Passionate Abolitionist and
Witness to the American Civil War
Clearly, costs and wages were a major item of interest. Also reports of his son starting to learn carpentry and talk that he may well sell his farm because of how unpleasant it was to get workers in view of the incentive to move elsewhere and get higher wages repairing the war-ravaged country.
A passing reference to the sad plight of the liberated slaves and the need for the Federal Government to take control of enforcing the Nation’s constitution
NOTE: Unlike most of the letters from other authors, this one has had punctuation added and spellings improved to aid quick reading. The news relating to Caleb Slater and Thomas Jackson has been highlighted.
Metuchen March __ 1867
Dear Cousins one and all
It is two years this month since I wrote to you and sent you our pictures. I have received no answer so I thought I would write again hoping that you would answer this and say what is the reason you don’t correspond with me the last letter we received had cousin Calebs picture in it which I highly prize altho I should not have known him I am thankful to inform you that my health is good still I feel the efects of age very sensably 65 this month my wife is in comfortable health also, Charles is well is 20 this month he is a little taller than I am he sayes he intends to go to England sometime if he lives he wants to see my native place and your family which is about all the friends we have in England. Bro William’s family are all well his 2 daughters are grown up they are amiable girls both members of the baptist church his son Tom (?) is nearly as tall as his Father he is a clerk in a store he preferred that to farming boards at home brothers Amos’s family is well he is married to his third wife 3 of his children are grown up two of his sons are in his store as clerks the youngest goes to school 3 of our cousins Hopkinsons have visited us from NY state my Aunt Hopkinson my Fathers sister is living yet she is near 90 has become childish has 3 children & 12 grand children I have reced a letter from Thos Jackson 3 weeks since they are all well are doing a large business his sons are single yet his daughter has been married some 3 years has 1 child I have not seen or heard from your cousin Chas (= Charles) Slater from Brooklyn since he visited us as I lost the direction he gave me he said he had 3 1/2 dol pr day in the navy yard
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2 or 3 hours of railroad ride Metuchen will be a large town some are making a business of building houses to sell; land there is worth a thousand dollars and upward per acre it is the same in a circle of 50 miles round the city I mean in vilages adjacent to rail roads; carpenters wages are 2 1/2 to 3 dol per day masons 3 dol l umber is dear a board 13 feet long 10 in wide is ,40 cents other lumber is proportion my son took a notion to learn the carpenters trade with my wife’s nephew who is building houses for sale at Metuchen I thought it would be a good branch of education; so I consented we made our bargain whatever Chas. is a national genius with tools he went to work with him last sumer after harvest after working 2 weeks he told him he would give him 1 1/4 dol per day from the first day. This sumer he will pay him 1 1/2 but I do not count on the money at all. He is worth more than that to work on the farm but I think it a privilege and may be useful to him sometime and his employer is a good Cristian man and says Chas will make a good joiner. one of my neighbors sons has engaged to wait in a store at Metuchen to have 100 dol and board first year he is 16 years old. of honest reputation. I will send you 2 papers with this I reced the London paper you sent and thank you for it I wish you would send me papers often. I like to have the Nott review & Ilkeston Pioneer the independent also I can send you papers oftener if you wish them. I have seen very little of this country I have been to Reading to see Thos. Jackson and to Connecticut say 150 miles east to see my wifes friends it is a hilly country adapted for grazing; the fences are mostly stone walls one farmer said he would prefer a farm that had stone enough on it to fence it I prefer post and rail fences and land clear of stone. now I hope you will answer this and say if you will correspond with me or not your late delinquency indicates that you have almost forgotten us. Please give my love to Ralph Burrows and say what he is doing and how trade is in England especially stocking weaving and how you all are individually I think of you every day I remain your affectionate cousin John Watson.
My dear cousin Caleb & C my wife Charles S. sends their love to you all
John Watson
Reports that the war scarcely effected the prosperity of the north whereas southern states had been decimated and resulted in great hunger and poverty. Estimates it will take 50 years to restore the south. sadly recognized that emancipation did not mean that ex-slaves were getting an improvement in their lives.