March 29, 1973
Dear Mr. Sinclair:
As you can see from the enclosed genealogical chart, I am interested in tracing the far-flung descendants of John William SINCLAIR, of whom my mother is one. I am doing this as a hobby, and I hope you will help me in tracing the descendants of Col. William H. SINCLAIR who, I think, must be your father, or possibly your grandfather. If you will refer to the chart as I go along, you will understand easily how I tracked you down in Galveston, and also some of the family relationships.
This is an extremely simplified chart of John William SINCLAIR's descendants. Altogether I have traced well over 300 of them. About two years ago Mildred GEORGE gave me the address of Stuart HAMMOND (extreme left side of chart) and I was able to fill out that branch of the family--some fifty Whittens. He told me his mother, Genevieve, who was a MONROE, had some years ago put together a genealogy of the MONROEs and WHITTENs. In doing so, she had corresponded with some Sinclairs. When I met Stuart about two years ago, he turned over to me a number of photographs some of these SINCLAIRs had sent to his mother. Among them are snapshots of W.S. (walking along a street in a business suit), another of W.S. in army or riding clothes with a dog (note on the back "Eugene, Oregon, 1926"), a couple of Mrs. W.S. in front of a large house with two children (note on the back "Mary, W.S. Jr., Loraine, 1918").
Also there are three studio portraits taken in Galveston with names written on the backs:
1. Mrs. W.H. SINCLAIR;
2. Col. William SINCLAIR and three sons; (Harry 22 years old, Stan 14 years old, and Louis 17 years old. (Not sure of last, hard to read.);
3. Harry SINCLAIR.
There is a picture--looks like a clipping from a paper--with a note telling of Henry B. SINCLAIR's retirement as chief clerk in U. S. Engineer office, Galveston.
So that is how I have come to write to you. I took your name and address from the Galveston phone book. Listed also I found J.G., O.L., and M.J., but yours looked the most direct although I suppose you are all related.
Mildred GEORGE also gave me the name and address of a granddaughter of Silas SINCLAIR. After corresponding with eight or ten in that family, I came up with the whole line of 130 or more descendants of Silas. I met Virginia SINCLAIR STADLE last summer in Jonesville, Michigan. That's where John William and at least four of his children settled for a time, branching out from there all over the country.
The John SINCLAIR, Jr. line (excluding his son Silas's descendants) number upwards of 130. But I know nothing of his son John W.'s line. He went to California, I believe.
The sisters of John, Jr. I know nothing of either, except the Campbells. I have a small book on that family down to about 1900.
So you see, I need a lot of help from a lot of people. I hope you will be able to furnish data on the Colonel's family. (I assume he was an only child)
To help you detail the information, I have furnished the beginning of your line showing what little I know. If you could complete a chart showing the descendants, it would help me understand the relationships. You may have to take a page for each one of the Colonel's sons, or maybe two pages each depending on the size of the families. Then you could list the dates etc. on separate sheets.
What I would like to have is: place and date of birth; place and date of death; place and date of marriage (if available); and dates and places of births and deaths of spouses. If there were no children of a particular marriage, you should say "No Issue" so I will not wonder whether there were any or not.
If the family is particularly large and you do not know the information I would like, I would appreciate your sending me names and addresses of the people involved so that I can write to them myself. This will also save you doing a lot of research.
This is all voluntary, of course. I hope you will feel able to help me with gathering this information. And if you want copies of any lines I have, or yours when I finish it, I will be happy to send them to you. I charge only what it costs to duplicate, ten cents a sheet. My line and Silas's line run about 20 or 25 sheets.
As I said when I started, this is my hobby--I do it for fun.
Sincerely yours,
F. Sinclair Oswald
(simplified chart of J. W. SINCLAIR's descendants)
Toledo, Ohio - May 30, 1975
Dear Mary Kate,
The enclosed chart didn't turn out as nicely as I expected, even though I went to the trouble of locating 28# ledger stock. Every once in a while the ink bled, and ledger isn't supposed to do that. Another example of the inferior quality we get these days. Don't know whether to blame it on men or materials, probably both.
The other sheets enclosed are the first four pages of the genealogical listings. This system allows more information to be included than a chart. William and Melissa Sinclair's line is one of the smaller ones, and I think I can revise this listing, as I must anyway, to include it. I have two other lines, Nos. 4 and 18, which together would more than double this listing. The Campbell line, No.6, which is just about finished, is also as big or bigger than this listing. This listing I am sending you now will probably run about 25-30 pages when revised. I have to pay 20 cents a sheet now to have it copied, 15 cents per sheet for six copies or more. I'm happy to get the information from scattered descendants, so I don't charge more than what it costs, plus postage.
I must explain a couple of things about the chart I am sending. I think it was about two years ago shortly after we first began to correspond, I wrote to Harry Sinclair in Tucson for further information on his daughter-in-law, Mardi Ann Parent--where and when she was born--but I never received a reply. As for Melissa Sinclair's maiden name, I put Van Hyning on the chart because that was the way it was spelled in the newspaper article on her ninetieth birthday. I had it from a great aunt of mine as Van Glyning, and the Bartholomew genealogy you sent me spelled it Van Wynen. For some time I have been going to write to Akron where she was born to find out if they have a record in their vital statistics. Sometime I will! It occurs to me I may have goofed with the two Henry Bond Sinclairs--are they legally Henry or Harry?
I was sorry to hear about your cousin's death. I remember you said you had an elderly cousin who did all your research for you. I was going to suggest a way of locating "the other" William Sinclair by finding his last address in the city directory and contacting either the post office for a forwarding address, or some of his neighbors to see if they knew anything of his whereabouts. Then I discovered that Houston is 50 miles away. As for the Margaret Sinclair you met on the plane, do you remember where you were going or, as the case may be, where you were coming from at the time? Possibly that city is where she lived. Well, whatever you come up with I'll appreciate. Please don't return that chart on John William and Florence (Arnett) Sinclair. I have more. If you ever have another chance meeting with a distant relative it may come in handy. I hope you will keep me informed on births, marriages, and deaths in the family down there, and if you ever come up this way, let me know and we will meet. Jonesville was the place when I met a great-grandson of Mary Sinclair Whitten and a granddaughter of Silas Wright Sinclair. They live in Colorado and Arizona respectively.
Sincerely,
P.S. I keep thinking you live in Galveston. If you can get to the Houston library and can find a last listing for William ? Sinclair, send me names and addresses of neighbors. I can write to them myself.
Friday, November 21, 1980
Dear Mary Kate,
Did I say a couple of weeks? It has been a couple of months. Since I didn't start out in a very methodical way to create the coat of arms, I had to do practically the whole thing over again when I found out I was doing it all wrong. That's what took so long. Then after I was done and got it back from the printers I realized I shuold have somehow incorporated Graham in the arms too. After all, it takes two to tango, as someone said.
I don't have much to report on my own activities, as all I've been doing the whole year is eating, sleeping, and drinking reunion. Haven't been anyplace, except to Fort Wayne, Indiana, in June for some genealogical research for two days, which I guess I told you about.
I located the whereabouts definitely of one of my grandfather's first cousins, which has bothered me for a long time. It hasn't done a whole lot of good so far because I can't go beyond about 1912. They went to Petaluma, Sonoma County, California, near San Francisco in the 1880s. The way things are going out there what with all the natural disasters, if I don't hurry and locate a living descendant, the whole sea coast will be destroyed and all records along with it.
Well, as I said not much doing with me except this paper work and a little fiddling with the house from time to time. Did you say your daughter has become interested in genealogy? Maybe some of you will come up here (or somewhere not far away--no place decided on yet) for next year's reunion. Hope so. Let me hear from you and what you think of the coat of arms, report, etc.
Best wishes,
Sinclair
November 18, 1983
Dear Mary Kate,
I hope you are finally straightened around after your terrible ordeal. I suppose the city is still showing signs of the storm but hopefully you are not.
My visit to my sister near Boston the end of August and more research along the way brought me closer to completion of some lines of the family. Also a couple of visits to Hillsdale and Jonesville, MI, brought some things to light. One thing was the discovery--perhaps too late--of another descendant of William and Melissa (VAN HYNING) SINCLAIR living in Houston. Did you ever know Jane POST CROSS? I found her listed as the owner of a cemetery lot in Hillsdale where a lot of WHITEs are buried. I have already found that William's daughter, Melissa (named after her mother, apparently), married James WHITE, and they had a daughter Minnie. Minnie married Walter OWEN and lived in Detroit. A third cousin of mine (from another line) named Margie was visiting me for a few days last week. She lived in Jonesville and Detroit (is now in Dallas) and went to Hillsdale College about 1930. While there she met a girl named Jane POST who said they were related and invited Marie to her mother's home in Pittsford nearby. Jane's mother was Minnie POST and is buried on the WHITE lot in Hillsdale, age 96, died 1968. Subtract 96 from 1968 and you get 1872, the year Minnie WHITE OWEN was born. I figure Minnie must have married someone named POST after OWEN died and had Jane. I said Jane CROSS is listed as the owner of the WHITE cemetery lot. The cemetery had an address for Jane....
Margie said she mentioned Jane POST to her friend in Jonesville whojm she was visiting for a few weeks (I picked her up at our airport and drove her up to Jonesville, then went and picked her up there, brought her back here, then to the airport again so that she could fly back to Dallas). The friend in Jonesville knew Jane POST and said that she had died. I wrote to Jane CROSS in Houston two weeks ago making inquiries and the lettre was returned yesterday marked "deceased." I wrote today to the friend in Jonesville asking if she had any other information on Jane POST. I assume she married a man named CROSS.
I am trying desperately to find some way to get in touch with relatives in Houston, if there are any (can't imagine there wouldn't be) and even wrote to the Postmaster at River Oaks branch post office, who handled my letter to Jane to see if he could tell me the whereabouts of family.
I don't know when she died and I don't know where she was buried. The only way I can see to find out when she died is from a newspaper obituary. I thought you might call the Houston Public Library and find out if they have an obituary file. Many libraries do that now. If so, it would be a simple matter to go to the library, look up the obituary, and copy it and send it to me. It probably would not be very long, but it might have names of next of kin, funeral home that handled the funeral, and possibly the cemetery.
Or if it is not possible for you to get to the library, just call them about the obit file and let me know if they have one. Maybe they would look in the file, find the date the obit appeared, then I could write to them for a copy of it. But I would need the date the obit appeared.
William SINCLAIR
1813-1883
m.
