Letter from Edward Partridge, 13 June 1839

Located on high limestone bluffs east of Mississippi River, about forty-five miles south of Nauvoo. Settled 1821. Adams Co. seat, 1825. Incorporated as town, 1834. Received city charter, 1840. Population in 1835 about 800; in 1840 about 2,300; and in 1845...

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June 13th 1839

Prest, Smith

Sir

Your letter in answer to my note to bishop [Vinson] Knight

14 Mar. 1804–31 July 1842. Farmer, druggist, school warden. Born at Norwich, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Rudolphus Knight and Rispah (Rizpah) Lee. Married Martha McBride, 14 Mar. 1826. Moved to Perrysburg, Cattaraugus Co., New York, by Mar. 1834....

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I recieved by the hand of br Harris— Respecting the cattle I had promised three or four yoke to Father Myers, I did expect br Shearer would have sent the cattle down immediately or I should not have been quite so willing to have accommodated him with some to move with. Some of our poor brethren wished me to furnish them teams to move up to Iowa

Area originally part of Louisiana Purchase, 1803. First permanent white settlements established, ca. 1833. Organized as territory, 1838, containing all of present-day Iowa, much of present-day Minnesota, and parts of North and South Dakota. Population in ...

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with and I promised them that when the teams returned I should, they were very anxious to get up in time to get in a little garden, and were not my plans frustrated I could have accommodated them greatly to their satisfaction, the brn that I allude to are the blind brethren, who say that they had as lieve live in tents there as here, it is now too late to think of making gardens and what is best for them brn to do I know not.—

I had promised some money as soon as I could sell a yoke of cattle, I know of nothing else I have that I can raise money with at this time, and they are getting to be dull sale to what they were.

Sister Meeks has been quite sick but she is getting better, she has nothing to eat only what she is helped to, a number of other poor here I think need assistance Wid. Sherman for one but if you think that all the means should be kept up there I have nothing to say only that I do not believe it to be my duty to stay here living on expence where I can earn nothing for myself, nor do anything to benefit others.

As I before stated I have promised some money as soon as I can raise it, I have not at this time two dollars in the world $1— 44 is all I owe for my rent and for making clothes for some of the twelve, and some other things, I am going into the room, br Harris leaves to save rent, what it is best for me <to do> I hardly know, hard labor I cannot perform, light labor I can but I know of no chance to earn anything, at anything that I can stand it to do— It is quite sickly here five were buried in four days, br More’s Child Sis Louisa P and and br Pettigrews son Hiram 18 or 19 years of age the other two were children of the world.

I spoke to br I[saac] Higbee about his siene he said that he would speak to his brother about it, He said he thought they would sell it, or they would come up in the fall and fish awhile but to lend it he thought it would not be best as those unaccustomed to fish in the rivers would [p. 68]

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Editorial Title: Letter from Edward Partridge, 13 June 1839
ID #: 463