Copy of letter written by A.R. Banks to his sister,
Mrs. Juliana Coleman, Haslewood P. Office, Chester District, S. C.
Spring Hill, Ark.
Nov. 29th 1841
My dear Sister Juliana:
This is about the first good opportunity I have had of writ-
ing to you. Since I left you all in old Chester, I have been so
busily engaged in getting a start at housekeeping, and in our schools,
that I have hardly had time to write to any one.
I hope you are all well, and that this may reach you by
Christmas day, to let you all know of our welfare, on Red River.
But my only regret is that I cannot go with my letter, in the
mail bags, and step in suddenly upon you, Christmas morning, and
with the usual salutation, "A Christmas gift, Julia!" "How-dodo,
Joe, Wiley, and all the little Colemans!" I do wish, tho, without
jesting, that I could spend Christmas among my Carolina friends,
and ____ of their fine dinners, enjoy their society, hospital-
ity, etc. there father and mother too whom I wish I could see
again and enjoy that affection and love that none but parents can
bestow. O if I could only be among my dear friends and yet be in
the same field and sphere I am here. I would rejoice. But it is
best to be content with out lot, wherever it may be cast. Our
heavenly Father knows what is needful for us, and can make a cot-
tage in the wilderness as happy as the palace to his confiding
children. Let us all try to be happy and cheerful and contented,
wherever we are, or whatever be our outward condition in life.
I fear, my dear Sister, that your health has greatly failed,
judging from you appearance, and that you spirits are too much
depressed. I know it is hard for us to feel cheerful when we are
Juliana BANKS born: 11 MAR 1804, Fairfield Co., SC thus she is 37
years 8 months old. I wonder how he knows what she looks like.
My uncle has an old cased deguerreotype of her, but she looks 45 to
65 in that photo, besides Deguerre only invented photography in 1839
& it only became popular in 1841. Perhaps he is remembering her
appearance & would not tell her to her face, but saved it for this
letter. Or perhaps it was based on a description she gave in a
letter. Juliana & her husband Col. Coleman are said to have been
so fat that they had to have a specially built buggy. She had
told her husband if he'd go to church, he could pick the denomination.
He picked Baptist & they went to Friendship Bapt. in north central
Fairfield Co. where they were buried. The Coleman book says it was
a long ride from Haslewood (Chester Co.) to Friendship Bapt. & they
spent the night with the Mobleys each time they came. Juliana died
21 DEC 1871 Fairfield Co. aged 67 yr. 9 mo. Here husband Col.
Joseph Ragsdale COLEMAN b.2 Jun 1803, Fairfield Co. d.16 Jun 1859
Fairfield Co. dying of Bilious Fever (per mortality schedule) at
age 56 yr. 0 mo. Thus he is 17.5 years from his death as this
letter is being written. She is 30 years from her death. Now back
to the letter:
unwell; but still we ought to remember that god, our heavenly
Father, does not afflict his children willingly, but for our good:
that afterwards our afflictions "may bring forth the peaceable
fruits of righteousness."
I trust father and mother have moved up to Rocky Creek be-
fore this time, and are comfortably fixed for the winter in their
new home. I do think they ought not to remain alone in that old
house, so far from any of their children, or their neighbors.
And besides they would be so much more comfortable to be near some
of you on Rocky C. where they would have more company and could
get to church conveniently. Let me hear soon whether they have
moved. They could easily rent their place and be supported from
the income.
His parents (of which he speaks) are:
Samuel Banks (nee MARJORIBANKS) Sr. b.19 Dec 1770 Thornhill,
Perthshire, Scotland, immigrated to America 1794, d.16 Jan 1851
Fairfield Co. or Chester Co., SC bur. Concord Presby., Woodward,
Fairfield Co. SC married 6 Nov 1797, Fairfield Co., SC to
Elizabeth ROBINSON b.20 Sep 1776, Jackson Cr., Fairfield Co., SC
d.23 Jul 1846, Fairfield Co., SC bur. beside her husband. Her
parents were born in Highland of Scotland (Alexander ROBINSON
& Margaret CAMERON)
Thus the mom of the author of this letter (Rev. Alex. Robinson
Banks' mom) is 4 yr. 8 months from death & her husband the
Marjoribanks & immigrant is 9 yr. 1 month from death. The
reverend's sister Juliana & her husband Col. Coleman moved to AL
in the 1830's then returned & lived in Haslewood. I guess Samuel
Banks & Elizabeth are moving from Fairfield County to Haslewood
in Chester County (10 miles or less?). Rudy, you & Carolyn & I
went to the Cemetery in Haslewood. Now back to the letter:
We have commenced operations in the two Academies here with
between 40 to 50 scholars, at about 40 dollars per scholar by the
year -- or 10 months. It confines us very much, but we have no
borders, and will manage so as to get along.
