Charles Littleton Family

Contributor: Wendy Cabler, March 25, 2005

In 1760, Reuben Sims married Betsy Glenn in Virginia. He owned houses & land, had much stock, was aristocratic, felt himself very rich. He hired David Henderson: an honorable, high minded young man with a limitable education, only owned a horse and saddle with a few clothes, to oversee his home place, had charge of the garden, the orchard, poultry and all stock, indeed all things needed by the Sims family and Negroes to do the work.

The overseer always had a separate house; kitchen and cook, never went into the employer’s house, unless invited.

After awhile, David made acquaintances with the large family, of the Sims girls and boys, and soon learned to love Hannah Sims, then ventured to tell her he loved her.

After so long a time, their [secret] engagement was to settle and plan for their marriage. Knowing they would have to run away, as her family would feel disgraced by a daughter marrying a poor overseer.

For some time, Mr. Sims noticed David and face and said, “David, What is the matter with you? Tell me and I will help you.” “Well,” David began. “I will tell you my trouble. I am engaged to a lady and I know her parents are opposed to our marriage so how am I to get her?”

With a hearty laugh, Mr. Sims said, “that’s a small matter. You see the girl, appoint a place to meet her. Then, go to my barn and saddle up my wife’s horse, get upon her, go to the appointed place, help the girl upon the saddle, and you jump up behind her. Go over to Esquire Chicks. He will marry you and let the old man kick!”

David smiled and thanked him, and took his advice but did not return to the Sims farm. It was winter time, the ground was frozen, and Hannah Sims had on high heel shoes as she ran from the yard gate to an outside gate. Her shoes made such a noise, she was afraid her father might hear her running.

A friend invited them to [their house] until they could go [into] housekeeping [of their own]. He built a log hut beside the public road, made a stand in the corner of the room, laid split boards across for a foundation, then put up plenty of dry leaves. Their friends were kind to lend them bedclothes and [cooking vessels]. When [Hannah] would hear someone passing by, she would pick up a pot, run out, and pretend to wash it to mortify the pride of her family.

Their friends say the situation and wanted Mr. Sims to make friends with them again. They gave dining after dining, always inviting the Sims family, also David and Hannah, with the understanding, that they were to be late. After everybody else was there, David would ride up, with Hannah behind him, then the company would meet them at the gate and have a big “to do” over them. Mr. Sims and David always sat side by side at the table, with Mrs. Sims and Hannah on the opposite side. The old man saw he had to come under and said, “David, May I have a few words with you?”, walked out, sat down on a log, and in a few minutes, got up and shook hands. What a happy time it was for all!

Then the young couple went to work, raising hogs, cows, corn and tobacco. They all lived between Lynchburg and Petersburg, near Richmond, Virginia. This is a hilly, rocky country. The soil is mixed with red sand, the streams of water are like the sand and the James River is the same color. A fine, [druit??] country. These people packed their tobacco in large barrels, or hogsheads. They first bored a hole through the head of the barrel, run an axel through it, so they could hitch a horse to it by traces, and roll it to market at Richmond.

David and Hannah had several children. Elizabeth was the oldest one, born in Virginia on August 21, 1772. The others were Mason, Gemima, Jack, Reuben, and Polly. The second, Mason married Dr. Chick. The third, Gemima married a preacher, Brasleman. The fourth married __________. Sivian [Sinna?] married Morgan Huston, the next married Tom Wadlington. In another paper, I will give their names better. Most all of these lived and died in Carolina. Jack and Reuben Henderson married, left large families that are still in South Carolina. They were honorable people and fine farmers.

The war had come on with Great Britain. The Indians were troublesome. A company of neighbors decided to move to South Carolina, and located in what was afterwards the Union Court House.

