Clinton Co IL-AHGP site
THE CLARKS
FROM VIRGINIA TO TEXAS
Thru Clinton Co IL
THE
FROM
Chronicled by
Carl Brooks
Researched by
Dolores
Brandon Miller
And
Nardine K.
Brandon
Edited by
Jim Miller
May 1998
This chronicle attempts to focus generally upon the
Many superlatives could generously be used to
describe these wonderful women, all of which would still fall short. These people, these ancestors, personify the
American pioneer will and determination. I am proud of all of them; who they
were, and everything they accomplished. In reading this chronicle, one fact
must be a constant throughout its scope -- what we don't know about these
people far out-weighs the meager knowledge we have about them, or their lives. Though a person's character is often defined
by adventurous life-experiences, the true strength perhaps lies in surviving
the drudgery, repetition, and sheer endurance of day to day living in
conditions considered unbearable by others.
We know very little of those two Marthas, but
we can surely read between the lines, for there-in lies their real story.
Motivations for the migration of many of our early
settlers westward are many and varied: A
better life; necessity; dreams of riches; or perhaps a need to see and be a
part of the new and wonderful country available to them by the simple act of
settling upon it. Another, more sinister
reason for pulling up stakes and moving West, was a matter of basic survival;
to flee the killers of their husbands, wives, and children; that indiscriminate
killer was disease. These people had
few, natural immunities and no effective treatments for Malaria, Cholera,
Smallpox, Typhoid, etc. Their only
defense was to flee an infected area and try homesteading somewhere else, leaving
many of their loved ones, as well as part of themselves, in a succession of
graves in their wake. This particular
threat was an ever-present reality for the
We begin with Martha Henriette
Mofield Clark Brandon's great, grandfather, Alexander McKenzie (Mackenzie), and
his wife, Ann. In Alexander's last will
and testament,
WILL OF ALEXANDER McKENZIE
I Alexander McKenzie of Albemarle County, in my
perfect mind and recollection do make this last will and testament and do make
the following disposition of my estate that is to say I leave my only and
beloved wife Ann all my estate both real and personal during her life and at
her death I give to my son Alexander McKenzie and his heirs 100 acres of my
land to be laid off under the direction of my executor to include my present
dwelling and that then they or the survivor should sell and convey all the
residue of my said estate both real and personal as may be thought most
advantageous and the net proceeds to be divided as follows. To Alexander McKenzie my
son and his heirs -- one-fourth tract.
To my grand daughters Patsy and Nancy (Bocock), one fourth tract. To my daughter, Susannah, wife of Peter Ray,
and their heirs -- one-fourth tract, after deducting five dollars which I have
advanced to her, and to my daughter, Margaret, wife of Joseph Hardy, and to her
heirs -- one-fourth tract plus ten pounds first being raised and advanced for
the education of my grandson, Absolum, son of
Alexander McKenzie. My daughter, Patsy
having received all of my estate I intend to give her or her heirs. I do hereby appoint my friends Joshua Key and
Tandy Key executors of this my last will and testament revoking all wills
heretofore made as witnessed my hand and seal this eighth day of February
179seven.
Alexander (his mark)
McKenzie
Signed, sealed published and acknowledged
in the presence of
Wat Key and William White
ALEXANDER McKENZIE'S
INVENTORY
|
|
L |
S |
D |
|
George, a negro man at the price of |
60 |
0 |
0 |
|
One Bay horse |
11 |
0 |
0 |
|
Two cows, 1 calf and two yew, one heffer, and four yearling |
30 |
10 |
0 |
|
Thirteen head of hogs and 3 young, 2 lambs |
10 |
8 |
0 |
|
3 beds of furniture, 5 chairs 2 pine tables |
12 |
6 |
0 |
|
One pair smoking irons, 4 pewter dishes |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
Fourteen do plates, two----------------------------- ------------------------ |
1 |
10 |
6 |
|
Eight do spoons, 1 iron, 1 do quart measure |
1 |
9 |
6 |
|
One tea pot, one tea kittle, and coffee mill |
1 |
16 |
6 |
|
One spice morter and pessell and two juggs |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
One butter ----------------- one hackle, one shott gunn |
1 |
17 |
0 |
|
One pair steelyards and one candle box |
1 |
10 |
6 |
|
Two pair sheep shears and 1 candlestick snuffer |
1 |
3 |
6 |
|
One pair tongs, one showell and a poker |
1 |
6 |
0 |
|
Two trivets, one sword and 1 holbard |
1 |
6 |
0 |
|
One flax and one cotten wheels |
1 |
18 |
0 |
|
Two pad locks and one branch winder |
1 |
7 |
0 |
|
One stock loch, 3 potts and one Dutch oven |
2 |
3 |
0 |
|
Four pails of different kinds one iro kittle |
1 |
4 |
0 |
|
Two frying pans two chests, one chern |
1 |
2 |
6 |
|
One grindstone one ----- and five slays |
1 |
17 |
6 |
|
One other chest and one pair sheers |
1 |
3 |
6 |
|
One hone and cutting knife |
1 |
5 |
0 |
|
Flesh fork, ladle and two pair pott hooks |
1 |
3 |
0 |
|
One lanthem one pr money scales ----------------- |
1 |
17 |
0 |
|
One bread baker and a ----------------- of nails |
1 |
9 |
6 |
|
Two scyths and cradles, three scths and 7 ---hooks |
1 |
7 |
6 |
|
Four augers, 3 chisels and a gouge, ?drawing knife 2 hand saws one --- and 1 hamer |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
Two belly, 1 spade 1 ---- 1 cross cut saw 2 cliverces one pr neppers 5 iron wedges 7 hoes and 3 axes |
2 |
14 |
0 |
|
Amount brought forward |
|
|
|
|
One old saddle Three halfshare plows |
1 |
5 |
0 |
|
One cart and one pr. Harnes |
4 |
0 |
0 |
|
Three old hogheads two bee hives |
1 |
3 |
6 |
|
An obligation of William Jones ----- 25 Dc 1797 |
24 |
0 |
0 |
|
A promesary note of Reuben
Garner payable |
1 |
12 |
3 |
|
An obligation of Bland Ballard payable |
6 |
6 |
0 |
|
A promesary note of Richard H. Allen for the amount of 1210 lbs tobaco at 2---per hundred |
16 |
8 |
8 |
|
A receipt of the treasurer ackowledging a debt of a parcill of old books a parcel of ---- |
0 |
12 |
0 |
|
Amount |
224 |
10 |
5 |
|
/2a doz knives and folks 2 table cloths |
|
13 |
6 |
|
Amount |
225 |
3 |
11 |
Benj Brown)
John
Alphin) All are in
"History." Albemarle Co."
(Jesse
Lewis)
At
(John Nicholas) became clerk in 1750 and continued
hold office until 1792
At a Supreme Court held in the town of
Charlottesville in April 1798 this last will and testament of Alexander
McKenzie, deceased, was in open court proved by the oath of Walter Key and
Elizabeth Key, two of the witnesses thereto, and by the court ordered to be
recorded and the motion of Joshua Key, one of the executors therein named,
certificate is granted him in obtaining a probate in due form of law and his
giving bond and security whereupon he qualified and gave bond and security
accordingly bt testo.
John
Carr C.C.