Melissa VAN HYNING
1817-1909
_______________________|_______________________
| |
Col. Wm. Henry Melissa
| 1847-1872
| m.
| James H. C. WHITE
| 1844 - ?
| ____________________|
| | |
Col. Wm. Stanley Nina Minnie (went by Gertrude)
| 1868 - ? 1872-1968
| 1.---------m.--------2.
| Walter I. OWEN ? POST
| 1873 - ?
| |
William S., Jr. <--------second cousins--------> Jane POST
| m.
| ? CROSS
If my foregoing description is too hard to follow, maybe this chart makes it a little clearer.
I might try writing to the Houston newspapers and find out if they have a simple way of looking up names of people whose obits appeared in their pages. I can't write to Houston death records because they have to have an approximate date to look up the record.
Let me hear how you have been doing since the clean-up. I would go on longer but I have several more letters I want to write. And anyway my activities have been pretty much the same as usual with a little morework than usual on the genealogy. Very boring, I imagine, because nobody ever knows who I'm talking about.
Love,
undated - probably for one of SINCLAIR reunions attended by my parents.
This is a sample of the plat maps of Fayette Twp. in Hillsdale County, Mich. I'm working on for the tour of the SINCLAIR homes--John and William SINCLAIR, Mary WHITTEN, and Jeannette WHITE.
The colored areas are the ones we're interested in. We won't be going into any of the homes, and I don't think we'd care to, they're in such bad shape. But the GROSVENOR home in Jonesville is the historical society and will be open on Saturday and Sunday. GROSVENOR was the ancestor of the later WHITEs. Besides this 1857 map which shows the farm of John (he left Jonesville area in 1863 and returned to live in Hillsdale in 1872), I have also the 1872 plat map. It shows William's 2nd home in Section 32. He built both homes. I've drawn in the second one on this map to show you where it was located.
(include map?)
September 6, 1984
Dear Mary Kate,
Enclosed is the material Memorial Oaks Cemetery sent me on Jane and Charles Cross. I thought you might like to see it since you've been so close to this search. A friend of mine took me up to Detroit a couple of weeks ago to see the Faberge exhibit and, noticing that the library was just across the street, she let me spend half an hour there to see it I could get a line on Jane's parents. It would have taken a half hour just to get some microfilm from the files, so I checked city directories. I knew that Jane's mother, Minnie, was married twice, and I found that Minnie and her first husband were listed at separate addresses for 15 years, from 1900. 1915 was all the farther I had time to check, and she was still listed as Minnie OWEN. If Jane was 68 when she died in 1975, that means she was born in 1908 or so. Very strange. I will have to go up and do a lot more research, especially in the 1910 census, marriages, and births.
I am sending a letter in this same mail to W. A. CROSS at the box number listed on Jane's cemetery record. If he is close to his brother's age, he would be 70 or more now. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that he is still living and not so silent as Gordon.
I heard from the cemetery before I went to the Reunion, but I was so busy I didn't have a chance to write. And busy when I got home, too. I went up to Jonesvil1e for two or three days since, and I'm going up tomorrow for the day.
Much library work there. I'm so glad I got to meet Margaret. She's such a charming girl. I liked Phil, too, and I'm sorry that we didn't get a chance to talk longer. The reunions are past before you know it. I was so busy during the afternoon that I didn't get a chance to change out of my traveling clothes for dinner. I suppose Margaret and Phil told you that they got the Soggy award for hav1ng traveled the farthest to the Reunion, and that I forgot to take the awards with me. I had a proper mailing job when I got home. They no doubt stopped in Houston on their way home and told you about the weekend. At the other reunions we had some sports activities in the afternoon, but this time everyone was just as contented to sit and talk the whole time. There was a lot of close fami1y there who hadn't seen each other in a long time. I should have spread myself a little thinner. I feel sorry for the cousins like the LANEYs, STEINBACH, and Rose O'BRIEN because they were the only representatives in each of their three lines, while everyone else there was from a fourth line. I just now realize that we had four lines represented this time instead of just two.
Want this to go today, now 4:30. Rush! Next Reunion July '86, Jonesville. '84 Report out in Feb. '85. Send me long letter on your year's doings, Buzz's TV appearance, etc. for inclusion in report--trips, events etc. etc.
Love,
CROSS
Mrs. Jane POST CROSS, 68, of Houston, a retired Joske's Post Oak Store employee died May 24, 1976. Mrs. CROSS had lived in Houston since 1940. Wast born in Detroit, Michigan. Memorial Services 12 Noon Friday, at the Sage Road Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, with Rev. John R. BENTLEY of Jr., officiating. Cremation. In lieu of usual remembrances, please give to your favorite charity. Source: Houston Chronicle or Houston Post
NAME CROSS, Charles A. BURIAL # 5670 BIRTH DATE 20 Nov 1910 FINAL DATE 8 Oct 1975 DATE OF SERVICE 11 Oct 1975 SECTION East Corridor #2 SPACE #193 LOT OWNER Mrs. Jane P. CROSS RELATION TO DECEASED Widow NAME CROSS, Jane POST BURIAL # 6007 BIRTH DATE 12 Nov 1907 FINAL DATE 24 May 1976 DATE OF SERVICE 28 May 1976 SECTION Mausoleum East Corridor #2 SPACE #188 LOT OWNER W. A. CROSS RELATION TO DESEASED Brother-in-law
September 26, 1986
Dear Mary Kate and Buzz,
Here are the pictures I promised. Finally got them out of the camera. The two houses on N. Adams Road, Fayette Twp., and the one where Melissa lived (and where William died in 1883) until 1909. Perhaps you will note the similarity between the above sketch and the one house on N. Adams Road. The house is in terrible condition--I think I told you that the owner has been meaning to burn it or tear it down for sometime--with two kinds of siding put on and the porch torn off. I drew the sketch above with the porch, which is typical of the Greek revival farm house of the mid to late 1800s, so that you can see what a nice house it probably was when it was built. I'll probably never find out which of the two houses William built. I didn't know whether you would be interested in having any of the other pictures except the one of you and Buzz, so I didn't include them. The only others I took were: Ken and Virginia BROOKS with their two children (Virginia is the daughter of the VAN LORDERS); Sylvia, Karl, and son Jon RUNDQUIST; David and Judy TIMMERMAN with daughter Linda and David's brother Terry and his son Alan (group of 5); and the group picture of everyone. The last one I will be sending out with my Christmas cards. If you would like any of the others, let me know.
About the pictures you sent me... (type remainder?)
Love,
June 13, 1989
Dear Mary Kate and Buzz,
I have finally solved the riddle of Col. William Henry SINCLAIR's (1838-1897) brother, John P. SINCLAIR. He was the one, you remember, who was noted in Aldis E. HIBNER's Chisholm-Sinclair Genealogy as living in Woodworth, Texas. The enclosed sheets of John's Civil War Pension records will show where he actually lived until he died in 1913. On page 8 his places of residence are listed: Enrolled in Co. C 1st Regiment Michigan Volunteers Light Artillery on Dec. 1, 1861 at Grand Rapids, Mich. (other places it says he enlisted in Jonesville on that date) and was discharged June 9, 1862 at Boonville, Mississippi. Then lived in Jonesville 1862-1871 and 1872-1881; Galveston, Texas 1882-1889; Jonesville 1890-1893; Mayfield, Mich. a little east of the center of Grand Traverse co. 1893-1896; Monroe Center, Mich., southeast of Interlochen 1896-1899; Rainey Lake, same county (there's a Rennie Lake southeast of Traverse City) 1899-1910 at the time he made this Declaration for Pension. At the top of the page it says he was a resident of Long Lake Twp. with an Interlochen Post Office address. Well, he died somewhere in Grand Traverse County because his death was reported by the sheriff there (see the Roberson-Spencer statements, page 12).
You will notice at the bottom of page 8 that one of the witnesses was Lewis VAN HYNING, who lived in Traverse City, undoubtedly a cousin as John's mother was Melissa VAN HYNING.
Another interesting point--in the middle of page 1 is a statement by the Company Commanding Officer: "Said Sgt. SINCLAIR was taken with diarrhea at New Madrid, Mo.--from exposure while on expedition down Mississippi River with Gen. Pope's army he was rendered much worse since which time he has gradually failed until reduced to a mere skeleton--the disease all the time growing worse upon him. And it is signed Lieut. Robert I.(?) SINCLAIR. This was the son of John's father William's brother John.
J.W.S.
_________________|_______________
| |
John William
_______|_________ _________|__________
| | | |
Arch Robert Col. Wm. John P.
| |
my line your line
I have a letter of Robert's in which he recounts years later (1918) to his nephews some of his experiences in the War (Civil). "You will have read of Pittsburg Landing, Island No. 10, New Madrid, etc. Now go with me again as we have disembarked and are making for the south-east and in the enemy country. We will take a walk of a few miles to the front." He then tells a little what it was like out there and finished: "I have lost my dates but this is months and more months since we left St. Louis and in the hot season of a hot country. A distant cousin and supposed friend but a jealous friend had written home a scurrilous letter as to the action of my company which I never made an effort to correct, as it would have been as useless as to expect a man to put out a mile of prairie fire, and as I had been sick for months with camp trouble I resigned my position and went home. It so happened later that I never met that snake and likely it is better, far better."
I have often wondered who Robert could have been writing about. Since he and John were first cousins, I don't think he would have called him a "distant" relative. Also he seems to have given an honest recommendation for John's discharge as the doctor did the same. Robert was discharged at Corinth, Miss. in June 1862, must have been shortly after writing the recommendation for John's discharge. I want to write next for Robert's military record, which should be interesting. He fought somewhere in Virginia before being sent to St. Louis and down the Mississippi.
But back to John--apparently he did live in Texas at some time. On page 2 and page 8, one of his addresses is given as Galveston. Possibly he lived with the Colonel, or nearby at the older brother's instigation. And on page 5 John says he was collecting revenue in 1884 near Hardin in Hardin county when he had an accident injuring his leg. Hardin is now in Liberty county, so perhaps Hardin county was split into two or more counties later on. So maybe Woodworth had a name change or disappeared after the split. One assumes he lived in the area. Then again, I suppose he could have been living in Galveston.
There is complete confusion as to dates also. If William RANSOM (page 13) is to be believed--he knew John from boyhood--John and Arabella lived in Jonesville for 18 years, from 1867 to 1885, when he deserted his wife and went to Grand Traverse county where he lived out his life. This does not take into account that he was in Texas in 1884. One page 2, John says he was in Jonesville until 1876. Then crowded in was Mayfield to 1879 (not very legible) and Galveston until 1884 Aug. (?) which works well as he might have left after his injury. Mayfield, however, is out of place with other references--on page 8 John says he was in Mayfield in the 1890's.
