Title: Letter from Charles L. Pettigrew to Ebenezer Pettigrew, August 6, 1832: Electronic Edition.
Author: Pettigrew, Charles Lockhart, 1816-1873
Editor: Erika Lindemann
Funding from the State Library of North Carolina supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text transcribed by Erika Lindemann
Images scanned by Mara E. Dabrishus
Text encoded by Sarah Ficke
First Edition, 2005
Size of electronic edition: ca. 12K
Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2005

No Copyright in US

The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South.
Languages used in the text: English
Revision history:
2005-03-15, Sarah Ficke finished TEI/XML encoding.
Part of a series:
This transcribed document is part of a digital collection, titled True and Candid Compositions: The Lives and Writings of Antebellum Students in North Carolina
written by Lindemann, Erika
Source(s):
Title of collection: Pettigrew Family Papers (#592), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title of document: Letter from Charles L. Pettigrew to Ebenezer Pettigrew, August 6, 1832
Author: Charles L. Pettigrew
Description: 3 pages, 4 page images
Note: Call number 592 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Topics covered:
Agriculture
Education/UNC Student Life
Health and Disease/General
Examples of Student Writing/Letters and Letter Writing
Editorial practices
The text has been encoded using the recommendations for Level 5 of the TEI in Libraries Guidelines.
Transcript of the personal correspondence. Originals are in the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved.
DocSouth staff created a 600 dpi uncompressed TIFF file for each image. The TIFF images were then saved as JPEG images at 100 dpi for web access.
Page images can be viewed and compared in parallel with the text.
Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
Letters, words and passages marked as deleted or added in originals have been encoded accordingly.
All quotation marks, em dashes and ampersand have been transcribed as entity references.
All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as ".
All single right and left quotation marks are encoded as '.
All em dashes are encoded as —.
Indentation in lines has not been preserved.

For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions, see Dr. Erika Lindemann's explanation under the section Editorial Practices.

Document Summary

Pettigrew informs his father that he has entered the University, attends three recitations a day, and accepted $80 from William Bingham for his expenses for the session.
Letter from Charles L. Pettigrewlink opens in a new window to Ebenezer Pettigrewlink opens in a new window , August 6, 18321
Pettigrew, Charles Lockhart, 1816-1873



Page 1

Chapel-Hill Monday 6th Au 1832

Dear fatherlink opens in a new window

I have entered college and am about to recite my first lesson on ancient geography I have taken up my board at the same place where uncle Jameslink opens in a new window boards and which is the best place in the village it is a very good house and I have think I shall board as long as I stay here; Mr Binghamlink opens in a new window tried to get my board a doctor Caldwell'slink opens in a new window but his wife being sick I cou he could not take me. I am in very good health and have not been sick since I got clear of that coald. It is very healthy here and there are very few people sick; there is a great drought in this part of the contry and it is thought there will not be more than half crops made there has not been rainexcept within a few days a sufficcent quantity of rain in a-bout three months.

Page 2
I shall h have to study very hard but neverthe less I have adopted the plan of not eating much and taking regular exercise we recite three lessons every day one in the morning and another at eleven Oclock and a third in the evening, I have but little time to spare. Uncle Jameslink opens in a new window is a very hard student he studies nearly all day and very late at night and I am glad to say that he studies to some purpose he about the best scholar in his class and it is very likely that he will speak the latin speach which is a great honour. When I left Hillsborough for Chapel Hill Mr Binghamlink opens in a new window gave me 80 dollars to bear my expenses for the present session and told me if I I required more he would give it to me, but I feel a diffidence in asking or writting to him for money which I would not feel by applying to you and I being no more his scholar it would be as well for me nex session to get the money from you that is if it accords with your m wishes it is now now about ten Oclock and I must go to bed and end my

Page 3
letter by telling you good night please give my love to Grand ma and and respects to all my acquaintaences

I shall ever your affectionate and dutiful son

Charles L Pettigrewlink opens in a new window

N. B.
I here send you a copy of Mr Gaston'slink opens in a new window speech before the dielectic and Philanthropic societies.2 Direct you your letters to Chapel Hill.

Envelope page

Endnotes:

1. Pettigrew Family Papers, SHC. The letter is addressed "Mr E Pettigrewlink opens in a new window / Cool Spring/ N.C."; "mail" appears in the lower left corner, "CH" in the upper left corner, and the postage "18 1/4" in the upper right corner. A circular postmark has been stamped to the left of the address; it reads "CHAPLHILL N.C." and "AU," but the date is unrecovered. The number (or date) 1.832 appears at the far left edge of the envelope face. The letter previously has been published in Lemmon 2:175-76.

2. In 1832 Gastonlink opens in a new window had been chosen by the Philanthropic Society to deliver the commencement address before the two societies. A slave holder, Gastonlink opens in a new window nevertheless believed that "it is Slavery which, more than any other cause, keeps us back in the career of improvement. It stifles industry and represses enterprize—it is fatal to economy and providence—it discourages skill—impairs our strength as a community, and poisons morals at the fountain head" (14).