Melissa+Coto-+Death 

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 * S**- Charles Llewellyn is the overseer writing to his master Mr. Cameron. Two slaves, Old Peter and William have died of congestive fever and cramp colick. Many other are slaves sick, Joes health has improved but Henderson’s has not. The corn crop is doing well, but the cotton crop is indifferent because of the rust, and they have been putting up fodder.======

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 * C**- This letter was written in 1845. Mr. Cameron owned properties in both North Carolina and Alabama. Charles Llewellyn was the overseer on the plantation in Alabama. Charles Llewellyn was writing to update Mr. Cameron on the status of his slaves, and how well the plantation was doing.======

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 * I**- Based on the information in this letter we can infer that there were sicknesses going around the plantation. Slaves lived in confined quarters, which made it easy for them to spread diseases amongst themselves. The two slaves, who have died, died of different causes, which gives way to the idea that there, were many different illnesses going around, rather than everyone being affected by the same one. The corn crop has been good, and the cotton crop hasn’t which means the weather has been more idea for the growing of corn. They have also put up a lot of fodder, which means they will be able to feed the animals.======

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 * M**- While reading this letter, I did wonder about the weather conditions. The weather conditions could contribute to the illnesses of the slaves and the growth of their crops. I was also wondering if Joe and Henderson were slaves, because they were not talked about amongst the slaves but they too are sick. The putting up of fodder made me think they were preparing for winter, which wouldn’t be abnormal in October, but they didn’t mention why they were putting up fodder.======

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 * S**- Charles Llewellyn is writing his master to inform him that one of their slaves, Old Simon has died of a congestive chill. A doctor was sent for but he couldn’t help him. Several other slaves have arrived on the plantation and he is unaware of how their health will hold up. He has heard that slaves of other plantations are getting sick. Llewellyn is doing his best to care for the sick. They have packed 50 bales of cotton and he has 10 more bales out on the plantation to be picked.======

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 * C**- This letter was written a little over year after the previous one, Llewellyn is updating his master on the status of the slaves who are continuing to get sick. The cotton crop has improved within the last year as well. One more slave has died within that year, totaling three that Charles Llewellyn has mentioned in his letters.======

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 * I**- We can infer that the slave conditions on the plantation are not beneficial to their health, as they continue to get sick. Slaves are also becoming increasingly susceptible to death. The slaves situations have gotten bad enough that Llewellyn told his master that he will do his best to care for them, something he did not say prior to this letter. The slaves on the Cameron plantation are not the only ones getting sick, as Llewellyn has heard of slaves from other plantations getting sick and dying too. The cotton crop has also gotten better over time.======

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 * S**- Paul Cameron is writing to his father who has been travelling to see Paul’s sisters. Cameron is concerned because he heard that his father has been sick. He is hoping to meet his father’s rail car in Raleigh. He reminds his father of the letter he wrote prior to this one about his brother’s illness, and notifies him that he has gotten over it and is fine. He had been hearing such bad things about Anne and the children that he went and spent the night with them. Anne is suffering and Mary’s health is indifferent. Rebecca, Anne and Duncan’s health has improved. Disease is spreading where they are. Betsey, an 18-year-old slave has died after her third case of chills, and with a fever. Paul is sending bagging, and rope to pack his fathers cotton to Raleigh. They have not received iron ball rope or bagging. He is waiting to see his father in Raleigh to take his family home. He has sent his letter with Syme.======

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 * C**- Paul Cameron is writing to his father to update him on his own circumstances, and inform him that he intends on meeting his rail car in Raleigh. He is also making general conversation, with the mention of wanting to see his sisters, and informing his father on his brother and families conditions. Within the last year the illness that was once isolated to the slaves has spread to the slave owners and their children. Everyone is getting sick, and no one is safe. Some die from the illness, while others recover. He is notifying his father that another slave has died and that they have not received some of the supplies they are waiting for.======

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 * I**- We can infer from this letter that Paul Cameron is healthy himself because he is able to travel to meet his father, and be with his family. He mentions the dying of a slave in passing giving the impression that it does not mean that much to him. This illness has progressed within the last couple of years because before it was isolated to the slaves, and now the masters are contracting it. They have observed that those who die, die when they reach a fever. Cameron is waiting on the iron, ball rope and bagging that has not come. The fact that Cameron has not gotten sick would infer that he does not interact with the slaves.======

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 * M**- The weather conditions have still not been mentioned, however with Cameron’s travelling it must not bee too difficult to get around. I wonder why Cameron is awaiting the arrival of his father to move his family; possibly because they do not reside their permanently, or because they would like to escape the illness but wish to see his father when he arrives in NC. How are they replacing the slaves who have passed away, there was no mention of slaves coming in as there was in Llewellyn’s letters from before.======

