These letters were all addressed to:

Colonel James Snedecor Gainesville, Sumpter City, Alabama Danville, Kentucky

February 27, 1839

Dear Father,

I arrived here on the 26th and have procured a boarding house and to-morrow I will commence studying. I wrote to you just before I left Princeton and expect an answer shortly but suppose that you are anxious to hear whether or not I had arrived here safely. I have been ten days coming from Princeton.

I waited three days at Edyville for a boat to go to the mouth of the Cumberland river and got tired waiting for steamboat and went down on a flat boat to Smithland then up the Ohio river on Steamboat Adriatic which being very large and the river very low ran aground on Flint Island bar 90 miles below Louisville, from there to Louisville on boat Robert Emmet.

We passed through Louisville Canal about midnight on 23rd but did not let the opportunity of learning by traveling slip. Mr. Reed and myself got up and saw the boat pass through the locks, which were four in number and the boat was elevated 12 feet at each lock. The next morning we arose very early and went to the Stage Office where we ascertained that the Stage for Danville would leave at 9 A. M. and that the best route was by way of Frankfort.

Then in order that we might be enabled to see much of the City of Louisville we had to walk the streets very fast until that time. We then departed for Frankfort and after passing through Shelbyville and several other flourishing villages we arrived at Frankfort at 1/2 past 6 o'clock, distance 52 miles. There we did not find as interesting a city as Louisville. The Legislature had just adjourned.

The next morning at 3 o'clock we left for Danville and arrived at 3 o'clock P.M. We have found a village containing between 1 and 2 thousand inhabitants, perhaps as pleasantly situated as you ever saw, mostly surrounded by woodland, sowed with blue grass which at this time is beginning to look green (though we had a sprinkle of snow today). This place seems to be celebrated for society and intelligence. In 1/4 of a mile from town is situated 2 large buildings and some smaller ones, one of the buildings (the larger) is known over the world by the name of Centre College, the other is the President's house, Mr. Young's. In town there is another beautiful building which is the Deaf and Dumb School, or Asylum, 50 students.

There is also a celebrated female seminary and several common schools. March 1st. I commenced this letter a few days ago and did not finish it on account of being very busy in arranging my studies and hope that you will excuse me for not writing another as I am now in a hurry. I have become acquainted with the President and most of the faculty and have commenced business. By the advice of Mr. Young who is certainly capable of giving advice on this subject, I am boarding with Mr. Crutchfield who lives about 1/4 of a mile from town and about the same distance from the institution, as being retired from the noise of the town and a good exercise of walking steady during the time.

I should have said from my room at Mr. Crutchfield's to the College because we only remain at the College building while we are reciting, hearing lectures and during the convention of Societies, etc. You will observe on the catalogue of the institution, which I will send you with this letter that rooms in College may be occupied by the students, but at the time that those rooms were made there was a refectory connected with the College at which the Students were compelled to board and that is all done away with, though the rooms are still there but they are not made use of.

By rooming in College, boarding without wood and candles comes a little cheaper but by a neat calculation, taking into consideration all the expense necessary to be incurred by the Student furnishing his own room that the cost is about the same, therefore they prefer moving at their boarding house.

Boarding is at this time higher than I anticipated, it is from $2.50 to $3.00 per week. Winter sessions $3.00. Summer sessions $2.50 per week, equal to $11.00 and $12.50 per month, the difference is on account of the wood. There is only one month this session to come for which I have to pay $3.00 in advance paid for tuition, and for board $3.00 per week which from strangers they might expect to be paid in advance and I have not got the money to offer. They have not hinted anything of the kind to me though they might as I am at this time a tolerable ragged chap but I have bought some clothing on a credit which will be made in a few days.

I brought a letter of introduction and recommendation from a gentleman in Princeton to a firm in Danville. Some Students (a few) here wear fine clothing every day, but the most of them and the most respectable wear Ky. janes every day and sometimes Sunday and public days in College a cloth coat or suit. Being detained on my way here has cost (the trip) more than I expected; it cost $30.12 cts. and the month's tuition and some other little expenses has near about sieged my purse. I therefore hope that you will send me some money immediately.

You can form an idea how much will suffice. At Cumberland College on an average it cost the students $200. annually and here it costs a little more, not so very little more either. I would guess $50.00 more but I am certain that I can live here on $225.00 annually and I also think that this is the cheapest place because there it is true we did not pay quite as much money per session nor did we get as much in return, there was always a lack in the faculty, a lack in the fare for at times it was not wholesome, a lack in the washing and a lack in everything connected with that institution.

