1924 letter from Samuel T. Carrico to his grandchildren
contributed by John Sissom
Alva, OK, January 2, 1924
To My Grandchildren, The Lisk and Sherman Kids,
Your Mother requests me to tell of my recollections of my grandparents. First, I will tell of my Grandfather John Conley Carrico, who was born in Virginia in 1778, and died in North Rock Woods, 7 miles N.W. of Carrollton, Illinois, in 1862, aged 84 years.
He came to Greene County, Illinois, in 1827 and entered several thousand acres of land, in the timber near a never failing spring of water which was still flowing several years ago. He and Grandma lived in the house adjoining the log cabin I was born in on the 17th day of November 1840. My earliest recollection of them were his stories of his hunting expeditions in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where he killed bears, turkeys, panthers and smaller game. He had two bird dogs. One would take up brother bear's trail, and the other one would nip after Bear until he would take a tree, then Grandpa got in his work. As I was the only grandson near, I was his chum from early childhood till I was in my 17th year when I left home for school.
I was possibly six years of age when we took our last hunt together. He failed to kill a squirrel after several shots and said to me, "I shall never hunt again", and never did. I was taught to fish by him. He was the most successful fisherman I ever saw for the big ones. I could beat him for small ones. I soon grew up large enough to hunt and kept us all in turkeys, ducks, pheasants and squirrels. There were hundreds of deer, but I knew little about hunting them, never got none. He was a model, law abiding man, and a religious one. No night passed he did not have family prayer, just him, and Grandma. He, as far as I know, never took a drink of whiskey, swore an oath, had trouble with his neighbors or strangers. He never spoke a cross word to me, and he and grandma never quarreled. He was a powerful man in his young days, a hard worker, an honest man, and one of the most even tempered men I ever knew.
My Grandmother, Elizabeth Carrico, (maiden name Halbert) was born in Maryland in 1776, two years older than Grandpa. She died in 1862 aged 86. She was active up to her last sickness, her death occurred three months prior to Grandpas. She was one of the model women of her age and when a young woman must have been a beautiful one, even features, the finest blue eyes I ever saw, and a temper as good as angels. She was my model for a wife and her like is few and far between. Her squirrel pot pies and hot biscuits are a pleasant memory as but yesterday. Your Mama inherits some of her good traits. I trust all my grand children will so live that their grandsons can say so much for them as I do for my grandparents who died so many years ago.
Your Grandpa, Samuel T. Carrico, in his 84th year.
also from John:
Samuel Truitt Carrico, the child of Silas Carrico and Catherine Decker, was born November 17, 1840, near Carrollton, Greene County, Illinois, and married Cornelia Caroline Bates, March 5, 1866, at Whitehall, Greene County, Illinois. Cornelia Caroline Bates Carrico was born June 30, 1845, at Whitehall, Greene County, Illinois, died July 7, 1912. Samuel Truitt Carrico died December 16, 1935. According to the Alva Daily Record, Alva, (Wood County,) Oklahoma, for December 18, 1935, Samuel Truitt Carrico had the following children: Mrs. Lisk, Mrs. Wilkerson, Mrs. Sherman.
***
offsite link to bio of Samuel Truitt Carrico
To My Grandchildren, The Lisk and Sherman Kids,
Your Mother requests me to tell of my recollections of my grandparents. First, I will tell of my Grandfather John Conley Carrico, who was born in Virginia in 1778, and died in North Rock Woods, 7 miles N.W. of Carrollton, Illinois, in 1862, aged 84 years.
He came to Greene County, Illinois, in 1827 and entered several thousand acres of land, in the timber near a never failing spring of water which was still flowing several years ago. He and Grandma lived in the house adjoining the log cabin I was born in on the 17th day of November 1840. My earliest recollection of them were his stories of his hunting expeditions in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where he killed bears, turkeys, panthers and smaller game. He had two bird dogs. One would take up brother bear's trail, and the other one would nip after Bear until he would take a tree, then Grandpa got in his work. As I was the only grandson near, I was his chum from early childhood till I was in my 17th year when I left home for school.
I was possibly six years of age when we took our last hunt together. He failed to kill a squirrel after several shots and said to me, "I shall never hunt again", and never did. I was taught to fish by him. He was the most successful fisherman I ever saw for the big ones. I could beat him for small ones. I soon grew up large enough to hunt and kept us all in turkeys, ducks, pheasants and squirrels. There were hundreds of deer, but I knew little about hunting them, never got none. He was a model, law abiding man, and a religious one. No night passed he did not have family prayer, just him, and Grandma. He, as far as I know, never took a drink of whiskey, swore an oath, had trouble with his neighbors or strangers. He never spoke a cross word to me, and he and grandma never quarreled. He was a powerful man in his young days, a hard worker, an honest man, and one of the most even tempered men I ever knew.
My Grandmother, Elizabeth Carrico, (maiden name Halbert) was born in Maryland in 1776, two years older than Grandpa. She died in 1862 aged 86. She was active up to her last sickness, her death occurred three months prior to Grandpas. She was one of the model women of her age and when a young woman must have been a beautiful one, even features, the finest blue eyes I ever saw, and a temper as good as angels. She was my model for a wife and her like is few and far between. Her squirrel pot pies and hot biscuits are a pleasant memory as but yesterday. Your Mama inherits some of her good traits. I trust all my grand children will so live that their grandsons can say so much for them as I do for my grandparents who died so many years ago.
Your Grandpa, Samuel T. Carrico, in his 84th year.
also from John:
Samuel Truitt Carrico, the child of Silas Carrico and Catherine Decker, was born November 17, 1840, near Carrollton, Greene County, Illinois, and married Cornelia Caroline Bates, March 5, 1866, at Whitehall, Greene County, Illinois. Cornelia Caroline Bates Carrico was born June 30, 1845, at Whitehall, Greene County, Illinois, died July 7, 1912. Samuel Truitt Carrico died December 16, 1935. According to the Alva Daily Record, Alva, (Wood County,) Oklahoma, for December 18, 1935, Samuel Truitt Carrico had the following children: Mrs. Lisk, Mrs. Wilkerson, Mrs. Sherman.
***
offsite link to bio of Samuel Truitt Carrico
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