In his book, History of
Martha "Patsy" McKenzie was married to
William Carter, also of
On
From this marriage came several children who are the
characters-of-focus in our story: Ruth,
Alexander Broy, Martha Ann, William Carter, John
Newton, Matilda, Gabrielle, and Samuel. According to existing letters written
to these family members over a period of years and distance, they truly cared
for and loved each other as an emotionally close family. In 1831, William Clark
owned 152 acres of land on Russell's Creek.
In 1835 he was taxed for 5 horses and one slave, and by 1837, owned two
slaves.
Martha Clark's husband, William, died on
May Court 1837
Wm. Clark, late constable of this county, having
departed this life, the court proceeded to appoint a
successor. Present, Greenville Penn, John Tatum, Harvey Fitzgerald, Thomas J.
Penn, Clark Penn, James M. Redd, John Turner, William
Critz, Howard K. Moore, Thomas J. Penn, and Richard
Thomas, esquire. Alexander Clark,
Herbert Shelton and Jonas P. ____ were considered in absentia, and this court
voting viva voci,
the following was the result. For
Alexander Clark, all the justices except Clark Penn, who voted for Jonas P.____
, and Wm Critz, Esq., who voted for Herbert Shelton,
whereupon the said Alexander Clark was declared duly elected and thereupon he
took the several oaths prescribed by law, and together with Alexander Clark and
James M. Redd his security entered into bond in the
penalty of $2,000.00, conditioned according to law, it appearing to the
satisfaction of this court, this, the said A. Clark is a man of honesty,
integrity, and good character.
Thus, Alexander Broy Clark took his deceased father's place as Constable of
Patrick County, Virginia. Offices said
to have been held by Alexander Broy Clark, while
living in
Samuel S. Clark
Youngest child of
William and Martha Carter Clark
For reasons unknown to us, on
"A way-bill from Patrick County
Courthouse to Aviston,
To Hillsville in Grayson Co. (Carroll Co.
current map)
To
To
To
To
To Kingsport, Sullivan Co.
Through Hawkins Co.
To Rutledge, Granger Co.
To
To Robertsville in
Through Overton Co., then through White
Co.
Through Jackson Co., then to Allen's Ferry on
the
To
To Dickson's Springs
in same co.
To Hartsville in same
To
To Cross Plains in Robertson Co.
To Keysburg in
Todd Co.
To
To
To Fredonia in same
To ferry on
To Equality in
Through Hamilton Co.
To
To Carlyle in
Through Aviston
in same
The amount of our expenses on the journey was
64 dollars 49 cents."
John N. Clark
The following are copied, typed, and certified
letters written by the
In this series of letters and replies, the following
was written by Martha Clark, from
Dear and beloved children,
I take my pen up this
morning to write to you one time more.
The Lord only knows whether I shall ever be blessed with this
opportunity anymore for this is the only way we can get consolation, by the
receiving of your letters and to hear that you are all spared. Yes, we received
yours dated 6th of November which came to hand the 21st of same month. We received it with great satisfaction to
hear that all of you were well, etc. What a great satisfaction it is to hear
from one I dote on as much as I do you.
There is not a day rolls across my head but what I think of you. I think
the time long since we parted but I will feed myself on the hopes of seeing you
both as soon as you can arrange your matters, etc., and you must not make the
time too long.
I was glad to hear
that your grandfather and mothers were all with you enjoying yourselves
together. If we could not be blessed with that blessed opportunity and if we
never meet on earth anymore, I want you to prepare to meet with me in a world
above where parting will be no more.
This leaves us all
well, fat and saucy and hoping when these few lines you may be enjoying good
health and in high spirits a coming out to the west. The children are all as
fleshy as I ever saw them and enjoy good health. Ruth weighs 155 lbs. and John 156 lbs. and
says he has caught you in weight at last, and says if you will meet him half
way he can throw you down. Martha Ann weighs 150 lbs. and Carter weighs 164,
Gabrielle 75 and Samuel 66. They are
going to school and learn very fast. We
have a school in 1/2 a mile of us at this time.
Matilda was married
on
James Newman called
on us as he came on. He arrived at my
house on Monday 9th of January (1843) and stayed until Thursday with us which
gave great satisfaction to hear from old Patrick (Co. Va.) and all of my old
neighbors and how they were coming on etc.
I was glad to hear your trouble was over and to hear what a fine son you
had and very well pleased with his name.
Tell my dear Mother
that I hope to meet her in this life one time more but if we should not I hope
we shall meet where death pain and sorrow will be no more and tell her I often
wish she were with me and miss her no one knows but those that experience
it. Give my love to your grandfather and
mother
I will give you the prices of products etc. corn is 62 1/2 cents per barrel,
wheat 37 1/2 cents per bushel. Pork $1.75 per hundred. Times are hard here and do not get
any better. I shall live on the road
leading to
(The preceding instructions were assumed to have
been directions leading to the location of an object which Martha had left
behind, buried in her yard back in
(The following was written in the same letter. It was probably written by John B. Ginnett, Matilda's husband, and brother-in-law of A. B.
Clark.)
Dear Brother,
Anytime you will let
me know you are ready to move out I will come in. Give me time to arrange my
matters to come. John N., Ruth, Ann
Carter and Gabrielle will show you their improvement since they left. They went
6 days to a writing master. Now everyone will write their own etc.
(The following was written by Ruth Clark.)
Dear Brother and Sister,
I often think of you
and will never forget you. Dear Brother do not worry
about what you wrote me. I do not think
hard of what you wrote to me. Forget me
not, forget me not.
Ruth V. Clark
(The following was written by Martha Ann Clark,
daughter of Martha Clark, to her Brother, Alexander B. Clark.)
Dear Brother and sister,
I have not forgotten
you both and never shall. I want you
both out here. I merely wrote that to
show you my writing. Give my love to M.
Gray.
Martha A. Cl.
(The
following was written by William Carter Clark to his brother, A. B. Clark)
Dear Brother and sister,
I want you both out
here so we could see one another everyday.
You wrote that you had a big man that could make me holler "Calf
rope," but I think if you were here I would tell you better. I weigh 165 lbs.
William
C. Clark
(The following was written by Gabrielle Clark.)
Dear Brother and sister,
I want to see you
both very bad and tell Mary Jane she must go to school and learn to write and
write me a letter. Give my love to
Elizabeth Mofield. I wrote this myself.
Gabrielle
Clark
(The conclusion of this letter was written by Martha
Clark, mother of Alexander
Broy Clark.)
I want you to write
by every chance you have and my dear son, do not make the time too long before
you come out and oh if I had you both out here what I'd give. You feel very nigh to me. I think the time
long since we parted. This paper will
not hold half I want to write but oh when we get together then we can talk with
each other and lay the paper aside. This
leaves me hoping it will not be long before we shall be together and enjoy
ourselves together. This time (has
gone) so no more at present only remain your true and loving mother until
death us do part in this life and hoping we shall meet in a world where parting
will be no more.
Mrs. Mary Ann
Outhouse sends her love to you and says she should like to see you. You know
who I allude to, Mary Ann Booker as was before she was married.
Received
Answered
(The name, "Outhouse" is mentioned at
least twice within these letters, and was first thought to have been used
derisively, in making fun of those persons.
However, upon further examination, the name seems to have been German in
origin, closely resembling that of the English, "Outhouse." Mr. (or
Reverend) Outhouse seems to have been a local minister upon whom the
To Capt. A. B. Clark
Galesville, Stokes Co.
