George McCullough, Sr. wrote this letter to his son James Young McCullough and family about two years after they moved from Indiana to Page County, Iowa. He was 79 years, 7 months old, at the time, and was writing the letter because James wanted him to write down some history of his life.
To retain the originality of the letter, misspellings have not been corrected in the letter.
The Letter
Dear Son and Daughter and family, this comes to let you know that I am yet in the land of the living and place of hope. The family are well for which thankfulness becomes us. Hoping these lines may find you equally well. Dear James, that old complaint ( of mine ) is much increased since I came here, how it may be, I know not. Your mother sometimes said I would not be long after her, so I expect my time here will not be long for my complaints will wear on as old age wears along. But submission to the will of God is our duty, so let us with good earnest desire say, His will be done.
I spent the first ten years of my life in doing such things as bid. The next five I went to school some and wrought on the plantation with Brother John, then commenced weaving for five years. John and me kept up the plantation for over five years which brought me to 25. Father died before this time, 71 maid his will sometime before his death, left the place he then lived on to John and mee. Made us executors with one uncle as umpire over us if any difficulty should take place.
Dear James, I cannot enter into many things of the county, or even of George's concerns as you have them other ways. So I must enter on that task you set me, the history of my life, a task too heavy for tho as I have so much time husking corn by myself little escaped my thought or meditation since the days of my youth to this day, which as in some measure better prepared me for this task. So I must begin in the days of my youth.
Now James, I must give you the chain of our courtship and marriages. John commenced with the third daugther of Mrs. Parks. Father put a stop to that, as we thought. Him and mee lived together with great satisfaction, our mother living yet. He kept a servant girl and I kept a prentice boy. About this time I saw some signs of him starting the old course. We went together one evening, about two miles, talked very pleasant to each other. I encouraged him to make short work of it and marry, which he did.
Now, I must tell you something of my course. When my oldest brother's wife had her first child it was the fashion to give the young ones cuts of what they called "dreaming cheese". I was then but a gump of a bashful lad, but care nothing for it but put it under my head as the manner was. Well I dreamed I seen a very handsome young woman come up to mee, spoke - I knew her not, nor from whence she came, paid no respect to it. But about 15 years, I being in Carn, May Market a quarl took place. People shoving to and fro. Your mother and mee was shoved up close together. She spoke asked mee if many of the braid people was here today. I thought she must know mee. I ask her if she was from braid, she said that was where she was born. I ask her name and her father's name. She knew mee by my cousins as they went to the same church. I knew no more of her then. I never heard of the people. But the very appearance of her was exactly the very appearance of the one I had seen in my dream which brought all to my recollection. So I would be hard to be maid believe that there was nothing in dreams - not that I depend wholly on this, for I have seen so many things of the same nature, that I believe it would not bee right for mee to look over lightly. So with that we went on with slow pace for some years.
John and mee married in the same year, so we then tried for a divide of the land and all we had in partnership. It was him that was thought to come to America. I never thought of it till then. He said hee would set a price on the half of the land and would take or give that, then I set ten guineas more on the one half, said I would take or give that. He took the land. So we had a time dividing the land and property. Hee sold a good deal of his own at my sale. So we came away in November, 1806. You know our difficulties on that island "Bermuda", landed at Brother and Sister McKees on the eight of May following. Three months before I bought, rented a field that was convenient. Raised chiefly what done for the next year. Arrived at the end of these three months at our home (Chester County, SC.) then we were quite contented, remained there 23 or 4 years.
So you know the chain of life since. As for our relatives in early days I can give you but little account. My grandfather McCullough and his wife was from Scotland and her name was Jennett Neal. Grandfather Leckey and grandmother on her mother's side was from County Down and her name before marriage was Mary Weir. Grandfather McCullough's family was five sons and two daughters. Grandfather Leckey's family was two sons and two daughters. These friends that came into New York State as far as is known to mee was (of) grandfather McCullough's family, a son to brother John with two brothers that came to another state. The others that came to America I believe was grandchildren of my sister Betty McNeil, talked some of coming to see us.
So I have finished my task but in a very imperfect way. Dear James, this (task) of giving a history of our own life to each other is but minding us to whom wee should give account. Dr. Scott recommends to us to meditate much on our past and pray earnestly for pardon for our sins and give thanks for all His mercies. These duties have been no stranger to mee, tho ill performed. Dear James it is a duty we should recommend to each other, and as our days is compared to a declining shade that quickly passes, we should bear in mind that this is not our abiding place but (wee) soon must pass hence and here no more remain.
Oh, Lord our health both of body and mind depends on thee. Sanctify our bodily sickness, restore our souls to health of holiness, enable us to draw water from the well of Salvation with joy and sit down under His shadow with great delight.
Dear James, I have troubled you with a long imperfect scrawl, but you may expect my thoughts decay and all within me. So, forgive my blunders whilst I add not, but remain your affectionate father, George McCullough, Sr.
"Story of the Storm at Sea"
On our homeward voyage we met the "remains" of the Florida hurricane in the Gulf Stream. And all afternoon the sailors roped down the machinery on deck which looked ominous, and an extra propeller blade was brought up for emergency. By nine o'clock that night wee were in the teeth of the hurricane. All our port holes were covered with iron lids. The doors to the deck locked us in and the ship rolled so terribly that trunks slid across the floors in all the cabins, tables overturned, and china crashed all night long. All the crew were on duty the entire night, chairs were broken and canvas torn.
Next day everyone listed their casualties to each other for sympathy. But all joking aside several old seaman said it was the worst storm in their fifty years at sea.
*** The above information is from and listed by permission of Pat Mount.***
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