Letter from Sarah Wooten to her father, Council. Wake County, NC. 1843.

Image from Sarah's letter to her father.  (East Carolina University Digital Collection)

Note: I've kept the original spelling, capitalization and punctuation, and added any comments in square brackets [ ].

[Address as written on back of folded letter for mailing:]
Mr. Council Wooten
Mosely Hall
Lenoir Cty
NC

[Letter:]
Raleigh June the 4th 1843

Dear Father

I received your letter Monday night and was very glad indeed to hear that you were all well and that I had another little Sister. I am almost crazy to see her. You must tell me what Counce says about her when you write again and if he is willing to give up the crib to her. Mr. Powel called here to see Nancy the other day - he had been to Greenboro Washington and some other places to see which he liked best as he is going to move from Newbern. He told Nancy that he liked Raleigh very much and perhaps he might come up here to live. The Episcopal school commenced last week and I heard that three girls came up this week from Newbern. Two of Mr. Smallwoods daughters and one of Mr. Blackwells. There was a very large ball at Chapel Hill Thursday night but very few went from here. Nancy’s brother Joshua spoke besides a great many other boys. Tell Mother I have got a box of beautiful flowers for her & Mrs. Taylor has promised to give me any sort of flowers that she has. I will get another box when I go to start home to put some garden flowers in as I have none but Green House flowers in the box that I have got now. I have got you two of the prettiest flowers you ever saw. A pink and a red verbena. The red one is not more than six inches high and it has been in bloom three or four days. I think the flower that Mother will like best is the Apple Geranium. It smells exactly like nice mellow Apples. There were two Negroes hung here about three weeks ago and although it was a very rainy day the town was crowded with people. I heard that the man professed religion a few days before he was hung and the woman professed it while at the Gallows. I was very sorry to hear that Aunt Apsly had the dropsy but I hope that she can be cured of it. Tell Jane and Sister that they owe me a long letter and I do not think that I shall write to them again until they answer my letter. Since I have been back I have been through my Philosophy and Chemistry nearly through the history of England and half through the history of Greece. Tell Sister that I have got a first rate reading book which I do not use and I will send it down to her if I can meet with an opportunity. Rebecca sends her love to you all and says kiss the baby for her. Tell Eb she must write to me and I will be certain to answer her letter. You cannot imagine how bad I want to see you all and especially the baby. I was envious enough to get home before but now I am more anxious than ever. Give my love to Brother John Jane and all the Children. Kiss Counce ten times for me and the dear little baby twenty times. Give my love to my dear Mother and receive a full share yourself from your affectionate daughter.

Sarah A Wooten

[end of transcription]

Source of scanned original:

ECU Digital Collections, “Letter from Sarah Wooten to her father Council Wooten,” http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/32483