Nice Taunton Massachusetts stampless folded letter to Newbern North Carolina. Good postmark. Letter has Fall River dateling and is from merchant William H. Nichols to Abner Brickhouse who owns a farm there and apparently represents Nichols by making purchases for him in NC. Letter carries instructions regarding the purchase of calico, stakes and shingles among other supplies. Mentions letter from Brickhouse was delivered by a Captain Gardner. Nichols says "I havent sent you any money for I dont know how much you need to pay for the shingles--if you have not sent me an account of what money you need before you receive this, you need not sent it for I shall be there as soon as the money would--which will save you going to Newbern to get the draft cashed." He continues "You say that Sam is sick--I want you to find out how much time he looses--and the rest of the hands also--be shure and not let them have anything more than tobacco out of the store fer they are owing me more than I shall ever get. Tell Dick that those shingles of his were poor enough."

Ancestry records show many people named Nichols in Taunton to this day as well as many with the name Brickhouse in Newbern.