Aviston,
My Dear Son Alexander,
I now write to inform
you that myself and family (except John N. Clark) are
all sick with the chills and the fever and have been for three or four months
past. You will be surprised to learn
that my dear John N. is no more. He departed this life on the 25th day of July
at 5 minutes past
I approached him on
the evening of his death, perhaps three hours before his decease and asked if
he wished me to pray with and for him.
He said, "Oh, yes, Mother." I asked if I should send for
someone to come and pray with him. He
said, "Yes, send for Brother Harris," a pastor who is pastor of the
church which I belong to. I immediately
sent for him, but before he arrived, John N. took his exit to the world of the
spirits where I hope to meet him ere long to praise our redeemer together. Just before his decease, he prayed fervently
for all of our sisters and brothers and also for yourself
and wife and exhorted us all to prepare to meet him in heaven.
He said to Dr. Lee,
"Oh, Doctor, can't you strengthen me that I may be enabled to rejoice and
pray more?" The Doctor, being
present said, "I don't know, John, I will try to." He died very easy without a struggle or a
groan and believe he has gone to heaven where the redeemed sing and the Angels
of God are continually before the throne, praising the creator, crying
"Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty who was and who is the same. The Doctor said his disease was the
intermittent fever which became very turbid and unmanageable together with his
old complaint which carried him off.
Today I am confined
to my bed with chills. I had got better
so I rode out to Matilda's and tarried with her three days. On Thursday afternoon I came home through
chilly atmosphere which probably brought back the chills on me again. Ruth was
able to go about and do the necessary work two weeks ago but on Sunday she was
taken down again with the chills. Though
at present she is, I think, better and will probably nip her ague today. Martha
Ann has been sick for more than three months and is very feeble now, but is
getting better. Gabrielle is now sick in bed with the ague. She's been sick ever since July __ with intermittents of one and two weeks___ then it would come
back again. Samuel S. was taken sick the first of July. Since then he has had the chills and fever
with intermittents of one and two weeks. When his ague is on he sits and pats his feet
and sings until it goes off again. He is now getting better. Carter has had the chills for two weeks past
and has one on him now, but I think he will be better in a few days.
To Capt. A. B. Clark Colesville,
Clinton Co.
I take the present
opportunity to write to you to let you know that we are in some better health
than we have been in some time. Hoping that when these few lines come to hand that they will find
you enjoying good health. We received
your letter dated 24th December which came to hand 12th January which gave us
great joy to hear that you were well and all of our connections. I want to see you. Nothing can express the many miles apart the
satisfaction that it would be to see you and be as we have been, as I feel so
lonesome and desolate. I don't know if
we shall ever see each other again but I still live in hopes that we will in a
short time. I think that you have
slighted me very much. It has been most
of a year before I have heard from you before this. There has been a good deal of sickness and
deaths in the neighborhood. It revives
memory much when I think of your coming.
I want you to bring Sally and the children with you. Tell Sally I have not forgotten her nor where we parted nor ever shall. I want you to tell
Mother that I want to see her very bad, but if we never see each other again in
this world, I want to meet her where parting will be no more. Tell Father and Mother Clark that I want to
see them very bad, and I don't know whether I ever shall or not, but I hope I
shall see them again.
Gabrielle sends her
love to you both and says to tell Mary that she wants to see her very bad and
she wants her to send her a letter and tell Granddaddy and Grammamas
that she wants to see them very bad.
Samuel sends his love to you both and says to tell William that he has
got him a steer and he rides him and wants to know if he has got one or not,
and says tell Granddaddy and Grammamas that he wants
to see them.
Martha A. Clark Dear Brother and Sister,
I want to see you
very bad. My dear brother don't give out coming next
Fall for I want to see you worse than I ever did. Do look over my bad writing for my hand is
very trimbly.
Corn is worth $1.00 per barrel - Wheat 75 cents. Pork is worth $1.50 to
$2.00. Burton Coker says that you say
you are coming next Fall and you must not lie as you
are not in the habit of lying. Times are hard and get no better. Crops very sorry last year.
It is now raining. Give my love
to Aunt Nancy. Tell Uncle Moses Clark
that we received his letter that he sent our dear beloved brother that is
gone. I want you to write as soon as you
get this letter and don't mind postage as we would be glad to get a letter every
week.
Wm.
C. C.
(William
Carter Clark)
So we will come to a close. Nothing more at present,
but remaining your true affectionate parents until death.
Dear Beloved Mother,
I am in need of about
$20.00, and if you will send me that much I will be able to return it in a
short time. If you can send it in the
next letter it will oblige me very much. Shake hand with Nancy Hudson for
me. Mat
Matilda and John Ginnett send their love to you and Sally and say they want
to see you very bad and all of the connections.
Dear Brother and Sister,
I take my pen in hand
to write you a few lines as I have not written any since the first of
July. I should like to see you both out
here. I have missed the ague and fever
two days and my hand is trembling and weak, but I think I shall get over it
now. You must not forget to come and see
us next Fall as we shall look until we see you.
Give my love to Grandfather and Grandmother and
Aunt Nancy Hudson. Mr. Ginnett and Matilda send their love to your father and
mother.
M.A.C.
(Martha
Ann Clark)
(Notation: Mary Gaines was Sarah E. Gaines Clark's
sister. She signed her letters to her
sister: Polly Tarter. Her husband was
Caleb M. Tarter of Pulaski Co,
Notations
on the letter were: "Received this letter 18th February A. D. 1844
Answered
April 21, 1844.")
Another letter written
August 5, 1844. (The number 25 appears where we usually see the stamp on letters
today. This letter, as the others of
this period, was folded and sealed with wax.
No envelopes were used for the letters of the 1840's. Martha Carter
Clark's signature does not appear, though it is obvious that she wrote the
first part of the letter and bits in-between.)
Martha's daughter, Ruth, was living in her mother's
household until she married James Mofield on December 22, 1844, eventually
giving birth to three girls, including Martha Henriette
Mofield, one of the two the main characters of this chronicle. The Mofield family had apparently been
friends of the Clark's back in Patrick County, Virginia. This is assumed from the greeting Gabrielle
sent along in a letter to her brother, Alexander, (February 1843) directing him
to "Give her love to Elizabeth Mofield."
Ruth was probably born about 1818-1820 in Patrick
Co., Virginia, although, no documentation attesting to this,
has been found. When Ruth's father,
William Clark, died in 1837, Ruth was named as one of his minor heirs. Ruth and James Mofield's first child, Martha Henriette, was born September 20, 1845, their second child,
Sally Ann, 1847, and their third, Gabrielle Matilda, in 1850.
It is known that James and Ruth lived in Clinton
County, Illinois in November 1847 about 2 1/2 miles from Ruth's mother,
Martha. Ruth's sister, Martha Ann, lived
one and one half miles from Aviston, Illinois, and
within a few miles of her mother.
A word of explanation and clarification concerning
some of the names contained within this chronicle: Jonathan Huff, or Hoff, is
listed in several documents using both spellings, even within the same document.
Either could be correct. The name
Mofield, also spelled Moffield, was undoubtedly once Morefield and also appears in official documents spelled
both ways. Though the authors have
selected one choice over the others, all should be considered as correct. The given name of Ruth also occasionally
appears as Ruthe; and Henriette
is sometimes referred to as Henrietta.
MARTHA
A. CARTER CLARK
Martha married Jonathan Huff/Hoff on October 3,
1848, in Clinton County, Illinois. From
the sound of the letters written by her son-in-law, the marriage was not a
happy one. As the pieced scenario
unfolds, it appears that after the marriage, Mr. Huff took advantage of Martha
by selling her land and stock, then using the money unwisely. In spite of this unfortunate circumstance,
they were still living together on November 25, 1850, in Alton, Madison County,
Illinois.
