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From "A Pioneer Courtship" by Hazel Reid Gennett: "When my grandfather was a young man, he was the member of the family who was always chosen to take the grain to the mill to be ground into flour, and corn meal and chick feed. He always took two horses, one on which he rode and the other, which carried the sacks of wheat and corn to be ground. He would start early in the morning, and ride through the woods all day until he finally arrived at the grist mill of Jacob Goodlander, situated on Lick Creek near Connersville, Indiana. After customary greetings and hand-shaking were over, the business of grinding the grain would begin. "Now Miller Goodlander...had a large family of sons and daughters, so it was small wonder that Grandfather didn't need much urging to go to the mill, for he always enjoyed himself thoroughly with the Goodlander children, particularly one beautiful daughter called Hannah, ten years younger than he. She it was whom he always favored, she no doubt being a coquette and leading him on.... "Early the next morning after eating a hearty pioneer breakfast, Grandfather would load the sacks of flour and cornmeal and feed, onto his pack-horse, with much giggling and very little help from seventeen year old Hannah, jump astride the other horse and away he would start down the road through the woods toward home, turn to wave farewell to Hannah until he could see her no more.

"A year or so later while Hannah was visiting at the home of a friend, one night all the young folk from miles around were invited to an infair held in her honor. When Grandfather arrived and Hannah saw him, she hid and she stayed hidden until her hostess routed her out and pulled her into the crowd of happy youngsters. Her embarrassment soon vanished, of course, and what fun they did have, pulling maple taffy, popping corn, dancing, and playing all the happy games of those times.

"When it came time for Grandfather to leave for home, he went out to his horse and was about to jump astride it when he heard a strange noise. He stopped the animals to listen, the started to walk in the direction of the sound for he wanted no trouble with wild animals while riding through the woods at night. Suddenly, he saw Hanna running down the lane, and he took after her immediately. You can imagine the rest. Grandfather caught her of course, and held her in his arms and kissed her and it was then and there that they plighted their troth.

"...[They] settled in the old home to live for many happy prosperous years, raising a large family of fifteen children, also three of their grandchildren and one orphan boy whom no one else wanted."

Letter, Postmarked Mt. Etna, Ind, Jan 25, addressed to Miss Elizabeth Kelley, West Florence: "January 30, 1864/ Dear Niece i receved you letter and was glad to know that you was all in good health i would have wrote to you before this but Sickness prevented me from it i was taken Sick the second week in August and was Cofined to my bed for two bed for too month my disease was Neuralza and fectation of the Liver i was so nerves i Could not write we had poor Corn Crops in this Country unaccount of the dry weather and early frost in the fall we did not have much new Corn but we did have about a thousand bushel of Old and can get a Dollar a bushel for it at the Crib i do not know what this Country will Come to unaccount of politics it Causes gard thought betwixt Neibors and also Connetion their is some of the Republican girls told the young gentleman they would rather marry a nigar than a butternut they Republican and Democrats sociates but very littel to gether in this Neighberhood we have not heard from Brother Phillip and Samuel since last summer Phillip and his Wife come and paid us a visit ot i gess we would not have heard from them Jacob Heaston and family is well Dear Niece when you and that young gentleman you spoke in your letters Joins heart and hand i think you Can afford to spend your bridal in this Country if you make as large a wedding as we was at last Summer you will have Somting to do their was Six hunderd peoppel at the wedding one hundred Could sit at the tabel at a time they had a splended tabel every thing that Could be mention was on it and their was plenty for all they had the brass band from Huntington and plaid it while they wish much joy tell Wille Campbell we wish him happiness and good luck in his Choise we want him to bring his Wife and pay us a visit O how glad i would be to see you all but i fear that would never be in this world but i trust we may all meet in the world to Come

"Dear Niece with a hart full of sorrow i state to you that your Uncle Gorge Kelley is no mor he Died the fourth day of this month his disease was loung fever he was sick five days Susan and the Children is well and intend to stay on the far Susan is a Criple in one had it was Caused by a Cut and got Cold in it we send our Love to you all no mo at this time i remain your/ affectionate Aunt/ Esther McGlinn"

Letter, addressed to Elizabeth Kelley: "Gen Hosp Ft Smith/ Feb 22nd 1864/ Dear Cousin/ I embrace this evening to --- you a few lines to let you know that I am getting along about as well as could be expected under existing circumstances last friday I recived a letter from you containing your mineature for which I am very thankful and know how to appreciate it. I am still in the Hosp with no prospect of leaveing soon. "there is not much to write about here at present I do not think our Battery will join in another campaign as our time will soon be out. and many of the boys have dansed [?] the "Vetran corpse" they would not accept me hence I can fight no more only on my own back which I think I will do while the war lasts can you send me the mineatures of your brothers and sisters let me know what it will cost and I will send the money for them I am getting all the mineatures of my connection (Goodlander) that will let me have them I alredy have quite a number and I intend to have them all framed any of my friends can have mine that want it

"I am well treated by the Ft Smith Laddies that are acquainted with me among my residence here Some of them I hall always remember with feelings of gratitude

"it is getting late and will quit writing so good night Cousins./ WHH Goodlander/ Ft Smith Ark/ Via General Hosp

"you must tell me in your next what my cousins are doing they dont write to me/H"

