Green Bay June 4^th 1865

 

My Dear Brother & Sisters

Your more than welcome letter of the 1^st I got on the morning of the 3 You seem to have made a trip to Caro. I am like the inquisitive yank I should like to know what took you there You speak of your care. I have felt that I was asking a great deal of you but you know the combined circumstances that have compelled me me to be in such a possision Dr Willard has left me with all the cares of a mammoth mill much out of repair with our financial care which is more than I can do well (I hope to bring about a different state of things soon and slide out of the care by the time it will be good scaling this is private) I find myself too old to try to become a rich man and now seek / to arrange to have a quiet home where I can follow out any fancy that may imphatuate me. I often think why do you work so hard after accumulating what you cant spend the income from. But why should I thus talk when I work so hard that when I sit down at night after being on my feet 14 hours that it is with an effort that I can get up, and then think and allmost swear that I wont do so again, and the next morning get a little warmed up and go at it again You tell me that you have been investing in bonds and can do the same for me. You will make the investment if you think it best as I hope to be able to keep what little I have for some rainy day. You say that you have not called on W Stontemire for the money to pay his note. I thought it was left with Mr Harp for collection. I feel truly grateful for the many cares you have bestowed / and especialy the paying of my Iowa tax as it was worying me fearing I might have to pay the heavy forfeit You advised me about my horses I do not feel much disappointed about Kit but hope that she will not loose her last colt living Fan you say has a fair colt I have no fears if it looks well that it will make a nice horse You say that you did not know the terms by which I got Kit insured I have an agreement filed with my papers to this effect that she is to only have one colt and in good health and dooing well one week old for I think 12 Doll. Fan I was to pay ten Dollars for her colt, and if R Rowells mare had a colt I paid ten for it or if I got one colt from each mare all right I paid thirty dollars making ten dollars each. I fear from one remark that Kits colt has given you much trouble 

 

Pleas do with corn what you think best. The tar I mentioned you will pleas ask Brother Francis to purchase if it can be had in good tight bbls for what you think reasonable rates and send to Chicago by the Alton & Chica. R in care of the north western RR to Fort Howard Green Bay at the usual freight rates take bills lading and send by mail I want ten bbls—I will come home if I can possibly leave & get away without to much sacrifise and danger you can have but little conseption of my care Dr Willard and some good judges went and looked over about eight hundred acres of our pine land and found the timber better than was expected they report that there is over eight million pine on the land I am anxious to hear of Brother Irvins safe return as the time draws nigh and if he should meet with any accident now I should mourn his loss Where is Marth living 

 

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I had a short long letter from Brother Samuel he seems full of hope from the tone of his letter and wants eighty thousand ft of lumber I suppose to build barn and fence his farm I wrote him and hope to get his answer soon. You will remember me to the inquiring friends as I have the will to write but not the time Uncle Woodcome how do you do the weather is hot hear as Allabama cold enough to freeze a Southerner when do you go back to your old home to see your old Massa Grace speaks of you and has many friends Frank goes to school and we are all well

 

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except I have the rheumatism in my shoulder and legs

 

Sister how does my poor little Willy do Brother tells me that he has a sore head I hope that it is not serious how does Charley Frank and Park do also jessy with Amos and Arvesta If any of the brothers or sisters will write I will try to answer Your Devoted Brother as ever write soon

                                                           

W C Barnard

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