1798 Family Letter

BACK	Family Letter dated Sept 28th, 1798

The following letter was written on September 28, 1798 from the Connecticut Western Reserve by James A. Harper

Think of this man at 23, writing back to Harpersfield, New York, just 18 days after his fathers death.

The following is a transcription of the letter. You can download 4 JPG files that contain the actual images of the letter. Please note they average 1.5Mb in size before downloading, but ENJOY! Touch the history of your family.

Transcription (not incl. Address page)	The letter has been imaged in 4 parts. The original is one sheet, front and back, with the left hand of the front page used as an address, written vertically rather than horizontally on the page (like the old tissue-thin foreign air mail sheets of the 1940s and 1950s) The single sheet was then folded in half and then in half again and then in thirds to create its own envelope.
Page 1
Connecticut Western Reserve, 28^th Sept. 1798	When you click on each page it will open the image in your browser. You can then click on the image to increase it's size to full resolution.
Dr Brother / / Many are the Viscisitudes of life through which I have passed since I saw you how short is it since we were all lively and gay expecting long life and prosperity but how is our expectations blasted in a moment by the Death of my Father ~~who~~ by a short fit of sickness when we supposed ourself at security and ease but now are brought to mourn the loss of tender Parent we("we"erased) I wish you to Send directions how we Shall Conduct our business concerning the settlement of the Estate as we are left in a wilderness without Law and as their is some land sold and the time of giving the Deeds is expired I cannot see what can be done at present if it is nessecary that the interest should be apprised you must send word by the first opportunity.	Remember to use your back arrow to return to this page. - Enjoy! Address Page 1 Page 2 Page 3
Page 2
I have give Maj^r Morse an account of the expense of Surveying for myself and hands excepting the service of Maj^r Morse which I did not cost up as I did not know but you had made a certain bargin with you Sir I wish you to get the money that is a comeing to me as we are in debt for our passage from Fort Eire to Presquile likewise for provision and must discharge our contracts. You cannot think how great the disappointment is that their was no money sent last spring and you must naturally know that it is very hard for us to get provisions and neglect our work for the sake of Surveying and that at so low a rate that it impossible for to live by it as a man cannot affort to board himself for a Dollar p^r Day
Page 3
The family are all well and send their respects to you and your family and all friends have pity on me O ye my Friends for the hand of the Lord hath touched me was the language of Job and surely may be applied to us. I remain your affectionate Brother
Jam^s A Harper