Letter: Billy Reeve to Noah Smith Reeve (8/3/1891)

This letter was written in 1891 by William “Billy” George Reeve (1859-1906) to his younger brother, Noah Smith Reeve (1864-1944) of Winston County, AL.

The State of Ark. Searcy Co.

Aug. the 3rd 1891

dear Brother I seat My Self to day to let you know how we are getting along Jane and the too Least children is p_neying(?) Right Smartly and I have Cut my arm Slightly which hinders me from work at the present The three oldest Boys is going to School Well Noah the people here don’t care Much for the Sick Nor for Nothing else that is good the people here is badly in debt and I have got out of heart of Even Collecting enough to come back home with and I am afraid that if we stay here till Cotton is gathered and Sold that we will not be much better prepared to Come back than we are now besides I Cant make my time worth anything to me here any more for this year and I am a fraid that if we have to stay here till winter that we will have bad Sickness when Vegetation Commences to decay Now Noah I hate to have to ask you to always be putting yourself to trouble and expense for uss but for Gods Sake Send us $50. dollars to Come home on if you Can possibly get it and I and all that I have got will stand pledged to you for it till it is paid I think that I Can leave what I have Coming to me here in the hands of a better Collector than I and, our vilage doctor tells me that he has Booked $1.00 per month this spring up to the present time and the sickly is not here yet this is undoubtedly the most god forsaken place upon gods green earth Now Noah you Neaver saw as hard a Country as this is in your Life we have done with out Coffee nearly Every Since we have been here & Milk and butter too and meat has got so Scarce & hard to get that I begin to be afraid that we will have to Live Still harder if we have to Stay here much longer if you Cant Send us no money I want you to write to me and give me all the use(?) You can of the wartime settlement and Country(?) Jane & the Children joins me in sending our Love to you and Lucy and all the rest of the Connection hopeing to hear from you soon

I Remain yours,
W.G. Reeve

of Course if we are Lucky enough to get back there we will be flat but we will be among people that has some feeling and where we can have our health

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