This was sent to another list for Hawkins and since some of you said you had relatives that left Hawkins Co. Tn. I thought I should send it. I wish I could find some letters like it on my families. Pat R. > The following is a letter to Lewis MITCHELL from his brother, John MITCHELL. The blanks depict faded words or folds in the letter where the words could not be made out: > > Lee Valley, March 9th, 1848 > > Dear Sir, > This being a wet morning I sit down to write you. The times and events of our country (as) I may think of them. I received your letter ____ 1st came to hand in due time, in which you gave ____us of your country and the well doing of your family all of which I read with satisfaction, your letter ____ family well and all our relations in this country is well and getting along as well is the times will allow and without _____ particular events among us. I will begin with particulars of our country for the last twelve months, (to wit) our ____ election came off with Jacob MILLER, son of old John MILLER, being elected a floating member of the house of representatives (from washington and hawkins), and fletcher white, son of old W____ white from hawkins, F, white beat A___ , andrew johnson was elected to congress by ____ a W___ temple of greene county, the _____ with rank electing s.d. mitchell president and ____hancock clerk. old Ap___ kyle and orville rice (?) was verry ____ (fold! > or old letter illegible) ____ our district election and county came off last saturday, a samuel smith, esq., was elected sheriff, geo (?) patrick serket court clerk, and robert c. ___reyes____and a w. lowderback county justice, robert rogers and myself was elected magistrates in the 2nd sivil district old ____ marker was elected one for the town district. there has been a new county taken off hawkins on the north and from the east part of claiborn and the county ____at____ (called sneedville) and brother richard was elected as magistrate for the town district. I will now give (you) some of the particulars about our wifes family. _____ I hear from them only _____ he, old lady duff is well and harty ____to. here ____family, nearly all lives and the old tract of land and ____ they were when you left this country. claiborn youngs, oldest daughter married a man named pendaldton and he died shortly after. I will now give you the particulars about my family. my wife and ____ and so! > mewhat _____we have only my wife and ____ and somewhat ____ we have only two children living with us. our youngest daughter has been married about __months to ___geo payne, and he is selling good___ down at james willies where wm renner left my ____ owing. alfred and christopher is all living in ____state and is doing well for themselves. one of ___ well and stout of her age but is hard to please and wishes to be remembered to you and family but in particular manner to ______ debt and about $400 interest ____do me made a good-crop-last season___or grain ____in all-at country and I have off of this season. I delivered your harty howtedo to old john davis and larkin willis. they are both well and requested me to return their compliments to you when I wrote. old swimp was with me when I opened your letter and read it to him and the old fellow shed tears and requested in a particular manner to give you his compliments when I wrote to you. I was at old richard mitchells not long s! > ience him and family is well through him and his old lady both looks very old and what is worse is their situation in their last years is almost pinury and want. THIS YOU NEED NOT SAY MUCH ABOUT. w.b. has a large family and all living there with the old man. I will have to go down in your old settlement. I was at peter agans (?) about two weeks ago on a arbitration between agan and wm begley who married polly agan and old c. mcenelly was with us two days. agans mill is rotten down and is washed of clean and he does not appear to be doing much in life to advantage. I hered from esq(?) eppersan when I was down there he had turned out to hard work and goes ____. the old man eppersan is living pharo roe ownes the old place you moved from and his son in law thomas eppersanlives on it though is not doing much good for himself not anting anybody else ben bray is still living over in the long hollow. marshall m webb has sold his land for $700 in cash and is going to move to the geor! > gia purchase he told me when I was down there. that he was going to look at and purchase a tract of land in sept next. he thinks he will have a $1000 cash to pay down. I will now say something about marriages and deaths in this country. old sally mills was buried on the 19th of last month. dicey ____ last fall. mr. walker is broke up and is living with wm. walker, and they both joined the baptist church. joel mills wife died last summer, and joel has sience married one of old peter wolfs daughters. old thomas martin died the 16th day of july last. old mr. sullivan died about twelve months ago. he appointed me of his last will and testament. old charity trent died last spring, and old wm trent was lately married the widow winstead, (say old peggy) pharo roes and his wife has lately parted because she let joseph davis hug her and I don't know what more, but she went before a justice of the peace and was sworn to do so no more and they are living together again. > > 15th > > sience I wrote the above I have thought of some things which I think will make you laugh ____. john mill has lately married peggy campbell and is living at ransom hayses old place, and ransom is living down the creek near peter again in a kind of pocket in bend in creek, is married a second wife and is presented by the grand jury of hancock for illegal marriage. old ben coffys wife died last fall and he is living with his son caswell and not long sience got drunk and fell of a log and broke one of his legs short off, and is just got so he can go about. > > martha is desirious that when you write to me that you send names of Amandy's children. I have wrote _____ and a better scholar than I am and you must make the best of it if you can and receive it from your affectionate brother > > john mitchell > > > Lewis mitchell, esq. > > you will please write when you receive this letter (note written on back of the first page)... > > > > Keith's father was Fred Mitchell, and another cousin said she thought Fred's people were from Indiana or Ohio. Keith lives in Loveland, Colorado. All these papers are kept in the ROSENBERRY GREEN BOX, I was always told they were ROSENBERRY papers and I literally begged Keith for over a year to make copies for me... > > Ken ROOSE sent to Eula >