The dates on page 8, John's own declaration, can be read either before the city (beginning with Jonesville 1862-1871: then 1872 to 1881 Galveston, etc.) or after the city (I think so) which makes the dates for Galveston agree with page 2 and 5. But what is that extra set of dates, 1872-1881, mean? Jonesville again with a few months somewhere else in between?
Besides Robert O. SINCLAIR, another cousin (by marriage) of John's appears as witness on page 4--D. W. C. WISNER, who married Robert's sister, Elizabeth. You met a WISNER descendant in Jonesville at the Reunion, Barb ARTHURS. And I just had a letter from her. She sent me a lot of information on the WISNERs. I think they were as thick in Jonesville as the SINCLAIRs.
Well, enough of this. Quite a bit of speculation still. And you can read over the pension papers for yourself...
My great-grandfather Archibald's older brother, John W. SINCLAIR, settled in the San Francisco area in the '90s and had a chicken ranch for a time. His next to youngest son, Bruce, was the acrobat. His (Bruce's) children were born in Akron, Ohio and he and his wife were in Detroit during WWI (he worked for Ford), then they went back to vaudeville and circus performing until the late 30's. They retired to California where they both died. His three grandsons lived in the Los Angeles area, but I've never been able to get a response to my letters.
I wonder if you could do something for me sometime when time hangs heavy on your hands. Send me a diagram of the SINCLAIR cemetery plot in Galveston with all the names and dates that are marked on the stones. For those without stones, you could get the information from the office. Also the location of the cemetery, the name of it, and the section and lot numbers. That should keep you busy for an hour or two.
Much love,
(include papers on John SINCLAIR?)
Monday, January 8, 1996
Dear Mary Kate,
Thank you for Donald Sinclair's address. I have all the information necessary on him, but I am writing to him today for three reasons. He may have married again; I want to ask if he knows the date of his mother's death; and his brother Stephen may have married and he may have information on that. I'll keep you posted if I find out anything.
I gave a brief summary in my Christmas letter of what I found in my two searches--for John P. SINCLAIR, Col. William H.'s brother, and their sister Mary's husband and sons, the UPHAMs. The UPHAM search is pretty well summed up in that letter, but I thought you might like a little more detail on John P., so I'm enclosing a typed copy of the Traverse City newspaper article I found when I visited there last August. I didn't have time to look for any reports of his being missing the year before in 1913. I was sorry I didn't as it might have told more about his life up there. At the end of the article I have typed the statistical information I have on him so that now you know as much about him as I do. I got his various places of residence from the National Archives Pension Records, and that was when I didn't know anything at all about him...
Love,
July 16, 1996
Dear Mary Kate and Buzz,
I have been working for some months now to type up the genealogy (except for the biographies) so that I can give it to the Clan Sinclair Assoc. in Worchester, Mass. That's where the Clan genealogist is. It's all done now, including the index, which took forever, it seems, and I'm in the home stretch finishing up the charts like the ones enclosed.
I am sending you copies of your BETTS and STAFFORD lines so that you can check them for accuracy. I didn't know I had this so complete until I ran across all the material in the file. My files are in terrible shape. You must have shown me your original family papers when I visited you a few years ago, but it has been so long that some of the notes I made are obscure in meaning. The STAFFORDs and BETTS seem to be in pretty good shape. But the MARSHALL-BALL line has some gaps on the BALL side. Maybe you can help me out with the BALLs and check the MARSHALLs for accuracy.
That leaves the CROWs and LEEs--can you tell me anything at all about the LEEs? I would really like to hook up with my line of SINCLAIRs. One branch of my family can trace their ancestors back to the LEEs--and to you, if you can provide some connecting links. Take a look at the SINCLAIR chart enclosed. Roger CAMPBELL has a lot of LEE material and might be able to figure out where you come in.
And do you know anything about your grandfather Asa Lafayette CROW? Who was his father, and grandfather?
I am including these charts in the genealogy and many others like them because it is a quick and easy way to see how we are all related. In the case of allied SINCLAIR families, such as the BETTS, STAFFORDs, OSWALDs, etc., it is the only way to show their lineage...
Best wishes to you both,
Sinclair
(include BETTS, CROW, STAFFORD, LEE, BALL, MARSHALL lines?)
January 13, 1998
Dear Adrian and Ray,
I am finally getting down to answering your note of last December. I appreciate your asking about giving my name and address to the SINCLAIR Guest Book. I think it's a great idea. I don't know whether you want to enter any of the Sinclair data, but if you do, I have typed up the enclosed couple of sheets which give basic information on J.W.S. and his eleven children. When I was visiting cousin Roger L. CAMPBELL last May in Tex., he put the information on John and Mary on the network (is that the right term?) with just a list of their children and dates of birth only. You can use the enclosed information in any way you see fit.
Roger and his wife Elsie had season tickets for the Houston Opera's 1996-97 season, so they commute occasionally. I don't know whether they have tickets for the current season. He is trying to get information on his paternal ancestor Cyrus CAMPBELL (1788-1845) and wife Hannah WILEY (1783-1874). I don't know his e-mail address but maybe you can get it from your computer if you have a question. His home address is...
...I taped a long interview with your father in which he related everything he could think of to do with his father and grandfather--the wars they served in and their experiences, where they lived, about their families, what they did in civilian life, etc., and about himself from school up to the present (that was about 1992, I think). I typed it all up, plus some talks I had with your mother as well. The two interviews came to sixteen 8.5 x 11 double-spaced pages. It will be less than that finished because it will be single-spaced but wider margin.
This will be put under the data on your father and mother which takes up about 18 lines. The enclosed sheet showing other members of your line, lets you see what I mean. The data on Jane POST is the main entry. Then a few lines of explanation about her since she is a very hazy figure, and finally her obituary. By far the majority of entries in the genealogy have only the data. For the few, quite a few and mostly in the first three generations, who have some history, obits, and letters following their data, their entries will run from one to ten pages or so. Since the genealogy as it is now typed consists mostly of data, there will be considerable movement of entries to allow insertion of the additional material...
Love to all,
(include interview of Dad and data on Jane POST?)
March 15, 1999
Dear Adrian and Ray,
I have been wanting to send you these charts for a long time. I may have already done so, but I can't remember, so forgive the duplication if you already have them.
Mary Kate tells me you have been working on the CROW line--and maybe some others? These are all going into the Genealogy, so I want them to be as complete and correct as possible. I am hoping that you have been able to trace the CROWs beyond Asa Lafayette.
Your mother told me years ago that her mother, I think it was, had traced the BALL line, but that all that work had been lost. So I went to the library and searched the DAR records and came up with the MARSHALL-BALL lineage. What was newly added to the material your mother gave me was the descendants of Judith Steptoe BALL MARSHALL's two daughters Maria Jane and Judith Ball. I was unable to find Judith Steptoe BALL's parents. That seemed odd, because I would have thought that the BALLs would have been traced up, down, and sideways. I also thought you might have something more on the VEDDERs and the BENEDICTs.
The work on the computer is not progressing much. I can't even scan a short story into it without getting a bunch of gibberish. See the letter I just wrote to your mother...
Best wishes to you both,
(include CROW, BALL, MARSHALL lines? VEDDER, BENEDICT?)
January 31, 2000
Dear Adrian,
I started to work on cemetery diagrams for the genealogy the other day. The one of Lakeview in Galveston is one I have not completed. I've had quite a time with this one. The reason is that it is quite complicated with few headstones and many people. Also, I was there only once and didn't do a very good job of copying what I saw. And I took only one picture, a rather long shot of the monument--nothing can be read on it. The pictures you sent me that you took were very good and corrected some of my mistakes in copying. They also brought up some questions.
When your mom and dad and I visited there in 1991, Albert's marker had not been put in place on the lot, but we saw it at the office. I drew a sketch of it and I swear it looked like this. (image) In other words, the same inscription but running the opposite direction. And they said it was going to be next to the step leading into the lot, as shown on the diagram. I mean, your parents said this. Your pictures show the stone installed next to Loraine where I thought there was a double marker for Loraine and her husband. My notes say the ashes of both are there with a double marker. I thought maybe the original marker was broken, another made with the inscription running horizontally, and put where it now lies. If not, my eyesight and/or memory was faulty. I can't argue with a picture. Is Albert buried there, or just his ashes?
The question now is where are John Ford's ashes? Your mom said that the ashes of Harry B. Sinclair's wife, Louise Rice, were scattered at Trinity Episcopal Church. The others' ashes (4, 5, 8, 9) are buried on the lot. (image)
When I was researching your Marshall ancestors at our library, a couple of years ago, I came across a couple of daughters of your Judith Steptoe Ball in the D.A.R. registers besides Susan Betts. I think I sent you a Marshall-Ball-Crow chart showing some descendants of these other two sisters. (Some of the children were named Lee. Does your grandfather Asa's Lee name come through the Balls?). I mention this research because I don't think I told you about some other bits in the Ball line I found. James Ball (1718-1789) m. Lettice Lee (1731-1811). They married 7153 and had a daughter Judith who married in 1772 LeRoy Griffin. I thought there might be a connection with Judith Steptoe Ball Marshall because she had a daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter all named Judith), two of them with middle name Ball.
I hope this information leads to something positive. Let me know about Albert and John Ford.
(include diagram of SINCLAIR plot?)
September 29, 2000
Dear Adrian,
One of my references which I have used a number of times in almost every line of the genealogy is a collection of newspaper clippings under the heading "Jonesville Scrapbook" in the Mitchell Public Library in Hillsdale, Michigan. Some years ago I think there was only one such scrapbook dated 1910 to 1922, compiled in those years by Harriet Varnum Wickman. She obviously made the scrapbook by taking a published book and sticking clippings on the pages right over the printed matter of the book. The printed matter of the book can be seen in the spaces between the pasted-in clippings. These scrapbooks now number five, the first of which being the only one actually compiled by Mrs. Wickman. I think somebody thought it was a good way to preserve old clippings picked up somewhere or donated to the library.
I went up there to Hillsda1e last Monday to look once more at the books to make sure I hadn't overlooked anything pertaining to our family when I made copies of pertinent pages. Sure enough I found a couple of things. One had to do with the White line of the genealogy, but two others had to do with William H. Sinclair, which I enclose. The obituary on Mrs. William H. Sinclair you may already have. When I got home, I found I already had a copy of it which I wrote out by hand several years ago instead of making a photo copy. Anyway, it wasn't in its proper place in the genealogy so I thought you had not seen it. The other one, on Orange A. Bartholomew, I did not have, so that was new to me.
