TRAIN ACCIDENT LETTERS
Fine pair of antebellum letters by the Brewson sisters of Atlanta concerning the death of a family friend, John Natt, killed in a train derailment caused by human error. The letters, dated Jan. 24 and Feb. 26, 1859, read in part: "...painful news of the death of Mr. John Natt. He was killed on the Winchester and Alabama Rail Road, the cars ran off the Bridge and upset down the embankment, there were five hurt and one killed Natt. He lived about two hours. He never spoke after he was mangled…we are told. His jaw bone was broken and a contusion on the back of his head. It occurred on the 18th of this month…break the news as gently as you can to his bereaved child and aunt…John's body is laid in a vault in Nashville and placed in a metallic case thinking that you would like to have him removed....the cars was thrown off by a piece of timber which had been used by some of the train hands as a scotch and which had been left on the track. He was buried by the masonic fraternity. We have not found out yet what disposition has been made of his property…". Very good.