The following is a letter dated August 18, 1852 that was written by Jane Darbyshire Smith to her cousin William Pearson Barrett of McComb, McDonough County, Illinois.

Sowell’s Creek, Guadalupe Co. Texas

August 18^th, 1852

Dear Cousin,

We received a letter from you dated June 20. Also a newspaper for which we send you one from San Antonio. In it you will find some account of the Examination held in Seguin. We have no printing office yet in the town but almost everything else. They are putting up some fine large buildings; some of stone, others of a mixture composed of and, lime, and small stones forming a cement. The town & country is improving rapid. We live too far from town to give our children much schooling on account of boarding being so very expensive. We want you if you will when you get here, to teach our children. They learn a little at home. We send you also a little book giving an account of the school. After we had written to you we had some fine rains which made fine good crops. Corn yields from 30 to 50 bushels to the acre and is worth from 25 to 37 ½ cts per bushel. There is also a good prospect fro a good pecan. Most they will be worth is 50 cts per bushel in Seguin. Wheat averages about 15 bushels per acre. It is the spring wheat the cause of flour being so high here is the distance that it comes say from St. Louis and Cincinnatia. Apples have not been tried. I think some ground would suit. Fetch some good seed with you. Peaches do well. We had plenty very fine ones to eat and preserve. Sold a good many, say 25 dol worth. We have eight young trees. This was the second year of bearing. They could not have been any fuller. Plumbs and cherries would do well here. Watermelons are fine. They last a long time; say from 1^st of July till Nov or till frost comes; some years last till Christmas. We have had some very warm weather but we do not feel the heat so oppresive as it is with you, on account of the wind. Sometimes women wish it was not so strong on account of it blowing their work away. This is a slave country but not one half of the people own them. We do not own them. You can save your money to buy land and cattle if you rather. We have been pulling fodder to feed our calves that we keep up in the winter. Butter will then be worth double what it is now. We sell near about 15 lbs per week, woth 12 ½ cts per lb; eggs 12 ½ doz Hens lay all winter. The grass is good. No ague. Some few have chills through exposure or bad management. There is no cause for sickness. We have good preaching every Sunday. Had good preaching every day for 2 weeks. Several got religion. The Presbeterians intend having a camp meeting 2 miles above Seguin the 3^rd Sunday in next month. The Methodist will have one the last Sunday in Oct.

Two weeks back we received a letter from Mother. Father tried to write a little. How changed he must be since we saw him last. I wish he was hear. That country is too cold. But, you know old country people dislike moving so much. Father is so industrious. He could work so much better in the country without being exposed. I hope Samuel will come and see us this fall. We are sorry to think you cannot some till next year. Your furniture would cost you a great deal to fetch them and perhaps get broke. Fetch all kinds of seeds with you. When you write to England give my kind love to all of them. I have never written but once to Aunt Mary soon after we came to Texas. But, I cannot forget any of them. We are sorry to hear you brother is so afflicted. He must be a great deal of trouble to your Mother. She must be getting quite old. Tell me more about them all when you write; where your Mother, Aunt Celia and Mary live. I trust we shall meet some day before long and that you will be pleased with the country. Mr Smith’s back is paining him bad. 3 of the children have bad colds. The rest are well. Hoping these lines will find you all enjoying good health and good spirits for Texas.

I remain your affectionate cousin.

Jane F. Smith

Peter D. Smith

Write soon when you get this . I will try and answer it.

Peter D. Smith is the brother of Charles Alexander Smith ( my gggrandfather) and son of Ezekiel Smith.