| 8. | Thomas Jefferson Carraway, Sr was born on 7 Jan 1844 in Wallisville, Chambers Co, Texas (son of Patrick Henry Carraway and Candice Mariah "Marie" Shelton); died on 14 Jul 1901 in Nacogdoches Co, Texas. Notes:
Accompanied by his slave enlisted in the army of the Confederate States of America in 1861 for six months service with Nickoll's Regiment. Receiving an honorable discharge he joined Carter's Bregaid ...and served in Arkansas until after the sege and fall of Arkansas post Jan 11, 1862. He was a POW at Camp Butler, near Springfield, Illinois, from then until May of 1863. Some of his Jasper friends died there from exposure to the cold. He was exchanged at City Point, Virginia and from there was sent to Petersburg to Wartrace, to Tulahoma to Murfreesborough and to Elk River, Tennessee.
Served as County Clerk of Jasper Co from 1865 to 1871. Purchased the "Jasper News - Boy" in 1871, later locating in Nacogdoches, where he practiced law for many years.
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email from Patsy Bradley, pbrad@texband.net
10/9/06 17:59:08
Sherry, here is the letter Roxie wrote Jefferson. I just forwarded it from
Becki's e-mail to me.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Becki Snow"
To:
Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2006 12:05 AM
Subject: Roxa's 1872 Letter
> Wallisville Tx July 21st, 1872
>
> My Dear Cousin Jeff,
>
> I am quite overcome with joy at the receipt of your
> note which came on the 17th. I have looked so
> anxiously for a letter; but it didn't come. I am glad
> you got home without a great deal of trouble; and
> very, very glad you found your wife and baby well. O
> Jeff! if you don't bring my cousin Alice when you come
> again, you had better not come within reach of my
> broomstick. ( I daresay you know, by this time, that a
> broomstick in a woman's hand is no mean weapon.)
>
> Remember that, when you make your preparations for
> coming.
>
> How much I should like to get a nice long letter from
> you. It seems really odd to be writing to you. If
> you continue to let your communications come so "few
> and so far between," I shall forget who my
> correspondent is, and send you a learned discourse on
> the Philosophy of Sleep*, or the Science of the
> Heavenly Bodies**, or some other subject equally
> applicable to your case. If your horrid, sociable
> friends (decided bores, they are, individually and
> collectively, who know I do want to hear from you,
> they would stay away from your cosey(sic) office, for
> a day at least, so you could write to me. I know you
> are too busy to have much time for friendly
> correspondence, and it is best to resign oneself to
> the inevitable, but it is hard. I miss those good
> sociable "volumes". I feel as if I had lost a friend.
>
> I must not forget to tell you something funny. Mifs***
> Phillippe Basfifa(sp?) wishes me to become assistant
> at the next term of school if she gets the position of
> principle. She has the promise if she wishes it. When
> she mentioned it as the best thing I could do, I very
> demurely replied that it was excellent; and I would be
> glad if I found nothing better to do. It is,
> undoubtedly, a capital plan. By the end of the
> session, I should be so frightfully dignified and
> learned; in fact, with such a discipline I should
> develope into a "bluestocking" of the deepest dye.
> The fates preserve me from such a fate.
>
> Well, I envy Blackshear his "talk, talk, talking" with
> you. I should like such an opportunity myself. I was
> so disappointed to find that you could not stay with
> us at all. Don't treat us so shabbily next time, or
> you will get a scolding. I have seen a member of each
> of the neglected families, and delivered the
> photographs with satisfactory apologies for your
> hurry. All were disappointed, by none were
> displeased. We have proved to be a very reasonable set
> of people. Laura and Susan received the pictures, and
> were greatly pleased to find that you remembered their
> respective parents.
>
> I really didn't know that Alice and Mifs*** Sudie
> expected me to come with you. I thought Alice was
> coming, until you got here, so there was a double
> disappointment. Be sure to bring her when you come,
> and that nice little sister-in-law of yours. I was
> quite captivated by her picture and should be very
> glad to see her. If she doesn't marry too soon,
> persuade her to come. I did not expect you to bring
> the Astronomical chart this time, but when it does
> come, I shall value it as much for its' being a token
> of your friendly remembrance of me, as for the
> knowledge it may impart.
>
> Everybody appears pleased with the Diploma. Camelia
> wishes very much to get a copy of the famous
> composition. So do aunt Tabitha and ma, so please
> send it to me, if the little affair has not lost
> itself. It is utterly impossible for one to get
> another like it. I have tried so often. I was rather
> surprised at the request from Carmelia, I had not
> expected her to show so much interest in the "budding
> genius". Please don't forget it; for she often asks
> about it.
>
> The grass worms have been doing a bad business for the
> cotton, but they are gone now, or the chickens
> disposed of them. The cotton is growing finally, but
> cotton worms are expected by most of the farmers. If
> they don't come there will be a large quantity raised
> here. Peaches are abundant, and some of Bud's are
> excelled by none in this part of the country.
>
> Jeff, just as a personal and lasting favor to me,
> won't you destroy the two or three absurdly ridiculous
> letters I wrote to you? One on the "sympathetic
> subject" and the others I don't remember, so you may
> select them according to you own judgment. I could
> not help being foolish in those days, but I had the
> good sense to not inflict it on everybody. I knew of
> no one whose good nature equalled yours, and that is
> why my letters to you were just simply ridiculous. I
> knew it at the time, but I had to say foolish things
> to somebody, else I would not have lived. My senses
> are gradually returning, and I think I shall be able
> to write accordingly. Did you know I'm getting old?
> I am eighteen, and as sorry as I can be. I shall soon
> be an old woman.
>
> Pray accept my congratulations; your paper is quite a
> success. It is a dozen times more interesting than it
> used to be. Mr. Billie's (sp?) paper was good. but
> yours is better. I think you certainly succeed as an
> editor; and display some talent as a poet, if I may
> judge from the specimen I saw on the title page some
> time since.
>
> Ma wishes me to say she is glad to be remembered in
> your letter, and a number of things beside, but I take
> a short way out of the difficulty by saying she echoes
> the sentiments contained in the first half-page. I
> don't like the trouble of repeating so much. She
> concludes with a great deal of love to you and your
> wife.
>
> Bud wants me to remind you of your promise to write to
> him, and to select the prettiest girl of your
> acquaintance for him, as he is certainly coming this
> fall.
>
> Such a funny joke my dear, there's an old widower who
> comes here quite often quite often of late. He wants
> to get married worse than anybody ever did. He says
> he wouldn't marry an old woman,and it's preposterous
> to suppose that he is coming to see me, so in spite of
> his declaration I insist on calling him her**** beau.
> It really teases her, for he is the ugliest man in
> America. I don't suppose he comes with serious
> intentions, but it's funny to tease ma.
>
> Bob knew you had not time to visit him, but he and his
> wife wished very much to see you. Betty thinks you
> ought to fulfill a promise made to years ago, of
> giving her your picture. She and Will send their love
> to you and your wife.
>
> Now my letter is long enough, so I will stop. Write
> to me as soon as you can.
>
> Your really affectionate cousin,
> Roxa Hartwell
>
> *"The Philosophy of Sleep" by Robert MacNish, 1834 A
> metaphysical treatise on Victorian dream theory and
> brain physiology
> **"The Science of the Heavenly Bodies" - astronomy
> ***perhaps using the archaic writing style for 's' or
> 't'
> ****her mother
>
Thomas married Alice Green on 15 Jan 1871 in Jasper Co, Texas. Alice was born in 1847 in Camden, Arkansas; died on 27 Mar 1923 in Houston, Harris Co, Texas; was buried in Nacogdoches, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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