Lemuel Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher, 1847 December 6

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Otsego Ind Dec 6th 1847Dear Brother and Sister

I now embrace the opportunity of writing a few lines to you to inform you of my health and the health of our family which is verry good at present and hope these few lines will find you and yours enjoying the same blessing I would inform you that Mothers health is as good as could be expected for a person so advanced in life as she is she sends her love to you and your children and would be verry glad to see you all she has enjoyed her health since she has been here better than I or Shepard or Lyman has I have had the Fever and Ague two seasons since I have been here and Shepard and Lyman have both had it but not so severe as I did and I have had the intermitting fever this summer but my health is as good as usual at the present time I received your last letter the fore part of the summer and should have answered it before this time if circumstances would have permitted but do not deem it necessary to make any excuses for they are of no great use I received a letter last spring from Brother Zebinas folks and they were all well then but I suppose that you have heard from them since that we have we have had so much sickness since that we have been here that we have not got as much done on our land as we should have done but do not think it is best to complain of our lot as it is a great dent better than I am deserving of I wish you to answer

this as soon as is convenient give my love to Lydia and tell her that I should be gald to see her here but do not expect to verry soon tell her that I should be verry glad to have her write to me Mother wishes that she would come and live with her she often speaks of her and you she sends her love to Lydia and Mary and the rest of her grandchildren and all of her old neighbours and acquaintance and would be verry glad to see them tell Mary Pratt to write to her Uncle and I will write to her write respecting Cornelius and Levi and your own children and Aunt Sally Fitch and family and should you see any of them tell them that I have not forgotten them and should be verry glad to see them but do not know as I ever shall again give my respects to all enquiring friends I suppose that you would wish to know the price of produce here I will give you the price of some articles with us wheat 62 1/2 cents Corn Potatoes and Oats 25 cents Pork from 2 to 3 cents per pound in the Hog and Oxen from 30 to 60 dollars per yoke and Cows from [ ] to 15 dollars per head and other things in proportion and Land from 250 to 300 dollars in the state of nature and a plenty of it to be had and it is of the verry best kind if you want to see fields of wheat come to this country and you will see a good many from 20 to 80 even 100 hundred acres and more on one farm and it is expected that the great western Rail road will run through this county from New York city to the and should it take place this will be a rich country as is to found in any part of the wetern world there is many things more that I could tell you if I could see you but my paper is about used up so I must draw to a close by subscribing myself

your affectionate Brother untill DeathLemuel Colton

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Moses S. Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher, 1847 November Respected Brother and Sister

I now embrace this opportunity of writing a few lines to you to inform you of my health which is tolerable good at this time hoping these lines will find you and yours in good health I have had the Fever and ague some the past summer but for the last three months have been tolerable well I am thankfull that I am not in your cold country this winter I have never seen the snow much over one foot in depth since I left Belvidere our country is first rate for Corn and wheat and is a rich soil well adapted to most kinds of produce We have one hundred and twenty acres of good land here I should like to see you and my old neighbours but have no desire to come back to Vermont to live again although I think it is the most healthy, [Here] we can have wheat and pork and corn there snow, potatoes and oats Give my respects to Lydia I want to see you all verry much but fear I never shall Give my respects to my old neighbours and all enquiring friends and write more about them Verona and Lyman send their love to you Carseldana is near Michigan City now she started for home this fall and stopped on the way Write how John Atwells family is I would like to have Lydia come out here and live with us if she thought she could I suppose she thinks it a greater Journey than it is Write about Susans children and give our love to them I hope if you are prospered you you will come out and see us and our country I must now draw to a close trusting in God and hoping that we may so live that if we never meet on earth we may meet in Heaven

M.S. Colton

Write and not neglect as I have

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Lemuel Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher, 1847 November 19 19 of November

I again resume my pen to inform you that we are all as well as usual and that Carseldana has got home and she is well and sends her love to you all and would be verry glad to see you Brother shepard is teaching school this winter in the town adjoining to this at ten dollars per month no more at present

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Mr Andrew FletcherWaterville LamoilleCounty State of VermontAngola InDe [  ]