A couple of weeks ago I found another person who may get my computer up and running. This is number 7 or 10, I don't know I've lost count. He is the computer expert at the hospice where Betty does volunteer work and she talked him into coming out to take a look. He was here for an hour and a half trying to program it for me to make it easier for me to enter the genealogy, and he found a couple of things that puzzled him. One thing was a number that wouldn't stay where he put it. He'd type it in, like an entry number, in the center of the page, and when he'd done a little more, he looked back and found that the number had shifted over to the margin. Time and time again it happened. It so intrigued him, he said that he was going to solve the mystery.
How is your mother doing? I hope she is reasonably well. I will try to write to her soon. Not much happening here except the same old stuff.
Love,
(items re W. H. SINCLAIR?)
SINCLAIR, MRS. WILLIAM H.
1840-1895
obit
from JONESVILLE SCRAPBOOK NO.3
Death of Mrs. William H. Sinclair
Mrs. William H. Sinclair, wife of Colonel Sinclair, president of the Galveston City street railway company, died in annex of the Beach hotel at 2 o'clock yesterday of Bright's disease. Mrs. Sinclair had been ill only about four weeks. About two months ago she went to Orchard Lake, Mich. and returned with her son, who had been in attendance upon the military school there. She was apparently well at that time, but a month ago became ill and has gradually grown worse until she died.
Mrs. Sinclair was 54 years old. About twenty-five years ago she came from Michigan to Galveston with her husband, and has been a true helpmeet to him in making the success which has attended his business ventures here. During that time she has made many friends, and once having made a friendship it was for life.
Mrs. Sinclair leaves three sons. The eldest, Harry, is employed in the United States engineer's office in this city; the second, Louis, is connected with the street railway company, and the youngest, Stanley, has just returned from school. She also has two sisters living in the city, Mrs. Durand and Mrs. F. W. Beissner. The body was removed to the home of the latter, Seventeenth street and avenue H. yesterday afternoon.
The funeral will take place from Mrs. Beissner's residence at 4 o'clock this afternoon and will be... (rest cut off)
ORANGE A. BARTHOLOMEW
1815 -1889
obit
from JONESVILLE SCRAPBOOK NO.3
DIED
At his home in Jonesville, on Sunday evening, August 11, Orange A Bartholomew, aged 74 years.
Mr. Bartholomew was born in Whitehall, N.Y. on May 15, 1815. He came to Michigan in 1837, first locating in Marshall. In 1838 he removed to Hanover, where he bought a large farm, raising wheat largely. In 1856 he came to Fayette township, settling on the farm now occupied by Erastus Dunham. He remained there two years, when he moved into the village and started a livery stable on the lot now occupied by J. W. Button as a residence. He ran stages to Marshall and Jackson, carrying passengers and mail, until the building of the Fort Wayne road, to which he donated ten acres of land, now occupied by the depots, stone yards, etc. Since that time he has been engaged in farming and the ice and livery business, with the exception of a few years.
He was married to Sarah Wright, who survives him, in 1837, and was the father of nine children, five daughters and four sons, seven of whom are still living.
His health has been failing him for the last three years, and for the past two years he has been confined to his house. The immediate cause of his death was heart trouble.
Mr. Bartholomew was, up to the time of his sickness, an active, successful business man, honorable in his dealings, and making many warm friends. He was a good citizen, and a man deserving and possessing the respect of the community with which he was long identified.
May 6, 2001
Dear Mary Kate,
I guess it has been a while since I have written to you, The same old things have kept me from letter writing. In fact, I have three or four unanswered letters from cousins who are good enough to keep me abreast of events in their families, but lack of time has kept me from those as well...
I started to put the Introduction and Chapter 1 of the genealogy in the computer a month or two ago, but the computer's erratic behavior halfway through the chapter has had me at a standstill since. When I saw that the trouh1e wasn't going to go away, I began to put Chapter 4 (the Whittens) together on the typewriter and finished that in a week. Now I'm working on Chapter 6 (William Sinclair) because that one was partly done a year ago. I sent it to Adrian, but there was nothing done on Col. W. H. Sinclair and his descendants. That is what I am doing now, getting together all the biographical material on him, his sons, and your families.
While I was going through the notebook in which I collected all the material on William's line, I came across the copy of an old newspaper article, which you sent me, about Galveston's first baseball team and Col. W. H.'s connection with it. I assume you have the original newspaper clipping. You said the whole page was in bad condition and sent me only part of it. It includes a picture of the Colonel with four lines of print under it which says only that he was the first president of the club. I suspect that somewhere in the part of the article which you did not copy for me is more detail about his presidency. If so, and it can't be machine copied because of its condition, could you or Adrian write out what it has to say about him?
Also maybe you or Ray, or someone you know could explain the difference between baseball and its predecessor townball. Apparently Galvestonians, when baseball was first introduced, were disappointed that baseball was only a slight variation of the older game. It would be an interesting point to include in the section under Col. William. I'll send you a copy of his entry when I get it all put together so can see how it will look and how much material there is. It will probably run to about 20 pages single spaced, one of the longest in the genealogy...
Next letter I'll tell you a strange story about Col. William and one of his cousins, I think. Hope you are getting on well, and all your children seem to be doing well since the out of town ones are still paying you visits...
Love,
(include article about Galveston's first baseball team and Col. W. H.)
December 2001
MERRY CHRISTMAS
The year 2001 has been about fifty percent productive. I now have seven of the twelve chapters finished, including a twenty page introduction. I was going full steam whipping the genealogy into shape when I hit a stone wall in the William Sinclair line. Col. William Henry Sinclair was in the Union Army for the whole of the Civil War. He worked himself up to Major and fought at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863. At this point family and other documented records stop with nothing more about him until after the war when he was discharged and went to live in Galveston, Texas. The National Archives in Washington, D.C. have no record of him at all. Since he later became well known in the South, I'm beginning to wonder if his records were somehow misfiled with the Confederate records.
While waiting for this unhappy news (two months), the same thing happened a second and a third time as I tried to fill in just a bit more information on a skimpy entry. I started on John Sinclair's line, my own great-great-grandfather. Again I got stuck trying to find information about my grandfather George's championship dogs. My cousin, Ben Wade, was a big help with some newspaper clippings that had been saved, but I needed more. I couldn't go through the local kennel club because there isn't much of a formal organization here, and they couldn't tell me much without the names of the dogs because everything is recorded under the dog's rather than under the owner's name. The same situation exists with the American Kennel Club. However, the A.K.C. library administrator did some poking through records and came up with quite a bit of information about Grandfather's champions, so I am indebted to her for that. All that took another month or two.
While I waited for information on that (and on the Colonel), I started on the Agnes Sinclair Campbell line. But--third time stuck. Unfortunately, although I knew Angus Clarke, her grandson, for several years, I never questioned him about his work or hobbies. We worked closely on gathering data on everyone else instead. Filling in something about him turned out fairly well after I wrote to one of his nephews who did some digging for me.
While all this was going on, I was involved with my passion for fiction writing beginning in August at the local community college. Weekly meetings take a lot of time what with criticism and writing. The term ends this week and there will be no more of that. At least not concentrated. Next term they want heavier emphasis on poetry writing which pretty much lets me out.
Needless to say, I didn't do any traveling this year as one other thing deterred me. After my acci.dent a year ago last fall, I didn't get another car until late January and spent many months building confidence behind the wheel. It's amazing how an experience like that can be so daunting.
A Happy New Year to all, and drive carefully.
December 10, 2001
F. Sinclair Oswald
Perrysburg, Ohio
April 7, 2002
Dear Adrian,
Enclosed is the information on two of the three big deadends in the Sinclair Genealogy. Isn't it strange that the three big mysteries end with the disappearance of three brothers. The first trio is my grandfather's first cousin's grandsons. I know where they are out in California, have written them repeatedly but they don't answer, so I guess I'll have to forget them. The second trio, the Uphams, enclosed, are in your branch of the tree. About all I know about them I have written down here. They are partially traced one step further than the third trio, the Warners, also enclosed. They come down from the Campbell line. Margaret Agnes Campbell, mentioned, was the daughter of Agnes Sinclair and Samuel Campbell.
Margaret's three grandsons are a complete mystery beginning about 1900 when the whole family disappeared into the Virginia's.
I wrote out the particulars about the Uphams and the Warners as completely and briefly as I could. I think I got everything in that will be of use. I forgot to mention, these are the two lost groups we talked about on the telephone and which you said you would put on the web. As I said, I put in everything I thought would help any interested parties in knowing where they came from. You can abbreviate more if you see fit. What I have written down is just about everything I know about them.
If you have any questions let me know. Good luck to us.
Love,
I meant to ask if you can get me a street address for the genealogist of Clan Sinclair Association (USA)? Everyone these days lists only computer addresses. I want to write to see if there is any way the Clan can help genealogists such as me to get in touch with lost or unknown members of one's family. The address for the Sinclair Clan genealogist is...
Seeking three brothers and their descendants:
William Upham, listed in the 1920 Montana census, age 56, born in Michigan, living in Flathead County. No other information.
Frank S. Upham b. in Michigan, October 1864, married Almyra --?-- b. in Pennsylvania, 1871. He appears in a Jonesville, Mich. city directory as a machinist for the Michigan Central R. R. In the 1900 Montana census he is listed as a resident of Butte, Silver Bow County, age 35, with his wife A1myra, age 29, and a daughter Helen H., age 4, born in Montana. The 1920 Montana census has him and his wife Almyra living in Libby, Lincoln County, no children.
Ralph S. Upham b. Jonesville, Mich. April 16, 1872, No other information.
The three brothers were the sons of William W. Upham b. Hamilton, N.Y. 1827, son of Hiram and Delphia (Nash) Upham. He married in Jonesville, Mich. Mary Sinclair b. Akron, Ohio 1842 or 43, d. Jackson, Mich. February 4, 1883 of burns suffered in a fire. She was the daughter of William Sinclair and Melissa Van Hyning. Her brother Col. W. H. Sinclair fought in the Union Army and after the Civil War settled in Galveston, Texas.
William and Mary Upham and their children lived in Jackson, Mich. until her death in 1883. In 1884 William, Sr. appears in the Jonesvi11e, Mich. city directory as being employed in a dry goods store. He and his three sons are supposed to have gone to Montana about 1891 and engaged in ranching.
Seeking three brothers and their descendants:
John Waydell Warner b. Jan. 6, 1897, m. Hazel Kirk; Vincent Waydell Warner b. Mar. 15, 1900; Edwin Henderson Warner, Jr. b. Feb. 17, 1903. All were born in Utica, N.Y.
