In response to Karen's question about farmers in Henry County I found a letter which is in my possession along with several others that I thought she might enjoy. If there is interest I will post the letters for others to enjoy. Ellen Note: John R. Weller is my gggrandfather, The letter is as follows: At Home near Berming, Mo July 30th, 1861 Jno R. Weller, Dear cousin your esteemed favor of 13th nlt;; came promptly to hand and found us all well. And have so remained untill last week. I was knocked into 'pi, with a kind of Billious attack,, I am however I hope past the worst. Jim & Jo Ashbaughs families are all sound at present. Health generaly good. Crops of all kinds are splendid But I don't suppose that there is a dollar in Cash within 500 miles of here. at least I have not seen but very few for sometime. Wheat 50 cts pr bushel, oats 15, corn 20, potatoes (New) 25, Bacon 5 to 6. All Dull, Very Dull. Jim Ashbaughs folks thank for your kind rememberance. & return the compliment to all out your way. I don't suppose that I could forward anything to you in the News line but what you have already heard. And us there is nothing transpiring on any the kinfolks. I must either quit scribbling or else launch off into the Boundles Ocean of politics. I believe that nothing but politics or war nowadays has any interest whatever,, So if you will bear with me I will try and reply to some of the sharpest points in your letter,, first However let me say that yours was recd and Read without producing any of that sharp feeling that such letters are calculated to arouse,, Second if I that you could not read one from me without getting spunky over it I would quit Right here Believing however that you are as capable of Keeping cool as I am. I shall proceed. First. I agree with you where you say that the war is one of the most "Unnattural Fratricidal & Revolting to Common Sense and Honesty &C.&C. after you finish you abuse of the war (all of which I endorse) we part company. You charge the Southern people with Murder and Robery. I Deny and Demand your proof. You charge that the South has had control of the Federal government for a No of years past. I Deny and want to see the proof (Let me ask you what Side of Mason & Dixon Line does Fillmore, Pierce & Buchanan Live) you charge that the South has bullied and encroached upon the North for a long time,, All of which I do most Solumnly Deny and Demand your proof,, you state that Mo. Has Seceded. I Deny it. Come with your proof. You say that Slavery is a curse to Missouri. I veryly Deny it. Come with your proof,, you charge that the South will loose their sugar & cotton trade. Their respect among nations. And get punished as traitors. Now of course you was guessing at the last propositions. I will guess with you and we of course will have to Refer the matter to old Father time. 1st I guess they will establish Free Trade for Sugar & Cotton. 2nd Independence for themselves. 3rd Perfect Respect among nations. 4th that they punish whoever undertakes to punish them as traitors. In other words I will stand you a treat to be paid the first time we meet that Jeff beats old Abe on the fight on an average all the way thorough from Bangor to Pensacola. You say that Missouri has had No Right to complain of the treatment She has recd at the hands of the free States,, Lord, John, I am astonished at you. You make that statement in the Dark… Let me give you a few cases. To enlighten you, for although you seem to be an endorser of old abe and his abolition Hersey's war & I will have no Idea that you ever conducted a train on the underground R.R. consequently you know but very little of the Real character of the company you seem to enjoy so well,, I am not going to speak of far fetched characters but of parties. Parties personaly known to me both Black & white within the last 12 months. I have known of 2 of my friends that had each a nigger man enticed into Iowa. But having some old acquaintances up there who saw & knew the niggers gave their owners Notice (owners paying some $500 apiece). So that they got their slave at the modest cost of about $400=apiece. Further, it leaked out among the Pious People of the locality where the slaves were taken, and the Result was that the Honest Men who gave Information to the owners had to leave Iowa to save their necks. And the owners had just as well go to the Devil at once as to go where they recovered their property. Again within about 4 weeks past 4 Negros were taken or went to Leavenworth City, Kansas, their owners Heard of them & went after them, and when they made their business known to the proper authorities they were politely Informed that they had the whole of 30 minutes to quit Kansas in, and if they choose to occupy their time in some other way than leaving they might do so, but to be assured that if they overstaged the time one minuet they would be found Hanging by the necks. Now john I ask you to Reconsider and see if you free state folks treat the Slave State Right in these Matters. No John you know you Don't,, and you have Ruined the whole country By it. And upon you Rests the awful Responsibility of this most sinful war. Upon your guilty Heads was poured the Hearts Blood of thousands Sundy 21 last. Into your guilty ears will penetrate the Doleful cry of the widow and the fatherless,, Oh May God Save Me from such Piteous Horrible Sound,, You to force your Religion and politics. (for you know that these is No Religion nor politics North without, the Almighty Nigger) upon an unwilling people. And show to the world that you have a government. Have Deliberately set about Destroying the material Interest of the whole country. Deliberately Set out to make our once Happy wives & children, widows & orphans,, Deliberately you have Inaugurated the "Imepressible conflict,, in order that free white men & women might Be Degraded to a level with the Beastly Black African. Desperately you press the conflicts that liberty to free white men may Disappear forever from our once Happy Land,, can you Shout for the grand army. for the great anaconda. That is first to cover the Brave Sons of the South, the Defenders of their Houses. With Slime and then Swallow them at one gulp,, are you Determined to feed the carrian crow & vulture upon the flesh of your countrymen. Nag more upon your own Kinsmen, John I Don't Believe you when you tell me you favor coercian, which of course is war;; civil war, a wicked war,, a war Stinulated by the Shouts of old. Greely and other Black abolitionists, which is Dissolution & Deloation complete and for ever. You pitched in and abused Missouri a little. I can help on with the work. Just as far as you have a mind to. She deserves abuse. She has let greasy lousy Abolitionists from Iowa & Ill come and overrun her. Stick their snotty noses Into their trunks, Band Boxes, under their Beds and in fact every place where they may choose to go,, and if it Happens that they find that the parties searched Did not vote for Lincoln they make him Swear to support him or Hurry him off to their camp. I have no Doubt but you will agree with me when I say that men who will submit to such treatment are worse than Free Niggers. Missouri has However Began to Resent and has Sunned the Moccasins of a few Hundred of those very clever gentlemen and I have no Doubt but will when she gets her guives on make a many a one of them Bite the Dust, or take themselves out of the State. In conclusion I Deprecate & Deplore the Sad condition of my country,, I am opposed to the whole war policy. I am for Peace all the time,, But if nothing But a fight will satisfy old Abe and his Abolition, Black republican Fanatical friends and Supporters, I am in hopes that everytime they undertake to Forward to Richmond or Moove 'The Grand Army, the Great Anacanda South, that Jeff may light down on it and water loo it,, that if the good people of the free states have no Better Employment than to form themselves into armyes for the purpose of crushing out the Slave States, that Defeat may meet them just so long as they may persist in their Diabolical work. I am no seastionist 'per se' I am one that Believes the South has Justice on her side in this unfortunate quarrel. I am one that cannot tolerate,Sickly, Slimy, loathsome abolitionism in none of its forms. It is all wrong,, Mercy, I find that I am tired. I must quit, and no Doubt might have Done so sometime since to advantage. Give my love to Uncle & Aunt, Mary, Martha, Sarah, Charley and all the Rest. Please write soon, often, long and loud, to your cousin Truly, J. E. Weller