The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1890-11-28
SOME OLD LETTERS.
Interesting Relics Of Early DAYS
of the Century.


from Virginia, North Carolina and
PennsylvanIa settled in HarIeman
County. The then ferrile soil.
abundant water supply and cOypara-
tive superiority in heaIthtRlness
of this section attracted lmnaigra =
ton from the older States. And
those immigrants, as class, were
very superior people. Bolivar, the
county sfat, WAS town OF impor-
lance. 1t WAS at tia head of navi-
CATION on Big Hatchie River, ami
commanded much of the trade of
North Mississippi and the CONT
guous counties Of West Tennessee.
This was all prior to the advent OF
railroads.
Among the prominent settlers of
an early day were the Folks and
Joneses, the Woods, the McEeals.
the Neelys and the Millers and
Billses, representing great deal of
wealth and intelligence and thrift.
Many of these old families have
died out or moved away. Their
descendants are found in your city
and scattered all over the West. A
few remain here and retain many
valuable paper and documents re-
latlng to the good old times i'm
medlatelY succeeding colonial days,
and on down t0the second and thine
decades of Our national existence.
The papers an documents were found
amidst ths rubbish long after the
death. eff these pioneers and some Ol
the most Interesting of them were
LEoGght by them from North Caro-
lima and Pennsylvania.
In last Sundays American were
published two original communica-
tons from yhos. Jefferson as old al.
most as the century. They were fjunC
in the pa pers of the late Maj. John
Ii. Bills, and will be presented by
his executor, Col. Wood to the Ten.
nessee Historical Society al
Nashville. They are indeed inter
esting relics and valuable, and will
doubtless be greatly appreciate q
by the Historical society and pre-
served carefully i'm the library a
Nashville. There are other similar
autograph letters and documents
held by the descendants of these
settlers that will also be presented
IT, the Historical Society for preser.
walton in due time.
Your correspondent has received
from the Hon. james w. Jones, 4
grandson of the late Gen. CALVIN
Jones several of these OLD autograph
letters, copies of which he presents
to The Appsal~Avalanche, and the
original of which will be filed with
the Historical Society. General
Calvin Jones was distinguished
physician ut Raleigh N. &. He
was a mgn of great learning and
influence. and moved about the yeal
1919 to this county, settling three
miles west of Bolivar on the sum-
mt of n beautiful plateau sIOping
gently away to Big Hatchie River
distant two miles to the North. HI
had held many positions of trust il
North Carolina was General in Com
mand Of the Johnston County Mil.
tia at one time. Among his init
mate friends were such men as Johr
Adams, our second President, ant
DIR, Benjaman Rush, one of the sig
Ders Of the Declaration of Indepen'
dence, cele hrated in his day not lesi
for his patriotism than for his med
ical skill, and often employee with
Gen Jones as a consulting phYsi
clan.
!, 1t may be remarked just here tina
the old homestead of Gen. Jones,
] unsurpassed for beauty ct situation
r end for healthfuiness, is the iden
tical spot on which now stands th,
Insane Asylum for West Ten
nessee, most commOdiOus buildih
: in the south. Its shining towers
y almost kissing the sky, are visible
0 for miles in every direction. Expert
. in sanitary science appointed by tn
Government selected this particu
u lar locality as by all odds the mos
e beautiful, accessible aud suitable
TO be found in West Tennessee OF
which to erect tins institution. D
ia this spot Gen. Jones reared larg
=, family who, with their children au'
grandchildren, are scattered and sci
. tied in various portions OF the coun
e try; and the old homestead and al
= jacent grounds are now the proper
4 erty OF the State and the seat of it
> largest charitable institute whe.
:. our unfortunate insane are CAREFUL
o unused and attended
!, To Gen, Jones and the officers q
b the regiment, the President, job
y Adams, addressed the original let
ter which follows. Its authenticity
I" and genuineness are unquestionabl
and it is now published tor the frs
time.
G To the Ofacers Of the johnson Re liment Of Mi
tia, in the State Of North Carolina.
Gentlemen-I thank you for this al
= dress-our commerce is plundered, on
lr citizens treated with the vilcst indignitie
10 our Nation itseli insulted in the perso
of its ambassadors aud Supreme MagiS
trates. and all tins because we are b(
T. lieved TO be a divided people-how il
" possible in such circumstances for met;
e physicians to chicane or mathematiciar
m 10 calculate-it is to me, rs TO you, II
% OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES would be mo-
y wisdom and more virtue IN considerir