Letter from John and Susan Corlis to Joseph, George, and Mary Ann Corlis, 14 April 1816

Cranston 14 April 1816

Dear George

I have only rec^d yours of the 14 & 24 ult & notice their Contents the draft for 794.5 has been presented and accepted and shall be paid at maturity. I shall be laid under great difficulty to get hold of funds from [?] Estate to meet my drafts for the farm, I shall antissipate them & shall provide for the payment at all events, the estate cannot be settled untill some time in September wether this will retard my setting of[f] from here I can not yet determine, I wish you not to draw on me further if it can possably be avoided, but inform me of your necessities, & I must remit you by which I can save [?] by purchase^g at Phil^a western money, I very much doubt wether I get from [?] estate enough to pay for the farm it is so cut up by division besides more Creditors appear than we knew of: money is [?] was never so hard to command & Every one is push^d & Exceedingly distres^d to get it; the same difficulties are comeing on at New York & Phil^a makes me sometimes wish I had entered into no engagem^ts whatever I am glad you purchas^d the Negro, I will [scrable?] this that payment in some way or other but I pray you all be verry prudent, and do all that [?] possable to make the farm yeild the greatest Crop. the Tobacco Crop more particularly which for this year I most rely on, should be kept well hoed & clear of weeds & not neglected none of you ever speak of John or each other I hope he is verry Industrious & attentive, tell Mary I think she should be more with the family; its our duty one and all to be verry very prudent & Deconomical & by Jo^s [? ? punitive?] I fear it does not enter enough into his Views, I verry much apprehend that I shall not be able to save one dollar from the Estate where we

now are, real estates are litterally worth nothing here Cotton mills are to be purchas^d for les than one third their original Cost, every body wish to sell none to purchase I notice what you say about the Negro mans wife & child I shall be willing to purchase them by & bye if he behaves well & turns out as you expect. you must be a little on your guard (relative to the representation of M^r P on any Subject my opinion is that he deceived himself & is too fond of any Castles, when you have read this dash it out with your pen for I know how Careles you are with your letters) I hope you have succeed^d in getting your other hands this was too long negected I pray you all bear in mind of how much Consequence the Tobacco Crop will be of & do not neglect it, it will pay well the come^g year, your Couzin Geo. C Nightingale has gone to Tennessee, & talks of Com^g over the mountains home to be here in May, I hope he will give you a Call he has many letters for you all, Ethan Clark is going also that way, & we shall expect to hear from you all by such good oppt^y, you should [?] your letters & keep them till good oppt^y offers when [?] comes with its date, I feel very gratefull to M^rs Peerless for her politeness to Mary, but I hope none of you will neglect those [Caris?] friends who receive you with so much politeness I am glad you have got the brick under way, I shall send no mason out from here, if they can be laid for [10/6?] thousand, nor Carpenter either, if the Carpenter wages are [?] which I hope to know by your next letter, also about the timber plantes &c In my last I sent you a plan of the house, It will be best to Join to the north and as fr my plan, as its my intention to make that end of the old house wholly brick to Join the stone Chimney now in it.

Doc^r Eddy & thank him for his friendly thoughtfullness of you I understood that it would be necessary that the person to take his place should be [their? ? of ?], I cannot advise you because I know not what will be his proposition, but you will in Course inform me your determination, should you accept it inform me immediately what will be your wants, all I can I will do for you, I have been myself at Hallifax it is situated on the Roanoke river near the Virginia Line Latt. 36.13. the Town & County [arpmorse?] contains ^in 1800 13.563 inhabitants 7020 of whom are slaves, The Town is 36 miles north of Yabarough 75 miles S by W. of Petersburgh Virginia as well as I can remember it was about the size of Pacotuxet when I saw it 27 years since, the Country is perfectly level in Course, subject to fever and ague. & such other fevers as attend that Country, I presume not verry different from Louisville should you think of accepting his place, you wil recollect that, going in the summer instead of fall, that you will have no oppt^y of getting [annexed?] to the Climate & you should be verry Carefull, & particularly of the night air I pray you think well & use your own Judgement Caution Joseph John & Mary & not to expose themselves, after night to the [dues? (dews?)] of Kentucky I am sattisfied, from information of very intelligent men from the southern states that much of their sickness arrises from exposure to night air & heavy [due^s?] let me now what you inform Doc Eddy, & act without any refferance to my opinion, for I really know not how to advise you on this proposition, The plan you propose on Indiana is what induced me to advise your going with us, a plantation with practice in Kentucky or any

[Left margin:] 14 August 1816

settled Country, would do, but in an entire new Country there can be no practise, If M^r P. enters into the great scheme he mentiond to me rely upon it. Nothing will come ^of it but disappointment to all the parties accept^g the large Capitalist if any such be concern'd I hope you have no difficulties in the wigwam, & that good & perfect courtesie is high up & brotherly affection excerciz^d in its utmost lattitude, for if we do not assist each other we have nothing to expect from any other source, this world is made up of strange materials, sincere friendship without selfish motives seldom to be meet with, therefore to ourselves must we depend chiefly for succor & support M^r Prentiss politely offer^d me a Concern in the Indiana, if he means in the Schiam he mentiond to me, I should decline altogether even had I the means, I should like a Concern in a Township or two of land, where from 10 to 20 persons might settle direct and advantage each other, but Indiana is too much a frontier to the Indians, that do frequently make war & depredate & the government [damage] and always will leave the frontier people to suffer much before they will take measures for their defence, not so the southern Indians, because it is always in the power of the Tennessee & Kentucky militia to chastize them & they will do it as well as the Georgians if they require it, I shall wait your next letters before I say any thing further about the build^g of the house, y^r mother, [?], brothers & sisters are all well & desire their love to you all, I am my dear children your affectionate father J Corlis

you will observe I have made the whole thickness of the wall to lap on the old house, M^r Hazard is on a Voyage to Liverpool, its my Intenion to send out a Waggon by first of may I am look^g out for a Clever fellow to go with it, I notice what you say of [Russcleartle?] I never fancied that place for you, and I retain now the same opinion I ever have the largest & most popular are best for phicisians, although they may be longer getting under way, yet when so they are better of[f], among the host of professional men who travel with the larger potion [are? all?] men, [?] not Educated next have^g tried & failed in some other place, & those who have talents & information will rise above them, and if you were not so extreamly diffident of your own quallifications you I am sure would succeed with patience any where in my [?] I advise you to settle in Lexington, but its not my wish to contradict your inclination, as to the place, but I pray you think not of Indiana, in first place you cant hope to practice there & you are illy calculated to use the ax & slaves are not permitted there, & besides it will be the worst Indian frontier in the United States subject for 50 years to [?] to Indian depredation, this is one reason why I disapprove Indiana & the other is it must be work^d by white men & those of the hardiest race the Indian frontier to the Southward is much prefferable the Indians are Comptely surrounded by three powerfull states which will keep them always in awe, I meet Doc^r Eddy yesterday and he inform^d me he should write you immediately on the subject of takeing the place of an old phicissian at Hallifax N^o Carolina to whose practise you would be introduced but on what conditions he did not say, I am at a los to know what to advise you on this head, I must leave it entirely to your own Judgement only when you have determined do not fail to write Doc^r