References to Martha's daughter, Ruth, and her
family, were made in several old family letters, including one that Martha
wrote to her brother, Alexander B. Clark.
The following are copies of those letters:
To Capt. A. B. Clark
Patrick County Court House.
Virginia
Clinton County, Illinois
19th November, 1847
Dear Son,
I take this
opportunity to let you hear from us.
This leaves us well at present hoping these lines will find you and all
the rest of our connections well. With sorrowful hearts we write to you. My dear son William Carter is gone. He was taken sick on the last day of October
and departed this life on 8th of November. He was taken with a chill on Sunday
morning and the fever never cooled until Saturday. I sent for Dr. Fisk the next day after he was
taken and he said it was bilious intermittent fever. I believe that all was done for him that
could be, both by ourselves and neighbors and Dr. He told us the day before he died that he had
dreamed of being with his brother, John N. and he thought it would not be long
before he was with him. He told me he
loved his brother Alexander though he was a long way from him. He said not to grieve for him, he wasn't
afraid to die. He was heard at prayer
not two hours before he died. I hope and
believe he is at rest. He was a good
child to me and his sisters and brothers.
He told Samuel to be a good boy and to speak ill of no person and he
would have friends. He was very steady
and had a great many friends, but he is gone and we are left to mourn his
loss. We feel quite lonely.
Matilda is with us
today. She expects to go home in a few
days. John and Matilda send their love
to you all. Matilda said that she would like to see you but life is
uncertain. James and Ruth (Mofield) send
their love to you all. Ruth has another
fine girl. She calls it Sally Ann. The girls live close together. They live 2 1/2 miles from me.
Samuel grows very
fast. He won't be able to feed and tend
to the stock this winter. He says he is
quite lonesome, he has no brother to go to and be with
him. Pork is 4 dollars a hundred---flour
2 1/2 dollars a hundred---corn 75 cents a barrel.
Give my love to
Mother and to Father Clark and all of the connections and friends and tell them
I have not forgotten them all. Gabrielle
and Samuel send their love to you all.
Your letter dated the 15th of August came to hand and I was glad to hear
from you all. You must be certain to
write me a letter as soon as you get this.
We live in a mile and a half of Aviston. We get your letters the same day they come to
Aviston, so no more at present but remain your loving
mother until death."
Martha
Clark
My dear son left me
out of debt but about 40 odd dollars which is mostly to Doctor. Thought you would like to know how I was
doing. Don't neglect writing.
The following letter was written by Ruth to her
brother, Alexander B. Clark, on 19 November 1847, the same day the previous
letter was written by Martha Clark:
Dear Brother and Sister,
I, now with grief,
undertake to write you a few lines. To
think that our dear brother has left us and that this is the first ________you
must look over all bad writing. I hope that
our misfortune will not prevent you from coming as we all have to die, prepared
or not, and let us all say that we will try to meet him again in a world of
love where there is no sickness nor death nor parting. Give my love to Grandfather and Mother and
Aunt Nancy and Sally Critz and Mary Gray, Mary Webb
and Mary Gaines and to Mrs. S. Brown and Mrs. Gray and tell all
inquiring
friends and I want to know (about) of all the Negroes you bought off Mr.
Gaines and how all of our acquaintances come on.
Ruth Clark
("Grandfather,"
was John Clark, the father of William Clark, who died in 1837. “Grandmother”
was Martha "Patsy" McKenzie Carter, mother of Martha Clark.)
Mr. A. B. Clark, Colesville,
Stokes County, N. C.
Clinton County, Illinois
January 21st 1849
Dear Brother and Sister,
With pleasure I
embrace the present opportunity for the first time to address you with a few
lines which is the only way we have of conversing together at the present
time. As self comes first in most cases,
I will inform you that we are enjoying common health at the present time for
which we feel thankful to the Great Power of the Universe for His favors for
which we enjoy. I further state to you
that I have some notion of moving to the state of Missouri and I would be very
glad if it were so that you could move to that country as I think it is a very
healthy country and a fertile soil.
I will now give you
some items of general news in regard to prices of the various products of the
country. Pork is worth from $2.50 to $3.00 per hundred weight
and beef is about the same price. Flour
is worth $4.50 per bbl. (Barrel). And
corn is worth from 15 to 20 cents a bushel.
We have experienced a
very severe winter so far and there is considerable ice on the ground at the
present time. We want you to write to
us as soon as this comes to hand and give us all the news that would be
interesting for us to hear from our friends and acquaintances in that country;
and if you would want any information, let us know when you write and we will
try to give you and answer that will be more interesting that the present short
letter.
I will now inform you
that I was at Mother's and Mofield's a few days back and they are all well,
though I should say that Mr. Huff, as Mother has married a widower by that
name, the third of October last. He has
five children, though none are living with him at this time. Mother has been looking for a letter from you
for some time and thinks strange that you have not written before this time.
I will further state
to you that James Madison Clark went to Santa Fe in the volunteer service, but
has since returned well and hearty. As
to our domestic affairs I will say to Sally that we have no children of our own
though we have three children living with us at the present time. It would gratify us very much if you were
living near us so that we could converse face to face and not be confined to
the narrow limits of a sheet of paper. Give our love and respects to
Grandmother Carter and Grandfather Clark, Uncle Moses Clark and family and to
Aunt Nancy Hudson and family and to all the rest of the connections and
inquiring friends.
Dear Brother and
Sister, we will now bid you an affectionate farewell after subscribing
ourselves your affectionate brother and sister until death. This from John and Matilda Ginnett to A. B. and Sally Clark.
P.S. I will state to
you that Mother is living about 1/2 mile from me on the same place Carter
bought. The place had thirty acres in
cultivation when Carter bought it and he took in ten more acres and since Mr.
Huff came there he borrowed the money and entered the place. I then went there and proposed to the old man
and Mother to make a deed to the land and execute it in such a manner that the
three children that live at the home could hold it after the death of the old
lady, but the old man appeared to be insulted very much and Mother was not well
pleased with the proposition. My motive
for doing this was - I believed that the personal property was enough for him
to dispose of at his own will. John Ginnett to A. B. Clark
The next letter was addressed to Alexander B. Clark
and was dated 28 April 1850. It was written by one of Alexander's sisters.
Dear Beloved Brother and Sister,
I take this
opportunity of writing to you to let you know that we are in the land of the
living yet. It has been a great while
since we have written to you or heard from you all. We moved to Alton the week
before Christmas which is 40 miles north from where we moved from. This leaves us all tolerable well at present
hoping when these few lines come to hand that you may be in good health. I heard from John and Matilda and Ruth and
Gabrielle two weeks ago and they were all well and doing well. Ruth is making
out very well. She has another girl and
calls it Gabrielle Matilda. Gabrielle (Ruth's sister) has been with Ruth all
the winter. One or the other of us will
stay all the time with her.
John Ginnett has sold his land and says he is going to leave
Clinton County and try some other place as they can't have their health
there. Samuel's health seems to be
improving some. He hasn't had chills and
fever for three or four months. He had a
spell of lung fever. He took it the last
of February and it was three weeks that he wasn't out of his room and so weak
that we thought he could not live. His
lungs were very much affected. The
doctor said that his whole system was affected.
He seems stouter now than he has been for a long time. He is now going to school. The school he is going to is free for all
children that have no father living. He
can spell and read tolerable well, but can't write any to do any good.
