Annyone interested in US history in general, and PA's Tioga County in
particular will find it worthwhile to look at his memoirs on
www.joycetice.com/families/jennings.htm and on a subsequent linked web page.
You may find them somewhat wordy in spots, but I think thee are enough
gems to make it worthwhile to persevere They focus on Whitneyville, in
Tioga Co, but touch on PA's Lycominmg, Potter, Bradford counties and
several in NYS, including Steuben and Chemung Counties.
In particular, I think most everyone will find the Civil War letters
very interesting (and touching) and be intrigued by the glimpses into
rural ans small town life in the 1890s and pre WW1 part of the 20th century.
The memoir was written in 1960. The author was born 8/22/1882, and I
suspect, but am not positive, that he is the Robert Jennings that died
in Elmira, NY,, in May of 1978.
I was particularly interested in the references to the Confederates'
Libby and Belle Isle prisons because one of my ggf's, Michel Boule' (who
the Union Army designated as Mitchell Bulley) was held in both of those
prisons. Unlike some of the unfortunates Mr. Jennings mentions, he
survived (or I wouldn't be writing this), but after release lost a leg
because of wounds that didn't heal properly.
Another part of the story I related to was his description of pulling
stumps and making stumps. I have some experience with pulling much
smaller stumps, e.g. trees 6 to 12 inches in diameter with modern
equipment, so I can only imaging how difficult it was like with horses
and trees 3 to 4 feet in diameter. Some he mentions having root systems
20 feet in diameter. These stumps, which he describes as the remains of
the finest white pines in America are probably very similar to the ones
Ann CLINCH Campbell's memoirs describe as the settlers first girdling to
kill them, then burning them to clear the land. What they saw as
"weeds" would qualify for a national park now.
And the description of the stump fences brought back many memories of
the sheep farm near Nelson, PA on which my mother was raised and where I
spent many boyhood vacations and holidays. Most of the pastures,
including the Tioga Co. - Steuben Co. line, were deliniated with stump
fences. As Mr. Jennings relates, the stumps were interlaced so that a
sheep (or youn boy) could not get through, although small animals could
easily pass through. Those stumps were from hemlocks destroyed in the
search for bark to supply the nearby tanneries. They were only half to
a quarter of the size described by Mr. Jennings, but fascinating just
the same. And for me, as someone especially fond of hemlocks, very
poignant. But they had a stark beauty, similar to that invoked by a
Georgia O'Keefe painting.
The memoir makes passing mention of a 'John Campbell', but there's too
little info to tell if it's one of "our" John Campbells. Its a very
common name and I suspect belonged to a member of one of the several
other, unrelated Campbell families in the county.
It's also of interest to compare hes remarks about the length and
severity of winters with our experinces of the last couple of years.
But most of all, it's a glimpse I think you'll find fascinating into a
very different and bygone age.