Jane, I couldn't resist. Uncle Henry Cagle left his wife and went to AR in 1879 with Martha Lindsey Smith, the widow of his first cousin, Zachary T. Smith. Henry's wife, Frances Isabella Davis Cagle got a divorce and uncle Henry's land in 1882. I notice the same theme in this letter from uncle Henry to my g/grandfather in 1894. Uncle Henry wouldn't trade his land in AR for land in Hardin County at a 2 for 1 ratio. However, uncle Henry did come back to Hardin County where he died in 1899. David ______________________________________ “February the 2nd 1894 Aly, Yell County, Ark. Dear Brother: (Charles Cagle my great grandfather) I seat my self to drop you a few lines to let you know that we are all well, and when these few lines arrive to hand, they will find you all the same. I received your letter the 5th day of January. We was very glad to hear that you all was well. We have no news much. I would like to see you all and talk with you all. I am in very good health. My weight is 160 pounds. I had better health since I have been in Arkansas than I ever had in my life. I have got a very good house. I have got 160 acres of land. I don’t owe any thing for it. I have got 21 acres in cultivation. I have got a good house with a good stone chimney. I have got lumber here to go to putting up a house in about 10 days from now. I have got 240 fruit trees out and some of them are bearing. We have not had but one little snow this winter. I hunted one day in the snow and seen 10 deer that day. Wolfs here is nearly as thick as hogs. Some nights we can hear as high as 15 or 20 a howling at one time. We have a rocky mountainous country here. I want you all to come to see me, but I would not advise any of you all to come live here unless you would come and see the country. I would not give my half mile square of land for any mile square in that country that I know of for my use. Caroline ( Easter Caroline Alexander Cagle, wife of Charley Cagle), I would like to see you and the children ( Robert Henry, Catherine, Ann and Lloyd Hasson, my grandfather) and talk with you. I am seeing a terrible lonesome time, for Hester and Mattie (Henry’s daughters by Martha Lindsey Smith) is going to school and has been ever since the 1st of October. The school will be out in the last of March. This letter is not just to one, but it is to all the whole family. The ones that you wrote to me says this. Was they both? And, I want you to write to me where all the Smith family is got to (George W. Smith family). Write to me what has become of Debbie Cagle and her children (Henry’s step mother and her children, William H. Tidwell, Bettie and John Lewis Cagle). I wrote Johnnie (Henry’s son John H. Cagle by first wife, Mary Jane Polk) a letter and you can see that and maybe you can find out something in that that ain’t in this. I am going to send Johnnie, mine and the children’s picture and you can see them. The children wants to see you all. They was wanting to come out there to that country this fall. They are afraid they will never get back home. I will close for this time. Write soon and often. >From H. O. Cagle: C. C. Cagle and family good by.” ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jane Ellis" <jane_helv@hotmail.com> To: <tnhardin@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 11:42 AM Subject: Re: [TNHARDIN] Hardin Co. TN to Arkansas Robertson F. Winchester, the author of this letter, was married to Judieth Russell, daughter of Robert Russell, believed to be a brother to my Great, Great, Great Grandparents, Alexander and Elizabeth (Wallace?) Russell. The reference in the letter to Uncle Elek and Aunt Betsy is thought to confirm this connection. The letter was written to my Great, Great Grandparents James L. & Peggy Watson who remained on Hardin Creek in Hardin Co., Tennessee. Jan the 29th ./60 State of Arkansas James Fork PO Well friend James I received your letter not long since. I was not a little surprised and was not a little gratified to hear from you. Your letter found us all well very well. Some of my old Tennessee friends that has lately came in sayes that I am about the size of John Davy and Judy is not much less. First you will ask me the question ar you all well pleased with the country. Well Judy says she is better pleased here than she ever was any place. The girls is also very well pleased. I hardly no what to right to you from the fact that I know your circumstance as well almost as well as you do yourself. Tharfore I no you want moove to risk a living in a strange land – though you requested me to gave you a fair description of my country & if (you don’t) think that I am taxing your patience I will