Whitesborough, New York, 1841

Letter by Laura Dexter of Whitesborough, New York, 1841, with postmarked integral address leaf to Edward North and reads in part: "McLeod's trial is the all absorbing topic of the day, our quiet, peaceible village, has been under military guardianship for many weeks, by orders of our good & careful whig Governor," William Seward, "an armed band have patrolled our streets, breaking at intervals the still watches of the night. I am thankful that thus far, the law has taken its course, & McLeod is unmolested, but I fear the result, if he be acquitted, as many curses, both loud & deep, have come forth against him, and a war with England instead of being deprecated, seems with some to be the great desirable."

Andrew J. Glover Rockingham County, New Hampshire

A 3 page letter with a red paper seal on the front., from the State of New Hampshire., Rockingham County., an order to the sheriff. A citizen is asking for the arrest of another for his crime of breaking and entering his home and stealing all sorts of items.

He used force to enter his home., he stole 50 lbs of salt pork, 20 lbs butter, 3 lbs of candles, 12 silver spoons, one silver butter knife. The letter is more detailed, has other pages of description of the thief., named Andrew J. Glover., with the autographs of the Judge and the Sheriff and the person who has filed this arrest order, Elbrdige Robinson.

Kokomo Indiana Love Letters

Up for auction on Ebay is a group of 40 handwritten vintage love letters to a woman by the name of Daisy B. Smith who lived in Kokomo Indiana at the time these letters were written. The letters are written by her soon to be husband, Howard Spitzer who owns his own business in Mount Vernon Ohio called “Spitzer’s Shoe Parlors.” The earliest letter is dated March 21st, 1912 and the last letter September 1st, 1913 only 9 days before the couple gets married.

“Tampa Fla. March 21st, 1912

My Dear Friend,

…..I sure wish I lived close enough to you so we could take a moonlight ride. I am fond of them aren’t you. Well we will keep getting acquainted better every day and I am going to reveal a secret to you right here and I trust you will forgive me for not telling you sooner. Now hold your breath. Do you remember one time I wrote you and told you that I did not like the southern girls, however I was foolish enough one time to marry one and I am what some people call a grass widow. Now what do you think of that. We could not get along together so we called it quits. I know this will be quite a surprise to you and I have wanted to tell you for some time but have just put it off……I don’t believe you would be satisfied away from your people….I remain as ever, C. S. McCalister. Sunlight Mfg. Co.”

This group of letters would be a fantastic find for someone working on a Spitzer genealogy.

New Orleans 1846

Letter written March 22, 1846 from New Orleans by Hiram A. Goodlett to his mother, Mrs. Harriet Goodlett, in Alexandria, Benton Co. Alabama. Benton County’s name was changed to Calhoun County in 1868. The letter includes a ½-page note to his brother Alfred.

Important letter filled with fascinating observations about New Orleans, its population, fashions, etc. Hiram begins by writing that he had become uneasy, having received “Only one letter in two months.” He continues, “This is a great and growing city, and I think I shall do well here yet…There are people of all nations and kinds here…The rich and the poor are near neighbors…Poor people ought not to live in cities [because] it requires wealth to be fashionable, and if families do not follow fashion, they are out of the world…All cities are more or less filthy, and a person from the country accustomed to neatness, though poor, would be disgusted with what they could not avoid…It is a great benefit to a person, of the right turn of mind, to live awhile in a city…A farmer settled in a good country, with enough for independence, is the happiest man on earth…Most persons [in New Orleans] dress finely, and the women extravagantly…There are three theatres, circuses, galleries of paintings and numberless other places to take a man’s money.”
The note to Alfred encourages him to continue his studies: “study Book Keeping…You ought to improve your handwriting by all means.” He suggests that if Father can sell the lot “on which there is a meeting house” near Goldville (some distance from Alexandria), their father can have Hiram’s share of the proceeds.
In addition, there are descriptions of the City’s distinctive cemeteries, the Mississippi River and its steamboat traffic, ships, etc., the cost of lodging and his difficulty finding affordable accommodations, cotton seed that he is sending and wants Alfred to plant (“The seed is worth $4 per bushel here.”), “I was vaccinated two weeks ago and it took well, so I shall not fear the Small Pox”, etc., etc.

