Near Greensboro [Alabama] Feb 16th 1859
My Dear Daughter[1]
I have your letter about the carpets &c &c. It is all right, and we will have them put down when they come to hand.
You mention that you have a servant on trial at $1450, you need a girl—it is hard-nay, impossible to get them perfectly to suit you in every respect-a negro will be a negro. Burwell traded Gabe off to a trader going to N. Orleans for a girl that was born & raised in Savannah. She is yellow-hardly a perfect mulatto— servs very well — much better than Billy’s girl — irons better than any woman on the place, except venus— washes very well — about 18 or 20 years old — the right size and very brisk — She has the same manner of taking [sic] that Cindy had—the low country pronunciation
Should you not get pleased with a servant in Mobile perhaps this girl might suit you —We yet do not know enough about her to recommend her — I had rather have her than Mary, Billy’s girl. This girl I think was raised and owned by French people.
Marrast & Lee[2] wrote to me inclosed my letter to S. Mims which, by mistake I had addressed to them— I recollect I wrote a letter to them at the same time, which I suppose went to Mims— I have not heard from him, and do not know in which letter I inclosed the draft, but suppose it went to Mims, as it was not returned to me by Marrast & Lee. I have written to Mims to return to me the letter— I suppose it was only an order for some articles. Mention this to Richard. Your ma is about as well as usual — We have had a great deal of sickness among our negroes as well as white ones — no deaths. Hugh has had a long spell — is now Just able to walk about The house. Nothing new—
Write often to us, and come home as soon as you get tired of Mobile.
Your Affectionate
Father
Jabez Curry
Source: The Archives of the Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation, Papers of the Lee Family, Box 3, M2009.242, Jessie Ball duPont Library, Stratford Hall
Transcribed by Colin Woodward, 2015 November 3
[1] Tabitha Jordan Curry (1830-1927). She was the daughter of Jabez Curry (1797-1871), a native of Alabama and prominent planter, and Rebecca Jordan (1800-1884), a native of Georgia. Tabitha was married to Richard Henry Lee, who was born in 1821. Tabitha was born in Alabama, but she died in Radnor, Pennsylvania. Richard Henry Lee died on 1878 November 14 in Perry County, Alabama.
[2] Marrast & Lee were commission-merchants in Mobile.
