Heading: (African-American)
Author: Brooks, Samuel
Title: Letter from a South Carolina slave-owner
Place Published: Edgefield Court House, South Carolina
Publisher:
Date Published: Feb. 6, 1847
Description:

Autograph Letter Signed. 4 pp. To his sisters, Jerush[a] and Lydia Brainard, care of Abraham Brainard, Middletown, Conn.

Samuel Brooks was the uncle of Abraham Brainard, a Connecticut Judge and Whig Party state legislator. Brainard and his two brothers, founded an edged tool manufacturing company. One of their wealthy 20th century descendants became President of the Aetna Insurance Company; another was Mayor of Hartford.

Returning from a visit to his Connecticut relations, Brooks, back at his plantation, writes them: "...I found that my affairs had been well attended to in my absence as I had reason to expect and my Negroes in good health and they appeared glad to see me and I have no doubt that they were... I hear the honest creatures [his "faithful" dogs] at this moment [chaling?] some straggling Negro and readily subscribe to that happy sentiment of Byron's, tis sweet to hear the honest watch dogs bark, would that man were half as honest, then there would be little need of lock and bolts. Tell Francis [a granddaughter?] to "come and see my Negro Baby Kate next summer...then she can see for her self the times in this part of the country are better so for as it regards business this winter...owing to the rise in the price of Cotton...more than double the price that it was last year. The Mexican war is like the boy said by his horse when he lost the race, the more he spurred him the more he wouldn't go, they can't make it popular, no way they can fix it although many try very hard..."

Tear on third page, not affecting handwriting; very good.