1864 Civil War Letter Horace Holton

1864 Civil War Letter written by a Mississippi Riverboat Captain relating to work on the river with his Sidewheeler - the "Polar Star". The letter is dated December 2nd, 1864 from St. Louis, Missouri and written to Horace Holton's cousin George at Charlestown, New Hampshire.
The Letter reads in part: "Dear Coz George, /I think you owe me one but I will overlook it. I have had a gay old time since I wrote you. been 9days, most all long ones on a sand bar in the middle of the "big Muddy" only 40 miles below the City. I loaded my Polar Star for Duval Bluffs, Ak and started with an old hull in tow for Cairo on the 19th of Nov. and when 20 miles down struck a bar & snapped all my tow lines like pack thread. The boat wiggled off without difficulty & I caught the hull before she grounded & again we went on our way rejoicing. About 40 miles below at Herculaneum bar we grounded again and our hull floated 4 miles down the river & lodged on a sand bar... It took me 3 days to get the boat off and 6 days to get the hull off and then the water had fallen so much I had to leave it and 1105 sks (sacks?) of oats & sending the other boat along, come back to get another boat to tow the hull and take the oat along. Total loss by detention $4,000... This is some of the beauties of Steamboating, How would you like it when you come out West to see me, I will take you down the river, if I own a boat then, and let you see for yourself.... / Yours, (signed)H. H.".

1864 Charles N. Sake

LETTER DATED JUNE 12TH, 1864. A letter from Yonkers [New York] by Charles N. Sake? addressed to his mother.

Dear mother I am thinking it is about time to wright.....Charles tells his mother about his work, pay and friends which he wants to bring home for a few days. He also tells her “they enrolled our names last weak so we are all right for the next draft when they draft I will make track for some place unnone this world is larger bigger than New Milford mutch as two [ ? ].”

Mobile Alabama 1866

Letter from Israel Putnam. Malone Books, Stationery, Fancy Goods, etc 52 Dauphin Street, Mobile Alabama. Dated Feb 19, 1866. It is a letter to G&C Merriam regarding their debt advising that they have been "pressed" and are only able to pay a portion of their balance and willingness to pay interest should they "say so". A post script advising they sold their house and lot in Eufaula and will send payment to settle off old claims once "the deed can be made out and the money paid".

Rahway, New Jersey 1872

To the mayor of Rahway, New Jersey. In full: “There died at this place on the 8th inst. Of Typhoid Fever a young man of the name of Geo. Jackson whose parents and family reside in your place as ascertained from letters found among his effects. Will you be kind enough to break this sad news to them and inform them that a letter to me will be answered giving full particulars as regards his effects &c. Respectfully, Dr. A.A. Mix, Public Administrator, Yuma Co., A.T.”

This letter is for sale on Ebay Item number: 260281923720

Concord, Massachusetts 1818

Document dated 1818, Concord, Massachusetts, where Peter Wilson has written to 'Friend Hamilton' of Hamilton and Wood; regarding shipping various whiskey to him....signed Peter Wilson.

This great old Concord, Massachusetts letter is for sale on ebay Item number: 350085787778. What a great find for your Wilson genealogy.

H.L. Roberts Civil War Letter

An original Civil War letter which includes the envelope which has the address of Cambridge Maryland. It is dated Load's Chester Co. Va, Dec 2 1862. The letter reads as follows:

