 1850s by Edward Beyer.
[Eliza Madison Preston Johnston at Sweet Springs to Louisa Smith Bowen Johnston via Jeffersonville, Tazewell County, Virginia, July 3, 1827. Manually noted on envelope: Cloverdale, July 10th. The letter is dated inside as "July 3th." Box 25, Folder 6, Robert Morton Hughes Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Patricia W. and J. Douglas Perry Library, Old Dominion University Libraries, Norfolk, VA 23529. This is my rough transcription. Instances of the "long s" in the original have been modernized and paragraph breaks added for easier reading.]

My Dear Sister

I can't tell you how much I was delighted on my arrival here from the Hot Springs to receive your letter it is the first word I have heard from you as my dearest little girl since left home this being her birthday. I determined to devote part of it to writing about her it is impossible for me to describe the feeling which the separation from my children has produced. 

I am afraid Mary will have entirely forgotten us before we return. My husband and myself both improved considerably when we first arrived here but we took it into our heads to go to the hot springs in the hope that it would entirely restore my right limb it however produced exactly the contrary effect it gave me great pain and debilitated me considerably it also produced a very bad effect upon my husband he had gained nearly six pounds of flesh the week before, all of which he lost while he was there he is very much afflicted today with a severe backach[e]. 

I hope the use of this water will soon strengthen him again there is very little company collected yet but if this hot weather continues it will drive the people from the lower country shortly. Cousin Nancy is here assisting to attend and is really vastly kind and attentive to us.

I suppose you have heard of poor Sarah and Syd's unfortunate differences and they have finally parted. I know not what to think of it I do not believe anything will ever reconcile them it would be useless and indeed wrong under the circumstances to attempt it.

My husband joins me in a great deal of love to you Mr. and Mrs. Bowen, to our little girl we scarcely know what to say kiss her over and over for us and if she is a good girl I will get her a pretty red frock.

[Y]our little namesake has improved considerably she has two teeth and getting others very fast she jabbers a great deal and has various other accomplishments to tedious to mension [mention].

[F]arewell my dear dear Sister I hope it will not [be long] before we will all meet in better health and spirits than when we parted. John I suppose has left you for school that is one of my reasons for wishing to be at home that I might take charge of him.

I must finished the servant is waiting to take this to the post office. I have a great many thongs to say which I can't write.

God bless you and believe me with the sincerest affection
                                   your friend and Sister
                                                                        E. M. Johnston

[Eliza Madison Preston Johnston (1803-November 27, 1828) married Charles Clement Johnston (1795-1832), probably at Greenfield, on December 29, 1822. 
John Preston Johnston (1824-1847) was born on February 1, 1824. Eliza Mary Johnston (1825-1909) was born on July 3, 1825. Here called Mary; a
fter her mother's death in 1828, she was more often called Eliza or Lizzie. Her sister Susan Louise (or Louisa) Johnston was born in December 1826 and died on September 23, 1827. 
Louisa Bowen Smith Johnston (1800-1873). Her one surviving child was John Warfield Johnston (1818-1889).
Cousin Nancy = probably Nancy Bowen Ward (1778-1835)
Sarah = Sarah Radford Preston (1806-1848) or Sarah "Sally" Buchanan Preston (1802-1879).
Algernon Sidney Johnston (1801-1852), often called Sid or Syd.
Mr. and Mrs. Bowen = Henry Rees (aka Reese) Bowen (1770-1850) and Eleanor Stuart Tate Bowen (1778-1833).]

[Many thanks to Sue Davis, William Myers, Mary Davy and Sally Young for their ongoing research collaboration.]

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