Listers,
Several years ago I was given a copy of a letter written by Samuel Truitt Carrico in
1924. I found it to be interesting in that it dealt with my great great grandparents. Be
advised that I have discovered that Sam was in error in a couple of areas. One is the
date of birth of John Conley Carrico; perhaps even the place of birth. (the census records
say he was born in Maryland.) Another is the place of birth of Elizabeth Halbert
Carrico. He says Maryland, but the census says Virginia. I think he got the two mixed
up. I present it here for whatever use it may be:
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.
(This document transcribed from a Xerox copy of a written letter.)
JDS