Elvira was born October 22, 1829, in Tennessee the daughter of
ZiZa and Theresa "Stewart" Moore.  Her brother moved to Texas 
prior to the Civil War and established a ranch in Collin Co.  
After the war he returned to Tennessee and brought his father 
and sister to live on his ranch, near McKinney. Elvira wrote 
several letters from that ranch to Mary A.E. "Taylor" Lytle, 
my g grandmother, who lived her entire life near Rover in Bedford 
Co, TN.  Six of those letters survive today.

Elvira taught school, never married and lived out her life on her
brother's ranch that they called Advalorem.  She died at the age 
of 45 of breast cancer.

This letter is transcribed line by line as it was written.  
If you know any of the people mentioned here, I would like to 
hear from you.   coley@flash.net




 
                                               Advalorem Texas
                                               September 11th 1869

     Miss Mollie
                                        While I eat an apple &
rest a while after spinning, I’ll commenc a reply to
yours of just one month ago, which came to me in the 3rd.  
It seems that you were somewhat disappointed in your 
expectations of the eclipse.  It hardly came up to my
anticipation here, but was worth looking at.  I saw it
through the spy glass, which brought it out some plainer.
It must have been quite an interresting spectacle to those
who were in the limit of its totality.  When I wrote
you in the day previous to the eclipse I had forgotten that
I ever had written you anything concerning the widdow,
& at that time merely mentioned that “twas said that there
was a widdow courting the deputy, which will probably
keep up, or as Dock used to say “excite your
agrifretment” but as the Irishman said, “Be aisy &
if you cant be aisy, be as aisy as you can” for she is
gone & the deputy says he wishes her good speed.  So, as Sanche 
Tanza said, you’d better “make haste whit the halter” before 
some one else lays siege to the fortress.  But you are not a widdow
& you know that they have the advantage of us, having traveled the
road once.  Must I go back, yes I’ll go back to the 
next day after the eclipse.  The deputy & I went to Westen
& heard parson eatten preach, & saw many, very many finely

pg 2
dressed painted & powdered ladies and gentlemen.  The wind
blew quite cool into the open windows of the church & I
got some what chilly & have had cold most of the time since.
We came home to dinner after which the deputy, the widdow 
& baby came & we read Shakespear till night.  I had
fever more or less that week but would not give up.  In
helping to dry some peaches I fatigued myself so much
as one time that I came so near fainting that I lay down
in the floor to keep from falling. o I stayed at home the 
next Sunday.  In the evening the deputy & Eliza Neely
came & he read in a book of travels to us.  On Wednes-
day of that week I went over on Lincolnridge & stayed 
till Saturday.  Went to see Dr. Varian while there & enjoyed
the trip, wish you could hear him say “Well Miss
Elvira” Wonder what you’d think!  I saw all the kin
including John & Jenny Wallace’s baby.  received $4.50
school money & Maria & I stopped at Mr Graves’ as we
came home & saw 3 marrying men.  Uncle Jo Graves,
our widower fiddler, Mr. Webb who lived near us last
year (but is now courting Bithe Morris) & Uncle Neddy 
Haroliston, an old Kentucky bachelor who has raised
an enormous patch of onions for sale this year.
Stayed at home next day while brother Henry went with
the Sheriff, deputy & cousin Guss to try to recapture a
man who had escaped from custody the day before & passed
here about breakfast, without shoes & afoot.  They came up

pg 3
with him, but he escaped in the brush.  They fired 5 shots
at him without effect.  I was not right well any of my
time.  But on the next Thursday morning I washed clothes
& at noon went with Mr Webb to see Mr Nikels little
Babe buried, & from there to see Mr Chambers who was
sick, then home & had fever all night, but was up
next day & had very hot fever all night, was in bed half
that day, took calomel that night & was somewhat pros-
trated next day.  Bue we had company which cheered
me some.  Charles came home that Saturday night after being gone
3 weeks.  I do not think I’ve had fever since, but have
the head ache occasionally, but no severe spells of sick
headache like I used to have.  Last Sunday the Deputy
Laura Wallis & I went to preaching at Westen & from there to 
baptizing & from there to Mr Chessman’s for supper & from there
home after dark.  Laura caught a beau & so did the deputy.
I saw the ghost of whom I wrote you once.  I looked
at him good & he has a strong resemblance to the original
I fear he is rowdy inclined, from his looks.  I was well
Monday morning & went to see old Mr Ratham buried but
it rained & the corpse had not come at 4 oclock & my crowd 
left & all came home but me, I stayed all night at Cousin
Jim McAlister’s.  Came home next morning irond the
clothes & climbed up a ladder into garret to get some scraps
to mend some clothes, when my feet slipped from the 6th
round, My arms caught in the upper floor, but only in a position