My Dear Eliza,

I know you will think me a real good girl for replying to your long looked for letter so soon after its very welcome reception but I was so real glad to hear from you and I thought the very best way to convince you would be by letting you hear from me very soon I have very often thought of you this summer & sometimes was forced to the conclusion you had forgotten me surrounded by old friends.....I never have passed so quite a season nothing at all to relieve the monotony. Not even an occasional visit from our friends & relations in the Army. Exceptin John Potts poor fellow who was wounded as you know & home for a very little while but that was in September, July and August, were sad months of fearful suspense Sister Annie was with us during the month of August, & of course that was very plesant. The only comfort I had was in writing & receiving letter from my friends in the Army. Making things for the soldiers & keeping very busy about the house & on the Sabbath walking two miles to teach Sunday School.....I had time quietly to think of others besides myself & I hope I may have done some things which were profitable at least I have learned that life is both "real and earnest." Emma Bull came over to see me on Saturday I gave her your photograph with which she was delighted.......Our cousin Capt Heber Smith poor fellow had been sick but was quite well again how I do want to see him it seems so funny that he should be in the Army I have such a good potograph of him & like you I find my album a very great comfort......I am going to tell you next of my own dear Brother Dewees, poor fellow was sick in the Fall we were Oh so very anxious but I am thankful to say he is quite well again indeed has been in two & perhaps three quite little battles since down near Suffolk (where he is stationed) on the Black water River. He is Captain of his company now. And Levi...is in West Chester at the Military Adacemy. A young Cadet to be sure so when next you see him he will have quite a military air & more than ever a beaux. He often speaks of "Miss Eliza," Our pleasant parties in Phila last winter will not be realized....None of our number will be there.....Capt Elliot you know is with Gen Pope, I've not heard from him very lately....I do wish this war over, I want so much to see my friends but I think now everything looks very dark. How do you feel in regard to the removal of Gen McClellan? I am so sorry indeed I fear it will have a very bad effect. My friends under him seem very much discouraged. However I will still hope for the best. Having great faith in Gen Burnside. Did you think of us all when the Rebels were in Penna? Everybody went to defend the state. Heber Bull took his horse and went as Cavalry indeed the excitement was intense I cannot say that I felt very much alarmed but still I suppose there was cause for fear but I have written already so long a letter you will wish you had never written me........Your Sincere friend H.L. Roberts.

This letter is on Ebay if you want to have a look.

Private P.J. Murphy 1917

Three page typewritten letter, dated November 4, 1917, from "Somewhere in France". Private P.J. Murphy, Company D, 14th Engineers AEF to his friend Syl. Great content about travel to France, organizing camp, railroad movement to the front, description of the trenches "evacuated by Fritz", dealing with snipers, problems with mail. "We were the first regiment of American troops to see active service in France within range of the German guns.

Ebay Item number: 200245325965

1778 William Jackson

Original letter dated 1778, where William Jackson has written to a Lt. Croker, of the 28th Regiment at Truro, regarding the estate left by his Uncle, though he was left only a very small amount....it seems the Uncle did not like the Nephew....in any event letter is 2 pages, 8x8 with addressed outer leaf.

Berkshire, Massachusetts 1822

I found this great old letter for sale on Ebay Item number: 280253517331 It is full of great info and would be a great find for someone who is working on the Fruser family, Pitton family or Case family.

Addressed to Mr. William Whitney, Pittsfield, County of Berkshire, Massachusetts", the content relates to settlement of property taxes due for years of 1810 through 1822 on certain real estate located in Township 4, Range 18 in or around Hartford, Connecticut.

Evidently the property had been split, and while most of the new owners had paid their taxes, there remained 12 years of unpaid real property taxes due from the owner of the bulk of the property, (looks like "Dorsance").

Some of the owners of the split properties were "Abraham Fruser", "Parker Pitton", "Leonard Case", and one I simply can't make out.

The writer, Jess Kingsbury, states that Mr. Whitney will be sent the receipts upon payment of the back taxes, the amounts of which are listed, and were verified by a General Simon Perkins.

Order Of Arrest For John Steffe 1819

This order of arrest dated July 23, 1819. To the Sheriff of Baltimore County, State of Maryland, to arrest John Steffe, to answer to Adam Slyder, Administrator of estate of Philip Slyder for debt of $533.33. Signed by William Gibson, Clerk of the Court of Judge Walter Dorsey. Docketed on reverse with Sheriff's attestation.

I found this item for sale ao Ebay. If John Steffe is one of your ancestors you might want to place a bid. I have a link to Ebay on this blog if you are interested. The Item number is: 200242006784

Salem, Massachusetts 1836

Two letters, probably written by brothers from Salem, Massachusetts, to an uncle Roswell Morgan in West Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1827 and 1836. The first letter shown is that of 1836, mentioning the "old Crowningshield wharf which had almost gone to pieces, and how it had been bought by enterprising young men, and the Hon. S.C. Phillips and was under repair. "He has got 3 whale ship of his own and bought another. The whaling company in this city had an arrival from a 18 1/2 month cruise in the Pacific Ocean with 2150 lbs of Sperm oil." Other text about weather, family, etc.

