The following letter was written by Benjamin Morris Gauldin (1808-Aft1860), the son of Josiah Gauldin (1770-18330 and Serriah Seay (1776-1820) of Gravel Hill, Buckingham county, Virginia. Benjamin was married to Franccs C. Snoddy (b. 1813) in 1836. Benjamin wrote the letter to his nephew, Josiah Hendrick (b. 1821)—the son of Matthew Hendrick and Frances Gauldin—who was a Missouri resident in 1841.

In 1860, Benjamin was enumerated in Jefferson, Saline county, Missouri, as the owner of seven slaves ranging in age from 1 to 27.

Benjamin datelined his letter from the Buckingham Female Collegiate Institute in January 1841. We learn from the letter that he was living at the Institute and in partnership with Samuel Benjamin Rush Loving (1813-1896) in some sort of merchandizing.

Benjamin’s letter speaks of the inheritance of slaves as part of an estate and also of the hiring out of slaves to others when not needed for the owner’s own labor.

Transcription

Female Collegiate Institute, Buckingham, Gravel Hill [Virginia]

Josiah, I received your letter & was very glad to hear that you & all my friends were well. I am well at this time. I saw John yesterday & he said his family was well & R___ings also. Mary Sedy has another boy. John has sold Caroline & her children. He is living in Amelia near Gin at the wil stop there. I am living at the Female Institute, merchandizing with a man by the name of S.B.R. Loving—a man in high standing. We have sold a great many goods this fall.

You wish to know about Robert & Martha Susan. Martha Susan is boarding with me at Mr. Loving’s & Robert James is living with Lundy Davis this year, free of charge for schooling & board. If nothing happens next year, I will put him in our store. We have had a division of old Mrs. Hendrick’s Est[ate] & you can’t conceive how trifling it was. There was a Bond of your Pa’s for 76 dollars unpaid & any bad claims that seem to be just. The decision was I got Edy & 75 dollars, valuation $325 dollars.

My Dear son, I have done all I can for you all & I am in hopes that you all will be satisfied with me. I will go on to state to you & when you receive this letter you must let me know how you like my proceedings to give me satisfaction. I have hired out Lucy for 50 dollars, Bet for 40 dollars, Edy for 42 dollars [and] 50 cents. Mary & children for 10 dollars. Chany & child for 00.00. These things I keep in a book to show. If death don’t take place, I mean to make a lady of Pat. Our chance is good. She learns very fast indeed. If you think you can do better here than there, you can come in the spring. I will do all I can for you if you come. I would be glad to see you. Give my love to all my friends & tell them to write to me, if they please. Tell Brother Willis if I could lay my arms around his shoulder once more, I should feel happy.

I would have wrote to you sooner but I thought I would wait until the division was over. Now when you get this letter, you must write to me & don’t write me short letter but write me what all my brothers is doing for you know it will be a pleasure to me to hear from them all & let me know what you are getting & if you intend to come into Virginia. Write me words as I may know. Direct your letter to Gravel Hill P.O., Buckingham. I have nothing more to write but remain your sincere Uncle until death, — Benj. M. Gouldin

[to] Josiah Hendrick