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Title: Letter from Thomas Ruffin, Jr. to his father, Thomas Ruffin, August 8,1841: Electronic Edition.
Author: Ruffin, Thomas, Jr.
Funding from the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text transcribed by Caitlin R. Donnelly
Images scanned by Caitlin R. Donnelly
Text encoded by Mike Millner
First Edition, 2007
Size of electronic edition: ca. 12K
Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2007

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:
2007-03-16, Mike Millner finished TEI/XML encoding.
Source(s):
Title of collection: Thomas Ruffin Papers (#641), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title of document: Letter from Thomas Ruffin, Jr. to his father, Thomas Ruffin, August 8, 1841
Author: Thomas Ruffin, Jr.
Description: 2 pages, 3 page images
Note: Call number 641 (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.
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.
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 the section Editorial Practices.
Letter from Thomas Ruffin, Jr. to his father, Thomas Ruffin , August 8, 1841
Ruffin, Thomas, Jr.



Page [1]
Chapel Hill August 8th

Dear father

I am still in bed with my leg, & Dr Jones told me last night, that it would be two months before it would get well, I dont beleive it will ever get entirely well, for I have had five blisters put on it, & it is not much, better now than at first.
I want to go home, for I cant get along without the ladies, when I am sick, & it is so lonesome here by myself. when my roommate is obliged to go to college, & it is a great deal of trouble for Dr M. to send me my meals, But the doctor says that I can not go home in less than a week & I heard that you would go home in a week or two, So you can stop & let me go on with you. at all events I hope you will stop to see me on your way home.
I have received your letter since I commenced this one to you & you will see that I have had several more blisters put on it than you expected, & I can get my room in college, if you desire it for it was only a conditional swap, but there will be three in a room, for there when I left it. & there is necessarily a good deal of noise with three in so small a room & I have a very studious room mate & he has been so kind to me, that I hate to leave him as soon as I get well, his name is Busbee & he is unwell himslef to day
I have not been very well lately, & I fear an atact of fever & have a very severe headache & disorderd stomach.
I received the sum enclosed to me, but Mama only gave me three and a half when I left home to bear my expenses here

Page [2]
I wrote to Sister Catharine last friday,. by Nov.1 & was also very sorry to hear that Ma. was not so well. but was glad to hear that she has a trip to the springs in view. & I have been trying to persuade the Doctor that it would be of service to me, so that he might tell you so.
Brother Brown came down to see me last Sunday & went back the same day.
This is the dulest place that was ever at in my life & you may judge how I feel with blisters on my leg & on my back in bed.
Give my respects to Mrs Taylor & Jude C; family.

I remain your affetionate Son.

Thomas Ruffin


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Endnotes:

Possibly the slave Davidge [1791-1872], also known as "Dr. November," who was the carriage driver for Dr. Joseph Caldwell .