I will now tell you about our Grandfather, Solomon Littleton. The four brothers were sons of Lord Lytleton of England. Solomon, Edward, Southy, and William came to America and settled in Virginia. They are recorded in Richmond. The war agitated and Solomon was for a “FREE AMERICA” while the other three brothers were for the King. Solomon moved on down the Potomac River and built him a little home among the [sand?], called his home, “Sarah’s Delight”. His wife’s name was Sarah. His house was where Washington [D.C.] now stands. He bought this land from England. Solomon and Sarah had three children: Charles, Mark, and Nancy.

The war came on. Charles, 16, and his brother Mark, fought for Free America. The British Light horsemen came and took Solomon Littleton as prisoner of war for daring to oppose the King. In turn, they took Solomon to the Ninety Sixth’s South Carolina District and placed him in a Small Pox prison there at the British Fort. He died there with small pox. Today, Light Horsemen are called Cavalry men.

Nancy and her mother had spun and woven some cloth of flax to make Charles and Mark clothes. Nancy had washed them out in the air to dry and now, looking up, she saw the blue coats were coming. Charles was half-shaved and quickly jumped on his horse and got behind the house. He ran through the draw bars that had been left down on purpose, into the woods and was safe. The British had so many long straps on their saddles, they could not ride into the woods without catching their straps on something.

Nancy gathered the homespun she had been drying into a wad in her arms. One of the soldiers was about to take them by force when she threw them at him and said, “Take them but you can’t wear them as they are my shifs {under skirts and underwear}. The soldier turned away in disgust. Nancy and her mother wore quilted underskirts. On the outside, their dresses and underskirts looked old and patched but underneath and sewn inside of each of those patches, they wore their gold and their silver and other valuables to keep the British from getting them.

This was long before the days of paper money or cotton. Nancy and her mother were alone in the wilderness. The British, Indians, and Tories (the worst of men) had burned their house, and all that they had, even their land papers, and stolen their stock. Nancy and her mother went with some friends to Union, South Carolina where they had protection. One day, these Littleton brothers were in Virginia, at a certain picket post. The picket was killed every night. Consequently, the Captain thought it to call for a volunteer for that post. Young Charles Littleton stepped forward and said, “Here I am, Send me. I will shoot everything that comes along.” When all was still, the tired men were asleep, with their guns in their arms, around their campfire; an old hog came grunting along. Charles raised his musket, took good aim, pulled the trigger, and over went the hog. The men were aroused quick and distressed. Thinking Charles was killed, one advanced and gave the counter sign. Then, Charles replied. “I am here. I shot a hog out there.” They went to see the hog, but it was an Indian wrapped in hog skins and walking on all fours.

The army had been skirmishing all day. They were tired and stopped to rest. Dick Hampton was Charles’ bedfellow; he turned about all night and could not sleep. He said to Charles, “Turn over Charles and hug me up in your arms for tomorrow we will go into battle and I will be killed. I want you to take care of my wife, Sarah, and my two little girls when you get back home.” Charles tried to cheer his friend. He promised to care for his loved ones. Sure enough, Dick Hampton was shot off of his horse, dead the next morning.

The war was over. Lord Cornwallis surrendered to the Rebel General George Washington.

The King of Heaven was watching Washington every morning when he went behind a stump or a log, got down upon his knees, and prayed for his men, and his success for freedom. He looked to the King of Heaven for protection.

The Littleton brothers went back home after the war to find nothing but the land. Father dead, mother and sister gone to South Carolina. Mark Littleton went to care for his mother and sister and to establish a home, by the time Charles would come to them. Charles remembered his promise to Dick Hampton, his beloved comrade. He went to see Mrs. Hampton and the girls. He stayed with them, advised with her and consoled them. Her maiden name was Sarah Earle, a mild, gentle, and beautiful woman with fine property. After a reasonable time, she and Charles were married in Virginia.

They lived very happy for two years, when she gave birth to a son on August 4, 1785. She named him John Marcus Littleton but he was always called “Jack”. In a few hours after she gave birth, there was a little [pimple] on her cheek. When she began to get sick, [the pimple]* spread fast and by the time they buried her, the whole side of her face was black. (*These symptoms are most likely Small Pox symptoms which sometimes causes skin lesions that start out as tiny bumps.)

