Lexington July 2d 1826
My Dear Mother
some lenth of time has now elapsed since I wrote to you and
I have received no answer yet and I fear you have not got it—
I will now tell you what I have been doing since I left you, after I
arrived here with Mr Hawkins he put me to learn the tanning trade
with Mr Blanchard his brother in law where I staid better than 2
years but I found that him and I could not agree so I left him and
came to Lexington and have been living with Mr. Peter Hedenbergh
learning the sadling trade which I like verry well, but I want to
see and hear from you all verry much and I want you to write to me
and be particular to send my age exactly and I want you and my
sisters to send me as many books as you can (Spanish) as I have
nearly lost my language in my own tounge since I came here, I have
discovered that by nature I . . . [blotted] sinner, but now blessed
be God . . .
God for Christ sake has pardoned . • .
while I experienced the . . .
on my own heart, I have . , .
by immersion, and have . . .
Baptist Denomination in this town sensible that none but God can
pardon sins, to him I have gone and have found for myself that he
is able and willing to save My Dear Mother I want you to read
the Bible for yourself and there you will find happyness read it
with attention and prayer and the Spirit of God will enable you to
understand it, but while I have renounced the doctrines of the
Church of Rome, I have not given up prayer but still find it a
blessing to my soul, but I hope, should the Lord spare me to see
you again to be able to talk more at large with you on this subject
My Dear Mother perhaps you may not like it so well that I have
changed my spiritual views of things, but the case was this, after I
came here, I became verry wicked and in the midst of this, I took
to reading the Bible and going to meeting and became convinced
that I was a sinner and without repentance, I should never see
heaven, I think when you consider that calmly you will say I have
done right and should we never meet on earth again I hope to meet
you in the realms of Glory where parting will be no more pray
for me that I may hold out faithful to the end, I want you to
remember me to all my brothers and sisters and all my friends and tryand write to me as soon as you get this and direct to me in these
words,—
Mr. Joseph M. D. Carbajal
Care of Peter Hedenbergh Sadler
Lexington, (Fayette, Cy
—Kentucey—
I shall now close and believe me to be your affectionate son
Joseph M D Carbajal.
Lexington Ky
Dr Sir/
A lad of this town has a mother in St. Antonio and a brother in
Law by the name of Louisano Nabaro a silver smith of the same
town
The affectionate and praiseworthy conduct of this lad has
endeared him to his acquaintances and I have taken upon myself to
open a way for this lad and his friends to communicate freely by
mail and therefore beg that you will do me the favor to have this
letter delivered and hope the mother will send her letters to some one
of the nearest Post offices in the united states and point out to her son the channell by which his letters may reach her and at the
same time I solicit a correspondence with yourself as an old friend
Jos Fickltn
P master Lexington Ky
PS—I shall send this to my friend Cox in N Orleans—[Ad-
dressed :] Stephen Austin Esqr