pg 4
to scrape them in the edge of the floor & after much bumping
in the ladder, I presume I took a seat suddenly without
invitation, but my arms were hurt so severely that I thought
of nothing else.  They are badly bruised & scraped from my
armpits to my elbows.  I have been very sore but sustain
no serious damage from the fall.  ~~~~  Came over to 
night, we have fresh beef & honey.  Papa has just come
in with a bucket of honey, from a bee tree which they have
cut this morning. ~~~  Day before yesterday evening Maria
Rucker & I went to Westen to a writing school.  Mr Brown
was teaching 60 scholars & kept better order in school time
than Marbury did, but had a rude set at recess.
I would have enjoyed it better if there had been someone
there whom I had seen at such a place before.  The school
closed yesterday.  I washed & ironed again yesterday.
twice in one week will do won’t it?  I was not well enough
to wash last week.  I’ll quit as this will not get off till next
week & I’ll find something more to write.
     3 oclock P.M. Tuesday 14th.  After writing the above I put
on my double purple calico frock.  Then went to Sabina’s & from 
there to aunt Ann’s & then by Mr Neely’s to Add’s where I
found Missie with a scorching fever & suffering considerably
but trying to do her work.  I helped her do her night work & stay
ed all night, helped get breakfast & churn, came home, (I forgot to
say that Guss brought a letter to Add’s for me, from Mat Finney)read a paper 
some, then, put on my old white dress, that got the ink on it at the writ-
ting school, Then aunt Ann, Tom, Maria & I went to hear old father Scott

pg 5
preach an old Batpist sermon.  Not many persons there, aunt
went to Mr Chambers’ for dinner, Tom went toward Wes-
ten, Maria & I took dinner & watermellons at Mr
Bryants, soon after which a rising cloud caused us to mount
our horses, go after aunt Ann & all came home, got sprinkled
some without ceremony.  I would have finished my letter, but
Maria stayed till night, & we had to talk.  We’ve been out of
oil to make light to write at night, but have sent for a 
can to day.  I was spinning wool rolls till the afternoon
yesterday, when I went to see the sick at 2 houses found
some of them very sick.  Cousin Missy was better, I came
home late.  To day I have been spinning have reeled off 2
hanks.  I also went to the field & grabbled 2 messes of sweet
potatoes (not a good prospect) & helped eat them.  Maria came up
since I commenced writing to get some rolls & hindered me
some.  You said that you had started me some papers, I am
quite sorry to say that I have not got them I was anxious
to get them.  Last week I an Tom started 3 papers to you.  We are
getting no Tenens paper now except the Gallatin paper.
     You said that you believed (& was sorry for it) that
I did not believe in religion.  Did you ever hear, or hear of me
saying so?  I know you never heard me say so, & if you ever heard
of me saying so “taws a mistake & if any body ever told you that I
was a disbeliever in religion, they had to guess at it.  Different
people have different views as to what it takes to constitute
religion.  I plead, not guilty, of ever interrupting any one in 

pg 6
their belief, as I hold that any one who acts, strictly, what they
believe or profess is in no danger of punishment after
death.  I think you wrote me you had joined the old Baptist
& I think that I have learned that they & the missionary have
been consolidated, there.  They are as far apart there as they ever
were in Tennessee.  Charles got a letter last night calling for him
   or to
at / his engagement & he leaves next Saturday.  The wagon has to go to 
take his tools & trunk.  I propos going with him as far as Cousin Will
Brownings, neat Pilot Grove, to remain there till the wagon returns
  will
I / probably go to town one day this week to get me some envelopes, pens
paper & shoes.  I may write more & may not.  In either case, I’ll expect
an answer to this, besides I’ll soon be looking for a reply to mine of
Aug the 6th.  If you grumble at this twill be at its length & want
of interest & not it brevity.  Sure.          Yours faithfully,
                                                       Elvira Moore

End letter #1






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