University of Virginia Library

April 24, 1857 from William Douglass to Reverend W. Slaughter

I take this opportunity of writ
ing You these few lines to inform you of the health
of my family; and the rest of the immigrants
which came out here with me; there are only
two have had the acclimating fever; Mr. Young Bar
rett and Mr. John Michie, they only had it slightly
I thought there could not be any place in Af
rica where new comers would build and not—
have the acclimating changes, but I see there
is, men can come on top of this beautiful
mountain, which is 25 miles from the Saint
Paul's River and have but very little fever; If
every one that comes here improved like we have
this will be the very spot for immigrants for sev
eral years to come. After our arrival in this place
we have put up a neat little log church of
which we call Union Church, as every persons
who lived in this little settlement are trying to
be one people for the cause of Jesus Christ our
Lord; and since the completion of this church, we have
drawn our lands and every body are trying to build
as fast as they can; I was the first man out of
our number that put up a log house and the rest
are doing the same, and I hope we will try to do what
we can if the good Lord's share is to build up our
county. We have written back to Dr. Jas. H. Minor
as you request us to do, for what we want and I
did not think to remind him of putting up our
provisions in half a barrels as we have so far
to bring it, so please to tell him to have it done
for us and direct it to Careys Burg and in the
care of the Special Agent the Rev. John Seys,
we would be very thankful that our little means

which were left behind would be sent to us in pro
visions which would be very good for all of us.
There is no hinderance cause for us to build in this
place if we only can get astart; there can be most
everything grows here that is eatable, and if it is
cultivated in a right manner; and, man will
only plant it to grow, I see eddas, cassabas, potatoes
plantains, and many other things, that are too tedious
for me to mentioned now, there was twenty one
of my people came out here to settled and all are
at work today, and the ballance are at the Rec
tacle at Monrovia the city of the Republic, and
out of that number 17 have died in Clayash-
land after they moved from Monrovia, all the old
people excepting one, which Mrs. Franklin; my wife
have improved considerably and also my daughter
they have not lost one day since we arrived.