Macon County GaArchives History - Letters .....Third Letter Of Mary C. Bryan To Aileen B. Massee November 8, 1943 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Meredith Clapper http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00012.html#0002801 November 19, 2005, 5:14 pm Book Title: My comments are in [ ]. Monday, Nov. 8th, 1943 My dear Aileen: I was glad to get your letter this a. m. I have wanted to know the exact date of my grandfather's & my grandmother's deaths, but I had no way of knowing, after our family left Macon County & the bible belonging to Nathan & "Polly" Bryan was burned. In it was recorded births, deaths, marriages , etc of the parents, brothers, sisters & their children for many years back, but I thought very little of these things at that time, or of the Cummings bible, which held the record of the family of "Penelope Pitman Lofley's second husband for generations back. [This should be Penelope Alford Lofley Cummings.] It was a very large bible, substantially bound in natural leather, which had grown almost black with the years. My grandmother [Mary Lofley Bryan] used that. She called it: "my Mother's Bible" & valued very highly. She used to read it aloud to me as she sat on a low seat at the foot of her husband's grave, under that "Tree of Paradise" of which I wrote in my letter. (Incidentally "Starke Young" in his stories of Tennessee & Georgia calls trees like that: "Heaven Trees." His mother was a "Mac Ga Hee" & related to the "McGehees" of Marshallville.) Now to answer your questions to the best of my ability, but you must remember, that my mind, as well as my body is not "what it used to be." 1st My "impression" is, that shortly before Little's death Nathan came to take over the management of the "business" there, because of Little's failing health, but that he did not live in the same house. There was a "stone" inn in connection with the "plantation." It was also a sort of "tavern" or "inn" & a "mill" that served all the region around. Flour was made in that "mill." I am sure of that much. Even in my time, there was a low building, closely ceiled inside, with a top that could be "rolled back" & expose the entire inside to the sun. It was called "the Wheat House" & I was told that after the wheat had been "thrashed," it was put in that place, periodically "stirred" & exposed to the sunlight, till it was ready for the mill. There was a blacksmith shop, and a carpenter shop. Also a family of negros was trained from earliest childhood to work in those places. It must have been a "town" almost in itself & the main road did not go through Marshallville, but by the place, which was known far & wide as "Bryan's Cross Roads." Granfather [Nathan Bryan] once owned the land now known as the "Murph & Baldwin" place. He sold that (or Little did) to a man named "Taylor." (I think he was a doctor) & the "Townsends" bought it from the Taylors. Dr. Townsend, a dentist. He had married Mrs. King, a widow with three children of Era King, later "Timberlake" was the youngest. The others were Tom & John. The Bryans did leave "North Ga" on account of the family health, but I do not know from Which county. Elizabeth [Magruder Bryan-Little’s widow] lived some time after Littles death & Erastus, the youngest of their children lived with her. Serena Potts, sister to Uncle John's wife Elizabeth, came to nurse her in her last illness & after her death married Erastus. Again, my "impression" is that Nathan enlarged his father's house & moved his family into it, while his mother & Erastus lived in a smaller house in the yard of the Big House which, after all, was not so very big as Nathan & Polly believed in buying "Land & Negroes" instead of building & furnishing houses. Until my grandmother's death most of our furniture had been made on the place, bedsteads, chairs, tables, etc. (And how my mother hated it!!) [Amanda Fitzpatrick Bryan] The bed on which each one of her children was born was made of maple. Jim later used it as a packing table for his peaches. The trundle bed that was pulled out from beneath it & in which Bert & I slept till Jim came to take my place in it, was also made on the place. As to the financial arrangements, I know nothing at all. [Bert is Mary’s younger brother so Jim has to be Edgar Coleman Bryan an even younger brother of Mary’s.] 2nd These were just names to me, I heard them or some of them often, but I neither knew nor cared about relationships at that time, but I think "War Mouth Nathan" was a first cousin to my grandfather & that they were not very friendly. [This is Nathan Bryan b. 1820 Greene Co., GA died bef. 13 Dec 1867 Sumter Co., GA. He was the son of Jesse Bryan—Little’s younger brother.] 