Mrs. Earle, her mother, proposed to take the babe and the little girls. Charles had some property, owned a Negro man named Tom that helped Charles build houses. They were building a house on the Earle farm and it was summertime. Charles went to the residence to get a drink of water. As he stepped into the entry (between the rooms), to the shelf where the piggin set and the gourd hung on the peg, he heard Mrs. Earle say to a neighboring woman that had come to see the babe, “Well, really Jacky cried so last night. I was afraid to look at him this morning for fear he had killed himself crying.”

This was more than Charles could bear. He went back, gave Tom some directions, then got up on his horse and went to a neighbor, fifteen miles away. He asked the woman to take the child until he could carry him to his mother (Charles’ mother) in Carolina. He also made the woman promise him that if she ever saw Mrs. Earle coming, she would hide the child so that she [Mrs. Earle] would never see him, which she did. He went back and said to Tom, “I will go in and take up the baby and you pick up the cradle and follow me. Do not speak.” Mrs. Earle saw them and cried, “What are you going to do with Jacky?”

The Earles' family had much property. The little girls were left with their grandparents because the family had much property to take care of them. They married later and moved to Montgomery, Alabama. Many years later, one of their sons in Alabama went to see Jack and Charles Littleton in the 1830’s.

When Jack was 2 yrs old, his father started on horseback to his mother in Carolina, with the child, sitting on a pillow in front of him. When he would come up to a house, he would stop and get milk for Jack. There were very few roads back then, only Indian trails, or paths through the country. Charles and Jack were tired, stopped to rest, took off the saddlebag and saddle so that the horse could rest too. Charles spread down the blanket for himself and the babe to lie down and went to sleep. When he awoke, the child was gone.

Oh such a feeling, but he ran out to the trail and there were his little bare feet tracks in the dust. On and on, Charles ran for nearly a half mile and there little Jack was playing amongst the wildflowers. After a long, tedious ride, Charles reached his mother’s home.

Now, Charles began his life anew in Free America. He made acquaintance with the Henderson family. After so long a time, he was engaged to marry Elizabeth Henderson, the eldest daughter of David and Hannah Sims Henderson. She went to work, spinning and weaving her wedding outfit of striped homespun flax cloth. Her stockings were knit open-like in lace called “clocking”. Her underwear was all nicely trimmed with homemade lace and girding. They were married in the summer of 1793 when Elizabeth was about 22 years old. Jack was 8 or 10 years old and always loved Elizabeth as a mother. They were married in Union, South Carolina.

Children were born to them. Charles and Elizabeth were both industrious, high-minded, noble hearted and would stoop to nothing low but were not contented. His mother, Sarah Littleton, had died. His sister had married John Gordon. His brother Mark Littleton had married Silvia Wadlington, Tom Wadlington’s sister.

David and Hannah Henderson had died by this point. Their children were all married. I will give you the names of David and Hannah Henderson’s children and whom they married:

Elizabeth married Charles Littleton

Mary “Polly” married Tom Wadlington

Massa married Dr. Chick

Gemima married Mr. Braselman, a preacher

Silvia married Morgan Hunton

Jack Henderson and his brother married and raised large families. All were married in Carolina. Their father and mother were not dead. Therefore, Charles Littleton, Tom Wadlington, John Gordon, Mark Littleton, and other family gathered up their families, loaded up their wagons, and started for Tennessee, where cane was plenty and “pea vines grew wild” so their stock could feed themselves. These people were on the road for 6 weeks and stopped between Galatine {Gallatin?} and Nashville. They lived there a year and then came on to Giles County near Cornersville. This was in 18.1 and 18.2.