These brothers were the sons of Edwin Henderson Warner b. New York Mills, N.Y. Mar. 24, 1869. He was the son of George Harvey Warner and Margaret Agnes Campbell. He married E. Vincenta Waydell who was born June 18, 1873. About 1900 E. H. Warner moved his wife and sons to the Virginias and lived in one or all of five places at one time or another: Asberrys, Va., Charlotteville, Va., Tazewell County, Va., and Bluefield, Va. or W. Va. (There are two cities with the same name.) Edwin may have had a government agriculture job in Bluefield at one time.
Edwin Henderson Warner, Sr. had three brothers and a sister: Samuel C. b. 1857; George A. b. 1860; Agnes S. b. 1862; and Austin G. b. 1873.
April 27, 2002
Dear Adrian,
Enclosed is a copy of a letter Loraine Ford wrote to your father in 1968. I want to include it, or part of it in the genealogy, and the place where she was living at the time is important. Since she died in Austin in 1975, I think she was there in 1968 too, but I'm not sure. Do you know?
I sent a request for military records for W. H. Sinclair to the National Archives--I think it was about the time I called you on the phone and we talked for a couple of hours (was it in February?)--can't remember. Anyway, I got a card from them a couple of days ago saying they had just received the request, that the mail-anthrax scare had delayed it this long. So it will be another 8-10 weeks before they let me know what they find.
I called you a week or two ago and talked to Ray briefly. I just wanted to clear up a couple of questions about the stuff you last mailed to me, but I have since clarified things on my own, so I didn't call back.
There was some good information in your last mailing. The question of where the two horses were shot was answered. Apparently the typed record of W.E.'s battles consisted of two pages. I have had the first page for some time (think your mother sent it to me) but have never seen page 2 until now. It contains the answer to the two horses question.
Another sheet that was helpful was one from your computer that told briefly about the battle of Fredericksburg, and that after the battle W.H. went on to a distinguished career. The sender on this sheet was ...@quarterman.org but some of the info seemed to be pits and pieces, nothing complete. There was another one from the same place with maybe more detail about Fredericksburg, although the place wasn't mentioned, and also kind of choppy. These together with the information about W.H. on the page with Fred W. Pickett's picture, which said that he went with Sherman to the sea, makes me think that whoever compiled this didn't put in much detail because W.H. was with the 4th Army Corps (I assume) from Fredericksburg to the end of the war. This means that whoever wants to know where W. H. actually went would have to know the history of the 4th AC's battles.
I told you that Peter Curtiss, a cousin in the Purdy line is a Civil War buff. I wrote him hoping that he will send me the 4th AC record which he says he has. Also l've got my fingers crossed that the National Archives comes up with a simple list of all W.H.'s battles.
Sinclarely,
The source of the following bio on Col. William Henry SINCLAIR is unknown; in hopes of finding the source in the future, a hint is that following the Colonel's is a bio on Fred W. PICKETT, Recorder, with Mr. PICKETT's photograph:
During his military career Colonel Sinclair was engaged in the following sieges,skirmishes and battles, viz: Island No. 10, March and April, 1862; Corinth, May 1862; Juka, September 19, 1862; Corinth, October 3 and 4 1862; Stone River (at Murfreesboro, Tenn.), December 1862 and January 1863; Farmington, Miss., May 28, 1862; Franklin, Tenn., December, 12, 1862.Colonel Sinclair had many stirring escapes and adventures during his service in the war of the rebellion. Two horses were shot from under him while in battle. He was with Sherman, during that valiant general's famous march to the sea, and at present holds recommendations from the leading generals of his army for gallant and meritorious services whilst an officer. He is a member of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Army of the Cumberland, Grand Army of the Republic, Busch Zouaves of St. Louis (honorary), A. F. & A. M.
At the close of the war Col. Sinclair was, with his army corps, ordered to Texas, and filled positions of honor and influence up to the date of his muster out in 1867. He was pleased with Texas, and selected Galveston as his future home. Shortly after he represented his own and adjoining county in the Twelfth legislature of Texas, where his exective ability was so clearly demonstrated that he became a champion of his party and was elected Speaker of the House. He was a warm, personal friend and confidant of Governor Davis, the great Republican Texas governor, and at the conclusion of his term was appointed collector of internal revenues, which position he held from May 1, 1873, up to the date of Cleveland's inauguration.
His first interest in street railroads was at Galveston in 1878, he becoming a stockholder in the present company, which, at that time controlled four miles of road and employed forty men. His confidence in the progress of the city and the development of this interest made him a prime mover in methods looking to improved service, and a better return than he or his associates were receiving, and he was elected a director, and on January 8th, 1879, was elected president of the company, which position he has held continuously up to the present time. Success crowned his efforts from the date of his assuming the management, and today the records of said company show that where in the year 1878 the receipts were $52,000, they were for the year 1891 $180,000.
To attempt to enumerate the sterling qualities of Col. Sinclair from a personal point of view would be no easy task. He is generous to a fault, and above all, supremely just, universally kind, and always true, and holds the esteem and honor which but few men can command.
SINCLAIR, MARY LORAINE
letter
1911-1975
Loraine to her brother Buzz, January 5, 1968
Dear Buzz,I have gone through all of the papers of Dad's that I had and didn't come up with much.
Dad's serial number was 0946.
I found the enclosed "family tree" which I remember Bill PLANT sent me. It is copied from the old Bartholomew bible which cousin Ella has--I think. You might write him and get a copy. Cousin Ella is in a nursing home but quite rational, so she might help. His address is: ...Alexandria, VA.
However, I would think the easiest thing would be an affidavit from Van--who was then about 12 years old--to the effect that he knows the facts--Your lawyer friend John BOYD could prepare it.
Did you write to the Bureau of Vital Statistics, St. of Washington--? If you want a birth certificate--get a form (delayed birth certificate) and one relative and one other person cognizant of the family facts, can sign and then you can file it in St. of Washington. You get the form from St. of Washington.
Won't your army service records prove anything to the Social Security?
I also found a copy of the marriage license of Mom and Dad.
Adrian may want to copy this family tree, as far as it goes, and Margaret may want it. Sometimes it is fun to know who was before you!...
Love, Sis
Answering your questions: John Andrew FORD, born July 4, 1908, Boston, MA, married October 8, 1949
Ione HAWKS, born Feb 23, 19__ (about 1905-07), Kansas, married Van July 4, 19__ (about 1942 or 43) in Honolulu. You might want to write her for more definite information at _________San Diego, CA. I haven't heard from them since Christmas. I wrote them both on their birthdays.
Mom had one other child--Catherine, who died at birth in 1900. She is buried in the VAN ALSTYNE-LUFKIN plot in that cemetery on Broadway. It is located near K on the east street just inside the gate as I remember.
May 16, 2002
Dear Adrian,
Please excuse the delay in getting back to you. I was exploring some possibilities of handling the reply you had concerning the Montana UPHAMs. I thought the library could handle querying Jacqueline OLIVER, but they couldn't...I am bursting with anticipation concerning this woman if she really is of the Upham family. I'm afraid it's all going to disappear if I don't do something immediately.
I'm returning a copy of OLIVER's message to you, hoping you can continue to send her a brief message every couple of days to let her know you are interested in the UPHAMs... I did tell you the UPHAMs are descended from Col. William Henry's sister?
...You ask about putting the second, third, and fourth generations on your web site. I made a rough count of how many names that would be in the two largest lines, John and Agnes. (John is my line.) I counted 36 for Agnes and 57 for John. That doesn't count the wife or husband for each one. Of course, not all married, but it would be almost double, a little less than 200 names. Plus the other six lines, at a guess, another 50 to 75 names total. Do you really want to put that many names on your web site? If you do, I'll be glad to make up a list. Is this what you want, for example: John Sinclair 1809-1888, Elizabeth Chisholm 1810-1871?
I am working very hard to get a completed copy of the book with all the histories by September. Then I will send it to a genealogy publisher for a price quote. One thing I regret is that so many people who helped me get started on the different lines are gone. Only they knew what a treasure the book will be. Your parents with many others in their generation were strong supporters.
Thanks for the pictures. Some I'd never seen before--your dad in his flippers, all his childhood pictures, the beautiful one of Mary VAN ALSTYNE, and most of the houses and buildings. I've seen the BARTHOLOMEW house in Jonesville on occasion, it's been a few years, but I don't think they've restored the fancy woodwork of the front porch.
Love,
From
Traverse City Record-Eagle, Oct. 23, 1914, p. 1
MYSTERY NOW CLEARED AWAY
Body of John Sinclair Found Thursday
DIED NEARLY YEAR AGO
Two Hunters From Interlochen Made Discovery
Veteran Had Wandered Until overcome by Cold and Wet When
He Died in Wild and Lonely Spot
The body of John SINCLAIR, the civil war veteran who disappeared from his home at Long Lake in the early part of last November, was found Thursday afternoon by Peter LITTLE and Frank LINDERMAN of Interlochen, who were hunting on section five in Gren Lake township. When the men made the discovery they notified Jacob WITKOP of Interlochen, who called up Sheriff SMITH, who together with Coroner MINOR, went to the spot, which is about midway between Cedar Hedge lake and Mud Lake, and gathered up what remained of the body and brought it to the Gruber undertaking rooms, where friends of the man confirmed the identification through the watch and clothing that still remained. For the past year Sheriff SMITH has been searching for a clue to the whereabouts of the body of the old man, but nothing was ever discovered to explain his fate until the location of the body yesterday.
At the time he disappeared he had been in Interlochen during the day, and when he started for home he had a bag with him in which he carried his purchases. This bag Was found about eighty rods from his home the next day that he was missed and contained some newspapers, crackers and tomatoes. It is evident that after dropping the bag he proceeded in the opposite direction from his home, for the bOdy was found about two miles away from this point.
When the body was found it lay about thirty feet on the road on dry land, and some time since his death forest fires had run through the brush and leaves, burning his clothing to a crisp so that the body looked just like the parts of burned logs that were located in the same vicinity. This fact was evidently the cause of the body not being found before. The remains were in a badly decomposed state, little remaining but the top of the skull and body bones. His watch, which he carried, waS found under the body, and there was no maney or other articles found.
Last year Sheriff Smith offered a remard of $25 for the discovery of Mr. SINCLAIR, dead or alive, and this morning he went before the board of supervisors and secured the approval of the claim and orders were drawn, giving each of the two men who made the discovery $12.50.
