1847 letter from Oregon-169 years old

A letter from Oregon in 1847 from my 3rd Great Grandfather.

The letter gives information was to where he was at on the 25th of March, 1847.

We know that he traveled on the Oregon Trail in 1846 and it took them 6 months and 3 days to get to Linton on the Willamette.  

They lost 18 head of cattle but started with 37 head.  And 1 horse died.

Although the letter is hard to read, I think that they traveled 1200 miles rather than 200.

An interesting fact was that 700 wagons and 10-12,000 head of cattle trailed to Oregon and I am assuming in 1846.  He states that dust was in abundance.  I can imagine!

Although they were not attacked by Indians, they had horses stolen by the Indians.

The wagons crossed the Green River and the Deschutes River.  Other information states they were on the Meeks Terrible Trail.  

I like the statement that the trip from the states to Oregon is a journey that can be performed with very little ease.  

And it took planning to get the letters to Oregon; they had to be in Elm Grove, Clay County, Missouri by March as no emigration after late April to Oregon!

John and family were busy farmers!  I bet his cows liked the green grass of Oregon after a dusty trail.

He let his brother know that his oldest daughter, Jane, married to George Murphy, did come west as planned.  His daughters Mary Ann and Nancy were married the same day.

Postmark:  St Joseph  MO  JUL

Address:  Mr. Robert Lloyd

                Tennessee Granger County Rutledge

Polk County  Oregon Territory  March the 25^th  1847

Dear Brother and Sister Father & Mother and all the family connection  the time is drawing nigh that we expect to have the oportunely of sending you a few lines to let you know that we are all well at time through the mercies of god so far as health  ______hoping those _____ may find you all enjoying the same blessed.

Dear relationz I have but little of deep interest to relate but will try to give all the satisfactions I can as to our travels and country climate & production.  We was 6 months and 3 days from the time we left our old home untill we got to linton on the Wallumette___ river we had no bad luck more than is common for Oregon imegrants  we lost 18 head of cattle out of 37 and one horse  we found the road ____able (passable) good nataral one but many bad places _____ wagons to travel and had to drive teams at times   neither of my wagons got  turned over on the trip the distance from the states to the Wallumette valey is at the lowest calculation  200 miles and is almost without timber the most part of the way—fire __at ________in man ______we always made out to get something too ____ water and grass is tolerble  plenty in _______________in  places we got to water ___________________but two their was something__________in our emegrution  about 700 waggons  10 or 12,000 head of cattle a good many horses and mules but little rain and dust in abudance   We did not travel all the same company but was in a good many small companyes     we was not molested by the Indians on the way  onley they stole a good many horses we crossed all the waters that we came to without any difficulty expect green river and deshouts river we rafted across green river had to take our wagons to peaces to get across   deshoots  our provisions held out well with the expection of flower which got some what scarce   we had bacon coffe sugar tea rice and dried fruit  after we got to our Journeys end      The trip from the states to Oregon is a Journey that can be performed with very little ease  I made an arangement before I left Missouri respecting letter   Dear Brother if you want to write to me and direct your letters to Missouri Clay County Elm Grove as heretofore and they will be sent on to me  write in time for the letters to reach Missouri in March as there is no mail from the states to Oregon and the emegration states about the last of April from the states to this country which is the case every spring  the climate of Oregon is very mild  I do not know what the ground has been frose more than one inch deep since we came to the country  no more the first winter we came to is Jeneraly a great deal of rain in the winter time ____ _____ low___lu  jeneraly speaking but some time _______________ hard but the rains never lats_____________in this country as it does in _______________a warm wet country in _______ and two cool in the summer for corn to grow  _________ it is a good country for wheat oats barley but as wheat timothy clover ___ hemp fields I ___ potatoes turnups cabbge parinips beets   __C.  the grass commences growing in the fall season   grass on until Apriil or May  dies in July or August this is great country for horses cattle and sheep but a poor country for hogs without feed there is no cattle feed in this country that I know of  the cattle that we broght to this country with us there was many of them good beef in March though they was poor when we got here  I will say something about my own affairs  we have settled on as sightey place as any I have seen in Oregon  fenced in 43 acres of land  broke up about 30 the first spring sowed 18 or 19 in spring wheat planted the balance in corn and other thingz  made a sorry crop I was two late getting my crop in the ground  we wrote to North carolina and Tennessee last spring   George Murphey that married Jane did not come to this country last fall as they expected  I got my knee hurt last fall and it is not well at this time  it was hurt in the joint  I can walk about but can not plow though I think I shall be able to plow in a month or two  my family appears to be satisfied with their move as to myself I can not say that   I am very well pleased with Oregon but expect to die here   Mary Ann was married the day of last June to John Foster and Nancey the same day to Thomas Reeves   they both have settled in a mile or two of us   Abner our oldest son is gone to do for himself so we have but five childrain with us  we have but little preach in this country only by m_________ and they care not for the flock ____________ them well as it is common for the  ____ing to leave the sheep    when the walumette  owing to the great distance that I have wandered from my connection I never expect to see any of them again in this life and may god grant that it may be all our happy lots to meet on Canaans happy shore where parting will be feared  and felt no more may god almighty bless you  all