Second letter, the earlier one, begins with the writer's recollections about having paid a visit to the Springfield area (the mountains, the lead mines, the gun factory, the asylum for the unfortunate deaf and dumb, etc.) Then the writer mentions some Salem news, " perhaps you have read in the papers something of the postponed mill-dam. I am afraid it will be like most other projects that are started in the town their is not public spirit enough in the monied folks to carry it through." He finishes with an invitation to the uncle to "visit us (and) enjoy yourself a sail on the water (and) very pretty fishing on the sea shore.

The letters are for sale on Ebay Item number: 370062164747. If you want to place a bid just follow one of the links on this blog.

Kate Stewart, Home Child's Letter to Brother in England 1885

Westminster
Dec 11th 85 [1885]

Dear Brother Johnny,

I received your letter & was very pleased to hear from you, & hope you will write again soon & tell me any news of mother & all that you can – I hope you are doing well. I am very well – & very comfortable going to school now again regularly.

Mrs. Phillips was very sick a long time & I had to stay at home to help her. Next Wednesday is our examination at school. Our teacher is going to leave this Christmas & next year we are to have a gentleman teacher. We had a large party on 3rd November.

Mrs. Phillips niece was married here – we had about 50 guests. I had a splendid time. They were married in the evening about half past 8 o’clock. I have a good time. Mrs. Phillips is very kind to me – we have plenty of apples and all kinds of fresh fruit especially raspberries & lots of ducks, chickens, turkeys &c. I help Mrs. Phillips with all kinds of work. She wants me to grow up useful.

There is a ‘Home’ near here called the ‘Guthrie Home’; the children come from Mr. Middlemore’s home at Birmingham. One of the girls goes to school with me. I know a girl who came from Miss Ryes some years ago. Now she is grown up & gets 7 dollars
a month & is such a neat tidy girl I hope I shall be able to get such wages some time.

Can you tell me when my birthday is please?

I give my love to all & with love I am your affe sister Kate.

Notes: Kate Stewart was a home child brought over on the SS Parisian in April 1882 by Miss Rye. She was placed with Dan and Mary Phillips of Westminster, London Ontario - an elderly couple who took in other home children. Kate would have been 13 when she wrote to her brother Johnny, 17, back in England. Johnny, my great grandfather, lost touch with her and always regretted failing to maintain contact. Kate is lost to the family forever... unless someone out there knows different.


Submitter: Paul Barton

paul.barton2@tiscali.co.uk

WWII Letter from Donald Malcolm Delaney of Nova Scotia

March 15, 1944
2300 hrs.
Somewhere in Italy
G 43024 G.M. D.M. Delaney1 2 C.M.R. R.C.A. C.M.F. C.A.O.

My Dear Father:

This letter will undoubtedly take some time to write as I intend to give you some idea of what we’re doing and how we’re living it etc. So I will start it now and finish it up to-morrow. It will I know be very interesting to you, but I don’t advise you to show it to Mother as she might worry more than ever.

Our gun-watch finishes at midnight, we have been in since 4 o’clock. For some weeks now we have been on the go for 18 hrs out of 24. But we should start to get a bit more sleep from now on as we are more or less better organized. There is not much action now, except for infantry, patrols and we have been doing a little but not much shelling of enemy batteries. As you know we are Med. Artillery firing 100 pound shell, and I might say at this point that I have carried quite a few of them, and they aren’t getting any lighter. This one should make you smile.

When we first moved into position none of us knew just exactly how we would re-act under shellfire and naturally we were quite tense waiting for the first one to come. We did not have long to wait. One landed, I just don’t know how close, but it was close enough, we could hear it coming and by the time it hit the ground, I was flat on my face. It was a dud however and did not go off.

But that was nothing compared with what was to come. The first few nights we laid in bed and would listen to the Gerry Shells whistling overhead and finally they would land and explode, that is about every three out of every five would explode. He certainly fires a lot of duds. Perhaps we do too for all I know, but I do know that he has a lot more duds than we do. And another thing I know is that for every shell he fires at us we fire easily ten back so it can be easily seen who has the most artillery.

I’ve picked up a German rifle all intact except that the chamber is plugged with a round that has been jammed in the barrel. When I get that out, I intend to do a bit of shooting as there are countless German rounds laying around as well as machine guns, mortar bombs, helmets, web, etc. and I might add German graves. They certainly must of put up a stiff battle here, but they lost and the Canadian Infantry certainly had a lot to do with it, much more in fact than anyone else, and everybody here knows it.

