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Subject: Ms-DeSoto-Tate Co. History (1868 Letter writ)
DeSoto-Tate County MsArchives History - Letters .....1868 Letter Written By
Michael William Shanahan July 4, 1868
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Kathy Rhodes LittleHouseAntiques(a)att.net March 17, 2005, 11:39 pm
Book Title:
Senatobia, Mississippi
July 4, 1868
Dear Sister,
If apologies would, or could, justify me in my negligence in not writing
sooner, I would make several, but as I feel my culpability, all that I shall
say is that I acknowledge my sin and crave your pardon. I will, however, say
that I would have written you on receipt of your last letter but that you
requested me to see Delia and tell her to write to you oftener, and I waited
some time hoping that I would have an opportunity of going over to the Drs.,
but the opportunity never presented itself and whilst waiting, the weeks saw
into months. How true it is, the longer we postpone a duty, the less we feel
disposed to perform it. The citizens had a picnic at Senatobia yesterday. I
met the Dr. there and asked him when they had heard from you, he told me a
few
days ago. I also saw Delia, but found no opportunity of speaking with her,
she
was with "Backy Girls" all the time. Seeing her in such company made me feel
sad. She is indeed experiencing the loss and the need of a mother. If her
dear
mother was alive she would have mingled with the first and best of the
party,
but alas, she was not, and the poor child looked as blank and desolate as if
she had no part in the gay throng and the festive scenes being enacted
around
her. And Drew, the dear, bright, and joyous little heart was not there. What
the father has in store for the dear children, I am unable to say. I am
fully
convinced that a sainted mother will watch over the sweet children, if pure
spirits are permitted to exercise guardian care over their dear ones on
earth.
But socially, I fear they will be brought down to the vulgar level of those
whom they now have to associate. If they were boys their case would be quite
different, then they could work for and select their associates. Little
Sidney
if he lives can paddle his own canoe. My sweet pet Jessie (?) will grow up
knowing nothing of anything better than she finds around her. Drew, although
having tasted good society, will in time be weaned from its influences for
she
was quite young, but, with the bright and flashing intellect which she
always
displayed for a child of her years, she might, when she becomes a woman
shine
a brilliant ornament in the best society, if she could but have proper
training and ??? in the mean time. But for Delia, she has tasted of the
pleasures and enjoyed some of the advantages of good society, for her to be
dragged down to a dead level with the "backwoods gals" - backwoods in
everything, mentally, morally and socially, it is heartrending.
In regard to the Dr. having bankrupted on you, you have but one recourse,
and
that is to fall on his securities as guardian. Now I do not know who his
securities are, but it has been my impression that Steve Williams and Mr.
Spivy are the parties. If they are of course you know it and you ought to
give
the case into the hands of an able lawyer and I believe you can make your
money or a portion of it for Steve Williams is entirely solvent. About Spivy
I
do not know so well, but I rather think that he owns nothing in law and
therefore could not be reached. I wrote to Billy two or three months ago but
have not yet heard from him, however, I could wait 150 or 200 years as I
have
a great deal of patience although I would like very well to hear from him,
yet
I wait his convenience.
I received a letter from Andy Moore some time ago in which he set forth in
(his) glowing terms the extreme felicity and comfort of hymeneal life, all
of
which I fully and cheerfully endorsed. He further remarked that, "a man was
nobody until he married", and tendered me the following morsel of (unasked)
advice by way of a stomachic, "My advice to you is to marry, be a man and
don't be a dog any longer." I appreciated the advice very much but I could
not
help thinking that he had been a dog a long time before he became a man. By
the way, the classic known as "Dog Latin" must have originated with him - no
laughing Lee. I have not responded to him and I do not know that I will. The
fact is, I think I shall let his letter go by default, for he never
interests,
but always disgusts me. He is always full of egotistical expressions,
senseless twaddle or else a rehash of some former letter, and I am not at
all
partial to that sort of dish unless it is more highly flavored. I heard from
Jim (?) Moore a short time since, he was getting along (in Memphis) badly,
gets very little work, finds it difficult to get board because he owes
everybody therefore (Poor Callie). Whilst writing of the Dr. awhile ago, I
forgot to mention that he and this Mr. Spivy are certainly going to Texas
next
Fall and want me to go with them, but I honestly think I will not. The Dr.
is
looking for Mrs. Spivy out here next week. Let me know if you ever hear from
Pastey's (?) wife and how she writes.
I saw Miss Roxie at the picnic yesterday and had a long conversation with
her
principally about you. Spoke of having a received a letter from you and your
inquiries concerning me. Why were you so astonished at my having joined the
church? But let this pass for a little while. You ask me in your letter how
Miss Roxie and I were making it. I answer, not at all. The truth is I have
treated the Carlock family badly since I have been on this side of the
railroad. Notwithstanding, I have been repeatedly invited to visit them by
every member of the family. Miss Roxie's sister Miss Sallie is staying with
them now. I do not think she is so good looking as Miss Roxie was. Speaking
of
marrying reminds me of ladies Oh! I have the cart before the horse. Well,
please change them about. I wish to say that so far as the writer is
concerned, he does not think, at the present writing that to use a hopeless
expression "he will ever marry in this country" if you know that the woman
he
marries, he must love her next only to his God and better than himself, and
he
does not feel that depth of affection for any angel sojourning in this part
of
the vineyard. This reminds me again that when I was soldiering in that
portion
of Ky in which you now reside I frequently saw, and was favorably impressed
with the appearance of the girls of that country, and I therefore request
that
you will select me a sweetheart among your newly formed acquaintances. You
know the style of one that would suit me as well, or better than I do myself
and I hereby and herein firmly obligate myself by those present to abide by
your choice and to come after her within four calendar months from this
instant provided, of course, the fair one is willing and further, I do
hereby
authorize and give you full power of attorney, in my absence, to do my
courting for me. Tell her all my faults, what a bad boy I am, etc., and if
you
find that you are likely to get through telling them before the expiration
of
the four months, stop, and leave a little of the courting for me to do
myself,
for you know I like it where I feel a heart interest.
