Coryell County Texas Archives History - Letters .....Jahn, Martha Jane Grimes 1862 1862 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/txfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Virginia Crilley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00003.html#0000642 January 31, 2008, 3:01 pm Martha Jane Grimes married William T. Jahn June 1, 1859 in Coryell County. (Marriage Bk A) She was born 31 Mar 1842 in Austin Co, TX, the daughter of Frederick M. and Elmira Susan Farley Grimes. She married 1 June 1859 Coryell Co, TX to William T. Jahn. Martha died 23 June 1866 in Hempstead, Waller Co, TX. She died in childbirth, and left a son, Willie, born ca 1860. William T. Jahn served in the Texas Cavalry, Co. C. Waller's Regiment. Sept 25, 1862 Dear Parent I again seat myself to rite you a few lines to let you know that I came homesafe. I landed here today found all well and adoing well. Tuffly has not taken the mare yet. Hank got her and kept her at his house for fear that he would. Uncle Bill Sapp has that coffee I expect for Polk said that he put a whole rack on his wagon to take off with him and expect it was for you, so you had better come and get it. [Martha Ann Grimes, daughter of George and Dicey Grimes married William Jasper Lafayette Sap in Austin Co Dec 10, 1846. She would have been this Martha'aunt] No news here now. They have not had any fighting at Virginia Point yet, but expect a fight Galveston tomorrow for General Hebert [Brig. Gen. Paul O. Hébert, commanding the Confederate District of Texas]come up this evening on the train and said it was so. [http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qeg01 ] NOTE: Mattie's letter is just before the Oct 4, 1862 Union blockage and demand for surrender. Maj. Gen. John Bankhead Magruder replaced Hébert in the fall of 1862. I will rite to you in a few days when I hear how it came off. Wallers mess they say are ordered there. If so I will get to see William soon. Will talks a great deal of Sissie Mira and the baby. [Their son was probably born in the fall of 1860, if he was talking. Annie, the baby, was born Sept 14, 1862, so Martha must have gone home to help her mother.] I must come to a close. Write soon. They all send their love to you all. Write soon as you get this from your daughter, Martha. Tell Pa not to forget as soon as he gets home. M.J. ========================== Hempstead Tex Feb 15, 1863 — Dear Parents, I afford myself the present of opportunity of writing you a few lines which leave all well hoping these few lines may find you enjoying the same like blessings of life. I received a letter from Thomas [brother] yesterday. He was well. He stated in his letter that there was four vessels in sight, but they were fortifying Galveston. That if they were to make an attack they would be defeated again. Frank is agoing to start to Louisiana in a few days. He is a going back to Waller's battalion. [not sure who Frank is] Uncle William Sapp had that coffee, but sold and used it all up, so you may not depend on him for any for he has not got any. He had a whole sack when I wrote to you about it, but since that he has made use of it all. I have not spun any yet for I am making 2 dollars and half a day by sewing. There is plenty of work here to do for the soldiers. I have been making sacks for the commissary this week there is ten thousand to make yet. The connection are all well as far as I know. I must close. Write as soon as you get this. Mattie Jahn P.S. I received your letter a few days ago and was glad to hear from you. Look in the office at Perry and get them letters from William and send them to me. [Perhaps she was back with her family in Jan 1863 and her husband had written her there] Goodby. Write soon. M. Jahn They all join in with me in sending their love to you all. M.Jahn April 14, 1864 Hempstead Dear Parents, I seat myself to write you a few lines to let you know how I am getting along. I am very lonesome. William is gone to La. They have had a terrible battle. There was lost sixteen hundred men and taken two thousand prisoners. We have lost several great men. News come this morning that General Tom Grem was dead. I am so uneasy I have not heard a word from Bill since he left which was on the 19 of March. I will try and come up the last of May if I can. Mrs. Jerry Cloud wants to come with me if we can get a buggy. I don't know whether we can get one or not, so don't look for us until you see us coming. I have nothing interesting to write. Times are dull. Nothing lively going on. All the talk is war, war. When will this awful strife be over when what few men are left can come home and live in peace. I must close. The train will soon be here. This leaves all well, hoping it may find yourselves and children in the same health. Write soon, my love to all. Write without fail to you daughter, Mattie Jahn Austin Co. Texas Sept 30, 1866 : Mrs. Grimes, ^ I received your letter a few days--ago. I was very much grieved and surprised when I heard you had not heard of Martha's death until Thomas wrote for Mrs. Sapp promised me the day Martha was, buried to write to you all about it and I thought you had heard all about it. I was very sorry when I found you had never heard any of the particulars of your poor child's death. She was sick fourteen days. She died June 23. She suffered a great deal during her sickness. She had inflammation of the bowels so the doctors said. We had three of the best doctors in the place and we all-did everything in our power to save her but we could not. Her baby was born the day before she died. It was a seven month's child and a little girl. It was born about 4 o'clock on Friday evening and lived until ten the next morning and Martha died that night at seven o'clock. She was not in her right mind all day. The day she died she did not say anything about dying. She died very easy. She had been very restless all day. Her Aunt Martha [Sapp] and her Aunt Grimes [married to W.C. Grimes?] were there all day,but she did not know them. In the evening we changed her clothes. After that she went off in a heavy sleep and never awoke any more. She was buried in her wedding dress and the ring you gave her. She always said she wanted to be buried with it. She and the baby were both laid in one coffin. None of her kinfolks were with her but Mrs. Sapp and Mrs. Grimes. We sent word to them three times, but they never got the word. We would have written to Thomas and Samuel,[brothers of