More letters from Tracy Stancil LETTER # 5 Mississippi, Sunflower County January 9, 1855 Dear Brother Henry, Your esteemed favour of the 7th December was received yesterday the 8th instant.(Instant was an old term meaning of the current month. Ultimate was used to mean last month or the previous month) So was yours of January last informing me of the results of the division of my father's property duly received. I did not answer yours of January last for several reasons, some of which I will mention. In the first place, I received your letter about the time I shipped my cotton to N. Orleans and thought I would wait until it was sold to remit to you the balance that was due from me. ( He apparently owed Henry money for a slave he had purchased.) My crop was not sold till about the middle of May. It did not bring as much as I expected nor in fact as much as it ought to have done. I had previously bought property to be paid for out of that crop which lacked a little being sufficient, freight interest and commission, however about the time I heard from the sale of my crop, I was lame in one of my feet, occasioned by a hurt which kept me confined to the house for about six weeks. I was at that time very far behind in cultivating my crop and was therefore prevented from making other arrangements to make you the remittance until the season was far advanced and money at such a high rate of interest, I concluded I would wait till I could make a shipment from my present crop, but in consequence of low water, I have not yet shipped any.Besides meeting with great difficulty in obtaining North Carolina bills of suitable size and not knowing that any other would suit, have delayed some on the account. You will please inform me if any other kind would suit, what or if you could use a check on New York for the amount. We regret very much to hear of the misfortune in your family and though at so great distance from you we can and do properly sympathize with you in your affliction; at the same time we are pleased to hear that the health of your family is improving, and that the hand affliction , though visited in severity is again becoming lighter and we hope will soon be removed. We rejoice to hear that our family connection all again enjoying the inestimable blessing of health. Myself and family are enjoying remarkable good health since the last writing with some exceptions. The lameness in my foot that I have already spoken of, some five or six weeks of debility of Rebecca Ann; she has been quite feeble though not confined. The past year has been really dry except a little while in the spring. The crops of corn are generally short and is selling at $1.00 per bushel. The cotton crop I believe are turning out tolerably well. It is thought that it will be equal to last year's crop and bring up here from 6 to 8 cents per pound. In N. Orleans from 6 to 10 cents. Provisions of all kinds are scarce and high. I hear of no pork selling at all except in barrels which has been from $18.00 to $20.00. Flour from $10.00 to $12.00 per barrel.Beef 8 cents, bacon 12 to 15 cents per pound. Mules and horses are very high. Number 1 mules $200. Fine saddle and harness horses from $250 to $300. I shall send Ruel Marcellus and Godfrey both to college this year. Ben Eddie and Ruel Anderson will both go to school also. I have not determined yet where I will send them. I do know that I wish to sell the boy George but wish you to take care of him until I make the remittance due from me to yourself and the others. I have little doubt brother Henry that the draining and clearing up of that spring branch is the principal cause of the sickness in your family. The best way to manage cases of that sort is to stimulate freely and keep up the pulse to its natural highest as possible. You could use ginger, I prefer brandy or whisky. I believe a good article of whisky to be better than brandy. Give them plenty of pepper tea and whisky frequently. If you do not wish to hire the boy George yourself please hire him to someone you think best. Rebecca Ann and all of the children join with me in presenting to yourself, your family, and all relatives our best wishes and highest respects. May the God in heaven bless, guide and direct you through time and its uncertainties and finally save you in his everlasting kingdom above. Present our respects to all our relatives and enquiring friends and accept for yourself sentiments of highest regards. Your brother, most affectionately, Caswell Stancill P.S. I have no hesitation in saying that I perfectly agree to the appropriation and purchase you propose to make for the Grave Stones. If nothing prevents, I will write to brother Jesse in about one month. C. Stancill My post office now is Shell Mound, Sunflower County, Miss. Write me your most convenient post office. I scarcely know where to direct letters to you. C.S. LETTER # 6 Dry Bayou August 20th, 1855 Dear Brother Henry, I am without a word from you or any of my relations to answer or reply to