                                                                John Lloyd

                                                                Nancy Lloyd

As to the health of the country it is not seveprass  ed  I do not think by any parts of the world

Mr. Williams your old neighbor is in this country

1844 letter-John Lloyd to Robert Lloyd

One hundred seventy two years ago, my 3rd great grandfather wrote this letter.

A letter from John Lloyd to his brother Robert.

I transcribed the letter exactly as it was written.

The letter is important because it tells when John was in Missouri and where he lived.

It states that his sister Mary and Brother Abner were deceased.  

John lists his children and I can figure the birth date of William Walker.  He lists his daughter Jane's marriage and her husband as well as their baby's name.

Lots of information about his crops and the county he lived in.

He also gives information concerning other family members, the Smith's and McCullocks.  McCullock was his mother's maiden name.

Can you imagine writing to your parents that you never expect to see them again?

To:  Mr. Robert Lloyd

       Tennesse Grandger Co  Rutledge

Return Address:  Elm Grove, MO

                              June 22^nd

State of Missouri    Clay County   June 10^th       1844

Dear Brother and Sister

We avail ourselves of the present opportunity of letting you know that we are all well at this time   through the services of god  hoping these few lines you all enjoying the like blessing.

Dear Brother   We have nothing of deep interest to relate   it has been a long time  since we have rote to you and sill longer since we have heard from you   with the exception of some man that passed throgh  _______county about 12 months.   Since who told an acquaintence of  mine that he lived in the neighborhood of  Father’s and all the connection was well when he left home  the last letter we got stated the death of sister Mary and Brother Abner.   Dear Brother you say to me your health was not good but better than what it had been  I have great reason to be thanksful for my health is as good as I would wish it with vctfition I am sometimes afflicted with biles  Nancy health has not been as good through the winter and spring as she has som only enjoyed but better than it was for several years after  we waz first married 

We have 9 childrain whose names is as follows  Jane, Mary Ann, Abner Thomas, Nancy, Eliza, Malinda, Albert Galiton, John Calvin, William Walker who is the baby & was three years old 21^st of last February and a bad prospect for any more childrain at this time   Jane was married last December two years ago two a man by the name of George Murphy  they live nine miles from us they have got a home of there own and is making out very well   they have one child which will be two years old this fall  they call his John Calvin   I have dwelled lenthey on the family affairs  I will try to say something about the times and seasons   we had quite a moderate winter the fore part of the spring was very good since that time the weather has been very wet and sometimes so therez a great deal of corn to plant yet I had the good luck to get my corn planted before the wet weather commenced and have it plowed over the second time with the exception of about half a days plowing   there is at thiz time a bad prospect for corn and hemp wheat and oats looks well provision is plenty and money very scarce I have eight or nine thousand pounds of tobacco on hand at this time which will not bring more than two dollars per hundred if that much at this time  I am trying  to raise for  _____ thousand this season  I have as handsone a place as in Clay County

