Letter written by Alexander McCornack, Andrew's brother,

four days after their arrival in America from Scotland.

Mr. William Millegan                                                              Crotonpoint, N.Y.

Corwal Mochram                                                                    July 23, 1838

Wigtown Shire, N.B. by way of Liverpool

It is with feelings of gratitude that I take my pen to inform you that we are all well at present.  Thanks be to God for it and I hope this will find you in the same state.  We left Liverpool on the 16th of June at 6 o'clock in the evening and were towed out 20 miles by a steamer and the next morning we were a little west of the Isle of Man.  They came round the west of Scotland as the wind was more favorable for the north Chanel than the South.  On the 19th we sailed past the Mull of Kintyre, the Island of Isea and other parts in the west highlands so near that we saw sheep and other cattle feeding and on the 20th we passed the North of Ireland.  The weather at that time was very cold and wet.

We were a little sick for two days and my Mother was sick for two weeks but afterward she came to her usual state of health.  We had contrary winds the most of the way but the vessel was a fine sailor and passed all that we saw going the same way.  We arrived at Staten Isle on the 18th of this month and they dropped the anchor till next day.  The surgeon came on board to examine the state of the passengers and vessel and he found them in health and the vessel clean.

Then they hoisted sail and came up to New York and we lodged in the City that night and went back to the ship next day and got our chests taken out and put them on board the steam packet and came up that night to Crotton Landing and George McQueen met us there and we put our baggage into a store and went with him that night and found them all in good health and comfort and the children are asking me a good many questions at this time.

They had a letter from John and William and they were in good health.  They are near a place they call Rochester, State of New York.  They have not found a situation for us yet but we intend going farther west if we are spared under Divine Providence and try to get a place to settle in as there is plenty of land, both to let and sell but trial goes beyond report, but Mother and Janet will stop here till we find a place, for it would trouble in vain for them to travel the woods.

Trade in this Country is good at this time and business is going on with considerable life.  Andrew is engaged with a joiner that lives 2 miles from this place for 10S per day and find himself.  New York is a fine City and a great deal of business done in it.  The land here is dry and sandy but good for rearing fruit of all kinds.  The vines are growing here as plenty as the blueberries are in Faleipper and the apple trees are growing in the corn and wheat fields.  They are reaping wheat and sowing buck wheat.  They do the most of their work with oxen and they will do more than you would imagine.

Be so good as let Gllewhalert People know that Alex Heron is in good health and looks as well as when we left Scotland and he is going to write them ere long and will give them the news better than I can do.  Give our respects to William Broadshaw and family and to all inquiring friends.  We will write you as soon as we are settled.  I must conclude at this time, but remain your sincere though distant friend.

Alexander McCornack

[Note:  The mother talked about here was Helen McGeough McCornack.  Andrew, who was employed by a joiner, is Andrew Jr., our grandfather.  The 1838 crossing was made by Andrew Sr. and his wife, Helen, and children Alexander, Andrew Jr., and Janet.  Sons John and William (mentioned in the letter) and daughter, Margaret, crossed in 1837.  George McQueen was Margaret's husband].

Letter from William McCornack,

son of Andrew and Helen

November 5, 1838

Dear Uncle and Aunt

I am happy that I have got the opportunity of letting you know that we are all in good health at present for which we ought to Render thanks to Him who has preserved us through Perrels on land and Perrels on sea and I hope this will find you in the same.  You will be thinking long to know what is become of us as there has been a great alteration in our Family since I saw you last in the More of the Brae but providence has been kind in bestowing health and strength for journeying through a strange land.  My Father and Alex and Andrew left George McQueens in search after land and they called on John and I as they journeyed along and we all thought it best to go to Illinois so they went on up the Erie Canal to Buffalo, then up Lake Erie, Lake Saintclair, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and then they landed at Chicago and went a journey of 40 miles west where they saw a fine country of prairie and woodland with not more than 5 or 6 trees on the acre and that will all be needed for fencing and fire wood, as wood is all the fencing is here.  After traveling around for 1 day or 2 they found a situation containing about 500 acres of woodland with a house and some improvements on it.  It is 5-1/2 miles from a flour mill, saw mill, post office and useful shops.  The houses are about 1 mile apart.  The inhabitants are civilized and friendly.

They are settling in very quick and they are principally from the eastern states.  This section of country was bought from the Indians about 3 years ago and they went a way to the Rocky Mountains for they live principally by hunting and fishing.  The principal game here is deer, rabbit, partridge, prairie hen.  They are about the size and colour of the gray hen.  The principal serpents are the brown snake, the black snake, the rattel snake and there is no more danger of them than the adder.  The only beast of prey is the prairie wolf.

This is a level country.  Running springs are scarce but water can be got anywhere by digging a little ways.  There is a well of good water not more than 20 yards from the house and this has been the driest season that has been in this country for 20 years but there have been good crops of wheat, buck wheat, corn, oats, and potatoes.  The mills take the 8th bushel for grinding wheat, buck wheat, and Indian corn.  They have no oatmeal here but they use them for feeding horses.

There is a good market for farm produce and stock.  Wheat is 1 dollar per bushel, corn 1/2 dollar, buck wheat 1/2 dollar, potatoes 25 cents, oats 37-1/2 cents, beef 7 cents per lb., pork 10 cents, cows 18 to 30 dollars per pair, working cattle 50 to 100 dollars per pair.  Our stock is but small yet.  We have got 2 cows, 2 oxen and we intend to have another yoke of cattle as soon as we can get them to our mind as cattle are most useful in a new country.  This is a good country for grass.  It grows from 4 to 6 feet high.  We have got as much hay as will keep us from the market.

But in return they wrote to John and I when we were stopping at Rochester on the Erie Canal.  Then John went to George McQueens and found them all in good health.  Mother and Jannet hoisted sail again for Illinois on the 25th September which was a rout of 1770 miles—no small journey.  On October 9th they called on me and I joined the family there and I found my mother a long way from her native shore but still in good health and good spirits.  We came on our journey and took a steam boat at Buffalo for Chicago called Dewit Clinton 5th October.  So we set out again and had different kinds of weather.  We had some heavy gales on the lakes.  My Mother and Jannet were not sick but tossed a little with the storm.  But there was nothing befell us as we landed at Chicago on the 16th Instant.  We hired a waggon which took us and our luggage home in two days.  If there is anything that you want to know please state it in your first letter to us.  We have our respects to you as a family.  No more but remain your affectionate friend.  From

William McCornack

[A story goes along with this letter.  William mentioned that they found no oatmeal in the new country, but that they fed the oats to the horses.  William Fraser married Andrew's daughter, Janet, and about 1890 went to Scotland and enjoyed some good old-time Scotch oatmeal and decided to bring some back to Elgin.  When he opened it in Elgin he found it had been made in Dundee, Illinois, just four miles from where he was eating it.  So in the course of fifty years America had taken the business away from Scotland.]