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Transcription of 1831 Letter from Charles Ware in Kentucky to
His Niece Sally (Sarah E.T. Ware) – Sister of Josiah Ware
Transcribed by Judy C. Ware
___________________________________________________________
No envelope or address shown
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January 12, 1831
Sally My Dear;
(Sarah Elizabeth Taliaferro Ware Stribling)
I have concluded to give you
some account of your father’s
(James Ware III) history; not all
the particulars but the leading features.
Your grandfather and grandmother
(James
Ware II and
Catherine
“Caty” Todd Ware)
were both raised in Caroline County
(Virginia). They were neighbors and
married early in life, particularly your grandmother (before she was 14 years
old.) They remained in that county for some time and until your Uncle Thompson
was born
(1769) and perhaps your father
(1771.)
Of this, however, I am not certain.
They then removed to Frederick County, in what year I can’t say, but they
continued to live there until 1791.
My father (James II) (and your grandfather) then moved
his family to Kentucky in the spring of this year and arrived at his home on the
16th of June. He had, previous to this
time, sent out some Negroes and an overseer to make a settlement and clear some
ground on the same place that he lived and
(eventually) died on.
Previous to these events, and
before my recollection of particulars, in the fall of the year 1784 my father
(James
II) visited Kentucky
and remained there the winter. This
was at a time when people lived in Stations
(forts). He then, in the year 1789,
revisited this country and brought with him your Uncle Thompson and your father
(James
III) and left them
here. Your father then engaged with
a Mr. Johnston, the clerk of Jefferson County, and wrote in his office until he
became fully acquainted with the business.
He then returned to Virginia in the spring of the year
(1791) that my father moved here, and
he accompanied us some days and then
returned
(to Virginia).
Through the friendship of General Daniel Morgan, he obtained an
introduction to General S. Smith of Baltimore, whence he commenced merchandizing
in Louisville and continued this business until 1795, (in the fall of this year
he married your mother) in which he made the beginning of his fortune. I did not go to live with him until
the fall of 1793. We then continued
together almost until I married in 1803 and sometime after your amiable and
affectionate Mother had quit this world for a more blessed aboard.
Your grandmother
(Caty Todd Ware) had 7 children; your father
being the second and I the fifth. I
believe they all live at this day except your father. There is a great many circumstances
during this interval I could relate that would be worthy of your attention. I have, in getting tired of writing,
cut short of many particulars that you would be glad to know of. I would rather communicate them face
to face. If that’s not done soon, I
fear it can’t be done in this world for I find I decline more than my years
speak of. Your aunt
(Frances Whiting Ware) is, at this time, in
bed seriously diseased with severe fever and cold, and I have myself just
resigned to the bed. I have written
this in some haste, so please correct the mistakes and believe me with the
sincerest friendship
Affectionately yours,
C
(Charles)
Ware
My dear: If there is any particulars of your
father that you wish to be informed of that is within my recollection, please
advise me and it shall be attended to.
C ware
This is miserable paper – I did
not intend sending it, but thought to copy it.
I must ask you to excuse it.
I shall expect to hear from you soon.
C.
(Charles)
** This letter was
written by Charles Ware – son of James Ware II and brother of James Ware III -
the only sibling who returned to Virginia to live. Charles was part of the large family
move to Kentucky that included his father & mother (James & Caty Ware) and the
following siblings who made up the “7 children” he wrote about:
1. Thompson Ware who
married Sallie Conn
2. James (whom he was
writing)
3. Mary “Polly” Todd Ware who married
Charles Webb
4. Lucy Catherine Ware
who married Isaac Webb
5. Charles (author)
6. Catherine Ware who
married John Mitchell Scott
7. George Ware who
married Nancy Ferguson.
** Sally was Sarah
Elizabeth Taliaferro Ware Stribling – the sister of Josiah Ware, daughter of
Elizabeth and James Ware III, and granddaughter of Caty Todd and James Ware II.
**The “Daniel Morgan”
mentioned in the letter was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States
Representative from Virginia.
He is most remembered
for his outstanding service in the Revolutionary War that awarded him a gold
medal in 1782. His incredible and
heroic military maneuver at Cowpens is “widely considered to be the tactical
masterpiece of the war and one of the most successfully executed double
envelopments of all of modern military history.”
Wikipedia
“We then continued together
almost until I married in 1803 and sometime after your amiable and affectionate
Mother had quit this world . . .”
Charles
married Frances Whiting on November 29, 1803.
They never had any children.
James and Elizabeth were married on November 10, 1796, but Elizabeth passed away
on August 29, 1803 at the age of 29.
James remarried in 1808 to Harriet Taylor.
I believe they all live at this
day except your father.
When this letter was
written in 1831, Thompson was 62 years old.
He would live another 21 years and die at the age of 83.
Mary “Polly” was 59
years old.
Lucy was 58 years old
and would only live another 2 years before she would die of cholera at the age
of 60.
Charles, himself, was
56 when he wrote. He would live
another 8 years before dying in Versailles, Kentucky at age 64 in July 1839.
Catherine (or Kitty)
was 54 years old.
George was 52 years
old and would live another 18 years to die at the age of 70.
Brother James was the
first to pass away on September 13, 1821 on a Thursday night. He was only 50 years old at the time.
References:
The Ware Family Bible – This is kept in my home and has dates and names
recorded in it that date all the way back to the 1700’s.
VIRGINIA GENEALOGIES: A genealogy of the
Glassell Family of Scotland and
Virginia by Rev. Horace Edwin Hayden, M. A.
1825 Letter
from Thompson Ware to his niece, Sarah (Sally)
E.T. Ware Stribling. Thompson was
the brother of her father (James III) and also the uncle to Josiah. Researched and transcribed by Judy C.
Ware April 2009
The Proceedings of the Clarke
County Historical Association Volume XXIII 1983-1984 copyright 1985 by
the Clarke County Historical Association – printed by Commercial Press, Stephens
City, Virginia 22655
Letter from Isaac Webb to RB Hayes (his cousin) on November 29,
1883
Letter written by James P. Riely
of the County Court in regards to a request President Hayes made for information
on his family.
Last Will and Testament of
Catharine Ware Scott: Courtesy of Maunsel White
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