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MESSAGES FROM A HIDDEN PAST
A collection of 36 love letters written by Miss Laura Pearson to Captain Neill W. Ray
with several from Donald Fairfax Ray (letters #44 - #54), and various other Tate family members

Contributors and transcribers are Jo Humphries, Kathleen Haynes, Terrie Miller & Myrtle N. Bridges
Updated: October, 2008;   July 03, 2009;   August 07, 2009;   April 18, 2011;    May 20, 2011;
& May 27, 2011;   June 25, 2011;   July 13, 2011;   July 15, 2011;   July 16, 2011  August 18, 2011
August 20, 2011;  August 22, 2011  August 25, 2011   August 28, 2011   August 29, 2011;   August 31, 2011
September 1, 2011;   September 8, 2011;   September 11, 2011  September 12, 2011  September 13, 2011
September 14, 2011;  September 15, 2011


Laura Pearson of Morganton, N.C. (Burke County) wrote love letters to Capt. Neill W. Ray in Fayetteville, N.C. (Cumberland County) from December 31st, 1875 until March 30th, 1878, shortly before they were married. She often wrote of members of the families of RAY, PEARSON, TATE, ERVIN and VANCE. Laura began her ledger in 1899 after Neill's death in Fayetteville. In this book are numerous entries of many Fayetteville residents (1899-1929). Her original letters and her revealing black ledger are now together again at the Rare Book, Manuscripts & Special Collections Library at Duke University, Durham, N.C.

In order to tell you what we have learned recently about these families, it is necessary to tell you how Novelist Jo Humphreys of Charleston, South Carolina and I, Myrtle Bridges of Angier, N.C., became intrigued with Laura. No, she is not our ancestor. Jo & I don't even know each other, but we came to know Laura through our mutual love of the hidden past. We knew nothing of this out-standing and highly intelligent lady until two recent events took place in our individual lives.

Jo writes: "Myrtle, you won't believe the coincidence I just discovered. I was looking at your summary of the new "Scattered Seed" and I noticed it will include the ledger of Laura Pearson Ray. Well, last year I bought a collection of about 36 love letters written by Laura Pearson to Neil Ray. I didn't know anything about her, had never heard of her, had no connection to her... but was offered the letters and bought them just because they looked so fascinating. And they were. I donated them a couple of months ago to the Duke University Library, Special Collections.

"As for Laura, the letters are very revealing of her personality, which is maybe not what you might guess: she's edgy, tough, witty, both haughty and generous at the same time, jealous, a devoted Presbyterian. It took me at least two days straight to read the 36 letters because the handwriting is a bit hard to get used to. Neill was practicing law in Fayetteville, Laura was in Morganton. All were suffering (still) the ravages of the war... I think the letters were written in the 1880's, over the course of a year in which her invalid mother died. Yes, her father was a banker but also an investor in the new railroad, and there's a lot of interesting stuff about that. I think he is dead by the time of the letters, and her brother is in charge of the business. There is also mention of the lunatic asylum, and the Governor, who is Laura's cousin. Was it Vance? I don't remember [Yes, Gov. Zebulon Vance]. She also describes a trip to New York--the world's fair, and her return alone on the train. Neill, by the way, had lost a leg in the war, and was subject to deep melancholy, which she tries to help him with. The year must have been the one right before her wedding." … Regards, Jo H.

Following is the story of how I became aware of Laura Pearson Ray and what I learned from my research:   1999

In May of 1998 while browsing in a musty corner of an antique/junk shop in Dare County, N.C. I noticed a disheveled stack of old books topped with a fragile old ledger. It had been repaired with needle & thread at least once. Neatly written in the inside cover of the book was, "Mrs. L. P. Ray Fayetteville, N.C. 1899". The activities scanning the years (1899 - 1929) of many well known Cumberland County folks such as, Ray, Lilly, McKay, Monroe, Thornton, Broadfoot, Pearson, Hale, McRae, Haigh, Remsburge, and many, more had been recorded by the careful hand of Laura Ray. This book would provide the contents of the final chapter in my recent book, "Scattered Seed - Genealogical Research Data of Southeastern North Carolina".

