Early Settlers Personal History

 

1. Rebecca Jane Wright

2. 3516 Midland Blvd. Ft. Smith Arkansas

3. Retired at the house of my granddaughter Mrs. Irene Akin

4. At the age of twenty one I married Josh Wesley Moorman, a farmer, and we lived together about seven years. Then one day when my mother came after me and our children, he disappeared before I got home that night. During the time we lived together I kept up my house and took care of my children. As soon as he left, my children and I moved to my fathers’ farm. I farmed for my father until I was about thirty? Next I was house keeper for a wealthy family in Hot Springs, Arkansas. While I was working in Hot Springs my four children lived with my parents on a farm about eight miles from Hot Springs. Next I married Taylor Bell, a farmer and kept up the house and took care of my four children. During this union one child was born. We lived together a little over two years. I then remained a widow for many years. During this time I farmed for many different people. After a number of years I married Louis Wright and again kept up my home and children. While living with Mr. Wright we had one child born to us. During the time I lived with Louis Wright I taught school. Once in Hot Springs Co. and then once in Garland Co. My youngest children and youngest step children went to school to me. From this time on I made my home with my different children. Living with first one a while and then the other. At this date I am living with my grand daughter Mrs. Irene Akin at 3516 Midland Blvd, Ft. Smith, Arkansas. I meant to state that after the death Mr. Wright I took over my father’s fine farm of one quarter’s section and farmed it alone. After that my children and I moved back to Hot Springs. One of my daughters had been married and lost her husband so in order that she could do housework and work in a laundry. I took care of her children.

5. Dec. 10, 1847

6. Calhoun County, Mississippi

7. John Wesley Moorman, in my father's home in Calhoun County, Mississippi, Mar 22,1868. Second union - Taylor Bell, Hot Springs Co. Arkansas - can’t recall date. Third union  - Louis Wright, Garland Co., Arkansas, can’t recall date.

8. Born and raised in Calhoun Co., Mississippi on my fathers farm of a quarter section of rich ground. There were seven girls in our family and I was the oldest. I remained at home until March 22, 1868, when I married John Wesley Moorman. After we married we remained in Mississippi about five years. We were both born and raised in the same county in Mississippi. My husband’s sister and family moved to Arkansas sometime before we were married. His mother being a widow and a licensed as well as a very good mid-wife lived with us when out of work. She, my husband and I were asked to join his sister and her family in Garland County, Arkansas. The first step we had to make was to buy a team of oxen and a covered wagon. We had splendid out lay. There were six of us. My husband and his mother, her daughter, our two small children and myself. We left Calhoun Co. Mississippi in the fall of 1872. We went as far as the Mississippi River edge. Knowing I was to be a mother soon we stayed there and expected to remain until after the birth of our child. My husband’s sister fell in love with a young man there soon after we arrived. Her mother saw the young couple was really in love with each other and for fear they may marry, she offered my husband ten dollars if he would pull up stakes and go into a new camp ground. Ten dollars at that time was a large sum so we drove on. We traveled all one day and camped one night. Early the next morning I was very sick and they started for the nearest town. Helena was already a long day behind us. We soon learned there was no town any were around. We pulled up long side of the road and the little baby girl was born. While we were there a colored man and his wife came along. After hearing our baby story they rented us their house which was several miles further on up the road. They went on to Helena to stay while we were in their home. Knowing that we had some old friends living not so far from there, after a week’s time we drove on at the rate of about three miles a day until we reached this friend's home. We stayed a week with them. By that time I was strong again. The baby wasn’t much over a month old when we got to Hot Springs, a town of one small general store and a small rooming house. We lived with his sister family while a house was being built for us. We built it on government land. It was a small room with a fire place. At that time you could build and farm any government land that was idle. You couldn’t ever sell any of it or at that time hold any more than you were properly making use of. About three years after this is when my husband left us. We never saw him again.

