James Walker ¹

  General Notes:

James Walker, born 1800 in Knox County, Tennessee, died after 1861. James may have married Polly Martin; born unknown, died unknown, on August 8, 1816 in Gibson County, Indiana (James would have been quite young) - for certain before 1860 he married Ann Perkins, who was born about 1802 in Marion County, Indiana. She died before the 1860 census. James and Ann were married February 19, 1835 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.


A Letter on February 1, 1861 from James Walker to His Niece Mary Jane Rodgers (Versey), His Sister Jane Walker Leas, and His Nephews, George and James Leas

This letter was provided by Beverly Whitaker.

February 1, 1861 was a Friday.

February 1, 1861

My dear niece after haveing received letter from you i take my pen to write a few lines to you, your mother and brothers. We were glad to hear that you were well and enjoying good health at present & also hope that this may finds you all injoying the same blessing -- we have piece and plenty but donte noe how long it wil last-- How be it we wil do the best we can under every circumstance-- Sarah Jane and Julian are going to schoole this winter -- We have a very hard winter-snow eighteen inches deepe-- We can do nothing but git wood feed and goe to mill-- and i want to goe to Arkansas if i could sel my property here-- we live inn a butyfull part of the country but it is two could and dreary for me-- We have not heard from any of our friends lately- the last i had frome youre unkle Thomas they were all well-his children were all married-- He lives inn Johnson county Indian-- Franklin is his place of address-- If you want to heare from him write and he wil anser you-- Now my dear sister Jane i would be glad to see you but i dont noe when if ever-- All the care of a famely now depending on me and we live where famely expences are considerable-- but if i can come in there this sumer i wil-- My boys are not large enough yet to trust with the care of the farme and stock-- I have not had a letter from Sam for a long time and i donte noe whare he lives exactly-- He used to write often but stoped and i hearde no more from him-- the last i heard from brother George they were all well--his son George staying with us this winter and we heard from there lately. We have not heard from Thomas Allens for a long time nor from the William Hardins-- I hardly fale to answer a letter when i git one though not all ways amediately-- If you see William and Prudy tell them i would like very much to see theme and talk over oald times -- I think William mit come to see us and bring Prudy a long allso George or James mit bring you to see us.

George and James my goode fellows i would be very glad to see you boath and noe how you are giting along-- Times are dull here and money scarce-- the price of stock hogs keep up pretty wel but few buyers-- Wheete 40 to 50 cts pr bushle-- corn under 15-- very little tradeing done and we fere there wil be less and harder times than we ever saw- but we hope for the better until the worst comes-- We live in countery moastly made up of abolishonests negroes simpathisers hoo think more of the negro than they doo of a white man and as far as i can diserne it-- is they and there leaders that are bringing our countery to disolation and if the worst does come-- George i have the consolation to noe that i have had no hand in bringing it about-- I am a union man and goe for the nonintervention in the teritorys and the inforsement of the fugitive slave law-- I was satisfied if honest Abe was elected it would bring about just such a state of feelings as we are now in and all over the length and breadth of the land-- Would you go and whip youre southern brothern back in to the union or rather would you not sacrifice a policy that would never do you or any other white man any goode-- and have piece restored as it was twenty or thirty years a go? Now boys let us heare from you soon-how you are gitting along and all the rest of the friends-- You have not writen to me since you came back frome California-- I would like to see you very much-- I wil ad no more.

JAMES WALKER, to MARY J. ROGERS, SIS JANE - GEORGE & JAMES LEECE.