Mag Hunter Letter

"I thought you might be able to use the following old letter that was written by Rev. Benjamin F. White to his future sister-in-law, Margaret Hoge Hunter.

 Brenda, Margaret Hunters parents were Moses and Elizabeth Hunter who sold the mill farm to Albert Gallitan Updyke. They bought it from David Byrnes. I have more of these old letters if you all want them." - Parke Bogle

OLD LETTERS 1857 - 1880

Rocky Mount Forge, Va. Nov. 10, 1857

Miss Mag Hunter

Dear sister, How do you like your new home? Better than Virginia?

I hardly think you do. No doubt you have sung ‘eer this "Carry Me Back To Old Virginia," how but where. You must wait and give it a trial, get used to the country and people. I see the rapid improvement of your country, its dense forests and wide spreading prairies. Don't look so much at the country as it is, as what it will be in a short time. In all this you may see enough to make hope buoyant then. Mag! come cheer up. Don't be sad out there like you were out of the world. You are only a few days travel from Virginia, and if you want to see Bob, just let him know it and you will see him out there before you are aware of it. He says he intends to go out there next fall, sure, if life is spared. He is the most troubled man you ever saw. Did you get the letter he wrote, while at conference? I think he sent one to St. Louis and the other to Phelps. You have got his heart away out there. What are you going to do with it and he away out here? You must take good care of it, don't throw it away. If you do, he will never find it again, in this world. Tell Dave, he has taken away Miss Barbary Repass's heart, he will have to bring it back to her. George Wohlford is on his tip toes about Mary Repass. I think that will be a be! At least I intend to try to get it to be. George Green was at conference and said he was going to see Miss Bonem (Bonhem). Don't you think they ought to marry? I do. I recon Lou Rider and Billy will make it out yet. I expect we will have a time of it again next year, marrying. But enough of this. How do you enjoy religion?

Don't you remember the last night you stayed at the Burg? What a time we had at Brother Frenches. I haven't been so happy for some time. Mag, I do hope you will live religious. I expect you won't get to meeting much out there, but God is not confined to meetings. Can't you and Nan hold your little prayer meetings to yourselves? I think you might take up family prayers. Be certain every night to sing awhile before going to rest. It will have a good influence on the family. When I was converted, we were living in a very wicked neighborhood. We sat up every night and talked about religion and sung, and nearly every night some of us would get happy. In about six weeks a glorious revival broke out and went on until nearly everybody in the country was converted. Mag,I know you can do good in that country. I have so much confidence. Your pretty. I told Bro. English at conference that I thought you were the best Methodist young lady that I had ever met in all my travels. He talked like he was going to write you. Would you like to receive a letter from him? But I expect Bob is your choice. Well, Bob is a clever fellow. I expect he will make a preacher too. I think we will have him licensed to preach this year. Did you know I was sent there to preach for them another year? O, I wish you all had have stayed till spring. I will feel lonesome about the Burg. Mag, you must pray for me every day, that I may be useful this year on that circuit. I intend to try to be more use this year than last. I think I can do more good. I have been very uneasy about you ever since you started.

The weather has been very bad all the time. I don't see how you got along at all, but I have been praying that you might have good luck. I understand the little baby died in Tazewell. Just what I expected. Poor little thing, I reckon it is better off. We should not grieve like those who have no hope. Mag, you must write me a long letter. Tell me about your trip, for I expect you had your trials. One of my brothers has just got home from Texas. He traveled pretty much the same road that you did. He speaks of going back. The family talks of moving to Texas, and if they do, I expect to transfer to some of the Western Conferences. I may do so anyway. Though the Holsten Conference would hate to give me up and I have many ties to Holsten Conference. But my motto is, any where to do good. It may be that the Lord designs me to go west somewhere, as I have

traveled nearly all over this conference. I want you to write what kind of preaching you have and how you like it and how far you have to go to Church and what kind of meetings you have, but I expect you are tired of this scribbling. I will close, Very Respectfully,

1. F. White My best love to the family

[ The preceding letter was written to Margaret "Mag" Hoge Hunter by Rev. Ben F. White, who was already a licensed preacher. He was the sweetheart of Nancy "Nan" Hunter, Mag's younger sister. When Robert Newberry finally did go to Missouri, Ben White went with him. In a double wedding ceremony the two young men of God, were married to the two Hunter sisters, on Oct. 28, 1858. Rev. White and Nan came back to Bland County where she taught school in the vicinity of Newberry’s Chapel Church] Parke Bogle