Frances "Fanny" Callaway Steptoe to Sarah "Sally" Tate Steptoe Massie, February 9, 1816

Jack Reid, from Heiskell, Andrew Jackson and Early Tennessee, Vol. II (1920), page [64/65.]

[Frances "Fanny" Callaway Steptoe at [Federal Hill] to Sarah "Sally" Tate Steptoe Massie [at Pharsalia, near] Rose’s Mill, Nelson County, Virginia, February 9, 1816. Postmarked New London, February 10, 1816. Massie Family Papers, Virginia Historical Society. This is my rough, annotated transcription from a copy graciously provided by William Myers. Extra paragraph breaks inserted for easier reading.]

                                             Federal Hill  February 9th, 1816

My dear Sally

I will venture once more to write to you by mail but I fear it is quite useless, as you never receive the letters we write to you by the mail, it is so seldom that we have any private opportunity we should write as often as possible if there is a moth without our hearing from you as it always is, Papa says directly I wonder why Sally does not write to us. I should like to know how she comes on in this cold weather.

Oh Sally imagine to yourself the distress that is witnessed in this neighborhood, when I tell you of the many deaths that have taken place in this neighborhood no doubt but what you have heard of the deaths of poor Jack and Maria Reid, what a distressed family that is, a few nights before Maria died she danced at Millers until 10 o'clock at night; it was there she caught her death it is supposed, there are a vast number of people sick; Grandmama has been very ill with the St. Anthony's fire, but is a little better tho, not out of danger; Mrs. Austen has been given out, perhaps dead by this time; Schoolfield says Papa has credit in heaven for saving Old Clark's life, by sending him a little wine.

Nancy White and myself had made a bargin [bargain] to go to Amherst together and from there William was to go on with me to Pharsalia but Papa said it was two [too] cold; or I should have been with you about this time.

Bob intends going to the Ball the 22 with his flame Maria and thence on to see you, he wishes me to go down with him but it will be out of my power to do so. 

I suppose you have heard that Brother Billy has a fine son and can talk of nothing else, he is so proud of it.

Poor Gabriel is in this part of the world again, going about like a stray dog, I expect he will go to see you soon, he is at last going to set himself down with his Mama and look to her for support I suspect.

Sally when are you coming up to see us, I have heard that you were not coming up this spring; I hope it is not so, and your reason is because Mr. Massie is too busy making Tobacco, suppose you come up with Bob whenever you come you will find this neighborhood dull enough I can assure you.

If you get this letter let me know it and I will write oftener by mail you must take the money you get for butter to pay for the postage of my letters; I expect you make as much as will do that.

                                          I am your affectionate sister
                                                      F. C. Steptoe  

[Sally = Sarah Tate Steptoe Massie (1796-1828), who was married to William Massie (1795-1862) and was the daughter of James Steptoe (1750-1826). There is a massive Massie collection at the University of Texas here.

Frances Callaway “Fanny” Steptoe (1798-1832) was seventeen years old when she wrote this letter. On March 13, 1816, she would marry Henry Scarsbrook Langhorne (1790-1854).

Their father = James Steptoe (1750-1826), whose home base was “Federal Hill.” Harvey Mitchell (1799-1866) later painted his portrait here. See this link. The Federal Hill estate was located very close to New London and also Lynchburg, Virginia; about three miles or so away from Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest. Was in Bedford County, but now it’s in Campbell County. Picture here.

Jack and Maria Reid = Major John Reid (1784-January 18, 1816), aide-de-camp to Andrew Jackson, born in or near New London, Virginia, then based in Tennessee; and Maria Frances Thompson Reid (died January 1816?). They apparently had a daughter named Sophia Reid. Jack Reid was directly related to Nathan Reid (1753-1830), who had married Sophia Thorpe in 1784. Other Reid family members lived around New London and Lynchburg, Virginia. Finally, Jack Reid was working on a biography of Andrew Jackson at the time of his death.  

Grandmama = not sure who this was, given that Fanny had no living grandmothers at the time. 

Mrs. Austen, Schoolfield = not sure who they are.

Nancy White = lived in the vicinity of New London. Possibly a cousin of some kind. 

William = possibly Brother Billy (below).

Bob = probably Robert Callaway Steptoe (1791-1870); Maria = Not sure who this is. He subsequently married Betsy Leftwich (1800-1840), in 1820.  

Brother Billy = Dr. William Steptoe (1791-1860), graduate of University of Pennsylvania Medical School  (1807), at the time married to Ann Nancy Brown (1792-April 5, 1817); their child, Edward Jenner Steptoe (November 7, 1815-April 1, 1865), graduated from West Point and served in the military as an adult. Some of his papers are held at the University of Washington. See also: Ron McFarland, Edward J. Steptoe and the Indian Wars: Life on the Frontier, 1815–1865 (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2016). 

Poor Gabriel = unclear who this is.]

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