Letters to Joseph Swycaffer
NOTE: These letters will be transcribed exactly as written. Bear in mind that "schooling" for the ordinary classes was very limited in those times!From Isabell Swycaffer Cohrun in Missouri to Joseph Swycaffer in San Diego:
Febuary 8, 1863
Dear Brother,
I once more sit down to rite you a few lines to inform you that I am still aliving and well and hope that your family are allso well. Dear brother the only one that I can call brother and cannot see him. If I could only see you and your family I could tell you my trubbles for I have had so much trubble. My dear brother shot ded before my eyes. This is almost more than I can bare. If it had not been for them that wants my care I would wish to be beside him in my grave. I can see my dear friends die in there beds and think that is hard enou but that is nothing to see them Shot down like a dog. that is to hard. Raftry is still living -- about to weeks ago he left and went somwhare but I do not know whare.
I will tell you about the time they kild Ashley. They ware no troops station hear then but thay wold slip in and take prisners and horses and go back -- thay ware 30 miles from us then -- thay came and took everything Raftry had in his place, his meet and wheet and corn -- beds and everything except his cattle -- he had 100 20 hed of cattle -- he took them to arkansaw and left his brother to stay with them and he came back and staid with us -- they kept batchelders hall -- the feds had bee(n) to our house but never took mutch. I quarled with them all the time. I wanted them to let my things alone. The boys had been liing out and had come home and was going back to thare camp and ran into the feds -- thay fired at them about fifty times but did not hit them. it was dark and thay came to the house and was serching the house for aminishing and guns and got holt of (a) letter that you sent to me -- the captain ast your name and said he was well acquainted with you -- told me to go to Ioway and not stay here -- his name was Ankney -- and told me to get my brother to quit jahocking. they had went to get Rafters things or som in the place but thay never got anything of acount. on Sunday thay had bee thare and took our horse and once before we lost one and he had to ride my young filey -- she wold not stay hitched so thay went to get them a horse on Monday and som bed cloth for Raftry had none -- they had taken them -- thay got som flew and some of the boys give him an old horse and this was Monday nite and tuesday was wen the(y) ran into them -- we thought thay went back and the boys came out the next morning to see wether thay done aney thing and I got breckfast and several of the nabours hapened in -- I was busy and was watching all the time and thay were talking and forgot to watch and i went to the window and looked out & here thay came -- thay about a quarter -- I ran and holerd and thay ran and Raftry left his gun and I picked it up and ran after him and he told me to hide it an Ashley was putting the bridle on his horse and he said I should give it to him and I gave him both guns and the feds was rite at them before thay got started -- thay commensed firing at them just below the house and wen thay got quarter from the house Rafter jumped off his horse and Ashley was ahed a little and when he saw Raftry he got off to and amed to get over the fence go join wen a bulet struck him in the hip and he fel and then thay kept on Shuting and hit him three times -- Raftry saw he cold not do him no good thrue away his gun and ran and the captain and six or seven went after him and wen thay wold come close to him he wols shute and then thay wold stop and then he wold run -- thay had him in a corner and thay would say to him give up your armes and he wold say I will not give up my arms to sutch a dam set of cowards as you are -- then he amed to shute the captain and the cap bursted and then the captain said les go boys he is going to shute and went and left him and he went to the bush -- the next day he came to see Ashley -- then on Satterday the feds came and thay had hardly left til he came -- thay was 30 the day that thay kild him and fore of them was wonded and thay made me get water and rags to dres thare wonds and said thay had kild him deder than hel and I shud quit my criing or thay wold make me cry for something: I hate every one of them tho they have not disturbed me since. Thay took my filey but she is like me -- she wold not stay with them.
