Hello all, This is a copy (word for word) of the subject letter sent to me by a Smith cousin. There is reference to Jacob Cailor, John Jarrett and Samuel Childers, among other Smith family people. Hope it will be of interest to you. Smith-Jarrett-Cailor-Childers cousin, Mary Jo When you see a misspelled word, if it has a p think of ss, then see if that doesn't make the spelling okay. I tried to type his letter exactly as he wrote it. The spacing also conforms to his letter. Only a few words per line. Franklin NC July 8th 1890 Mrs Louise Davenport Crawford GA My dear cousin Your welcome letter of the 23rd. ????? is at hand. I am glad to have found you out as I had entirely lost sight of your father's family. Our family has grown to be numerous. There were ten of us, nine sons and one daughter. Of these five are still living and our average age is over seventy eight. I have past my 77th birthday. But enough of this. I regard to your question as to your grandmother's family connection. I am sorry to say that my father did not keep a full record and cannot give dates only the following. Your 2 great grand father Joseph Smith was born April 1st 1730. He was of English ex traction. Your great grand mother Rebecca Smith was born April 1st 1739. She was of Welsh extraction and her maiden name was Dath. My father was born Aug 29th 1765. He had only one brother Nathan Smith who moved to Mipouri in an early day. I have no knowledge of that branch of the family. Your grand mother ha(d) (a) sister who mar --- ried Jacob Cailor. She lived and died in this county at about the age of 92. Some of her descendants in still living here. Another sister married John Jarrett, my uncle. Her immediate descendants are all dead. She had one son Nimrod S Jarrett who lived and died in this county, and another son D. H. Jarrett who lived and died in Union Co GA 3 They both have children still living. Another sister of your grand mother married Samuel Childres. Of her children I have lost sight of all except Elenor who at one time was your moth er's housekeeper. You perhaps remem- -ber her. She married Mr. Hartgreen of Haywood County, and is, I believe, still alive. Another sister of your grand mother Eve Smith was never married. She lived and died on the old home sted of your great grand father in Buncombe County. I regret the meagernep of this infor- -mation, and the want of care and forethought which caused our ances would stors to neglect the proper records. It /\ be to me a great pleasure to know whom as well as where my grand parents and parents were from. My older brothers might have written some interesting 4 history had they been thoughtful of the importance of it. My father, about the close of the revolutionary struggle, was sent by Gen McDowell who was then command -ant at Old Fort, as a mepenger with a letter to the principal chief of the Cherokees at the Cossacuattee Towns, now some 25 miles from Rome GA, proposing terms of peace with the Indians and an exchange of prisoners. He set out with an Indian guide and interpreter and a mulatto man, when no white man lived west of the Blueridge in NC, and the Indians were all on the war path. He made the trip safely through the nation, effected the object of his mipion and returned unharmed. The incidents of the journey and the talks he had with the Indians at the differ -ent towns as he used to tell it to my older brothers would be very interesting were it written. Again your great grand father and his two sons 5 Samuel and Nathan Smith cut the first wagon way at Swannanore gap that was ever cut acrop the Blueridge in NC. If the incidents attending that work had been recorded it would now be interesting reading. But I am rattling along in away that may not interest you as it does me. My brother Aron who lived in Forsythe Co GA died the 18th of last month. He was not far from your father's age Had he lived to the 1st of this month he would have been 88 years old. He retained his mental faculties to the end. I send you my photograph which may be a reminder in the family of the stock from which we descended. Kindly present me to your family - your daughter in particular. Sincerely Your Cousin (signed C. D. Smith) ______________________________