Although not yet aware of her identity, I soon became acutely aware of the devoted love Laura had for the child, Donald Ray. Her ledger takes the reader through his childhood with purchases like fire-works, pony rides, chocolate to make his candy, baseball gloves, tablets, pencils, sherbet, clothing of all description, oranges and apples, at least one bow and arrow set, picnics, excusions to the beach and fishing trips down the Cape Fear River. Later purchases of shaving supplies gave an excellent clue that Donald was now in his teenage years. Then there were purchases of law books, encyclopedias, and Shakespeare's "Hamlet". This well-loved young man's formal education began with drawing lessons from Mrs. Remsburge. Tuition fee entries to Miss Ellison, Mr. Roberson and Mr. J. L. Simpson are recorded regularly. August 23rd, 1904 was enrollement day for Donald Ray at The Woodbury School, Woodbury, Va. He began his studies at UNC Chapel Hill, N.C. in Sept. 1905 and completed his education at Harvard. His diploma arrived at the Ray home in Fayetteville on June 29, 1912 with an express fee of twenty-five cents due.

Neill W. Ray, Sr. was born near Longstreet Presbyterian Church in Cumberland County, N.C. on August 4th, 1839. As a twenty-one year old cadet at North Carolina Military Institute in Charlotte he had enlisted there on May 28th, 1861. Company D. Regiment 6 was mainly made up of Burke County men. He was appointed 2nd Lieutenant to rank from May 1861 and promoted to 1st Lieut to rank from June 11th, 1862. Then he was promoted to Captain to rank from Jan 21, 1863.

An excerpt of Neill's account of losing his left foot reads: "After we had gotten on the south side of the creek I, in passing from the left to the right along the line, received a shot in the ankle which disabled me entirely. Fearing capture, I, without waiting for the litter-bearers, called on my men to carry me back. Oh! How true and good and faithful those men had, under all circumstances, been to me. Promptly when the call was made, three or four good soldiers of my company lifted me and carried me to the ambulance station and thence to the hospital. When my turn came I was placed on the operating-table, and when I awoke, my left foot was gone. The surgeons said amputation was necessary." Neill W. Ray retired to the Invalid Corps on Dec. 22nd, 1864.

An entry made on February 19th, 1903 records that Laura gave money to the old Negro who helped to move N.W.R. from the battlefield. Neill held the titles of clerk of court, attorney and teacher. He married Miss Laura Pearson, a daughter of Robert Caldwell Pearson. Robert, a man of outstanding business ability, was president of the western branch of the Old State Bank at Morganton in Burke County, N.C. Laura's mother, Jane Sophronia Tate a devout Presbyterian, was a lady of remarkable character. She was a daughter of David Tate, Sr. And his wife Ann Elizabeth McCall. It is said that the Concord Presbytery was organized in the parlor of the Robert C. Pearson home which stood on the north side of East Union Street across from the old Court House in Morganton. Neill & Laura P. Ray were living in Morganton when their beautiful baby boy was born in January 1879. Six months later in July baby Neill. W. Ray, Jr. died of Cholera Infantum, as stated by the attending physician, Collett. Probably, sometime after the death of their baby boy they bought a home at 226 Green Street in Fayetteville, N.C. A second son, Donald Fairfax Ray, was born September 26th, 1888.

Like his father, Donald became a lawyer and was on the staff of the Chief of Artillery in Washington, D.C. Here he was influential in the selection of his hometown of Fayetteville, N. Carolina as the site for an artillery range and training camp.

Neill W. Ray, Sr. has been given much of the credit for Fayetteville's extrication from financial distress in 1881. Laura Pearson Ray may not have been accustomed to dealing with financial matters, but she truly deserves similar recognition as she appears to have carried on her husbands business affairs long after his death. On November 7th, 1899 she recorded her husband's funeral expenses as $106.13. In the upper right-hand corner of her ledger she pasted a newspaper clipping showing how to compute interest and began a book which became a most fascinating monthly account of the next thirty years of her life.

A check written to Rev. Mr. Vardell on August 5, 1907 for the Annie Ray Scholarship at Red Springs College, Red Springs, N.C. and another on January 16th, 1918 for the Neill W. Ray Memorial Scholarship at the Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va. indicate that Mrs. Laura P. Ray established and continued to contribute money for both memorial scholarship funds. The chimes of the First Presbyterian Church of Fayetteville, N.C. were given by Laura in memory of her husband Neill W. and son, Donald Fairfax Ray.

