22 February 2010

Letter from a Virginia cousin to Ione Morgan in Louisiana

Marion Smyth County Va April 2 1876

My dear Cousin,

I thought that you owed me a letter but Lizzie says not. I ask your pardon for not answering your letter sooner. My dear cousin, Lizzie, told me of your troubles. I do sincerely sympathize with you, but we all have our trials and I think love scrapes are by far the most heart-breaking. I have had some experiances in such things myself, but the question is, ought we give way to our feelings? Ought not we willingly submit to our father's will? For nothing he does is to harm his children; every thing is for the best. Do you Cousin Onie, think it right to harbor revenge, malice, and hatred in your heart toward those who prevented your union with him you loved? Think how forgiving Jesus was and he everywhere admonishes us to do the same, you may some day have cause to bless them for that interference, when you have become happy [with] the love of another, then you will look back, and wonder how you ever could have loved any but your husband.

I will give you a little of my experiance about three years ago I had a good beau as smart as he could be and well educated, he "courted me." I knew that the family would never consent for me to marry him for though his morrals were good, yet his family was not of the same circle [as] mine and I myself thought that if I could not marry my equal I would live an old maid so "I declined." But cousin, it was a terrible struggle for me to make myself believe I did not love him and still worse to tell him so and every one now tells me I love him and sometimes I think I do but fortunately he has gone to California, so I live on in hope that I may yet like someone else better. I let the other boys wait on me and try to forget my troubles and I advise you to do the same for [it's] a splendid Antidote.

I fear cousin you think I ought not to write to you about this matter. I hope you will not be offended for I assure that none but the best intentions were exercised. Look above for help in this your great distress and God will enable you to stand all of the afflictions sent for your good. Again I ask you not to think hard of what I have said.

Marion is as dull as usual. We see nothing but books and boys quite a contrast. You will think yes but both alike are so common as to be considered monotinous by most of us no doubt. But they would become very indignant were they to know I said so, but it is true for all that. It is only about eight weeks until school is out and I shall be very glad, for I feel as though I could rest a while and feel invigorated very much. I only wish you could come to school here. I know you would enjoy it very much, the girls are all so gay happy and bright that it matters not who comes they must of necessity partake of the same spirit of mirth and glee to a greater or less extent. We snowball which is delightful fun especially with the boys which is quite seldom but that makes it all the better, for "variety is the spice of life."

I hope you will answer my letter very soon. I also hope you will try to be cheerful and Happy that is the best remedy for people in love. I have written this in such a hurry I hope if you should find mistakes either in orthography or in grammar you will excuse. Expecting to hear very soon I remain as ever your true and sympathizing Cousin

Minnie B. Sexton

This is my whole name Bettie Manerva, Sexton

19 February 2010

Campbells of Tuskegee

[This is a replacement for an item originally posted on January 30, 2009.  The photos of Mr. and Mrs. Campbell are slightly improved.]

Our ancestor George W. Campbell was a merchant and banker in Tuskegee, Alabama, in its earliest days.  His greatest contribution to history was his leadership role in the founding and support of the Tuskegee Institute from 1881 until his death in 1905, including providing friendship and counsel to its leader, Booker T. Washington.

Here is a quotation from the student newspaper when George Washington Campbell passed away, which in turn is made up of two quotations from 'Principal' Booker Taliaferro Washington:

Although he made no pretensions to public speaking, yet he was continually making very eloquent speeches down at the Macon County Bank, of which he was president.  During the twenty-four years of the school's existence Mr. Campbell has been the only President of the Board of Trustees.  He was a southerner of southerners, whole-souled, generous, and as deeply interested in the success of the Tuskegee work as any one we can name.

George and Eliza Jane Campbell raised eight children:
 
John Walter Campbell
Macy Elizabeth Campbell
Pauline B. Campbell
Ava Lucerne Campbell
Moses Gatlin Campbell
George Lee Campbell
William Wright Campbell
Flora Virginia Campbell


12 February 2010

Obituary of Hannah Maria Evans Haynie

The Save Austin's Cemeteries organization is preparing to give a tour of Oakwood Cemetery, which will feature early Austin residents including Dr. and Mrs. Samuel G. Haynie.  Their historian happened to find the obituary of our great-great grandmother and sent me a copy.

The following was published 112 years ago today in the Austin Daily Statesman, on February 12, 1898, a Saturday.  I've corrected only the error in her initials; the newspaper printed N.M. instead of H.M.  (In the 19th century, women didn't use their maiden name as a middle name.)

2017 NOTE: Please refer to the comments I posted below, as to other discrepancies.

The town in upstate New York where she was born is called Evans Mills, possibly founded by her family; the Wikipedia entry about it states that for a brief time in the middle of the 1800s it was called Evansville.

SAD NEWS.
                    
Mrs. H. M. Haynie Is Dead -- The Funeral Services This Morning.

Thursday night Mrs. H.M. Haynie died at the residence of her son-in-law, Dr. Luckett, in Bastrop.  The remains were brought to this city yesterday and the funeral services will be conducted from St. David's church this morning at 10 o'clock.  Mrs. Haynie is well known among the older residents of this city, among whom she had lived so long and enjoyed such a wide circle of friends.  She was born in Evansville, N. Y., in 1817, and moved to this state in 1843, locating in Washington county, but in 1850 she came to Austin when her husband moved here.  She had two brothers who were closely connected with the early history of Texas, one dying on the battlefield with Fannin and the other going down in the defeat of the Alamo.  Her maiden name was Evans.  Four children survive her, viz:  Mrs. Orlando Caldwell, Mrs. Carpenter, Mrs. Dr. Luckett and another daughter residing in New York.  There are also two sons, Mr. Tom Haynie of Lampasas and Mr. Charles Haynie of Bastrop.

The news of Mrs. Haynie's death, while not unexpected to her many Austin friends, will be received with deep regret, and the sympathy of all is tendered the sorrowing relatives.


St. David's is the Episcopal Church in downtown Austin.  I visited the church recently and have since learned from their archivist that this ancestor of ours was one of the four original members, in the 1840s.

I imagine that her casket was brought from Bastrop to Austin by train, presumably accompanied by family members.  Perhaps our grandfather, age seven, was in attendance at the funeral of his grandmother.