I also have picked up a couple of automatics, one is a 9 mm and the other is a .32 automatic. But it is very difficult to get that type of ammunition. They are both Italian guns. I picked them up in Bari when I was there one leave. I haven’t seen a German plane in the air since I arrived in this country, but I have seen plenty of them in the ground, as well as their famous Tiger tanks. If I only had a camera with plenty of film, I certainly could have lots of interesting pictures to bring home.

This is certainly the place to come if anybody wants to save money. I haven’t been in pay parade this year yet, nor have I been afforded the opportunity to spend any money, except for the weekly canteen and all you can buy is usually a chocolate bar and if you are lucky a bottle of beer. Despite all this I have in my person at the present moment exactly $58.00. Besides this I have those two automatics that I could sell easily for three pounds a piece. And I have in my pay book to my credit over $50.00.

Now in case you jump off your feet and say why in hell don’t I send some of the money or all of it that I have in my person, home, the fact is I can’t. I cannot give money to the Paymaster to send home I can only send the money that’s in my book. Around the middle of Feb. I sent $40 home. Mom should have received it by now. Now I am taking a chance and sending a $10.00 bill that I have bought off one of the boys and am enclosing it in this letter. I’ll also enclose a 50 lire note as a souvenir. It is not Italian Currency but is put out by the Allied Govt and is the money that we use. One lire is valued at one cent. So 100 lire is one dollar and a pound is valued at $4.00.

The soldiers’ best friend in this country is his slit trench and his gun. To date I haven’t had to make a dive for one. But believe me if the time comes that I think I should I won’t hesitate. And I haven’t had to use my rifle except to shoot at targets and I don’t expect that I’ll ever have to. While I’m on the subject of shooting, yesterday I borrowed a tommy gun with the intention of having a spot of fun. I had it alright. I fired a few rounds and I chanced to take a glance at the barrel after feeling something splash me in the face. Apparently the first few rounds got out the barrel but the last two didn’t. One apparently was an oversize round and it jammed at the muzzle, the one that came up the barrel after it practically came out the side, that was when I felt the something splash in my face, it was some fragments of the casing in the shell. The barrel looked like somebody went to work with a can opener and ripped it open.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if I owned it and I had had permission to fire it but it belonged to someone else and I did not have permission to fire it. Only too well aware of these facts, I indeed had a lot to think about. My only hope is that they will overlook the fact that I neglected to obtain permission from my worthy superiors and treat the unfortunate affair as an unavoidable accident. Otherwise instead of boasting a sizeable credit in my paybook, the credit will swing to debit. The Captain had a talk to me about it and hardly think that they will hold me responsible as it undoubtedly was an oversize round. I hope not anyway.

I hope you are receiving the papers I am sending to you. They should be interesting. An English general popped up yesterday accompanied by the usual escorts all wearing enough red tabs to set a bull mad. And as usual everybody tried to look respectful, concerned and very interested in everything. At the least our Officers did and I guess they thought we would too.

How disillusioned they were. To start the ball rolling when he came to our gun everybody forgot to stand to attention except the Sergeant. And when the general spoke to one of our boys about the mail and how long it took to come, he unfortunately picked one who is a rather nervous person with none too clear a view on how to pay the proper respects to one with the red tabs. He had a pick in his hand when the general spoke to him and when the lad answered he didn’t stand to attention and he started to swing the axe to and fro and talking at the same time and I think he even forgot to say Sir. You should have seen the look on our Officers faces. The only person who didn’t seem to mind at all was the General himself.

So that’s the army for you. The ultimate result of this episode was a stern speech from the Sgt. Major on discipline, etc. etc. We are eating fairly good. We are very fortunate at the present to be getting bread three times a day. I know we haven’t been in the past and won’t always be so lucky. We also get lots of mutton which we can eat with a mighty effort, if we are hungry enough. That stuff I believe is more unpopular than bully beef. It’s dehydrated and frankly it’s awful. For breakfast we get porridge, bacon or egg powder, sausage meat, bread, jam and coffee. For dinner we usually get canned stew, sometimes lately a bit more often, fresh meat or mutton or bully beef (Camouflaged, that is covered up in the form of a fire. Potatoes, carrots. For dessert we have usually, rice or prunes. Supper is the same. We have no other means of getting food like in England, that is what we have to live on. Sometimes the cooks get really energetic and cook doughnuts or some kind of cake but not often.

