1861 Oct the 28th Hopewell

My Dear Master [General John Hartwell Cocke]

I have written to you every month and hope
that my letters has been received.
We have not received a letter from you
since you letter dated September the 2nd.
I hope that you are not sick.
We have had a great deal of Sickness
among the people both here and at New
Hope, mostly chills and fever- but we are
now much better than we have been.
we have had more Sickness up here so far
than they have had at new Hope.
There is a great deal of Sickness in the
Neighbourhood at present, mostly
chills and fever, but I hope that the sickly
Season will soon be over. We have had a
very pleasant fall so far-we have had but
very little cold. we had one very cold morning
last week- and a very frost[?] we have had
several hard rains since my last letter to
you. mr Powell was down the 8th inst. - and
staid two days. he said he was well
sattisfied with what work had been
done in his absents. he said he had not
received a letter from you for some time.

[page 2]
he wrote to you from place giveing you and
account of the birth of Betseys child. She has
increased to my surprise and I see that she
was in that way when she came home from
Columbus. She has a fine child and a white one.
We have preaching regularly at the Chapel.
There is no revivals of religion nowhere in
none of the Churches--we have our family
prayers every morning, as master Smith is
going to write I will say no more--your
Servant Lucy. Skipwith.

John H. Cocke

Lucy Skipwith was a slave trusted to manage one of John Hartwell Cocke's Alabama plantations.


MSS 640