James' Cousin, grandson of Thomas Rafferty and Esther ____, Gleaves, Rafferty, Woolman

Maj. James Gleaves
Cripple Creek
Wythe County
V.a
___- Recd Wm G Brownlow

Franklin Macon Cty N.C.    26th March 1832

Dear Sir,

At the request of mother Mar-garet Siler I drop you these lines by way of enquiry respecting her friends and relatives in that country. My father Winier Siler moved from Buncombe Cty in this state to Macon Cty N.C. five years ago. In Feby. 1831 he died mother now lives four miles from Franklin where father died with John the youngest son all the rest of Her nine children are married excepting one that died in the Chicke-saw purchase in 1822. Easter Lowry(?) Elizabeth meaves & Margaret Gash lives in Buncombe William Jacob and myself all live in macon county and Mary Henly lately married are in this County.
I myself am living at Franklin have a wife and three sons and have to request you to write to me and give me a detail of affairs particularly with regard to all of mothers relatives in v.a

that you may more readily know the relationship we bear to each other  my mother was the daughter of Thomas Rafferty, her mother was three times married to Gleaves – Rafferty & Woolman  your father & my mother were consequently half Brother and Sister from which if we could see each other we might in these fashionable times claim a relationship as cousin – I expect to travel through your state this summer with a lot of cattle on my way to Philadelphia but am not acquainted with the places of market for cattle nor with the geography of your state sufficient to know whether I shall pass near you or not.

Very Respectfully I am
Your Cousin

Jess R. Siler

Maj James Gleaves

Following notes made by Dr. Chitwood of Wytheville, VA who cataloged the letters.

Letter from Jess Siler of Franklin N.C. to Maj. James Turk Gleaves
Very important

Ester Woolman may have been Wm. Gleaves Sr's mother