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Granada Mississippi
1st of Febru' 1840
Samuel H, John R, William O. & George W King-
My Dear sons - a week
absent from you and a long trip in view that must necessarily separate
us for many months to com. I deem sufficient to authorize the penning
this following short account of myself, as in all probability you may at
some future day use it in a way that will be both useful and satisfactory.
I was born the first son of Seth and Mary Ann King. I had an older
sister Nancy who married Andrew .... & three brothers to wit - George
C. Elijah & Joshua and a sister the youngest child - Sarah - who
married a Gentleman by the name of Bowen. Joshua made a
profession of religion at the age of sixteen - studied divinity and began
his ministerial labour at the age of 18, he was a young man of
promising tallent, but the blighting hand of death swept him from the
stage of action before he attained his 20th year, Elijah received an
english (?) - married a plane woman and became a tiller of the soil,
George did likewise. I do not now or do not reccollict whose families
they conected them-selves with. Sister Sarah now resides with my
Brothers and is the mother of a large family of children.
This short account of our immediate family is simply for a clue to
direct you in your inquiries should such inquiries become necessary. I was
born in Prince William Virginia in or near a little place called Dumfrees on the
3rd day of May 1798. When I was about four years of age my
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father emigrated to Kentucky and made a permanent settlement in Nelson County.
I lost my Mother before I was eleven years of age, and my Father became
straitened in his circumstances about two years there after. Before I was fifteen
years old I was thrown upon my own resources (as I have been ever sence). My
oportunity's for education were very limited, but few good teachers were to be
found in Ky a that time. The field for enterprise was extensive at that time, which
caused men of learning to embark generally in that promised them
ample reward for their labor. I had at this time great trouble and inconvenience
in finding a school, an I was continually moving from neighborhood to
neighborhood in the search. I was compelled to labour for my board
and tuition from three to four months labour would procure me the
means of devoting the remainder of the year to study, by this means I
acquired a tolerable correct knowledge of english science.
Being in the close of my sixteenth year, I now engaged myself as a
mercantile clerk on the condition that I could prosecute my studies at
my leasure moments, and thereby complet my education, a short time
convinced me that I had been mistaken in this I therefore abandoned
it, having devoted my time and attention to it for about eleven months
- I then volunteered as a ranger in the frontier - of Indiana and
Illinoise, while engaged in this I made some friends who got me a
situation as deputy surveyor, I went upon this with spirit and
alacrity believing it the high road to fame and fortune, I soon became
convinced of my error as the privations and fatigues an labor was
greater than I was willing to encounter for the reward.
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About this time the trade to New Orleans was exciting great attention.
I at once detirmined to engage in this enterprise - left Illinoise for Kentucky, on
my arrival I lost no time in making suitable arangement for a flat boat, and soon
found an investment for my small means in the country produce to wit Whiskey,
Flour, Apples Cider. My antisipations ran high - I son expected from my energies
and industry to thrible my small pitiance but before I had been out fifteen days,
my prospects were completely blighted, I got my boat stove in the Mississ .. River,
and lost almost the whole cargo. I however saved a small remnant and got it a-board
of a boat - placed myself at the head and pursuid my object with-out the means of
obtaining it, however on my arrival in New Orleans I disposed of my remnant, which
brought me about one hundred and twenty dollars - with this I paid some small dues
to my boat crew - and purchased wearing apparel with the remainder except five $$..
In this poor and penniless situation I found myself in a foreign country, I however
had some friends and acquaintances to whom I commended my situation, they urged me
to return with them - proffered to furnish me money to pay my expenses (?) these
solisitations and my own on reflections unnerved me and wel-nigh destroyed my energies
for the moment -- But one of those bold and doutless variations took place in my mind
which once more turned fortune in my favor - I detirmined to resist the importunities of my
friends and remain in New Orleans where there appeared some prospects for a young
man of industrious habits (about this time I gave up all idea of prosecuting my studdies
and detirmined to seek fortune as the means of supplying it place (permit me to ad that
this was the forth error of my life), I soun procured a birth in a larg Commission house with
the privalige of operating upon my wages, this I turned to excellent account making
$5000.00 from nothing in about 30 months.
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This brought me to twenty years, this sum (?) at that age of the world was
reputted a hansome competency. I then thought it time to make my way back to my
adopted state and spend the remainder of my life amongst my relatives and friends,
I therefore set about adjusting my business for a speedy return -every hour increasing
my anxiety there fore I was not long in geting under-way. I arrived at Louisville early in
May 1818, from this point I made a visit to my relations in Nelson.
I son became tired of an idle life, and began to look out for imployment, and the most
profitable investment of my Capitol, my first purpose was to invest it in the slave trade
between Virginia and Mississ. and Louisanna - on advising with my relatives and friends
they dissuaded me from the purpose - the principle argument used was the inhumanity
of the traffick. The next thing that presented itself was a mercantile investment. I soon
found a partner (by the assistance of my friends) who was reported wealthy (and had made
his wealth by his attention to trade) - he was considered a safe chance - he was to furnish
an equal amount of capitol - furnish a clerk - pay me a handsome salary and place the business entirely under my controol. He was in possession of a stock of goods amounting to some
seven thousand dollars which were well laid in as they had been selected by an experienced merchant, thes goods as he informed me had been paid for -And he proposed that I should
hand over to him the five thousand dollars and at a propper time or when the goods were
needed he would replenish the store. to this I readily assented.