Preach here about
once a month, as I have but little time to study: at this the peo-
ple complain. I will preach at the other places in reach, every
sabbath. It snowed yesterday, or I would have been 20 miles down
the river to an appointment, in a neighborhood of Baptists who have
invited me to preach for them once a month. They are good, old
fashioned North Carolina Baptist, and yet are liberal in their
views. They love the Bible, Missionary and Temperance cause.
Read the Charleston Observer, etc. I love them too.
I would imagine that the old fashioned NC Baptist are Calvinists.
called Particular Baptist meaning they believe God saves only the
elect (i.e. the particular people that God chooses). Baptist
churches in Fairfield Co. & Kershaw Co. SC split at this time as
the Charleston Assoc. of General Baptist (so called because of
belief in General atonement -- Armenianism) pulled churches together
& into the newly forming Southern Baptist Convention. Thus the
low country (coastal) Baptist were General Baptist (Methodist-like)
while the Baptist above the fall line (running across the state just
north of Columbia) were New Light Baptist coming down from PA, MD,
VA, & NC. New Light or Particular Baptist were Presbyterian-like
(Calvinist). They took the name Primitive Baptist & didn't join
the Southern Baptist & are now rare. I hope I am getting this
church history correct. Back to the letter:
Our neighborhood has not improved much this year owing to the
hard times; but as soon as the Raft in Red River, 100 miles below
here, is removed we hope to have Steam Boats up every week, and more
letters come in. Col. Williamson's wife dined with us yesterday who
said the raft would be opened in a few weeks. Col. Tom Williamson,
formerly of Fairfield, is the undertaker. It has been quite
here this season. The good people of our village seemed glad that
we returned safely. -- Sent us all sorts of good things, until we
could get a supply of provisions and thus administered to our happi-
ness.
We had a long, tiresome and dangerous trip from the North, home.
A nephew of Elizabeth's came with us and has gone down to Louisiana
to visit his uncles, where he will probably remain during the winter.
Has Henry gotten into his new house yet? Suppose you Rocky Creek
Henry Banks is a brother of this Reverend Alex. R. Banks & Juliana
Banks Coleman. Back to the letter:
Irish feel large now since you have gotten such fine dwellings. How
does William get along, building on his new place? Has he gotten Madam
to put into it yet? Tell his he had better catch the bird, before
he builds her nest. -- I am looking for a letter every mail form him.
William is a brother of Rev. Alex., Juliana, & Henry. William also
became a Presby. preacher but remained in Fairfield Co. & Chester Co.
William was a chaplain in the CSA. Back to the letter:
Tell John, if you please, that if he has disposal of the cloth I
left and can send the amount down to Sumter [SC], Mr. Bradley of our
village has just started for S. C. on a visit to his friends, and
will be there some weeks. -- he promised me to bring it out, if it was
placed in his hands. As William goes down that course frequently
he could give it to Mr. Bradley before he starts back. -- I do not know
of any better opportunity. S. Carolina money is good here.
Love to all our friends.
Your brother,
Alexander.
I take it that "has disposal of the cloth" means has the money from
disposing of the cloth in a sale. Evidently they don't mail cash
even in 1841. SC money (meaning SC Bank notes) would have been
fine to mail, I would have thought. Maybe mail got lost in river
crossings & Indian attacks rather than in direct theft. On 2nd
thought I have seen westerns where they hold up the stage & take
something from the stage. If they took payroll money, maybe the
bandits took the mail to check it for cash.
The cast:
Samuel & Elizabeth's kids:
John (mentioned above) b.22 Oct 1798 aged 43 yr. 1 month at this writing
John married Esther Thompson & is buried in Tipton Co. TN
Juliana (mentioned above) b.1804 & already dated
Alexander Robinson Banks b.26 June 1808 (thus 4 years younger than
Juliana to whom he was writing everyone via). He died in Rocky Mt. LA
23 Sep 1891. He married 1st Elizabeth Pratt (mentioned in the letter)
She was b. 1804 d.5 Sep 1853 El Dorado, Ark. aged 49 thus 11 yr. 10 mon.
from death and aged about 37 when this letter was written. Alexander is
33.5 when he wrote this letter, They were married 5 Jun 1838 & thus had
been married 3.5 years as when wrote this letter.
Henry (mentioned in the letter) was b. 24 May 1810 & m. Rebecca Grier.
William (mentioned above) b.26 Apr 1814 married 29 Dec 1841 (one month
after this letter telling him to get a wife before building a house).
Do you suppose this letter was a catalyst? Rev. William married Mary
Elvira Harrington. He died in 1875.
There were 6 other kids not mentioned in the letter one of which died
as an infant in 1816.
I (James Green III) posted this to the old Marjoribanks List
(Marbanks@freenet.scri.fsu.edu) 7 Jan 1995.
