University of Virginia Library

August 19, 1857 from William Douglass to Dr. James H. Minor

I am pleased to
acknowledge the recipt of you letter by the ship
M. C. Stevens which arrived July last; and I learn
that she has completed her voyage on this coast
and now is lying in the port of Monrovia on her re
turn trip home. And I am certain you will be
pleased to hear from us, as no doubt you are anscious
to know how we are — where we are — and how we are
getting along. 1st We are all doing tolerable Well in
health for there have been only a part of us sick
with the fever; as for myself, I hav never had cause
to lie down a day since here I have been, neither
hav any of my family been sick — those who hav
been sick did not suffer as much as was antis
cipated and some of them caused their sickness
by inadvertence in living & otherwise. Dr We are
all at Careysburg with the escception of Robinson
Scott's family who are still at Clay Ashland,
& who I am sorry to say are much reduced — yet,
I rather escpect the old lady will come here;
but her son desires to buy land there with a small
tenement on it at a cost of $100.00. How success

ful he will be, I cannot tell. We have built mine
log cabbins, and I am pleased to say that in our sisc
months were up we were in them and pretty comfortably
situated. All of us have our lots pretty well planted down
in potatoes, cassada, eddoes, tomatoes, lima beans, some
coffee trees set out & other little articles which will do service
in our families. Our boys I am happy to say have up
to this time conducted themselves pretty honorably &
I hope their present good character will be their
index through life with farther improvement for use
fulness.

I beg to call your attention to an Acct. due
for lumber by some of our people whom I will name,
for which they draw in favor of the A.C. society upon
you and Mr Nelson the Escecutors which amount
we are advised were not paid up to the time
of the departure of the M. C. Stevens for Liberia
The amts as far as I can collect just at this time are as
follows: viz

             

Young Barrett	$20.00
Hugh Walker	50.00
Washington Coleman	10.00
Martin Coleman	15.00
C & P Twine	25.00
Washington Michie	20.00
	140.00

There are some amts of which I am not cognizant of just
now: but a true bill will be forwarded you by the Finan
cial Secretary of the Society, or in fact the draft drawn
upon you & Mr Nelson Escecutors will be presented
for payment as the parties who are indebted no doubt
attached their sword signaturs or marks to it

I am pleased to say, that the articles which you
were kind enough to procure & send us, & for which
we are thankful have been landed at Monrovia,
and are being forwarded us evry week. We have
all received portions of them, & will receive the bal
ance as soon as forwarded to the depot. You
know we have no steam boats nor railroads
in this Country & business cannot be done with
that escpedition as in other Countries.

I am sorry to acquaint you of the death of
sister Mollie Michie, Patty Walker & Sy
phon Terrill which took place at Clay
Ashland. Mollie Michie had got
pretty well through with the fever but she at
some greens which caused a complicated
attack of sickness & she died. I am pesuad
to belive that the death of many were caused
through their own impudence & not going
according to the Drs direction. If you re
member when you were giving us flannel shirts
you said that Charles Twine would be the
first one to pull his off — and he was the
first one according as you said.

Tell Mr Howe Lewis that his boy John
had had the fever very bad at Clay Ashland
& found his way here — He imprudently over
loaded his stomach with new rice po
tatoes & honey and died with the cholic
My kind regards to Mr Howe Lewis
& the whole family. Give our love to all
the Colored folks also to Mr Robert
Lewis & his family both white & colored
Mr Andrew Brown & his family & to
My dear old aunt Rachel, and I am
thankful to God that she is living — and
I belive she is better off where she is for
she is now too old to scuffle to make a
living here. Tell her that all who professe
religion as we learn from folks who died —
died in the faith — and the others died
so they lived.