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 * S**- Paul Cameron is writing to his father to update him on the situation of the plantation. He is happy to hear his father is healthy and claims that indulging in a generous living is he best security against getting sick again. His father did not arrive in Raleigh. Cameron is still away from his family. Mildred the slave will recover according to Dr. Hodge. Cameron reminds his father of his first letter, and the health status at that point. He informs him that they are unaware of the nature of the illness, but that people die so quickly they are unable to get intelligent people to look at it. It has been unusually warm for a November, and Cameron believes that snow will help cure the disease going around. Paul also admits that he is tired of taking care of the sick. His brother has become sick, and recovered again. Miss Lotty and Mr. Harris are both in poor health. They are also still waiting on supplies. In order to keep the gin working he had to go buy supplies from Raleigh. They are picking cotton, sending wheat, and cribbing corn. Llewellyn is sick, he received a check for $300, and notified Cameron that there are sick slaves but haven’t been more deaths. They sold 50 of the 100 bales of cotton on the Alabama plantation, and there has been a miscommunication about how many sacks of salt are on the plantation Llewellyn oversees.======

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 * C**- In writing this letter Paul Cameron is notifying his father of the conditions on the plantation, and the other plantation. He is updating him on the status of the illness within the plantation, and his own knowledge about the disease that has spread. He is also informing him of the business going on, on both the NC plantation and the on in Alabama.======

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 * I**- What we can infer from this letter is that the illness has continue to spread. This letter was written two days after the last letter, so it is to be assumed that Paul Cameron’s father’s railcar never came into Raleigh, since he has yet to see him. Cameron also believes that the best way to avoid the disease that is spreading is o indulge, which is possibly what he has been doing to avoid getting sick. We have finally been notified of the weather conditions. November has been unusually hot, which could have helped the disease spread. Cameron seemed to think snow would help cure the disease. Paul Cameron notifies his father of his knowledge of the disease, which means they have been trying to understand what is going on, but the doctors are not well equip enough to treat the patients or understand the illness. Charles Llewellyn, the overseer of the Alabama plantation is sick, because of helping the sick slaves, has been paid $300 dollars, and has been in contact with Paul Cameron about the business of the plantation. The miscommunication between how many sacks of salt Duncan Cameron thought were on the plantation and how many there really were proves that he has not been in communication with the plantation himself, and something has happened in between. Paul mentions something that was unintelligible about the railroad, possibly inferring that they have stolen some of the sacks or didn’t deliver some of them.======

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 * M**- It would be helpful to know what Paul Cameron meant to say about the railroads involvement in the missing salt sacks. It would also be helpful to know if Duncan Cameron visits these plantations on his own, or relies on word of mouth to conduct business. Another piece of information that would be helpful regarding the disease is how soon are they calling the doctors, before those who are sick are dying, and how long are they sick before they die, this would help get a better idea of the progression of the illness by itself.======

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 * S**- Charles Llewellyn is notifying Paul Cameron about what is happening on the plantation. He has packed 161 bales of cotton, killed 52 head of hos, which made 4923 pounds of pork, and intends on killing 50 more. He also has 15 bales of cotton to be picked. He hopes to surpass last year’s numbers, although bad weather and illness are not helping the situation. There are 6 slaves in the house who are sick, and one more is dead.======

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 * I**- We can infer that Llewellyn had mostly business to discuss with Cameron. This could be because the disease has stop spreading and is now confined to the 6 slaves in the house. This letter came later in November, so the weather might be getting colder, which might be helping the disease stop spreading.======

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 * M**- It would be good to know how long Caroline was sick for, before she died, and whether the 6 left in the house have been sick, or are new to the illness. It would also be good to know the status of Llewellyn’s own health, since earlier Cameron mentioned he was sick.======

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 * Claim/Conclusion:** Based on these series of letters, there has been a disease spreading amongst the plantations that originated with the slaves. The weather has been unusual, which could have fostered the illness, and business on the Cameron plantations has been difficult because of a lack of supplies.======

**Reflection:**
This would be a helpful form of inquiry when investigating specific events. For example students could look at documents related to the Civil War, and deduce what was going on during a specific time period within that overarching event. Another pedagogical implication of this tool could be to analyze different perspectives on historical figures. For example students could look at letters written about a figure or from a figure and deduce their role in a larger event, or who they were as a person and make a claim accordingly. The last pedagogical implication for the SCIM-C method could be when analyzing a certain movement in history. For instance women’s rights, students could gather documents from different perspectives on women’s rights and make a claim about that time period according to these documents and the evidence in them.