The wagon stopped in the road. Charles went to help Betsy and the children out. He took out his big knife and cut down the cane so he could sit a chair down for her and the baby to sit on. The country was a wilderness. The trees were large, tall, and straight. They cut them down, split rails and boards and soon had a shelter for them and the Negroes. The chimney was stick and dirt. The nearest mill was back at Galatine but Charles was a workman, and cut a tree down, sawed a piece of about 3 feet long. He scooped out a hollow at one end that held about 1 gallon of corn with pestle; he beat the corn to meal. Two Negro women, Fannie and Mollie, were good cooks and made lye and hominy. The men would shoot deer, bear, and turkey until they would get a start of hogs. Bear fat made fine lard. They made high fences around their stock to keep bear, wolves, and panthers from kill their young. Sometimes they had to make big fires to frighten them away at night.

John and Nancy Gordon died near Cornersville, TN. They had one daughter, Casa? who married McCaulns {this could be McCollum), had 3 sons, they were married in East Tennessee. One son, Penny Gordon, had children. He died in Middle, Tennessee.

In a few years, Charles and Betsy’s oldest child, Sarah Earle was born on March 6, 1797 and married Robert Cox in Middle Tennessee, a man of fine principles, fine sense, and very kind to the poor and distressed. He gave his children good advantages. John Cox married Clarissa Ausborn, had 1 daughter and 2 sons, after she was a widow, children grown, she came on a visit to see her brother in law, Dr. Thornton Cox, drank some ice water on the train which caused congestion. Her frail body soon gave way, she rests in her grave in Rutherford, TN. Betsy was an old maid and died. Brinkley married 2 and children all died in Texas. He was a southern soldier. Jackson never married but died in the Southern Army. Dr. Thornton Cox married his cousin, Sarah Earl Littleton, daughter of David Littleton. He was always helping suffering men, was a Christian, the angel of death came and took his 8 children, self, and wife to rest. They are all side-by-side in Rutherford Tennessee. 3 grandchildren, Mary, Annetta (Anita), and John Cox are with their mother in Jackson, Tennessee. Sallie Cox married Charles Dabney. All are dead and with no children. Dr. G.W. Cox, the youngest child (he was a gentleman, a Christian, and fine). Dr. married Clementine Moore, they walked through life side by side and were laid beside Laura and Eva in Humboldt, Tennessee. Their other two daughters, Mattie and Annett, live in Dyer Tennessee and Nannie in Jackson Tennessee.

Charles and Betsy Littleton were not yet settled, therefore loaded up their wagons and stock and headed down to Lauderdale County, AL, having a good deal of stock so that they could feed themselves. This was in 1802. David H. Littleton, the 2nd, child of Charles and Betsy was born in South Carolina on December 19, 1897?.

I will tell you about the 2nd move. Charles’ flock had increased so fast and there was no market for beef cattle at the time, so he was obliged to make a change. David’s family, Mark Littleton and family, joined Charles and Betsy in moving to this “barrony” [barren? Or brawny?] country where wild peas grew all over the wood. The grass was very tall, besides there was bushes for the cattle to feed upon, and often times the wild deer would feed along side with the cows and goats. Wild flowers of all colors abounded as far as the eyes could see. The shrub honeysuckle grew in low places, among the hills, and perfumed the woods, the huckleberry were fine fruit, also the gooseberry. Here, Charles entered a section of land from the Government, built a comfortable house for himself and his Negroes, then opened a large farm with Cypress Creek running through it, the water was as clear as can be and the fish small and great could be seen swimming around over the rocky bottom, the water is free stone, near the house was a lazy spring that never ran dry. His oldest son was his counselor, in all his business but Jack knew that his father was growing old and feeble. Charles eventually died on March 29, 1848.

They planted a large apple orchard on the rocky hillside, such a variety [curmer?] fall and winter apples. Also planted peaches, plums, cherry, pear, quinces, all around on the hillsides. Grapevines – Muscadines grew wild. Betsy was a good housekeeper and a fine manager. She had grapes and damson plum dried by the bushel that come in good place with other dried fruit for winter, had a large patch of wild strawberries that was fine flavored, had a long row of raspberries too.

