Lillias Park Ferguson Letter to Jeanette Wood Ward July 28, 1869
Background
Lillias Park was orphaned when her parents, William and Frances Park died in Leon County on the journey to Ft. Graham. Lillias and her brother, Archibald, raised by the Woods and their other siblings, William and David were raised by the Ridgeway family. Lillias married R. A. Ferguson‘s nephew, John Ferguson. When Lillie speaks of Aunt Isabella, she is referring to her adoptive sister Isabella who married John Ferguson’s uncle R.A. Sorry if this is confusing, I didn’t do the matchmaking.
The Letter
July 28, 1869
Dear Jeannette or Jennette,
I will commence an answer to your letter which I received on the 18th of this month. We were glad to hear from you and to hear that you were all well. You said if I would write you so long a letter as you did to me you would not grumble. I cannot do that this time for this is all the paper I have got John and I were at town the other day but did not think of either paper or ink but we will get some before long. I told you we were at town you will want to know what I got. We did not trade much. I go lining for a quilt a little brown and bleached domestic, two dresses for the boys and some other articles not worth mentioning. You all need not expect us back this fall for we cannot get off now. They have a own good deal of cotton planted and John is bound to stay and help care for it. Besides a good deal of other work to attend to and when I know he cannot go conveniently, I can stay satisfied if I can just hear from you all often and know that you are all living and doing well. I am getting so I like this country very well. I have not been sick much since I came here. The baby was quite sick yesterday but he is better today. My baby has got a name. After this, I will call him by his name and not say baby. Well, his name is William and you can tell Willie I call my baby Willie for him. John named him one name and says I must give him another name but I don’t know what it will be. Do name your child and tell me what it is or let me name it for y0u, won’t you? We’ll call him John Henry. You know I like John for a name. I would of called mine that but John did not want me to. My Willie grows sweeter every day. I am going to have his picture taken the first chance and send it back and let you see how good looking my little boy is. I think I will commence drying apples next week. They are falling of the tress so bad the ground is just covered all the time. We will not have many peaches to dry this year. I have lots of nice cabbage in my garden just beginning to head. We will have plenty of root to eat this winter. If you like it, come over and you may have what you want. I have about 70 young chickens. Don’t you think that is doing very well for the first year? Well, \what else will I tell you? You say I never write to Aunt Bell and seldom to you. I have answered every letter that I have ever got from you and wrote some and go no answers and I have wrote several to Aunt Bell and never have rec (received) one from her yet but I don’t think the very last letter I wrote was to her. Did she not get it? Tell her John received one from her the other day and will answer it before long. Mother don’t hardly ever write to me. I don’t know when I ever have got a letter from her. Tell her to write. I think it is time some more of you was writing. John has managed to write once. Tell Margaret I am beginning to want to see a letter from her more. Well, I will have to stop for the boy is tired of playing. Give my love to all the connections and kiss your little sweet children for Willie and me. Tell Aunt Bell when John writes, I will try and write some too but she never writes to me. Well, goodbye. Don’t forget to write to your true sister, Lillie Ferguson
PS I will send you a scrap of Willie’s dresses
The baby made me make the crooked marks – Lillie