Mother says that she
never would (have) consented to break up (the family) if it had not been for
getting Samuel educated. (Samuel was the
12 year old younger brother of Ruth.) He
seems tolerable healthy now. The cholera prevails in St. Louis, MO. this
spring, but there has been none of it in Alton yet. St. Louis is 25 miles south
of Alton.
Huff has sold all the
stock that Mother had, and has entered the land that the improvement was on,
that Brother William C. had bought and paid for before he died and has bought
20 acres of timbered land in his name and paid for it out of Mother's property
as he had nothing when he came to our house and has rented our farm out for 40
dollars for one year and takes it in improving the place and has rented a house
and lot for 60 dollars for one year. He
sold Mother's wagon and two of her horses for the rent of the house and let for
one year and fifty dollars in money and rents half of the house out for two
dollars and a half a month and now he thinks he has got everything in his power
and reigns master, but there is a chance for him yet. I hope he is not as smart as he thinks he is. He is a great deal worse than he was before
he moved to Alton. I will write you in
the next letter how things are.
Samuel says he wants
to see you out here this fall very much and he says he thinks that he would go
home with you if you will come and says tell Grandfather
Clark that he has not forgotten him nor ever shall and would like to see
him and all of his connections. Mother
says she wants to see you and Sally and the children and to know how many
children you have and what their names are___ sends her love to Grandfather and
to tell of her connections and friends and says she wants you to write
her. I want to give my love to
Grandfather and to one and all of my connections and friends. Sally, I want to see you and Alexander and
the children very much and be with you all again.
Everything is very
high this spring. It has been very wet
this winter and spring. It is raining
now and has been all day. We had snow
most of this month a foot deep. Corn is
50 cents a bushel--wheat 90 cents per bushel.
Bacon is 5 cents a lb. beef 5 cents per lb. Everything else is high.
I want you not to
fail to write me as soon as you get this letter as we want to hear from you
very much. Tell all of the neighbors
howdy for me. Tell Mary Jane I want to
see some of her writing very much and that Ruth has two sweet, pretty and smart
little girls. Martha Henrietta and the
babe favors their father very much, and Sally Ann
favors Samuel when he was small. Samuel grows very fast. He weighed 124 before he was taken sick.
Direct your letters
to upper Alton, Madison County, Illinois.
I want you not to fail writing me as soon as you can and please look
over blots and mistakes and I will try to do better hereafter and write
oftener. I shall expect an answer soon
so no more at present, but remain your loving sister until death.
P.S.
$28.00 price of the two grave stones. Mother subscribed for two pair of grave
stones last fall to go to the boys' graves and now
Huff has gone through with all of her property so she can't get them now. If the man sends them which he will, of
course, I want you to send the money that was coming to the two boys if you
think right to do it as the children all seem willing for the money to be put
to that use. The man was to send them
the first of September.
According to family lore, the entire Mofield family,
with the exception of the nine-year-old Martha Henriette,
died in a house fire in August 1854.
This is probably true. Ruth's
estate settlement-records names Charles Jones as administrator. An inventory listed several household items,
as well as farm implements and animals, etc.
Because Ruth died intestate, everything was sold at auction. Although Ruth's surviving daughter, Martha Henriette, was not named as an heir, the proceeds from the
sale were placed in trust, and later used for her education.
After the tragic fire, which destroyed her family,
it is believed Martha Henriette went to live with
Grandma Martha only a few miles from her previous home. Records indicate that Martha Henriette attended boarding school between the years 1854
and 1860. She was probably fairly well
educated for a girl living in her era.
Also, she had inherited the small estate left by her parents and with
the sponsorship of her grandmother, had the support and means to pursue her
education.
Grandma Martha's husband, Jonathan Huff, disappeared
from historical records after the end of 1850. It is possible that he finally
went a step too far, with his imprudent squandering of Martha's assets, and she
divorced him, forthwith. The possibility
also exists that he simply died, without familial fanfare. No record has been found in the family Bible
or ledgers. He simply vanished. Either way, the next indication that Grandma
Martha ever remarried is that, years later, her death is registered under the
name of Martha James. No record can be
found alluding to this Mr. James. We do
not even know if this marriage took place in Illinois or later in Texas but
suspect the marriage began and ended in Illinois.
A considerable gap in time and information occurs
between 1850 and 1860. Grandma Martha
Clark apparently corresponded with her son, A. B. Clark, who still lived in
Patrick County, Virginia. Little is
known concerning events of that decade, however, bits
of information can be gleaned from other correspondence, which leads to logical
conclusions concerning their actions.
The following is a possible
chronicle of events concerning the Clark family during those missing years:
After much hardship, several deaths, as well as
rampant sickness within the extended Clark families living in Illinois, Grandma
Martha met and married Mr. James. My
guess is that he was at least elderly and died within a few years of that
marriage. Meanwhile, the struggle for
survival continued as those remaining children grew and became stronger.
Rumors of political and social strife were becoming
more and more serious, especially in Virginia, as the Federal Government in
Washington D.C. became increasingly intent on coercing and threatening to
enforce their values on the citizens of the southern states. The issue of slavery was at the forefront of
this disagreement. The entire Southern
economy had been established, and was based upon slavery, but now the northern
states objected on the stated grounds of morality. The South found it odious that a seat of
government so far removed from their way of life was dictating how they should
be allowed to live. To them, slaves were
only part of the problem. Many Southerners
saw their individual states as their "Countries," especially
Virginia, and reacted vehemently. In the
view of most Southerners the issue was clear; their states rights were being
violated -- an action which they perceived as a major, direct insult -- and
would not, nor could not, honorably be tolerated. The threat of civil war was very real in
1860, and nowhere was this threat felt more strongly than in the founding state
of Virginia, the home place of the Clark family, and the present home of
Alexander Broy Clark.
Correspondence between Grandma Martha and her son A.
B. Clark, back in Patrick County was likely full of news concerning this major,
social, and political problem, comparing public opinion, as well as assessing
relative dangers in the face of impending conflict. It is known that Grandma Martha, herself,
owned at least one, and maybe more, slaves. A. B. Clark is also known to have
owned several more. Since the Illinois
Clarks lived in a "Northern" state, they must soon be faced with the
very real possibility of giving them up and capitulating to the will of the authority
in Washington D. C. Virginia, being one of the first southern states to feel
the wrath of this new "Morality" sweeping the North, seemed to be
immediately in harm's way. So, I believe
it was decided among the two families to reunite at long last and move their
homesteads to the frontier of Texas where perhaps the threat of war would
remain far away to the North, leaving them to live their lives in peace. But since this conflict had a long and bloody
arm, it would eventually touch all Americans, North and South.
In the spring of 1860 Alexander Broy
Clark gave up his position as Postmaster and is believed to have left Virginia
with his wife, Sarah, and their nine children, en route to Texas, by way of
Clinton County, Illinois. Grandma
Martha, along with her orphaned granddaughter, Martha Henriette
(then only sixteen years old), at least three slaves, and any other family
members who wished to join them, left Illinois to escape Northern ideology and
explore this new Texas country to the south.
Following their arduous journey, what they found was a raw, unimproved,
near wilderness, which would sap their strength and surely discourage lesser
people.