9. 68 years and about 4 months

10. See item #8 pages 2 just our own wagon and its crew of six people.

11. To live at Hot Springs near husband's sister and family.

12. Log houses, stick and dirt chimney, no windows of glass, as a rule one large room, maybe a side room.

13. Pine knots, they were burned in the fire place. The first lamps we had were brass.

14. Can’t remember when electric lights came in. The first one I even saw was when my oldest child was grown.

15. Burned wood, many different kinds, elm, oak beech, hickory, maple etc.

16. We raised almost every kind of vegetable, also our animals for meat, didn’t often have fish, rabbits, squirrel, wild turkey, deer and quail and black birds. I would often kill ten birds with one shot.

17. My mother had two spinning wheels, two pair of cards and a loom. During the Civil War we only had to wear what we ourselves could make. That means every inch of material we had for every thing, such as sheets pillow cases, tea towels etc.

18. Yes, a girl at that time wore nice long dresses and covered her legs. A dress never was shorter than two inches from the floor. No girl ever went with a boy her people didn’t know. They were pure; they were well mated before they even went together so in case they continued to love it would make a suitable wedding. As a rule they knew each other as children and seemed to like each other through life. In my case this boy and I liked each other as small children. As soon as he was old enough to work he hired out to my father and while he was working at my home we got married. The country where I was raised was very thickly settled and not one indecent girl lived there in my time. We never heard a scandal about any girl. No one ever heard of such a thing as a bundling board in those parts. I am sure our fine people wouldn’t have considered it fit. The first charivarres (shivarees) we knew of were in 1880. The just used any and every thing on the place to make a noise.

19. Calico, narrow, dark and a very poor grade was fifty two cents a yard in gold. If one ever had shoes they were home made by some Negro on the place. When we sold cotton in the fall we laid in all the food supplies we were going to get till next cotton crop made. Our flour came in barrels, never saw a sack of flour till my children were grown. We couldn’t buy coffee so we used okra seeds. Left them get real dry on the stalk and then parched them and ground them. It was the nearest flavor we could get to coffee. We didn’t know a thing about canning and as to dry beans I had grown children before we even heard of them. We parched meal brown and used it to make coffee. Still like it with cream in it. The okra was a very healthful drink. Before the war we could get salt and after the war started we couldn’t get anything so in order to have salt after the war broke out we had to take up the ground in the smoke house where the salty water had run off of the meat for years and years. This did have lots of salt in it, but the act of getting it was a very slow one. First we boiled the dirt and water. As soon as we had the salt melted we would take this water and throw away the dirt that settle in the bottom of the kettle. We did this over and over again and then put the kettle where the water could evaporate. The salt would soon settle and we would pour off the water so the kettle could be put in the sunshine for evaporation. Even the salty water was kept and used from time to time. The salt would never be white or even look clean, but the best you could get.

20. We would always divide with the needy. We had a quarter section of good ground and it would grow plenty. We always had plenty during the war. Too (You?) had plenty to feed all that came. Soldiers and their horses were to be fed all the time. We were never bothered by the federal soldiers. As near as we knew what people rode by and asked for food and shelter were boys of the south we felt sure. Our neighbor had been bothered. Just what food they had hidden is what they saved. If it was something they put in large crocks or barrels and put underground they would. If a cave was near and not too well known it was used. Every time one moved the dirt from these underground store rooms for food the dry dirt had to be kept dry to cover over the spot each time. Many times no food could be gotten only after dark and before daylight. There was seldom a time someone wasn’t at the look out for the supplies. The northern boys as a rule were well cared for as to food and clothes. When they did learn where our supplies were they destroyed them instead of eat them. If they found our nice corn put aside for meal they would feed it to their horses and stand over it with sword lest we may trying to get it because we had hungry  children. Once in a while a captain would make his boys let our food alone. The soldiers would come in and tear open the bed that was filled with feathers and just shake till every last feather had blown with the four winds. Burned all they could stack up and set fire to.

