Good Day, For the record, in the body of this e-mail, you will find obscure or previously unrecorded history derived from the "oral history" of my straight-shooting Pollard's; makers of history and pioneers of Oregon. You may not believe or agree with many of the statements noted below but I anticipate and warmly welcome differing opinions. In time I may find fact-based mistakes but I have done my best to ensure the accuracy of the "oral history" as it has been told to me. "It has been said that historians have recorded dates and census-takers have recorded populations but I am following human interest." Who can deny the importance of preserving the early "oral history" of unnamed Early Oregon Territory pioneer's who made the Columbia River Valley what it is today? Such as my G-G-Grandfather (G-G-G-Grandfather?), Sebastian (Bastier) Pollard. Sebastian is said to have come to the United States from the Pyrenees Mountains of Southern France (http://www.focusmm.com.au/france/fr_re_32.htm) by way of New Orleans, Louisiana; in 1857. But he may actually have been in the United States much earlier under an alias. That aside, he is said to have traveled to the United States (Early Oregon Territory?) with several Generals and a Lieutenant of Napoleon's Army (L'Armee de Napoleon) and possibly with the Hudson's Bay Company or the United States Army, i.e., Baxter, Bennett, Benard, Bernard, George, Charles, and William Pollard. As fantastic as it may sound, Sebastian was said to have: (1) been related to Napoleon Bonaparte of Corsica, Italy, and (2) fought in Napoleon's Army (L'Armee de Napoleon), (3) hired three (four?), as yet unidentified men to purchase land in the Willamette Valley, Oregon; totaling one square mile (1609,33 m.), (4) had a large cattle ranch in Crook County, Oregon, (5) had a cousin who was a "Texas Ranger" (United States Army?), and (6) had a cousin named "Athiela" who lived in Florida. My Pollard's primary source data also holds that, in the mid-late 19th century Wild Wild West, Sebastian is said to have married a Ms. Sallie (Sally?) Kinder (Kunder?) in Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, or possibly the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Ms. Kinder's father's name was Mr. Asa Kinder and her mother's name was Mrs. Frances Blux, Blue, Billiou or Bilyeu. Oral history also tells that my G-G-Grandmother Sallie's parents were said to have had relatives in: Canada, Germany, Holland, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, New York, and Pennsylvania. And, like Sebastian (Sebastien?), Sallie, Asa, and Frances spoke German, English and possibly French -- Sebastian was known to speak English, French, and German fluently. In fact, Asa and Frances were said to be connected to William Penn's people, i.e., they were Pennsylvania Dutch Quakers from the "Old World." Also, I am told that my Early Oregon Territory Pollard's married into a large "Mormon" family (Joseph Smith's Mormon Church), i.e., I have reason to believe that my "Pollard" surname may have actually been adopted during the Mormon exodus from Missouri or La Terreur Blanche (The White Terror), i.e., the Bonapartist's exodus from France. On the other hand, I have evidentiary data which clearly states that some Early Oregon Territory Pollard's were affiliated with the Methodist Church, i.e., George Tompkins Pollard of Shelby County, Kentucky. See, http://www.uiowa.edu/~osa/regions/wcent/shelby.htm During the colorful past of Prineville, Oregon, http://hometownamerica.com/OR/ORCRO/ORCRO_PR_H http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/county/cpcrookhome.html Sebastian Pollard was murdered on the year that my G-Grandfather, William Richard Pollard, was born; ca. 1871-1872 (1875?). Prior to this unfortunate tragedy, Sebastian and Sallie had a daughter by the name of Sallie or Frances but her life was cut short, i.e., she died by age thirteen of "water on the brain" or "cancer." Several years later, my G-G-Grandmother, Sallie Pollard, re-married; then tragically died under highly questionable circumstances, ca. 1884-1885 -- her second husband was said to have burned to death in a fire which destroyed their home. See, The History of Crook County, Oregon (1981) and D.B. Newton's. (Dwight Bennett) Crooked River Canyon (1966). Here is another twist, I am told that on the way to the Whitman Mission; my G-G-Grandfather's (G-Grandfather's?) young teenage cousin, George Pollard Jr., was picked up by a Mormon family (Pollard's, Polly's, or Sager's?) somewhere in Utah (what is now known as Utah) ca. 1847; while on his way to visit family in the region now known as Walla Walla, Washington. In fact, as late as 1990, George Pollard Jr. was listed as having been killed on November 29, 1847, i.e., on the Whitman Mission's Massacre roster and the on-site metal sign which clearly marked where he died (buried?); on November 29, 1847. See, http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/wpages/wpgs300/3whitman.htm But both the museum foam-core roster and metal sign were removed from the Whitman Mission Historical Museum around 1990. Upon discovery, during 1997 and 1998; I made numerous attempts to contact the Whitman Mission on this issue but I did not receive an official response. Since then, it has been suggested that vandalism may have been responsible for the disappearance of