Mr. SINCLAIR was 73 years old and came to this region from Ohio many years ago, and for the past seventeen years had lived an isolated life at his Long Lake cabin. He served in the civil war and drew a pension. He was well known throughout the county and was a favorite with the resorters at Long Lake. He leaves a wife, who at present lives at Coldwater, and some nephews in Texas. The funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock from the Gruber undertaking rooms, Rev. A. A. Stevens officiating. Burial will be in the soldiers' plot in Oakwood (cemetery).
John P. Sinclair b. Akron, O. Sept. 8, 1840, son of William and Melissa (VAN HYNING) SINCLAIR d. Long Lake Twp., Grand Traverse Co., Mich. on or about Oct. 27, 1913 Int. Traverse City, Mich. Oakwood Cemetery, 1st Add. Block 241, Lot 4. Monument of Civil War soldier marked McPherson Post No. 18 G.A.R. No head stone but he is between those of Francis BORDEN and Lawrence HAYNES. m. Hil1sda1e, Mich. May 15, 1867/8 Arabella ROBERSON b. ____ d. ______
Mr. SINCLAIR's pension papers show that he lived in the following places: Jonesville, Mich. 1862-71; Galveston, Tex. 1872-8l; Jonesvi1le, Mich. 1882-89; Mayfield, Mich. 1890-93; Monroe Co., Mich. 1893-96; Rainey Lake, Grand Traverse Co., Mich. 1896-99; Long Lake Twp, Grand Traverse Co., Mich. 1899-1913, P.O. address Inter1ochen.
June 11, 2002
Dear Adrian,
I started this letter a week ago, but as events developed, I had to change it and start over--two or three times.
Is this what you wanted on the first four generations of Sinclairs? My computer had a terrible time printing it out. Except for the first page, it wanted to start each page seven or eight lines down causing the page to run over the perforation and onto the top of the next page. After five copies I got all but the third and fourth pages to come out right. Those I reinforced the perforation with scotch tape and cut them to size. This is a copy I made at the local Quik Print.
Proof reading them I found some typographical errors and a couple of omissions. Also please note that John and Mary's second child, Jane Sinclair, had a daughter, Jane McLean, who had an illegitimate daughter, no name, recorded as born January 1, 1863 in Northampton, Mass. The baby was put up for adoption immediately. The mother was born retarded and was kept in the Northampton Hospital for the Insane until some relative took her out in 1904 and no record of her since. So there are four generations listed there.
For quick reference I numbered John and Mary's children along the edge of the pages.
I went to our library for the Upham genealogy, but they didn't have it. A reprint is available from Barnes and Noble for $93. The girl at the library searched the web and found a photcopy for sale at Tuttle's Antiquarian Book Store in Rutland, Vt. (I've been there) for $70. Further search turned up a copy for $31 at Big Tree Books in Nixa, Missouri. I will send for that if necessary. The library turned up ten holdings of the book, one in Philadelphia, one in Maine, one in Ann Arbor, Mich., and the rest in Canada.
I thought at first I would go there to look at it, but changed my mind. I found out at the library, different department, that Bell and Howell Information and Learning Center, who has it, sells it--you can't look at it. This informant found three libraries which have it: the f'amous Genealogy library in Ft. Wayne, Ind., about an hour and a half drive; Columbus, Ohio Public Library, about a two hour drive; and Lansing, Mich.'s State Library, two and a half hour drive.
The same helper asked who I was looking for and began searching the computer for Ralph Upham. She was able to find some data beyond what Jacqueline Oliver sent you. This was a tremendous help--almost. She found two living descendants, sisters, both married, but no first names. I am enclosing copies of printouts of this search.
I am also enclosing a condensed Upham family chart showing all I was ever able to find on them. This developed some years ago when I was trying to find out more about Mary Sinclair's husband, W. W. Upham. I have squeezed Mary's two brothers and sister, and their parents in to show how they fit and to refresh your memory of their names. The names underlined in red are the additions of the last two weeks.
I am still stuck with Frank Upham, wife Almira, and daughter Helen. I think I saw somewhere in the computer sheets that Ralph and Emma died on the reservation, whereas Frank did not live there, throwing the search for his family into the whole state of Montana, or farther. But I see of the computer sheets there are post office addresses for contributors to the web, including Terry Smith, so I think I will write to them to see if they have anything further. I wish I had Jacqueline Oliver's post office address. I think there are some things she might clear up if I could put some questions to her.
The same day your last package came, I got a card from the National Archives saying they had found the Military Record of Col. W. H. Sinclair. I sent my check off to them the same day and should have the material sometime this week--I think.
Love,
(include UPHAM genealogy chart?)
July 1, 2002
Dear Adrian,
I don't think I've told you the last I heard from the National Archives. All they sent me was a half dozen unhelpful pieces of paper showing that William H. Sinclair was in and out of the Michigan Militia three or four times, which I already knew. Nothing beyond 1862, even though I put on the application that he was in both the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the Cumberland, that he was on General Stanley's staff, that he wound up a Colonel, and that he was mustered out in 1865 or later. I think they stopped reading at the first listing. So I sent another application and this time I started with the two armies, Stanley, and Chickamauga. Maybe that will get something.
Also, I was able to write up the entries for the Upham branch after I digested all the material you sent. The print-outs you sent ended with Ralph Upham's grandson's death in 1997 in Portland, Oregon. I'm beginning to think I ought to live in Portland because there are so many Sinclairs living there. That's where another branch dead-ends. The grandson, Donald Benedict Billedeaux, also left two daughters, their married last names being Cherry and Horseman, but no Christian names. This has suddenly become a fascinating line. It's the only place in the genealogy where American Indian blood comes into the family, Ralph's wife. I noticed on the computer sheets that there are names of two or three contributors' names with post office box numbers, so I will write to them to see if anything else will be forthcoming. While the researchers or family, whichever they are, have been able to trace Ralph's family down to the year 2000, they haven't been able to go any farther with Frank's than I have, the 1900 census.
I'm taking a chance that you will have the time to put another family into your computer to see if you can get any nibbles. I did some work on this today at the Mormon library here in Perrysburg, but they couldn't come up with anything. The same at the public library in Toledo, where the computers are all on line. I think the man who worked the computer said there were nearly a hundred names to check out, and also he couldn't get into one website. So that's why I'm sending you the information to see if you can do anything with it.
Love,
(BILLEDEAUX, CHERRY, HORSEMAN data?)
SINCLAIR, WILLIAM STANLEY, JR. obit 1913-1997
Houston Chronicle, Tuesday, May 13, 1997
SINCLAIR
WILLIAM S. (Buzz) SINCLAIR, JR. of Houston died Saturday May 10, 1997. He was born February 4, 1913 at Ft. Lawton, Seattle, Washington to Col. and Mrs. William S. Sinclair, Sr. Buzz's grandparents and great-grand parents were early residents of Houston and Galveston. As a teenager, he lived in Galveston, where he graduated from Ball High School. He attended Texas A & M University where he was prominent in numerous school activities. He graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1935.
He was a veteran of WorId War II, and was a home builder in Galveston, Houston, and parts of Louisiana. Buzz loved the outdoors with a passion, and was an ardent fisherman and hunter. Every creature imaginable was placed on his dinner table.
He is survived by his wife of sixty years, Mary Kate Crow Sinclair; their three children, William S. (Bill) Sinclair, III, and his wife Nancy Shannon Sinclair; Margaret Sinclair Laney and her husband F. Phillips Laney; and Adrian Sinclair Balch and her husband F. Raymond Balch. He had two grandchildren: William Joshua Carter IV, and his wife Mei-Ru, and was preceded in death by Matthew Sinclair Carter, sons of Margaret Sinclair Laney. Interment will be at Episcopal Cemetery, Galveston.
August 10, 2002
Dear Adrian,
I waited until I was sure you would be back from your choraling in England before writing again. How did it go besides being tiring? Were you able to travel around the country at all, and up to Scotland? How long were you gone?
I think I have Ralph Upham's descendants pinned down. I wrote to Eugene Mark Felsman, address found in the printouts you sent me, because he seemed to be a heavy contributor of Upham material and researcher into Blackfeet Indian history. It turned out he is of Blackfeet blood and is also a professional genealogist. It cost me $40 to get the information he has on Ralph Upham's descendants, from Emma Heavy Runner on down. It would have cost me more except that I sent all my information on John and Mary Sinclair, their son William, and his four children, William H., John P., Mary and W. W. Upham, and Melissa and James H. C. White, and he gave me a discount for the contribution. Perhaps it was worth it and cheap at that because I'd be nowhere without the information.
I wanted to write to Donald Billedeaux's daughters in Portland, Oregon, so had to go to the library for addresses. Only the older one's, Trudi, was listed, and the computer came up with their first names. The younger is Marlene. Trudi answered my letter, leaving out all dates and places as usual, but said she has two sons and a daughter, the daughter married with one daughter. She says Marlene has been widowed twice, divorced once, and has one daughter, over 30.
I have just sent off another letter to each to get details. Trudi asked me for more information on ancestors. She has a genealogy of her mother, Alice Theola Herried, but nothing on her father's side. Her parents were divorced when she was young, and she didn't really know her father. I did my best to detail what I had just learned from the first big batch of stuff you sent me from Jacqueline Oliver, then told her what little I knew about Mary Sinclair Upham's sister and two brothers. John and Melissa were easy, but when I got to your great-grandfather it really tested my narrative powers. I tried to keep it as brief as possible but still wound up with three typewritten sheets. I decided I'd better send some charts to make sure they would understand it all. I also sent a chart on the Uphams that I made from all the information you sent me.
With all this writing I discovered that I don't know much at all about W. W. Upham. Just that he was a clerk in a dry goods store in 1883-84 for the two years they were in Jackson, and Frank was a machinist on the Michigan Central Railroad for the same time. Ralph was only ten years old at the time, and William, the oldest son, was nowhere in sight. From 1884 to 1891, when they went to Montana, nothing again. In the late 1870s Upham was the Hillsdale County Recorder for three years.
I told Trudi about how J. W. Sinclair came to this country and about his son William living in Akron for a few years, where all his children were born, before he moved to Hillsdale County, Mich. and became a farmer.
I'm not convinced that Mary Upham had a son William because I can't find anything about h1m. A. E. Hibner's Chisholm-Sinclair Genealogy is the only place I found him listed, and there is no birthdate or place mentioned for him. I have a sneaking suspicion that he might be W. W. Upham's son by a former marriage. The problem might be solved if I could find out more about the father.