21. Our soil was rich and plenty of moisture. Our seasons were long and did grow almost any vegetable and grain. Schooner River ran side of our territory furnishing plenty of water. We raised cotton, corn, beans, pumpkins, potatoes - sweet - called Nancy Halls, okra, rice, oats every type of hay. As to tomatoes until I was a grandmother, I had never seen a cultivated tomato. There was a wild tomato that grew in our fields; and whenever we saw a ripe one while working in the field, we ate it, but never thought of serving them at the table. I had never heard them called Love apples nor have we ever considered them poisonous. We were delighted to see what plants wizards could do when we saw the tomatoes so large and not so sour. We had handled so many wild tomatoes as a weed, they would never have looked like a fit subject for a flower garden to me. I believe it been about forty years since I first tasted a cultivated tomato.

22. They made the handles of their plows and bought metal parts of the straight, shovel and turning plows. They would take the forked parts of a large tree and shape it up and make a harrow out of it by adding wooden teeth they had made. Pittsboro our little home town handled the metal parts. They were very expensive.

23. Nothing but farmers.

24. Sassafras roots for tea, sweet gum for gum to chew, sunflower seeds for chickens, pawpaw for fruit to eat raw and for pies, they taste much like a banana, sumac berries to dye, poke salad for greens.

25. My father and other neighbors run the blockade at Memphis, Tenn., during the Civil War. As civilians they had to pick their way through the Yankee line to get into Memphis. Here they bought things we had to have. In order to get out with them they had to pick their way out just as they picked it to get in. Father stayed so much longer than we expected he would that we were all uneasy. Mother said “Rebecca, I’ll make the coffee and you get Mrs. Vaughn”. I was very fond of my father and I quickly went after Mrs. Vaughn.  Mrs. Vaughn was a very nice lady of those parts but as a fortune teller it did seem as if she could tell things about as the were to be.  Many times she told us things as well as others that came to pass just as they said they would.  People during the Civil War came from all parts to have her tell them about their loved ones in the army.  We had to drink our coffee and turn the cup over into our saucers.  Each little particle  left had its meaning.  Too she said he had a small package in his hand for me.  Too she said he had a much needed gift for mother.  That was ?? and Mrs. Vaughn said “Well, I guess I’ll just sit till the folks get in,” so we set about our work.  Mother at the spinning wheel, and the rest at their duties.  About dark came a wrap at the door, at that time everybody had a wrap of his very own.  It was father and as Mrs. Vaughn said he had a small silk kert? (kerchief)  for me and a new pair of cards for mother.  We didn’t know what newspaper was at that time so in order to learn anything, folks had to travel many miles so the few things Mrs. Vaughn could learn from the other people from all directions that came to her was very interesting to others so her home was a sort of news center. One day she came down the road crying and said, “I just read my cup and my son is dead." Her son was a soldier on the Southern side and it was true she soon was told her son was killed.

       My son James Moorman was a farmer and great church worker and lived in Oklahoma when it was an Indian territory. As a rule the Preacher stayed at his home overnight on Saturday and they would go to church together the next morning. I have often gone to Indian churches with him but could never made a success of my teaching the lady Indians. The teachers for the Indian schools boarded with my son and his family in 1901. At that time it was called Choctaw Nation. In this nation they also had what was called Mississippi Indians and they were real dark. Not quite as dark as a real dark Negro but near it. Yes we had house raisings, quilting and corn shucking and they were all great events. Corn shucking - Father had his corn pulled and heaped in the lot. Then it was husked and the corn put in barn and the shucks in the crib. In the crib covered with these shucks would be placed safe from freezing the large pumpkins, some as large as barrels. As to the shucking be. As soon as the corn was pulled the Negroes from near and far were invited over to the bee old and young, men and women. It was a bright spot in the lives of the Negroes. The corn husking went on with all its jokes and songs; many of the jokes and songs were smutty. Here are a few words to one: “Old Jinny got as big a leg as any yellow gal, Old Jinny yellow gal, Old Jinny yellow gal." While the Negroes were busy with the husking mother and the neighbor ladies were in the house cooking the best chicken dinner they could cook. These bees were always at night and no matter how late they lasted. The Negroes were so great full (grateful) to the land owners of their party they would make pack saddles of their arms and carry him around.

Here is a song they sang during the Civil War ...

“Little you good people know what we poor soldier under go,

When called upon to take arms to guard our country from all harm.

