Submitted by Jim Prange Franklin, TN
Here is my transcription of Benjamin
CANNON'S letter to his younger sister,
Hepsey Ann LASATER (nee CANNON) written in 1873. Hepsey is my great
grandmother and in 1873 would have been living in the China Grove area of
the county. She had married Lafayette Taylor LASATER in 1872. They were
married by Rev. David HALLIBURTON, who was I believe the first minister of
the China Grove Baptist Church. I did not know until two weeks ago that
this letter existed. I decided to transcribe it exactly as written, that
is, without punctuation and the spelling is reflective of the times. He
used no periods at the end of his sentences. Benjamin was writing from
Dunklin County, Missouri; however, he was born in Gibson County around
1847-48. The "Henry" referred to in the letter, I believe, is William
Henry
CANNON, who was another brother and was likely living in Gibson County at
the time. Their father was James L. CANNON and their mother was Mary CANNON
(nee PATE). I suspect that Mary CANNON died in giving birth to Hepsey. In
1852 James L. CANNON marries Nancy KING of Obion County. I don't yet know
what happens to James after that. All the children seem to have been raised
by other people. Benjamin and Hepsey had obviously not communicated in
quite a period of time. I hope that you enjoy the letter:
"dear sister i take the opertunity rite you a few lines to inform you i and
family air all well at present hoping these few lines will find you and
family the same I wold have rit to you before now if i had a idea wher you
wer I never herd a word wether you wer dead or alive till late helth is
tolerable good her at this time times is hard her coton and corn is
tolerable good money is scarce her I wold be glad to see you herd that you
wer maried i wold like to see your old man i wold be glad you wold move out
her for i think you wold like the contry it is a good farming contry if you
now eneything a bout Henry i wold be glad for you to rite to me wher he was
if i hav got eney relation eney whers ner tell them to rite I hav got me a
good home her ive bin a living on it three yer i have a bout 11 achre in
cultivation i have 71 achres i have bin maried 3 year 14 day of last July we
have got the pretest and the smarter little babe you ever seen it was five
months old the 11 day of this month it name is Cordelia Clementine our
oldest one was a boy his name was John Benjamin he is dead my pen is bad and
i hav to bring my leter to a close i want you to rite to me as soon as this
leter comes to hand dyrect your leters to Kennett po office Dunklin Co Mo
Yours truley un till death
Benjamin Canon to hepsy Ann Laster"
submitted by Jim Prange
Franklin, TN
I just came into possession of an old letter, dated February 26,
1909,
written to my great grandmother, Hepsey Ann LASATER ( nee CANNON), who was
born near Rutherford in 1851. At the time the letter was written my great
grandmother was living in Saline County, Arkansas, and the author of the
letter was living in Union City; however, the letter makes reference to the
"old neighborhood" near the China Grove area of Gibson County and mentions
some names that might mean something to some researchers:
"Dear Kinfolks Your letter Recd and glad to here from you all.
This leaves all well as (?) hope will find you all well and doing well. I
am not doing much for the last few days of the mill is not runing all the
time. I haven't much news to write. You wanted to know a bout Mollie.
She
said tell you she was the stuff. She weighs 160 lbs. and can't get a bone
to naw.
She said she would send you our pictures too look at and see what you
thought of them.
My boys is grown. They are 18 years old and work in the store all the time.
Robert Rainey's folks is all well as (?) accept Park he is sick and has ben
for about one month and the Doctor ses hehas a leaking heart and rheumatism.
The rest is all well and Ethel Rainey was too got married last Sunday to a
boy in Nashville, but did not. I don't know the truble why not.
Willie Johnson's folks is all well as (?). He is still night watching at
mill. He has one child of his own and 2 step children at home. He is as
fat as a hog. He weighs over 200 pounds. He ses he is geting very old and
feeble but is still able too be up and doing rounds.
Well you might want to know something about your old neighborhood the folks
you new down there are all gone accept a few. Wain Rogers is still living
at the same old place, but uncle Patrick Stewart is ded and Sissero Stewart
is ded and the rest is all gone. Old China Grove has a new church house at
the same place.
Aunt Hepsy I want to see you sobad and talk with you all about old times.
Aunt Hepsy I gess you have a good many young chickens by this time. I can't
get my hens to set unliss I lay a brick on ther head. I will close by
saying you all come.
Yours, M.L. Witherington
W. T.
Witherington
Union City,
Ten"
(I also have a letter written in 1873 to my great grandmother in Rutherford
from her older brother, Benjamin CANNON, who was living in Dunklin County,
Missouri at the time. They make reference in that letter to their brother
William Henry CANNON, who I suspect was in Gibson County at the time.)