I know my chances of getting home for awhile at least, are very slim, but I do hope that I can return to England soon and never, never return to this part of the world again. England indeed is a wonderful place and it is even more appreciated when you are sent to a dirty rotten country like this. During the heavy rains that we have had we were issued rubber boots, coat and pants which keep us reasonably dry if we were handy enough to grab them when the rain started. We certainly had a lot of mud. It was always for a long while over our ankles and in some places to our knees. One time we had to move our gun out of our pit, it took us from six o’clock at night until about ten o’clock the next morning to move it from the position to the road which was a distance of roughly 200 yards. And it took two of our diesels to do it and about thirty men pulling on drag ropes. The gun weighs six tons the trucks weight about ten ton each.

Please don’t worry over me, I am quite safe. Always remember to remind Mom that I am if she shows any signs of worrying over me. If she doesn’t hear from me regular the mail sometimes is held up and lots of times I won’t have time or perhaps I won’t have the material to write with. As you know Med. Arty is well behind the lines and our only danger is shelling or bombing, and I haven’t seen or heard a German plane since I have come here and we have only been shelled once and that was very little. We were in our dug out at the time and one landed that was a dud and we could see the red hot shell sizzling in the mud. As long as a fellow digs in and uses his head he’s quite safe.

We’re off duty now and it is time for bed. March 16, 2000 hrs. We have just got our tea ration for the night and we are preparing our evening snack. To-day I received a box of chocolates from Mother which were certainly welcomed, a lot of the boys received parcels as well. It has been another quiet day to-day with a little firing but not much on both sides. This morning I had a shower, the first in a month and I certainly needed it. To-morrow if I am lucky I might get the chance to go to a show. Well, Dad I reckon I’ve said enough for now.

Best of Luck Your Son .


Submitter: Julie (Robinson) Small
jsmall@agr.gc.ca

Notes: This letter was written during WWII by Donald Malcolm Delaney, eldest son of Harold Vernon Delaney of Digby, NS who served in WWI. Donald died in Oct 2002. He left no known heirs. However, as his loving neice I would like you to know that Uncle Donald lived an eventful life even though he never returned to Medical school. He always championed higher education and encouraged his nieces and nephews and "adopted son" Timothy to seek an education. Donald's niece, Julie -

American Expeditionary Forces 1919 Memo

MEMO FROM EDWARD J. EARLY TO MAJOR PHILLIPS:

American Expeditionary Forces Signal Corps Replacement Depot Office of the Zone Major A.P.O. 925
January 25, 1919

FROM: Edward J. Early, Captain Ordinance, H. R. & C Zone Major.

TO: Major Philips, Personnel, R. R. & C., Tours.

SUBJECT: R. R. & C Work in Cour Cheverny.

1. The Field Signal Battalions in this area are being concentrated in the local town, leaving the twelve towns in the zone free of troops.

2. Previous to the embarking of the men from the different towns, we held meetings with the mayors and billet owners and had all owners of billets sign short forms giving the outgoing troops clearance of all and any damage to the property, and in the majority of cases where claims were presented, we had an adjustment made between the property owners and the battalion officers, paid by battalion funds. The enclosed form from the town of Cellettes will give you a fair idea of the way the claims were sent in and how adjusted, leaving but one claim open.

3. I have a squad of men who go into each town after the troops leave, repairing all stone walls, fences, broken plaster and damage to the woodwork in the area, and, in several cases, doing repair work on the roads, etc. I found it necessary in a few cases to call in the representative of the Franco-American mission in Orleans.

4. There will be several claims which it is impossible to adjust other than by R. R. & C. funds, which will be forwarded shortly to the Claims Department.

5. The continual shifting of battalions since my arrival at this station has kept me so busy that it prevented my writing you at an earlier date. Will endeavor sometime in the coming week to get into Tours on a few special cases.