We sometimes lie on the cold ground where there’s no shelter to be found.

And sometimes rain and sometimes snow where lofty winds and tempests blow,

Our sergeant comes and goes about says Hurry! Hurry! Boys turn out.

In front and rear he forms his line, our country men his sword does shine.

Our captain is a man of skill and every day he gives a pill?.

And if that pill? does not act well, he’ll come and darn our souls to hell.

As for grub we have enough although our beef both lean and tough,

But as to that we will not complain, we hope we will have good beef again.

If you want to know who composed this song

I’ll tell you now, it won’t take long.

It was composed by A. J. Height standing guard one raining night.

     As best to my ability I wrote this as Wright sang it between puffs on her old clay pipe. She won’t have a new one because they aren’t good until they get old. She cleans it very often with a pipe cleaner. Her niece has a horror of the old pipe and keeps plenty of new pipe stern cleaners about but poor old Miss Albright will wash the ones she has used. They bought her 5 new clay pipes but she relights the old one and it smells strong. Miss Albright was a handsome lady at one time and right now can be counted nice looking with her snow white hair and all its waves. I always find her dressed in black with a small white figure in the cloth. She is very slender now, clear mind and full of fun. Too very modest.

     House raisings - about the only way there was to get a house built when I was a child was to have a house raising. You get everything ready and then invite all the neighbors in to help you erect your house. The wife came a long and helped with the meals. As a rule they gave a lunch at ten o’clock in the morning and a dinner at twelve noon and another lunch about three in the afternoon. The first lunch was sandwiches passed in large dish pans and some one followed up with coffee. You drank out of tin cup. Everybody had little enough to do with, so you always took cups, plates and whatever could be used. If you had a nice garden or had just killed some wild meat as a wild hog or deer and some of the meat may ruin any how; you would carry it to the raising. No matter just who was giving it. At noon the meals were wonderful. There were many good cooks in those days. The afternoon lunch was doughnuts and coffee. They started work very early in the morning and left early at night for most folks had some work to do before dark such as feed the chickens, feed the hogs and milk the cows. As a rule the noon meals would be of chickens, spare ribs, back bone, fresh baked ham, cakes, pies, potatoes both sweet and Irish and green vegetables if any in gardens at the time. (They didn’t know what ice cream was). As soon as the home was built, if that was what they were putting up, a house warming followed. The first night after you got settled, your friends all called. If it was a large house as a rule they cleared the living room and danced.

    Log Rolling - There were so many trees that the dead ones and living were rolled to the center of a cleared place and burned. This was done just to get them out of the way. Many times large nice trees were burned because it was take too much time to get them where they could be used. To these log rollings, all the neighbors would come and help roll logs. They each had their hand spikes. The spikes were wood and sharp at the ends. As a rule a young tree such as hickory was used for one. They were about ten feet long. Many times a man and his wife rolled their own logs. Unless you had plenty for a nice dinner you didn’t feel right about asking the neighbors in to help. Whatever help you had, you paid back by helping them the same number of days at whatever they wanted you to work at.

   Quilting - When ever a quilt was ready to put in the frame all the neighbor ladies were called in and they had a quilting bee. As a rule everybody had quilts to quilt each fall and winter and about the same number were quilted for each person. Too the ladies took covered dishes in order to help each other out.

   Grove meetings - The grove meetings were about the only church services they had. Churches weren't plentiful. There were few capable of preaching, no money to keep up a pastor that wanted to spend his time learning. They made an arbor of brush, so much brush that it could shelter one from a light rain. The arbors were large for people for many miles attended these meetings. No one religion. First one and then the other. We sat on the ground. The meeting would last a week and services day and night. Sometimes they broke up at a fair hour, but as a rule they lasted till 2 and 3 in the morning. People that came long distances would camp till the meeting was over. Folks would get happy and could have be heard all of half a mile away. When the meeting was over they took all those waiting to be baptized to the river and dipped them.

    Dances - We had nice dances, all square dances. It took eight to make a set. Always had a violin player, and I have known of the time when they had two. When we could get the right caller it was grand.

