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Transcribed by Gordon Furness, [email protected]
Letter from George Van Iderstine of Vernon River, PEI to his brother John B. Van Iderstine of Tabusintac, New Brunswick, Sept 15, 1857.
Vernon River Sept 15, 1857
Dear Brother
I write these lines to you hoping thay will find you all well as they have us at present We have got our grain crops gathered except some late oats our oats is a light crop and so is the hay and barley. The wheat is pretty good witch was sown late the potatoes crop generly is very good we never had them so good for size nor for use. Old Uncle Jerry is ded he died the 11th of this month after about a months illness. Aunt Enman is quite a cripple she fell some time sence and put her shoulder out of joint and her wrist Father is pretty well at present but is getting frail. His eye is much the same the rest of the family is well
David Enman desires to be remembered to you He felt very much for you his own wife is quite a cripple she has had the rumatic gout about twelve years and she the mother of eleven children. Uncle John Fraser desiers to be remembered to you him and his family is well. Uncle William and family is well they all felt very much for you and thought the Lord would support you in your very great trials. You asked me to tell you the particulars about William Fraser shooting Andrew Logan Wilum being the youngest son was with his father in the hous. Andrew Logan was a neighbour opposite to them on the upper end of Sady [?} Marahs farm it appears that thair was a bad feeling between Andrew and Willam for some time insamuch that he threatened to kill Willam so he carried a pitchfork for the porpose. On Saturday he sent his boy to water his horse at Willam well the well was so dry that he saw he could not So Andrew was up all night like a man crazy and beat the Children and was a going to cut their throats in the morning he set fire to the house and came over to Williams with the fork in his hands the door being open he was coming in and said here is Andrew so thay shut the door. And then he was coming in the window declaring he would kill them so Willam took the gun shoot him. That is the particulars as far as I can tell
[Written upside down between the lines: Give our kind love to all the dear children and tell them that we would like to see them.]
As we are some distance and can only speake to each by letter I hope that these times may find you well and trusting in and leaning on the arm of Almighty God He that hath been your helper will continue to the End My prayer to you has been for you that he would support you in your very great trials Continue to cleve to Christ with all your ransomed powers and if we never met on Earth may we meet in heaven I shall conclude and apoligise for not writing sooner I hope you will excuse me and write as soon as you possible can and tell us how your getting on and to how Willam is getting and and Aben and tell us all about Uncle Peter we heard he went to Canada is it so? Margaret Jane send her kind love to you and wishes you well The children the eldest Willam Thomas sends his love Samuel sends his love to you Esther sends her love to you Phillip George sends his love to you Henry Silas sends his love to you Give our kind love to Willam and except ours yourself
I remain your affectionate brother
George Van IderstineNote: Andrew Logan ( Hogan) was a citizen of Cherry Valley PEI and a neighbor of their Fraser Uncle�s. The Enman family were Jeremiah and Margaret Fraser Enman who were George and John�s Aunt and Uncle. Ebenezer Van Iderstine was a first cousin and a neighbor to John B. and William in Tabusintac, New Brunswick.
The Enman family were Jeremiah and Margaret Fraser Enman who were George and John�s Aunt and Uncle. Ebenezer Van Iderstine was a first cousin and a neighbor to John B. and William in Tabusintac, New Brunswick. The Andrew Hogan tragedy was unknown to the Fraser descendants. The �Charlottetown Advertiser� carries a brief account of the incident: �on 7th, at Seal River near Orwell, a sad tragedy was enacted. It appears that a man named James Hogan had become insane, and after setting fire to his own house, repaired to that of William Fraser, a short distance from his own place. He had been seen coming by the occupants who, observing he was armed with a pitchfork, went into the house and fastened the door.On coming to the door and finding it fastened, he went round to the kitchen window, drove the pitchfork through, and was in the act of getting through himself when a son of Mr. Fraser�s, after warning him off, fired a load of slugs into his chest, causing almost instant death. The affair happened about 2 a.m. Sunday morn., there being three men in the house at the time. An inquest was held the following day before John McDougal, Coroner. Verdict: homicide in self-defence.� ( Thank you to David Fraser for this clipping). The Fraser family did recall there was an area near the old homestead called �Hogan�s Hollow� which was supposed to be haunted..