Below is a transcribed version of a copy of a letter written by Harriet (Greene) Harden to 
her sister, Sylvinia (Greene) Dodge on May 13, 1839. (Found the copy of the 'orginial' letter' 
in the DODGE family file at the Washington Co., Ohio Historical & Genealogy Library.)   I 
believe that Harriet (Greene) Harden was living in Liberty Twp, Delaware County, Ohio (census 
1830 & '40) at the time she wrote this letter.  By 1850 they were in La Salle Co., Illinois.
Samuel Harden died in LaSalle Co., 1856. Harriet died ??? in Sheldon (Illinois or Indiana)
according to the 1882 book "Counties of Porter and Lake Indiana."  The book does not give 
the state or county she died, but there is a Sheldon in Irquious Co. Illinois and a Sheldon 
in Indiana and is now called Yoder in Allen County Indiana....Samuel Hardin, Jr. migrated to 
Hammond, Lake Co. Indiana in 1882.


This letter was hard to read at times, and took some time studying decipering the old 
handwriting styles when transcribing it. 

There were no periods or captial letters to indicate the beginning and ending of a sentence.  
Only the "I"s and names were captialized.  This is typed just as it was written with leaving 
3 spaces to seperate sentences.  (The ____(spaces indicate that it was unreadable)  The ?'s 
indicate that the word was questionable.  The words in the (  ) are my notes which are not 
part of the letter.

     (Front cover of letter):  
               Attn:  Joel Dodge
                      Warren Township
                      Washington County
                      Ohio
                      Point Harmar office
                      May 14, 1839 (seal)
     (1st pg.)
Dear brother & Sister
I now set down to write you a few lines to let you know that we recieved your letter in march 
which brought us bad news of our fathers death which was sad news to us   you say he is gone  
can be be possible that we are left fatherless   our dear widowed mother (Elizabeth Greene)   
make her decling days as happy as possible --- Sister so be a confort to her  I want her to 
spend the remainder part of her days in peace   I hope all you  that are there will be a 
comfort to her  give my love to her or tell her that I will remember her till the last   you 
did not write how long father (Willard Greene) was confined to his bed   these daies leaves 
us well except myself   I have had a pain in my left side on ____ ____ks which makes me not 
able to do much   it has been quite sickly here this winter with bad colds which ____ ____ 
with a pain(?) in the side and shoulder which not(?) many(?) deaths   Ruth Patten is dead   
I want some of you to come up and visit(?) us this fall   Amos told Asa last fall that he was 
a coming out hear this fall  tell him he must come or I shall bee much disopointed   there has 
the appearance of fruit   tell Jonathan that we will write to him soon   tell him that we have
not forgot him   I am truely glad to hear that he was once more settled   if there is any 
comfort to bee taken in this world   sam___ (samuel?) has the sold all of his hay at 8 dollars 
a ton    I don't expect we shall stay this place no longer than in next spring   where we will 
go I don't know   tell all of my brothers and sisters that I will write to them and I want them 
to write  and give my love to your children and tell them to come and see their aunt.  H 
(Harriet?)tell Amos that he must tell ___son(?) to come with him this fall   I cant come if we 
do move till my children git old enough to take care at home    but yours is now so that you 
can leave them tell Mother I want to see her very bad
(nxt. pg.)
you(scratched out) we have write to you as ofter as you do    did you forget that you took a 
letter out of the office but a short time ago from us  we will try and pay the postage if we 
have to borrow the money we have a few bacon hams to sell yet and a few oats and possibly by 
the time you write we can get enough money to pay the postage   you must ____ that you are all 
there and but one hear   if we could set down and write you all a letter it would take some 
time   I would rather wash all day than to set down to write a letter   Sally Friend and George
will bee hear to day   they come to John Hardens on saturday   I want you to write us soon as 
you git this   give my love to brothers and sisters   no more at this time
                                                                /s/  Harriet Harden
                                                                     (her signature)
(same pg)
     In answer to what Joel has wrote to me I will write a few lines which will bee as many 
as he wrote, these leaves us well   we was bery glad to here from you all but very sorry to 
hear of the loss of your parent, we will try to answer you letters as often as you will send 
there   we have wrote to you as ofter as you have wrote to us   since we began this letter 
the frost has kild the bigest part of the fruit, produce   of all kinds bears a high price 
& is very scarce   we shall look for some of you out this summer or fall to see us   I 
expect we shall leave this place next spring   I do not know but I shall go to the Indiania 
country   I want you to write to us as soon as you git this   give my love to all & tell them 
I want them to write to us   no more at this time but remain your brother till death
                                                                /s/  ~~~Samuel Harden
                                                                        (his signature)
                                     May the 13th 1839  Joel & Sylvina Dodge 



 
Transcribed by Debbie Noland Nitsche - July 2005
GGGG Granddaughter of Joel & Sylvina Dodge