1861 Sept[ember] 7 Meherrin

General [Philip St. George ] Cocke

Dear Sir

This report has been delayed
to the present time owing to a short absence from
home I had a sick Brother in the army in
the Northwestern part of the state & I felt it
to be my duty to visit him & contribute to what
I could to his comfort & restoration to health.

I have the satisfaction to report, that
the growing crops are promising we have had
a slight draught here for the last ten or twelve days
but the injury to the corn & tobacco was slight.

The rains have been plentiful for the last
day or two & the season very favorable for the
corn & Tobacco the former now beyond the
risk of draught as it is nearly made the latter
in fine growing condition & if it can escape the
(spot of which their is now some symptoms)
will probably be as large or the largest crop
we have ever raised.

Every thing is moving alon
on the farms smoothly & satisfactorily Since
the receipt of yours of the 22nd August from
Centreville & after noticing what you therein
stated in regard to Guano & following to a much
greater extent than I had previously intended.

So that we shall seed about the same
quantity of land in wheat this fall as
usual I expect to retain all the overseers now
in your employ here at the same wages
for the next year unless they shall be called
into the service of the Country I think they are
about the best this county can afford

[page 2]
I was truly delighted to hear that you escaped
unharmed after the severe contest at Manassas
it was truly wonderful The health of the place
is generally good there are two cases of sickness
here attended with some signs of typhoid fever
I trust however they will turn out otherwise
There are a great many cases of measles in the
County & neighborhood & I would not be surprised
if it gets on the Plantation in fact Mr Buckley
at Rose Creek has had it & there is a chance for
others there, to take it

I would be glad to see you
here this fall but suppose it hardly possible
under the circumstances that now exist

I will use my best efforts to economize & make
every exertion to make and plan by neighborhood
sales pay its expenses as far as possible

With best wishes for your health & success

I remain
Respectfully yours
J. B. Traylor

P. S. I will in a few days write you
at Manassas Junction as requested

Traylor included the following report, a printed form filled out by hand:

Stallion 1
Horses 2
Mares 3
Mules 9
Colts [born] last spring 1
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Total 16

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Bull 1
Work Oxen 10
Milch Cows 10
Beeves 3 years old 8
Beeves 1 year old 9
Calves 1
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Total 39

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Boars 2
Breeding Sows dead 1 9
Pigs 6 dead 2 64
Fattening Hogs 80
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Total 155

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Rams killed 2 2
Ewes 73
Wethers 16

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Remarks relative to the Stock In good condition

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Amount of Cotton and Wool spun
By regular spinners, Cotton 10 Lbs
Wool 25lbs

Amount of Cloth Woven, viz:
Single Cloth 28 Yards
Double Cloth 48 Yards

Total 73 Yards

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Number of days work lost by sickness or other causes

By field laborers, viz: by Males, 6 By Females 10

By carpenters, I

Total 11 10

Remarks relative to the sick
There are two cases of fever
now on hand but they seem
to be convalescent

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Articles sold

August 24 Two Lambs 4.00

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Quantity of Manure hauled
Specifying whether oime, paster, guano, marl, stable, or othre Manure, and when, whee, and how applied

Some manure hauled from stables on wheatland

General John Hartwell Cocke, the father of Philip St. George, refused to grow tobacco on his land, believing that all the social, moral and political ills of Virginia, stemmed from the noxious weed. His son, obviously, had no such qualms.

MSS 640