Rhinelander
Wis Jan. 15-'28
Miss Lelah
Squire.
Bradenton Fla
My Dear
Cousin,
I received Your good letter of Dec 29, at Tomahawk Wis., forwarded from our
Appleton office. Pleased Indeed to hear from you.
Yes, I well
remember meeting you in Washington, at the home of my cousin Sadie Bunyea.
Your father
and his brother Eph, with the other children and their parents, were at our
home in Appleton in the Spring of 1872. I had a younger brother too. We were
all pretty small, but I was the oldest of the four, (in my tenth year) and able
and willing to lead the others into mischeif. I bear a scar to-day, that I received
at that time, 56 years ago, because I deliberately disobeyed my father. Your
father was about seven then.
With regard
to your questions. I don't know a thing about the Sacketts, your Grandmother's
people, and did not know until now, the name of your Grandfather's wife.
The ladies
you mention who proved the line of Ephraim Squire, are new names to me. The
Ephraim Hiram Squire that I know about is my grandfather, and I bear his entire
name. My mother was his pet and only daughter. She wanted her son to bear his
name.
She was very much disapointed when none of her three sons got his name. Two
years after his death, I emigrated to the U.S. and they saddled the whole name
on me. I have tried to hold up under the weight and bear it patiently. That
Squire was born in Connecticut in 1776 (this dated was 1876 with a 7 above the
8, a correction by the writer) I never knew who his father was, but no doubt he is the Ephraim Squire whose
record you are seeking, If so, he enlisted from Connecticut.
The old
original Davies (Davis) came over from Wales, in 1755. His daughter married
Wilcox. Their daughter, Sarah Wilcox married a Gorham. The first husband died
and she married Ephaim Hiram Squire, so is my grandmother Squire, and your great-grandmother.
A copy of
Wilcox Commission as Captain in the Continential Army, is in a glass show case
in the library of the County Court House in Toledo Ohio. I have seen it. It
was shown me by Rev. John Gorham. So he must have enlisted from Ohio.
I never
heard of the things which your Uncle Eph. Grant Squire, wrote you except that
our Grandfather Ephraim Hiram Squire, was a high private in the war of 1812.
I know that to be a fact.
The next
vacation that you take, go to the congressional Library at Washington and spend
a few days. You can get books of every American family in the U.S. Get your
books, one at a time on the Squires, Wilcoxes, Davies, Sacketts and Gorhams,
and sit in the reading room all day. Free to all and no charge.
Would advise
also that you write George Gorham Antigo Wis, for Information about the Wilcoxes.
My brothers
and sisters were as follows, in the order of their age. My Mother was married
twice. Her first husband was James Sears. Their children and year of their birth,
were:
William (Sears) 1842
Marrietta (Sears) 1844
Eunice (Sears) 1846
Anson Ward (Sears) 1849
Sarh Elizabeth (Sears)1853
Then came
the Stoddards
Ida Georgiana (Stoddard) 1857 spring
Ella Olivia (Stoddard) 1858 Dec.
George Washington (Stoddard)1861 Feb.
Ephraim Hiram Squire (Stoddard) 1863 Feb. 4 (the author of this letter)
William Weller (Stoddard) 1865 June
Eunice Anna (Stoddard) 1869 June
The sad
part of it is that all of them are gone, your very humble Servant.
Your affectionate
Cousin
E. H. Stoddard
Transcribed by Mary E. Wilkersone-mail wilk@netnitco.net
From a letter sent by Scott Jacob