Alleghany Historical-Genealogical Society, Inc.

P.O. BOX 817, Sparta, N.C. 28675

President: Marvie Shelor			
Vice President: Pauline Jolly
Secretary-Treasurer:  Elvira Crouse

Vol. 9, No.1	 	             	  March 1987			BULLETIN NO. 30

FROM THE PRESIDENT:

	We got a late start this year--our January meeting was a SNOW OUT! We had a large crowd for our February meeting, however--guess we all had cabin fever.

	At our February meeting U.S. Park Ranger Barry Sullivan presented to us the plans for the Brinegar Cabin on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It will no longer be operated as a gift and craft shop.  They want to restore the house and grounds to a turn of the century mountain farm.  They want to furnish it like the Brinegar family had it.  They asked us to help them on the project.  We voted to lend them all the help that we can.

	There’s a possibility that the old bank building uptown might be given away and we have put in our request for it to use for our museum.  We haven’t heard anything about it yet, so keep your fingers crossed--if they decide to give it away, may we be the lucky ones!

	I had something nice happen to me that I would like to share with you.  In January I was accepted into the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution on Captain Daniel Shelor’s service.

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FROM THE EDITOR:

	At our February meeting we elected new officers for 1987.  We are happy to report that Marvie Shelor will continue as our president.  We certainly need him for the projects that we have “in the works.”  We welcome Pauline Jolly as vice-president and Elvira Crouse as secretary-treasurer. Lets all lend our help and support to these new officers.  Our special thanks to outgoing vice-president Mildred Torney, who has served us faithfully in many capacities over the years.  We will continue to depend on her for much help.

	We also want to extend a special thanks to Mr. Woodrow Estep who shared a part of his rock collection with us at the February meeting.  We enjoyed close-up view of many unusual specimens of rocks from near and far, as well; as some lovely pieces of jewelry that he had made.  

	The following letters were submitted for use in the Bulletin by our president, Marvie Shelor.  They were written by I.B. (Dosier) Shelor and Henry Webb to their wives--on a shared piece of paper.

	Henry Webb’s side:

…(a portion is missing)…Should I never more see you do not be carried away by any sutch doctrine.  Always look to the Lord for from Him all good things is accomplished.  Every good and purfect  gift comes from our Heavenly Father.  Always teaching they children to look to the Lord and not to a little trait for their eternal happiness.  Teach them there is a God if they are blind can make them see. This is my advice to you al but I am nothing but man and a pore___?____ surtain.  I know I do many things I ought not to do, always doing things contrary to the will of God for in me there is nothing that is exceptable with God but the day of grace is not so neare gone with you all as it is with me.

	Susan I will tell you I am not well but not dangerous.  There is no telling when I will get to come hom for as long as they can keep me they will do it.  It may be fall or later  on maby in one week.  So I will close.  Dosier will unite some.  He will tell you more than I can or at least in a more correct form for  in me there is nothing correct or good.  Farewell.  Henry Webb

	Dosier’s side:

…(missing)…I agree with all he has said concerning the services in Church today.  Though I hope I am not blaspheming when I say I thank God that I have heard the Gospel preached since I came to this place.  Last week there was a Kentucky captain by the name of Caudle came here and preached and you would have rejoiced to hear the old Baptist Doctrine preached by a captain in the Confederate Army.  If I know anything about reaching he had the spirit and the letter.

	While I am writing about the Kentuckians I will tell you a little more about them.  There is several of them here in the hospital.  If you could hear them tell how they was driven from their homes.  Their property taken and used or destroyed by the ___?___ and their wives and children tuned out in the cold.  Charity of the world without ever the privilege of writing on getting any word from them.  I say if you could hear all this you would think we was or ought to be very happy, though I can hardly think there is any hapyness in the land at this time.  You said you thought the Earth was lonesome, but it is all the thing I can see that keep sits eternal cheerfulness.

