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Henry Winfrey's Letter

The following is a copy of the letter written by Dr. Henry Winfrey and his wife Nancy McCain from Carroll County, MO in September 28, 1860 to his brother John B. Winfrey who had remained in Adair County, Kentucky.  In the letter he makes reference to each of his four brothers (John, James, William and Thomas), but makes no reference to any of his six sisters (Malinda Jane, Jane Patience, Cynthia, Sarah "Sally", Anne or Mary Catherine "Polly").  He also writes about "W.J." Winfrey who was his son William Jefferson Winfrey.  He writes a post script on the letter to John B. Winfrey (his first cousin) & wife & girls saying, "I want one of the girls to live with me."  Evidently this didn't happen as John B's daughters all died in Kentucky.

HENRY WINFREY LETTER

 

Carroll County, MO                                                                     September 28, 1860

 

Mr. John Winfrey and wife:

 

Dearly beloved Brother and Sister, if its no harm I will make & see to drop you a few lines letting you know that these lines leaves myself and all my family in the enjoyment of better health than common.  Health is generally good in our County.  Old Billy Winfrey and Turpin Thomas is your old acquaintance.  They are well and I really hope these lines may find you all well.  I rec’d a letter from Brother James dated August 26 which was joyfully rec’d by me bearing some good new but a large portion of bad.  The John Patterson case I deeply deplore but can’t offer any remedy.  Poor fellow.  I have been in dread of him for a long time.  James thought it likely he had confederates.  So think I.

 

I received a letter from John Wells written in July, a very important letter but in his and in James’ they both related the sad news of famine spreading her blighting and devastating wings over that fair famed county that God in his miraculous providence had stood by for the last 80 years or more but pride and wickedness had grown so great that men had forgotten who made and supported them.  Perhaps God has just brushed away your wealth that he might the easier get at the hearts of the people.  He has taken this plan to show man that he is not independant in this country.  We took 1600 dollars of our wealth and put it into the building of a new Methodist Church in one mile of where I am living.  I boarded the hands from the 12th of July till the first of Sept. principally Yankies and they finished one of the nicest houses I was ever in.  White as snow outside and inside Mahogany colored seats and stand.  My nearest neighbor, a very wicked man, thew in 100 dollars.  The Camelite [Campbellite] is going to join the Methodist Church soon.  This wicked man says he has got double pay alaready for his 100 dollars so soon as the Church was finished there was quarterly meeting appointed in it and the celebrated minister Mr. Cooper began to preach and in come the presiding Elder W. G. Rush that can whip all Camelism far above Bill Neal.  He has had several debates with champions of Camelism and gave them hankins.  This Bro. Rush commenced preaching it was a cold time in religion but his eloquence stirred the depths of the human heart.  This wicked neighbor of mine tumbled up, his fine Methodist wife knelt by him and prayed like a cripple at a gate.  The 2nd or 3rd night he broke thru the gloom and then he come it ?? being a fine man wielded a great influence he ran to this one and that one and soon had 20 or 30 and crying God be merciful to me a sinner.  Soon 25 professed.  Rush had to leave on business.  We sent 10 miles to Brunswick for a stationed preacher a Mr Caples who only lacked 4 votes of being the Superintendent Bishop of the Southern E.M. Church.  He came and one of the greatest revivalists I’ve ever seen in my life.  He took a text Gal. 6 verses 7,8,9.  He killed Camelism deader than thunder.  The Camels are cutting wide swaths here but I think their days are about numbered here.  So he preached 2 days 3 times per day.  He made such lofty and eloquent appeals in his exortations to the Diety as I never heard uttered from the mouth of man in all my life.  I know not but the Heavenly songsters stopped and bent over the rim of Heaven with astonishment at human wisdom.  I felt almost that providence had made such a difference in men that he should know everything and me nothing.  So the work progressed strong by 2 universalions and 11 Camelites professed religion.  I stood over and seen 6 professions in 5 minutes, 42 profession to the church, 40 at a meeting 15 miles off.  26 at another.  So we have acknowledged the supremacy of the Great God.  We have felt some of the displeasure of the divine being for we have not had good rain here in 12 months.  Many wells and creeks have gone dry and some stock died from want of water.  Stock goes 6 or 7 miles here after water.  Night before last we had a good rain.  From February to the 20th of May there was no rain in all our country which made corn come up very bad then was showry till the 20th of June then Sat in dry and has been so ever since.  Some few little showers only laying the dust but it helped some.  We have raised about half crops so we can do on it tolerable well.  We have on hand near 100 barrel of old corn.  Some of our friends has 2 some 3 hundred barrels of old corn.  Hogs scarce north and south of us they are suffering from drouth.  Have sent off 7 thousand hogs to Illinois.  In the north part of our county the river bottoms here will make 10 barrels per acre.

 

I am most mortified that old Kentuck is forsaken by a kind providence for I intended to have went back this fall to KY and made it my home.  W. J. Winfrey would certainly have gone back and made it his home but now we are trying to make some other shift for a while till times gets better.  This is a country of rich lands and we are going to have a rail road right through this county next year.  We have the grant and survey and have state aid and large taxes but an easy road to grade as ever was.

 

James wrote me that there was great commotion in the inhabitants in KY.  Many moving off and land cheaper than it had been for 50 years past.  I would like to know immediately the prices of various places and if very cheap, I might step out some day and buy me a farm or 2.  I want you to let James Winfrey see this letter as it is rather an answer to his and I want to see another from under his hand.  It does me good.  I wrote Brother William a letter after I got his and have not got any from him since.  Pray don’t forget me as I am alone in a far off country.  I live to hear from my own native land.  That’s home to me and nowhere else and never can be.  Give my respects to your good little children and all my dear brothers and sisters.  They are sacred in my memory.

 

James wrote that Thomas Winfrey was going to move to Ioway if so he will be close by little over 100 miles.

 

                                                                        Truly yours,

                                                                        Henry Winfrey

 

To John B. Winfrey & Wife & girls.  I want one of the girls to live with me.  

 

Now concerning the things I wrote unto you it is better for you not to talk to women.   

 

Footnote:  This is the letter mentioned on page 33 of The Winfrey Family by James Clifton Winfrey: "Mildred Winfrey Hale of Russell Springs, KY has an old letter which Henry wrote to one of his brothers back in Kentucky in September 1860 in which he says he has heard that his brother, Thomas, is going to move to Iowa."
 
Excerpts from this letter were published in the Adair County Review, Volume Ten, Columbia, KY, Fall & Winter, 1996, by the Adair County Genealogical Society.