Letter From JS Mitchell

This is from Jean Teachey: a descendant of Winifred Mitchell, who was the daughter of BW Mitchell, sister to Barney E. and James Stanley Mitchell.

While researching the Mitchell Family, I found a small book on the Penina Mitchell Harrison Family. This letter written by James Mitchell to his sister, Mary "Moll", was in the book. It is stated that it was found by Charlotte Barrow Gray when she and Viola Barrow Turnage were getting things together to settle the estate of their mother, Ida Harrison Barrow. It was deciphered by Margaret Midgett Barrow and Myrtle Grace Barrow Brown in 1985. Helen Turnage Beaman has the original letter. Punctuation and spelling are uncorrected.

Sister Mollie write a letter often.

Lenoke, Ark.

Aug. 23rd 1879

Dear Sister

I told you I was going to send you some medicine you said you wanted some money but that is not what you want. you just Think so. you want something to cure you. What I send you will be worth more than all the money I can send you and even though I have not been able to get all the Medicine I wanted you to have.

Take meal & Scald it Spread it on clouth Some larger than your two hands then when a little cool Sprinkle mustard or ground mustard seed over the face of it put a clouth over the mustard side & apply the mustard side to your liver or a little to the right of the stomache as warm as can be born two nights but never let blister a better way if mustard is plenty is to mix it with the poltice but never scauld the mustard as that will kill it

The 3rd night take enough of the pills to move the bowels twice the next day from 2 to 6 as the case my require as soon as you take the pills bather your feet in water as warm as you can bare it till you Sweat freely but dont weaken your Self this will mek the pills act better you had better put a warm iron to your feet when you go to bed So they will not cool off to quick.

If your blood is thin or weak burn copper as well make good siSe pills take 2 or 3 aweek. Soon after eating in the morning is the best time. Or you may take one evryday if you kneed it. it want hurt you.

Take DawgWood Bark of the root & Black Chery Bark off the root & Beat up finely a tea cupfull of each Tell Etheldred or Frank to get you a pint of whiskey I will pay him for it Eat such as you know will agree with you and let alone such as you know ? want agree with you.

The Diet Should gnerly be leight but dont starve yourSelf. Get some acorns white oak or Post oaks are the best but any kind will do parch them & drink for coffee Sweeten if you like.

I Send you Some powders You will wet with water & make in oills comon Sise these you will take with the foot bathe If you will dry & beat up 3 or 4 pods of redpeppers & mix with it you will have the strong pill follow these Directions 2 months & let me hear from you let evrything els alone but what you see hers.

This will do your more good than any thing you ever tried I will send the pouciess in a separate package

times are quiet no much sickness Some crops are good & some are not so good. I have a good cotton crop my corn is no so good I think I shall make 4 or 5 bales I want you to tell me about Frank and Etheldred crops Write about thing generly all about the neighborhod & com.

Tell me somethings about Etheldred's wife is she prettie is she smart is she large is she smawl & who is she anyWay. Who is Frank flying around has sister Adeline any baus now days besure and tell me all these questions

Two more weeks will add one more to my family my wife tells me to ask you if that picture looks like it taken two months before hand Tell Frank a prettie girl here wants to take his picture from me must I let her have it

write soon to J. S. Mitchell

The spacing was added by me to make the letter easier to read. Isn't it interesting to see the spelling and the words they used to communicate? James Stanley was a country doctor who traveled his community in Lonoke, AR "doctoring". We don't know where he received his education, but he must have learned some of it on the battle field during the war. His older brother Barney studied medical practices from books at home; perhaps James did too.

Connie