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IMG_1559

Bennett Mo, Feb 2, 1933

Dear Ezra: I will try to answer your letter this morning. We were pleased to hear from you also to hear of your mother’s being in better health. I suppose you do miss Margaret since her leaving for California. Well we are getting along very well for old people considering the hard times. Lee being with us doing the farm work. We have begun to try to build a house down in the mouth of the hollow northwest of the old one; getting off the hill being tired climbing it. We have the lumber on the site and the basement about finished a four roomed house and basement 26 by 28 feet, porch in front facing the road.

Our daughter Edna and her husband are here with us. They have two children Wilton 3 years of age and Doris Jane 7 months. They are aiming to build them a house in the field facing the mouth of the cave which they mean to light up with a Delcore light; they have their lumber ready also.

Ezra, your great grandfather John C Lewis was a native of North Carolina and was a pioneer of Cane Creek, Hickman County, Tenn. He was a slave owner; had much land and was a very rich man for that day. He owned 12 negros.

Your grandfather JC was “well off” until the civil impoverished him. He owned 3 good farms in Fulton County, Arkansas. Two of these farms he sold for confederate money which was worthless when the war closed. Your grandfather volunteered at Salem, Fulton County, Ark., I suppose in 1861, was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh April 6, 1862. This was his 38th birth day. He was in the front line of the skirmishers that morning. You see the confederates surprised Grant’s army that morning and drove the Yanks off the field, but while doing that your grandfather was struck in the right side with an ounce of lead. The bullet was cut out at his back. He was reported killed on the field of battle. My mother and family knew no better until he came to our house in the fall 1862 at night when we were in bed. He called at the gate and asked if the Widow Lewis lived there. Sister Docia heard him and said “That is Pap”. We children called him that. You can imagine what a meeting that was in that little family: the parents and five children: Docia, Bettie, Caroline, John and Jim. Just three left of these now. Your grandpa’s commanding officer was General Hardee, his captain was Captain Baber.

Well I suppose I might as well quit. I have done such a shabby job writing this much. I am so nervous I can hardly write.

Any how you and Elsie must come to see sometime this summer or fall.

Love to you both

Your Uncle Jim

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