Andrew Richey, Clinton, Mississippi, to his parents, Ireland, 29 October 1835
Description
While apologising for his protracted delay, Andrew Richey assures his parents of how much he misses them and home. Since his last letter of May 1833 from Nashville, he contracted cholera and moved from the city a couple of miles to "establish my health & use mineral water", thus making a slow recovery. He gives details of stopping at the house of an old Methodist and observing that his family were "the happiest folks that I have ever seen", with preachers often also visiting, including Mr Shephard, an Irishman from near Portadown — who knew mutual familial acquaintances. He graphically recounted of being so ill that his brother James and sister Eliza brought him to Hopkinsville to care from him until he recovered and he was nearly a year "out of business". Richey states that they had moved to Mississippi state in May 1834, which in hindsight risked his health "in a fine state for making money but it is also in most places sickly". Yet he thinks they will have $30,000 of sales this year — even if on credit but on "fine profits upwards of 100 per cent". Richey concludes with addendums to his sister Amelia (who he understand has contracted consumption) and brother Robert, with family news from America and that he is still unmarried.
Title and transcript by Professor Kerby Miller. This transcript includes handwritten corrections to original transcript from PRONI, made with reference to original letters. Letter description by University of Galway.