(Sources: Laura's Ledger / North Carolina Regiments 1861-'65 Vol. I Clark Ref. 973.7456 His. / North Carolina Mortality Census 1850-60-70-80 - Vol. 12 by Sandra Lee Amasy / Story of Fayetteville and the Upper Cape Fear - by Oates Ref.975.6373 / "Hometown Heritage - Fayetteville N.C." by Lucile Miller Johnson / Cumberland County - A Brief History by Roy Parker, Jr.)

The story continues with yet another wonderful find in Ellenboro, NC.    2008

Hello Ms. Bridges,
I am very excited by the coincidences in my recent treasure find and those of both yours and Ms. Jo Humphreys' past finds. I found this big box of letters, photos, cards, and some of it just junk, at a thrift/junk store in Ellenboro which is south of Morganton and west of Shelby. When I saw them at the bottom of the very large box I just knew I had to have the whole box.

I think there was some things from another estate sale mixed in but most of these letters must have come from one of Laura's neice, nephew, or the next generation descendant's estate (Tate's) from Morganton. Most of the letters are to Wilhelmina and Sue Virginia. There are a few from and to Jennie and her other children, as well as just a few to the Pearson family members. Irene Tate didn't die until 1974 so they could have migrated from her estate sale to Ellenboro somehow. Frank Tate had one son and several grandchildren. They could have come from his line or it could have come from one of the another Tate sons. As near as I can figure Laura was living with the Tate children in Morganton from about 1923 until she died.

I plan to investigate a home for the Tate papers in Burke County, maybe someone in the genealogical/historical society or if I'm lucky a Tate descendant of that area. I also hope to find a place for the Ray family documents also. Although I am still reading all and planning to transcribe some of these documents. As well as a treasure hunter I am a genealogy enthusiast so this has become a wonderful project. I am still sorting and separating. I really don't want to sell any of these letters, I just want to preserve them for future generations. I was very happy to find your postings. Kathleen Haynes, Dallas, NC

... and yet another wonderful find by Terrie Miller of South Carolina   2011

Hi Myrtle,
   My name is Terrie Miller and I thoroughly enjoyed your page of letters regarding the Tate family. I have quite a collection of letters to Frank Tate that mesh well with yours and they were quite a family. If you ever find a home for these letters please let me know as I would like to include mine. ... I can certainly transcribe the letters and then send them to Duke. Thanks for the information. I researched Frank when I kept finding letters to him and he was quite a man and after reading some of the history I understand his participation in the Confederate Monument. ... My husband collects stamps etc and I began talking with the dealers and realizing the letters they had were being sold for the stamps although there was tons of information in the letters themselves. I started buying the letters at a cut rate price I might add and then researching who was in the letter and contacting the descendents of whomever was in the letter and giving them the letter. It's a lot of fun and people are so amazed to have something written by a Great Grandfather for instance. They also seem to be surprised I don't ask for money I just return the letter to it's rightful owner. I was at a show and bought a box of letters and found a huge amount belonging to Frank Tate. ... I'm so pleased to find some people that know about Frank. Did you know his wife was the principal of the North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton and their wedding was announced in the New York Times? I love researching these things.
Thanks for sharing and transcribing, Terrie Miller, South Carolina