3rd & 4th I do not know. 5th Winnifred married Bluwitt McCarty & they lived quite near each other (the families I mean). [Nathan’s sister, Winnie Bryan McCarty born c. 1823-died c. 1865 m. Wm Bluett McCarty c. 1838 Macon Co., GA]. Elisabeth McCarty was my father's age & my mother said very much in love with him. She had marvellous golden hair. She married a man named Reynolds & raised a large family. [Mary Elizabeth McCarty b. Nov 1845, m. Thomas Reynolds 18 Apr 1865 Macon Co., GA and she died 1910-1920 possibly Turner Co., GA]. Emily married a man named Winn. He overseeing for my father, at that time & the two of them ran away to get married. [Actually, I don’t think they did run away. John L. Bryan as Justice of the Peace signed their wedding certificate. 19 Oct 1871 Macon Co., GA. Winfrey Lockett Wynn Feb 1844-1917 and Amarintha Emily McCarty Sept 1850-4 Jan 1930.] Rebecca married Chester Allen, who died leaving only one child Chester Allen, Jr. She later married again & there were other children. [Rebecca McCarty b. 1856 widow is living with her brother Millard F. McCarty on 1880 Houston Co., GA census. I can’t find her after that.] Eliza who was known as "Dinkie" was the youngest of the girls married, but I forget whom. [Ann Eliza McCarty b. Jul 1858 m. Thomas A. Kendrick 21 Dec 1880 Macon Co., GA. She died aft. 1920 possibly in Turner Co., GA.] Little was the oldest of the children that I knew. [Little McCarty 1843- 1900.] Here’s those of the older McCarty boys are buried in the cemetery at home. Greene died before the war, William and Madison died in battle & are buried side by side, but not near Greenes grave. Their bodies were brought home from the battlefield. [Greene doesn’t show up on a census at all. Wm A. McCarty born c. 1839-8 May 1862 McDowell, Highland Co., VA. James Madison McCarty born c. 1842 d. 27 Sep 1861 Camp Bartow, Greenbrier River, Greenbrier Co., WV.] Pink younger than Little married one Mollie Evans & lived in Dooly Co. He was a frequent visitor at our house & Cousin Mollie was a great friend of my mother's. [Pinkney Demetris McCarty b. Feb 1848-19 Mar 1933 & wife Mollie Evans b. Sep 1844- 1900-1903]. Then there were Stuart, Monty & Phillip. The last named was only a few years older than I. His mother died in giving birth to her next child, who also died, but was buried (mother & child) in the McCarty garden. As at that time Blewitt & Nathan had fallen out. That started the graveyard over there. [Charles Stewart McCarty 1852-1913, Monty Is Millard F. McCarty born c. 1854 & died after 1881, & Phillip McCarty born c. 1864 & died before Dec 1898.] Little McCarty married Hattie Clark of Clarks Mills Crawford Co. [Harriet E. Clark 1842-1915]. Later Uncle John married Hattie's sister, Myra Clark [Almira Jackson Clark 1843-1906] & Stewart married a third Clark girl Carrie [1862- 1899]. If I remember aright, both Philip & Monty (I think his name was Freemont) died unmarried. [Millard F. McCarty m. 22 Apr 1881 Houston Co., GA Susan J. Gaddy & Phillip m. Isabella F. Powell 14 Dec 1886 Crawford Co., GA and had 4 children. I can’t find Monty & Susan after their 1881 marriage.] After Aunt Winnie's death, her husband married Margaret Bowman. Little & his father sold out to Major Neal & moved to Crawford Co. when I was about ten, but I often visited Uncle Blewett & Aunt Margaret who made me feel most welcome. Philip, Bert & I were the best of friends & Philip took care of his step mother, as long as she lived. [Margaret Ellen Bowman McCarty b. 1848 d. 16 May 1901]. 6th Amelia Boddie was my grather's sister. My grandmother often spoke of Meely Boddie & of her family. She, Meely, & five other Boddies were buried in an inclosure inside the old graveyard that inclosure with its six graves stood there even after Jim took over, but it finally fell down & was not replaced. [Amelia H. Bryan born 1820-1825 m. Alsa Bodie around 1838-1839. Alsa Bodie b. 2 Oct 1817 Edgefield Dist., SC d. before 1850 as did Amelia.] Another sister of Nathan's married a man named Hill and lived on the other side of the river, beyond Reynolds. I do not remember her name, but she came to our house once with Aunt Susan & brought a daughter about Lula Massee's