Document 3
Correspondence, Samuel Bumgarner to William Dunlop, March 13, 1846
Dear Sir
It has fallen to my lot (though an entire stranger in person to you,) to communicate inteligence to you of a nature painful in itself and especially so to friends and connexions
It has been made my duty to inform you that your friend and relation Mr Joel Ellis has departed this life on the 25th day of January last he was taken ill some time early last fall having suffered very much with the dropsy and athsma and though he used all the means he could they faild to give any permanent relief he likewise called in the aid of a phician some time in December and he taped him which gave some relief for a time but his health did not improve I must likewise inform you of the disposition he made of his earthly estate and in doing so, I will endeavour to give you an outline of his will, first he wills that all his slaves namely Thomas Carrolina Abram and Virginia Clay are to be free from and after his decease and he wills them a wagon and two horses, and all the rest of the stock on his home farm and all the farming utensels and house and kitchen furniture belonging to the same which they are to have and to hold until Virginia Clay the youngest of the blacks arrives at twenty one years of age and likewise the use of all his other land till that time, and after that time all the property that remains except the home farm are to be sold the home f[arm] not to be sold til after the death of Th[omas] ___ his wife he further gives to you his cloak ___ John Ellis his nephew his vests and ___ and to Nelson W Ellis his coat and to Jno Ellis his silver watch and to each of his deceased brother Dudly Brown Ellis's children not named above ten dollars in cash and to the son of his deceased niece Mahala Clift the sum of one hundred dollars subject to the order of his guardian and which sum is to be applied to his education by the said guardian
He further gives to his nieces Lucinda Dunlap and Nancy E Clift his silver plate except the silver ladle which he gives to Dorothy Craver? daughter of George Craver? and his two silver tumblers he gives to John Ellis & Nelson W Ellis one to each and to their heirs forever, he directs that all the notes bonds and book accounts of his standing out to be collected and invested until all his affairs are settled up and then to be divided between his deceased Brother Dudley Brown Ellis's children and those slaves which he has set free share and share alike to each, I would just state that Virginia Clay the youngest of those blacks is about seven or eight years old, and the bonds for the farm which he sold will not all be due for six years so that there will not likely be any partition of his estate made for some six or eight years except those especial legacys which he has bequeathed I would further inform you that I have entered upon the duties of Executor of the said estate and have taken an inventory of the property according to law and desire you to inform those to whoom are willed those things before named that they would come or send for them soon as to the cash willed to same I would inform them that there is none at the present ___ as there will be some debts to ___ good deal of ___ences so that it will ___ time before they can get theirs, I would just state to you the reason I did not write sooner is that I live about 15 or 16 miles off and that I had no means of finding out whare to direct a letter to until I got a hold of the papers belonging to the estate among which I found so[me] letters from you by which I was ennabled to know whare to direct my letter
I would like for you to answer this letter soon Direct your letter to Yellow Spring post office Hampshire County, Va, Nothing more but I remain your humble servant
Samuel Bumgarner
To William Dunlop
Mr William Dunlop
Campbell County
New Richmond post office Kentucky