It is generally believed that during the journey
from Illinois, Martha Henriette Mofield and William
John "Billy" Clark, her first cousin, and son of Alexander Broy Clark fell in love with each other. On the slow, difficult trail south, ample
opportunity must have presented itself for them to engage in long talks and
experience, first hand, the strengths and weaknesses of each other’s
character. Having been placed in a
situation of working together, and struggling toward the common goal of
surviving the trip to Texas, the result seems almost inevitable.
Arriving in Grayson County, Texas, sometime in late
summer, Alexander purchased a parcel of land for farming and began the task of
setting down roots. According to the following letter written November 1, 1860,
as well as another, written on January 26, 1861, the trip was far from easy.
After experiencing much hardship, bad fortune, and sickness on their arduous
journey, the family apparently began farming near Sherman, not far from, and
situated between, the Trinity and Red Rivers.
This letter to A. B. Clark, from a friend in Patrick
County, mirrors the concerns of those closest to the impending conflict which
was set to explode with the inauguration of the new president, Abraham
Lincoln. The next few months could be
described as being the most divisive and tragic within the history of our
country. It isn't difficult to imagine
people in remote areas of the country, such as Texas, being hungry for
information concerning their home state, along with kith and kin left behind to
face the catastrophic threats of war. It
is inconceivable that any citizen would not have definite opinions concerning
the issues at hand and feel a strong need to declare his, or her, loyalties to
their chosen cause. People sought these
reassuring declarations from family, friends, acquaintances, and in the eyes of
strangers.
November
1, 1860
To Capt. A. B. Clark
Grayson County, Texas
Dear friend,
I received your
letter dated Sept. 22nd a few days ago and was sorry to hear you had
so much sickness on the road and after you landed in Texas also; but was glad
to hear that most of you were improving.
Sir, myself and family are as well as common. The children have had colds - some of them;
and the fever has been worse here this season than
common - that is, those who have had the fever it has been harder with
them. Mr. Clifton and Frederick Dalton
have been down some two months or more and their cases were hopeless for a long
time. Doct
[Dr.] Petrop was Clifton's doct.
& doctor Bishop Dalton's. Clifton
had no nurse but his wife at any time and then his wife was taken down and some
of the children I understand Clifton lay for 2 or 3
days at a time without help. The fever
has got so much worse, the people have got more
alarmed about it. Coleman Dalton's son
William died with fever about one month ago.
W. W. Casaday is expected to die any day
now. There have been several cases of
fever in this country this season. Col.
Tatum lost 2 negroes:
Riley and a woman with fever with Doct. Bishop in attendance.
Again you write me
that most of you are very well satisfied and I am glad to hear that you all got
to Texas and I hope when you all get well you will be still better satisfied
with Texas and the people in Texas. I
learn from your letter that you had a good deal of sickness on the road which I
was sorry to hear as it must be bad to be sick in a land of strangers; though
sometimes strangers are the best of friends to travelers. I understand that Jacob S. Clark has sold the
land he bought of you -- sold for $850.00 to Will or James Harber. Mr. J. Smith has not moved yet and Davy W.
Smith is in Danburg prison for a debt against him It is hard to
tell when he will get out.
I will turn to the crops -- wheat, very sorry about 3 bushels to 1
a. Sowing some few
crops a little better. Rye, sorry. Oats, the
finest crop I ever saw here. I made a
good stack to the bushel sowing this year for the first time I ever did. Corn crops some better than they were last
year in this neighborhood and down the mountain below the court house they say
they haven't had such crops of corn in 10 years. The tobacco crop is over an average crop and
there are a good many crops of old leaf tobacco in the country not sold. The leaf market is thought to be dull next
spring. Some of our merchants wont lay in any goods until the Presidential election is over
and will be governed by that. Money
matters are hard here with most of the people.
There are several sheriff sales now advertized
for taxes in this neighborhood. There is
some excitement about the election and the times. It is thought by some that there is a young
preacher in this country who is a friend of the abolitionists and you have seen
the man. I suppose he is very friendly
toward the blacks. From what I
understand, he is judged very strong etc.
I will say something
about my mother. She is poorly, but
keeps about. The 1st of July
she was taken down to her bed and was confined about 7 or 8 weeks before she
was able to walk without help. She had
very little medicine given her during the time.
It was mostly from the cancer she has on her face.
And Sir, Mr. Boyd has
just left my house and he said they were all well etc. I was at Hamilton Joyces
last Sunday and Penn and wife and the Widow Norman were there. They were all well as common. Aunt Lizzie has another son. Tell Cousin Sally, Mary has another daughter
born May 12 and its name is Harriet Columby.
We are a long way a
part and many rivers between us and lakes, but we must say something about the
children and watch for them awhile as the rising generation might be led astray
by false teachers on many points and I am afraid there are too many books and
institutions before the children of these times.
To Mary, tell her to
cheer up. She is not forgotten in this
county for the day I got your letter there was a neighbor young man there. I will say who he was, Peter, and he was very
anxious to hear the letter read and I came to where Mary was sick and he did
not stay much longer. The day you left
your place of residence I returned home and he passed my house in great haste
going somewhere and afterwards called to see you start in the afternoon, but
you were all gone and he was badly disappointed. We are a long way apart, Cousin Mary, but we
must pay some jokes freely -- no harm. I
would like very well to see you all and talk with you.
Now I am afraid we
will have something else to do if Lincoln is elected President of these United
States. It is thought here that he will
stand a good _______________ for the With House the next 4 years. The people here are divided in this county
with 2 parties of the South. We ought to
unite and go for one man. I think there
are some few Douglas men here, but mostly Breckenridge men - some Bell men.
Of the seasons of
this year we had rain aplenty in the first of June and then dry till corn
seemed almost done, then the rain came in parts of this country and made very
good crops here, but south of this it is worse than it is here on Snow Creek
and Dan River. Corn is $1 per bushel
from the stack, so said.
The renters are
moving about right smartly in this country.
We've had a great deal of rain this fall - the farmers have not sowed
much wheat yet. The land is very soaked
with rain here how.
The prices of
merchandise are a little advanced in some things in this country. Coffee is 30 cts
per pound. We have some ______ ______ but it was
badly injured by the hail. We have had 3
of the heaviest hails here in May that I ever saw fall. The hail stones were from the size of small
bird eggs to the size of goose eggs.
Col. Tatum weighed some of them and they weighed 3/4 of a pound. After the rain was over
some 1/2 of a pound. It ruined
some wheat fields.
Mary to Cousin Sally
and Mary -- You have gone a long way and I am here yet; and from all news and
circumstances I hear from the West I would not change my place of residence
under present circumstances. I would
like to see you very well, but the only way we can speak to each other is by
pen and letter. We are far apart & I
have nothing more at present. You must
excuse my bad spelling and writing etc.
But remember your
ever and affectionate friends.
B. L. & Mary E. Gunter until death. & I want you to
write to me as soon as these few lines come to hand and let me know how you all
are. It will be satisfaction to me to
hear from you all as often as I can. Mary
sends her love to you all and I wish my love to be given to you and
family. Yours
with respect
Beverly
S. Gunter
To
A. B. Clark in
(While living in
Jany
26th, 1861
Capt. Clark,
My Dear Friend,
Yours of date
December 8th has been received and I assure you my dear sir, if afforded me
much pleasure to hear from you, and learn that you were well and all your
family well, and well satisfied with your new
home. I was much edified with the
narrative you gave me of your travels from
To my dear friend,
for such I shall ever regard you, I have no fear that you will not only make
friends, but under the guidance and smiles of a kind providence you will ever
be kept free from danger and trouble.