in my plane maner proceed to gave you a fair impartial History. First this portion of the country lyes between the Boston on the North, the Sugar loaf and Cavino Mountains on the south. Your map tells you that the Arkansas River winds her course between those mountains and empties herself into the farthers of waters 600 miles from here. Also you se that the City of Fort Smith is on the Arkansas River at the Mouth of Poto River and also that river is the line between the cherikes and this state and also the Choctaw Nation comes up to the Fort. Well the land on the river is rich of course and produces well out from the river. It is rather broken in places with Perayrees (prairies) between and valies. To come to the point thar is what is called ridges that is from 15 to 500 feet high. Those ridges runs east and west for miles strate as a line. Between those ridges is valies from a quarter to a half for some 1 ½ miles in width. Here we live by the thousands. The land is a molatto mixed with sand suited to the growth of corn, wheat, oats, rye, the potato turnip vegetable grows well. Stock grows well and perfectly healthy for stock. I live 1 ½ miles from the Choctaw line in that distance 1 mile wide thar is nuf of grazing in that bounds to fatten 5000 head of cattle in the summer. As to land under the graduation act of 54 we enter our land at 75 cts. per acre. After the first of July nex we can enter at 50 cts. The swamp land belongs to the state that is in Market now at 50 cts and the preemptors can ditch thar land and pay for ther land in that wey if they schose. My land belonged to Uncle Sam. I had to pay 75 cts per acre. We have good market here as New Orleans is I mene as far as country produce is conserned the City of Fort Smith is a large place & a great many people in it. The all must eat consequently the demand is great: Eggs 25 cts Butter 25 cts Chickens 25 cts Potatoes $ 1.00 Turnips $ 1.00. And then it matters not what you want or how much from a steam engine down to a sowing moshiene thar it is if a man comes in and wants a lot he can get it by covering the ground with Silver. Thar is of every hugh and color, every tongue & language under the sun, thar is French, Spanish, Germans, high and low, Indians of every kind, Greeks & Romans, Jews & Gentiles all in Fort Smith, no diference what tongue he may be that comes here he will find his language used here. The Uankees you no has the sway. Of course they hold the reins of government of Fort Smith in their hands. I will say that thar is a vast of welth in Sebastian & not so much aristocracy here as you spoke of in old Hardin. Thar is the smartest (men) here that is living, in our government. I don’t number myself in that class but they are here. Uncle Sam you no must & will have smart men to do her work. HeadQuarters if kept at Fort Smith. The Quarter Master & evry other kind of master is thar. The Indian Agent is stationed thar, the great Major Rector who made the Treaty with Billy Boughlegs in Florida & brought the principle portion out here. Billy is dead now, the remaining portion is verry much dissatisfied. Rector tells them if they don’t be quite he want pay them thar annuity a nuf that. Now James I am penning the preamble mearly to gave you a better ide of this country not that I have the least ide of you ever seeing this country let alone moving for I know you won’t ever leave that old place. Well perhaps you might want to no something about our overland mail through from Fort Smith to California. Well sir they make the trip through in 19 & 22 days. The company binds themselves for the sum of $ 100 to take you from the Fort to San Francisco in 22 days & set you down right side up. Thar was a man who did live in too miles of me. He and his wife had some difficulty & he left & went to California. When he left he left a large family some children verry small & while in California he made a fortune. So day before yesterday he came back & his old lady & one girle was all that was at home. All had grown up several had died one was killed by lightining he geing absent 10 years. The old lady had all this time lived at same old place. When he came up to the gate the girl who was the baby when he left saw him & thought he was some loafer for he had disguised himself & she run behind the house. The old man came in of course when the too old one saw each other they was not deceived & flew to embrace each other. The girl meanwhile heard the fuss & supposed the loafer was killing her mother & sprung in & at the pitch of her voice her told him to let her Mother alone. The mother as soon as she could says Nancy this is your farther. Then she sprange