Here we get value received for our money I think from what I have seen and heard. Mr. Young is said to be the smartest man in this section of the country and the balance of the faculty are not much behind. You know that I cannot judge now but upon the whole from what little acquaintance I have of this institution I think that I will be pleased. Mr. Young says that the course of study here is much fuller than at C. College, but that he thinks I can by studying the next vacation or two that I can enter the class that I wish to catch up with, that class will graduate 3 1/2 years from this time.

I think that I would rather leave here in the Junior class than to graduate at Com. College because I think I would have more general knowledge for there are several very important branches omitted there that are studied here such as surveying and still it takes the same time to graduate at one as it does at the other. I have written about some things of minor importance and I done it because I thought that you would be willing to take the time to read it and could thereby form a more correct idea of matters and things in general. I hope that you will write immediately or you and Mama in conjunction.

My love and best wishes to you and Mama and all the rest.

Your affectionate son,

George G. Snedecor

P.S. I am rooming with Mr. Reed, we are in the same class. We intend making inquiry at the end of this session and if we can get board cheaper we will do it.

Addressed to: Colonel James Snedecor Gainesville, Sumpter City, Alabama Postmark - Danville, KY April 11, 1840

Danville, April 9th 1840

Dear Parents,

I received your letter dated March 10th. a few days ago. We are both in good health; but were sorry to hear that Pappa had been very sick. We had been uneasy for several weeks, suspecting that something was the matter. I am afraid that Pappa is not as well as you wrote, or he would have written something in the epistle as well as on the back of it.

The session has been out about two weeks, and we have actively engaged ever since until a few days ago. We took a trip to the falls on the Cumberland river, a distance of about 70 miles. There was a company of 19 students and one of the Professors of College. We all went on foot and camped out every night except when the weather was very bad, each one armed with a gun and butcher knife. We had a two horse waggon to carry our tent and baggage.

When we got within 20 miles of the falls we had to leave the waggon on account of the country's being so wild and mountainous. we saw many magnificent curiosities, such as caves and coal mines, mountains, falls etc. My principal object in taking this excursion were recreation and the improvement of my health. I cannot say that I was in bad health but I did not feel very stout from having been closely confined to study all the session; and I thought that the exercise would be beneficial, and sure enough it had the desired effect.

The first day's march was 15 miles and when we were encamped I felt very much fatigued; the second day I was very sore from the effect of the first day's walk, but after that I got better every day and I think I could march 30 miles per day. My studies next session will be in the languages, Cicero de officies and Homer; in mathematics Trigonometry and surveying which are the regular studies of the Sophomore Class.

Brother James has been studying Latin in the preparatory since here and the teacher of that department says that he will have to remain there 3 more sessions before he can enter college. James and myself are both convinced that he can do better at a good country school until he can enter college, and save a great deal of expense. He is very anxious to come home and prepare himself to enter the freshman class and I feel certain that it would be both better and cheaper. But he wants your consent before he starts home and we hope that you will let us know immediately what he must do.

He will study and recite to me until you write. We have not received the check you spoke of yet. Times are so hard and we are so fraid that you will think that we are not economical that we hate to tell you that $200 will not be enough to meet the demand here against us. I have all the items on my memorandum, but I have not room to give them here.

I will give you the account; we lack $10 of having enough for our board session before last session and board for last session of $55.00 each, making $120.00 for board; store account for 1839, $90; for tuition last session $30.00 and $15.00 next session (if James leaves); to be paid in advance which makes $45 for tuition; $8.00 for Doctor fee; $7.00 to a shoe maker got mostly this year but it is cash concern; we borrowed $20.00 from Mr. Jacob Harlan to pay for letters, library tax and to defray our expense on our exploring expedition which cost us $6.50 each = $13.00; all of which amounts to $290.00.

As brother James wishes to write some, I must stop. Receive and give my love and respects to all.

Your son, George G. Snedecor

[On the same sheet of paper, the letter written by James followed. James was born about 1825]

April 7, 1840

Dear Parents,

I take this opportunity to drop a few lines to inform you, as I wrote once before that I have not had one hours sickness since I left home; I have never before been blessed by providence with such health before. I have gained 25 or 30 pounds since I left home and I truly hope these lines will find all of the family enjoying the same blessings.

