Dow, John M. (fl. 1835) to his brother
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09297 Author/Creator: Dow, John M. (fl. 1835) Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 25 September 1835 Pagination: 4 p. Order a Copy
To his brother in Massachusetts, describing life in Augusta, Georgia:. " there is only one way for us and that is to adopt the David Crockett system & go ahead....The south is a fine place to make money.… The southern born fellows who reside in the back country are not much above the level of natives of the forest, either in regards to dress, manners, or anything else. If any misunderstanding arrives between two individuals, the only way to settle it is, to out pistols or dirks & have a fight.... Augusta contains about 10,000 inhabitants and most of them are from the Yankee Land-so that in the city the people are not much unlike those at the north. Everything in the way of manual labor is done by the negroes--so that I live here like a Lord, having my slave to bring me water in the morning--brush my shoes--dust my clothes &c-- and at meals, to stand behind my chair to wait on me. It is as hot here as a little Hell & in our dining hall there are 6 large fans suspended over the table from the ceiling & kept in constant motion by a young negro to keep off the flies."
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.