Great times 3 Uncle Marion J. Phillips 1823-1907

Introduction: All I had to correct was one line of type which was in the wrong font.

I highlighted the one line, brought the cursor up to the type face choice on blogger at the top of my screen.

And then my stupid computer highlighted the whole blog post, and deleted it when I tried to do a "reverse the last action" with control "z".  All of the post...gone. Yep, it saved it before I could close it even.

Yep, I said ARUGH very loudly.

And either could have quit, or tried to remember all I had found about Uncle Marion Phillips all day long in making that post.  I know I won't.  But there are some new pieces of information, which I just shared onto Ancestry today. So I'm going to dedicate another hour to getting what I remember re-written.





Topic:
Great times 3 Uncle Marion was a life long bachelor, thus I'm using his life for the 52 Ancestors 52 Weeks collection this week.
 
How am I related?
He is my paternal grandmother's mother's father's brother.  Her great Uncle Marion.

Born in Fort Gaines, GA...a cotton port town on the Chatahoochee River before the Civil War.  I wrote about his mother recently, Mary C. Phillips Gainer.

I wrote briefly about his life before, so will not repeat that post.  You may look at it here.

He and his parents, and his brother and family all settled in the Tyler County Texas area.

What is new that I will share are the letters that he had in corresponding with his niece, Ada Pulsifer Phillips Sweet.  I've shared about her and her husband's life Here. 

Summary:
I am going to get new glasses this week, and then will attempt to transcribe these wonderful words.  He is writing about purchasing monuments for his brother's wife, Mary Phillips, and his parents, Mary C. Phillips Gainer, and Samuel Gainer.  They were buried in a private plot, and I now see on ancestry photos of that plot, but not the headstones.

And secondly he writes of also being in the same company in the Confederate Army as his brother William. They served in the commissary apparently.

And the third important information has to do with his own ancestry...giving details of the family and where they lived and when.

I can't wait to be able to figure all of that out.

For the future:
In order to foil the computer that eats blogs (Yes, you know who you are!) I will write other blogs about other letters between Uncle Marion and Aunt Ada Sweet, known as Auntie.

Following the Civil War, a cousin's letter

52 Ancestors, 52 Weeks, - Week 2 (Jan. 8-14): Challenge
 #52Ancestors

The big challenge I've faced here is the penmanship of my ancestors, and  trying to figure out the geography as places were named in mid nineteenth century.

Nowhere else is this woman, nor her mother mentioned in my genealogical research.  I don't know if anyone answered this letter, but it did survive until the 1970s, so someone must have thought it of enough value to hold onto it. (scanned photos of it are at the end of my transcription)

My great grandmother was Ada Philips, and her older sister was Zulieka Phillips.  Their mother died around 1860, and their father died while fighting the Civil War, sometime around 1862. Their father's older brother, Uncle Marion was helpful in getting the orphaned girls care in the homes of their aunts in Galveston.
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Plaha tehi(s) Mifps (?) (Slip?)  June 19, 1891

Misfps Zulieka & Ada Phillips

                        Dear Cousins

                                    I have thought of writing to you for some time but have postponed it from time to time.  I have finally decided to make an attempt this evening. If I fail, I hope you will be so generous as to overlook my awkwardness as I am not much accustomed to letter writing.  Tis quite a task, tho in bygone days it was a pleasure.  I once kept up a correspondence with Uncle Marion, but _?__ from negligence have ceased entirely.

Where (?) is that I by some accident have not the last letters & do not know where his office is, he wrote me you were back in Galveston going to school, you must not think me impertinent  for I am going to ask you some questions relative to yourselves.

(next sheet, was folded and written first on left side, then right)

I feel that I would like so much to know my dear little unknown cousins. Uncle Marion was kind enough to send me your photographs, & really I fear that he thinks that I am but too com…s? & negligent.  I am much afraid I haven’t thanked him for them, sist assumd if I have not. Twas not because they were not appreciated, I prize them much., (now to the questions) Where and who are you living with, are you boarding or do you live with relatives, and are you going to school? Why I ask you is that I am anticipating a trip to Galveston this fall or winter.  I feel so broken up and think a trip would reinstate me to former feelings.  I have been married but now am a widow have been for a long time.  I have no children of my own, have one little adopted girl, she will soon be three years old  she is quite a comfort to me.  I fear I am too poor to do this justice.  But as the old adage says Hope on Hope ever.  I hope to be able to give her a thorough

(right side of sheet)

education, she is a beautiful child and very precocious, very smart indeed.  I am just lying on my “arse” here at Pa’s home; not accumulating anything whatever.  I feel very much disrupted sometimes.  I know I should be making something for this dear little charger. Pa is old and infirm, has a large family, four girls yet to educate, the youngest 10 years old, & we all have been so broken up by the war.  I feel that I could support myself if I did sewing if I had a good situation in some town where I could git (sic) sewing.  I think I should try this in bygone days I would have considered that I was downing myself somewhat in such a situation, to b---?--- we all have to work or do something. I don’t feel ashamed to do anything that is --?--  I would go to work in good faith with my needle if I could get work. I am very well versed in the system of --?ing and quilting(?) and think I could succeed very well. I am living in the country and

(next sheet, half of the page)

4^th pg

It would be perfect folly to make an attempt here.  My dear little Cousin you will begin to think I am poverty struck in situation.  I must say my circumstances are not as they have been, tho I get plenty to eat drink and even go & come whenever I please, yet I would be better satisfied to have something accumulating for the future. What would be the probability of my securing a place there?  I prefer living with some nice private family to do sewing.  I don’t like teaching school, could not well now, on account of this little girl, she is too small.

