<hi rend="bold" TEIform="hi">Letter from Nathan P. Neal to Aaron and Elizabeth Neal, September 2, 1857:</hi> Electronic Edition. Neal, Nathan P. Erika Lindemann Funding from the State Library of North Carolina supported the electronic publication of this title. Text transcribed by Erika Lindemann and Donna M. Denette Images scanned by Mara E. Dabrishus Text encoded by Brian Dietz First Edition, 2005 ca. 14K The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina 2005

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 <hi rend="italics" TEIform="hi">True and Candid Compositions: The Lives and Writings of Antebellum Students in North Carolina</hi> written by Lindemann, Erika Neal Family Papers (#4370), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Letter from Nathan P. Neal to Aaron and Elizabeth Neal, September 2, 1857 Nathan P. Neal 4 pages, 4 page images 1857 Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Call number 4370 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

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 Library of Congress Subject Headings Erika's vocab English Education/UNC Student Life Health and Disease/Bedbugs Examples of Student Writing/Letters Religion and Philosophy/Worship Social and Moral Issues/Slavery 2005-05-04, Brian Dietz finished TEI/XML encoding. Document Summary

Neal reports to his parents on a local stabbing and describes his Sunday schedule, the food at the hotel, his battles with bedbugs, and lessons that are becoming more difficult.

 Letter from Nathan P. Neal to Aaron and Elizabeth Neal, September 2, 18571 C, Hill Sept 2nd 1857 Dear Father & Mother.

I have taken my pen in hand to let you hear from me. Your letter reached here on friday last in which was gladly read in which I was gladly informed that you were well &c. I have no news to write thats of importance. the negro that I wrote you was stabbed on the election day died on monday night last the negro that stabbed him was sold that is his master sold him to a speculator after it happened but luckily he was not run off. I saw the murderer the next day after he was caught he is now in jail at Hillsboro his trial will come of[f] in about 2 weeks. I always like to fill my paper when I write home but having nothing to write I expect to find it somewhat difficult to doat present. Tell Mary I was pleased to read her interesting letter though if she composed it she did remarkably well good deal better than I expected she could. You must write once a week and let me hear from home weekly if no oftener and that would do pretty well. I am well myself and hope you may all be the same at home I am tightly employed in my books dont go about to find out news but stay closely to my room I should be glad if I could see you all; get more homesick on sundays than any other time for only then I am not employed and even then I am a employed a good deal of my time for I have to attend prayers before breakfast attend church at 11 oClock and Bible lesson to get and prayersagain in the evening and we have a lecture also on the bible on sunday but not compeled to attend though I think it eaqually as good as the preaching so you can see and know how my time is employed on the sabath, When you write you neednt be particular what but anything you think of about your plantation your work & the news of course; and anything that comes to hand all is interesting to me. Our fair at the Hotel2 is pritty sorry badly cooked and filthy. We have corn pie beef gingercake &c. flies no rarity to be cooked cups and saucer not clean coffe very weak, but I have it very sweet, and get a plenty but not so nice as I like. When I left home I hardly knew what a chinch3 was but not have become pretty well acquainted with the customers for I sleep with agood many and by that means have scraped acquaintinces. I would have the bed scalded but I expect that the matress is full if so it would do but little good they get on me in the day or anytime that I lay down almost. I send you and the family my love and best wishes you will please excuse blunders and mistakes as I am in a hurry to get through. my lessons are harder a good deal to me than they would have been if I had come here immediately after quiting Watkins4 and consequently could have got a better report though I try and get my lessons the best I can and idle scarcely any. and if you dont know your lesson pretty good both of the Philips [James and Charles Phillips] will give you a rushing as the boys call it and even if you do they are pretty apt to rush them French is becoming somewhat more easy to me and I dont know but it is about as easy a lesson as I have.5 dont hear from home only when you write the Eagle6 comes but brings no news and I find but little as yet thats interesting though I am glad to get it and see whats in it &c. My subject has been out for sometime and now my paper is out so I will come to aclose.

Yours truly N. P. Neal

1. Neal Family Papers, SHC.

2. Probably the Union Hotel, formerly the Eagle Hotel, which Hugh B. Guthrie bought from Nancy Hilliard in 1853 (Vickers 61).

3. "chinch": a foul-smelling bug that damages wheat, corn, and other grains; bedbug.

4. William A. Watkins, Neal's teacher at the Louisburg Male Academy, wrote in December 1855 that Neal"has with rapid progress & much proficiency passed through Algebra- the larger portion of Geometry and finished the study of Surveying—As to the theory of Surveying I regard him superior to any student I ever saw" (Neal Family Papers, SHC).

5. On July 25, 1857, Aaron Neal wrote to his son: "Your having to learn French seems to me to be avary unnecessary expense of moneye & time as I think they could as easily have books in english as easily as to have them in french were it not that they wish to drean the pockets of the common people" (Neal Family Papers, SHC).

6. The American Eagle, a Louisburg, NC, newspaper published by William H. Pleasants.