The letter is torn and parts of it are no longer legible or decipherable. The writer of the letter, William W. SinclaIr was a young man with limited formal education due to the fact that his father, Andrew Sinclair died at a relatively young age leaving a large family and a large farm to work. There were at least ten children in the family that were now dependant on their mother for their care. The children were: John, Neill, William W., Andrew J., Daniel, James D. C., Jennet, Nancy, Susan and Mary. Andrew Sinclair's will was probated in 1831 and is on file at the Robeson County Courthouse, Lumberton, North Carolina.
The letter was submitted by Cheryl Tullier Young. Her great great grandmother, Nancy McKinnon's family was among those that emigrated from North Carolina to Attala County. Nancy McKinnon married Thomas Hodges Allen and they moved from Attala County to Nacogdoches, Texas.
A photo copy of the original letter was found in the personal files of Cheryl's mother, Troyce Laura Allen who was born in Nacodoches, Texas.
State of Mississippi
Attala County
Dr. Brother & Mother - I have traveled through a great many kinds of people. I have been amongst the Indians who live near where we are. They are very quere but friendly. I have learned some of there language and if I continue much amongst them I will learn more for one who travels where they are would do well to have more or less of the language. There are ten or twelve living within one mile of my land and then there know person living withing twenty miles but some Indians as i know of. I know my land is 3/4 of a mile of one of the prongs of the Pearl River which is a stream as large as Rockfish which is called Yokanookay which is the Indian name in our language it is "drowned land." The Indians where one of them dye they bury them under the house as near the fire...as possible then they appoint a day of morening and they...as many as they can and kneel down over...shout...t...continue...re...softh...overthe...(letter torn)...they will not them or..me..to eat but they sure toc...me and very often breaks up with property...unt...gravery for a man to kill himself there was one young Indian killed himself because a young Indian would not marry him. He lived in one mile of my land They are a savage kind of people sometimes they will look one anothers heads and eat the lice. I have never seen them doing that only as I have understood from Mr. Daniel McMillian.
With respect to this country I have seen different parts but it appears that I would rather live in this section than any that I have seen yet. Not because it is the richest, for it is far from it, but there is good water in this part and the land produces well but not near as good as I have seen but where the land produces so wonderfully well the graveyards are very numerous and large. The land is of an ashey couler and as fine as flower. The range is without doubt the best I have ever seen. Stock is not to be fed here in the winter all the grass is sufficient for them. The cows have calves every spring and it will continue good for sometime for there is a large scope of country east of Murdock Bain and Neill McKinnon that will never be settled. This part of the country is very hilly. There is good crops here this year.
Neille McKinnon and Murdock Bain has a small crop between them this year they were late in planting they generally plant two and three stalks in the hill and there is generally one ear of corn on every stalk. I have seen land in this country that had five or six stalks in the hill. I do not know of any cotton in this part except that Murdock Bain has. He has a small peace which was planted very...(letter torn) generally eight feet high but ther...to the cl..w..that...go..int owing to the da...so very get wet all over corn is...$1.25, Beef 5 and 6 cts per lb. por (pork) 12 1/2 cts per lb. everything is tremendous high owing to so many people moving into this part.
Mother wished to know something respecting the cough which Murdock Bain had when he left N.C. He was sickly all last fall and part of the winter and had the fever and aga(?) until sometime before I came to this country. He regained his health and he and all his family are healthy as I ever seen them. Also Neill McKinnons and family are perfectly healthy. Sister Jennet (Sinclair - McKinnon) enjoys better health here than she did in N.C.
There is know preaching in this part there was preaching in Kosciusko a few days past and there was one fight and one man stabed in the yard where preaching was held. There has been so many people killed in this part that I deem it unnecessary to mention the manner in which they were murdered. But mostly by quarling but I must mention one. which was a school teacher who was teaching school and one of his schollars brought a bottle of whiskey to school and made some of the schollars drunk and the teacher whiped him and he quit coming to school and on the next day his father comes with him and told him that he wanted to settle with him and the old man took hold of him and the boy drew a dirk and commenced stabing him through and he fell and then the old man let him go and he went and sit down at the root of a tree being weak by the young mans stabing him in several places and the old man took the dirk out of his sons hand and went where the teacher were siting down and lunged the dirk into him and he died instantly.
I must close my letter by ...ning my...uble....
The above letter was folded to form an envelope. It was sealed with wax and mailed Oct. 8. Postage shown as "25".
It was addressed:
Additional information about some of the families mentioned:
McKinnon Cemetery (1 1/4 miles east of McAdams on Hwy12 then south for one mile then east for 8/10's of a mile)
Bain Cemetery (Abandoned) Unable to locate a grave for William W. Sinclair or his wife Matilda.
March 23, 1859 Attala County Deed Book A Murdock Bain is listed in the 1850 Attala County Slave Schedule as owning one male and one female slave.
Neil McKinnon is listed in the 1850 Attala County Slave Schedule as owning one male and one female slave.
May 1860 Probate Book I --- 1858-1863 page 294 Andrew J. Bain, son of Murdock and Nancy Sinclair married Martha Browning and they are both buried in the Browning Cemetery which is along the old Natchez Trace, north of Kosciusko (approximately one mile behind the Early Standard home). The grave markers are no longer legible.
Kosciusko City CemeteryThe letter that follows was written on September 28, 1836 by William W. Sinclair who had recently emigrated to Attala County from Davis Springs, Robeson County, North Carolina. The letter was written to William's brother, Neill Sinclair. The original letter is in the possession of James A. Sinclair Raeford, North Carolina.
September 28, 1836
I take this present opportunity of writing an answer to your letter which I rec'd last Monday it was dated August 21st. Hoping this my letter may find you all as well as your letter found me. I enjoy better health than I did in N.C. and especially when I am traveling...(letter torn)... I am this time at M. Baines. I have been at work...(letter torn)... many lazy people make money easy by gambling - I have traveled through a great part of this western world and I find where ever there is large bodys of good land that it is sure to be unhealthy. Some of the parts that I have traveled during this summer (1836) they had know other water to drink but cistern water which water is procured by making a deep hole in the ground in the middle of the yard and fixing a trough from the eaves of all the buildings for the rain water to run in. These other places in the peraries they have limestone water that tastes precisely like a weak dose of salts. There is a great eal (deal) of miserable water through this country that people has to drink.
Robeson County
Davis Spring P. Office
N. Carolina
Attala Co. Miss.
Oct. 8
Jinnett McKinnon ca. 1795 - 20 Jan 1881 wife of Neil McKinnon
(daughter of Andrew Sinclair & Catharine McMillan)
Neil McKinnon ca. 1790 - 5 Mar 1860
(son of Kenneth McKinnon & Catharine Munn)
Murdock Bain 1795 - 1879
Nancy Bain 1801 - 1887 (nee Sinclair)
William W. Sinclair and Matilda Sinclair, his wife gave a right of way to the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Rail Road Company for $1.
Robert Bain, the son-in-law of Neil McKinnon deceased, was appointed administrator of the estate.
Sophia Baine, 23 June 1791 - 3 June 1858 born Mechlenburg County, N.C.
Mattie Bain, 16 April 1785 - 5 June 1856 born Mechlenburg County, N.C.
