Brother to Brother

Mr. William Brooks
Mattemuskeet
Hyde County
April 11th 1816

Dear Brother

If those few laines [lines] Shoute [should] Come to hand they will inform you that my self are some what unwell But Not to keep my bed I have One prentice [apprentice] Boy that are Dangerously sick & has Bin for 6 or 8 weeks and thare are But little hopes of his recovery with the Slo fever by the name of John Jones the rest of my family are in health I recivd a letter from Brother Stephen a few weakes past whare In he informed me he & family ware well also My sone [son] Jack I have Nothing worth retaleing to you at present more then [than] to let you now [know] that I have not forgot One of the Smallest Of my Conethion [connection?] Belo I hope you will remember me to them all that are Convenent I will thank you to write to me by the first Oppertunity Or by the Male If you Now [know] of any Negroes to sell that you think wont robt [rob] me to by [buy] for my own use I have sold 2 of mine and wish to lay out about 12 or Less hundred Dollars for Negroes for my Own use if you No of any for sale & woutd [would] write me word I woutd Come down Negroes has takeen a rise with Us Please to write me If they have with you Or what you think I Coutd [could] By [buy] a likely young man for So no more but with respect I am your loving Brother

Jacob Brooks

People mentioned in the letter:

Letter submitted by Kay M. Sheppard from the Alton Warren Payne files which states that the original letter came from the Adeline Brooks Payne Collection and was owned in the 1970's by Lena White Johnson. Information on the persons mentioned in the letter are from personal research done by Kay Midgett Sheppard and from In Memory Of by Martha Rebecca Swindell & R.S. Spencer, Jr. and Hyde Remembers by R.S. Spencer, Jr.

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