But I have concluded if there be a common school near home I can enter the freshman class soon as if I stay here, there are many advantages to be derived from being in the freshman class, but to go to the preparatory department is not much better than to go to a common school, and I think if there is a good school in Gainesville or Mr. Hebron it would not be better for me to come home. It would not cost near as much.

If you conclude for me to come we can get a horse from Mr. Brice who is acquainted with you and he says he will wait until I can get home and send the money back home. Tell my sisters and brothers that I have not forgotten them that brotherly affection has not withered nor will it as long as time lasts.

I remain your affectionately,

James H. Snedecor

[Letter from George Gaines Snedecor to his uncle, Captain John D. O'Rear, Mt. Sterling, Montgomery County, Kentucky.]

Greene County, Ala., Oct., 5th, 1842.

Dear Uncle Pack,

I have neglected to write to you for so long a time that I have no doubt you have no expectation of seeing a letter from me at all. But let me assure you that this neglect was not from a want of a sense of the obligation to do so, but it was from a sort of neglectful procrastination.

My Dear Uncle, since I saw you last I have been severely afflicted both in body and in mind, and not only myself but all of our family. There are now only five of the whole white family in the land of the living, viz; Mother, sister Emily, (Mrs Boyd it is), myself, and two little brothers, Franklin and Isaac. Boyd lives in Mississippi, and my Mother with her three boys is now living at the same place on the hill in sight of Gainesville.

It has been excessively sickly here this last Summer; for my own part I have been sick all the time, and I am now just able to sit up, having had another attack of fever last week. My two brothers have also had a spell of the fever in the early part of the season. Mother has been well all the time. I have taken it for granted that you have heard of the death of my Father. I think that I sent you a paper containing his obituary. I was with him when he died but I have not been living with him since this Fall twelve months ago.

I was living with Uncle Isaac reading Law and though very anxious to go ahead with the study of Law I am now compelled to lay aside my books almost entirely for several months as I am appointed by the Orphan's Court administrator of my father's Estate. I find it very troublesome, (in the bad state of my health), to attend to everything about the place that needs attention. I have gotten up all the stock of every description, and there is a pretty good lot of them I tel you for a man that farmed it on a small scale.

Amidst all the cracking, breaking and smashing of poperly [sic] and estates my lamented father never got quite broke, but you will not wonder at this because you knew his judgement and prudent management. You, I believe, hold the largest claim against the estate of any, and in regard to the settlement of it I wish to act as fairly with you as the duties which the laws impose upon me will permit.

From my personal knowledge of the justice of your claim I think you will not have much difficulty in obtaining your rights, and so far as I am concerned, or so far as it is in my power you shall be paid. By selling off most of the stock and some other perishable property I think that all the just demands against the Estate may be satisfied without encroaching upon any real estate or negroes. But to convert the stock into money will require between 6 and 18 months as the statue of this State will not let an administrator sell property on a less credit than six months and then you can guess how long it will take to collect it. So that I do fear that you will not get yours as soon as you ought to have it.

You will have to make out a regular account for the horse, or both of them, as you think best, but Pa sold one of them to a man that runaway without paying. And I would advise you to hunt up all the old letters you received from father during his lifetime and if you find that any of them speak of the debt he owed you, you had best preserve them and send them with your note and accounts for they might be important in proving you claim if any of the heirs or guardians should object to the admition [sic] of your claim. I merely say this that you may be as careful and leave nothing important behind when you bring or send them to Alabama.

In other words when I pay you I want to get vouchers that will make me safe; for you know that the other heirs or guardians for the minor heirs might hold me accountable and throw the burden of the debt on my shoulders.

Your Nephew,

Geo. G. Snedecor

P.S. Write soon. I wish you would come to Alabama this Fall. Give my love and respects to all.

G.G. Snedecor

Letter from George Gaines Snedecor Camargo, Republic of Mexico, November 6, 1846

My Dear Brother & Sister,

On yesterday I received your interesting favor of the 11th ultimo. It was truly interesting to me -- and no one, who has not been similarly situated can form a proper estimate of the value to me of a letter from a brother and the only sister that I have on earth. To learn that you were in health and doing well -- to hear from Uncle Isaac's family and above all to hear from my dear Mother from whom I have not received a line since I left home, were items in your letter of no small degree of gratification and pleasure to me.

