Florence-Drew County Arkansas-February 6, 1895
Dear Brother & Sister and all of the Children,
This leaves all as well as comon hope it will find you
all the same. I received your letter yesterday and
was glad to here from you all once more. I have no
nuse to write to you only hard times here, the hardest
i ever saw in the way of money. a dime is as hard to
get now as a dollar was too years ago. this country
is in a bad fix. we had a drouth here last summer and
sorry crops and set nothing for it. the Merchants and
the Bank at Monticello are closing out a good many
farmers taking their Land and Stock. I see some boddy
nearly evry day wanting to sell a mule or a horse to
satisfi his margage. Too of my neighbors has good
mules one offers his for $30 dollars the other one say
he will take $50 for his if he can get it. Monticelo
is over run with morgaged horses and mules. the
farmers were all morgaged to the Merchants and the
Bank and made a sorry crop and it did not pay them out
and there is no money in the country. I just say to
you dont bring your mules here for you cannot sell
them and feed is mity scarce and hardt to get here
now. You wanted to know if there was a railrode from
Srveseport here. there is a road from Monticelo to
Monro Louisanna and from there to Srveseport. Our
children are all married but two. they are with us
yet. our yongest are girls and Larrence is at Tilar
Station on the rail road working in a shop. he is a
natural mechanick. he can do anything he wants to do.
the rest of them live in haring of us. they are all
well. my oldest boy Sam married old Squire
Richardsons daughter and died and his wife moved with
her pa to Williamson County Texas. She had one child
by Sam and they call him Sam. Corn Hill is ther post
office. she is married again and doing well. July
[Julia, his wife] is lively as ever and says if you
come back here she will laf at you about passing away.
July weights a hundred and fifty pounds and as fat as
a giney pig. She will bee 60 years old tomorrow. i
am still able to work but not like i did when you saw
me last. i have nowbody to help me work but my too
girls they hoe and pick cotton. i still work some in
the shop if a job sutes me. rumatism works on me at
times. i am standing it very well for a runt as mamy
use to call me. they all say here that i have done
more hard work than ane man in this county. i have
not hart from Ala. in fore or five years. i think i
will rite back there before long and here what they
are doing. i dont see what Peacock thought when he
wrote for you to bring your mules here to sell. they
all want you to come to see us and i want you to come
to see us but dont bring your stock. i have to write
with a pencil my hand shakes. i will rite to Parks
before long. you must write again. Good by-A.P. Hayes
Written by Amos Pinkney Hayes
Contributed
by:
Jann Woodard
jann_woodard@yahoo.com
December 10, 2001
Friday, March 9, 1911-letter written to, and published by Chester Newspaper, Chester, South Carolina
Elijah Hyatt married Hannah Culp. Their sons were: B.
C., David and Elijah. Ben C. Married Livinia Fee and
moved with his family to Arkansas in the early fifties
of the last century. He did not develop any of the
elements of character of a minister of the Gospel
while in this country, but I was told he got to be a
Baptist preacher in Arkansas. I don't know anything
of his family.
Elijah died unmarried. David married Julia McFadden.
They reared one child, Isaac McFadden Hyatt. He
served through the War as a sergeant in Co. A, 17th S.
C. V. His wife was Martha J. Edwards. They both died
in Lancaster county, only eleven days intervening
between their deaths. Their children are Mrs. Julia
Turner, Mrs. Margaret Killian, Mrs. Ina Ford, D. H.
and Isaac Marmaduke, all living in the Landsford and
Fort Lawn sections of the county. Two other children,
Mrs. Ammie Edwards and Ed Hyatt are died. Their
daughters were Mary and Ruth, twins, Rhoda, Nancy,
Julia Ann, Sallie, Susannah, Elizabeth and Sophronia.
Mary married Grey Cherry and reared a large family of
sons and daughters. Four of their sons were
Confederate soldiers, viz., William, Elijah, Lafayette
and Columbus. The last named was killed in battle.
The other three survived the War, but are all dead.
Elijah rose to the captaincy of Co. E, 17th S. C. V.
There were two other sons, Pinckney, who went to Texas
and Pringle, who died some years after the War. There
were four daughters, Martha, Ruth, Nancy, and Julia.