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	The following is another shared letter from Henry Webb and Dosier Shelor to their wives, written at Campy Rocky Gap, Virginia.  Both were disabled from their experiences at Fort Donelson, Tennessee.  They escaped the surrender of Fort Donelson by swimming the Cumberland River on the 16th of February 1862.  The temperature was 16 degrees above zero.  

…. (top portion missing)…and am all most on the lift today but feel some better this afternoon.  I hope will get as well in three on four days as I have been in the last 4 months.  If I get as well as I was yesterday I am going to leav this place surtain if they send me back in one week.  For this is no place for me, it may do for some but it will not do for me but what a fool I am.  It is obliged to do me as Uncle James Webb said when he burnt his heel.  He first said he could not stand it then seeing he was obliged to stand it.

	I want to have from you all vary bad.  I hope I will get a letter from you this morning or tomorrow one.  Tell Elizabeth Dosier is here.  He is complaining smartly with the diphera.  His throat is not swollen___?__.  I think he will have a slight attach but there none dies in the army with this disease.  The doctors treat it with simple remodies.  He had got a wez of some kind I did not ask them what he complains of not tasting vary well.  I am not doing anything for the rheumatism.  I have taken some mercury pills and rub with mercurgl ointment.  Wills is my prescribing Doctor.  He sais he does not want to take me threw a regular course of mercury.  He thinks warm wether will cure me.  I am awfull afraid we will not hav any this year.  Last evening I began to think we was going to have snow squalls.  I did not see any.  It is still cold today. If the clouds runes off everything will certainly freiz.  I am oneasy to here from home from it is colder climate there.  

	I will tell you __?__ not know when I will come home but if my company is full I will be discharged the 21 of this month, if not the 16 of July surtain.  If I do not get home before the rye gets ready to cut you must try and get it taken care of.  You can commence in time not wait untill it is ready to cut and then have to look out for some person to cut it.  Make a bargain with some person or persons if I do not get home for them to cut it.  Tell them when you make the trade you want no disappointment when the grains is ready to cut there must nothing but sickness or wether to prevent workers being done.  There is __?__ __?__ Mr. Epperson Cherley or any person you can get.  The south hill side will be as forward as any in the neighborhood.  Perhaps you can get it cut before the main rush of harvest comes in.  Susan, Dosier wants to write a few lines to his old jularkey.  I mustclose space.  You must write soon.  I fare well for the present.  Yours until death.
								Henry Webb

Elizabeth My Dear:

	I will write a few lines for fear you think I am not able to set up and write.  I feel some better this evening.  I hope I shall be well in a few days.  We have no news worth writing, everything seems to be quiet.  Tell Oliver & Margary & the children I would be very glad to see them.  Tell Pyrrhus to write to me how he is getting along with his crop.  Tell Mary Agnes, Willie & John to be good children and mind your Mother and kiss Thommy Lee for me.  I scringe for your little corn & beans this cold wether.  It has been foggy and misting rain for two or three days and almost cold enough to sleet.  I will write a few lines on another side.

								Dosier

The following marriage records		ALLEGHANY COUNTY 
are taken from the Registrar’s Office		MARRIAGE RECORDS
at the Court House in Sparta, N.C.

