Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — March 21, 1869

Title

Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — March 21, 1869

Accession Number

2022.1.1.31

Accession Date

February 4, 2023

Accession Creator

David Lovegrove

Depositor

Shuman B. Gerald, III

Description

This letter touches on several important topics. The Bailey’s organized a Sunday School at Tabor; that’s Mt. Tabor Presbyterian, which was the Bailey family’s central place of worship for decades. The Masons formed a lodge: WC’s Masonic career was extensive; read more at the entry on W.C. Bailey. Here, Victoria is referencing that he formed the Bailey Masonic Lodge on November 17, 1868, with 23 charter members. She notes that Enoch Cunningham’s son Tom will be tending business on the first floor of the store house, and boarding with the Baileys — and she makes the joke about running a boarding house. This is reflected in the 1870 census, where the residence is noted as a boarding house and Thomas Cunningham is listed among the boarders; so is Vic’s “tolerable good cook,” who is a 23-year-old woman named Sarah Benson — listed as mulatto.

Date

March 21, 1869

Storage Location

General Archive Box #7 Folder #5

Text

Baileys Cross Roads
March 21st /869.
My dear Sister
I have been thinking for sometime that I would reply to your very interesting letter which came safely to hand sometime since but kept putting it off until some leasure time but I find that time will not be soon. so this afternoon after having Mr. Dillard wife & two children & Mr. King to take dinner I seat myself for the purpose of trying to write to you but I tried to slip off from Etta but she is all around me talking all the time and scrabling with a pencil saying she is writing to Aunt Margaret she remembers you well and often speaks of “Poor Aunt Margaret” when I tell her about you being such a long ways from her,
We met today and organized a Sunday School at Tabor. Mr. Bailey superintends there was not a great many persons present but I hope it will increase.
We are going to have quite a place here the Masons have formed a Lodge and has rented the 2d story of the store house and Uncle Enoch Cunningham & son. the first floor and intends opening a stock of goods the first of April. his son Tom will attend to the business and board with us. You will say is Vick taking boarders and doing her own work? but I have now a tolerable good cook has one Child. also Mr. Bailey presented me with a splendid cooking stove the best I have ever seen, and has had me a pantry built in the kitchen so I am right well fixed up, if you have never [useded?] a stove do get one. Well a word or two about Mr. B he has gone to teaching school again. he has a very good school at the Wood school house three miles below here he has now 35 schollars and during the summer will have more. he was very loath to consent but thought it better than nothing. he has rented the farm to a freedman he seams to be doing very well
I wish you could come up next week Uncle Landrum will preach at P.G. Saturday & Sunday and there will be a masonic meeting here. I am looking for some Company but wish you could be among the number, I think if you knew how I wanted to see you, you would come. as for us going to see you it is out of the question to go soon, if I live until Fall I will try and visit you but as you have quit coming to see us I don’t know what to say, but I will try you again if I can, now positively I will look for you soon every pretty day I will think of you coming now dont disappoint me, if I could see you riding up tonight my heart would leap for joy, Mother spent last friday here they are all well. Belton is going to the Springs to school to Mr. Earl the others all go to Mr. Bailey Minnie is almost walking [Maurice?] grows [fusily?] the bonnet pattern for Addis I have none having had Etta’s made in Greenville on a Machine therefore never kept a pattern. I might cut on by a bonnet but I have given the last piece of her baby clothes away hoping never to need them again I am very sorry but I know Addis can cut one, if she will try.
I suppose you have had Mr. Reid with you I would have been glad to have gone but it was not convenient for us to go. Tell Mary to send me some of her wedding cake, and I hope she & Mr. [G?] will make it out soon,
Your sister Vic
Etta says tell Uncle Sullivan to bring you up here to see her and that she set on the floor until I wrote to Margy. Pa & Mother requested me when I wrote to you to remember them to you, Mr. Bailey & Etta joins me in much love to you and all the family yours as ever
V E Bailey_

Relation

William Clark Bailey

Etta Bailey Burgiss papers