after your letter of December 7th, 1854 which I answered and have since written to brother Jesse and brother Willie but without any reply. Having no other means of communication to each other our thoughts except the inestimable art of writing, we can through this means make known to each other our relative social condition in life. I have the pleasure to say to you and to the rest of my relations there that at this time myself and family are all well though myself and two youngest children have had colds since I wrote to brother William. You no doubt have heard before this of my great and sad misfortune, my bereavement. I wrote to brother Willie that on the 17th day of June at two o'clock in the morning my beloved wife Rebecca Ann departed this life in child bearing. Her child was a little boy and he expired in a few minutes. I was afraid her time would be hard and her labour difficult; as soon as I found she was in labour I sent for the most skillful physician in the neighborhood, but he did not get here in time to afford any relief. Ann had grown considerably in size after we came to this country. She would weigh 130 or 140 pounds. She had improved very much in refinement and intelligence. She had no superior and in addition she was a devoted and pious Christian. I have indeed lost a treasure. She had gone with me through the heat and burden of the day and just in the prime of life and when we had become so situated that we could have some enjoyment in life, I am left alone to wind my way through life the best I can. I do not mean that we have had no enjoyment before for I suspect that we enjoyed each other's company better than most people. I mourn as one not without hope. We had a cold dry winter and spring but the rain came in time to make crops. The crops of corn and cotton generally are very good. I have a very good crop both of corn and cotton, though I have had as good before. I expect to beging to pick cotton in a day or two. There is a good deal of political excitement about Know Nothing or the American Party. I have tried two times in New Orleans as well as in the county to procure North Carlolina money to remit to you but have not succeded in obtaining it.You will please write to me immediately upon the reception of this or as soon as you can as certain wether a check on some bank in New York would answer your purpose and if so what bank and wether you would prefer it drawn payable at sight or at 30 or 60 days after date. Or if South Carolina money would answer you and how much I will be allowed for the hire of the boy or in other word if the check will answer your purpose or for what amount must I send one or if you prefer South Carolina money what amount will pay what I am due on the value of the boy deducting the hire. I am anxious to pay the balance and to get the boy home. Life is uncertain and I wish to keep my business as nearly settled up as possible. I have taken Godfrey home to assist me in my business. He was going to school at Oxford the University of Mississippi when his mother died. Ruel Marcellus is still at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Ben Eddie is also boarding from home and going to school, it will yet take him one or two more sessions to prepare to enter college. It costs me a good deal to educate my children. I have to pay ten dollars a month board and $4.00 a month tuition before they enter college and then it costs still more. Nothing more at present but remain your brother most affectionately, C. Stancill P.S. Write to me your post office. Present my respects to sister Margaret, to your children, all my relatives and inquiring friends and accept for yourself the affection of your brother C. Stancill I would like to hear how sister Rachel is getting on and how brother William's son Randolph is doing and what seems to be his prospects. C. Stancill This concludes the letters. Now for a few interesting notes on Caswell Stancill's family in Mississippi. Caswell Stancill died about six months after his wife. He died on January 22, 1856. Caswell's sons: Ruel Marcellus was educated as a physician at UNC Chapel Hill and died in MS in 1924. Godfrey and Benjamin Eddie Stancill both died in the Civil War. Youngest son Caswell Paschall Stancill born July 30, 1849 and died Oct. 4,1913. Caswell Paschall Stancill had a son Hugh William Stancill born November 1 1873. Hugh William Stancill had a son Hugh William Jr. born Sept. 24, 1910 and who worked in Drew, Mississippi. Hugh William Stancill Jr. had a son Hugh William Stancill III born December 10, 1947. Hugh William Stancill III went to medical school in Jackson, MS and did his residency at Duke University. In 1980 he was practicing medecine in Laurel, MS. Sunflower County where Caswell lived is now known as LeFlore County Caswell Stancill had a brother named Allen Stancill who settled in Union Parish,Louisianna where he has a number of descendants. To conclude, I hope this wasn't too lengthy and that you enjoyed reading the letters. Tracy