    Games - All Around the Mulberry Bush and Handkerchief, The kerchief was placed on the shoulder and the song sang. “We will prove it by the measure from shoulder to shoulder. This lady says she loves him and I really believe she does. She will prove it by the measure from shoulder to shoulder." [I may understand this game but it’s much like the game "Drop the Handkerchief" only they lay they kerchief on the should instead of putting It on the ground.]

     Socials - Get together of an evening and sing love songs almost all night long. Too there were no gatherings without some older members present.

     Hunting - Yes, we young folks went possum hunting, coon hunting, and just any bird or wild animal we could find to catch or shoot. In Schooner bottom were lots of wild hogs. They were afraid of the human race and would run from us. My father made a skiff and during the overflow season the water would come up over his land and he would row out and kill wild hogs. They were carried home in the skiff and butchered just as our domestic hogs were. The meat was fine as any one could ask for. They were very fat because those fields were rich with every type of nuts and vegetable. Everybody hunted for wild hogs before using their own hogs.

No Sorghums.

    Pittsboro our nearest town was also the county seat. Had a few stores, post office, a school in which just a few of the lower grades were taught and several houses: When we couldn’t get what we needed at Pittsboro we went to Coffeeville

    No Indians scares at my home. Few Indians lived there and what ones went through acted very nice. We knew the nature of them and it was the duty of everybody to treat them nice and keep down all chances of feud.

26. When a fire broke out it was the duty of every body that knew of it to grab buckets all they had and run to the last well or stream from which they could obtain water and take water with them. A ladder was used to get to the top of the house and punch a hole in the side or roof, and those without buckets and that would be plenty to whip the fire with the tops of pine trees. On their way to the fire oft times they just pulled up a small pine tree to fight the fire. If a field or grass or forest fire broke out every body got out to fight it. The dead grass and leaves would be drug away from the fence to keep from setting it a fire. The fences were made of logs about 4 logs high. The same was done for buildings. If possible they fired against it. Too if the fire was far enough away and a plow was near they ploughed a furrow around the place.

27. Schooner River, Big Creek, some lakes in Schooner bottom but no names. They were on the property of different farmers. If spoken of they would name the land owner's name. My father had a large lake on his farm and it was called Wright's Lake. These lakes had every type of fish and any body was allowed to fish from them. We had trout, grinnel a very large scaly fish and should be eaten just as soon after killed if possible.  The grinnel will loaf your hook and keep all fish away from that spot. In a I was here first way. It is common for any one that can get a grinnel to get it and kill it even if they don’t want to eat it. We had perch, sunfish, catfish, many fish such as blue and yellow catfish, mud and clear water turtles very large, land turtles, small terrapin, horses, cows, sheep, goats, both milk and common, wild and domestic hogs, chickens, geese, ducks, wild pigeons, hawks, owls, turkey, wild and tame pea fowls, frogs, snakes most every kind, rattlers too. Many dangerous ones.

     Hills: Tof? Mountain, Valleys Branch Bottoms Schooner Bottom, sloughs in Schooner Bottom. No bayous. Plants - Never saw spinach till came here. Have named the plant life before this item from time to time. The same is true about the animals.

28. Boat landing on River of Schooner was where father took his cotton. These boats carried the cotton to New Orleans. In fact all Calhoun County cotton was loaded at this same landing and shipped to New Orleans. The market was Coffeeville, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Central Railroad. The bank was high and roads lead down to the boats.

29. Just common schools and only a few of them. Too only a few months of the year was used for schooling. No one in that time and place received much of an education. One teacher to a school. Both men and women taught. Our books were McGuffey's Reader, Dictionary, speller and arithmetic.

30. The school would be on some ones land. We wouldn’t have a plot of ground and building from the government. Some plantation owner would say, “We need a school. I’ll give the ground and we will all help build it." The building was soon put up. Every one did his part. No one ever heard of a child being late to school at that time and day.

31. My first teacher was Mr. Daniel Diggs, second Pink Bryers, third Mick Moorman, fourth Miss Fran Lee, fifth Miss Nancy Lap, and sixth Miss Mollie Leonard. Mick Moorman was counted a very mean teacher. He just would whip for a near nothing.

