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Tuskaloosa, Alabama
August 9th 1878
Dear Mistress,
I am glad to hear from you, this is the first opportunity I had of answering your kind letter. I was delighted to hear from you after so many years of separation has that my mother is dead. I have no other friend to write to, please find out all about my old friends and associates that I left behind me and let them all know that you have heard from me when you write, put my name Jack Hannibal. I chose to call myself by father’s given name as I did not care much about the Ryans. Please, if you can find out whether my father is still living and where he is.
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Please let Miss Mary Jane Smith know that you have heard from me. She was younger than I was [unintelligible] her well, but do not know that she remembers me, When you write please let me know what my age was when I left North Carolina.
Please be so kind as to write to Florida to my two sisters and let them know where I am, so that they may know where to pool their letters, let them send them to Jack Hannibal, Carthage, Alabama
Do you know whether my brother Ben is still living. I would like to hear from Miss [unintelligible] Margaret Miss Emily Bailey, and Miss Eliza Lawrence. I am living in the same place where I was sold when I left you and came to Alabama.
I was or fortunate as to get a good master, who has treated
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me well, but he is not now living but I am still in good hands. I am still tryung to serve the same God you taught me about in North Carolina, and am a member of the Methodist Church. I have now my second wife and have three children of the 1st marriage, I have one daughter married and one son 19 years old I had a son named Turner and he died on his sixth birthday.
I do hope you will write to me again
I have often thought of my old home and friend I left behind me
I wish I could see you all once more in this life, but we will meet alone I think. Your letter is the first time I have heard from any of my friends in N. Carolina since the day I left there. Please write to my two sisters in Florida that if if they are not doing well, they
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must write to me for I am mere doing like Joseph of old preparing corn hens for them if they should come out
Please give my kindest rembrances to every body who recollects me, and especially Miss Jane Smith
I [unintelligible] myself
Your attached friend and servant
Jack Hannibal
Tuskaloosa, Alabama
August 9th 1878
Dear Mistress,
I am glad to hear from you, this is the first opportunity I had of answering your kind letter. I was delighted to hear from you after so many years of separation has that my mother is dead. I have no other friend to write to, please find out all about my old friends and associates that I left behind me and let them all know that you have heard from me when you write, put my name Jack Hannibal. I chose to call myself by father’s given name as I did not care much about the Ryans. Please, if you can find out whether my father is still living and where he is.
[page 2]
Please let Miss Mary Jane Smith know that you have heard from me. She was younger than I was [unintelligible] her well, but do not know that she remembers me, When you write please let me know what my age was when I left North Carolina.
Please be so kind as to write to Florida to my two sisters and let them know where I am, so that they may know where to pool their letters, let them send them to Jack Hannibal, Carthage, Alabama
Do you know whether my brother Ben is still living. I would like to hear from Miss [unintelligible] Margaret Miss Emily Bailey, and Miss Eliza Lawrence. I am living in the same place where I was sold when I left you and came to Alabama.
I was or fortunate as to get a good master, who has treated
[page 3]
me well, but he is not now living but I am still in good hands. I am still tryung to serve the same God you taught me about in North Carolina, and am a member of the Methodist Church. I have now my second wife and have three children of the 1st marriage, I have one daughter married and one son 19 years old I had a son named Turner and he died on his sixth birthday.
I do hope you will write to me again
I have often thought of my old home and friend I left behind me
I wish I could see you all once more in this life, but we will meet alone I think. Your letter is the first time I have heard from any of my friends in N. Carolina since the day I left there. Please write to my two sisters in Florida that if if they are not doing well, they
[page 4]
must write to me for I am mere doing like Joseph of old preparing corn hens for them if they should come out
Please give my kindest rembrances to every body who recollects me, and especially Miss Jane Smith
I [unintelligible] myself
Your attached friend and servant
Jack Hannibal