Letter to Ann E. Washington Harnage Fine December the 10th 1856
 from Sarah J. Washington, Charles Carroll. Washington's wife. Charles is son of
Ann & he is half-brother to Loretta Harnage. Ann is in Washington Co. AR by
1856 & married to David Fine. The letter is written from Washington Wilkes  Co. GA
December the 10th 1856

People & Places mentioned in these letters were:
Mother
Uncle Bailey
Cousin John
Ma
George Ann & Mike & Mary Lizzie (Sarah & Charles' children--Mary Lizzie can stand
up alone so she must be about 1 year old)
Mr. Washington (she refers to her husband as Mr. Washington)
Mississippi (where Charles' brother George Washington was born)
Brother Garland & sister
Cousin Willie Harris
Raysville (referring to town in GA where Ann E. Bobo Ray was born 11 Feb 1802 o
r at  least where she came from Cousin George
Sissie (that's Loretta Harnage (half sister) --she would be almost 15 at time of this letter)
Nannie (meaning Ann E. Fine, grandmother to Charles & Sarah's children)
Mr. Fine (Ann E. Washington Harnage's 3rd husband, David Fine)
Garland & sister Kate (think they must be Sarah Washington's brother & sister)
Cousin Hannah & Cousin Julia (Cousin Julia not married yet but there is talk about it)
Mrs. Parks & Mrs Gipson (friends ?)
Sarah J. Washington (wife of Charles Carroll Washington, son of Ann E. Washington ) Harnage Fine)

Washington Wilkes County, Georgia Dec 10th 1856

Dear Mother (This would be Ann Ray Washington Harnage Fine from Charles Carroll
Washington's wife Sarah J. Washington)
It is with much pleasure that I now seat myself to address you to inform you that we
are all quite well and we hope to find you all enjoying good health. I am sorry that
I could not write sooner but it seemed to me that I never could get the chance to write
while we were at Uncle Bailey's--there was so much company there that every thing
was in confusion we only staid there four days and cousin John promised me he would
write to you by the next mail and tell you all of the particulars about our family and we
got along finely not one of us was sick all the time. Mary Lizzie she had the thrash
very bad for a while and it caused her to fall away pretty smartly but I cured it up as
soon as I could and she is as fat and saucy as ever she can stand alone good now.
George Ann is well and hearty, she stood the trip very well indeed and so did Mike
he never even had a bad cold all the way. As to the horses they held out surprisingly
they kept fat all the way and Mr. Washington turned them in the lot the next day after
we got here and I never did see horses take such play before. Mr. Washington was
offered four hundred dollars for them in Mississippi and he could not sell his waggon.
If he could, we would have taken the cars at (Hennanda? --can't read the word) but we
all got here the second day of November safe and sound and found them all well it was
about eight o'clock at night and brother Garland and sister was not here then but we
sent for them early the next morning and they did not wait to eat breakfast they jumped
in their buggy and come just as quick as possible.
(The following is on the same page as the letter above)
Dear Ma
we are getting very anscious to hear from you. Mr. Washington says you all must write
to us often. he says tell Mr. Fine to be certain to write to him soon and tell him all the
news of the neighborhood. Mr. Washington is going down to Raysville Christmas to
see if he can find any of your relatives there . Cousin Willie Harris is well we have
not seen cousin George yet as he is in Augusta attending lectures his overseer was
here this morning and he said he would come home a few days before Christmas
and would spend his Christmas with us. I must close as I want to drop a few lines
to Sissie. Please pardon my mistakes and bad writing and remember me as your
affectionate daughter. Mr. Washington joins me in love to you and all the family
Sarah J. Washington
(The following is on the same page as the letters above)
Dear Sissie
(this would be Loretta & she would be living at home since she was born in 1841
& this is 1856)
George Ann has not forgotten her Aunty (this would be Loretta) yet very often when
she wakes up of a morning, she will say Ma where is Nannie. I try to remind her of
you and Ma and Mr. Fine every day. I have not time to write you but a very few lines
this times. But I will write you a letter very soon if nothing happens. I will send (2
words are missing) sample of the muslin dresses that sister Kate had for them, the
children you know came. they both have one like it and her and Garland has bought
them a nice worsted dress apiece but I have not apiece of them to send yet. Kate is
making them now. she will bring them when she comes and then I will send you a
piece in the next letter. Cousin Hannah gave George Ann a plaid dress while we
were there. I will send you a piece of it now. It will be very small though as I have
no large ones. Cousin Julia told me she would write to you in a few days. she was
not married then but there was great talk of it. Mr. Washington joins me in love to
you and to Mrs. Parks and family and Mrs. Gipson and family, and to all inquiring
friends. You must write soon to your affectionate sister
Sarah J. Washington
P.S. Sister bought those muslin dresses last summer because she saw it and thought it
would suit them but we wont make them untill spring. I just cut off a sample to send you.
It was the second day of December that we got here instead of Nov. there was company
here when I wrote that caused me to make a mistake every thing seems to be in
confusion ever since we arrived