There are two William Uphams that keep popping up in the Montana census, aged 56 and 57. On one of the sheets you sent me, there is a description of the one married to Antonia as being of Indian blood, which would cancel him out as being Mary's son.
All the time I've been writing to Felsman and the two girls, I have been wishing that I could get a letter to Terry Smith and was waiting until you returned from your trip to ask if you could get his address. Then just a couple of days ago I was reading over your last letter with its enclosures and suddenly saw his P.O. address. He is the one who is related to Greeley Billedeaux and therefore to Donald and his two daughters. I want to put some of my questions to him to find out what he thinks, mainly if I can count on the Ralph-Emma-Winifred-Greeley-Donald-Trudi & Marlene descent being the true ancestry of the two girls.
Also I would like to find Frank and Almyra Upham and their daughter Helen. I suppose I lucked out finding Ralph by running into all the Indian research. I doubt there'd be anything like that for Frank. I've thought about trying to find cemetery records in the place where I know they last lived.
A thought about the name Benedict. Your father said he didn't know his grandfather had a brother and two sisters. And since Benedict was in your mother's line, and her ancestors were unknown to the Sinclairs until sometime after she married in 1937, 1 don't see how the name could have been known to any of Ralph's descendants except from another source. If the Billedeaux had any English blood way back, a good place for the name to come into the line would be for someone to have been named for Benedict Arnold. Just an idle thought.
If I can just trace Frank and Ralph to the ends of their descendants, I am not much interested in finding out more about the Uphams. Of course, anything on W. W. Upham would be welcome because he was Mary's husband and the father of her children. The famous Upham genealogy at first thought sounds like a good source, but it was written in the late 1800s and wouldn't cover the fate of Frank who seems to have lived well beyond that.
I wanted to ask if you have had any response to the Ketcham-Tuthill information you put on line a few weeks ago; and to tell you that the National Archives have found some records (again) on Col. W. H. Sinclair. I sent a check and expect them in the coming week. I hope they will be the real thing this time. I'll let you know as soon as I get them.
Love,
September 5, 2002
Dear Adrian,
After four tries or so, I finally have got the National Archives to send me the military record of William H. Sinclair. Somehow I must have written the magic word that pointed their nose in the right direction. Previously, they sent me a record covering only the first few months of service when he was in the Michigan Militia. This last they have sent covers his service for a month in the Army of the Mississippi (July 1862) then from his transfer to the Army of the Cumberland (about Jan. 1863) to his mustering out (about 1867). There is no mention of all the battles and campaigns with which we are familiar (Corinth, Island #10, etc.) which, I suppose, occurred when he was in tne Army of the Mississippi, predating the Murfreesboro campaign and Chickamauga. It makes me wonder how much more they have which is buried somewhere where only they know how to go about digging out.
The stuff they sent me is made up of monthly reports, all out of order. I numbered and rearranged them chronologically in a typwritten list. Even so, it is difficult to tell what battles and engagements he participated in. As far as I can tell, he was in all engagements with the Army of the Cumberland up to and including the Siege of Atlanta, after which the Army, or at least Gen. Stanley and his staff were sent to Texas for post-war mopping-up and policing. It is much easier to understand the reports up to #40 of the typed list and what engagements were involved if you look at a map and compare the report month date (the first date in each report) and compare them with the date of the battle nearby. The second date is the place where the report was actually written and not necessarily the place being reported on. It is a big help if you have some knowledge of the battles fought and their dates. I got a book from the library "Three Years in the Army of the Cumberland: the Letters and Diary of Major James A. Connolly," edited by Paul M. Angle, to help me understand where the battles were and when. Connolly was not in the same unit as Gen. Stanley, so he may not have been in exactly the same place. But it was amazing how much the book helped. Why they were stationed in Winchester (#9 & #11) for instance. There may be other books in your library that pinpoint the actions of Stanley's Division more closely since he was in Texas for a couple of years.
I plan on showing in the genealogy the battles and dates that each report refers to.
Have you had any response to the Ketcham inquiry yet? Ketcham is such a huge and old family, they must have a web site on the internet.
Love,
November 21, 2002
Dear Adrian,
It's been some time since you sent the last batch of Sinclairiana. I've been so busy working on a couple of different parts of the genealogy, and also just trying to work on the genealogy because of other commitments interfering. I found one piece you sent especially interesting. The letter dated 1846 from Samuel F. B. Morse. As you may know, he was an artist as well as an inventor. But who was the Louis to whom the letter was addressed? I was thinking it (may) have been a Sinclair, but the only Louis I can find in your family was your grandfather's brother, and he wasn't born at that time. This Louis was apparently seeking a promotion in the telegraphy business. Please let me know who this concerns, if you know.
I have another idea for searching on your computer--if you can stand it. I have always wondered who John William Sinclair (1777-1849) brother was. The only clue I have to any brother at all is his 1847 letter to his daughter Agnes Campbell in which he mentions a brother and family living in New York City, and to whom Agnes paid a visit. But he doesn't mention his brother's name or that of any other member of the family.
But I have a ship's manifest on which John's whole family is listed when they arrived in New York in 1821, that is, all his children and wife. Immediately following this listing is another Sinclair family with only what appears to be the mother as head of family. The names are:
Jennit, 34
William, 12
Jane, 12
Alice, 8
John, 6
Isabelle, 2
The ship was Ann Maria and arrived in N.Y.C. on July 12, 1821. I wonder if you could make a computer inquiry and see if anybody picks up on it. I sure would like to get something on John's brother's family to put into the genealogy.
The genealogy seemed to be going along all right until summer, then I started working on Col. William Henry Sinclair's army record, taking up many weeks. Then your finding the Uphams, WHS's sister's descendants in Montana and Portland, Oregon, and my own search for my great-grandmother Sinclair's parents (the Emerson Marshes of Branch County, Mich.) all took up more weeks. The Marsh search, though, was a good one. I found that the mother of great-grandfather Archibald's wife could be traced way back to the 1400s. The family was Dickenson. The Marshes go back to the 1600s in New England. Searching is terribly addictive when you find things like this. I try to contain myself. Still have to type up your line and mine which is a little less than half way to go. Hope you can do something about JWS's brother.
Love,
letter from MORSE to Louis VAN HYNING. Original is in Library of Congress.
December 13, 2002
Dear Adrian,
About the list of family members who arrived on the same ship with our ancestors in New York in 1821. You say "no luck" but I am wondering if the information is still out there on line, if I use the correct term, so that anyone searching for ancestors will come across it, maybe next month or whenever, and get in touch with you? The same as happened with our Upham search.
About the letter which Samuel Morse wrote to "Louis" dated August 29, 1846. That Louis couldn't have been your grandfather's brother, Louis Durand Sinclair because he was born Nov. 11, 1874, 28 years after the letter was written. It would be interesting to know how this letter came to be among your family papers and who that Louis was, if only because of the fame of Samuel Morse�
About the Crow family. You sent me complete information over a year ago, I believe. I know there were a couple of parallel lines in your mother's family that were either incomplete or contained some incorrect data. I have put chart work aside temporarily so that I can concentrate on getting the genealogy done. When that is done I will get back to the charts and the Crow and Ball lines will receive my full attention.
I was corresponding with H. S. "Pete" Cummings, Jr. for a couple of years before he died. He was secretary and clan genealogist of Clan Sinclair USA. My first contact with him was when he wrote me a letter at the suggestion of H. Cartan Clarke, a descendant in our family in the Agnes (Sinclair) Campbell line. Mr. Clarke was doing some research on his own and wanted Pete and Clan Sinclair USA to have all the information which I had. I was reluctant to do this until I had the whole genealogy finished, complete with histories. Pete talked me into letting him have what I gathered so far, that he wasn't interested in histories, only in names, dates, and places. (He was very much interested in the 600th anniversary celebration of Prince Henry Sinclair's voyage to the U.S. in 1398.) Sometime prior to July, 1995 I sent him all I had on John William Sinclair and Mary Graham and all their children.
He then sent me the enclosed pedigree chart tracing my line back into ancient history. This applies to anyone descended from John William Sinclair and Mary Graham. The only problem with it is the weak link of the 7th Generation, John's father. It is weak because it is only an educated guess. There is nothing to prove that William and Catherine were John's parents. The rest of it is accepted.
About a year later, I think it was the summer of 1996, I visited Pete at his home in Massachusetts. At that time I gave him a copy of the whole genealogy (minus the histories which weren't then incorporated in it) all 500 pages of it. He was amazed at the work it represented and said he wanted to get the whole thing into the Clan Sinclair USA records, saying it would be quite a job. I was never sure whether he accomplished it before he died. He must have done at least John and Mary and their children because Wick shown as his birthplace was a very late addition to my genealogy which I found among some notes of my mother's cousin. I have never seen Wick mentioned any place else.
If you remember, Paul Sinclair mentioned a book of Pete Cummings, "Descendants of George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness, for 10 Generations." Although he found no information he was seeking related to that George, he did say there was a John William Sinclair listed as born 1777 in Wick, Caithness who had a son William Sinclair born 1813, died 1883. This sounds like your ancestor, so probably Pete did publish at least some of what he had from me.
What I would like to know is who is Paul Sinclair and who is his correspondent Bill, and how can I get in touch with them. It is possible that his (Bill�s) ancestor came to New York but he doesn't know that. He says only New England. Computer addresses don't do me any good.
To wind up, I guess you are still waiting for a reply to the Ketcham request.
Love,
I am looking for descendants of the brother of John William Sinclair (1777-1849), name unknown. He is known to have been living with his own family in New York City about 1847-1848. Nothing further is known about him.
A BRIEF SKETCH OF JOHN WILLIAM SINCLAIR'S FAMILY
John William Sinclair b. Wick(?), Caithness, Scotland March, 1777. d. Fayette Twp., Hillsdale County, Michigan May 31, 1849. Int. Sunset View Cemetery, Jonesville, Mich. m. Parish of Barony, City of Glasgow, County of Lanark, Scotland Jan. 14, 1803 Mary Graham b. Bolton, Lancashire, England July 21, 1781. d. New York Mills, N.Y. 1867. After the death of her husband, she went to live with her daughter, Agnes Campbell in New York Mills. The December 1850 Michigan census shows her still living in Fayette Twp. with her daughter, Mary Whitten. Int. Glenside Cemetery, New York Mills, N.Y. on Samuel Campbell lot.
John was a weaver and they had eleven children. The first nine were born in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1821, the family emigrated to New York City where they lived for a time. In 1822 they moved to Utica, N.Y. where, over the years, they lived in one or another of the surrounding villages. Their last two children were born here.
