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115. Dennis F. Hanks to William H. Herndon.

January the 6th 1866

Friend Billy

I Received your Letter January the 3d

The first question that you ask is this what has Be Cum of John Hall he was in town to Day You Say that have writen 3 or 4 Letters to him and got No answer what was it Billy that you wanted to No of him I can answer all that

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he can he cant write very well he Does Not No Much a Bout the Old Man Lincoln for he was a Boy at his Death he has Nothing to Do with writing to any one a Bout the Life of Lincoln it Dependes on Me to Do all this I have writen a Letter to Josiah Crofford in Spencer County Indiana Concerning Books that Abe Read I have No answer yet

Next question how many people was at Mrs Lincoln furnel at hir Beriel Thare was a Bout 20 persons the hole Nabour hood Do you Mean hir funerl preaced or hir interment in the grown I have jest Seen John Hall he Says that he got your Letters But Could Not answer any of them ask Me the questions I will Answer them Satisfacttory at Mrs Lincoln furnel preched was By David Elkins of Hardin County Ky Cum to pay us a Visit and preacht hir furnel the Customs of the people at time was very Ruff Drinking a Little whisky Corn Shuckings Log Rolings &c — No Dancing as Sum Did — Shooting Maches throwing the Mall over head.

Size of the fields from. 10. 12 16 20 acors Raised Corn Mostly Sum wheat a Nuf for a Cake a Sundy Morning

Hogs and Venison hams was a Legal tender and Coon Skins all so

we Raised Sheep and Cattle But they Did not fecth Much Cows and Calfes was onely worth 6 Dollars Corn 10 cts wheat 25 at that time

I think I will Be able to tell you all a Bout these things I take plesure in Doing so

Yours Respectfuly
D. F. Hanks

Not well at this time

Now a Bout the timber it was Black walnut and Black oake hickory and Jack oake Elm and white oake under grooth Dogwood in a Bundance grape vines and Shewmake Bushes and Milk Sick plenty all of My Relitives Died with that Disease on Little pigeon Creek Spencer County

this all at this time

Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 2418; Huntington Library: LN2408, 1:248 — 49