One of our Gorin descendants on the list, Linda, is from the Henry and Sarah Pell Gorin line. She sent me a copy of a letter last night that she said I could share with you. Remember than in he 1860's, a lot of women could not even right, so the grammar is not always perfect and punctuation is something that most people didn't bother with! This letter is from Averlina Gorin, dau of Henry & Sarah and was written to one of her sisters, unknown yet. I will add comments within brackets to explain who some of these people are, those mentioned in the last paragraph - I don't know. Averlina was married 1st to Newton Cock(e)rill in 1831; he died and she married (2) Edmund Pendleton Rice. May 1, 1864 Crittendon Cty, KY My Dear Sister I received your verry kind and interesting letter in due time I was truly glad to heare from you all once more I was afraid to heare from you and I would heare some was killed and some dead I judge from your letter that Thomas nor you grandsons have had no hand in this awful war but not so with my sons my youngest son William C Rice [her son William Clayton Rice.]joined the southern army when it first commenced he was at the battle at fort donelson he was surrendeered up their with thousands of others as a prisoner of war but he chose not to stay and come out by himself and come home and stayed until fall their was a call for all boys that got away from fort donalson to report at head quarters he reported and joined 12 months longer then the company went to the army the general wouldnt receive only for 3 years his captain disbanded his men and they all come back he was then taken prisoner and taken to johnsons isle and from their to citypoint and exchanged he had a pass? to his old company and before he got their he was recaptured and carried to Clarksville Tennessee he was cept their 3 weeks in prison they then give him choise to take the oath and come home or go back to Johnsons isle and he come home last july if their was ever a person over joyed it was me but it wasent to last long the 13 of febuary he started to Californy in company with Mr Harper to help him drive his mules he lives in St Joseph MO the train started from there in march Milton also joined the same company with William and was disbanded he come home gave himself up and never was pestered he has a fine wife and one child a most interesting little boy name Newton Franklin he is doing well [Milton is her son]. Thomas [her son] is married has a fine wife and one of the most interesting little girls I ever saw name Arris May he was taken of as a prisoner for disloyal talk last March was a year and kept 4 months he missed making a crop but he is a brick layer and plasterer he turned in to work and made enough money to live on he lives 25 miles from here Anns husband is not married he keeps house has three children his oldest child a daughter is 13 years old she is very handsome [I don't understand this sentence - did she mean re-married - was his wife Ann deceased?] I have 6 grandchildren Anns children name Aarana Millara Filmore Maud [not sure if those are 4 separate individuals ... no punctuation.] I have written one sheet full and am not halfe done if I was to write you all the trouble that I have seen since this war commenced I would fill another but I will stop and tell you all I know about the other friends do you ever think about the times we spent together before I was married when I would go and stay with you all night and I would dandle Tomy and Lucinda on my lap Oh don�t you wish we could will one night back and meet again in this life when I think of it it feels like it has been a half a sentury ago I will now tell you something else I heard last summer from Tods sister Nancy was well then she is dead she suffered a great deal she could not lie down for twelve months before she died she was buried with her knees siting they could not be straitened you can guess what she suffered their youngest son lost his wife Robert his I think none of his sons have been in the army I heard from Lucinda [her sister Lucinda Gorin who married a Harrison] at the same time she has had a great deal of trouble in the last few years she had two soninlaws to shoot themselves sommer before last she had her youngest child a widow to die one of her married daughters also several of their likeliest negros all in one summer George their youngest son has caused them a great deal of trouble the federals took him for a spy and condemned him to be shot a sertain day but he got a way he has been reported dead since that but I think it is not so I suspect he is in the southern army he is a fine looking man he has been here several times since the war he went to see sister Polly she lives in a days ride from here and I never new it unill he told me she is a cripple and has to walk on crutches she lives with her youngest son I think on her farm I would like to see her he also told me Susan Walken was dead she married again to M Kalhoon she had several children by him but one lived her 2 first children were living with him both grown Sister Pollys daughter is married she married a widower and done verry well Sarahjane Martin is married to the ugliest man in the world but one of the best I want you to tell your grown grandchildren to come to see us when my noble boy comes back from California it would give him great pleasure to see them and also their Aunt HB Rice (Henrietta B Rice]/ Sallie Gorin my oldest daughter was married in march �62 she married a nice young man with some property name John Henry Harris they are doing well she has a little girl 6 months old name Laura Bell it is a sweet babe they live 20 miles off Milton ??? I have no married children near me I have two daughters home which is all I have the oldest is name Cyntha Avalina age 13 and the youngest name Mary Landford age 11 she is our pet and as pretty as children gets to be both going to school Mr Rice does not work as hard as he use to do Martha has seven living children the oldest a boy will be 20 in August we both have verry good help but we do not no how long old Linkon is going to let us keep them Noah is married but cannot tell you to whom John Martin is living on Spoon River not dong much I believe that is all I no about our relations old Mrs Rice is still living and still walks on her crutches not childish thought a great deal of by her children and every person else that knows her Claburn and William Rice is two of the riches men in the country they live in William is a widower again Cynthia Masfield is living quite independent Louisa is keeping house for William Rice not married Pamelia I do not no where she is but was doing badly when I heard from her last I do not no any thing about my relations in Illinois I am afraid some of them are in the Lincon army I would been glad you had wrote something about them the last letter I got from them their was in �60 I must now close for the want of room if we never meet in this world I am in hopes we may meet in heaven HR Rice [I don't understand the H R; her name was Averlina on all deeds and licenses and these were all A Averlina's children she cited.] Give my love to Tomy & wife & children Lucinda & husband & children and tell them to write to me I'm going to start reading census records to figure out the names and dates on these. Thank you Linda, this was special! Sandi SCKY Links: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/Gorin.html GGP: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/