I received this e-mail from one of my Fitzgerald cousins in Virginia, one of the many family researchers who is relentless in his pursuit of knowledge and facts about our heritage. Hopefully, this can help a few of you out there in Fitzgerald land! >>> "Lynden T Harris" <[email protected]> 01/19 11:16 AM >>> Below is an extract (the best that I could determine) of the "Dear Fitzgerald's" letter written by William Boyd Fitzgerald and dated 24 April 1979. From all indications this is in response to a letter from Kermit Fitzgerald, from Rice, Texas. Kermit was a descendent of William B's great uncle Alfred McElroy Fitzgerald who removed to Texas just prior to the civil war. From other correspondence in the WB's package, apparently in the early 1970's, someone "ran" into a Kermit Fitzgerald at a Safeway store in Jackson, California. He turned out to be a direct descendent of the Kermit Fitzgerald from Rice, Texas. Through that connection, William B made contact with great uncle Alfred's family in Rice. Apparently, this 1979 letter is the last contact between the two families. I did notice that a Kermit Fitzgerald, from Chico, California (same county) died in 1999. There may be still contacts in Rice, Texas, but....... Apparently WB did not know much about his heritage in 1979 - If he knew that Bartlett was in the Revolutionary war, I am sure that he would have mentioned it - He could have picked up a lot of information during the reunions in later years. *********** I deeply appreciated your good letter of March 27 and regret very much that it has been impractical to reply until now. I was quite fully engaged in preparing income tax return, in spending a few days with members of the family near Montebello, Virginia, the area of the old family homestead (Belmont Farm)which I had owned for several years before donating it in October to the University of Richmond, my Alma mater; and then taking a trip to Fla from which my wife Louise and I returned last Saturday. From your letter I am convinced that we are on the trail of finding the long lost connection between our two brothers of the Fitzgerald family, tracing back for several generations to at least William Fitzgerald, father of five children; Alfred McElory, Henry Ruffner (my grandfather), Milton Hitt and Beatrice and Ellen. William was a student at Washington College, now part of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, in 1832 -1833. He and his children seem to have been more interested in intellectual matters than most of their local contemporaries. Several of them taught school. Some of them became ordained ministers, wrote legal documents such as deeds of land. My grandfather married most of the couples in his day in the rural community around Montebello. Great grandfather William and most of his children strongly opposed slavery and the civil war. He was quite outspoken on the subject and was arrested, taken to Richmond, imprisoned in the infamous prison which ca! me to be known as "Castle Thunder" where he died, apparently of starvation, as such prisoners received only bread and water according to reports, near the end. His daughter, Beatrice, was taken there for a time but was reported too "sharp" for the officials and was released. Uncle Alfred's attitude in moving to Texas was quite in line with that of other members of the family concerning the civil war. Grandfather Henry was arrested by an officer and enroute to prison as a DESERTER he distracted the officer's attention, reached up and grabbed the officer's gun from his mounted horse and escaped, succeeding to hide out until the end of the war. He was a big, powerful man over 6 feet tall and wearing a size 13 shoe. Great grandfather William moved to Missouri for a time but returned to Virginia, as I recall, before the civil war. Uncle Alfred did remove to Mississippi as I recall from discussions of older members of the family and, as you stated in your letter, married there. My father, Alfred McElroy Fitzgerald, who died in May 1966, age 87, understood that Uncle Alfred, after whom he was named, had moved to Texas. He and his family last connection through the use of correspondence, probably during the civil war when they where hiding out. Uncle Milton joined the Mormon Church and moved to Utah early in this century. HE died in 1917. He had joined the Union Army, I was told. My grandfather Henry died in 1914 when he was close to 78 years of age, having been born in 1836. People in the community of Montebello generally held him in high esteem. HE owned the farm, later sold to my father, and then by me. He was buried in the family cemetery on the farm, which I now own, though no longer the farm itself. I have an enlarged picture of Uncle Alfred - still in good condition. I had intended to write a separate letter to your Aunt Lora but as I am pressed for time to catch up on my interests I've decided to get a zerox copy of this and send to her with a note. Perhaps she can supplement our information concerning our relatives. If you telephoned me in an effort to reach me on your trip to Spain I regret not being at home to talk with you. My father married Lelia Bradley and some of the Bradley's as well as Fitzgerald's are buried in the family cemetery. We have been holding annual reunions, by members of the two families, in memory of our departed loved ones, about a dozen in all. The date is the 3rd Sunday in July. If it would be practical for you two to come and join us we would be delighted to have you. Montebello is about 30 miles south of Staunton, Va, on state route 56 and "Belmont Farm". where the cemetery is located is about 3 miles distance on state road 667. Should it be practical for you to come we could work out the details. I live in Washington DC about 170 miles from the farm and cemetery. Should you come to Washington we would be glad to have you visit us. A little personal information. I am 78 years of age, married late in life to Louise Snyder, from Long Beach, California, and have no children. It has occurred to me to add that the Fitzgerald's of our family apparently settled in Amherst county. Bartlett Fitzgerald is recorded as going"security" for Caty Fitzgerald and her fiancé at Amherst Court house when they applied for a marriage license in 1793, which would indicate that he lived in America before the American Revolution. I believe but can not check this at present that he was the father of William Fitzgerald, father of Alfred, etc. An earlier Joseph Fitzgerald in our line of descendents was born, as I recall, in 1730, in America, probably in Amherst county. Nelson county was out of Amherst county in 1808 or 1807 and the Fitzgerald's in our line of descent lived in the Nelson county near the Forks of Tye River, where the North and South Prongs of the rivers come together. I appreciate very much your cooperation in helping to bring together almost conclusive evidence that we have found the connection between Uncle Alfred's family and grandfather Henry's family, and look forward to further cooperation in the matter. Sincerely, Wm B Fitzgerald