Read Laura's Letters: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  24aa  24a  25  26  27  28  29  30
31  32  33  34  35  36  37  37a  38  39  40  41  42
42a  42b   Condolence letters to Claudia Pearson after the death of Jennie's daughter
43  43a  43b  43c Condolence letters to Laura and other family members after the death of Jennie - 1902
44  45  46  47  48  49  50  51  52  53  54  Don's 11 European vacation letters to Laura - 1912
55  Laura's letter to her niece, Sue (Sue Virginia) daughter of Jennie - 1922
November 26, 1884 Letter to Frank Tate
1896 Letter from N W Ray to Sue
Thanksgiving Day, 1897 - Churchill Satterlee to Wilhelmena
1898 Letter to Laura from Addie D. Green of Fayetteville
Jan 12th, 1899 Letter from N W Ray to Sister-in-Law
January 29, 1899 - V.R. Jernigan to Frank P. Tate
May 1, 1899 Letter from N W Ray to Sister-in-Law
June 1899 Letter to Jennie Tate from Fishburne Military School Concerning Son Wilson
July 6, 1899 Sue from Jennie Tate
July 13, 1899 - Louise to Wilhelmina
1899 Death of Capt. Neill
Laura P. Ray's Rents & Leases 1899-1906
Neill W. Ray Remembered by School Board
In Memory of the Late Capt. Ray
Memories of the Capt. Neill W. Ray Family
Letter from Sallie B. Flemming
Wilhelmina Tate Requests Excursion Train, Newton, N.C. to Asheville, N.C.
Contract Excursion Train, Newton, N.C. to Asheville, N.C.
Wilhelmina Tate Request Denied
March 18, 1901 N.A. Quilling to Wilhelmena Tate
September 9, 1901 - Sue from Sallie J. McAden
September 9, 1901 - Sue Presnell to Wilhelmina
September 12, 1901 - Miss Matilda Erwin to Annie Elizabeth Pearson
1901 Letter to Daughter Wilhelmena from Jennie
October 2, 1901 - Claudia to Wilhelmina
October 15, 1901 - Miss Tate from N.A. Quilling
Oct 18, 1901 Bess to Wilhelmena
November 3,1901 Bess to Wilhelmena
Nov 19, 1901 Letter to Daughter Wilhelmena from Mama
Nov 15,1901 Claude to Wilhelmena
Nov 22,1901 Chain Letter from Wilhelmena
November 30,1901 Bess to Wilhelmena
1901 Letter to Ann Elizabeth Pearson from Matilda Erwin
Dec 23, 1901 Thornwell Jacobs to Wilhelmena Tate
Jan 29, 1902 Letter to Wilhelmena from Mama
February 06, 1902 Claude to Wilhelmena
March 25, 1902 Letter to Jennie from Charlee
March 31, 1902 Wilhelmena to Irene Tate
March 31, 1902 Frank Tate to Jennie Tate
April 1902 Wilhelmena to Mama
April 5th, 1902 - My Dear Irene
May 05, 1902 T.D. Johnston to Irene - Death of Alexander Tate
May 06, 1902 News Item - Death of Alexander Tate
May 1902 Sympathy Letter after death of Alexander May 3, 1902
May 04, 1902 Charlee Hutchison to Jennie
May 5, 1902 My Dear Wilhelmina
No date - May be a Sympathy Letter after death of Alexander Tate
May 1902 Cousin Mary to Sue
May 6, 1902 - Sue from Flora Keith Overman
May 1902 Sympathy letter to Jennie
May 1902 Sympathy letter from Thos E. Skinner
May 6, 1902 F. H. Hunt Sympathy to Jennie Tate
Sympathy Telegram from F. H. Brister to Sue McD. Tate
May 8, 1902 W. T. Matthews to Jennie Tate
May 8, 1902 Dora Allen Tate to Jennie Tate
May 8, 1902 E. Nye Hutchison to Jennie Tate
May 9, 1902 HEC Bryant to Sue Tate
Miss Sue V. Tate from Marvin F. Scaife, Pittsburg, PA
1902 Jennie T. Anderson to Jennie Tate
1902 Ernestine Kistler to Sue V. Tate
May 12, 1902 Margaret Waddell Spiers to Jennie Tate
May 13, 1902 Annie C. to Claude
May 15th, 1902 Hannie Brem to Claude Tate
May 20, 1902 Cousin Payton to Jennie Tate
June 4, 1902 - Joy to Sue Virginia Tate