The health of the American army is much better now than formerly. There are, however, a few cases occurring now and then which are singularly fatal. Nearly all of the Eutaw Rangers are well. My own health is very good -- indeed I am becoming quite corpulent. I have fattened nineteen pounds in the last seven weeks but I was not in very good order when I commenced fattening -- and not only health but also cheerful spirits and calm contentment attend me.

I feel like I would be "some in a bear fight". I fear that I shall not be able to write you an interesting letter -- for it is now 1/2 after 2 o'clock in the night, and I have not had the pleasure of being alone and undisturbed while penning my drowsy thoughts to you. But the beautiful moon is beaming with unusual brightness; and as I have to be awake I might as well write a little as not. I come to my turn about every ten days to act as Officer of the Guard and I am now taking one of those turns.

And I am sitting by a little table in a little tent with a little ink stand and a little piece of candle burning before -- a little ways above Camargo -- a little ways in front of the encampment of the Alabama Regiment on the little San Juan River -- a little in the edge of a very boundless prairie full of little thorny chapporels or thickets.

Now one-third of the guard under my command are on the lines around the camp marching back and forth anxiously awaiting for their two hours to expire so that they may be relieved by the next set of sentinels and stack their arms and take a four hour nap under the large tent -- open at both ends which is called the guard tent and intended to shelter the corporals and privates. The Sergeant is in the little tent with me -- and that God he has gone fast to sleep -- he has been interrupting me every half hour since sunset about a prisoner in the guard tent that he says wont behave himself. And now since I have let my Sergeant go to sleep I am performing his duties and mine too -- every two hours I call up one of the Corporals to make up his relieving sentinels and every now and then I march around the camp to see if the sentinels are wide awake and doing their duty.

My Dear Brother and Sister.

I did not have an opportunity of finishing my letter this morning and I embraced the earliest opportunity to do so. I don't know what to write to you to interest you most -- As I said in the morning I am in fine health -- but now feel rather fatigued and sleepy. Captain Moore and myself are messing together -- only we two are together.

The Captain has a negro man that has been cooking and waiting on us. But the boy, Peter, is now very sick -- he had a very severe attack of fever a few days since and I have lost almost all hope of his recovery. he is an excellent servant -- honest and obedient -- and I have so high an opinion of him that I am now and have been ever since he was taken doing everything in my power to make him comfortable and alleviate his sufferings. Mr. W. A. Bell of our company is also quite sick; but his is not thought to be dangerous.

I believe I have written to you since the splendid siege and battle of Monterey. It was an achievement on the part of American arms which is but another example of dashing boldness and unparalleled courage -- and but another evidence in my mind that the Almighty in his wisdom has decreed that the Anglo Saxen race shall overspread and give laws, institutions, civil and religious liberty, and enlightenment to the whole of the North American Continent, if not the whole world.

The Alabama Regiment was mistreated in being ordered to remain at Camargo while the Mississippi Regiment was ordered to move among the foremost to Monterey -- and most especially since the battle almost every officer and private in our regiment feels chagrined and indignant at the partiality which has been shown to other regiments to our prejudice. But we are assured now that we will not hereafter have cause to complain of being held back.

The drama has just opened and in the next act Alabama will make her appearance upon the stage. we are expecting orders every day to take up our line of march to San Louis Potosi or Tampico. My own opinion is that the United States ought, before moving upon either of these cities, to send a considerable re-enforcement to our army in Mexico, otherwise the province of Tamaulipas which we now have possession of will fall back into the hands of the enemy as soon as our army is marched farther into the interior.

For we would certainly hazard a great deal if we left many of our present forces behind to guard the cites and territory which we have already taken. But we need not trouble ourselves about this as it has to be arranged by those high in authority and all we have to do is to act well our parts. I know full well that this campaign is one in which thousands of lives are to be sacrificed. But this is the normal consequence of wars and jars in the family of nations.

I look upon it calmly and it does not disturb me. Whatever of hardship and dangers and trials I may meet, will be borne by me without a murmur and with the determination to act in a manner worthy of the famed patriot soldier or to perish in the attempt. I should like to see you all but as to returning before the expiration of the term for which I have enlisted it is what I cannot permit myself to think of. If I should be fortunate as I hope to be I will return next June (when the twelve months have expired).