The Letters of
Mrs. Parthania Burns


This is a copy of a letter written by Parthania Burns to her brother Thomas Cauthron in Ark. Copied as near exact as possible. F. M. Wells



Senter Mills Hood Co.Texas Long Creak July 7 1868 Dear Brother I seat my Self this pleasant eavening to write to you in answer to your kind and affectionate letter, I received two letters a few days a go from you one was dated Sept, 17th. 1867 the other April 26th. 1868. Brother I was so glad to hear from you and to hear that you was all well I was Sorry to hear of the death of Nancy But glad to hear that Father and Mother is still living and doing as well as they are O I wish that I could see you all and talk with you all a bout the ups and the downs the crooks and the turns that has taken place sence I last saw you, I hope these few lines may find you all enjoying good health they will leave me and family well with the exseption of Claiborn which is my third boy be had a chil to day & now has very high fever. I am married as you have heard long a go, when Mr. Burns & I was married he had three boys & I had three which makes us one half dosen he has one daughter Single that is sixteen he has one daughter & one son married we have one in co partner her name is Ann She is nineteen months old She is the pritest and smartest child you ever saw so that is a nough a bout that, the health of the Country is tolerable good at this time, Corn Crops is very fine wheat crop was very Sorry this year, times is rather dull at this time money is very scarse the beef traid is open and the merchants will buy all the beef hides bacon lard and wood that the country can Spaire we are living at the Center Mills Mr. Burns owns one third we have a school of Sixty Scollars our teaches is a methodist preacher and his wife they are very strict in their school, we are sending all of our boys, John says tell Uncle Thomas that he is learning tolerable fast and as soon as he can write a little better he will wraited you a letter, Father Morrison lives in one mild of us they are all well, Thomas tell Father & Mother that I hold my self as their respectful loving child and that I would be glad to reseive a letter from them and that I will wright to them by the next mail provided I have the oppertunity of sending a letter to the office give my love to Brother Claiborn and tell him to wright and also give my love to Thomas and Joahaner and tell them to wright to me, give my love to Mrs,. Tatum and Sister and tell them that I wish them to wright to me reserve a portion of my love to your self and family, Thomas try and come out this summer to see us and look and the country for I think you had better all move to western Texas any way,
Well I must bring my letter to a close as it is bed time and my eyes has dun dosed and I must send my to the office in the moring Wright as soon as you recieve this, So no more at present only I re main your affectionate Sister until death.
Parthania Burns
To Thomas Cauthron
direct your letter to
Weatherford, Parker Co. Texas

The letter, more than 100 years old, was written by Parthania Burns to her parents living in Arkansas. This was copied from a clipping sent by Lena Ratliff (my father's 2 grade school teacher) as it was published recently(1975) in the Hood County News.

The state of Texas
Country of Hood
A.D. 1869 Oct 10th
Dear Father and Mother,
I this evening take my pen in hand to wright to you to let you know that I havent forgotten you altho I have neglected to wright to you as often as I ought to have done-yet I havent received a letter since last Spring was a year ago and the time seams long. And I intend to wright you one a month until I hear from you all and to hear how you air a getting along This leaves us all well and a getting along very will at this time. Mr. Burns has sold the mill on long creek and has bought an improvement down the brakes about twenty miles below. We are now living on it. Their is 22 achors of land under fence and Mr. Burns intends to put in 30 more achors this fall. It is timbered land and he has got 15 achors claired and broke up. Johny plows 2 horses and breaks it as fast as the rest of the boys can clear it. We have corn enough to do us-pork will be high. We have 7 fat hogs in the pen and intend to fatten several more. Money is scarse and times is rather hard at this time. The health of the country is very good at this time. Thie indians is doin a good deal of mischief on the frontier an once in awhile they come down into the settlemints. Three weeks ago they was in 6 miles of this place. There war 7 in the bunch. they stold about 20 head of saddle horses, the finest in the country. On their way they was headed off by some of our men and a fight issued. They was all killed. Their was 2 of our men wounded-1 of them is a gettin well an the other died. The one that died was Emaline Wears second husband, Edward Weare was his name. She was left with 6 children. Our connection is all well so far as I know, except cosen Lucinda Plemons. As you know she is never well. She has a liver sisea. Pleas excuse me for being so hasty for my eyes is soar and they air hurting me. Johny say he is goin to wright you a letter as soon as he improves his wrighting a little more. Johny and Charles is both large stout boys to their age. Clayborn is rather weakly and his eyes have been soar all his life. Ann will be 3 years old the 22 of next month. She is very small but healthy. Give my love to all my brothers and sisters an tell them I want them to wright to me and let me know how they air getting on through to world and reserve a good portion of love for yourselves and wright me as soon as you get this letter. Direct your letters to granbury in Hood County. Evermore I remain your affectionate daughter until death,
Parthania Burns

(Note: The "Charles" she mentioned was Uncle Press Morrison. The "Clayborn" she mentioned was Laura Poe's first husband(the father of Willie, Mather, Van, Jake and Ola). At this writing, Clayborn was 5 years old.

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