The following letter was written by William N. Alexander Peers, the son of Thomas Peers Jr. and Elly Parsons, both of whom were also from Louisa, Virginia. He married Sarah Ann Sturdivant about 1838 in Mechanicsburg, Yazoo County, Mississippi. They had four children born to their marriage. Sarah Ann died at the birth of their last child, William Henry Peers, born about 1815, Louisa, Louisa, Virginia. William died on 20 November 1855, Yazoo, Mississippi. William was a planter in Yazoo county and of course owned many slaves.

In his letter, datelined from Yazoo county in August 1851, William informs his sister that “our country is under some excitement now about the great slave question but I hope it will be settled in a way which may add honor and strength to all. I am anxiously waiting for the time to roll around when we can make one more stripe out of Cuba and then I am bound for her shores, as a place where I should like to live & die.” Of course William is referring to the agitation of the slavery question brought on by the admission of more states into the Union which resulted in the Compromise of 1850, temporarily suspending threats of secession. Plantation owners were particularly optimistic and enchanted with the idea of acquiring Cuba from Spain and making it a new state in the Union. Hopes for wrestling Cuba from Spains’s control by the Lopez Expedition were soon dashed when Lopez was taken prisoner and garroted not long after this letter was penned.

Transcription

Yazoo County, Mississippi
9th August 1851

Dear Sister,

I have to ask pardon for not writing to you before this time. I have no reasonable excuse to make for so doing for I have spent many an hour which might have been used in doing what I now have resolved to do. But for the future I shall try to write you often and shall expect you to do the same. I have just received a letter from Mary dated 7th July which gave information of the ill health of Aunt Judeth. I hope ere this reaches you, she may be restored.

Our county has been extremely warm and very dry this year but until lately, unusual good health. Now we have sickness in every direction and many deaths. The bloody flux seems to be the great cause of disease and death. On last week I had an attack of fever, but by using the Lobelier tea freely—with other assistance of the steam [ ] and full reliance on my God, the fever fled and I am up and eat my three meals per day, and between times a small share of watermelons, figs, peaches, apples, &c. &c. My wife is just now up & about from a severe spell of sickness. Our summer season is getting to be our best time for health, and the fall and winter is getting to be very sick & is now more dreaded than summer ever was.

Many of our fashionable folks who have been in the habit of visiting the celebrated watering places during the summer months have made a sudden stop, and resort to our own watering places, and fishing shores for health and amusement. Upon the whole, in thinking about my old place of residence in Virginia in regard of health, I have come to the conclusion that Mississippi is far more preferable for health than Virginia. I should think I was risking a great deal if I were to undertake to live in Virginia one half year. The cotton crop in our country is not good owing to the great drought. Corn in only middling.

Our country is under some excitement now about the great slave question but I hope it will be settled in a way which may add honor and strength to all. I am anxiously waiting for the time to roll around when we can make one more stripe out of Cuba and then I am bound for her shores, as a place where I should like to live & die. I could write you a great deal about the changes of our people & country if you were acquainted but as you are not, it would not interest you.

James is in fine health. Melissa I have not heard a word from for 3 or 4 months or thereabouts. But I take it for granted they are all well or I should have been informed of the fact if otherwise. Write often and plenty of it. My love to all my old friends. Tell them to write to me. I should be pleased to see a line from one and all. Adieu my sister, — Wm. N. Peers