Clay County Alabama: Letters Written by Elizabeth Betsy Anderson 1868
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Contributed by Eva Jo Butler eva.butler@worldnet.att.net July 28, 2003

This first letter was written in Clay County, Alabama in 1868 by Elizabeth Betsy
Anderson (the mother of William C. Anderson) to her granddaughter, Mary
Elizabeth Anderson, who was in Bell County, Texas. William C. had been killed in
the Civil War on June 27, 1862. His widow (Elizabeth Lott Anderson) had
remarried and she and her new husband had moved with their children, including
Mary Elizabeth, to Texas in September 1865.   


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Alabama Clay County May 2th 1868

Mary Anderson Dear granddaughter
these lines leaves me in tollerable helth though I am on the decline verry
fast and I hope these lines may reach you soon and find you all in good helth.
I recd a letter from you 2 weeks ago I was glad to hear from you but sorry
to hear of goodes loosing his daughter I will now give you allittle hint how
things is going on hear. I wrote it to you before but you was moved and I don
expect you got it. Charles Rasco has taken in 2 or 3 croppers and has cleared
35 or 40 acres and has tore the mill house up & took out the floor riped off
part of the wetherboarding and tore up the thrash and fan worked up all of
the irons in the shop and has turned out the old land to keep from paying
rent
page 2
Your place is going to ruin fast tairing it up every waway they allow me
no privaledges of the place they wont let me turn a cow in the fielad in the
winter long enough to have a clalf and they have even dedned the timber
round my Spring I am no expence to them only they let me have part of my
bred. I want some of you to come and see how things is going an take charge
of your place your Self the fresh did not inger the mill house nor big wheel
but that new big wheel will soon rot lying on one side in the mud and water
the bold and smut they are making use of in old Johns mill I will write no
moor at this time write to me on the recpt of this Come back and see me
yours as ever

A scanned image of  this letter can be seen here:  Page 1     Page 2
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This second letter was written in Clay County, Alabama in 1868 by
Elizabeth Betsy Anderson (the mother of William C. Anderson)
to her daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Lott Anderson Joiner, who was
in Bell County, Texas. After William C. was killed in the Civil War on
June 27, 1862, Elizabeth Lott Anderson married G. W. Joiner.
In September 1865 Elizabeth Lott and G. W. Joiner left Alabama and
moved with their children to Texas.

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Alabama Clay County May 24th 1868 

                                     Elizabeth Joiner I avail my Self of
this opertunity of writing you a few lines to let you no I am in tolerable
helth and hope these line may reach you soon and find you all well., I will
now give you a out line of how things is going on on your place. Chares
Rasco is tairing up the place he has 3 cropers and has cleared all the land
above the mil and lane and tore up the mill house and thrash and bolt  and
ses you never will get any rent and he has never cut me afire of wood nor
got me a pine not since you left and I don't get a thing from him only part
of my bred and he ses the expence will take all the rent and you will get
nothing now this I write to you to let you no how things is and I don't
want you to let Charles no anything about what I write I want you to
come and see how things is I don't want them mad with me it is bad
anough without their being mad with me., I want to see you al very bad
and I want you all to come back I want to kiss that Pretty little gal of
Victorias if James and George will come back I will give them a cow
apeace and Mark a three year old steer if you all will come back there is
houses for you all to live in on the place and Cleared land apleny., Joiner
wrote none of you would not come back in several year and Charles has
gone to work and is going to rebild the mill and thrash this season the
place is all you will ever get and I would get it this winter before he ruins
it any wors you had better come back this fall
page 2
rember my love to Goode and his wife tell them I was sorry to hear of
their loosing their little girl but their loss is her infinite gain., I send howdy to
 you all so I must close at this time this is for your good.,
                                     Elizabeth Anderson., 
N.B. I want you to write to me on the receipt of this whether you are
comeing back or not and what you are going to do
A scanned image of  this letter can be seen here:  Page 1     Page 2
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The above letters were in a metal bank box that belonged to Jefferson Mills and his wife Mary Elizabeth Anderson Mills. 
The other letter was written to Mary Elizabeth Anderson (granddaughter of the letter writer).
The bank box also contained numerous original land deeds to Jefferson Mills beginning in 1857. Also in the box were
property tax receipts. The box was given to me (Eva Jo Butler) @ 1980 by Bertha Parrott Swan (Tots).
She and my mother (Aura Belle Coker Jones) were granddaughters of Mary Elizabeth Anderson Mills.
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PROFILE OF ELIZABETH (BETSY) ANDERSON
(writer of the letters from Clay County)

She was born in South Carolina @ 1800.
In 1850 she and her husband, Philip Anderson, were living in Randolph County.
She was a member of County Line Baptist Church during the 1850s.
In 1860 she and her husband were living with her son, William C. Anderson, and his family.
On June 27, 1862 her son was killed at the Seven Day Battle at Richmond, VA.
In September 1865 her daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Lott Anderson, (who had remarried to G.W. Joiner)
and her grandchildren left for Texas.
In May 1868 when she wrote the letters she was apparently living alone. Her husband Philip probably died between 1860 and 1868.
In 1870 she is listed in the household of Charles Rasco (who is mentioned in the letters) in Clay County.
None of her family members ever moved back to Alabama from Texas.

Direct Descendants of Philip Anderson:
1. Philip Anderson 1800 - 1863
.+ Elizabeth Betsy  1800 - 1875
..2. William C. Anderson 1825 - 1862
....+ Elizabeth Lott 1816 - 1882
.....3. Mary Elizabeth Anderson 1844 - 1929
......+ Jefferson Mills 1829 - 1915
........4. Eva Belle Mills 1880 - 1963
..........+ Arthur Jackson Coker 1881 - 1942
............5. Aura Belle Coker 1905 - 1999
.............+ Henry Harold Jones Sr. 1904 - 1977
...............6. Eva Jo Jones 1933