Martha married Wm. Porter and after his death went
with her children to Arkansas. Ruth married T. W.
Roddey and reared a large family of sons and
daughters, a number of whom with their families live
in the Landsford section of the county. Nancy married
Abram Ferguson. She died a few years ago in Lancaster
leaving several children. Julia was the wife of S. E.
Killian, and at her death left two sons and two
daughters, all of whom are married. Ruth Hyatt
married Wylie Crook. They reared a family in
Arkansas, but I know nothing of them. Rhoda Hyatt
married Turner Ferguson and after his death married
Ira Ferguson. These men were related, but were not
brothers. She reared a large family of sons and
daughters. Perry Ferguson, her oldest son, was a
gallant soldier in the 6th Regt. S. C. V. and is still
living, a prominent citizen of Bethel township in York
county. Nancy Hyatt married M. E. Edwards and by this
marriage reared three sons and one daughter. W. L.
died in Lancaster, Dr. E. H. died in Due West, John L.
died in the Hospital for the Insane in Columbia, Mary
married Uriah Jordan and reared five sons and two
daughters and died some twenty or more years ago.
After the death of M. D. Edwards, which occurred in
1839, she married W. Milton Walker. Of this marriage
there are two living children, Joseph Walker of
Lancaster, and Mrs. Lizzie Kelsey of Fort Lawn.
Sallie Hyatt married Jonathan Ferguson. They moved to
Arkansas in 1845 and reared their family there; and I
know but little of them. After the death of his first
wife in Arkansas, he returned to Chester county and
married his sis-in-law, Nancy, widow of Milton Walker,
who was 74 and he was 76 years old. After a few years
she died and he went to the home of one of his
daughters and died in Louisiana. Julia Ann Hyatt
married Madison Ferguson. They reared one son and
three daughters, Calvin, the son, was a member of Co.
A 6th S. C. V. and was killed in battle in Virginia in
1864. The daughters all married. Bessie to a Mr.
Wilson and went to Arkansas. Sallie to David Simpson
and went to Illinois, Mattie to a Mr. Graham and is
living a widow in Lancaster. Susannah Hyatt married
Thomas L. McFadden. She died in early life, leaving
three sons, Elijah, Sameul and Lafayette, all of whom
were Confederate soldiers. Elijah survived the War,
and died at Richburg some years after the War. The
other two were killed in battle. Elizabeth Hyatt
married W. W. Jordan. They reared three sons, J. J.,
D. H., and B. D. The last two are living. J. J. died
recently. He married Emily Bradley and they reared a
large family of sons and daughters. D. H. is
unmarried. B. D. married Lizzie Kelsey, and they have
reared two sons and three daughters. His wife is
recently died. The daughters of Mrs. Elizabeth Jordan
were Mary, Mattie, and Sallie. Mary married Isaac
McFadden and died leaving one son, Dr. May McFadden,
of Clinton. Mattie married Rhett Kelsey, and after
his death married George McKeown. She has no
children. Miss Sallie is unmarried. Saphronia Hyatt,
the youngest child of Elijah Hannah Hyatt married
Marion Ferguson. They reared a large family of sons
and daughters, all of whom with their families live in
Lancaster county.
Marion Ferguson was a member of Co. B 4th Regt. S. C.
V. Cavalry and died during the War. His widow
afterwards married Jasper Sledge. Of this marriage
there were two daughters, both married and living in
Lancaster county. The children of Elijah and Hannah
Hyatt are all dead, the most of them living to a ripe
old age. Mrs. Sledge died in an old age at Fort Lawn
some ten years ago. She was the youngest and the last
of the twelve children. This was a remarkable family.
But one of their children died unmarried, and he
lived to mature manhood. All the rest except one
daughter lived to old age and reared large families.
David Hyatt had but one child, M. Hyatt. Many of the
descendants of these old people are among the best
citizens of this and other States. The descendants of
Elijah Hyatt and Hannah Culp living and dead no doubt
will number more than a thousand people.
I neglected to mention that all three sons of M. D.
