Monday, January 14, 2013

Name Dropping I



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We've all dropped names -mentioned someone famous or popular.  They might even be related to us.  There are some people who can't stop talking about their royal line.  I suppose that's ok if it makes them feel better.  I've stopped dropping names personally with one exception.  I  have a Brother whose name I drop occasionally.  I just can't help myself.

I'm going to drop some names so be prepared.  Not for me, but for my Great great grandfather (of course I'm related to him :-).  I have to make up to him  for telling the blogging public about his spelling, and even making a point of it.  One of my readers stuck up for him though when she said:  "And in defense of your grandfather, no less a personage than a former President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, once is reported to have said "It is a damn poor mind indeed which can't think of at least two ways to spell any word."  I have to agree with HIM in this case.  Stephen Sherwood had a very good mind.  Now I'M going to make up to him by dropping names.

The Articles of Agreement of the Sherwood Silver Mining Company of  Nevada named the investors who were in many cases also the Officers, Directors, and Trustees of HIS company.  In 1862  nobody could have imagined that Officers, Directors, and Trustees would be part of his life.  Before we become acquainted with some of the 24 investors let's go back to 1862, just five years earlier.

Remember in the letter to his children in 1862 when Stephen Sherwood said: "I have not had my close (clothes) of for 7 months to sleepe.  Slep on the ground roled up in a blanket." He mentioned earlier that the weather was "A bout the same Winter weather as is in Illinois."  Is this going to be literally a rags to riches story?

My spell check does not want me to misspell all those words ( sleepe, slep, roled).  In fact in some cases it almost won't let me misspell them,  but President Andrew Jackson set me straight so I can ignore Mr. Spell Checker.  He knows only one way to spell a word.  No creativity at all.  Nobody should be concerned about Stephen's spelling after they read more in his letter.

Just before the previous comment,  Stephen is lamenting that he had not been able to care for his family in Illinois.  He said:  "I expect you have had very hard times and my hart has bled for you many a time but that can't help you.  I hope you have not had to under go the real hardships that we have."  Reading this letter one can tell, Stephen is disappointed.  He is appealing to his family for more  support.  He wants to hear from them.  This has to be a low point in his life, but he never fails to be optimism.  (Letter of December 14, 1862).  Click the letter is you want to read it all.

Well I've already made a mess of this blog by posting it before it was ready, and now I have to say that  I'm' not even going to drop the names until next blog.  I could have renamed it, if I hadn't published part of it before it was ready.  Anyway you're seeing it now.  One minor change was made--Name Dropping I.  Name Dropping II will follow.  Sorry I'm guilty of dropping names  before I drop them, and dropping the ball as well.  I know bad joke.  This has been a flu week.

This post (in fact the one previous to this) was suppose to post the next letter of Stephen Sherwood.  I even asked for comments as to where you thought he would write his next letter.  Well it's been two and soon will be three posts (and I hope not more) before that letter is posted.

I have to confess I get easily distracted when I do family history.  Sometime it is more about the history  than the family.  Sometimes a family member takes you in another direction, or you find someone new 
you have to chase down.  The thrill of the hunt is real!  You go where the scent is.  And then there is the need to share where the information came from or how it was found.  My last post "An Early Christmas Gift" shared the story of finding The Article of Agreement.  That find led to this post and  the next one which will introduce the investors.  There is a lot more information on them and on more of them than I expected.  It is taking some time to do the research.

I hope you stop by to meet them when I finish their resumes, and I'm not saying that because I want to drop names.





5 comments:

  1. Grant don't be too hard on yourself. I have pressed the publish button in error a few times myself... not to mention that I sometimes think that I suffer Genea-ADD (genealogy attention defecit disorder) when I'm in ancestor hunt mode. LOL!

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  2. Grant, drop all the names you wish. I knew this guy had a story to tell!

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  4. Thanks Jacqi. I just need to find time to finish up the next post.

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