INTRODUCTION AND COMPENDIUM.
HISTORY OF THIS BOOK.
My early years were spent in the home of my paternal grandparents, -a place
where many members of our family connection resorted to discuss the history
of the past, —and from listening attentively to the conversation that passed
between those godly ancestors as they gathered around the ample hearthstone,
I became, at an early age, deeply interested in everything pertaining to the
history of my forefathers and their times. This interest increased with my
years, and I determined that at some future day I would fully acquaint myself
with the history of our family and its origin.
My grandfather was truly a patriarch, for he lived contemporary with eight
generations of his family. From his standpoint he could look backward and
remember three generations of his predecessors; looking downward he could see
four generations of his descendants, and at the same time he himself was the
connecting link of this chain between the first three and last four generations,
making eight generations in all. This remarkable acquaintance with so many
of his family, supplemented by the possession of a wonderfully retentive mem-
ory, which remained unimpaired till he was more than ninety years of age,
qualified this venerable man in a peculiar manner to impart information respect-
ing the history and genealogy of his family connections. The elder members of
our family seemed pleased to advert to all the traditions known to their ances-
tors, and delighted to transmit them from father to son, always careful that
nothing should be lost. When these discussions were going on I used to draw
near my grandfather's knee and listen with the keenest relish to every word
spoken, frequently asking questions about the relationship between the various
cadets of our family mentioned in the conversation.
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During those early years I noticed that frequent allusion was made to "Old
Uncle John" and "Old Uncle Abram" in a very emphatic way, great stress
always being laid upon the word “old.” This served to excite my curiosity and
rekindle the fires of interest, until, as a result of my inquisitiveness, I possessed
a very good traditionary outline of the history of my own branch of the family.
If I saw one of our surnames in a book or newspaper, it always awakened a
new interest and inspired a zeal to investigate more fully the genealogy of all
branches of our tribe.
While spending a few days at my grandfather's home in 1868, and discovering
the remarkable vividness of his memory, I availed myself of the opportunity to
make copious notes respecting the branches and sub-branches of our own line
of the family. I was especially careful to learn where all who had removed to