Edwards were Confederate soldiers. How many of the
grand-sons in the West were in the Confederate Army I
do not know, but I do know that all of them in this
county who were old enough served in that War. J. and
M. E. Jordan and Joseph Walker, who were boys, served
the last year of the War. There was another branch of
the Hyatt family in Lancaster county. They descend
from David Hyatt, a brother of Elijah. There was
another family of the same name in the Western section
of Chester county, but I do not know what relationship
if any existed between them and Elijah Hyatt.
Written by W. H. Edwards
Chester Newspaper, Chester, South Carolina Friday,
March 9, 1911:
Contributed
by:
Jann Woodard
jann_woodard@yahoo.com
December 10, 2001
May the 15th 1893
(0n page #1)
Mr. Frier & Cousin martha (Martha) and family dear cousans (Cousins) i (I) will write you all a few lines more Friar I received your letter the 15th and was glad.to here from you all but was sorrow ( sorry) to hear of you getting cripled (crippled) Friar I have put on a new pen so I can write you the general news I am coming out there this fall and we will hav (have) a good time I am going to bring a little change with me Well Friar this leaves us all well at present and I hope it will find you all the same. Friar you wanted to no
(know)what Clod Moss and Henry Meredith fell out about Here is the way of it Charly (Charley) Mc Dermit has got a little old store at Jesy (Jesse) Millard Mill and Clod Moss Moss and Henry Meredith & Sim Moore and two or three more was in the store drinking bitters a little after dark and Hank and Sim Moore had a few words beteen (between) each other and Clod Moss took up for
Sim. Clod struck at Hank with his knife but did not hurt him then Charly (Charley) Mcdermit caught Clod and held him and Hank picked up his gun and started home. then Charly (Charley
McDermit) turned Clod Moss a loose
(Page #2 )
and Clod rushed on to Hank and both of them went out of doors fightinging (fighting) . Sim Moore and Tom Meredith went out after Hank and Clod and Sim Moore caught Hanks gun and while Sim and Hank was tusstling over the gun then (that) was when Clod cut Hank so bad Tom Meredith would have killed Sim Moore but just as Tom pulled the triger (trigger) Rush Woods throwed his finger under the hammer of the Winchester You see Tom and Hank had been squirrel Hunting that day and come back by the store Tom had a 38 Winchester and Hank had a breech loading shot gun After Hank was cut tell
(til) he fell then Sim and Clod Moss took Toms gun away from him Clod Moss then went and got a horse from Will Chavers and rode back to the store and rode up to the doore (door) and Tom was sitting there over his ded (dead) brother Hank he jumped up and shot Clod Moss with both barrels but did not hurt him hit the horse that Clod was on everyone was gone when Clod come (came) back but Tom and he was sitting there over his ded (dead) brother after Hank was cut he finly (finely) got back in the house but did not live but a few minits (minutes) he mostly bled to deth (death) one of his Juglers (jugulars) vain was cut in too Well Friar hoping I will see you some time and tell you all about it Uncle Jim Meredith is sick now when he gets well he is going to put out a reward for Clod Moss then will write you again and you can make a stake by cathing ( catching) him.
(Page #3)
Well Friar when I come to see you all then I will tell all about it. You wanted to no (know) about the wheel store McHowell has bought out the wheel store owns it by himself now he don't keep much on hand in it George Roberts is still in his old store at Lacy
(Lacey)Jene (Gene) Zackry (Zackery or Zackrey)is selling goods in the old Killion grocery at Lacy (Lacey) old man Mcdonnel has got him a little store at Lacy (Lacey) that is all I
beleieve. D.R.Hames wife ded (died) she dide (died) last summer with slow fever Ham is still in lacy (Lacey) old man bob redy (Bob
Redy) is ded (dead) he died too (two) weeks ago with prumormia (pneumonia) Albert Mcavee is ded (dead) died last summer with bowel complaint Tom Lewis is ded (dead) died last summer with brain fever miss lewis is still running her little store Old man afallen (?) is ded (dead) died last winter with pnumonia (pneumonia) Jeff hayns (Haynes) is ded ( dead) george (George) wells (Wells) killed him last summer was a year ago killed Jeff in monticllo (Monticello) while Jeff was marshell