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at the end of two months I mad the requistion as agreed to between us - he promptly
complyed - but to what followed --- Three month thereafter I got a not that on a certain
day there would fall due a note of ten thousand dollars.. this began to awaken suspicions
in my mind that perhaps I had connected myself with the rong man - my first effort was to
adjust the debt in which I succeeded by paying part and renewing at four months - this
effected & I began to examine my situation. and to my great astonishment found myself
involved in his paper to the amount of forty thousand dollars and this at the most critical
moment of the derangement of curency in the state of Kentucky in the latter part of the
year 1818. Thus in the space of five months I found myself in a state of insolvency. I
immediately took steps to relieve me from my load of liabilities on his account by giving
him the amount that I had invested - my services - and the proffits on the buisness by
executing morgages on his property amounting to some 30 or 40 negroes and several
hundred acres of land to secure the payment of the dues This done - the firm disolved -
and creditors apparently satisfyed - I set out early in the year 1819 for Natches in search
of some imployment that promised a support On my arrival in Naches I soun made a friend
who agreed to furnnish me with a stock of goods to sell on commission - I designed taking
them to Catahula on the Wabs River in Louisanna, about this time I had thes gods in
readiness to put on shipboard, I received a letter from Colon Abner King (a relation who
resided in Nelson county Ky) advising
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me that my former partner had broken up the store and eloped with part (?) of the Negroes.
I exposed this letter immediately to my benefactor who advised me to abandon my object
and return to Ky. And give my personal attenion to the closing up the buisness of the
concern, I forthwith acted on his advise -returned - and went immediately in search
of the negroes, I spent three whole months in traveling over the country lying between
the road leading from Nashville to Lexington and the Celia river. I found them on the
Duck river in the state of Tenn. Som eight months elapsed before I succeeded in getting
them back to the state of Ky, most of this time I spent in Tennessee, no incident
occurred worth relating except forming an acquaintance with an old Irishman, a
Plasterer by the name of Boyd whose name I will have occasion to mention thereinafter.
After getting the Negroes and the man whom I had formed the partnership with (whose name I designedly conceal as he was a great scoundrel)
back to the state of Ky - and got his father - a man of good standing to stand is security
for the forthcoming of the property morgaged. Creditors seemed to award me great praise
and good feelings from, all of which were soothing to my feelings but added nothing to my
empty purse.
At this time I was in a worse condition in life than I had ever been, I was reduced
to a small horse saddle and bridle with twelve dollars and fifty cents in my pocket. my clothes
worn out and myself broken down in spirit and energy. In this condition I conceived the idea
of emigrating to Tenn. With out any object in view, but detirmined to engage in the first
business to offered a support. With this object or rather with no object in view I set out from
Bardstown Ky about the fir of September 1820
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When I reached Nashville I had spent all of my money except one dollar
and fifty cents. I halted at the Nashville Inn about 11 oclock had my hors put up and fed -
brushing my cloth - and started out in search of a situation. I some Merchantile House
where I might earn the means of an honest support, -some two hours elapsed and no
prospect presented itself - dinner was announced - I made my way to the table - set myself
down but could not eat from anxiety of mind. while sitting at the table I conceived the idea
of making a push to procure a country school, this ide gave me some relief and I left the
table in a far better tone of mind than I reached it, I walked out picking my teeth - discovered
a group of country looking Gent about fifty paces from me -I walked strait to them and
commenced an enquiry in relation to the country an the prospects for a young teacher, there
was one fine looking old Gentleman by the name of Ewing who gave me encouragement
and remarked that if I would go home with him he would give me his influence in procuring
a school,, just at this moment my Irishman Boyd accosted me and shook me by the hand
most cordialy - after the usual salutation he claimed a private interview. The old Gentleman
in a most feeling manner inquired into my circumstances an prospects I frankly told him that
I was penniless and in search of some employment by which I could earn the means of support
He at that moment brought to my recolecton a conversattion we had on our first acquaintance
relative to the science of Medicine, and my detirmination to acquant myself with the science -
and advising me in the stronges manner not to abandon the idea
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And proffered to get me a situation where I could reap all the advantages, and pay after
making the money by my practics; to this I gave my consent. And we set out together to
see if we could accomplish our object, he introduced me to several of the medical fraternity
of Nashville, we found on Dr. Roas who proffered to give me the use of books - his instructions
and the use of his shop for one hundred dollars per year, which could pay at some future day.
This seemed to avail me nothing as I had to get my board, this I looked upon as an insurmountable obstacle and I told my friend Boyd that I would have to abandon the idea - go to the country -
get a school and prosecute my studies while teaching The old Gentleman seemed chagrined
at the failure. We started back to the Inn - both in a rather melancholly mood, he from not being
able to serve me, from reflections on the subject of my situation in life.
As we were passing a store door, a small gentleman handsomely dressed and
whose silver locks denoted him to be in the winter of life was standing in the door, my friend
accosted him familiarly, and introduced me to him a Dr Hogg, and with this introduction
explained to him the object of our perrignation round town, the old Gent invited us to his
office (He was at that time S Gen'l of the southern division of the U.S. army -and practicing
in partnership with Dr. James Bronaugh, who afterwards emigrated to Pensacola and dyed
in the year 1820 of the yellow fever) to this gentleman he introduced me, and requested him
to examin me touching my qualifications for the science of medicine which he did and reported according
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On this report the doctor informed that I could make his house my home and he would give
me his advice and I could renumerate him at some future day.
As I had explained my situation to him thoroughly I accepted his offer, after inquiring what
he would charge as an indemnity for his trouble, he replyed two hundred dollars per annum
During all this time my friend Boyd was hard by and seemed to as much solicitud as I
did myself
[End of what can be read in complete sentences because of bad copy.]
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