You have my most anxious and earnest wishes for your prosperity and
happiness in this world.
I have not seen Marsh
Smith since I received your letter, but will attend to your request when I see
him. My brother left me last November
for home. His address is
Well every body in
Patrick are in great excitement about the distracted state of affairs in the
United States, some here are for secession, some for compromise, some for
submission, and some for running. I
understand that many say they will go into the mountains before they will
fight, but all such we can spare, and then have too many. The Spirit of Virginia, thank God, is to
resist every aggression and fight as soon as necessary. I am proud to see that you have not forgotten
your early teaching in your old
I reacon
you will ask what I am doing at home if the Legislature is in session and this
leads me to answer one other of your enquirys. In relation to last Spring's
election, and you may be some what astonished at my course, but all my friends
here justify me.
Your
friend
Wm.
A. Durwell
After a long and protracted argument in the United
States Congress concerning the slavery question, the
Vast expanses of virgin land, millions of acres,
awaited anyone bold and adventurous enough to brave the hardships, clear the
swamps, survive diseases, outlast drought, and still struggle year after year
for the chance to own a piece of this new frontier, and grow with the
country. Only the strong and hearty need
apply. The primary qualifications for
this task included their willingness to work and their ability to endure. Not
everyone was up to that gigantic task.
There were many failures; still, many more successes. We are living proof of those successes.
On
The simple fact that Alexander Clark had bought the
land from George Shields for the sum of $1,600.00, then only one year later,
sold a mere 20 acres of it for $1,700.00, is enough to cause hard feelings in
the minds of some individuals, namely, Mr. Shields. According to several different accounts,
Alexander and Mr. Shields did not get along well at all. Being neighbors, and both farmers, only
exacerbated the tense situation.
Alexander owned and utilized the labor of several slaves in the
development and production of his farm.
Mr. Shields was said to have been jealous of Alexander's "free
labor" force and harbored resentment over the previous land deal. As time passed, the situation became
increasingly worse.
In April 1861, forces sympathetic to the Southern
cause fired upon the federal garrison at
Unlike previous conflicts on American soil, reasons
for this divisiveness and "Civil War" were generally unclear to the
average citizen and soldier, whose lives and families were to be directly and
adversely affected. Mr. Lincoln saw it
as a horrible, but necessary, step in the evolutionary progression and growth
of the country. In short, it was inevitable if the country, as a whole, were to
survive intact and bring these two distinct cultures together as one nation. It
has often been said that before the Civil War our country had been loosely
referred to as "These"
.
According to family lore, official records, and
excerpts from existing letters, John “Billy” Clark and Martha Henriette Mofield eloped on
In March 1862, with the knowledge of Martha's
pregnancy adding new impetus to his obligations, John Clark enlisted in the
Army of the Confederacy in order to do his part in the struggle. Enlisting at the same time and in the same
place was one, Richard Day Brandon of Tarrant County, Texas. There is no documentation suggesting the two men
knew each other at the time of their enlistment, but, if not, it is strongly
believed they quickly became acquainted.
Richard Day Brandon was soon on his way to the
confluence of the Black and White rivers in
northeastern
Only a short time after the departure of John and
Richard, Alexander Broy Clark Sr., along with his
son, Alexander Broy Clark Jr., then 17 years old,
were both arrested for the murder of George Shields. Members of the family remember the incident
differently. All of the accounts are at
least second hand and vary widely:
"According to
letters in the possession of E.S.M., one of A. B. Clark's grandchildren who was not present at the time of the incident, but written by
one of his children:
"Captain Clark
was killed while drilling troops in
W.T.
"Ted" Clark's story
"My version is
that Grandfather was killed by a Mr. Shields, in
Nora
Andes Harris' story
"And
about Grandfather's death and Uncle Broy. Here is what I know: When I built my new home in Asher, Uncle
Thomas and your grandfather came and stayed a month with us,
and at the supper table one night, this came up. Here is what the three said: "Mr. Shields lived close to Grandfather
and was mad because Grandfather had Negroes, and was always causing trouble
about what the Negroes did. Mr. Shields
was hauling
wood and using wagons with oxen. Instead
of keeping on the road, he came through the yard and hung the wagon on the
corner of the house. When Grandfather
went out of the house to talk to him, Shields grabbed him and put his head
between his knees and beat him with the butt-end of his whip. So, Uncle Broy shot
him before his mother could stop him.
Shields' clothes caught on fire, and Judy, the Negro that was given to
Grandmother for a wedding present, put out the fire. Mrs. Shields, and her two sons, said right
over him that they had begged him to let Grandfather alone. Shields wanted the Negroes that Grandfather
had, but my mother said Grandmother never did think one of Shields' family
killed Grandfather. Grandfather was
killed on his way from
Regardless of the particulars, it is fact that
Alexander Broy Clark Jr. shot and killed George
Shields while he was engaged in an altercation with Broy's
father. It is my understanding that A.
B. Sr. and A. B. Jr. were both originally indicted for murder in the killing,
and subsequently had the charges dropped after an inquest into the matter. A. B. Clark, Sr. did, however, die within a
few months of the shooting incident, on
On
Thus, the long, fruitful and interesting life of
Grandma Martha Clark Huff James came to an untimely end. She was 74 years old on the day of her death
and had been an American pioneer in the truest sense. Her bravery and adventurous spirit is
unquestioned. As the story continues, we
follow her granddaughter, Martha Henriette Mofield
Clark, who obviously had inherited her grandmother's bravery, stamina, and
determination.
Martha Henriette had
suffered much tragedy in her short life: the death of her mother, father, and siblings
in the house-fire; the deaths of her other close relatives from sickness while
still in Illinois; and the deaths of her beloved and revered Grandmother, and
Uncle Broy, who had endured such hardships in
bringing them all to Texas. Now, the
worst possible tragedy had befallen her, the death of her very own child, while
Billy was off at war. They would somehow
survive this bottomless pit of misfortune.
Following the death of A. B. Clark, Sr., Sarah, his
widow, was charged with settling the estate of her late husband in trying to
determine the true extent of her economic status. She apparently turned at least part of the
problem over to the joint administrator of the estate for proper disposition of
some of the non-liquid assets and dissolution of debt. A two-fold problem existed for Sarah with the
demise of her husband: she badly needed her slaves to help maintain her farm;
and she needed to see to it that they all had something to eat. At the same time, no one knew, at this
juncture, which side would win the war or which ideology would prevail. Most thinking-people knew in reality that
slavery, regardless of the war's outcome, was on the way out, and most were in
agreement with that fact. The widow,
Sarah, being in debt, faced some very hard choices. Sell her slaves now, while they still had
worth, or keep them and maintain her farm.
We don't have Sarah's original letters, but the following is the joint
administrator's assessment and suggested solution to the problem of her debt:
Mrs. Sarah Clark,
Dear Madam,
Your letter of Oct.
3rd and also of the 20th are before me, and in answer will say that I cannot
find the note on Mr. Leonard, among my papers here. Neither can I find the bond of which you
speak, but I suppose the matter can be arranged, should the papers be lost.
Our court commences
here on the 17th day of November, so you will be here by that time and Mr.
Brinkley requested me to say that, if there is anything you wish to prove by
Mr. Alverson he had better be here. I am getting along with the business very
well so far.
There have been
claims presented against the Estate to the amount of $1,184.60 including
Brinkley's and Hendricks' claim for $500.00.
