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Note: Francis Plummer PVT Refugio Minutemen Commander Baker Date of Muster Dec. 1841 Box401-721 Folder 7 The combined islands of St. Joseph and Matagorda were also known as Culebra. (Addressed to) Mr. Jos E Plummer Copano TexasRoyalls April 6th 1840 Dear Father I have now been here 8 or 10 days & have been very well pleased & may say that I have entirely recovered my health. I have been hunting wild cattle running mustangs etc etc So you see I have enjoyed myself very well I wrote to you by Capt Byrne I had just started to Town to return with him but met a gentleman who told me he had gone, He did not get me all the articles that I wanted but would if I had waited. Mr. Royalls would try and get me the remainder he has no money & cant get any & I am out. P. M. Cockarll will go on to the States soon. I have wrote him bye the bye the old man is married again to Mrs Buttler of Courtland. I shall come by the first boat if you do not send for me write to me the first opportunity If you have any money I think I could do a little better if you send me a few $ but if you haven't why it don't make much difference for you know I have been without money so often in Texas that I am getting used to it give my respects to all I hope you are in as good spirits as I am God Bless you Your Affectionate Son Frank Plummer P.S. all the family send there respects to you. November 3rd 1840 Aransas Texas Dear Grandmother I write to let you know that we are well. I have not heard from you all in a long time not since I received a letter form Sister Julia, we have been using every effort to raise money to come after you all with, but have been unable to do so as yet. Uncle is now on the Brassos trying to collect a debt of 1100$ he wrote word that the chance is good. Indeed my dear grandmother if you were not uneasy about us you are infinitely better off there than you would be here it is true suspense may make you feel miserable but depend upon it we shall do the best that we are able. I know that it is best for sisters & brother for here there is no persons that they could associate with & besides there they may be improving their time for it is doubtful whether they will have an opportunity of going to school again. I hope that you are able to get what is necessary for them. For we will be able to pay our way When we get there which I hope will be in a few months for Uncle is getting a pretty good practice & everybody about here is owing us & as soon as there is money to be had by anyone we will get it. So content yourself as well as you can. I shall try & let you hear from us every opportunity. Father wrote by a vessel to NO 1 month ago which I hope you have received by this time he is well & would write now but his fingers are sore from abuse tell sisters to write often. I hope you have all been well. I suppose sisters are goodly girls now. Joe thinks about a poney tell him he shall have a half dozen when he get to here, give my respects to Mr & Mrs L Mrs & Major Lockharts. Father sends his love to you all & says sisters & brothers to be good children. Good night and may God Bless you Your affectionate son Francis W. Plummer University of Texas at Arlington University Libraries Special Collections Collection: Plummer Papers Location: GA10 Caption: 1840-1842 Addressed to Mrs Mary Plummer Tuscumdria Ala from New Orleans Mar 39 New Orleans March 17th 1842 Dear Grandmother & Sisters I arrived here from Aransas yesterday on my way to see you. The news came here you will see by the papers that Texas is invaded by the Mexicans. There was nothing of it when I left a month ago, but there can be no doubt of the truth of it. To that it will be very doubtful if I come on to see you as Texas will have use for every man she can get and I must lay aside my wish to see you. I go and join Father for there is no doubt but that he is in the field before this. It was my intention to have carried you all to Texas but now you see it is for the best that we have been unable to get you out for you would have been in great danger; as hundreds of women and children are upon that frontier. Father was in excellent bodily health but very uneasy and troubled on your account so that I determined to bring you out, but what would happen he is still collector of the Port of Aransas but Texas money has depreciated so that he has been unable to make any provision for you and has depended solely on Uncle how he has attended to you you best know but he says he has done all he possibly could if I do not come on I shall send you every dollar we can both make & scrape together but I fell it will be but little more than will feed and clothe you, but Uncle says that he has debts due him which he may be able to collect and he will then settle some place & get you all with him. I think it is best for Texas & ourselves that they have invaded for we will now compel them to acknowledge our independence. Uncle received a letter from Sophia yesterday I am glad to hear that you are at least in good health, but Soph do not write such another letter you do not take care enough in writing you should to write correctly practice very often by copying pieces from books by all means learn to spell correctly this you can do without going to school in case we should be unable to send you for you must now be fourteen years old & able to study without a teacher attend to this both of you for it is of great importance that you should acquire the common rudiments of an education & I do not suppose you have so much to do but that you would make it a pleasant pastime also see that Joe learns to read write and spell well another thing be particular on your house keeping for not mentioning the advantage it will be to yourselves it will be a great comfort to Father when we all get together and if I should come on I shall scold you if you do not have a neat house for I am a very good judge. I shall write again to each of you before I leave. If I should not come Uncle will. He is quite well & sends his love to you; all of mine you have & it is with such sorrow that I see a doubt of my being able to come for it depends on our next news and if it is necessary that I should go I feel it my duty to be with Father & he will be sure to join the army ; God bless you and in your prayers do not forget us Yours affectionately Francis W. Plummer March 25th 1842 New Orleans Dear Grandmother I wrote to you the other day informing you of my arrival here