The old kitchen, with original utensils, etc.
Some of the original flatware from the Hermitage silver supply.
Within six months Jackson was writing to his adopted son expressing apprehension lest Steele was not giving the negroes proper attention; and before the year was out was again writing to the son at Nashville to investigate the cause for “the great loss of horses and oxen.” Evidently conditions did not improve, for in November the General wrote a sharp letter to Steele in which he took him severely to task for “the great losses in stock and negroes I have lost since I left my plantation under your charge and management.” In blunt terms he said: “I have been truly astonished to hear my bacon was nearly gone. This to me was unaccountable, because I stood by and saw a large supply as usual for my white and black family salted in my smoke house. In your statement I have asked you to forward I shall expect you to furnish me with an explanation of how this happened. I have been advised by some not to continue you, by others to try you another year. The latter I have concluded to do so, as I am aware the injury it would be to you to leave the business under present rumors. But when I say I have concluded to retain you another year, it is with the express condition that you treat my negroes with humanity and attention when sick and not work them too hard when well, that you feed and clothe them well, and that you carefully attend to my stock of all kinds. This I have a right to expect of you for the wages I give you. I have been offered here a first-rate overseer for $350 a year. I have been offered in Tennessee a well experienced and well recommended overseer for $400. I give you $500, which is equal to $1000 when cotton was at 14 cents a pound.”
Steele evidently did not accept this rebuke in very good spirit, for in January Colonel Love wrote Jackson that “Steele said he wrote you as he could not please you you had better look out for some other person.” Colonel Love volunteered the view, however, that “He in my opinion has not the least intention of going away. I am confident your last letter will make him the more particular and attentive to your orders.” Colonel Love proved to be a good prophet, for Steele held on to his job through 1832; but at the beginning of 1833 he was succeeded by Burnard W. Holtzclaw. Holtzclaw was only a fairly satisfactory overseer, and gave frequent cause for complaint from his absentee employer; but the Jackson letter files reveal some communications from him which stamp him as one of the earliest converts to the cause of simplified spelling. On March 6, 1833, he wrote the General:
D’r Sir, I Recived you letter March 2d. I now inform you that your famley ar well at presenes and we ar doing well but Samson is ded, your mares and colts all looks well but the colte wich Andrew bought of Mr. Robson is ded. The caze I can not Tel. he live 9 days after he came Home. I Cut hym open and on his side I fond a not or a lompe and by looking I found Two of his Ribes Broke but wase well and on this not was a corde, went from his Harte to this corde as bige as his win pipe colte was solde to save his life. I Git alongue with you Negrows Verer will indeede. I hav not woold to giv all a sute. March 2d we had a snow and verry cold. I hav a bout one 100 and 50 acres of land plowg for corn and cotton. last year you made 36 Bales of Cotton but ship 41 Bales.
His brief and unadorned announcement of the death of Samson, one of the slaves, and his careful recital of all the gory details of his post-mortem dissection of the colt afford a very good index of Mr. Holtzclaw’s character and capacity for the position he held. Another example of his Chaucerian English is found in his letter of October 21, when he wrote to the General as follows:
I recived your Letter on the 20 of October. I am glade to Say we are all well at Presant. your Family are all in good Halth at this time and are gitting alongue as well as I can. you wish to know abought your crope of Cotton how moch I have Out. I will Tell you. I have One Hundred Thoson and I Think we have out in the field yet 60 or 70 Thosan or 90. I was plaged a gratele abought Our gin, I jist beginning to gin. dont be unesy I will do the best I Can.
Deare Sir your Mares and Colts and work Horses and Mules and cows and Ox and Hogs and Sheeps and Caffs and Stud all are well and fate. I have 86 hogs to kill only. I have 7 Beffes to kill. we have now wete and cold wether. This day we Hale and Snow cole. I have all of my Shoes and Socks and Stockings made and Nit and making up the Winter Close. Andrew has not rich the Hermitage yet but I have all Things Redy to Recive him and are Looking for him daly and also will be glade to see him at Home.
Sur I have cut a new Rode on the Line betwin you and Warde and want to Turn the Rode arown on the Line and fence in all the woods. Next to woods I will feed my Hogs In hole and think I git water in this woods late. water Stands after a Rain for 2 weeks. by feding all winter on the Place can git water to Stand 6 or 8 month in the yeare. cut out all the under groth.
Mr. Holtzclaw’s performance as an overseer may have left something to be desired; but there must have been a spark of genius in one who could stumble upon “gratele” as the right way to spell “great deal.”