E. J. Early EJE/FRT

Notes:

Edward James Early was born in September 20, 1888 in Green bay, Wisconsin and graduated with a civil engineering degree from Marquette University around 1907. One of his sisters became a nun and the other, a missionary nurse living in China, surviving a grueling four years in a Japanese prison during the Second World War. In 1918 he was serving in France as a captain in army ordnance during the opening phase of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive that ended the “Great War” when, while mounted on his horse, his pistol discharged sending a bullet thru his shin causing him to be returned to the states for medical treatment. Reunited with his family at war’s end and anticipating economic opportunities in the bourgeoning automobile Mecca of southeast Michigan, he moved his young family from Green bay to Detroit. There he founded the Michigan Drilling Company, an engineering firm that drilled and analyzed core soil samples to determine foundation strengths for the skyscrapers being built during the boom years of the roaring twenties. He developed a friendship with Henry Ford and Thomas Edison and did the soil testing for Ford’s River Rouge plant. His rigorous work ethic built wealth for his family and his savvy investment sense spared him the great economic losses visited on so many other families during the depression.

Submitter: John Early Andrews
jandrewsfam@juno.com

Lt. Walter E. Lick

Letter from Soldier-Pilot W. Lick.
To Lt. Walter E. Lick. Ellington Field Barracks 52, 2nd Prov. Squad, Olcott Texas. Letters From His Wife Glady which does mention his flying. North East Pennsylvania. Oct1, 1918, Oct 20, 1918 & Nov. 26, 1918 Letters Mention In Part: Our future babies name - The Moon is getting so bright now and I wonder if you have started in Primary night Flying yet. I look at the sky every night Lover and think of the big search light the planes and night Flyers and wish them the very best of luck. I hope that your Bomber will get them with you - I have the little picture of the gunnery range standing here on my desk - Do you have any reading matter about the Marlin Aircraft gun, I enjoy reading about things you are working with - The large Army plane which flew over here [North East] surely caused some excitement, recognized it as the Dougley - So glad of the pictures you sent, the Hospital ships, gunnery range & shields for the wing flares - I'm sure that the bombing course is getting so interesting and I hope that you will continue to like it and have a good Bomber wished on you. That joyride must have been a real one I'm glad that it didn't make you sick for the Pilot probably was trying you out, Must be some Ship too. Wish they were all as good must have seemed strange not to have the Wires Sing as you slide down - Surly sorry to hear of so many Crashes - You explained to me about the course and distance indicator. Really Lover all of those marks 91 and 93 etc. - Boarding in Erie - Her pregnancy & Doctor - Be careful when you get to flying - The Flu [Spanish Influenza] is worse both at home and in Erie and they have close up everything again. Geraldine Hayward died of it last week - Victor Frank was killed in action. This week there is a picture of Geo Merrill labeled North East Ace.

William Blake Letter of 1847, Upper Canada

William Blake Letter of 1847 With Notations

Mrs. Mary Richards (1)
In Care Of Captain William Richards (2)
Perth (3), Upper Canada

America
Ballin????? (4)
April 30th 1847

Dear Mrs. Richards

I am shure you will be very sorry to hear that your uncle, Cuthbert Blake
(5), is dead and it is with feelings of the deepest sorrow that I write
the same to you for he was my father, poor man.

Often have I heard him speak of you with feelings of fond remembrance.
Poor man, he had no support but my days wages out of the charitable
works. I have his wife (6) to support and a troublesome bargain she is.
We the rest of your friends are well. Your uncle Joseph (7) is in good
health and so is uncle Robert (8). All well to do and comfortable.
It is all most beyond belief the distress that at present exists in
Ireland on account of the failure of the potatoes (9). Famine and strange
disorders (10) of all sorts have carried off thousands of the poor
people. I think there has more died inside the last six months than there
has for years. The markets are very high; oat meal is three shillings per
stone, yellow meal 2-6 per stone, flower is 3-8 per stone, ????? half a
crown and in fact every thing is so high that it is hard to say what the
wourld will come to.
I hope you will write and give a particular account. There is vast
multitudes (11) of people leaving Ireland for America this season.
I remain your humble servant
William Blake (12)

(1) Mary Richards Mary Richardson-Richards (c1791-1861) married sea
Captain William Richards (c1790-1854) in about 1815, in Ireland. She was
the daughter of Dorothea Blake-Richardson-Greenley (????-1828) by her
first marriage. After being widowed (probably in the 1798 rebellion) her
mother married John Greenley (1775-1854) in about 1801.