and that I left Texas with the intention of bringing you all to Father but the same day that I arrived here the New York brought the news that Texas was invaded by 15000 Mexicans & that they had taken San Antonio & Goliad. I then determined to await until the next news to decide whether I should return immediately and join the army. On the arrival of the Neptune we got the news that the Mexican army of invasion consisted of 700 hundred men who having ???? San Antonio had plundered and evacuated it & were marching slowly towards the Rio Grande. I then determined to come on & see you at least if not to bring you to Texas, & had everything ready to start on ??? New Albany tomorrow, but last night there came a steam boat express from Galveston bring the news that there is an army of 2000 men seen 15 miles west of the Nueces on the lower road coming though Victoria also that there is an army of 12000 on the upper passing through San Antonio so that it seems that the 2000 men were retreating to the main army and now you see the necessity of my returning without seeing you. For we shall have some hard fighting very soon & every Texan should lend a hand. I shall leave tomorrow on the Neptune and join Father as soon as possible, do not be uneasy about him as he had sufficient notice of things coming to get out of the way I suppose is now with the main army I shall try to get him to come and see you but I don't believe he will leave before the war is over and our independence acknowledged which may be some time. Uncle will come and see you soon & bring you to some place that he can be with you and we can hear from you often he received a letter from Sophia the other day. I was very glad to hear that you are well. I send you some jewelry for sisters by the New Albany also some money as Uncle says he will be able to collect some today & he leaves tomorrow if not will send by mail. Father was in excellent health when I left him but very uneasy about you for it was a long time since we had heard either from Uncle or you we both wrote repeatedly but Uncle says he has never received letter from either of us I suppose you have never received one. We have undergone every description hardship in Texas waiting for better times & had almost determined to leave the country for good but now there is a crisis at hand we either hold it as an independent nation or have to leave for my part I think there can be no doubt of the results against Mexicans all we want is ammunition & provisions & if some of your rich planters would shell out liberally I hope to be one who will plant our flag on the Rio Grande if not a good deal further west before 1840 tell Pike Cocknell now is the time for him to show himself if he will only raise a company & I have no doubt but there are numbers of young men about Tuscumdria who are anxious for adventure let them but come to Texas I promise them just as much as they can hack Tell Pike not to desert us in the eleventh hour for he knows what we want & how to help us & not to forget the banks of old Caney tell sisters to improve their time as much as possible read write and keep a neat house or take care of Joe tell him I shall send him something that will please him & to be a good boy attend to his lessons if he wants ??? to love him. Tell sisters to see that he reads & spells ??? and not let him run wild. I shall write to sisters this evening or tomorrow morning if I am not busy in acquiring myself to start I am very sorry indeed that the confounded Mexicans did not delay there invasion until I could come to see you at least, but I will try and make them pay for it any how God Bless you all Your affectionate grandson Francis W. Plummer University of Texas at Arlington University Libraries Special Collections Collection: Plummer Papers Location: GA10 Caption: 1840-1842 Postmark New Orleans Jan 31 Mrs Mary Plummer Tuscumbia, Alabama Dec 16th 1839 Copano Texas Dear Grandmother I take advantage of the opportunity that I have of writing to you by a vessel going to Galveston. I wrote to you about 10 ago by a gentleman going there in which letter I mentioned my having been very sick. There is nothing going on in this part of the country we have been entirely out of bread for the last 9 weeks which went a little hard with me at first but I soon got used to it. We have nearly finished your house & in doing that in raising it Father hurt is hand so that he cannot write to for the present, he is otherwise very well. He will come on after you all as soon as he can get sufficient good money to do so with. He has plenty of Texas money but that is at so great a discount that he does not wish to sacrifice it, but there is every possibility of his getting better soon, however if he should not get there before March do not be uneasy for he assured he is doing everything for he best. Uncle left here this morning for Austin perfectly well sent his love to you. Father sends his love to you & my dear sisters & brother tell them to be good children excuse my bad writing & mistakes for I am greatly hurried, good health & may God Bless you F. W. Plummer Dear PaLagrange College Ala Jan 16th 1836 I received your letter this morning and was very glad to hear that Mr Pain had spoken so well of me. I was at Tuscumbia Christmas and saw my sisters and brother they were well and said they wanted to see you they have vacation now on account of the house being burnt down as I expect you have heard. Sister Julia is well but does not grow much. Sophia is tolerable but has some sores on her face and hands Joseph is well and asks for you he grows very fast. Mr. Richardson and all are well. I wrote to uncle Elton the other day. My studies are going on very well they are Latin. Reading beasar the second book and geography and arithmetic. I have not studied much last session but will try to make up for it this session. Mr. Kennedy and all of his family are well and have gone to keeping private house. I believe all your friends are well. I have nothing of importance to tell you but what Mr. Pain has told you off. Give my love to Mr and Mrs Cooper and all of my acquaintances when you write to Mr Cooper and tell alll the negroes that I am well and hearty and all of my acquaintances in Natchez. Mr Elliott sends his respects to you. I have gone in debt very much but shall try to keep out hereafter. Write often and I shall take pleasure in answering them Your affectionate Son F. W. Plummer.
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