Beyond our Elusive William Daniel

He inherited his mother's Reddock Springs property and also purchased land. He raised his family there.

The following is a letter to his wife, written during the Civil War:
Howard's Grove Hospital, Richmond, VA, May 1st, 1864
My Dear Wife,
My heart was made to rejoice this morning by the reception of your two long-looked-for letters of dates of April the 6th & 10th, which was forwarded back to Richmond by Leut. W.J. Porter, who had returned to camp near Orange C. H. from Pickett on the Rapidan. He writes me that great preparations are being made for a big fight. The Yankees, from the tone of their Prep., build all their hopes of subjugating the South on the pending battle between Grant and Genl. Lee. They say that their reverses at Plymouth, NC, and Red River, LA, is nothing if Grant whips Lee in Va.

You say that this is the fifth letter you have written; well, I have now rec'd all up to the date of April 10th. They were dated respectively, Feby. 20th, March 2nd & 24th, April 6 & 10th. Now this is my 13th letter. I requested you in a former letter to state the dates of the letters you received, so that I may know if you receive all that I have written.. I set down the dates of all the letters I write & receive, and I wish you to do the same. I wrote you 4 letters in Feby, dated 13th, 15th, 21st, and 25th; 4 in March, dated 7th, 18th, 24th & 31st; 4 in April dated 7th, 17th, 22th, & 28th.

I have truly sympathized with you, my dear wife, in the perplexing and troublesome ordeal through which you have passed, and prayed God to give you strength to withstand, and wisdom to guide & direct you in your troubles. I regret that I could not have been with you to have lightened your burden, but I trust it is all for the best, and rejoice that is is no worse.. You must not let those troubles (although perplexing) weigh down your spirits so much. You seem to regret & blame me for not suffering the measles to get in the 15 years ago. It may have been the Will of Providence to have it just as it was; and then again, we may have suffered just as much and perhaps lost some of our dear children. Always look on the bright side and trust that all happens for the best. It will save us from many a heartache & despondency, which does not relieve us as all, but only increases our troubles. Your toils of body and troubles of mind have been indeed great, and I assure you that you have had my most heartfelt sympathies. But I hope that your severe trials are now over, and that a bright future is now before you. Remember the old adage that a bad beginning makes a good ending. You asked me if I kept Fast-Day; it is a difficult thing to keep a hungry man from eating, which is always the case with we poor soldiers; and besides, you know I am like Cousin Stampy John-- "It makes me sick if I don't eat". We just get enough to keep us hungry all the time. You seem to think that the gloominess of the day prognosticated no good prospect of peace. All that, we leave in the hands of Him who controls the Destinies of Nations, and hope and trust that this will be the last year of the War. The prospects thus far are cheering; the North is clamoring for peace, and our Army is in better condition & sanguin of success than ever before. I will send you Mr. Long's Speech in the Yankee Congress, if I can get the whole of it. It is published in the Richmond Sentinel; I have one copy and will try and get the other which has the conclusion of his speech. He shows that the North is no nearer subjugating the South than when the war first began and is in favor of acknowledging the independence of the South. And Harris of Maryland, in the Yankee Congress, said that the North had not yet conquered the South and he hoped to God, never would. A vote was taken to expel them which was lost. They then voted to censure them, which vote was carried by only ten votes. All signs are favorable to our cause, and if we can only be successful in the pending battles now before us, all will be well.