32. Each person paid a set price for each child he sent. All the schools were subscription schools. A teacher would want to teach and the school would need a teacher so the teacher would go from home to home to learn how many pupils he could get. He would then know how much he had to charge for each pupil in order to get a fit wage for himself. Very often it was more than many could pay so he would have to charge more for the ones left to go. I can’t remember just what father had to pay for us but I do know it was a great deal. Most of our neighbors were able to send their children. Those that could, would pay more in order that the poor children may have a chance.

33. No tutors. No darkies ever went to school where I was raised. Long, long after the colored people were freed they had a school for them.

34. No reading material what-so-ever when I was a child. As I grew older I got hold of some history books. I read them over and over again. Different boys in the army made up songs and sang them. That’s about the only way we had of learning a song in those days.

35. I hadn’t seen or heard of any telegraph stations until long after I was married. At that time it was a luxury to send a message. I can’t remember when I first learned of them and can’t remember ever sending any.

36. While living in Hot Springs they had at first mule cars. Two small mules hitched to a car. The cars would carry twelve nicely and many times there were 15 carried. As a girl whenever we went any where we went in a wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen. I came to Fort Smith about thirty five years ago. At that time they had trolley cars as best I can remember. They were very long cars and seated many people. I couldn’t guess how many, but on busy school mornings it looked like fifty. About 1933 they did away with our trolley cars and put on busses. The very first ones looked at a distance like a fancy cracker box. In fact they were brown as cracker boxes for several years. From time to time they have put on larger busses and then streamline busses. We now have a splendid bus line in Fort Smith.

37. I was living in Fort Smith when I saw an automobile. Almost thirty-five years ago and it was a Ford. For many years Ford was all I saw.

38. Coffeeville, Mississippi in 1820. The first train I ever saw was the one we loaded our cotton onto for shipping to New Orleans.

39. I was living in Fort Smith and I believe it was 1921. Too I saw one in California while visiting there. I think at a late date.

40. I can’t give a date for this question. I live on Highway 71 and see many pass daily, but it seems to me I have seen them for many a year. As to a description on the five foregoing I have described them as best I could as I went. I could add for number 36 the mule cars of Hot Springs were long and narrow, white, had long narrow seats, one on each side, they run on tracks just in the main parts of the city. Two mules were hitched to them. There were four to start with in Hot Springs. As to number 37 very square lines, sort of box like and square to go with it. Noted for their brass trim. Narrow, very high seat, seat straight up and down one had to sit erect. Too they were very short long side a car of today. Painted black. As to number 38. Trains have changed so gradually really can’t see much difference in the first one I have seen and the one of today. Which I know there is a difference I can’t describe it. As to number 39 had two front wheels to take off on and a wheel also on the back. The first was very small and box like. It had two very large wings covered with a very tough silky looking cloth. Too front of the wings were on a smaller set were silver color and had some red. It acted more like an oil cloth then anything else. The first one I saw was in Greenville, Texas and the next in California. As to number 40. I believe it dated back to 1933.

41. The first circus I ever saw was Buffalo Bills' Wild West Show. Heavener, Oklahoma, gave him permission to show free of charge there because he had protected so many women and girls in those parts from the Indians in 1884. Have never seen a show of any kind before or ever a play by local people until my grandchildren were in plays at school.

42. Bob Burns was in Fort Smith about a year ago in August or August 7, 1939. The Bob Burns Premier “Our Leading Citizen” was given here and at Van Buren. It was a wonderful event. People came from California and states all around here. Van Buren was his home town he still has relatives living in these parts. While some few don’t like his jokes about his home people, the rest of us are in love with him. His play went over big. It was said to be the best he had ever played. While it was in the Bob Burns Theater in Fort Smith during this time he appeared in person before all of the show houses from time to time that night. He had with him several of his best actors such as Susan Hayward and Allen.

43. No, I don’t remember anything about these parties. I know that Zachary Taylor has been in Fort Smith but nothing more. As to the James boys I have heard about them but never seen them that I know.