Now in regard to my profession of religion. Why did you express such
astonishment in Miss Roxie's letter? You are aware that the greatest sinners
sometimes turn suddenly from their evil courses and look back with horror
and
with loathing on their past lives, and forward into a dread future in which
is
dimly seen a faintly glimmering ray of hope, which say, if perceived, glows
and burns brighter and brighter until the wanderer finds himself enveloped
in
a blaze of holy light and finds that peace "which the world cannot give nor
take away." Well such was my feeling and experience. I did not shout. I made
no noise. How was it brought about? I will tell you by first prefacing my
story with a few remarks. You are aware that fear forms a very small, if
any,
portion of my composition and if the fear of hell, or of the devil was the
only thing to deter me from sin, I am afraid I would always be a sinner. I
hope I have still less ingratitude than fear. Now to my narrative. As a
teacher I have always felt that a moral obligation rested on me. I do not
know
that I ever recognized any spiritual obligation to impress a moral lesson
occasionally on the mind of my students, so one day I asked them, each in
turn, if they ever prayed, commending those who did, and reproving those who
replied negatively. When I had finished catechizing, one of the litter
girls,
a member of Carolina Church and a sweet child, turned on me with, "Mr.
Shanahan do you ever pray?" I could not say yes, and I would not say no, so
I
said nothing but a five year old child might have read no in my always
expressive face. The child's question set me to thinking and Oh! how small
and
contemptible I felt and how I loathed myself for my base ingratitude to a
merciful Father. ____ all my life in _____, as I have been, on any
____________had been so dearly merciful and kind to me, and to a dear and
loving Savior who died that I base ingrate that I was, might live.
Would you believe it? Get out your brushes and pallet and paint a rough, war
worn, battle scarred reb crying, aye absolutely "blubbering like a baby", as
if his heart would break. Think not that this is written in a spirit of
levity, far from it. It is because I endeavor to show _____ humor into
everything. Religion with me is not, by any means, a dismal somber affair,
but
an enlivening, pleasure inspiring possession which makes me always feel glad
and thankful. Well, while in the above condition I resolved, in the midst of
tears and prayers, that if there was any favor in heaven for me, I would,
with
divine assistance, find it, and I did find it, prostrate in spirit at the
foot
of the cross. You have my story.
What church should I join? The church of those with whom I had lived in the
relations of close intimacy for several years and whom I always found loving
and shining lights and whose heart glowed with fervent love for the Masters
name and cause and to whom I am, and always shall be indebted for good moral
and spiritual lessons and for innumerable motherly and sisterly attentions
and
kindnesses. I joined Carolina Church and was baptized on the 17th last May.
Again I ask your forgiveness for my long silence and sincerely desire that
our
correspondence shall last as long as life. Write to me soon and don't
postpone
because I did. Remember that two wrongs do not make one right.
I ________ punctual in future.
Present my respects to Mrs. Hardy and Miss Dink. My fraternal regards to Lee
and although youkiss the baby enough to nearly smother her, yet give her
just
a thousand for me.
And believe me,
Your Brother,
M. Wm. Shanahan
P.S. It is 1 o.c. A.M. so I will prepare to retire. I thought I would ______
(not offer???) apologys for this long and I fear uninteresting letter, but I
will.
MWS
Additional Comments:
Notes:
Michael William Shanahan born 29 Sep 1841 in Limerick, Ireland
Immigrated in 30 Sept 1856 on board the ship "Rocklight". Fought in the War
between the states, CSA, 2nd Lt. Co. B, 9th MS Infantry. Served from 1861 to
1865. Fought in numerous battles; wounded at least twice, once at the battle
of Atlanta. Married in Senatobia DeSoto Co MS on 15 Nov 1868 to Sallie
Margaret Potter daughter of Daniel D. Potter and Mary Rebecca Smith. Became
a
naturalized Citizen of the United States in DeSoto Co, MS 21 Sept 1876.
Member of the Old Carolina Baptist Church. Died 26 May 1887 in Coldwater,
Tate Co, MS and is buried Palestine Cemetery, Tate Co, Coldwater, MS.
For other explanations of the many people mentioned in this letter please
reference my footnotes at:
http://home.att.net/~littlehouseantiques/mws1868.html
Surnames: Shanahan, Potter, Smith, Slaughter, Hardy, Richardson, Carlock,
Moore, Howard, Ham, Williams, Spivey, Spivy, Boone, Phillips, Stewart,
Freeze,
Wilkerson, Embrey, Jones, Flippin, Sowell, Key, Tucker
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