It is certain now that there is not sufficient means here to pay the
debts of the Estate, without selling some property, and as the attorneys have a
lien on this boy here, I would advise you to let him sell, for he will bring
more now than at any other time. I think
he will bring some $700.00 to $800.00 now on the block which amount with what
we have in claims will pay the Estate out.
If you do not want
the boy to be sold, you will be compelled to borrow money, and settle the
claims as I am satisfied that Mr. Hendricks will force the sale of the boy as
soon as he can. You will be here at
court and then you can see how the matter stands.
Your boys hired out
here are doing well so far as I know.
Yours
Respectfully
B.
A. Bradley
(B. A. Bradley was joint administrator of A. B.
Clark's estate with Sarah (Gaines Clark.)
Author's comment:
It is my understanding that a woman in Sarah's particular predicament
was compelled to seek the services of a man to settle the debts of her
husband. Attempting to do so, herself,
would have been a breech of tradition and social etiquette. Not having sufficient funds to repay her
family's debts, she was probably forced to sell the Negro boy to satisfy
them. It is my belief that she probably
experienced some degree of anguish due to the necessity of that transaction.
In December 1864, shortly before the close of the
great Civil War, Billy Clark was killed in the battle of
In August 1865, after a bout with Smallpox near
where Texarkana now stands, Billy Clark's friend, Richard Day Brandon, arrived
back home in Tarrant County, Texas. He
almost immediately rode to
In the wake of these devastating tragedies Richard
and Martha were married on
The southern
states were physically battered, economically depleted, and wanted desperately
to heal their terrible wounds. The
northern states now needed all the beef it could get, and
It is my understanding that, while neither Martha
nor Richard Brandon could be considered anywhere near wealthy for that day and
time, both had been the recipients of modest, accumulated, family
property. Richard,
whose parents were still living, had assumed the unofficial roll of family
leader, therefore, with general control of his family's property. Martha, by virtue of her
late mother's estate, plus any property which could have passed from her
grandmother, Martha. In any
event, Richard and Martha engaged in the general commerce of that time and
place, consisting of the growing of wheat, corn, cotton, etc., and raising
cattle. In that era, a married woman's property came under the control of her
husband. By all indications, Richard
administered both his own, as well as Martha's
property, wisely.
Richard Day and Martha H. Mofield Clark
Brandon
1870 Census,
Also in 1870, Sarah Gaines Clark, the widow of A. B.
Clark, sold her holdings in
By the year 1874, Martha had borne six children with
Richard: George C.,
named after Richard's half brother, died at the age of one year; James
Alexander; William Arthur; Mary Frances, who died at the young age of three and
one half years; Rhoda Jane; and Sarah Alice.
1880 Census,
The question arises as to why James Adams Brandon,
Richard's father, was boarded in a house other than his family's. We don't know for sure, but it was not
uncommon for an older, especially infirmed, family member to assume residence
in another home nearby. Perhaps it was
due to Martha's being extremely busy with her children and couldn't see to the special
needs of Richard's father, or maybe James simply preferred the peace and quiet
of a less vigorous environment. Either
explanation is plausible.
The family remained in
The
In 1888, the year the state capitol building was
completed in Austin, Richard and Martha's immediate family of nine children, as
well as Richard's father and possibly others, moved by wagon to
Home of Richard Day and Martha H.
Brandon,
Evelyn Sanders Jones, grand daughter of Richard Day
and Martha Brandon:
"They all came
in Ox-wagons. She, Aunt Alice, and Aunt
Ann, drove the cattle as they came along - and the smaller children - I don't
know what my mother said about Uncle John, Uncle Henry and Uncle Sam - but the
smaller children, and Aunt Ada, rode in the wagon -
and probably Grandmother did too. They
came to
Arriving at the edge of
Evelyn:
"The house they
built was down on the edge of the cedar brakes.
There was a spring right down on the edge about a hundred yards from the
house, and that's where they got their water.
My mother told me that sometimes when she went down to the creek to get
water, she would hear a panther scream.
She never did mention the Indians.
But at that time, I'm sure there must have been some stray ones that
came by, because there were still some in the area. I don't remember just when the house was
moved up on the road, but it was moved up there so they could get access to the
road that went into Dora. The house had
two stories with a chimney at each end, and a front and back porch. There were three rooms downstairs; a large
kitchen and dining area, two large rooms in the front, and the two bedrooms
upstairs. The ceilings were ten feet
high. They built a smokehouse out back,
a barn, an outhouse and storm cellar.
The
According to all available accounts, there was much
happiness and love experienced within the family and in the
An interesting note of fact: Often, the listed owners of
On
On
On
On
After moving to the new home-place in Dora, Martha's
life "settled in" into a steady routine of making a living, struggling
through the seasons of unpredictable west
Richard's father, James Adams Brandon, died
According to a story passed down through her
children, Martha was chopping wood one day, when a splinter flew up and struck
her in the right eye, blinding it. There
were few doctors in that remote area of the west and none in Dora. Martha
simply doctored it as best she could and went on with her life. In subsequent photographs taken of her, she
always showed her left profile, so as not to display the bad eye.
Martha Henriette Mofield
Clark Brandon died on
To assume that Martha and Richard’s life in Dora was
uneventful, would seem highly unlikely. Considering their past experiences, both
before and after marriage, a chronicle of their lives in Dora would be welcome
indeed. No such documentation exists to
my knowledge. Descriptions of mundane
and common events such as daily routines, chores, simple conversations, as well
as particularly joyful occurrences including births, weddings, and the
occasional reunion or party, would give us valuable insights into the lives of
these people we have come to care about.
Because of the noticeable lack of this type of information, perhaps we
can do better by our descendants, leaving them a clearer and more
comprehensively defined idea of our true identities.
Richard Day
With Civil War Rifle
SOURCES:
1850 U. S. Census Patrick Co., VA, Page 364, Dwelling #207, National
Archives Microfilm
1850
U. S. Census Madison Co., IL,
Page , Dwelling #574,
National Archives Microfilm
1860
U. S. Census Erath Co., TX
1870
U. S. Census Tarrant Co., TX, Page 476, Dwelling #56, National Archives
Microfilm
1880
U. S. Census Tarrant Co., TX, Page 232, Dwelling #71, National Archives
Microfilm
1900
U. S. Census Nolan Co., TX
Dorothy Ford Wulfeck Marriages of Some
Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.
Dorothy Ford Wulfeck Marriages
of Some
Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.
Rev. Edgar Woods History of
The Michie Company, Printers
Original
Newspaper Article
The Semi-Weekly Farm News
Will of Alexander McKenzie,
Will
Book I, page 2
Will
Book III, page 352
Certified
Certificates of Marriage:
James Mofield marriage to Ruth Clark,
Letters written by Ruth and her mother, Martha Clark. (1843 to 1850)
Certified
Copies of original letters owned by Shelley Bateman,
Revolutionary War Pension Application Records for
William Carter
From Virginia Revolutionary Application Vol. 16
Abstracted and compiled by John Frederick Dorman,
Washington D. C. 1972
Inventory and appraisement of the estate of William
Clark
Exhibit and State of
Estate inventory settlement, Ruth Mofield,
Confederate service record for Richard Day Brandon
Muster
roll,
Cavalry
Co., 2nd Rgt., Col. George H. Sweet, Comdg.
Johnson
Brig. CSA
Holdings
of the
Confederate service record for William John Clark
Muster
roll,
Cavalry
Co., 2nd Rgt., Col. George H. Sweet, Comdg.
Johnson
Brig, CSA
Holdings
of the