Hardscrabble
Sept. 14, 1851

Dear Bro. John,
I promised myself to write to you today but I have spent the day running around to meeting and looking at or for the women until the day is gone and no letter written to Jack.  Well Jack there was two ladies came to church today in a fine carriage and dressed very fine and what do you think--- Why jack one of them sent me her very best respects.  I never saw her before but she can’t ring in.  She’s a young widow and as I told the folks in Cincinnati I don’t want a second handed women.   Our folks all appear to be better this evening we have had a very hard time of it.  I have lost a great deal of time but perhaps will get to start on Tuesday if our folks keep mending.  I don’t know but what I had better turn out homeopathy physician as I have already five patients besides our own folks.  Two of chill and fever, one of ulcer on the leg, one of flu, one of menorrhogia.  I think if I had Dr. Pulse here we would make a full team.  The little boy that has the ulcer on his let I have made a very great improvement in and if the medicine will continue to work I believe I shall cure it.  The boy had one of the best physicians in the county doctoring it for 4 or 5 months but could not succeed in giving him any relief.  They pronounced it a case of Eresoyhilas.  I promised the girls that I would give them an account of the murder committed at Brandywine last Monday.  Well it was the day of the Sons of Temperance celebration and a parcel of drunken fellows had collected around the doggery.  There perhaps on purpose to raise a disturbance but being so greatly outnumbered did not raise any disturbance until after the Sons had dispersed.  Bracken it appears had made known his intention to kill Crawdy that day if  he could get an opportunity.  This he sought for all day frequently quarrelling with Crawdy and as often making it up by Crawdy’s treating him to whiskey until evening when Crawdy was about to start for home.  Bracken started after him threw two stones at him then tried to strike him with an axe handle which he snatched from his brother-in-law.  Crawdy parried off the blow caught  Bracken by the hair at the same time jerked him to the ground and struck him two sever blows on the left side of the head. Bracken reached for his knife which he had open in his pocket.  Reached over and stabbed Crawdy several times in the back but first I believe stabbed him in the wrist which disabled him from striking.  Crawdy then sprang to his feet and Bracken rose to his also and stabbed him twice in the left breast once striking the heart and once in the neck cuttimg the left jugular vein. Crawdy walked about 80 yards and fell dead.  Bracken after running another man and trying to stab him (for hurrahing for Crawdy) jumped on his horse and made his escape.  Not withstanding there was some 20 or 30 persons present some his (Brackens) relatives and most all intoxicated.  WE have heard nothing certain from Bracken yet it is supposed however that he still is lurking around in the neighborhood waiting until his marks get well before he ventures out.  But I think he has “vamoosed” long ago.  I have done all I possible could under the circumstances.

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