Read the Letters
1844-03-13
To Henrietta from WC Riley. This is the first and oldest letter in the collection. It is a love letter written to Henrietta who was 22 years old, from WC Riley. It appears that he is a doctor from Kentucky who has gone to see if there are prospects for him in Missouri. He has decided that he will move there but wishes that Henrietta would marry him.
1847-07-13
To Henrietta from Mary Mariam. This letter was very hard to date but July 13 only falls on Tuesday in 1847, therefore, I believe that this is the correct date. From a later letter, we know that Henrietta visited the Gex family in 1847 and it appears that this letter was written to her when she was on that visit prior to her marriage, in April 1848.
1847-09-01
To Henrietta [Princy] from Mary Charlotte Gex. This letter is from the sister of John Antony, [Henrietta’s future husband] after Henrietta had visited the Gex family. They were delighted with the visit and Mary hints that she is hoping that John Anthony will decide to get married soon. John and Henrietta were married the following year, 1848.
1847-12-00
To Henrietta and Virginia from Mary Mariam. Although this letter is undated, I believe that it was written on December 19th, telling her daughters about the death of their sister, Mary Throckmorton. This is the first letter where the drinking problem or instability of their father is mentioned. It is alluded to in later letters, but in this one, it is very clear.
1848-04
A dinner invitation from Mr. and Mrs. L. Sanders was sent to John Anthony and apparently Henrietta since they were married in April 1848.
1848-05-07
To Henrietta from her brother Roger. Henrietta got married on April 11, 1848, therefore, this might be the first letter that Roger wrote to her after she left. The first part is for her, the second part is for her husband, John Anthony Gex.
1848-08-18
To Henrietta from Mary Mariam. Although this letter is undated, I believe that it was written in 1848. Mary Mariam is planning a trip to visit her daughter which might have been her first visit to her since she got married in April. There is no mention of children, other than one of Rebecca’s and she alludes to one of the servants wanting to go with her to help Henrietta who would have been pregnant with her first child.
1849-00-00
To Henrietta from her cousin Elizabeth [Bettie] Downing, her aunt Molly Ann’s daughter. This fragment of an undated letter was very difficult to read because parts of the pages have been torn and are missing. It was likely written in late 1849 because Antonie, Henrietta’s first child, is the only one mentioned and it appears to be winter. Bettie’s husband, Lewis Lunseford Mason, had been to Mt. Sterling, where their grandfather and aunt lived, and had seen some of the family there. She is giving news of her husband’s visit.
1849-01-23
To Henrietta from Mary Mariam. This letter did not include the year that it was written but due to the contents, I believe that it was 1849 because Mary Mariam mentions Rebecca’s two boys who were born in 1848 and 49. Additionally, Mary Mariam writes about her stepdaughter, Laura’s husband, Dr. Frazer, who has been ill and is not improving. Mary Mariam frequently expresses unhappiness in the letter.
1849-04-04
To Henrietta from Mary Mariam. She has returned home after a recent visit and misses her daughter and her newborn grandson, Anthony [Antonie] terribly. Her return was made via boat, stagecoach, and buggy. She writes that Roger and his father have made an agreement that Roger will stay on the farm and not leave.
1849-04-23
To Henrietta from Mary Mariam. The year that this letter was written was not included making it challenging for me to date. However, based on the content, I believe that it was written in 1849, shortly after Henrietta’s first son, Antonie was born. He would have been 3 months old. Instead of Sunday, as it is dated on the letter, I believe it was written on Monday. Mary Mariam has been to visit and has returned home but hasn’t had a letter from her daughter yet.
1849-07-03
To Henrietta from Mary Mariam. She writes that there is a terrible cholera epidemic in their area. She then goes into great detail about the killing of William Blackburn, the husband of her niece, Henrietta [there are many Henriettas in the family]. He was shot in a fight defending friends of his and died 24 hours, later. There is a newspaper article from The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky 26, Jun 1849, which provides further details on the story. Additionally, a second article about William Blackburn’s death is from The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky dated 20, Jun 1849.
1849-09-23
To Henrietta from Mary Mariam. Henrietta had recently been for a visit. She asks about Virginia, her stepdaughter who has just had a baby boy and wonders what he will be named.
1849-09-28
To Henrietta from Mary Mariam. The month and date that this letter was written were mentioned within the letter, but the year was omitted. However, based on the contents, I believe that it was written in 1849. Mary Mariam inquires about Henrietta’s “sweet little son” referring to Antonie, who would have been around eight months old at the time. She once again mentions her husband’s drinking habit, noting that this time he wrecked their buggy.
1849-10-12
To Henrietta from Mary Mariam. While the year of this letter wasn’t stated, I believe that it was written in 1849. Rebecca has two sons while it seems Henrietta only has Anthony, who is approximately nine months old. Mary Mariam has been to Mt. Sterling to visit her father and writes about her journey.
1849-10-21
To Henrietta from Mary Mariam. Mary Marian writes that she would like to go visit them in January. She says:
“I do want to see my dear son so bad”.
Interestingly, she refers, time and again, to “her dear son” when she is actually asking about her grandson. She then writes about her trip to Lexington with her sisters Henny [Henrietta] and Emily, to take their niece to the doctor. They all returned home in an awful rainstorm, which forced them to leave the carriage and walk home in the mud. Consequently, they arrived cold and drenched.
1849-11-05
To Henrietta from Mary Mariam. She writes:
“I have become so impotent not hearing from you all the world looks sad to me. The trees are leafless and I am comfortless, indeed I would be willing to go horseback to see you if I had no family. Oh how I long to be in the house with my dear John you and my dear little Antonie. I feel so dreary I ought not to write but Bob has just got here and says he is going down to Ghent on business and will go to see you and if I had my freedom, he should love company.”
She mentions getting plants for “the new house”, therefore it appears that the John Anthony home on the banks of the Ohio River is in the process of being built. She asks why her stepchildren, Virginia and Edward, don’t come to visit and says:
“I know they do not enjoy their visits here or they would come.”
KAREN GEX ASFOUR 