The old people loved flowers, had a garden for them, also sweet scented plants such as chamomile, Thyme, Tansy, Basil, and Lavender. The yard around the house was set with evergreen trees, beneath the giant oak, chestnuts, and poplar trees. His grain and fruit was so abundant, and no market for it, that he built a still house and made brandy, gin, and whiskey of a very good class, but neither he nor his sons were ever drunk. David, the second child was now grown, went back to Mid. Tenn. And married Betsy Ann Cook. They had children: their names were William, Catherine, Washington, Sarah, John, Frank Lou., Sam, and Mary. They had a few grandchildren, living in Dyer Arkansas. Mary children. Peter Synelman ?, the third child, born November 18, 1800 in Carolina, married Susan Pettus (or Potters?). They raised a large family near Coffeeville, Mississippi. SAMUEL Holbrock, the 4th child of Elizabeth and Charles, was born in Tennessee, June 13, 103, and never married. He was a fine and successful doctor and died on July 4, 1852.

Reuben Sims, the fifth child, was born December 17, 1805 and married his cousin, Frances WADLINGTON. They had children: Charles, Mary, Hannah, Riley, Sims, Fannie, Jennie, Taylor, and Sarah. Burrell Chick, the 6th child was born in Tennessee on May 14, 1808, and married Eliza Turner in Alabama. Less than one year later, she died. Then, Chick went to Ripley, Mississippi and married Lavira Pickens. Their children were Nancy, John, Mary, Virginia, and Rollena (Rowena). Nancy Hannah, the 7th child was born July of 1810. She married Dr. James Callicott from North Carolina. Less than two years later, she died (on March 1, 1837) and left a baby girl born Marthan A. Callicott to the care of her mother and father Charles and Betsy. Mary Mason, the 8th child was born on March 15, 1813, and married Alfred A. Westmoreland. They had 2 children: Josephine and Thomas.

Charles Littleton’s oldest son, by his first wife, Sarah Earl, John Marcus “Jack” Littleton never married. He remained at home and helped to raise the large family. He was a common size, with a light complexion, always in good humor, would meet us with a smile, good word, had a good supply of Goobers, Chestnuts, Walnuts, Genlybark for us children. He always put up large quantities of apples for both the white and the black.

The immortal messenger came from heaven August 17, 1848 and took Jack’s pure spirit from earth to Heaven. His coffin was walnut plank, was clothed in white linen with a winding sheet and a soft pillow under his head to rest in the Littleton graveyard, til Christ shall call him up. A nice white marble slab marks the grave of John Marcus Littleton. Charles Littleton was a low man [does this mean short?], had a light complexion, very ball headed [does she mean bald or bull-headed?], his hair was white, his teeth were sound, small, and worn off. He was very kind, loved his neighbor as himself, always in good humor, read his bible every day. He was Baptist by faith and was very industrious, always busy doing something. When he was young, he was a blacksmith and a house carpenter. He could make anything of wood or iron. He made many conveniences for Fanny and Molly, the cooks, such as pothooks, and pot rack spoons, cake turners, long-handled forks. He made bread trays, water pails, indeed he made much of their furniture of walnut and cherry wood and c. He loved his grandchildren, would talk to them for hours, about his life, the British, the Tories, and the Indians, of his mother and father, sisters and brothers. He loved music. Often, he would sing to us, and was proud of his little Negroes. He would call them around him and sing and beg for them to dance. He taught his Negroes to have family prayer together among them. He owned 3 Negroes that were born in Africa. Silva, unid, was the Chief’s daughter, and had 3 black marks on each cheek. Pomp was her cousin. Jim was a friend. Her grandmother had sent them to gather sticks to bake bread and the pale got them. They had on two clips for their head and arms to go through.

David Henderson bought a lot of little Africans off a pirate ship at Charleston, S.C. and divided them with his children. He gave Betsy the three mentioned. They were good, trusty, Negroes and worshipped the new moon.

