This letter was written by  JABEZ D.⁷ PHILBRICK  (EDWARD⁶, BENJAMIN⁵, EPHRAIM⁴, JOSEPH³, JAMES², THOMAS¹).   He wrote the letter in February 1845 to his nephew John E. Haines (son of his sister, Mary Philbrick-Haines).  For clarity, some punctuation and spelling corrected, but I've attempted to leave the style of writing as original as possible.  The following is a transcript of that letter:   

Griggsville Feby 12^th 1845

Respected Nephew – I received your very kind letter of the 17^th ultimo, and was exceedingly gratified to hear from you.  It does truly bring back to my mind the days of my boyhood & of your infancy & forcibly to my recollection many scenes of bye gone days & of the rapid flight of time without reflection.  It seems but as a day since I used so fondly to dawdle you upon my knee, but when I stop & think  & take a retrospective view of what I have gone through the changes that have taken place, the road I have traveled the up & downs of life, I find that 20 years have elapsed & that I am rapidly advancing towards the grave, it is good for us to pause amid the busy scenses of life & look back & trace the goodness of God in all these varied windings of this unstable world, I want very much to see you & all my Friends in N.E. –

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Next to my Father, your Mother, I want to see & look over all these things & I do hope the time is not far distant when I shall have this very interesting ____________ but life is very uncertain.  It may be, we shall not meet again until we meet in yonder world & O if we can all meet in Heaven what a happy meeting & then, there is no more parting forever.  What a consideration, John think one these things & with all your aspirations seek that wisdom which will make you wise unto salvation.  I will give you a short history of our situation.  We live in a very pleasant Town  3 churches 2 academies good society 4 miles from the Illinois River & 15 from the great Mississippi 10-0 from St. Louis.  We have enjoyed on the whole very good health & prosperity we have 2 Boys & no Girls, Charles Henry is 8 years old fat & hearty can do a good deal of work .  Edwin is 10 months & growing finely.  I have built a good  house & we are on

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the whole very well situated.  I have a large Store & near filled.  I keep a part of the time 2 clerks at 20$ & 12$ per month.  I keep an average stock of 6000$  I am in St. Louis every month & in N.O. once or twice a year.  It is a busy life & is attended with a good deal of care & perplexity – but _____ I  enjoy myself very well.  We are (all?) community of Yankees.  Our town is called by the _______ (missing) Town.  We deal largely in Pork, Beef, wheat & all kinds of country produce.  I am reminded that the mail will close soon, & must close.  Say to my Father that ________ Eastman is coming to Concord next month & I shall write to him & my other friends by him.  You will excuse this ________ for while I am writing, the Store is full & questions (all/are?) asking continually if there is repetition you will see the reason.  Continue the correspondence.  All send love to you & all give our love to all friends.

Yours truly  J.D. Philbrick.

Jabez D. Philbrick died on March 2, 1894 in Prairie, Adams Co., Illinois and is buried at Griggsville Cemetery, Griggsville, Pike Co., Illinois.  His son, Charles Henry Philbrick, who is mentioned in the letter, was a personal secretary to President Abraham Lincoln.