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DIRTY DIVORCE

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DIRTY DIVORCE
Revealing A.L.S. 3pp. legal folio, Hillsboro, Miss., Feb. 20, 1849 in which George Henry writes to his friend, William Lee expressing in colorful terms his anger at being accused of having an affair with Elizabeth Harper, wife of his business partner. Although the letter was likely written in confidence, Lee revealed it to someone as the address leaf bears a docket reading "Exhibit B 4341 James G. Harper vs. Elizabeth Harper", presumably a divorce case. In part with expletives truncated by us: "...Bill...I have had Hell to contend with since you saw me. They say that Misses Harper and myself got to tangling legs, and Jim pretended like he was going to play Hell with me...We have met 3 different times & neither of us killed...God Damn every Harper to Hell! I wish that Jim had been in Hell before I ever saw him, for he has injured me for at least $500...". Apparently James Harper, his business partner "...broke out the [account] books...and before I could get...them again, he tore them all to pieces so that the accounts could not all be made out. He is now collecting them. I have caught him at It but can't prove anything on the Damn rascal. Bill, if I have don’t the F--king that Jim says I have, I have done the most costly F--king that any man ever did...My business is such that I can't leave. The dam'd rascals refuse to settle without...Harper present, & some can't pay, God damn them to hell. I have sued about half of them...I want you to find out about this scrape with Mrs. Harper and myself, & write me all about it. I have heard that Bill Boney in Tunica kill[ed] me on the Press...& if that is the case...I will shoot him like I would any dog...find out all about it, what Misses Harper has to say about it, & if you think I would be in any danger to come to Livingston...Jim, that damned rascal, is trying to ruining me...". Heavy soiling and weak folds, ragged at edges, overall good condition.