Mattie, also serving in War] but we thought they were gone to La. We all miss our poor Martha. She was a kind sister to me. We all loved her dearly. I think sometimes that it cannot be possible that she is taken from us forever. It seems like she is gone off on a visit somewhere and when night comes, I cannot help looking for her to come home but we ought not to grieve after her. She has gone from this troublesome world. We will send you the things you wrote for by Samuel if he comes by our house. If he does not, we will send them the first chance we see. We have all been sick with the chills and fever but are allwell again, but Ma and myself. We are staying at Mr. Lloyd's now. We left town on account of the yellow fever. There has been some cases there in the hospital. It has not got bad there,but Mr. Lloyd would have us to come out here. There is a great deal of sickness here this year. I saw Margaret Bell [Grimes married to James Bell] last Sunday. Her mother's family is well. There is no news here for me to write. I heard from William and Frank last week. William had been sick, but was better. You wrote you would take Willie if William was willing. I will write to him about it. Willie is well. He says tell his grandma and grandpa howdy for him. Ma sends her kindest regards to you, Mr. Grimes and the children. You will please excuse this badly written letter for I feel so sick I can hardly sit up and it will soon be time for my chill to come on. Give my best respect to Mr. Grimes and the children and all inquiring friends. Write to us again soon. We will always be glad to hear from you. I will close, from your friend, Mollie Jahn ======================= White Oaks, New Mexico March the 24, 18? Mr. F.M. Grimes, Esq. Blooming Grove, Texas My Dear Grandfather and mother, [F.M. died Dec 9 1889; Elmira 8/19/1889] I have at last found out your P.O. I have been trying for some time to find you address. Mr. Collier returned last night and told me where you lived. I have been out West so long and have not much edgication. I don't know how to write to you. I have ben out West ever since I was a boy of 13 years old. I guess you have not forgotten me. At least I hope you have not. Well, I will tell you something about this country. It is mining country and no very rough high mountains all around. We have 3 gold mills hear and several mines at work in our little town. It is very healey (hilly) out here. I would like to see you both, but I am trying to improve my ranch and work in the mines at the same time. And it takes all I can do to make a living. Everything is so very high out hear. Well, I will tell you the business, Mr. Collier was on when he was down there. I have several letters from different parties at several places in the State of Texas telling me that I was left some money and I sent him down there to find out where it was and what it was and if there was anything at all in it or not and to try and get it for me and I have heard he went to you about it and I was afraid he would make you mad and you would think I was trying to get your property that you both had worked for, but it is not so. I did not know that you all was living. I have been told that you were both dead, but I am so glad to know it is not so. Mr. Collier tells me you both are well and healthy and doing well, so don't think that all I wanted was your property that you had worked for. I would love the best in the world to see you and talk with you. I could tell yo more in one hour than I can write in a week. You must not think hard of me for not writing sooner for I did not know your address. I will try and come to see you sometime. I have received 3 letters from my Aunt Mrs. E.S. Day. [Mina] She is such a loving Aunt. I have fallen in love with her from her letters. I know she is good and kind to everybody. I know she is like my mother. I cannot remember her although she dose me well. I will close, hoping this will be welcome. Write me by return mail for I am so anxious to hear from you both. My love to you both, your Grandson, Wm. F. Jahn [Note: Fred Acree papers mention that Willie Jahn came to Horse Creek area,Coryell Co, later and then sold that land ca 1891 and moved to S. Tex, then to McGregor area 1893, then to Colorado & on to the Klondike. Earl Grimes said he went to Colorado and worked in mines, going blind there. When he was a young man, he worked on his Uncle Fred's Ranch, Navarro County. ] From Mina's letter dated: Sept. 14, 1890 "I am sorry to tell you Willie has moved. He left,headed for [New] Mexico but there is no telling where he will stop. They have been gone for two weeks and I have not heard a word from them since they got to the Grove. Matt sold him two mules and Mr. Day the wagon and the next morning he was off only 2 days time was gone before we could hardly realize he was going to leave what he did not take he left in the house did not seem to think much about the loss of leaving them so they will be hard to dispose of I brought them to my house we sold some things the day he left and that seems like all we can sell." (Perhaps part of F.M.'s estate land went to him) July 29,1888 Mr. F.M. Grimes [Could be either F.M. I or F.M. II - both living in Blooming Grove at that date] Dear Sir, I have been waiting to hear from Billy Jahn. I find I cannot so I will answer you. How many brothers and sisters did or has your father got and what are their names. The gentleman I spoke of is named John Keef. The lady is Harriet Perry. I saw one of Mrs.Day's letters to Billy Jahn while he was here. Also Mrs. Day's photograph. Great Mary thought her and I favored. I do not know when my father came to Texas, but those two gentlemen that were killed were his cousins. My father had two sisters and one brother older than him, one half brother or sister younger. I don't know his stepfather's name. My father at home (Tennessee) was called little Billy. I will try to find out where Billy Jahn is and let you know. He left here in April. I hope you will have some information in your next letter. Write soon, yours respectfully, Lula Thompson [Not sure the relationship] NOTE: Via Ancestry found that Wm F. Jahn married Lula Luellen Graham in 1901. They are in Arizona (Pirtleville, Cochise) in 1910; Osbron, Maricopa, Arizona in 1920; Laveen Maricopa, Arizona in 1930. Died Oct 27, 1944 in Lost Angeles, CA. His death certificate provides mother's maiden name as Grimes. 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