May the 8th 1819 Fermanagh and Parish of Maghrecolmong
Dear Brother I take this opportunity of sending you these few lines hoping
they will find you and your family in good health as me and my family is at
present. thats be to God for it. My sister MARY and family is well. My
brother SAM and his family is well. SAM tells me you sent him money in
your last letter. As I am informed you sen many letters and I never could
see one of them yet. It makes me wonder that you did not remember me as
well as SAM as I bear you the same love and affection as formerly. I wrote
to you and you never sent me any account. I am waiting with patience
expecting one day or another to receive a letter from you. I would wish to
know the particulars of that country as I know you would send nothing but
the truth on whether you would recommend me and the family to go there. I
would wish that you would send me the same encouragement you sent my
brother SAM. Now him and his family is going and Brother JAMES and his
family is going to you and I would wish to not stay behind them but to go
also. I have two girl daughters, Elizabeth and Anne ARMSTRONG. Anne is
named for your wife and one son William ARMSTRONG and he was with Brother
JAMES a while learning to be a carpenter. I have been often conversing
with you in my sleep. As I thought, altho the distance is far between you
and I. I remembered you in my prayers evening and morning. since we
parted I had the happiness to hear Brother SAM pray the last night I was
with him and I hope we will all be conformed to the will of God. If we
never meet on this earth that we will meet on that celestial shore where
parting is no more. I hear you are growing very rich on this earth, if you
see God you are rich indeed. I hope you have placed your affecton on
things above. I am married in County Fermanagh and my husband's name is
Andrew ARMSTRONG in the town of Cranianbum within a few miles of Ederney
Town. I would wish to know if SARAH be married and to hear her husbands
name. If JAMES and ROBERT be well, GALBRITH also. It would please me to
hear if they are living and well, and Cousin Margaret WALLACE and her
family be living and well, and I would be rejoiced to hear from our friends
that went to the North if you got any account from them. Ireland has been
a poor place these many years backsome. People that was well to live in
your time here are greatly reduced now. Markets has been very low for
cattle of all sorts. You would buy cows from 1-10 pounds to 2-10 pounds
perhead according to their goodness. Year old calves from 6 to 12
shillings per head. Shetland yarn very low also. I am at a loss as to
where to direct this letter to, but from supposition. Brother WILLIAM I am
sorry I did not to to America the time you wrote from me twenty years ago.
Now I have reason to suspect that you must think that I am dead and away
because you never wrote to me since. If it be as good a place now as it
was that time, I could wish to go there yet. If you write we will have as
good an opportunity to get it in Newton Stuart as any other place.
So much at present that I remain your loving sister
Sarah Caldwell
Note: "Letter from SARAH CALDWELL ARMSTRONG dated May 8, 1819, from
Fermanagh (Enniskillen), Ireland, to her brother, WILLIAM CALDWELL
(1751-1839). William and Agnes (MC PHILEY) with their four children,
Sarah, Robert, Galbraith, and James, came to America from Ireland in 1788.
William had two sisters, Sarah and Mary; also two brothers, Sam and James,
still living in Ireland when this letter was written in 1819. William was
68or 69 years of age at the time."
Audrey