In November 2020, Field Horne, a Saratoga County, N.Y., historian, transcribed and sent to Bristol historian Beth Thomas this letter from a young man in Bristol to his brother. It offers a fascinating glimpse of life as this area began to attract settlers. Here is the text:
Bristol April 7th 1817
Dear Brother I received your letter dated Feb first on the fifth instant It is a general time of health here. I am as harty as common for me. Daniel is a good boy both to mind and work he is harty and groes fast. I have not sent him to school this winter but two weeks on account of not having a good teacher. The teacher setting bad examples before his schollars and not learning them to read. If you can send Paymaster to me I shall be glad of him this summer to make out a team with my old mare has been sick this winter past and not able to [ ] business and was so bad three weeks ago that she would neither eat, drink nor smoakit for a few days but by doctoring and fussing with her she began to feel better and then I put her away for a large four years old horse, he is poor but gains fast and in good heart. The marketing the boots and shoes would be something uncerting for money is scarce and shoes is midling plenty but if you should send them I will do the best I Can with them or possably I might do well with them.
Orlestus Roberts went from here this morning he has ben in this County about four week a pedling wheel heads and is soon to return back to Connecticut, when he left home uncle [?Zak] was sick and thought to be verry dangerous — I have not heard from Rice yet. I had Concluded to try to sell the place Orla went and see it and thinks I had better keep it if I can make the payments he thinks I got it cheap If the Carding and Clothing business was caried on it would meet the most profit of any business in this town as it would have a large run of Custom. I Calculate to work on my land this season and Clear and put in as much wheat as I can. If you can make it convenient for you to come out here this spring and bring the boots & shoes & Paymaster It would please me verry much and be an advantage to your health prehaps.
I have got a likely pair of year old steers and five sheep & two lambs the rest will lamb in a few days —wheet is 14/ per bushell Corn 12/ wry 10/ oats 6/ hay is 12 dollars a ton. I think of nothing more to write.
David Roberts
To Phineas Roberts
[cover:]
Canandaigua / 8
To Phinehas Roberts
At Milton County of Saratoga
Transcript 24 November 2020 by Field Horne
(In an email postscript, Horne added: “I am not sure of the meaning of “smoakit” but in the unabridged Oxford English Dictionary, smoke (verb) meaning # 2.b.(c) is to ride or drive at a great speed.”