Letter from Samuel M. Wallace to Anne “Nancy” Fleming (July 20, 1804)

Meeting with a favourable opportunity to write you, I gladly embrace it; which is the only opportunity that has offered itself since I got to Kentucky. I stood the journey out fully as well as I expected. I was eleven days coming from Montgomery. After the first day I had exceeding good company all the way out. Since I have been out I have generally thought myself better than I was when I left you; but still continue to have some symtems of the complaint in my breast. I am not at the Olympean Springs on the Sandy Road, about fifty Miles from Lexington. I left home eight or ten days ago. Then, My Father, Mother and family were as well as usual. I was at Cousin Lenny’s a few days before I left home and they were all very well; Cousin Polly has had her health better lately than she has had for several Years. Sister Priscys Youngest child died whil I [was] in Virginia and the last time I heard from them her other child had the whooping cough very bad. I am afraid it will not survive it. The rest of our relations are as well as usual. To see you in this Country, would give the greatest happiness to your relations. I did not come by Mr. Ramsey’s as I intended, having good company and being anxious to get along, induced me to keep straight out, And have not heard from them since I left you. The people in this Country are not as generally engaged in religion as they were a Year or two ago. Those who withdrew themselves last fall from the Presbyterian Church, perhaps, go to greater lengths, than any set, or sect, of people ever did. The Tenesse exercise has got very comon among them. They have even begun to prophecy. Some thinks the Millenium is at hand or is commenceing. Some of them has said that they would live a thousand years. Give my love to all my relations. We should be glad you would write us every opportunity.