The children:
1. James b. Feb. 26, 1804. d. Scotland Oct., 1805.
2. Jane (1806-1827). m. Charles Mclean (1802-1877) in Whitestown, N.Y. Apr. 4, 1825. Lived in New Hartford, N.Y. where he was in the cotton manufacturing business.
3. Mary (1807-1879) m. John Whitten II (1805-1876) in Whitestown, N.Y. Dec. 29, 1824. In 1840 they moved to Fayette Twp., Hillsdale Co., Mich. where he was a farmer.
4. John (1809-1888) m. Elizabeth Chisholm (1810-1871) in New York Mills, N.Y. Dec. 8, 1830. In 1836 they moved to Hillsdale, Mich. where he was a cabinet maker, and later to Fayette Twp. where he was a farmer.
5. Agnes (1811-1905) m. Samuel Campbell (1809-1885) in Whitestown, N.Y. June 27, 1832. He was a cotton manufacturer there.
6. William (1813-1883) m. Melissa Van Hyning (1817-1909) in Akron, Ohio about 1837. About 1848 he and his family moved to Fayette Twp., Hillsdale Co., Mich. where he was a farmer.
7. Elizabeth (1815-1905) m. Noel Merritt Adams (1813-1872) in Oriskany, N.Y. about 1837. In 1857 they moved their family to Iowa where he was a farmer.
8. Janet b. Feb. 17, 1817. d. Utica, N.Y. area Jan. 17, 1823.
9. Margaret (1819-1896) m. Samuel Reyno1ds Taylor (1811-1875) in Oriskany, N.Y. about 1836 or 1837. Shortly thereafter they moved to Oswego, N.Y. where he was a civil engineer.
10. Charlotte (1822-1912) m. Silas W. Purdy (1819-1888) in Oriskany, N.Y. Sept. 30, 1840. They lived in Whitesboro where he was passenger and freight agent for the railroad.
11. Jeannette (1826-1875) m. Simeon B. White (1814-1880) in Fayette Twp., Hillsdale Co., Mich. Dec. 24, 1846. In 1836 she went with her parents to Hillsda1e, Mich. Simeon White had large farm in Fayette Twp.
January 28, 2003
Dear Adrian,
At last I have Col. W. H. Sinclair's military career complete. At least, as complete as I can make it at the present time. I'm still not sure what his duties were as a member of General Stanley's staff. When I consulted "War of the Rebellion Official Records", I noticed that he did a lot of writing, witnessing or whatever of letters, not only of Gen. Stanley's but of quite a few others' as well. The commanding officers couldn't all have been at the same place at the same time. And some of the places had the same date but were fifty miles or more apart. The same was true of all those reports on file under his name at the National Archives. He seemed to be flying back and forth constantly with little time for anything else.
Out of half a dozen books I consulted from the library the book that was of most help I borrowed from my next door neighbor who is a Civil War buff. The book was "The West Point Atlas of the Civil War" which measures 11 x 14 and is some 300 pages. The right hand pages are detailed maps of all the battles and the left hand pages are texts of what was happening as shown by the maps. To be able to see on a map what is described was a big help in understanding Stanley's and Sinclair's movements. I even drew a two foot by three foot map, scale approximate, of Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi for quicker reference and an over-all view, easier than constantly turning pages.
The whole project was fun to do. I just wish that I wasn't in such a hurry to get it done. Anyone who knows the subject better than I do will probably see some inaccuracies. I just hope they aren't too far from the truth.
I don't suppose you've had an inquiries from anyone on the net about John William Sinclair's brother, or about the Tuthill family in Chicago. I got cousin R.R. in Rogers, Arkanas to try his hand at it, but he reports no luck so far.
I will be writing up the Colonel now and typing up the rest of William's line.
Love,
P.S. I notice in my letter of September 5 I referred to the Tuthill family as the Ketcham family which they are. Did you mention both names in your inquiry?
MOVEMENTS OF GENERAL STANLEY, MARCH 1862 TO JUNE 3, 1865
William H. Sinclair's movements in the Civil War, connnencing with the Siege of New Madrid, at which time he joined the staff of Gen. David S. Stanley, as far as I have been able to figure them, were the same as Stanley's, except for the approximately two months from Sept. 15 to early November, 1863 when Stanley fell ill and was out of action. At that time Gen. Robert B. Mitchell took connnand of the Cavalry. I can only assume that Stanley's staff was his, or that it was split among other commanders of smaller units of the Cavalry. Somehow Maj. Sinclair wound up with Stanley again when Stanley took command of a Division in the 4th Army Corps in November, 1863. They were together until l865-66 when the Corps was disbanded and Stanley was mustered out and Sinclair served in the Department of Texas until his mustering out in l867.
Date Place Command Apr 6-7 1862 New Madrid, Tenn. (Siege) Division of the Apr 8 l862 Island No. 10, Tenn. (Battle) Army of the May 8 l862 Farmington, Tenn. (Skirmish) Mississippi May l862 Corinth, Miss. (Siege) " July l862 Clear Creek, Tenn. (Near Shilo) " Sept. 19 1862 Iuka, Miss. (Battle) " Oct 3-4 1862 Corinth, Miss. (Battle) "
Dec 3l-Jan 3 1863 Stone River, Tenn. (Battle) Ch. of Cavalry Jan-May 1863 Murfreesboro, Tenn. "
Jun 26-Jul 4 1863 Tullahoma, Tenn (Battle) " Jun 30 1863 Winchester, Tenn " Jul 1 1863 Winchester, Tenn " Jul 31 1863 Decherd, Tenn " Aug 31 1863 Stevenson, Ala " Sep 6-9 1863 Alpine, Ga (Battle) "
STANLEY TAKEN ILL, SEPT. 15, 1863, OUT OF SERVICE
BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA, GA. SEPT. 18-20, 1863
SINCLAIR HAD TWO HORSES SHOT OUT FROM UNDER HIM AT MCLEMORE'S COVE AND CRAWFISH
SPRINGS ON CHICKAMAUGA CREEK ON THESE DATES. HE WAS AT DECHERD, TENN. IN OCTOBER, 1863.
STANLEY BACK IN SERVICE IN NOV. HEAD OF A DIV. IN 4TH ARMY CORPS
SINCLAIR IN SAME DIVISION.
Nov 3 1863 Winchester, Tenn Div. of 4 Army Corps Nov 20 1863 Murfreesboro, Tenn " Nov 30 1863 Bridgeport, Ala. " Nov-Dec 1863 Bridgeport, Ala. " Jan 1 1864 Bridgeport, Ala. " Jan 1864 Tyner's Station (Chattanooga) " Feb 1864 Blue Springs, Tenn. (Knoxville) " Mar 1864 Blue Springs, Tenn. " Apr 1864 Blue Springs, Tenn. " May 1 1864 Chattanooga, Tenn. " May 1864 Dallas, Ga. " Jun 9 1864 Dallas, Ga. " Jun 1864 Kenesaw Mt., Ga. " Jul 7 1864 Kenesaw Mt., Ga. "
STANLEY PUT IN COMMAND OF 4 ARMY CORPS, JULY 27, 1864
Jul-Aug 30 1864 Atlanta, Ga. (Siege) 4 Army Corps
Aug 3l-Sep 2 1864 Jonesboro, Ga. (Battle) "
Sep 20-30 1864 Atlanta, Ga. (Siege) "
Oct 1-11 1864 Marietta, Ga. "
Oct 12-13 1864 Resaca, Ga. (Battle) Stanley
wounded "
Oct 23 1864 Gaylesville, Ala. "
Oct 31 1864 Chattanooga, Tenn
Nov 10 1864 Nashville, Tenn. "
Nov 29 1864 Spring Hill, Tenn. (Battle) "
Nov 30 1864 Franklin, Tenn. (Battle) Stanley
wounded "
Dec 2-16 1864 Nashville, Tenn. (Battle) Stanley
out of action "
Feb 4 1865 Huntsville, Ala. "
Feb 17 1865 Huntsville, Ala. "
Mar 15 1865 Huntsville, Ala. "
Apr-May 1865 Nashville, Tenn. "
SINCLAIR PROMOTED FROM MAJOR TO LT. COLONEL, MAY 1865
Jun 8 1865 Nashville, Tenn " Jun-Jul 17 1865 New Orleans, La "
Stanley served in the Department of Texas until 1866 when he was mustered out of the volunteer services and reverted to the rank of Colonel of the 22nd U. S. Infantry. He served on the Texas and Montana frontiers and retired in 1892. He died March 13, 1902.
Sinclair served: in the Department of Texas in August, 1865. In October he was in San Antonio. On October 14, 1865 he was appointed Colonel by Brevet in the Volunteer Force for faithful and meritorious service. He was mustered out in 1867 and returned to civilian life.
Military Record of WILLIAM HENRY SINCLAIR
February 11, 2003
Dear Adrian,
I was reading recently in the newspaper about the University of Michigan admissions policy, and the name Van Alstyne jumped out at me. It's rather an uncommon name so I began to wonder whether this man, a lawyer, might be a distant relation of your family, an occupational hazard of the genealogist. I have no planned search on this, it would take too long, just wondered if you might be interested in that branch of your family, or might even be doing research on it. This is just an excerpt about Van Alstyne's involvement from an article that appeared a couple of days ago.
I am finally getting started on typing up the chapter on William Sinclair. I was working on your Uncle Albert gathering information from his discharge papers from the army which will appear in his entry. When I was reminded that he was born in Plattsburg, N.Y., I remembered that your dad spoke a little about the family at Plattsburg when I had that long interview with him. I remembered in particular that he said Gen. Mark Clark's family was a neighbor and that his father, your grandfather, kept in touch with Clark's father over the years. He said that Albert and Mark Clark were born about five days apart. Out of curiosity, I decided to check Albert's birth date. I had 1903, probably given to me by your father or mother. Then I noticed that Albert's discharge paper says 1904. That was when I decided to write you this letter. After I started writing I thought I ought to check with the library on Clark's date. I checked earlier with the dictionary which said 1896. Well, the library also said 1896. I have come to the conclusion that when your father spoke to me, he meant to say there was five years difference in Albert's and Clark's ages. Actually that is off also as there was eight years difference. So I will make corrections accordingly. I can't argue with the discharge paper or the library record.
Guess that's all for now. If it stops snowing long enough, I'll go up to Jackson, Mich. to see if I can locate a HOLLAND who was supposed to have married Nina WHITE, a niece of Col. SINCLAIR, Sr. I shouldn't be doing any more research. Too time consuming and I'm falling behind.
Love,