Thare is but six men in our neighborhood. they took fore of our oldest men and kild them in one day -- they have been some 30 men kild in this neighbourhod and only too feed rite here. further up thay have slade them -- thay have had barbary husband twiste but he got clare but he had to leav -- thay have seven children -- Kate has one -- thay call him Ashley -- Raftry Wakeman is home -- he is sick all the time -- I still live on the same place -- wakeman has the setling of the things -- thay may bee a little left after the dets is paid that will bee divide -- I will keep house as long as I live -- I have Christian to take care of -- you know she is not capebel of taken car of hirself and mother said I wold have hir to take -- she don't like me to stay with the rest -- thare is Nannettie -- you said in you letter you wold like to hear about my little daughter -- I am going to tell you what I allways denied to you -- I was married nine years ago the sixth day of january -- my husband was Wilington Cohran -- he was a yankey, a very hansom man -- he was a kind husband -- he ust to work on publick work -- he went to paris in cantucky on a railroad and he got to bee paymaster to the hands -- he cam in may and went back with a man by the name of martain and nether of them came back and everybody said he left me and i thought so to and I allways said that I wold not tel you that i had not made a beter choice but I have accused him rong -- about to years ago marten came back and said he die and he has been to south amarica several and he die the day before he left -- I have written once since and told you all about it but never got aney anser.
From John A. SWYKEFFER in Ohio to Joseph SWYCKEFFER in San Diego:
Antioch, June 6th, 1855
Dear Brother,
I take my pen in hand to inform you that we are all well at present and hope that these few lines will find you the same. We recd your letter on the 4th day of this month and it gave us great pleasure to hear that you was aliving and well, for we thot that you was dead for we did not hear from you at all, but on the other hand it gave us much grief to hear that you never expected to come home again. We would like to see you again once more. Now I must tell you the sad news -- what has happened since you last saw and heard from us. Father's been dead five years the 17 of this month and Uncle William and Aunt Catherine died in March of the same spring and many others of the old neighbors have died since you left. We now live about 9 miles from Sisterville in Ohio & we have bought 40 acres of land and have paid 3 hundred dollars on it and the other hundred is unpaid yet, but we will sell it as soon as we can and go to Iowa or Wisconsin for we can't do much good here for the land is too poor and hilly.
Charles Yeck and Louisa and family are all well and are living in Sisterville and doing pretty well. They have four children, 2 boys & 2 girls. And Barbary is married & moved away into Indiana & she has three children and they are doing tolerably well. As for the other girls, they are living at home with mother. Isabella, she is working her trade and Cristean has grown larger than any of the rest of her sisters, and Cathrine Sophia grown up to be a young woman. That is the one you had forgotten her name. She says she has a faint remembrance of you and she says she would like very much to see you again, and she ain't all the one that wants to see you for we all want to see you again.
Now I have said a little about all but mother. She is as well as could be expected of an old person of her age and she has that cough as bad as ever. She says that she would like to see you once more in her old days and she says that she wants you to have your miniature taken and sent to her if there is any chance. So no more at present, but remain your affectionate mother, brother, and sisters. J.A.S.
--added to above letter --
Dear Brother, I will now give you a sketch of myself since last we met. I have been aknocking around the world since 1847 until now and now I am at home with my dear old mother and ever intend to remain while life will last. I am still single and ever intend to stay so. It is my full intention to make my old mother happy in her old days if it is in my power, for she is a kind mother to us all. Now dear brother, I long to see you once more and grip the hand of my only brother, and then I could be better contented. I should like very much to go to California, but my aged mother calls my attention now. So now I will cease for it has been a long time since you wrote your letter and this letter may not reach you, but if you do have the good luck to get this letter, I ask it as a favor to answer it as soon as you can. I could find twice as much to write but I fear that this letter may not reach you. If it does, write & tell me where to send my letters and I will write you more of the times. So now farewell for the present, but remain your affectionate brother,
John A. Swykeffer
Please answer this soon. Direct to Antioch, Monroe County, Ohio. Perry Township
Folded and sealed with red sealing wax; addressed to
"Joseph Swyckeffer, Sandiago Calefornia"
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