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Title: Letter from William F. Lewis to his sister, Emma Lewis Speight, September 19, 1841 [Containing a Description of the Shooting of a Student]: Electronic Edition.
Author: Lewis, William Figures
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 Caitlin R. Donnelly
Text encoded by Stephanie Adamson
First Edition, 2007
Size of electronic edition: ca. 16K
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:
2007-02-13, Stephanie Adamson finished TEI/XML encoding.
Source(s):
Title of collection: John Francis Speight Papers (#3914), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title of document: Letter from William F. Lewis to his sister, Emma Lewis Speight, September 19, 1841 [Containing a Description of the Shooting of a Student]
Author: W.F. Lewis
Description: 3 pages, 4 page images
Note: Call number 3914 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Editorial practices
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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.
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All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as ".
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For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions, see the section Editorial Practices.
Letter from William F. Lewis to his sister, Emma Lewis Speight , September 19, 1841 [Containing a Description of the Shooting of a Student]
Lewis, William Figures



Page [1]
Chapel Hill Sept. 19th. '41

Dear Sister

Your letter of 26th ult. came to hand in due time, and should have commanded an earlier reply. I was very sorry to hear of the illness of Mother and Mr. S. , and hope by this they have recovered.
Allow me to congratulate you my dear Sister , on what I concieve to be a most happy event. I have heard by a letter Exum received from his Mother, of the birth of your son; and hope it will prove to you a source of the greatest joy.
I received a letter a day or two since from Cadmus Cotton, containing the melancholy news of the death of Brother Exum's younger daughter; after a short but severe illness. I am very sorry for Bro. E. It seems he is doomed to constant suffering and misfortune He had been keeping school at Canton Miss.; and studying law at the same time. He had however at the time the letter was written, returnened to Meridian Springs, and was then electioneering for a commission merchant in Vicksburg, for whom he expected to act as agent on board a steamboat, or employ himself in some other way, until he could obtain license to practice law; when he expected to move to Texas, where he hoped he would do better than in Mississippi.

Page [2]
I believe there is not much news stirring about the Hill at this time. There was a fray here between two students, a few weeks ago. A student a brother of one of those engaged was shot. The ball struck him on the hip; in such a direction however, as to glance without doing him any serious hurt. It was a very fortunate escape. It would doubtless have proved a more serious affair, had not some seven or eight students in anticipation of it, gone down to prevent the friends of either party from interfering. They were both dismissed from college of course.
Such serious difficulties among the students seldom occur here; less frequently here I believe, than at most colleges.
I think Chapel Hill is coming out a little. There has been of late a decided improvement in its society; having had a valuable acquisition, in some 8 or 10 young ladies.
It is thought by some that it would be an advantage to have a female academy established here. I have no doubt it would be the best place in the State. for such an institution, on account of the salubrity of its climate, and for the advantages that might be derived from the large and choice libraries we have here; but I apprehend that the students would soon be found to slacken in their progress up the steep of science's rugged mount, and would be found more frequently paying court at the shrine of Venus, than of Minerva, Some retired nook in old Orange might soon attain the celebrity of the far-famed Gretna Green.
Exum and the girls are in the enjoyment of excellent health. I dont believe they have got to thinking much about sweethearts yet; however, I can't speak for

Page [3]
certain of Nanny. She seems rather fond of reading novels, to the neglect I fear of her other studies. I gave her a lecture about it the other day, without a promise tho' of amendment. Martha is very studious and industrious, and upon the whole, I think our sisters may felicitate themselves on having found such a good place for the education of their daughters; both of whom, tho' they may never make a great show, will I doubt not turn out well. Let me hear from you again soon.
My best love to Mother — Remember me to Mr. S .
Tell Bro. H. I should be very glad to receive a letter from him.

As ever your affectionate brother

W.F. Lewis


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