1798 Family Letter

Family Letter dated Sept 28th, 1798
The following letter was written on September 28, 1798 from the Connecticut Western Reserve by James A. Harper

Think of this man at 23, writing back to Harpersfield, New York, just 18 days after his fathers death.

The following is a transcription of the letter. You can download 4 PDF files that contain the actual images of the letter. Please note their size before downloading, but ENJOY! Touch the history of your family.

Connecticut Western Reserve, 28th Sept. 1798

Dr Brother
Many are the Viscisitudes of life through which
I have passed since I saw you How short is it since
we were all lively and gay expecting long life and
prosperity but how is our expectations blasted in a
moment by the Death of my Father who by a short
fit of sickness when we supposed ourself at
security and ease but now are brought to mourn the
loss of tender Parent ...(?). I wish you to
send directions how we shall conduct our business
concerning the settlement of the Estate as we are
left in a wilderness without Law and as their is
some land sold and time is giving (?) the Deeds is
expired (?) I cannot see what can be done at present
if it is necessary that the interest should be
apprised You must send word by the first opportunity.

I have give Majr Morse an account of the expense
of Surveying for myself and hands excepting the
service of Majr Morse which I did not cost up as
I did not know but you had made a certain bargin
with you. Sir I wish you to get the money that is a
comeing to me as we are in debt for our passage
from Fort Eire to Presquile likewise for provision
and must discharge our contracts. You cannot
think how great the disappointment is that their
was no money sent last spring and you must
naturally know that it is very hard for us to get
and neglect our work for the sake of
Surveying and that at so low a rate that it
impossible for to live by it as a man cannot affort to
board himself for a Dollar per Day.

The family are all well and send their respects to
you and your family and all friends have pity on
me O ye my Friends for the hand of the Lord hath
touched me was the language of Job and surely
may be applied to us. I remain your affectionate Brother.

James A. Harper

The letter has been imaged in 4 parts.
The original is one sheet, front and back,
with the left hand of the front page used
as an address, written vertically rather than
horizontally on the page (like the old tissue-thin
foreign air mail sheets of the 1940s and 1950s)
The single sheet was then folded in half and then
in half again and then in thirds to create its own
envelope.

Page 1 (size 182K)

Page 2 (size 191K)

Page 3 (size 177K)

Page 4 (size 117K)

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