Cave Spring Mercer Co. Sep. 1786
My ever Dear Brother
Yours of May I received, and thank my dear Brother for the kind consolation it contained. The imagination must be strong indeed to paint the distress and affliction it has pleased the God of Heaven to lay upon me, at a time and in a place where no human aid or assistance was offered me, no alleviation of my sorrows (which seemed rolling over in my head) by a kind sympathizing friend or relation. No! I had no friend then left. When unrelenting death had deprived me of my ever dear and unequalled friend, and Husband, my poor children and me, had no protector, no refuge to fly to in this world, the connection we had formed in this country alas! – has not answered our expectation. My hopes from that support are all blasted and vanished. You may guess my troubles were increased when I found this to be the case, but I thank God Almighty for his great goodness to me, in supporting me in all the trials his wisdom has seen fit to lay upon me, blessed be the Lord for all his goodness to me, in the midst of all my affliction and trouble he has never given me up entirely to grief nor forsaken me, nor left me without hope. When I seemed almost sinking under my great load of grief and no help seemed near, nor friend to turn my weeping eyes to, then the Lord raise me up, and afforded me strength sufficient to bear all that he had thought fit to try me with – his great mercies let me never forget, nor my children after me. We are enjoying blessings of peace here and a great plenty of every necessary and I hope I shall always be independent, as my dear deceased friend has left us all possessed of an ample support, and I hope the Lord will direct and guide me through life, so that I may devote my whole time to his service and the good and welfare of my dear children, and as my thoughts are much employed about my children and them nor I have no friend or relation in Kentucky to trust to, if it should please God to call me off, I am anxious to get Col. Meredith and yourself to take my children between you and as there might be some difficult arise as to the childrens fortunes laying in this country which might render the maintenance of them, inconvenient, I propose to obviate that objection by leaving all my negroes for the support of them, to be moved into the settlement and my land at Fort William (formerly Sturgus’s Station) to be sold and the money applied to the education of my children – By that means their fortunes might all be increasing in this country, the salt works continue to be rented out and their negroes hired, my stocks and furniture immediately sold after my death for ready money to move my children and negroes in. Yet I hope it may please God to continue my life to see the poor dear orphans grow up. Ah, may his goodness never forsake the Widow and Fatherless, but may they always find a present help in times of trouble by flying to that Gracious and Merciful God through which the merits of Jesus ————————-* I think my ever dear deceased friend had frequent thoughts last winter of his time here being but short – The dear man was very grave and thoughtful and seemed extremely anxious to get his affairs put in order, it seems to me as if there was an unavoidable fatality there were some indeed several circumstances looked as if my dear Mr. Christian’s race was run and he must hasten to meet his end – but I hope the good man is made a happy archangel – he lived a well spent life, and is now I hope reaping the blessed fruits, he is taken out of a world of sin and sorrow, trouble and vanity – When the fatal wound was given him he behaved with the greatest fortitude, he never murmured or complained the least, but said, “My wound is mortal tho’ I hope to get home to my family before I die”, and when the men who carryd him had travelled till late in the night, he then made them stop and got off the litter and rode on horse back two miles but by the great loss of blood was unable to proceed, and had a second litter made in which he was carryd till he desired them to sop for him to rest awhile, he told a friend, (he was not at all afraid to meet death and died resigned to the will of God, that it would be very melancholy news for his family to hear), and then expired without a groan – They brought the dear remains home on the very day he told me at parting, he expected to return, and OH, what a good, what a valuable, what a dear friend and protector have I lost, but when I think and hope he is in the land of bliss and glory, unspeakably happy, joining the sons and hallelujahs of surrounding angels, singing the praises of redeeming love, I then am silenced and beg the Lord to reconcile. Me to my fate and his blessed will. Pray my dear Brother forgive my long tedious letter – May God bless my dear sister, yourself and dear children. May heaven prepare us for a meeting in that happy place–
Annie Christian
I must not forget to recommend Capt. Terrell to your favour. He has been extremely kind and obliging to me since my misfortunes. I inclose you a copy of my dear husbands will. Pray my dear Brother don’t neglect to comply with my request in my former letter regarding the tombstone, &c.
A.C.
*Indicates where letter was worn.