Monday Morning 2nd of May. You did not state whether the pig that Robert caught the negro with, was one of ours or not. Robt. ought to be cautious how he attempts to capture runaways without assistance as they are sometimes dangerous and might inflict a dangerous wound. Why did he not go after dogs & try to catch him? If he should ever find him out, he ought to be severely punished. Did the Impressing Officer want to impress any of the mules? Have you collected the amt. Kimball was due for wood? Jerry ought to be gotten up as soon as possible. I expect you will find him very poor. The other two mules must be attended to. Did Bully ever come home?--(I mean Polly's yearling that use to wear the bell). You can sell Mary Brooks if you can get a good price for her. I do not know what price to tell you to ask for her. Mr. Reddock told me that Dr. Murphy gave $600 for a cow at the hospital that he did not think would give two gallons of milk per day. You and Mrs. Rudolph ought to advertise for a teacher. Perhaps you could now get Langford. Has Miss Abby left for Texas yet? I am truly sorry that she has decided to leave for Texas. Mr. Lewis can have the Reddock Springs for $200 and fix up the place--that is, he must put New Posts and pailings around the yard & garden whenever the old ones are not sound, and pailings where necessary. With care the same nails in the old will do for putting on the new. For this, he can have the use of the place until next Jany. He must also fix up the fences if he cultivates or pastures the land. Be sure and see that he attends to the repairing, properly, because this is more important than the money part of the rent; take his note & obligations for fixing the place properly--that is, to fix it substantially.

I am much pleased with your journal. You deserve credit for managing so well, under so many disadvantages so long continued. You doubtless have had a hard time of it, but I now hope that the "Bow of Promise" is brightly shining ahead of you to welcome you to a more prosperous future, and that you will reap a bountiful harvest as a reward for your untiring energy & exertions under so many trying circumstances. How is your corn holding out? Will you have enough? If not, you ought to write or send to Bro. Robert, and engage as much as will do you until corn comes in again. The hogs ought to be kept in a growing condition, if no more; it would be bad policy to let them get poor. Attend to the sheep closely; they are our dependence for clothes. Have you used up all the peas yet? The sheep ought to have some at night, if you can spare any, until they can get good pickings of grass & weeds. You ought to change them from one pasture to another, and pen them at night. I would sell Hartsfield, by all means, if you can trust Mike. I would hobble Jerry and turn him in some pasture in the day so he can get green food. Be careful to see that he does not get galled by hobbling; a good plan is to tie his head about 3 feet from his fore-foot.
What sort of a watch did you buy, and what did you give for it? Did you not pay dear for the "whistle"? What sort is it--Ladies' double-case hunting watch, 24 carats fine, and eighteen jeweled? I wish you to send me 5 pounds of my tobacca, if you have not had it all sold. it is worth here in Richmond $2.50 a plug, or $5 per pound. Send it in the trunk. Thad Owens lost my knife that I have had since "56 which has broken me up in the way of a knife. I have no knife to make a pen. Can't you send me one that will do to make pens and clean finger-nails? if not, send me my "Graley" knife which you will find in the middle bureau-drawer where I keep my jewelry box. Send it with the pants. If you have not used that piece of linen that I wanted you to give me for a hankerchief (red sprigs or flowers), I would like you to make a shirt-bosom, also collar of same, garote collar will do if there is not enough for the other kind (Byron). Colored bosoms are all the go here (dark calico, small figures or stripes, like the children's dresses). Also one or two of the new collars you made for me, in my trunk. Have you quit marketing? What are the prices of things in Greenville (things to eat)? --eggs, butter, bacon flour, milk, etc. Milk sells here for $2.50 a quart; cow peas $2 a quart, equal to $80. a bushel; and other things in proportion.

Written by John C. McQueen

Census:
1850, LOWNDES, LOWNDES, ALABAMA, Series: M432 Roll: 8 Page: 163
936/936, John C. McQueen, 28, m, planter, 3000, SC
Harriet, 4, f, AL
Clifford D. 5, m, AL
Robert A., 3, m, AL
Ann E., 1, f, AL
(NOTE: This is probably the correct family, however, there seems to be an error in Harriet's age. She is listed before a 5 year old son, so normally that would indicate an older age. Probably a numeral was left out of her age.)

1850 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules, Lowndes District, Lowndes, Alabama, USA
1, 40, f, B
1, 25, f, B
1, 23, m, B
1, 20, m, B
1, 16, m, B
1, 14, f, B
1, 10, f, B
1, 8, f, B