I have built a large frame barn  calculated for a grain barn but is using it as a tobaco barn at this time  the floor when put in will be twenty nine by twenty nine feet and half square as I have a one hundred and twenty or one hundred thirty acres of land under fence but more than one one third of the ground under fence is in pasture   we have a fine grass county  there is vast quantityes of people moveing from Missouri to Oregon and Texas but numbers coming to fill the places   So they are not missed    ______ Platte purchase is the thickest settled county that I was ever in and as good land and water     William Smiths and Nancy Mcullochs familiez was well not long since William Smith has got sick since he came to Missouri   Nancy Mcullochs family is making out well  none of the childsran married but Betcy and Willaim has to go I do not know what has become of him  he left this county over five years ago about marketing  Some hogs that did not belong to him William Smith childrain is all married  that is grown   with the execption of George brother Robert  if this letter comes to hand I want you to let father and Mother and all the connection see it that is convenient to do so   old Aunt Mary Johnson is dead   I have understood aunt Elizabeth Mculloch and her son James lives in the same yard as I am informed and is doing well so I shall change the subject  Very Dear Brother you rote to me that you had made a profession of religion which I was glad to hear when this comes to hand if it does I want you to sete to me and state how you are getting along in your feelings and what your prospects is for heaven and happiness and whether you trust in your acts of obedience for your salvetion or in the efficatious blood of Christ  my reason for being for being so inquisitive is this I do know that there is two grand decisions among the professing past of the people one says fsll glace free grace the other says works as to my hrart I am the one that believes in acts of obedience to follow after juetification but not to be justified for obedient acts my little hope that I obtain in Carolina near twenty five years ago still abides with me and has often afforded me consolation even when I thought that I was in a few minutes of being done with time and time things 

I wish to be remembered to Father and Mother Brothers Sisters nephews nieces and all inquiring friends   we shall add no more but remain you affectionate Brother and Sister while life remains.

                                                                John Lloyd

                                                                Nancy Lloyd

Dear parrents and friends   Mr. Lloyd has rote lenthy but I feel like I want to say sum thing  Dear Parrents I can not say that I have the best expectations of ever seeing you in this life  May the lord of his infinet me try grant we may all be prepare to meet in heven whar grieving for the lofs of departed friends will benomore we are with our two oldest children lafatizt and with them we wish to live and die fare you to well my loving friends   far well  Nancy

The original letters were digitized by the Allen County Public Library with the help of Curt Witcher.

They were donated to Fort Walla Walla Museum in Walla Walla, Washington in 2015

They were handed down through the family.

1821 Letter-to Thomas Lloyd

This original letter was in the family collection that I inherited.  It is from Robert and John Lloyd, sons of Thomas Lloyd.  It is 195 years old!

Thomas Lloyd is my 4th great grandfather and John is my 3rd great grandfather.

The letter gives several clues--Robert and John are sons of Thomas.
on 6 May 1821, Robert and John were located at the Anderson Store, North Carolina in Caswell County.  While Thomas in 1821 was in Grainger County, Tennessee.

The original letters have been digitized and were donated in 2015 to Fort Walla Walla Museum in Walla Walla, Washington.  They are in amazing condition.  When I got them, I put them in archival envelops.





On backside of paper which was folded to look an envelope:  Mr. Thomas Lloyd

                                                                                                                Grainger Co. Tennessee  Rutledge

Return address:  Anderson Store N.C.

                                6^th  May

State of North Carolina   Caswell County  May 6, 1821

Dear father and mother with pleasure I take my pen in hand to write to you to inform you that I am well. Hoping my letter may find you all enjoying the same.  I have nothing particular to acquaint you with at present old neighboring and acquintences  generaly well.  MA  Maenecle haz returned and haz changed your money and I will send it to you if forward with opportunity.  MA Herndon haz collected afraid of your money and he put the rest of the notez in the hands of an officer.  I have received one letter and I would be very glad to hear from you all.  So I must conclude your loving Son until death.

Signed:  Robert Lloyd    and      John Lloyd

The envelope

The letter

#47-Soldier-Tony Lloyd, POW in World War II

A HERO, A life cut short, and we will never forget

Every Memorial Day I think of the story that my mother Helen Lloyd Shaffner, told about Tony B. Lloyd.  He was her first cousin, once removed.  Which means that she & Tony shared the same ancestor, Albert Gallatin Lloyd.  Albert was Tony's grandfather; while he was Mom's great grandfather.  But they were close in years, Tony born in 1915 and mom, Helen Lloyd, was born in 1924.  They lived in Waitsburg, Washington.  

(In my genealogy collection, I have the original newspaper articles.  But not always are they dated or the newspaper's name listed.)

Tony was called up with other reserve officers in August, 1940, and reported for duty with the coast artillery corps at March field, Calif., and a year later was transferred for duty in the Philippines, at Fort Mills.

Tony was a First Lieutenant, USA, assigned to Battery H. 60th Coast Art. Reg., Corrigodore, PI.  He was taken a POW when the island was captured by the Japanese during WWII.   

