Letter to Hugh H. Hanna, Indianapolis, Indiana from R. W. Sample, Lafayette,
Indiana, July 14, 1916
Dear Cousin Hugh:
I have your letter of the 8th inst. and note the inquiries you make, and
in reply, am sorry to be unable to furnish you with the desired
information. I have consulted SALLY SAMPLE, who is the historian of our
family, and she says that she will write you tomorrow.
I remember about fifteen years ago, when I was up to Randolph (I had not
been there before that for about fifty years), that HARRY MCINTIRE pointed
out to me as were riding along the road, "There is the farm where your Uncle
Hanna lived."
Now, if JOHN SUMWALT was alive, he could give you the information
although he left there when about twenty years of age. However, he is gone
now; died about two years ago.
My AUNT ELIZA DAVIS, Father's youngest sister, who lives at Mt. Pleasant,
Iowa, although she is ninety-five years old, I think could give some
information. I saw her two years ago and her mind was alright then, and
will have a letter from her in a few days, at which time I will report.
SALLY SAMPLE can give you more information about the KLEINFELTERS and
GODFREY SUMWALT, than I could. I have not a good memory for those old
transactions.
I enclose you memorandum of deeds recorded, that my Son DICK looked up.
With kindest regards to you, and your family, I beg to remain,
Yours sincerely,
R. W. Sample
(Robert W. Sample was President of the First National Bank in Lafayette,
Indiana)
Letter to Hugh Hanna, Indianapolis, Indiana, from Sally (Sumwalt) Sample,
Lafayette, Indiana, July 16, 1916
My dear Hugh:
UNCLE ROBERT has asked me to help him in his reply to your letter of
July 8th.
Twelve or fourteen years ago, I started to get some data, if it were
possible about the SUMWALT family, and was not very successful, although I
may have wearied too soon in well doing. I received three letters from MR.
W. H. SUMWALT, all about the same as the enclosed. ~ UNCLE ROBERT went once
to see him and on his return said he had letters from our father to our
great grandfather, but UNCLE R - was not sufficiently interested to try to
bring them home and he wouldn't send them to me. He asked me a hundred and
seventy-five dollars for the watch. So disgusted, I did not write again.
Now I had the enclosed letter from EVERTT MASS?
MR. J.A. SUMWALT is a Methodist minister and lives now in Logansport.
He may be able to tell you something. My correspondence with MR. M_?_ only
lasted a short time. He wrote me and where he got my name I don't know -
that he was after that land given on the 99 year lease and would like to
know where GODFREY SUMWALT was buried and where he died. He also told me
that he had a land grant that belonged to him. The enclosed is the last
word I had from him. Which I did not answer. His letter heads in other
letters said he was an undertaker in this small town.
About the KLEINFELTERS I never could find anything. The enclosed will
explain its self. I wrote to MR. HOFFMAN but had no reply and then for
some reason I did no more. I certainly hope you may be more successful
along both lines than I have.
I hope your and Cousin ANNA are well. And when I am in Indianapolis again I
shall hope to see you. Remember me to the Misses MOORE and with love always
to the dear HANNA's.
Mrs. SALLIE SAMPLE
Hester Hunt Ford is visiting Aunt Belle's and looking so very well.
Letter to Hugh H. Hanna, Indianapolis, Indiana from Sallie (Sumwalt) Sample,
Lafayette, Indiana, Aug. 28, 1916
My dear Hugh:
I have diligently questioned AUNT BELLE, AUNT SALLY McBRIDE and UNCLE
ROBERT and this is about all that they know -
GODFREY SUMWALT and his wife had six children- MARGARET - JACOB - JOHN -
MARY - SARAH and HESTER. MARGARET, or PEGGY as she was called, was married
just six weeks after Grandmother was born - in 1802 - to a MR. HENDRIX and
always lived in or near Baltimore. Just after the war, G-Father & G-Mother
with AUNT SALLIE and BELLE, went to see her and they say she was very small
and a pretty old lady. She was then living with a son in the country. Her
grandson - but I will enclose a letter I received once from him - he died
about five years ago.
In 1818 GODFREY SUMWALT came west; settled for a short while in Dayton,
O and had then moved to Winchester, Inda. JACOB, the oldest son had a farm
a short way from Indianapolis and at one time kept a tavern at Cumberland on
the National Road ten miles east of Indianapolis. UNCLE ROBERT said he and
UNCLE HENRY TAYLOR slept there once when he was a boy & on the way to
Hamilton, O. As he remembers, there was no town there - but a pole with a
swinging sign in front of the house. He was the father of the W.H. SUMWALT
who lives at Jacksonburg and whose letters I sent you. And he was the son
who was supposed to have the Phila 99 year leases in his possession. JOHN
SUMWALT, the other brother, was born in October 1786 and the JOHN S. you
speak of was his son. A number of his descendants live in Farmland, and the
Methodist minister is his grandson. I enclose a letter from him that AUNT
SALLIE McBRIDE gave me that I prize. He must have been 80 when he wrote it.
Grandfather brought his little family here to live in April 1830, a days
trip by flat-boat from Randolph Co., and it was while visiting there that
your mother met your father and they were married there. I couldn't find
out where AUNT POLLY met her husband, but they lived at one time on Pine
Creek and our great-grandfather is buried in that little cemetery. They
could not tell me where his wife died and even seemed to think she might
have died before they left Baltimore.
COUSIN POLLY STEELE they all remembered, but did not know to whom she
belonged, except she was a niece of Grandmother's and looked just like her.
I forgot to tell you, although you may know, that your father and
mother _?_ housekeeping in a small brick house where Purdue Block now is. I
shall try to stir the family members again and perhaps I may _?_ more
information.
I was deeply grieved to hear of Will's misfortune but thankful that his
life was spared. MR. Gns? CARNAHAN's father died of that trouble although
they never amputated for the line of demarkation never formed.
My love to your family. I think of you always with affection.
SALLIE S. SAMPLE
Copies of these letters can be found in the SUMWALT family file in the
Genealogy Department of the Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Transcribed and submitted by Adina Watkins Dyer, 5th gr. Granddaughter of
Godfrey Zumwalt and Anna Kleinfelder.