44. No duels heard of any where I have lived.

45. There were feuds from time to time but outside of the cases where Buffalo Bill helped out at Heavener, Okla. I can’t remember any.

46. Have read many that were of interest, others were funny but I can’t recall any right now.

47. While my husband was in the Civil War, those of us left at home got along very nicely. We had to keep our food buried and doors locked. We fed many people and as far as we know we only fed our boys of the south. When the war opened up I was only 19 years of age and my father kept things about our home free from harm, and I really didn’t see the Civil War as many around us did.

48. My Uncle Dondly Moorman served all through the Civil War. He had his right arm shot off just above the elbow in the Gettysburg fight. He was taken away from there and carried north to stay till close of war. He then came home and my cousin Billie Johnson also served all threw the Civil War and was not harmed. He came home as soon as the war was over. William Vaughn our neighbor and friend was killed in the Civil War. My husband fought in the Civil War the two last years, John W. Moorman. I had four children and moved home to my parents with them. At that time they lived from eight to ten miles from Hot Springs, Arkansas. He had a flesh wound in his left arm at the close of the civil war. My husband after the close of the war soon left his family. His brother kept us posted as to where he was and at the time of his death. The government gave me a pension of fifty dollars a month for about three years. It then begin to simmer down until it got as low as five dollars a month. I couldn’t take care of my self or a home nor could I get any one to take care of me for five dollars a month. I was forced to get in touch with someone to help me get more so I got in touch with Mrs. Rebecca Pride and with her help I am now getting eleven dollars a month. Too I get some food twice a month. My grandson, Wilburn Felix, 3737 Fontana Street, Pacific Beach, California, at the age of seventeen joined the United States Navy at Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1914 he was called to the Mexican Border for the trouble between Mexico and the United States. He was on a hospital ship all during the World War bringing back wounded soldiers. At the close of the World War he went back to the Navy. He stayed in it sixteen years and now gets a pension of seventy-three a month. He wasn’t hurt during either one of the wars. At this time he is in a government airplane factory helping make airplanes. Wilburn Felix was born April 21, 1896. Mr. Earl Parker another grandson of mine was born Jan. 9, 1894. He enlisted in the World War and served all through it. When his company was called to go overseas he was sick in a government hospital and couldn’t go. They then took out his tonsils and he got well rapidly. By the time he was well the War was over and none of his company got to go. At this time Mar. 25, 1941, he is in a government hospital in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He gets a pension of thirty dollars a month. He has very bad feet and trouble with his heart. The doctor says he cannot work.  At the close of the Civil War at the times Lee and Grant met for peace.  Lee offered Grant his sword and Grant said “ No you keep it, you are worthy to wear it.” From 1861-1865 during the Civil War we did not have any school.

49. A battle was fought at Coffeeville fifteen miles from my home. The roar from the canon was so great you would have thought they were right beside you. That the nearest I went to the war.

50. None came any nearer to us then Coffeeville.

51. Ku Klux Klan never bothered any of us in these parts.

52. We didn’t have any church just one Preacher after the other came to and certifies to preach.  If it was warm enough they preached in the open or under brush arbors.  In the cold weather if we had a school house that’s where the services were held. Brother Barnard a Methodist Preacher stayed most of the time. He farmed in those parts and I’m not sure that he got any pay for his services.

53. Nine

54. Have seen many Indian graves, too have seen many things found in Indian graves.

55. Can’t think of any right now.

56. I had six children and one of them had six, one three, one four and one just one. Two of my daughters died young and never got married. The children my children had also had children two of them each had five, one had eight and one only one.  Adding to this one of my grand daughters has a son.

57. Mrs. Kate Simpson - 3516 Midland Blvd., Fort Smith, Arkansas, Mrs. Jenny Gunter - 4436 Saint Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, California

58. Grand children - Walter Moorman, Edna Tankersly, Irene Akin, Lela Levine. Great Grandchildren - John Roberts.

59. None. I have seen Pearl Star many times; she used to ride the main traveled street in her beautiful buggy. The horses she had were as pretty as a picture.