Mary, Silva daughter nursed little Marthan Callicott in her grandmother’s room day and night. Here is a few words or two from some of the songs Charles liked to sing:

One, two, come buckle my shoe
Three, four, open the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight
When the wind doth blow
The cradle will rock
When the bow do brake
Down come baby and all

Charles, and his beloved, Betsy used to sing religious songs such as “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks”, then some love songs of their youth.

Charles Littleton seemed to know his end was near, yet he was hearty to eat, had no disease, was worn out, made his will bountiful, provided for his beloved Betsy, she was all the world to him, he set at her [right] hand at the table and Jack at the foot of the table, facing mother. He asked Reuben to make a coffin for him of Walnut with a raised lid. On March 29, 1848, Charles closed his eyes and was dead. He lived 105 years, was clothed in white linen, white stockings on his feet, with white linen winding sheet, was laid to rest in his place at the Littleton graveyard. The white, Italian-marble that marked his grave read this way:

In Memory of
Charles Littleton
A Revolutionary Soldier

This is 15 miles north west of Florence, AL on the Tennessee line. In this graveyard on the South was for his Negroes. They were laid away Christian-like. Elizabeth was not left alone. Eliza Cotton from Rollie [Raleigh], N.C. by chance came to Alabama and lived in the Littleton family for 30 years. She had control of the housekeeping, was kind and thoughtful of our every want, the whole family loved her. She was a great weaver of counterpanes, coverlets, etc.

Elizabeth was light-complected, beautiful, with soft, white hair, cut short like a boy’s. (It was very long and heavy and became troublesome therefore she had to cut it.) She read her bible every day or some good book (without glasses). She was tall, tolerably large, very intelligent, taught we grandchildren virtues, charity, honesty, and truthfulness, all of the high graces of her life, she was a Methodist. There were about 80 children in all- she had 15 grandsons that fought in the Civil War with the same spirit of their grandfather in the old war. She was very industrious, ingenuous, tasty in dress, wore beautiful white caps with white, ribbon strings.

There was a sore under her right eye, beside her nose caused by a bee sting. In the morning on June 14, 1857, a royal visitor came and took her sweet spirit home to Heaven. She had no disease, was hearty and happy. She was dressed in fine wool made white cap on her head, slippers o her feet, her coffin was walnut. She was laid to rest beside her husband, among their children.

Eliza Cotton was now the only white person left on the place. The heir of all, offered her a life, time home, they gave her the choice of the best bed and clothing and the best horse of the lot. She visited all of the children but lived and died at the Mary Westmoreland house. She was a hard-shell Baptist, loved her church and her God with all of her heart. She died May 29, 1865 and is buried there in Littleton Cemetery with the family.

Among so many, not one very rich, not one a pauper They were honest, honorable people, most all owned their homes. They were farmers, doctors, and merchants. In politics, they were all Democrats except Charles, the son of Reuben Littleton, who was Republican. In religion, they were Methodist, Baptist, a single Presbyterian- except two: Nancy, daughter of Burrell Chick Littleton, went to the Catholic Church, and Frances, daughter of Reuben Littleton, went to the Mormon Church in Utah.

I will now tell you about our dear cousin, Marthan A. Callicott. I have told you of her grandparents, Charles and Betsy Littleton, who raised her to 12 years old.

Dr. Callicott had such a large practice in Alabama, his health was giving away. He went to Tipper (Tippah) Co. Mississippi, bought a farm, but gave his attention to his practice, then carried Matt to Hipley and put her in school. Sometime afterwards, Dr. Callicott married Mary Jane Embrey, a pretty, sweet girl, but very frail. He soon saw that disease had its fangs securely fastened in her lungs, and she dies and thus, he brought Matt (Marthan) back to Florence, AL to school. When she finished school, she married her stepmother’s brother, Willis K. Embrey, on February 16, 1854. They had a big wedding, and a fine supper, had 8 waiters, the bride was handsomely dressed in white, brocaded silk with a veil, and a wreath of orange blossoms. Mr. Embrey was tall and handsome in a suit of black with white satin vest. Matt was so little and low, she could stand under his arm. He was a soldier of the South, lived a life of usefulness, in old age, died and left Matt and her son in Florence, AL. Then she and John, with his orphan children, came to Union City, Tennessee, to spend her last days with her daughter, Nannie Beck and her children. There, Matt died on June 19, 1911, with heart failure. Her little body was carried back to Florence, AL and laid beside her husband.

