1862 February 11 Hopewell, Ala

Hopewell Feb the 11th/62

My Dear master

We received your letter about three
weeks ago, and was glad to hear from
you, and to hear that your health was
good. I have been very unwell for a
week but I feel much better to day.
Sister martha has been sick for nearly
a month She has not been confined altoge
ther to her bed, but she has been unable to
do any thing--She is now much better
Cains wife Matilda has been a little unwell.
She has a very fine child two week old. She
is now doing very well. The rest of the people
are all well both here and at New Hope.
We have not had three days of clear weather
since I last write to you. We have done but
little gardening yet, but I hope that the
weather will fair off and then we will
commence. we have different kinds of seed
sown in the Flat Bed. We have our Prayers
regularly every morning. we also have
Preaching at the Chapel regularly by the same
minester mr Brame is very anxious to know
whither you want him to continue preaching
for us. write to him on the subject. I will
say no more as Mr Powell is going to write L[ucy] Skipwith

Lucy Skipwith, a trusted slave of General John Hartwell Cocke who oversaw the slaves and domestic duty on his Alabama plantation. See the Rev. C.E. Braeme's letter to the Southwestern Baptist describing Cocke's "model plantation" February 3

Hopewell Feb 11 1862
Dear Genl
I received your letter dated Jan
13th & was glad to hear from you & to hear
that you were well & enjoying good health.
We are all well at present except Cain's
wife, both here & at New Hope. We have had rain
for the last three weeks almost daily.
Nickles has gone home, his Father wrote to him
to come home. Uncle R. has sent a young man
down by the name of Franks to live at N.H.
he is a very nice fellow. he has no education
scarcely. He will come up here every evening
& I will hear him recite & give him lesson both
in reading & writing &c We are sowing oats. it
has been so wet & rainy that we could not sow
before now. We ill sow oats in the Boleyn field
Uncle R. wrote me he wanted to sow a hundred
Bushels. We have plowed the Evans field for
corn. & have broke up a part of Dufphy lot
We will put the whole of that in corn
Uncle R will be down next Friday.
The Depots are full & we will soon begin to have
it out. We have a good many corn stalks in the
Farm yard for manure. There are two young Mulberry
trees living next to the horse lot, and two limbs buried
from the old tree, two shoots have come up from
each limb & 3 of the Mulberry grafts are living.

[page 2]
There are 34 Fig trees in the garden & 12 out of the Garden
I do not know how many there is at N. Hope.
The colts are doing very well. We have Stelleas
two last colts in the stable pushing them.
the other three are up every night & are sheltered
& fed regularly. The mares are in good order and work
well every time we work them. I think we
will come very near raising meat eneough[sic] for next
killing. We have eleven Brood sows, 19 shoats, 41
Pigs & three sows to have pigs. the sheep are
doing very well.We have 42, & 16 young lambs
The cows are in toleraable good condition for
this time year. We are milkng 4 at present.
3 have gone dry. We have 5 heifers & 4 yearlings
4 calves & 1 Bull. Mr Bordens & Mrs Averys
families are well. I was up to Mr Borden's
yesterday. I hope to see you out April. My
Uncle wrote me you expected to be out.
yours respectfully
Smith Powell
Genl. Jno. H. Cocke

MSS 640