He died January 7, 1943 in the Kokura POW Camp, Shioku, Japan.

"The Times"

Waitsburg, Washington

Friday, December 21, 1945 

Lt. Tony Lloyd Dies in Japanese Prison Camp

News Arrives Here of Death on January 7, 1943 

A telegram from the War Department has just been received by Mr. and Mrs. Wesley A. Lloyd notifying them of the death of their son, First Lt. Tony Boynton Lloyd in a prison Camp in Japan, January 7, 1943.  Tony Lloyd was born at the old farm home west of Waitsburg, March 12, 1915.  ................"

Following is the text of the message received:  

"The Secretary of war has asked me to express his deep regret that your son, First Lieutenant Tony B. Lloyd, died in Japan, January 7, 1943, as a result of malnutrition while a prisoner of war of the Japanese government.  I regret that unavoidable circumstances made necessary the unusual lapse of time in reporting your son's death to you.

 Tony was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action on Corregidor in March of 1946. 

The Silver Star Citation reads

 "For Gallantry in action on Corregidor, Philippine Islands, on 28 April 1942.  During a heavy Japanese artillery concentration on a battery position, the electrical power transmission cables were destroyed.  Completely disregarding his own safety, Lieutenant Lloyd, Battery H, 60th Coast Artillery Regiment (Anti-aircraft) left cover, exposed himself to enemy fire for two hours, and repaired these vital cables thereby bringing the battery back into synchronization.  By his sustained gallantry and courageous devotion to duty, Lieutenant Lloyd rendered invaluable aid to our forces during a critical period of operation." (newspaper clipping from the Waitsburg Times)

   Lt. Lloyd, now established as the first Waitsburg man to die in the service of his country,

Tony's parents, Wes and Ina Lloyd

Tony Lloyd

Wes Lloyd had a friendship with the local Indian tribe who camped on the Lloyd farm.

For the kindness of the Lloyd family, they were given Indian artifacts.

The entire collection is now on housed and on display at Fort Walla Walla Museum in Walla Walla, Washington.

I have pictures of Tony as a child, but not as a  young adult.  

Time Magazine, April 13, 1942

Behind the Bataan Line

Tony Lloyd is the man standing

The picture is labeled

"Money changing hands during a lull

The picture below was clipped from a captured Japanese newsreel film showing the surrender of American troops on Corregidor.  

The man on the extreme right has been identified as Lt. Tony Lloyd.\

One scene (on the right) featured several American prisoners, hands in air, awaiting the next command of their guards. 

His parents actually saw their son's picture in a newsreel. which was shown before the movie at the movie theater.

The manager of the theater was kind enough to unroll the film and cut out the part of the picture that Wes and Ina thought was their son.  The last letter they received from him was written November 17, 1941 before war was declared.  They received a brief, indirect message two months before they saw the newsreel from an Army friend of Tony's that he was all right and in a prison camp somewhere in the Philippines.  His parents tried to contact him through the Red Cross.

Tony was with General Wainwright at the time Cooregidor was captured.  He was with a Coast Artillery anti-aircraft outfit.  These men of Corregidor were marched down the streets of Manila in wretched condition to prove to the silent thousands of natives that the Jap conquerors were superior in every way.  They were led to Billibid prison were the Americans were separated from the Filipinos and taken to Cabanatuan in May of 1942.  From the story of Tony's existence must be left to the imagination until further information can come from the lips of those who survived.  

Corregidor.

   That he was taken prisoner there was strikingly revealed on the screen of the Waitsburg theater when a newsreel flash prepared from Japanese war films was shown.   The parents were positive one of the captives was their son, and when a special reprint was made from the film any lingering doubts were removed.

   It was thought he later escaped.  Consistent rumors had him serving with Filipino, and later, Chinese guerrillas, where his resourcefulness and skill with weapons were being utilized against the common enemy.  Now it is known that following the surrender he was variously at Billbid prison, Cabanatuan and finally Kokura, Japan on Shokuku island, near Narumi, Japan. 

Died of Starvation

   His death there was due to malnutrition, but of the events during the preceding months it is thought nothing further will ever be made known, except by survivors, or through later war department releases

 Tony B Lloyd died 7 January 1943.

His parents were notified at Christmas time in 1945.