the metal sign on the museum grounds. However, this still does not explain the removal of George's name from the Whitman Mission Massacre roster; inside the museum. Similarly, 19th century and early 20th century road signs and crossing which were previously named after my Early Oregon Territory Pioneer Pollard's have long since been removed, e.g., "Pollard's Landing" on the Snake River (Hell's Canyon, Oregon); was changed to "Farwell's Bend" during the 1930's. (See, The Oregon State Archives) Continued on-site and online research data continues to raise new genealogical, historical, and religious issues which must be laboriously researched, e.g., as I have stated above, new data suggests that my Pollard's surname may actually have been adopted in the 19th century. And, following leads derived through extensive "oral interviewing," I have tracked down a microfilm record of a B.F. Pollard (Bastier Pollard?). Here, the document notes that B.F. Pollard traveled on the Steamship Texas which arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana; on January 16th, 1857. The Steamship Texas was on its way to the San Juans (Havana, Cuba) which are better known as the West Indies. Curiously, depending on how you read the Texas's log, B.F. Pollard may have been a citizen of the United States, a citizen of Germany, and a lawyer. I have had two professional genealogists examine this steamships log on microfilm. One says that he was a German lawyer while the other says that he was a United States citizen but not a lawyer. The bottom line is that although B.F. Pollard corresponds with my family's "oral tradition," I still do not know if he is connected to my Pollard's (?). I am simply following a lead; hoping to dig-up additional leads in the process. This is a nutshell-history of some of my Early Oregon Territory Pollard's. At this point in my research, I am looking for "any" genealogical or historical sources which may clarify or connect my elusive Pollard's with other Early Oregon Territory Pollard's. For example, I am also seeking information on one of Sebastian's brother's (?) who is said to have married an American Indian from: Klamath Falls, Lakeview, Walla Walla (Washington), or the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Like most Frenchman, my Pollard's had friendly relations with the Native American Indian's. His name may have been Baxter, Benard, Bernard, or Bennet Pollard (?). Finally, my hope in posting this information is to exchange data with Early Oregon Territory Pollard's, e.g., I am told that some of my Early Oregon Territory Pollard's (?) lived in Pollard, Washington ca. 1850's-1860's. See, http://extra.entisoft.com/P/o/Pollard.HTM Or, to obtain obscure data "online" or "historical publications" on: (1) the Champs d'Asile Bonapartist's Colony (Field of Asylum, TX) ca. 1818-1819, (2) the Champs d'Aiglon Bonapartist's Colony (Field of Eagles, AL) ca. 1818-1819, (3) La Terreur Blanche (The White Terror), (4) Joseph Smith's Mormon Church compared to Brigham Young's, (5) the Mormon Exodus from Missouri, (6) the Whitman Mission Massacre (I would be especially interested in the Native American Indian perspectives), (7) the history of Shelby County, Kentucky, and (8) broadly speaking the Bonaparte's and the Beauharnais' in America (CA, PA, NY, TX), the West Indies, or Cuba. Thanks in advance. Best, Dick Pollard [email protected] http://home1.gte.net/pollard/index.htm P.S., Thank you for your references on the Latter Day Saints (LDS) Family History Center and the online LDS Family Search page (http://www.familysearch.org/). Here, the LDS Ancestral Files submitted on my Pollard's are both incorrect and incomplete. In fact, it is important to note that the three individuals which have submitted genealogical data on my Pollard's; are not members of my family. The lesson learned is that information on this database (http://www.familysearch.org/) may be just as good or bad as the submitters personal research. So, be sure to check the Web sites disclaimer, i.e., do your own research and verify the accuracy of the Ancestry Files, etc.. Also, after over three years of online research (I have been researching some of my surnames since 1988); last Summer and Winter I found several helpful Web sites which partly substantiates my family's "oral tradition," i.e., that the Bonaparte's were living on the East Coast, Philadelphia, and Texas during the 19th century. These Web sites have also provided other leads on the Bonaparte's in America -- W3 search engines have significantly improved over the years: The Bonaparte’s in Philadelphia http://www.libertynet.org/athena/bon1.html The Bonaparte’s in America http://www.heraldica.org/topics/usa/bonapart.htm The Bonaparte’s in Texas (Joseph Bonaparte, Jerome Bonaparte, Betsy Patterson, Beauharnais, La Terreur Blanche) http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/ Alta Vista Systran Translation http://jump.altavista.com/translate Note, as per your inquiries; all of my "online posts" since 1995 (Rootsweb, Deja News, Deja.com, etc.) may be copied or disseminated for research purposes. But my "online posts" may not be re-published or quoted "online" or "offline" without my written consent. See, the United States Code Title 17: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/ch1.head.html Copyright 1995-1999, All Rights Reserved