The Twainian Vol 26 No 6 (1967)
1838 LETTER FROM FLORIDA, MISSOURI FOUND
A letter from Florida, Missouri in 1838 was found during research last winter in Tennessee. The letter was written by John A. Quarles, Mark Twain’s uncle, to his brother, James T. Quarles, in “Gainsborough” Tennessee. John A. Quarles moved from White Plains, Tennessee to Florida, Mo., in 1835. The letter gives some important information on Florida at that time and the Clemens family.
Florida, Mo. Aug. 14, 1838
Dear Brother,
It has been a long time since I rec’d a letter from you, and in fact I do not recollect which of us wrote last—Yet if I have not written, I have sent you a Newspaper occasionally, to let you en what was doing in our State relative to Politicks— Bentons doom I think is sealed—the Whigs are carrying every thing before them—Our county has elected the Whig ticket throughout even down to Constable—and 2 years
ago, it was one of strongest, administration Counties in the State— Enclosed you will find one of the Burlesque Treasury Notes—You will readly understand the different pictures on it—I will now drop politicks and write some thing else—
Times are very hard in this State, money unpresidented scarse but we look forward to better times—the Merchants are breaking on every hand—though I have managed, so as to keep up so far—And I hope I shall continue to do so—The farmers have fine prospects ahead of them and I flatter myself that they will be enabled to discharge their debts this coming fall and winter—I have a tolerable assortment of Goods on hand and about $6000 owing to me and nearly out of debt—So I feel tolerable safe—and I intend to try and keep so.
If ever you could spare time and money, I would be glad to see you in this country—and I am confident you would be pleased with it—I like it better and better the longer I stay—I have just commenced, a new, branch of Trade—I am ingaged in Boating with Keel Boats, from our Town down Salt River, to the Town of Louisiana on the Mississippi. How it will end I know not but from one or Two experiments—I think I shall make money—If I find it not to be lucretive, I will drop it before it injures me—
The last letter I Received from Mother she informed me you have a Son, so I reasonably suppose there was great joy in Isral—Please write and let me know his name—
I can also inform you that we have another Red Headed girl—born the 22d June last—We have named it Sarah Jane, after Mrs. Huntsman and Mrs. Clemens.
I must now wind up my letter—by saying we are all well and doing the Best we can—
You will present, my best love and compliments to Mary and the chilann —Patsy also joins me in so doing-—— and says Mary must write to her without fail—
Give my respects to my old friend L. Q. Bransford, and shew him the enclosed bill—
I Accept for yourself the
Best wishes of your Brother
John A. Quarles
Quarles’ spelling and punctuation have been copied exactly. He had a clear, firm “hand” but made some mistakes in spelling. The letter had been folded and sealed with wax. It had a postage value of 50 cents.
The letter clarifies one matter of importance to local history and to the biography of John M. Clemens, Mark Twain’s father. The old history of the county stated that Hugh A. Hickman, the miller, sent several boats loaded with flour to Louisiana on the Mississippi and one boat returned lightly loaded with sugar, coffee and other merchandise. Later historians have doubted the statement and some have ridiculed the claim that goods were freighted on the river. One said that no boat bigger than a skiff ever went up and down the river. But Quarles writes of the use of keel boats. Mark Twain’s father was a leader in the enterprise of establishing a “Salt River Navigation Company”. This company was thought to have never gotten beyond the planning and promoting stages and to have been a wildly impractical scheme to start with, but the letter of Quarles shows it to have been an ongoing business of freighting by keel boats.
“Mrs. Huntsman” was Sarah Quarles, John’s sister, the wife of Adam Huntsman, the man who defeated Davy Crockett for a seat in congress. “Mrs. Clemens” was Mrs. John M. Clemens, Jane (Lampton) Clemens, Mark Twain’s mother.
The letter is evidence that the financial panic of 1837 was hurting business on the ragged edge of western settlement.
It shows that Quarles was in the merchandising business, doing well, interested in politics and liking the area of Missouri he was in.