Name of Male		Name of Female			Father of Male		Mother of Male
John A. McMillan	Cynthia Gambill			F.J. McMillan		Mary McMillan
Oscar Spurlin		Amanda Holloway		Daniel Spurlin		Mary Spurlin
James C. Rector		Jane Wilson			James Rector		Ruth Rector
Caloway Dicken		Gillia Richardson			Hurtwell Dicken		Nancy Dicken
William Griffin		Amelia Dawdy			Unknown		Unknown
Alexander Pierce		Nancy J. Ray			David Pierce		Sarah Pierce
John P. Walters		Serah A. Corvin			Mitchel Walters		Anna Walters	
Wm. Davis		Mary Johnson			Abner Davis		Mether Davis
John A. Robinson		Susan A. Edwards		Major Robinson	       Catherine Robinson	
Preston M. Dickson	Emily Berton			Wisly Dickson		Charloot Dickson	
Gerome Anderson	Serah Dickson			Swinfield Anderson     Elizabeth Anderson
Lewis C. Williams	Eddie J. Bell			H.B. William		Crotia Williams
James M. McMillan	Phebe Gambill			John M. McMillan	Serah McMillan
Herdin C. Baker		Mary M. Whitt			Calton Baker		Jane Baker
John Richardson		Margaret E. Stump		John Richardson	     Elizabeth Richardson
Alfred L. Miller		Thurger A. McMillan		Richard Miller		Serah Miller
Alfred W. Wagg		Louisa J. Vitagins		James Wagg		Elizabeth Wagg
Jacob B. Williams	Serah J. Richardson		John Williams		Melissa Williams
Jacob Hoppas 		Mary Rigsby			Daniel Hoppas		Unknown
S.B. Parks		Mary Bryan			Not known		Not known
Mitchell Boyer		Polly Atwood			James Boyer		Rhody Boyer
Floid Pool		Lauza Rector			John Pool		Jeney Pool
Guy Hampton		Susan Todd			S.H. Hampton		Nancy Hampton
John Boren		July Ami Cockerham		Thornton Boren		Judia Boren

Father of Female	Mother of Female	     Date		           By Whom Married 
Robert Gambill		Nancy Gambill		Aug 10 1873		Rev. B.E. Caudill
John Holloway		Patsy Holloway		Oct 12 1873		Rev. B.E. Caudill
Enoch Wilson		Ellen Wilson		Aug 24 1873		PC Higgins, JP
Alexander Richardson	       --			Aug 27 1873		PC Higgins, JP
Unknown		Unknown		Sep 6 1873		PC Higgins, JP
Samuel Ray		Mary Ray		Sep 19 1873		PC Higgins, JP
Joseph Corvin		Elizabeth Corvin		Sep 16 1873		PC Higgins, JP
Kimbo Johnson		Jenette Johnson		Sep 21 1873		PC Higgins, JP
Cox Edwards		Violet Edwards		Sep 13 1873		PC Higgins, JP
Isaac Berton		Polly Berton		Aug 30 1873		Rev. JW Landreth
Wisly Dickson		Charloot Dickson		Aug 30 1873		Rev. JW Landreth
Wm. Bell		Unknown		Jun 22 1873		Rev. JL Pugh
James Gambill		Lucy Gambill		Aug 25 1873		Rev. JL Pugh
Samuel Whitt		Rebecca Whitt		Jun 12 1873		Rev. JL Pugh
Cristopher Stump		Unknown		May 1 1873		Rev. JL Pugh
James B. McMillan	Rose McMillan		May 1 1873		Rev. JL Pugh
William Ross		Aida Ross		Jun 25 1873		Rev. JL Pugh
Fields Richardson	Mary Richardson		Jun 13 1873		Rev. JL Pugh
Unknown		Nancy Waggoner		Jun 3 1873		Rev. JL Pugh
John Bryan		Lucy Bryan		Jan 7 1873		Morgan Bryan
Thomas Atwood		Polly Atwood		Apr 30 1873		Rev. JW Landreth
Granvill Rector		Melinda Rector		May 12 1873		PC Higgins, JP
Jackson Todd		Unknown		Feb 9 1873		PC Higgins, JP
Joseph Cockerham	Betty Cockerham		Feb 20 1873		PC Higgins, JP

INQUIRES:
	From Mrs. Kathy Johnson, Littleton, OH: Would like to correspond with any one descended from HANKS, SEXTON, MAINES, CARRICO, MORGAN, VAUGHN/VAUGHAN.  Would appreciate any thing on these surnames and I will happily share all I have.  

	Hazeldon (Clark) Ballard writes: I am, at this time, particularly interested in corresponding with others researching BILLINGS, FENDER, WALKER, WHITEHEAD in your area.  I believe some of these resided in Ashe and/or Wilkes Counties of NC prior to the formation of Alleghany County.  My Walker-Fender ancestors were in Yancy County in 1860’s.