Meriwether/Walton County Georgia Historical Letter - Sentell family File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Debra Allen" Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/meriwether.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm Letter from George Washington Sentell To Edward W. Sentell New Orleans, La. November 22, 1880 E. W. Sentell, Esq., Solus, New York. Dear sir: Your appreciative favor of the 12th inst. came to hand a few days since. I was truly glad to hear from you and the history of your part or branch of our family. I am not familiar enough with my ancestors to trace it back further than to my grandfather, and really I am ashamed of my apparent indifference heretofore about it. My father, who died in 1858, doubtless could have enlightened us more, had I taken the trouble to and should have done, and now I am quite anxious to trace back several generations, but am forced to seek such information from you or some other source outside my immediate family. Your letter is, indeed interesting and a great source of information to me, and I shall endeavor to give you a history of my family as well as I can, and I hope you will write me again, giving me additional information, after I have given you all I know. As stated in my letter to Mrs. Seaman, I learned from my father that Grandfather and a brother of his were in the Revolutionary War together and after which, the brother went up North and Grandfather Samuel Sentell (who was only 16 years of age, when he enlisted) after the war married a Miss Stephens and settled in Spartanburg District, South Carolina, and raised six sons, namely, William, Samuel, Nathan, John, Britian and Martin and four (4) daughters, Elizabeth, (who married Ingram Love,) Sarah, (who married Andrew Griffin), Heaty (who married E. G. Reynolds, afterwards was a Methodist Minister of ability). Grandfather and the whole family moved to Georgia. (Afterwards L. Carden moved to Tennessee) Wm. Sentell raised a good large family and remained in Georgia and Alabama. Uncle Samuel was living in Alabams, (sic) near Tulidea (sic) and raised a large family that is scattered from Ala. to Texas. Uncle Nathan died before I can remember, leaving only a son and daughter, John was my father, raised seven sons, Samuel George W., (myself) John, Henry, William, Nathan, and James. (My eldest brother, Samuel is a bachelor,) (I married a Miss Dickson, December 27, 1853). John married but left no children, wehn (sic) he died in 1873. Henry married and is living near Jefferson, Texas, where my father died; the balance of my brothers are all deceased (lost two in the unfortunate war) and three daughters, Caroline, Elizabeth, and Jane. My sisters, the last named, are living, one in Tennessee, near Memphis, and other in Texas. Uncle Britian raised a small family and died in DeKalb Co., Ga. Uncle Martin died in Walton Co., Ga. leaving two sons and two daughters. I remember having seen my grandfather in Walton Co., G., (sic) where I was born, also all my uncles except Nathan, and Father has a cousin, Joseph Sentell, who lived near and owned the Mussle (sic) Sholls (sic) on the Chatohoochie (sic) River, Ga. He visited my father, while he lived in Walton Co, Ga. Father moved from Walton Co., Ga., in 1835 when I was but a small child, yet I remember occurences (sic) as vividly, or perhaps more so, that took place in Ga. than in a few years past and I am of the opinion after reading your letter that Cousin Joseph of Mussle (sic) Sholls, (sic) Ga., may be the Joseph, of whom you write. He was about my father’s age. My father was born in the year of 1793. I have never corresponded with any of Cousin Joseph Sentell’s family. They all remained in Georgia. Father moved from Walton County, Ga. to Marshall Co., Miss., where I was raised. While a beardless boy in the winter of 1846, I left my father and moved to Bossier Parish, Louisiana, where I engaged in the mercantile business with a success and in Nov. 1860 I opened a cotton factory and commission business in this city under the name and style of Sentell and Prathur. Bro. John took charge of my planting interest (having been raised on a farm, I always kept an interest in a plantation),. Thus you see I commenced business in this city at an unpropitious time, the war coming on soon afterwards and my money, or much of it, being advanced to our customers, patrons, I was of course, my losses in consequence of the war were great, but I continued planting, merchandising, and carried on the cotton factory and when we reopened and continued until 1869. Mr. Prathur retired and the business was conducted under the name and style of G. W. Sentell & Co. B. Conyers being the Co., until 1874, B. Conyers retired, when Bro, Nathan W. became nominally my partner under the same name and style, until he died in 1878. Since then there has not been any Co., I have six (6) children and reside in this city during the winter and spring and spend my summers at my old home at Collinsburg, Bossier Parish, Louisiana. After the war I saw several persons that had met Major Sentell of the Union Army, among them, Capt. Haze, owner of the steamboat called Starlight, the boat being captured by Maj. Sentell or a portion of his regiment or brigade. Capt. Haze spoke in the terms of Maj. Sentell. Besides as I stated in my former letter, a young man by my name called to see me and I visited his mother, then a widow living in the southern part of our city. I learned but little of the family from her or her sons, though I learned from them that Maj. Sentell was a cousin and I wrote him at the P.O. given me by them, but my letter was returned to me through the Dead Letter Office. I have learned however that the name of the father of these two boys, that I visited, was Charles Sentell, he having died before the late war. I have visited New York in making my purchases for my mercantile business and should I visit that city again shall take great pleasure in calling on your daughter in Brooklyn, or if I could would pay you a visit, but would it not be better for you to revisit our city and examine your work done fifty years ago. I have frequently travelled (sic) over the road you built. Our city is quite different now, or rather many changes have taken place since you were at my resident,(sic) where I am now writing this unintelligible scrawl. This spot was in the middle of a good large sugar plantation when you left and even ten or fifteen years afterward. I should be delighted to have you spend some time with me and family. Our winters are quite pleasant and in fact our summers are also. I spent only one summer here, however it was quite pleasant. Can’t you induce some of your family to move to this city or the South? Our climate is temperate and pleasant and our lands good. The southern people are liberal, warmhearted, generous people, and when northern or other emigrants of the flacy (sic) of the statements made by adventurers that came south immediately after the war to plunder, of course, the cold shoulder was turned to such adventurers. I am satisfied we are of the same family from the fact as stated in your letter, we spell and accent our name alike, and I hope you can give me additional information. I have ever been of the impression that we are of French origion, (sic) although some persons say, to be a (sic)French we should spell our name thus, Sentelle. I am sorry I failed to inquire of my father to give the history of our family, which he would and could have done. Yet he may not have traced it as far back as I would wish. My father moved from Miss. to Harrison Co., Texas near Jefferson, in 1851. My family all unite with me in sending best wishes to you and family, also your niece, Mrs. Seamen and husband. Hoping to hear from you again soon. Affectionately yours, George Washington Sentell ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for FREE access. ==============