A letter John wrote to his brother Robert survives:
"Shelburne, August ye 4th, 1817
"Dear Brother
"I received a line from you letting me know that you and yours was well and I and mine are well through the goodness of almighty God in hope they will find you enjoying the like blessing. I have no news to write you it is a general time of health in these parts. I would gladly come and see you but I am Destitute of a horse, my old mare died last winter and her left colt three years old broke her leg in the pasture playing and obliged to kill her. Chester is in the state of Maryland at the head of the Chesapeake. Clerk to a man building a bridge over the Susquehanna he hasn't been home but once this four years I had a letter from him Dated last month he was not well and thought he should come home if he did not get better my kind respects to my old friend John Morrison and let him know that if we should not see each other in this world I hope we shall meet in another and better world where sin and sorrow shall be done away, my respects to your wife, Abraham and wife and all inquiring friends.
"farewell
"John Stewart"
(Severance, B. Frank. Genealogy and biography of the descendants of Walter Stewart of Scotland and of John Stewart who came to America in 1718 and settled in Londonderry, N.H. Greenfield, Mass. : T. Morey & Son, 1905, pg. 44-65)