I can't even image the difficulty his parents had not knowing where or what had happened to their son.  And to learn at Christmas that their son had died of starvation as a POW.  He was their first son.  

Tony B. Lloyd's headstone

City Cemetery, Waitsburg, Washington
He was 28 years old.

Lloyd's Meat Market

My great grandfather, George Martin Lloyd,purchased a meat market in Waitsburg, Washington in 1889.    It was sold in 1936 by his son, George Marvin Lloyd.    The Lloyd's owned the meat market for 47 years.

George and his wife, Nellie Susan Towsley.

They were married 18 December 1889 in Waitsburg, Washington

The picture is labeled George Martin Lloyd ( in suit), early 1900's

Second person is not identified.  

Notice the Lard Buckets hanging on wall

The meat market in 1920

Father and son

George Martin and George Marvin Lloyd

George Marvin, the son, is cutting meat

One of the Lard Buckets

From my mother's collection!

1935

The Lloyd Market had meat recipe books

Even one for Christmas

Interesting recipes

More china

Another portion of my Mother's collection of china, which she said came through the Lloyd family.  

If anyone has information on the type or style, please comment!

The glass is very thin,, the are obviously very old.  And beautiful.

This was a favorite of Mom's.  Another very old piece, but not as old as she claimed.  Mother even wrote to an antique magazine requesting information.  (I am looking for the letter)

Every time we went near an antique store, she looked for this pattern.

And then on a trip to Alabama, the mother of their friend opened her china cabinet and had the entire set!  The lady was kind enough to add to mother's collection and gave her a piece.  

The Women in my father's Family

Mother's Day got me to thinking of all of my female ancestors.    I decided to find the pictures, thus the delay in posting!  Quite a collection of women!  I can't imagine their lives, what they lived through, and how hard they worked.

Margaret Maria Fetter was born 19 May 1820 in Pennsylvania.  She married Gabriel Shaffner (father of John Martin Shaffner)  24 December 1845 in Manheim, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Margaret died 11 November 1903 in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  She is also buried in the East Harrisburg Cemetery.  The date on the picture written by Donnee Shaffner Stibal is about 1901.  She is holding Walter Ruskin Shaffner.  Estimating Margaret's age would make her 81 year old.  Margaret's ancestor were from France; her Great Grandfather was George Fredric Fanoit who came from Montebeliard,  France in 1842.

Elizabeth Deborah Fletcher, who was born 4 July 1858 in Covington, Tioga County, Pennsylvania.  She married John Martin Shaffner on 16 September 1880 in Whitesville, Allegheny County, New York.  There is no date on the picture.  Elizabeth died 17 November 1899 in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  I discovered that she was buried with her father-in-law at the East Harrisburg Cemetery.  There was no headstone.  Her last child, Walter Ruskin Shaffner, was born 7 September 1899.  I wonder if she was pregnant in this picture.

The Peter Paul Deewall Family.

Peter Paul came to the U.S. in 1842.  He married Catherine Troutman in Pennsylvania in 1847.

Mary Etta was the oldest girl born in 1831.  George Albert was the youngest son born in 1865

Catherine died in 1877, so this picture was taken in the 1870's.  

Mary Etta Deewall Kurtz, who was born 17 December 1849 in Pennsylvania.  Her father was Peter Paul Deewall (Duval)  who came to the U.S. in 1842 from Ludweiler, Germany.  Mary Etta married Emanuel Kurtz 23 February 1871 in Pennsylvania.  

My grandmother, Della Kurtz Shaffner.  This picture was taken in 1905 taken at her high school graduation.  She was salutatorian, although her name is at the top of the graduate list so perhaps she was valedictorian.   And I have the speech that she gave, which is labeled her salutatory speech.    She graduated from Muncy High School, in Muncy, Pennsylvania.

Della Kurtz Shaffner, my grandmother.  She married by grandfather, John Fanoit Shaffner on 12 September 1913 after their trip through Yellowstone Park.  Donnee Shaffner Stibal wrote on the picture:  Jerry and Grandma.  She rode the horse from Custer, Montana to Dillon, Montana.  After John & Della married they returned to Simms, ND where he worked as telegrapher on the railroad.  He also worked at Custer, Montana as a telegrapher.  They homesteaded near Dillon, Beaverhead County, Montana.  The story I heard was that Grandpa rode the horse to Dillon!  Since Donnee got the information from Grandpa; I will believe her story!