How much is board per month there

Write me all about your “city” generally

(unclear) I should like Galveston very much.  I have heard it so highly spoken of

Please answer all my inquirings dear Cousins

One more question, (what was Aunt Mollie’s name before Uncle Willie married her?_

Ma sends much love to you and Uncle Marion

I would share a (potion?) of your relative regards by remembering me kindly to them.

With much love, I hope to be honored with a reply to this poor scroll very soon

Please write to me dear Cousins for I assure you nothing would be more gratifying or afford me more real pleasure than receiving letters from those to whom I am bound by the sacred ties of relationship

Excuse all errors I have written this very hurridly.

Affectionately yours with love,

Mrs. Laura Spann

A.B.

I hope Uncle Marion has spoken of me to you at least I have written thinking he had.  I am the daughter of Ghidora Phillips, sister of your Father (the only one living) now.  Mrs. Spann, I too married a distant relative by the same name.  Lovingly your Cozn Laura

(Pelahatetic ?) is my office

Letters between sisters June 10, 1860

(letter with envelope copied on one sheet: 
photo of correspondence below the transcription

Mary Phillips wrote her sister, Lucy Granger

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transcribed:

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Town Bluff June 10th, 1860 

Dear Lizzie:

        It is some time since your last letter but I waited to write about the Piano knowing you would be deeply interested to hear about it.  It was obliged to stay at Weisse’s Store a few weeks as the river was so low the Boats could not come up this far and William was so busy with all the mules he could not spare them to go for it.  William fixed up last Tuesday a team and himself and a black boy started to bring. It arrived Wed. night and all hands White and Black sat up till midnight so great was the excitement.  It is a splendid Piano and no mistake most-beautiful tone & action.  

(envelope depicted here, see photo below, addressed to other sister, Lucy, but letter is to Elizabeth ie. Lizzie)

(Upper left corner:) Town Bluf, TX M (…? obscured by stamp of Three Cents)

(Middle of envelope:) Mrs. Lucy E. Granger.

                                Galveston,

                                        Texas.

(letter continued page 2)

It is one of Gales made  Rose Wood with a beautiful inlade (sic) front carved music rack Iron (?) frame and carving all around the moulding (sic) but not quite seven octaves two pedals the shape of the Pedal is the hansomist (sic) I ever saw very large and shiney.  The tone is brilliant and clear not at all muffled.  It is splendid and you will say so far superior to Margrit Sweets I think I am almost beside myself I am so satisfied with the choice Mr. Hinsbly (?) has been very kind seems to have exerted himself to the ultermost (sic) and I could not have done as well myself.  The Stool cost twelve dollars and it is Rose W. too has a screw top and plane and plush very much larger and prettier every way than yours. It was packed with in the most manner closely sealed over all the seams on the

(back of envelope pictured here, nothing written on it)

(letter contined page 3)

outside and right pretty (written above in margin) picture 

in the bottom of the box all framed with a view of house in which it was manufactured in N. J.  I have hung it up it is so pretty.  Oh! I do so want to have you see it and try it.  I would enclose the money if I had it for you to come.  You can imagine me just as happy as a being ever gets to be. I believe I feel just as I did when Father first bought one for me. Just think our Piano was the first ever in Sabine Pass  The first ever in Beaumont  and now the first ever in Town Bluff and is causing equally as much excitement about the county up here as it had elsewhere.  I find I am in need of much practice but every day gain what I have lost.  I play a heap having nothing else to do  and who would not with so elegant 

(letter continued page 4)

an instrument to play upon in such perfect tune and order.  It is this I regret – the detention I soon shall have and I have only three months more  I get very tired sitting at the Piano but William is so good  rubs my back until I am rested at night which keeps me up.  Zulie is very much pleased  calls it the big baby and says here is the little baby pointing to herself – she talks very cunning you would laugh to hear her  sleeps by herself now in a nice trundle bed all ready now you see for the next.  I must close  I wrote to Lucy sometime since.  Write me soon.  Love to Mother and all.

        Yours with love,

                Mary

(another hand writing now)

The Baby beats her mother talking.

                W. P.

(this letter was not written to Lucy, but mentions that she had written her, so perhaps that is why the envelope was copied on the same sheet)