I am advised by my old cousin Matt Embrey, who helped me to think back to our child days, to tell you more about our grandparents.

In early days, the people used Pewter plates, dishes, pans, cups, indeed all of their tableware was pewter and silver. Pewter is a soft metal that had to be rubbed much to keep it bright. Then, they began to get china from across the sea. It was beautifully decorated in flowers and figures. Al their spoons were made of silver money and had his name (Embrey) on the handle. There was no stoneware. They raised gourds, long-handled ones for dippers and many things. The large, flat gourds were sawed off at the top and used for many things such as to put lard away in, some of them would hold 50lbs or more. They put away sugar in them, some of it was caked, some grained, it was made from the cap of a sugar tree that grew all over the bottomland. They used them like we use stone jars. They lived bountiful more than people now in 1914.

When Charles Littleton lived in Virginia, he was a friend of General George Washington. They were riding along and met a Negro man. The Negro man raised his hat and said “Good Morning”. Mr. Washington also raised his hat and said, “Good Morning”. Charles, in surprise, asked Mr. Washington, “You tip your hat to a Negro?” to which Mr. Washington replied, “I don’t want the Negro to be more polite than I.”

After Charles moved to Carolina, Wade Hampton, (a brother of Dick Hampton’s), invited Charles to go with him to Charleston, S.C. to a big horse race. Hampton owned a good many fine racehorses, well trained. His fastest horse was named, “Sleepy Davy”, trained to appear asleep and nod, when standing still, he shaved his sides and shoulder, like harness have them, cropped off his fore top and main like a calf had chewed it off. When the trim tapped for the race, a little raged Negro rode in line on this plug horse. The boss ordered him to get back out of the way, the boy stood still, again he was ordered out, then he said, I come to ride this race, others said, “Let him alone. He was not in our way.” Just before the drum tapped to start, he patted the horses’ neck and said, “Wake up Sleepy Davy, Ten thousand dollars is on the table”. A rough, tall, raged man patted the horse and said, “You come out first Sleepy Davy”. “Bang! Bang!” went the drum over the track. The horses flew with Sleepy Davy along ways ahead. The old man through off his rags, picked up the money, and behold it was Wade Hampton. The other men were mad. One day, Wade and Charles was riding along and met a Negro man. Hampton said, “Who do you belong to, boy?” “Wade Hampton, Sir, a grand rascal, Sir.” Wade Hampton threw the boy a silver dollar. Charles laughed. He said, “Well that Negro knows right from wrong. He did not know his own Negroes had so many.”

I hope you two, and your children will accept this book. It is a true history of our family, taught to us when we were young by Charles and Betsy Littleton.

I’ve forgotten to tell you Mark Littleton moved to Alabama too, so did Tom Wadlington, Aunt Sina (Silva?) died then Uncle Mark died. They had 2 or 3 children, Cousin Caroline was the oldest one. She used to write to Uncle Sam and her letters were given to me after his death. I kept them a long time. I have seen one of her grandsons. I’ve been to his house in Covington, Tennessee.

G.W. Jones (?) had one sister, Mollie, in Memphis. Uncle Tom Wadlington moved on to Galveston, Texas, got into debt, lost all of his property, and he and Aunt Pollie died there.

I hope you will write me and tell m if you like it. You know I am alone now. I visit around, my health is very good. With much love to you all, I am Cousin Jov? Or Jou? I see I have left out a heap of words but hope you and your families will enjoy reading and knowing the truth about our people. Better folks never lived.

Source: Written by Jou A. Casey and Matt A. (Marthan Cox) Embry in 1912 and retrieved from the surname files at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library