age, who was named Minnie. That's all I know about her. [This is in error. Nathan didn’t have a sister who married a Hill. He did have a niece, Martha Bryan dau of Magruder Bryan that married Caleb Freeman Hill and they had a daughter Minnie.] Still another married one of Mary Lofley's half brothers, a man named Cummings. [Mary Bryan m. James Warburton Cummings 30 Mar 1837 Houston Co., GA] Both died early, leaving one son, James, who was just my father's age & who was brought up by Nathan & his wife in their own family as my grandfather was his guardian. Papa was deeply devoted to Jim as long as he lived. Jim outlived him. It seems that Jim's father left him a good deal of property, which was turned over to him, when he became of age. He soon ran through with it (my grandmother's words) & married a girl of whom she deeply disapproved [Irene Gassett m. James Washington Gray Cummings 23 Sept 1858 Macon Co., GA. James W G Cummings 1839-1905 & Irene W. Gassett 1843-1913.] Cousin Jim came to see us just about once a year. He had a large family. They lived kinda from hand to mouth. We children loved Cousin Jim's visit & loved to listen to him & papa talk of their youthful escapades. He never stayed long, nor would he ever accept any financial aid from my father. His wife was a "Gassett." She outlived him by a good many years. His oldest daughter was named for my grandmother & one son was named Jasper. He always spoke very tenderly of Uncle Nathan & Aunt Polly. That accounts for three of Little's daughter & Nathan's sisters. There were others, I dimly remember visits from, but their names have gone from me. The family seems to have been very prolific. There are a great many Bryans in Columbia, SC. When Berta lived there, she said to one of them, "My name was Bryan before I married." [Joe Berta Bryan Weaver] The lady replied, indifferently & in a sort of bored way, "Oh, I know, the woods are full of them." There were two maiden ladies of an uncertain age who kept the P. O. at Indian Springs. I got my mail from them. They asked me a great many many questions. Their mother was a Bryan and related to Dr. Bryan who once had a sanitarium there. Their names was Colier. They wrote out & gave me a long genealogy, but did not take the time & effort to decipher their spidery & intricate hand writing, nor did I keep the paper. Which, I have regretted many times since. Charles Carson's wife's grandfather was named Philemon. I have wondered if he were not the Phil Bryan by whom some of the letters kept by Nathan was written & which came from that part of Florida in which Philemon lived & died. I have already written you the last address I had of Virginia. Bert's is: Col. B. N. Bryan 014741 Post Finance Office, Fort Lewis, Washington. He helped move the Japanese from the West Coast into the interior. He sent me some letters written to him by some young Japs, graduates of Western Universities, thanking him for his kindness & consideration at that trying time. He seemed quite concerned over Virginia's health, the last I heard from him. (Oct 18th). Edgar is John's son. He was only eighteen months old, when John died, at the age of twenty-one that was in March, 1901. His wife, who was Mary Bossen, married twice after John's death. She, too, died several years ago. [John Calhoun Bryan 1880-1903 Was the writer’s youngest brother.] I have often wondered about Tommy Drew Jr. He was such a handsome & well behaved little youngster, the last time I saw him. His wife & baby were with you once when I saw you at Conrads. [Aileen’s son Tommy Drew Massee, Jr. 1904- 2002] I see very little of Conrad & Pearlie now. I am not able to walk. Neither are they & gas lines etc or rather the lack of them, keeps us at home. However we have many many things for which to be deeply grateful. It is marvellous to me, to think of all the work you have put upon this matter. I sincerely trust, you will equally successful with the Taylor family. I think I told you some years ago, that before Pat married & while Mamma lived at home, a granddaughter of one of Mary Lofley's half-sisters came to visit the old place & my mother gave the old Cummings bible to her. It was an old old book, but substantial & marvellously preserved. I'd give a good deal to own it now. With love your cousin, Mary C. Bryan File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/macon/history/letters/thirdlet271ms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 13.8 Kb