1861 Oct the 28th Hopewell

My Dear Master [General John Hartwell Cocke]

I have written to you every month and hope
that my letters has been received.
We have not received a letter from you
since you letter dated September the 2nd.
I hope that you are not sick.
We have had a great deal of Sickness
among the people both here and at New
Hope, mostly chills and fever- but we are
now much better than we have been.
we have had more Sickness up here so far
than they have had at new Hope.
There is a great deal of Sickness in the
Neighbourhood at present, mostly
chills and fever, but I hope that the sickly
Season will soon be over. We have had a
very pleasant fall so far-we have had but
very little cold. we had one very cold morning
last week- and a very frost[?] we have had
several hard rains since my last letter to
you. mr Powell was down the 8th inst. – and
staid two days. he said he was well
sattisfied with what work had been
done in his absents. he said he had not
received a letter from you for some time.

[page 2]
he wrote to you from place giveing you and
account of the birth of Betseys child. She has
increased to my surprise and I see that she
was in that way when she came home from
Columbus. She has a fine child and a white one.
We have preaching regularly at the Chapel.
There is no revivals of religion nowhere in
none of the Churches–we have our family
prayers every morning, as master Smith is
going to write I will say no more–your
Servant Lucy. Skipwith.

John H. Cocke

Lucy Skipwith was a slave trusted to manage one of John Hartwell Cocke’s Alabama plantations.

MSS 640

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