Wohlford Letter

OLD LETTERS 1857 - 1880

Widow Wohlfords, Giles Co. VA.

Feb. 16, 1858

Dear Mag,

I received your last letter Saturday as I came down to the Burg, to the second Quarterly Meeting on this circuit. I was very much delighted by hearing from you. I had been looking for a letter from you for some time but all in vain. But perhaps you did not receive all the letters that I wrote you, and if not, you are excusable. I have written a letter nearly every week to you since you got to MO., until last week and then I was away from home, laboring at a revival on Hunting Camp, below Uncle Alexander Suiter's. It was Brother Sheffy's appointment. We had a fine meeting indeed. 12 joined the church, 7 professed religion and a number of mourners at the Altar of prayer when we left. I don't know when I enjoyed myself as well as I did there. Allen Suiter and Samuel, both joined the church and were mourners most of the time. The widow Neel's two sons also joined and were also mourners.

Brother Sheffy is as peculiar as ever in his ways. I don't see as he has changed any. He has a revival everywhere he goes. He had a revival on Blue Stone, and there was 55 or 60 got religion, about 75 joined the church. There is a revival nearly all round the circuit, except at the Burg, and the Lord is visiting them with the rod of affliction, at least a great number of them, and if this fails to turn them from the error of their ways, I fear they will not wake up until it is eternally too late. The old man Bruce that lives over under the mountain, died Sunday night and was buried today. He died without a hope of getting to Heaven. There is several others down with the fever. Harvey and Old Mrs. Mustard are both down with fever. Brother Green is not able to get about, in consequence of a bruise on his leg, which he got by a stick of wood. His leg has been very bad, but is getting better. He lives at Brother French's. We had a little meeting there last night. I enjoyed myself finely. Mr. Hoilman and Henry Neel were mourners. Brother White got mighty happy. I thought of the last night you stayed in the Burg, and how happy you got, in this same house. Do you ever get happy now? I hope you do. I would not have you backslide for no mentions, but there is no need of backsliding, if you will just attend to your secret prayers. Brother White came here with me. He is writing to Nan. Tell Nan that I will speak a good word for her occasionally, if it is needed. I would write to you all, if I had the time, but I hope they won't think hard. So, they hear the news, that will be sufficient.

Mag, I cannot express myself to you as I would like to. Language fails to describe my love to one who is so dear to my heart, as you. I cannot see you to converse with you verbally, but I can look at your likeness and imagine myself seated by your side, whispering words of consolation and love, which my pen fails to print out. I have a great many things in this world, but none so dear as thee. When I go home, there is nothing to attract my attention, nothing to court my stay, and when the clouds of discontentment begin to gather round me, I gather up myself and go to some meeting, where I can enjoy myself in trying to point sinners to the Spotless Lamb of God

that taketh away the sins of the world. You cannot imagine how lonesome I feel at home. If I were (had) plenty of means and times were not so hard in this country, I don't think it would be long till I would see you. Oh! dear Mag, you don't know how high I esteem you. Sometimes I fear we will never see each other again and this gives me great pain. If I could have my desires, I would like to die where you could see me die. I would like for you to wait on me when I am laid out on my dying bed, for the tie that has bound us will never be broken, neither on earth or in Heaven. We may be separated by the cold Jordan of death, yet our friendship will remain the same, through all eternity. The Lord permit us to meet again! Your bosom friend, Robert L. Newberry

Written around the edge of the paper was the following post script.

"Write soon. Write something that will cheer up my drooping spirits."

[Note: By Parke Bogle- "Uncle Alexander Suiter", was the husband of Mary Newberry, aunt of Robert L. Newberry. Allen and Samuel Suiter were sons of Alexander and Mary Suiter, thus were first cousins of Robert Newberry.

Harvey Mustard was the son of the "Old Mrs. Mustard", referred to in this letter. "Old Mrs. Mustard" was, Annah, who was a daughter of William and Agnes Patton Patterson, before her marriage to William Mustard. She died Dec. 20, 1865.

Brother Green, was Rev. G. W. K. Green, who married so many couples in Bland County. The Bland Marriage Register attests to the many marriages that he performed. He married Lizzie Steel, daughter of Crockett and Mary Bogle Steel.

"Widow Wohlford" "was formerly Elizabeth Nicewander, before her marriage to Samuel Wohlford in 1834. He had died in 1855. Elizabeth Wohlford, died, Dec. 8, 1874, and is buried in the old Mustard Cemetery on Route 42, east of Mechanicsburg, Va., on land now owned by Randy and Hazel Price. She was the great-great- grandmother of Parke C. Bogle, who is the great-granddaughter of Rev. Robert L. Newberry.]