to embrace her farther. Well he came through in 19 days with 40 pounds baggage. I am well pleased so much that if I had or was donated 1000 acres of land at my choise in Hardin or any of the joining countys I would not live thar. Now James & Peggy I have no ide that any person or persons will take any interest in this letter but your family & when you read this letter over till you ar satisfied burn it. Let Uncle Elek and Aunt Betsy see it. R. Winchester A self-appointed family historian and proud of it. You can check out my family's history at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hookersbend/ Life is too short for drama & petty things, so kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly! > From: jkbain@comcast.net > To: tnhardin@rootsweb.com > Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:12:16 -0600 > Subject: Re: [TNHARDIN] Hardin Co. TN to Arkansas > > Miss Laura Hit had a letter to Hardin County folk living in Ark. > > A letter dated 4/8/1854 from Marion County (Yellville) Ark. from Joseph > and > Adoline > McCracken to their nephews John, Daniel & George Bain sons of William Bain > and Mary McCracken Bain. The letter describes the good hunting in that > area > of (Ark). > > Joe Bain > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: > To: > Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 7:49 AM > Subject: [TNHARDIN] Hardin Co. TN to Arkansas > > >> I've been reading the postings regarding families who moved from Hardin >> Co. >> to Arkansas and thought I'd add some other surnames. >> >> My direct Henry and Russell ancestors moved from Hardin to Jackson Co. AR >> in >> 1853. Either traveling with them or soon thereafter, came more Russell >> families along with these surnames: Wood, Johnson, Chalk, Jackson, >> McDougal, Ross >> and Hess families to name a few. This area of Jackson Co. forms almost a >> triangle with White and Independence Counties, thus many families moved >> within >> this tri-county area. >> >> Also, heading from Hardin Co. to Clay Co. AR were my Smith and Berry >> lines. >> These families moved first to Dyer Station TN and then on to Boydsville, >> Clay >> Co. AR. >> >> I'll post a partial index to deeds in Jackson Co. AR below where someone >> may >> note their ancestors: >> >> 6-11-1855 Boyd Wellington & wife to Thomas M. Ross >> 3-24-1866 Josephine Blagg to Wm. D. Brown >> 10-28-1859 Blip & Cox to John Stewart >> 1-3-1858 John Beard & wife to John Taylor >> 3-27-1867 R. D. Byers & wife to William Henry and wife >> 3-27-1863 Joseph A. Bennett & wife to John Stewart >> 1-21-1848 John A. Cornett to James M. Brown >> 11-2-1849 Caroline Cornelius to William Mason >> 12-10-1856 Joseph M. Green to W. H. Taylor >> 1859 or 1860 (date not certain but I have book and page number is the >> following: >> Governor of Arkansas to William A. Henry....4 Deeds >> 6-30-1860 Mary Ann Gibbs to James A. Chalk >> 3-2-1852 Green Hill to Battin Bright >> 6-12-1856 Wm. N. Holland & wife to Mary A. Holland >> 2-21-1859 James Hall to James Stewart >> 6-8-1859 Shows V. R. Mason & wife to Thomas H. Murphy a deed of trust. >> 4-12-1860 Lewis Hananes & wife to M. B. McCoy >> 6-30-1860 William Henry to James A. Chalk >> 7-27-1866 William Henry to Joseph A. McLayden >> 1-22-1867 William Henry to E. D. & T. E. Bryeans >> >> Early probate for Jackson Co., AR.....David Johnson of Jackson Co. died >> January 29, 1862 Kentucky. Aff. J.V. Richardson 7-18-1865 bond 7-18-1865. >> He must >> have been in the Civil War. >> >> Marriages Jackson Co.: Albert Johnson 20 & Sarah Ann Readwine 3-1-1866. >> Also >> found at Oakland Cem: Albert Johnson died 7-1868 22 yrs old. >> >> William Johnson 26 & Jane Pierce 17 11-10-1859 >> Lewisa Johnson 33 & Thomas Richardson 29 9-5-1866 >> Isabel Johnson 17 & James Williams 21 11-15-1874 >> Lucinda Johnson & Thomas Deaton 9-3-1868 >> Robert Johnson & Marinda Holand 11-22-1866 >> >> This is a mix of what could have been Felix Johnson and Benjamin >> Johnson's >> children from Hardin Co. It appears to me that some of the Johnson's went >> to >> Arkansas and then some went back to Hardin. >> >> Keeping in mind that Lawrence Co. AR was founded several years prior to >> Jackson Co., there were several Hardin Co. families listed in earlier >> Lawrence >> Co. records. >> >> Carolyn Anderson >> >> >> >> **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. >> http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> TNHARDIN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TNHARDIN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TNHARDIN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.1/1219 - Release Date: 1/11/2008 10:19 AM