Letter from Jane and Elvira Townsend to S. D. Cabaniss, 1860
Item
Title
Letter from Jane and Elvira Townsend to S. D. Cabaniss, 1860
Description
Letter from heirs Jane (class 2) and Elvira (class 1) Townsend, Xenia, Ohio, to S. D. Cabaniss, Huntsville, Alabama, January 31, 1860, which discusses her financial difficulties, some of them stemming from not receiving support from their brother Wesley. Elvira also expresses the desire of some family members to return to Alabama.
The document comprises a letter by Jane and a long postscript by "Alvira," written in the same hand. Given the misspelling of the latter's name -- it is spelled elsewhere with an E, including in a recordkeeping note on the envelope in Cabaniss's hand -- it is probable that a third party drafted the document.
Interestingly, the two women, though part of this large family of heirs, are not related to each other by blood. Elvira shares a father, Samuel Townsend, with Wesley; her mother is Hannah. There are three Janes among the heirs. Presumably, this is not Wesley's wife Jane or Jane the daughter of Rachel, so it is probably Rainey's daughter Jane, who is Wesley's half-sister.
The document comprises a letter by Jane and a long postscript by "Alvira," written in the same hand. Given the misspelling of the latter's name -- it is spelled elsewhere with an E, including in a recordkeeping note on the envelope in Cabaniss's hand -- it is probable that a third party drafted the document.
Interestingly, the two women, though part of this large family of heirs, are not related to each other by blood. Elvira shares a father, Samuel Townsend, with Wesley; her mother is Hannah. There are three Janes among the heirs. Presumably, this is not Wesley's wife Jane or Jane the daughter of Rachel, so it is probably Rainey's daughter Jane, who is Wesley's half-sister.
Transcript
[page 1]
Xenia, Ohio
Jan. 31st 1860
Messrs. S. C. Townshend & S. D. Cabiness,
We write to inform you that we are not getting along as well as expected -- We have not got any money from Wesley which was placed in his hands for us -- he has been acting very dishonorably -- has sent money twice in a letter to a woman living in Albany -- he does nothing for me, has quit me and write to this women in Albany ever week -- and we have found out that he has been telling secretly -- that he is going off with this woman, as soon as he can get all the money in his hands -- We are very much dissatisfied -- and want you to get some way to take
[page 2]
us back home -- we do not want you to send us any more money -- unless you place it in the hands of some one, in whom we can place more confidence than we can in Wesley -- Please write soon and let us know what we are to do.
Yours &c.
Jane
P. S. Wesley has not been doing any thing for us -- he treats Jane very badly -- but has given money to his sister and buy's a great many things for her -- I would like very much to go back, and stay until my mother comes -- They all appear pretty well satisfied -- but Jane and myself -- some of the children -- and Willis -- and me want to go back -- My brother somehow or other had all his clothes misplaced on the car's
[page 3]
and lost them —- he has got one pair of pants and one shirt since we came here—- Willis and my brother are at the Yellow Springs going to school and are getting along very well -- Jane and I are both very anxious to go back -- write soon & let us know what we are to do -- direct the letter to us here at Xenia.
Green County
Ohio
Yours &c.
Alvira
Xenia, Ohio
Jan. 31st 1860
Messrs. S. C. Townshend & S. D. Cabiness,
We write to inform you that we are not getting along as well as expected -- We have not got any money from Wesley which was placed in his hands for us -- he has been acting very dishonorably -- has sent money twice in a letter to a woman living in Albany -- he does nothing for me, has quit me and write to this women in Albany ever week -- and we have found out that he has been telling secretly -- that he is going off with this woman, as soon as he can get all the money in his hands -- We are very much dissatisfied -- and want you to get some way to take
[page 2]
us back home -- we do not want you to send us any more money -- unless you place it in the hands of some one, in whom we can place more confidence than we can in Wesley -- Please write soon and let us know what we are to do.
Yours &c.
Jane
P. S. Wesley has not been doing any thing for us -- he treats Jane very badly -- but has given money to his sister and buy's a great many things for her -- I would like very much to go back, and stay until my mother comes -- They all appear pretty well satisfied -- but Jane and myself -- some of the children -- and Willis -- and me want to go back -- My brother somehow or other had all his clothes misplaced on the car's
[page 3]
and lost them —- he has got one pair of pants and one shirt since we came here—- Willis and my brother are at the Yellow Springs going to school and are getting along very well -- Jane and I are both very anxious to go back -- write soon & let us know what we are to do -- direct the letter to us here at Xenia.
Green County
Ohio
Yours &c.
Alvira
Date
31 January 1860
Coverage
Greene County, Ohio
Madison County, Alabama
Source
Is Part Of
Septimus D. Cabaniss papers (MSS.0252)