Letter to Miss Tate from Katharine Eirmane, Chester, SC
1902 Jennie Tate to Wilhelmena
June 18, 1902 Mama to Wilhelmena
T. Ellison Simpson to Wilhelmena
1902 Betty W. Murphy to Jennie Tate
June 23, 1902 - A.M. Ingold to Wilhelmina
June 25, 1902 - Harriet Camp to Sue Tate
June 26, 1902 - Alex to Sue Tate
July 16, 1902 Kate Persall to Sue Tate
July 17, 1902 Margaret Pemberton Blount to Sue Tate
July 18, 1902 Mamie Rose to Sue Tate
July 19, 1902 Laura G. Marsh to Sue Tate
July 20, 1902 Charlee Hutchison to Sue Tate
July 21, 1902 Harriet Camp to Sue Tate
July 22, 1902 Bessie J. Hutchison to Sue Tate
July 30, 1902 Harriet Camp to Sue Tate
July 30, 1902 Bessie S. Leak to Sue Tate
July 30, 1902 Alex to Sue Tate
July 31, 1902 Sallie J. McAden to Sue Tate
Aug 1, 1902 Edith C. Robinson to Sue Tate
Aug 2, 1902 Sudie Hutchison to Sue Tate
Aug 6, 1902 Katherine to Sue
Aug 7, 1902 Frank Tate to Sue
Aug 8, 1902 Frank Tate to Sue
Aug 1902 letter to Sue from Frank at Oates House in Dunn, NC, Harnett County
Aug 1902 letter to Laura Ray from Rev. Henry Tucker Graham, Fayetteville
September 1, 1902 - Thornwell to Wilhelmina
Sept 13, 1902 Note to Miss Annie Lizzie from Ada Melton
Inquiring Letter to Mrs. S.M. Tate
January 19, 1903 - Thornwell Jacobs to Wilhelmina
February 1, 1903 - N.A. Quilling to Miss Tate
February 04, 1903 - Thornwell Jacobs to Wilhelmina
February 16, 1903 - Thornwell Jacobs to Wilhelmina
May 11, 1903 - W.P. Jacobs to Wilhelmina
October 1903 Frank to Maude
Christmas 1903 - Anthony Ingold to Wilhelmina
Feb. 3, 1904 - Mary E. Coxe to Wilhelmina
1904 Letter to Annie Elizabeth Pearson from M. M. Erwin
October 11, 1905 JCMcNeill to Wilhelmina
November 26, 1906 - R.A. Connoy to Miss Tate
April 2, 1907 - R.H. Speight Jr to Wilhelmina Tate
April 6, 1907 - Egbert Beal to Frank Tate Concerning Monument
May 6, 1907 Cousin Julia to Sue
June 08, 1907 - Tench Coxe to Miss Tate
September 18, 1907 From Las Esperanzas Coahuila, Mexico to Miss Tate
February 26, 1908 - J.E. O'Brien to Mrs. Tate
June 3, 1908 - Arthur Morris to Miss Tate
October 17, 1908 - Charles Gordon Tate to Irene
September 26, 1909 - Marvin F. Scaife to Miss Wilhelmina
June 5, 1911 Ernestine to Wilhelmina & Others
September 7, 1911 - Cora Laird to Miss Wilhelmina>
September 13, 1918 - Charles Gordon Tate to Irene Tate
February 2, 1919 - Charles Gordon Tate to Frank
February 19, 1919 - Charles Gordon Tate to Sue
March 5, 1919 - Charles Gordon Tate to Sue
March 10, 1919 - Charles Gordon Tate to Irene
March 30,1919 Polly Anna to Sue
June 23,1919 Polly Anna to Sue
October 8, 1919 - Wedding Announcement
November 24, 1920 Bessie B. MacLean to Sue & Irene Tate
Letter from John A. McLean - December 24, 1921
1922 Marriage of Frank P. Tate & Miss Pattie Thomason
September 12, 1922 - Pastor John A. MacLean to Sue Tate
25 Jan, 1923 - Bessie to Irene
March 16,1923 Wilhelmina to Sue
March 17,1923 Connie M. Jones to Sue
March 19,1923 Gordon to Sue
1923 Mar 22 Sue from Wilhlemina
1923 Wilhelmina to Sue
1923 Mar 29 Sue from Wilhlemina
May 5, 1923 Wilhelmina to Sue
(No date) Sue to Wilhelmina
(No date) Mary to Wilhelmina
Nov. 1, 1927 Kate Holden to Sue
1853 Letter from Jane McLauchlin
Descendants of Neill McLauchlin

Myrtle's Genealogy Page
Rare Book, Manuscripts & Special Collections Library at Duke University
Letters of Cumberland County, NC


©Copyright 1999 to present by Myrtle N. Bridges