Contributed by Leah ???? ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Our ancestors are our ancestors, and while they certainly are our "kin" - we are not their keepers.... I have a 3gr grandfather who murdered his brother (which is why he moved from AL and settled in Union Parish, LA!). That was his life and I claim no responsibility nor shame for anything he did. I respect that he lived in his times and did whatever he might have done for his own reasons, which I have no right to second guess. I can only trust that he was trying to do the best he could at any given time or circumstance and be grateful that he lived, else I and my family wouldn't be here! I just hope my own descendants grant me the same grace! As for personal ties to Union Parish - I have been there once. I made a trip this past May looking for my COLE roots. Isaac COLE (mentioned above!) did, indeed, murder his brother while living in Tuscaloosa Co, AL. "Tradition" says (and there are three different stories!) brother David was supervising a slave in making a vat of lye soap. David for some reason began to beat on the slave, Isaac intervened to stop him. One story has Isaac pushing David into the vat of lye; one story has David pushing the slave into the lye and Isaac shotting David on the spot; one story has David pushing the slave into the lye, Isaac beating him up, David going to Isaac's home a day or so later "gunning" for him and Isaac shotting David in self-defense. Am trying to track down the court records and old newspapers - to no avail yet. Isaac was acquitted but he took his family (and David's widow and minor children) to AR for a brief time before settling to Union Parish. I hunted for the old "Cole Place" outside of Farmerville. The "Cole-Pryor Cemetery" is supposed to contain less than 12 graves of these two families and was located near the old homestead. Knocked on doors of total strangers - looking like a bedraggled waive - or even scalawag up to no good! - and was invited into people's homes! People phoned people who called other people - all trying to help me locate this lost site. Ended up "go on down the road past my place a ways until you come to the timber road. Now it's not really a road, the lumber company just uses it for hauling. Go down that road until you come to the gas line road. Go down that a ways and the old Cole place is off to your left about a quarter of a mile. The place is gone now but you'll recognize it because it's planted in young trees....." About three hours later, with the sun beginning to set and the rains beginning to start, I stood in the middle of Lord only knows where (not having been certain whether this kind gentleman meant go down a little "ways" or a long "ways"!). I suddenly realized that being basically a city gal I wasn't sure I'd know a young tree from an old one! About the same time I heard an increase in the noise coming from what I had already determined in my own mind to be a still, and I thought it the better part of wisdom to find my car (SUV type!) that I had abandoned where the timber road met the gas road, quite convinced it wouldn't make it any further, while I had gone on on foot. Thus ended my journey through who knows where. I turned and headed "out" - regalled in the requisite southern "lady's" wide brim hat PLUS a tree limb I had used as a walking stick and "bush beater" as I sang and made lots of noise to chase away anything that might have been lurking/slithering in the area, tennies soaking from the mud puddles, and continuing to watch out for the foot high ant hills I kept encountering!!! And thus ends my only personal encounter with Union Parish!!! - But I ever will remember primarily the graciousness and kindness of the people there! I already have a offer to take me "first hand and personally" to the site the next time I'm there - a trip I'm hoping to repeat this summer! # # #