(2) Captain William Richards Captain William Richards (c1790-1854).
Born in Wexford County, Ireland. Seems to have gone to sea around age 12,
served in the British Navy during the Napoleonic and American wars, and
later became a merchant ship captain. He married Mary Richardson in about
1815 in Ireland. They moved to Nova Scotia Canada in about 1817 and to
New Brunswick about 1818. From the east coast of Canada he sailed a
schooner in the West Indies trade and later built and commanded his own
brig, the “William & Mary”, in the same trade until the brig and her
cargo were lost in a storm. He and wife Mary moved to Perth, Ontario
sometime prior to 1832. William built and commanded the Tay & Rideau
Canal steamer “Enterprise” from 1833 to 1836 and the steamer “George
Buchanan” on Chats Lake for a year or two thereafter.

(3) Perth Military Settlement of Perth, founded in the summer of 1816.
Captain William Richards & wife Mary moved to Perth sometime prior to
1832 and purchased or built a house on 14 acres of Concession-3/Lot-1,
Drummond Township. The Concession-3/Lot-1 property was settled/owned by
John Greenley (1775-1854) and Dorothea Blake-Richardson-Greenley (????-
1828), Mary Richardson-Richards’ mother. Dorothea and her second husband
John Greenley had arrived at Perth in 1816.

(4) Ballin???? Unreadable. Probably Ballinglen Townland, home area of
the Blake family in Preban Parish, County Wicklow.

(5) Cuthbert Blake Cuthbert Blake, who has just died, is brother to
Dorothea Blake-Richardson-Greenley (????-1828), wife of John Greenley
(1775-1854) and thus Mary’s uncle. The Blake family, parents unknown,
included Cuthbert, John, Joseph, Robert, Dorothea and Ann. All seem to
have been born at the Townland of Ballinglen, Preban Parish, County
Wicklow, Ireland.

(6) His Wife Although letter writer William Blake refers to Cuthbert
Blake as his father, apparently Cuthbert Blake’s wife, at the time of his
death, was not William Blake’s mother but likely a second wife.

(7) Joseph Joseph Blake, brother of Dorothea Blake-Richardson-Greenley
(????-1828), wife of John Greenley (1775-1854).

(8) Robert Robert Blake, brother of Dorothea Blake-Richardson-Greenley
(????-1828), wife of John Greenley (1775-1854).

(9) Potato Crop Failure Potatoes are not native to Europe and arrived
from South America in the early 1500s, being introduced to Ireland about
1590. By the 1800s the potato was the staple crop in the poorest areas
and more than 3,000,000 Irish subsisted solely on the potato. The famine
began in September 1845 when the plants were infected by an airborne
fungus (phytophthora infestans). The potato plants turned black, curled
and then rotted. An estimated 1,500,000 Irish died of starvation and
disease associated with the successive failure of the potato crop from
1845 through 1850.

(10) Strange Disorders This is a reference to the outbreak of epidemic
diseases associated with the famine (and widespread proverty) such as
typhus and dysentery. Most of the “famine deaths” (see # 9 above) were
not from hunger, but from these outbreaks of disease attacking bodies
weakened by hunger.

(11) Multitudes The potato famine and its aftermath led to the emigration
of more than 1,000,000 Irish, mostly to North America. In 1847 alone (the
year this letter was written) at least 100,000 Irish left their homeland.

(12) William Blake Son of Cuthbert Blake, therefore a nephew to Dorothea
Blake-Richardson-Greenley (c1765-1828), wife of John Greenley (1775-1854)
and cousin to Mary Richardson-Richards (c1791-1861). This may be the
William Blake (c1810-1882) who erected a stone in Preben Parish Cemetery
memorializing his wife Jane Wallace (c1813-1878) and their children
Robert (d.1875) Charlotte Barbara (c1826-1873), Elizabeth (c1848-1874)
and Hendrin George (c1851-1881). A nearby stone memorializes a Sarah
Blake (c1820-1856).

Note: Despite the very difficult times being experienced in Ireland at
the time this letter was written (1847) it seems that the Blake family,
or least some branches of it, were reasonably “well to do and
comfortable”.

Submitter: Ron W. Shaw scdhrcda@perth.igs.net