Delaware County NY Genealogy and History Site

I have an old letter found in a chest of my grandmother's. With it is a note that says, "This letter was written to Mrs. Sliter by Peter Wright who collected rent from all landowners around here, before the Anti-Rent War. Mr. Wright was helping Mr. Steele turn cattle into the highway when Mr. Steele was shot. This Mrs. Sliter and her husband owned some of the land where Margaretville is now, but the letter was written after they located on the present Sliter farm 3 miles out of Margaretville on Route 30." I do not know why this letter has been saved all these years, or how my grandmother came to have it. None of these people are in my line of ancestors. Interesting.

--Marge McNeill, February 21, 1999

The letter is dated Feb-22-58 (1858) and says:

"Dear Madam I wrote you some time ago that you could have your own time to pay the rent due from you provided you wuld pay interest from 1st May last when the rent was due. I find I am obliged to reconsider what I then wrote and say that I now want the money. I am very Respectfully and Truly Yours Peter P. Wright.