(marshall) in town old Judge hays is ded (dead) died last fall and bob (Bob) Baker killed ? Hayns (Haynes) haven't never caught bob (Bob) yet Jim Fally married Hellen (Helen) Spencer and she died with cancer on her brest (breast) last fall old billy (Billy) woods (Woods) dide (died) with his cancer Friar uncle (Uncle) meredith (Meredith ) is living on his priarie (prairie) place and hub (Hub) adcock (Adcock) is living on his old place hank (Hank) was living on the place he got from you when he got killed frank( Frank ) fergason (Ferguson) you now (know) got wasons (Watson or Wilson) land frank (Frank) is did
(dead)died two years ago turn over
Page #4
Friar brother Jims wife you no (know) married old man lee (Lee) he is ded (dead) he died two months ago with slow fever Frank fergason ( Ferguson) wider (widow) married another man in lincoln (Lincoln )county by the name of Mirstha are living whare (where) frank (Frank lived when he got killed Friar uncle (Uncle merideth (Meredith) was on the bayoh (Bayou) when hank (Hank) got killed and tha (they) kept Hank out of the ground four days wating (waiting) for uncle (Uncle ) meredith
(Meriedith ) to come home but he didn't get back in time to see Hank it liked to killed old uncle Uncle) Jim when he got back he has bin (been) sick evry (every) sence (since) and very bad but is geting (getting) better now he says he is going to hav (have) Clod moss (Moss) Friar uncle (Uncle) meredith (Meredith) is going to put out a reward soon as he gets well and of course the govaner (governor) will double it but cannot tell in this letter how much it will be but you can make it if you will try i (I) will tell you in the next letter what county Clod come from in Texas and i (I) expict (expect) he is there and you can get the Sharreff (Sheriff) there and ketch (catch) him easy he is a darring (daring) raskal
(raskel) ubet (you bet) i (I) wish i (I) could bin (been there to help Hank in the fight it will rub Sim mighty clost (close) to get out of it some people thinks (think) Sim moore (Moore) helped Clod to kill hank (Hank) but it was dark you no (KNOW) and tha (they ) believe Sim helped Clod tha (they) berried (Buried) hank (Hank) at the old family grave yard i (I) am farmiing on the pery ( Perry) place this year well Friar dear old friends goods (good) by to you all write soone (soon) and i (I) will acer (answer) the letter
Writen (Written) by your friend John monroe (Monroe) Deal Lacy (Lacey) Drew Co. Ark
Note: By Roe Deal is written at the top of page 4. Apparently because he had run out of space.
A picture is located HERE
Note: This has been transcribed to the best of my ability, all corrections are in ( ).
If you recognize a name or mistake please let me know.
Note: The copy of the orginal letter was sent to me by my cousin, Karen Cotter in
Fa..
Contributed
by:
JUANITA WOOD
Jlbw001@aol.com
April 9, 2000
The
following is a letter from James Riley Touchstone to Manervia Gray. The
spelling is left unchanged from the original, but some punctuation has been
added to make it easier to read.
Mrs. Manervia Gray
Greenmount Po
Drew County
Arkansas
Bournsvill, Miss March 26, 1862
Dear sister, I brace this present oppertunity for the pirpis of riting you a few
lines to let you no that I am infoying good helth at this time. Hoping these few
lines will find you and famly aul infoying the same
blessing and also Dempsey and his famly. Well Manervia, I have nothing of much importence to rite to
you. I rote Dempsey a leter afew days sence, but I don't no whether he will git het or not. So now I will drop
you afew lines which I think you will git. Well, we ar now at Burnsvill, Tishamingo County, Miss but I don't
no how long we will stay here. We have got orders to keep two days rashen cucked aul the time, and I
supose the yankes is marchen on Corinth, which is about ten miles from this place. They ar cuting out a
rode to that plase, so if they attact that plase we will be in the batle, but I an't attaul friten to go into abatle
for I don't think the yankes can hit me no how, and I have got asplended musket and I can use hit as well as enybody. So I expect to git sum of them if I git in abatle. I understood yestarday that our men captured six
peces
of artilary from the yankes at Corinth.
Well sister, Jenril Boin has just ben here sence I
comence this leter and made a spech to our Comision
oficers and ses that their is no dout but we will be in to abatle sun. So when you hear from me again, you
may expect to hear from my being in to abatle. Our brigade is composed of four regt and two batris. The
Regt in this brigade is one Miss Regt and one Misoury and the tenth and ninth Arks Regts. I think they ar
aul
fiting stock.
