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- Oaklawn Cemetery, Peach County, Georgia
Wiley M. Melvin
30 May 1831 18 May 1900
Georgia Bassett Melvin, wife of Wiley M. Melvin Sr.
19 September 1835 4 February 1915
GEORGIA ANN BASSETT MELVIN (1835-1915)
Below is a letter written by Georgia Bassett to her cousin in South Carolina.
April 9th 1863
Mrs Martha L Hatcher
My Dear Old Friend
I seat myself this evening to write you a few lines to inform you
that I am yet in the land of the living and although some years have
elapsed since I have seen you I assure you you are not forgotten by
me. This leaves me in very good health and I trust you enjoying the
like blessing. Brother Elishas wife received a letter from you last
year which was intended for us both. I recon you thought I did not
intend to reply ***obscured by scotch tape***I think you will only
wonder ***obscured by scotch tape*** with a kind loving husband who
always treated me very kind and was all to me that I could ask or
wish we live in peace and pleasure without any thing to mar our
happiness eight years to a day. I can look back upon my past life I
never knew what trouble was until the 14th of last July he joined the
Southern Rights Artillery oh what a sad day it was to me when I
looked after him perhaps for the last time. I never shall be able to
express the feelings I ***** not more than two minutes after he was
gone. I thought if the whole world was at my command I would give it
all just only to have him with me again but that pleasure was denied
me and I have never seen him since nor did my troubles end here. I
had two lovely children the oldest was nearly three years old her
name was Anna Valetta the baby was nearly 3 months old her name was
Georgia Melissa. I never saw more promising children in my life. They
both and especially Anna was a favorite with everyone that saw them.
But alas their time on earth was short the destroying Angel entered
my sweet little home and took my sweet little children from me.
Georgia died just nine days before Anna both scarlet fever in the
worst form. I never saw anything suffer like they did in my life.
Georgia was not able to make any noise at all in about ten days
before she died. She lived fourteen days after she was taken and Anna
live twenty three days after she was taken. Oh how desolate is my
once sweet little home striped of all that was lovely and pleasant in
my eyes. No one but God and myself know what trouble deep I waded
through in the past ten months. I was first taken sick in ****scotch
tape**** bed a week to both my little darlings was took sick
***scotch tape*** to get off my bed to wait on them **** a good
nights rest in thirty nights. It only seems a wonder that I was
spaired.
I have now only one consolation left and that is I know the Lord does
all things well. I cannot see now why he should thus afflict me but I
know it is all right for God cannot err. I have the blessed
consolation of knowing my little darlings is in Heaven free from the
cares, troubles and snaresof this world and by the grace of God I
intend to meet them where parting will be no more.
I am blessed with a Christian husband if he should be spaired to me I
will try and be content with my lot but the dreadful thought of
losing him nearly distracts me. Dear Martha I recon you are tired of
my tale of woe. I recon you scarcely recognize the once light hearted
Georgia Bassett in these lines. I would be very glad to see you and
have a long talk with you.
Close for the present hopeing to hear from you very soon.
Your truly devoted friend
Georgia A Melvin
[Written upside down in the upper margin of the 2nd page]:
Direct your letters to Fort Valley Ga please write to me soon
Mrs Georgia A Melvin
Fort Valley Ga
(Georgia's husband, Wiley Melvin, did return from the War, and they went on
to live full lives and have 2 more children (William and Wiley). They lived in
Fort Valley throughout their lives and are both buried in Oaklawn Cemetery.)
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Bassett Family Association Database
1835 - 1915 (79 years)