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125. Nathaniel Grigsby to William H. Herndon.

Gentryville, Jan. 21st. 1866

Sir:

I am seated this good evening to try to answe some questions you wish to now which i sall do to the bes of my recollection. you wish to now what songs the commin people sung we sung what is called carnel songs and love songs i cannot repeat any of them at this time We sung a song called Barbra allen also we sung the Silk Merchant daughter and others i do not recollect the religious people sung Am i a solder of the Cross, a folier of the lamb and O When shall i se Jesus and reign with him above and Come thou fount of every blessing and Jesus my all to heaven is gone he whom i fix my hopes upon, they were the most commin songs

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sung amongst the cristion people in the yeares you allude to, these songs is in Dupees Hims which was mainly use at that time, i cannot tel you what his notions of the bible he a was great tallker on the scriptures and read it a great deal, he talked about religion as other persons did but i donot now his view on religion he never made any profession while in Ind that i now of, Mr Lincoln while in Ind always apered Cheerful and not gloomy he also tried to make all a round him Cheerful also wile in Ind he alway attended hous raisings log rolling corn shucking and workings of all kinds he also atended plases of amusements but not plases of vice and crime i was rong in the date of the marriges of Charles and Reuben Grigsby they were maried the 16 of April 1829 the Cronicals of Reuben was in the same yeare only a few months after i supose you have got them i think they are correctly writen i sent by express the lawbook that Mr Lincoln read in Ind, i heare that [illegible] Masterson has the book that Mr Lincoln pulled foder for that is the life of Washington with his owne name in it riten by himsef if so i shall get it and send it to you mr Mastison lives some dictance from here you must excuse my not riting more promply is not because i am dis pleased with you it has partly neglect and pat for time, i do not think of any thing more at presant

I yet remain youre cincere friend and fellow servent
N Grigsby

PS
pleas let me here from you soon

Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 2434; Huntington Library: LN2408, 1:297 — 99

nts

Notes.

1. "Am I a Soldier of the Cross" is by Isaac Watts; "Come Thou Fount" is by Robert Robinson; "Barbara Allen" and "The Silk Merchant's Daughter" are traditional English songs.

2. See §72, note 6.

3. Presumably Revised Laws of Indiana (1824). See §85, note 2.