LELAND ALLEN MOORE FAMILY

Russel County, Alabama – 1861
Alabama, Russel County,

June 12, 1861

Dear Sister, I embrace this opportunity of writing you a few lines in answer to yours of May 19. It reach us the 7 of month and it found us all well an dowing tolerbul well, Hoping when these few lines comes to hand that they will find you all injoying the best of blessing.
My Dear Sister, when I read your letter it fild my hart full just to think of your condision. I think Josiah (1) don verry rong to go off an leave you an you children but I hope the lorde will be with you, Them that truses in him wont suffer. I think the peapul is kind anuft to help you and not let you suffer. I diden think that Josiah would go off an leave you an the children for there is young men aplenty to go at the present without the married men. My dear Sister I write with tears in my eyes an do try to thank of somphing to write that would be some consolation to you but it hurts me so bad jest to think of your fix that I don’t know what to say to you for the best but I hope that you have got some good friend in that part of this hou (poor) world that will be afriend indede so you may not need for somping to eat an ware as longe as you all may live in this
trubearson world. My Sister, Pap got aletter from H,L. Cook (2) a few days ago an he wrote that he was agoying to starte off to the war in a few days an leave Sister Betty (3) an 3 little children. She is in bad fix herself. She lives in Hicory Flat Chambers county, Ala. Brother George is goying to the ware in a shorte time.
(page two)
My deare Sister I want you to write whare bout Josiah is gon an what fort an state an write how many of the boys is gon that I knowd & what they all are dowing that ant gon & whare. T.J. Maguire (4) is he living an write what you are agoying to do an how is helping you & with you an agoying to stay on the same place or not an every thange aboutawhat William & Dock (5) will let you sutter an there is cousin Billey (6) I think he will help you soe. Tell your children not to cry for ther paw is fiting for ther wrights an libertles an write wether eny one is making a crop on your place or not. I want you to show this to all of my sister an brothers an tell them all to write Salem is my offices, tell Judy to write for you if you cant write for your self. Tell Dock to be shore an write an give to an Judy offices also tell them all hoddy for me tell your little children hoddy for me an may the lorde bless you an them nww an forever put you trust in the lord my sister for ever an ever so fare well my deare Sister it is all that I can do to finish this letter it do seam like I have got holt of you hand an is agoying let go for good closing this letter so good by my sister until I here from you again. Be shore an write soon every thange aboute your condision an chanct for every thange an what the peapul is agoying to do for you.
(page three)
so good by Louisa M. Daniell. James M. Allen. My Dear Sister I advise you to sell off every thing that you cood do without an live that way if no outher I would moove close to William or Dock an let my children work with them & make all they cood that away an git them to advise you for the best write how longe did Josiah inlist for in the ware an didin he mak no arrangements for you atal before he left or not. All letters you send off now you will have to pay 10 cents on them tha is a new law that is pass all over the United States. Louisa I want you to write wither Mr. Smith give Josiah every thange for the time he stock or not & so how much.I recen father will write to you short time. Be shore & write all that I told you to for I want to here all about everything & will give you all the news that I can think of at this time so nothing more I remaine you Brother until death. James M. Allen.
(letter to Louisa M. Daniell continues on the next page as her father continues some days later…… copied by Dave Boatman, P.0. Box 35064, Houston, Texas 77035) 7 April 1971.
Salem, Ala. June 15, 1861 My dear daughter I once more take my pen in hand to answer your kind letter for which we was that you was glad to heare from you once and that you was all well so but sorrow to heare of Josiah leaving you as he will leaving you as he will on the cool charritys of the world, I hope the Lord will make some way for you to live and your children. Dount you entertain any doubt of your suffering for anything to eat the good people of Arkansas will take notice of all such cases as yours and that hant all the Lord will provide for all that put there trust in him, James has wrote to you on this sheet to a considerable length and I must bring my remarks to a close but I must say something to you about our future state my dear beloved daughter when I think of our seperation and likely never more to see each other in time my heart burnes with love and gratitude to God for you all and your well fare in time and Eternity. I have wrote to William (7) some few weaks past and in that letter gave some thoughts of my hope of heaven which letter I hope you will see and hear read in a short time. I received a letter from Fayett Cook some time past. He wrote he was going of in the war and he wanted me to take Betty and the children until his returne. I wrote to him if he thought no more of his wife and children than to leave them I thought as little of him as to let and tel him to stay at home and take charge of his own family and talk to him with the Bark on and I expect I made him mad and if I did it dont make any difference with me for I think he is doing veary wrong to go af and leave his family for twelve (12) month. I want you to write as soon as you get this or get some one to write for you and write where Joe is gone and how long. Give our love to your children and tel them that there old gran Par will pray for them often that there par may come back soon and that the God of heaven may save you and them from harme and danger in this poor world and save you all in heaven is the prayer of your humble father. Don’t forget to pray to God for help my dear daughter. I must close may the best of blessings attend you in life, save you in death, is my prayer for Christ. Amen,
Leland Allen ………………………………………….
This letter was written to Louisa Marion Allen Daniell, a resident of Laffayette county, Arkansas by her brother, James M. Allen and her father, Leland Allen. Louisa’s husband, Josiah ( Joe), was a brother of William. William’s wife, Judy was Louisa’s sister and they were my great- great-grandparents
(1) Josiah Daniell, her husband.
(2) Son-in-law of Leland Allen, husband of Elizabeth “Betty”.
(3) Betty is a nickname for Elizabeth
(4) T.J. Maguire’s mother was a White. He married Ann
Daniell, daughter of William Hodge & Judy Allen
Daniell. He died in the war.
(5) This is probably William Daniell, husband of Judy
Allen, who would be a little too old to go to the war, however, his Brother Josiah did go. This Dock must be Dock Gammage, son-in-law of Leland Allen.
(6) I don’t know who he is. (7) William Daniell
Dave Boatman
P.O. Box 35064 Houston, Texas 77035 7 April 1971