My Dear Sister

I wrote you from Lexington and before I left that place received your letter of the 14th Septr [September] I am much pleased at the cheerfulness of its style and the amusing nature of its contents__ I have indeed felt the want of some of my home comforts and would prize them more than ever if I again had them in possession__ The day I left Lexington 2nd Decr [December] I travelled for two hours by moonlight__ the night was damp and raw which joined to extreme fatigue gave me during the night a shake of the [unclear: ague ] and after it a fever__ I pursued my journey next day and at night with the assistance of warm toddy and half a dozen blankets brought on a sweat about the time the ague might be expected to return__ I have been since free from it, but have had a slight cold since, which is now leaving me__ I could not so well relish their course corn bread and fat bacon, wheat and tree sugar or execrable coffee and fasted till I arrived here where everything is of the best and I have recovered my appetite__ I crossed the Barreus above and now freed my own thoughts my best company__ I visited a large salt petre cave, explored it for a mile under ground__ It has been travelled 5 miles__ I made my entrance in the Ladies Drawing room passed on to the arm chair where there is a fountain of my Lady Eve's Tea of which I sipped a little__ The Drawing room is elegantly decorated with [unclear: petrefactious ] of many fanciful forms and in a greater variety than you will find on a chinese Tea chest__ Ladies might here find [unclear: innumerable ] patterns to work in muslin, petrified bats and owls, skeletons of Lizards, mice and frogs with many shapes and forms to which no nomenclature gives an appellation__ I entered the sick room of which the patients are bats stuck to the ceiling by cold weather__ The magnitude of these apartments exceeds more of any [unclear: potestate ] and it is a pity they are so deserted__ Two ladies have been found completely dried up and withered__ they were in a sitting attitude and had probably retired

to gossip some piece of scandal and were left behind__ The slaves making salt petre brought to my recollection Miltons description of the Devils making combustibles to war against Heaven__

This town is pleasantly situated on a solid rock on the Bank of the Cumberland river__ there is a large proportion of good houses for so small a place__ Yesterday we were sermonized by the celebrated Lorenzo Dow __ he is a wretched mangler of words and deafener of ears__ a compound of sense and [unclear: nonsense ] __ folly and enthusiasm__ his discourse a rhapsody without meaning, end or connection__ his knowledge gathered from books read and not digested, from observation not assisted by reflection and superficial acquaintance with mankind__ His long, [unclear: lank ] hair, stooping attitude and methodistical phiz draw attention__

It gives me pleasure to hear that miss Winter is so well disposed of__ I wish all the ladies of my acquaintance were provided for to their satisfaction and wish__ I could [added: trust] two or three other miss W's were struck from the list of spinsters__ As to your remarks on a lady of that name living in Dey street, I have ceased to be desirous of hearing particular accounts of her or forming conclusions from them since my contribution, published to you from Lexington __ As I would not however drop my civility you will express the honor I feel in the message of her respects and reciprocate them with my high esteem__ I have been foolish in that matter but I do not believe that it is of any consequence at present I do not wish you to make [unclear: it ] by any want of your best discretion__

I am obliged to Mrs [Misses] Erahaun for wishing to see me at the parties but as I was never a very important person there I can well [added: be] spared Give my respects to her and Mr [Mister] G__ and tell her that I hope my little name sake and her other little pets are tormenting her by their activity and mischief__ remember me to our neighbours and all my female friends and your gentleman visitors__ You have not

lately made mention of Mr Paul__ has he yet returned to Charleston ? I set out tomorrow for Knoxville and shall call on Mr. Denton's friend and look at his Estate__ I shall fare better there than Mr. D. promised, as Mr. Fisk represented to be a confirmed old bachelor, is lately gone to nurse__

My mothers affection is my pride and I look forward with pleasure to the time when I shall again be the instrument of supplying her pleasures__ where she here, she might smoke tobacco out of the field where it grows like so many cabages__ I pray heaven her health is good and that you are well prepared to stand the pinching colds of your climate__ It is now very cold here and every one is lounging round the fire and calls for his great coat when he goes out__ I have evidence that I am approaching the place of nativity, by seeing several grave Gentlemen of the family of Turkeys, surnamed Buzzard feasting at a funeral__ they seemed to know me, allowing me to come as near them as I pleased__

Your neat letters may be directed to Columbia S [South] Carolina where I expect to be in three weeks from this time__

You and my mother will accept of the assurance of my utmost love and affection while I am__

Ch. [Charles] Watts

[added: Nashville Monday 11th Oct [October] 1813]

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M.H. Watts Beach Str [Street] New York

[added: received 26th Oct 1813
answered 28 Oct 1813]