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Title: Letter from William B. Dortch to James Johnston Pettigrew, December 11, 1846: Electronic Edition.
Author: Dortch, William Baskerville, 1828-1882
Funding from the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text transcribed by Bari Helms
Images scanned by Bari Helms
Text encoded by Brian Dietz
First Edition, 2005
Size of electronic edition: ca. 11K
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:
2005-08-01, Brian Dietz finished TEI/XML encoding.
Source(s):
Title of collection: Pettigrew Family Papers (#592), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title of document: Letter from William B. Dortch to James Johnston Pettigrew, December 11, 1846
Author: Wm. B. Dortch
Description: 3 pages, 4 page images
Note: Call number 592 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Editorial practices
The text has been encoded using the recommendations for Level 5 of the TEI in Libraries Guidelines.
Originals are in the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved.
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Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
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 —.
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For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions, see the section Editorial Practices.
Letter from William B. Dortch to James Johnston Pettigrew , December 11, 1846
Dortch, William Baskerville, 1828-1882



Page 1
Chapel Hill, NC. Dec 11th 1846

Dear Friend, Johnst

Your very acceptable favor was received in due time. I am under very many obligations to you for the prescription you sent me. The prescription is for the Eczema. The disease that I have is not the Eczema but the porrigo or prunigo I have forgotten which. As Dr Jones says, Little bumps rise upon the skin, which have black scabs upon them, and it itches very much. So the prescription you sent me will not answer. I had both of them prepared the wash I have tried and perceive no benefit arising from it. It (the disease) is getting worse, and I am fearful it will be hard to cure. Dr Jones says he thinks it will. he says also that if I could be so situated as to take vapor baths he could cure me directly.

Page 2
I have an idea of going to Raleigh. I shall try Dr Jones until next wednesday and if he does not do me some good by that time, I mean that I will go to the city.
There are twelve students on the Hill, the Law students excepted. Four in South , 4 in East 3 in west and Gin Clinch in the village. We have rather a dull time of it. I do at least. The west fellows are tight (I may say beastly drunk half thier time. My Statesman, "Old Eucher" the other night while it was raining was lying down at the well in the mud & water so drunk that he could not get up, he lay there some time squalling out to some one to help him out before any person would do it. Bryan Whol-field at last went to him, his companions were so tight that they could hardly navigate & .
I expected to leave the Hill on last friday and anticipated enjoying a great deal of pleasure, but "this disease the porrigo" getting worse I am afraid that I wont leave the Hill at all. I forgot to tell you in the beginning of my letter in the description of the disease that a good many of the little bumps were turning into biles and some look white on the outside but pick them and nothing would come out but a little blood which would form a black scab.

Page 3
I would be very glad and thank you kindly if you would consult Dr Johnson and get his opinion. I fear this will terminate in something serious. Having penned you all the current news and bored you with a dissertation on myself I will now desist with the expectation of an immediate answer. Charley Herrod sends you his best repects to you. Give mine to Pag and the rest of the boys who know me and also to all my relations whom you know.

I am you sincere & devoted Friend

W. R. B. Dortch



PS.

Write soon, and be not astonished if you should see me in the "Cit of Oaks and fooleries" before long. I have been visiting once since your departure from this "Classic spot' to the Parsons of course and intended to go to night but one of these little bumps "hurt so bad" that I could not.

Your friend:

Buck

To. Mr. J. Johnston Pettigrew

Raleigh
N.C.

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