Well sister, I am so sory to tel you that James Gill is
ded. Died afew days sence. And also Thomas
Rogers is ded, and I recken John Hudshon is ded as we han't herd from him sence we left him sick be tween
Nashville
and Bolinggreen.
Marin Whitecar was taken prisner by the yankes at
Bolinggreen. It is in the papers. The paper ses he is
in good helth. I think he is aul they got out of this regt. Well, we have seen avary hard time sence we left Bolinggreen. We ar driling four ours aday now, mosly scrunis driling. Well Alen and severel of our boys
has got back in Country again. They ar aul well. Jack is also here. Spers and four or five of our boys is at
Atlanter
Gorgia yet.
Well, tell Miss J F Thomas that I will ancer her leter
as sun as I can. I han' got eny papor nor I can't git
eny here. I will rite as often as I can, and I want you to do the same. Tell Dempsey their is nothing to
hender him from riting once aweek and I would be glad to here from him sum time. Give my love to
P...nelia(hole in paper) and tel her I would be glad to git aleter from her. Tell Marthia An and Dick and sis
and
Henry and aul of the rest of the children houdy for me and tel them that I want
to see them aul very bad.
Well, I must close for want of rume. Rite sum.
Remain yours truly.
Goodby, J. R. Touchstone to Manervia Gray.
(Postscript)
Driect your leters to
Bournsvill, Miss
I have got the socks you sent me by Thomas. I was flad to git. J. R.
Touchstone
May 25, 2000
The letter is addressed to: Mrs. Jane Wilson
Brownsville, Gaines County
Mississippi
It also says: Dry Ridge, Arks
December 19, 1849
Dear Wife I regret that I have not had before this time a suitable opportunity of addressing you a line. When I was at Lake Providence it was raining all the time and after passing the opportunity of writing became worse instead of better untill the present time. Since I saw you we have seen all trouble that we could immagine. The rains set before we left the Lake P--ce and we have been in mud and water nearly ever since. We ware some 2 or 3 weeks on going 20 or 30 miles. We cut about 8 or 10 miles road in the swamp. There being a space of 20 miles that there was no house we could only obtain a scanty supply for our selves and teams from this and the severe cold. We lost our gray mare and one or two others like to die. We, however have got within some 4 or 5 miles of the hills and have stayed at a house to recruit our stock a few days on the West bank of Byo Betholomew. I left them there last Sunday morning to take a little look round at the country. I have not yet got any place. Last night I dreamed a very bad dream about Mary which has rendered me quite uneasey and I should have endeavered to get back to camp tonight, but my horse is scarsely able to travel and will take me till tomorrow night to get there a distance of 20 to 25 miles. Though I see some Moneers tonight who past our camp yesterday evening and says all was well then. This Wednesday 8 or 9 oclock at night, I write at a Mr. Thomas Denson in the upper part of Ashley County, Arkansas about 3 miles from the Drew Co. line. I expect when I return to camp � (I got a little house for my folks to stay in until I return) to try to bring my waggons forward though the road is very bad and water up so that we will necessarily make poore progress. I have not got my place yet but I do not think we can get as far as we expected and therefore must stop soon whither we are suited or not. I do not know when I can come for you but as soon as I get a place to stay. I must come by water and railroad. I could write much more but must close for the present. We have had some affliction. The children stood the trip better than one could have expected unless they have been sick since I left.
Yours truly & I am
A.P. Wilson
To Mrs. Jane Wilson
P.S. Give my respects to Mr. Walker and wife.
A. P. W.
P. S. Write to Rough & Ready
Drew County, Arkansas
A.P.W.
Note: I have added punctuation and capitalization to make it easier to read. I have spelled the words as written. Abel Pennington Wilson and his family left Monticello, Georgia in 1849 to move to Arkansas. For some reason, he apparently left his wife, Elizabeth Jane Morgan Wilson, in Mississippi. He settled, about 1 � miles from Rough and Ready on what is now the Old Troy Road.
Contributed
by:
Harry Keith Wilson
Hornridge@aol.com
August,24 2000
Last Update Saturday, 23-Feb-2013 18:37:17 MST
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