Letter, Postmarked Louisville, Ky, May 28, addressed to Miss Elisabeth Kelley: "Frankling, Pendleton Co., Virginia/ May the 18 Sunday morning Nice and Clear and looks like living in virginia Well liza i thought that I would drop you a few lines to inform you that I am still a live yet and am injoying good helth and i hope that when these fiew Scribled lins coms to hand that they may find you and all of the friends enjoying the same blessing oure Camp contains 27 regiments of infantry and a bought 15 hundred Calvary and Sixty Some Odd large cannons and in all they is a bought 25 thousand Soldiers and ever thing Seams lively you cant step out of the tent but what you can hear Some grand musick they are all in good Spirits bee cause they think that the wore is gowing to bee over by the forth of July but i think not i have --- my time set for the war to bee over and that is august pice may be declared bee fore that time but we will not be Discharged bee fore that time if we do then all though it was chearing nose that came to camp yesturday that was that richmond was in our hands and that they was 80 thousand of the rebels had threw ther arms down and Swore that they would not fight a gin the goverment but i dont bee live it a tall I think that it is jest a camp rumer if i knew that it was So i might Say to that the wor will be over a gin the forth of July

"I roat Matilda a letter Since the battle but i dont know whather She will git it or not but I Surpose that the papers tells all a bought it but i will venture to say that hail never fell faster than bullets whised a round my head for three hours and a half but as good look wood have it none hit me but they come as clost as i want them to a gain the Second load that i shot out of my gone i looked round to my letf and there i sean an man kaying bye my Side dead he was the first man that i ever Sean killed on the battle field the next thing that i Sean was one Shot he wasant dead yet but he could not walk and the next one that i Sean was cap Harris Shot in the arm right bye my side and then i bee gin to think maby the next will bee my self"

Letter, Postmarked Lagro (?) Ind, Feb 17, addressed to Elizabeth Kelley: "Sept the 12 1866/ Dear Father and Mother/ I sit down to write you a letter this lonesome evening to pass away the time I suppose you will hear from us before this reaches you we have buried our little Babe it is hard for us to bear, but God has taken her from us she was too pure for this world of sin and trouble I feel that she has gone to a better world where she will never know what trouble is we try to bear our grief the best we can, hoping it is all for the best. we have got very much dissatisfied here and we do not know what to do we imagine that if we had not come here we would not have lost our little babe we never knew what trouble was until now William is offering our place for sale if we cannot sell it he is thinking of renting it for awhile and moove [sic] back to Ohio it has been very sickly in this part of the country this season but the health is better now there has been the great many had the flux

"our health has been as good as common now./ pleas [sic] write soon/ Mary Swisher"

Card, Addressed to Mr. & Mrs James Kelley/ West Florence/ Ohio, Postmarked Richmond Ind Feb 23: "At Home/ Huntington House."

From "Going Down Home" by Hazel Reid Gennett: "After clattering over the loose boards in the floor of the bridge which spanned Four-mile Creek running through Grandfather's farm we immediately turned into the lane which was between the west orchard, in the middle of which was a large pond, and where I was never allowed to be alone, and the house.

"There always standing in the kitchen door were my own dear Grandmother, her oldest daughter Lizzie, and her youngest daughter and baby, Aunt Addie, who was soon to be married. They had heard us clatter across the bridge.

"I wish that I might again experience one of those happy Greetings! The joyful laughter, questions and replies, explanations and information given, exchange of news and confidences, that companionship and communion of only those who love each other and are of one blood can enjoy.

"After greetings were over and Father and Brother had gone out to the barns to join Grandfather and my two Uncles, Grandmother and my two Aunts and old Norah hustled to prepare a luscious dinner, while mother and Sister and I stood by the stove, gradually thawing out from our long cold drive.

"When dinner was about ready, my aunt Addie always took me with her out onto the large porch off the kitchen, so that I might ring the dinner-bell up and down, back and forth, to call all the men to come. Almost immediately, they were there, stomping into the warm kitchen, laughing and joking and talking while removing their caps, coats and knit mufflers and gloves, hanging them on a large adjustable rack with white knobs, fastened onto the wall near the outside door.

"Grandfather who was then almost eighty years young, smiled at me and tweaked one of my short brown curls but I could only hold onto my mother's hand as I was just a little awe-stricken by his attention, but Uncle Johnny who was twenty and full of fun, took hold of me under my arms and tossed me up into the air, catching me as I came down again, gasping from thrill and surprise, begging him to do it again. Mother, however, quite soon put a stop to these antics, for she was afraid I would fall, so then Uncle Johnny took me by the hand and led me into the wood-room and over to the corner by the window, where Annabell kept house in a large box all padded with a soft piece of old quilt. There lay Annabel with her five little kittens all snuggled warmly together, sound asleep. Annabell was the house-cat and a fine mouser for she always kept the house rid of mice, and the entire family petted her and loved her.

> "After we had returned to the kitchen, my Uncle Willy, who was twenty-two and handsome, beckoned me to him, reached into his pocket and drew out a bunch of little gold engraved, band rings, all strung on a red ribbon and tied into a bow. Now Uncle Willie was the progressive member of the family and was always finding ways to make money. At that particular time, he and Uncle Johnny had just returned from Missouri where they had sold coffee of rather questionable quality to the farmers and offered a gold ring to fit as an inducement to purchase several pounds at a time. Somehow when they returned home they had sold all the coffee and had a supply of rings left over. Every time Uncle Willie met up with me, I never had a ring on my finger, so he always found one of his red ribbons to fit a finger on each hand. he wasn't as jolly as Uncle Johnny, but I was his good friend nevertheless, and sure enough, I had two more new rings again before we sat down to dinner that day.

"After all had eaten their fill of home-cured ham and gravy, baked beans, mashed potatoes, preserves and jelly, pickles, home-made bread, with sweet, fresh-churned butter and goodness only knows what else, the men went back to their duties, and the women gathered together around the large stove in the sitting room to talk and sew and knit and crochet. Then it was, that either because of the softness of Grandfather's chair, into which I had climbed and made myself comfortable, or the quiet, soothing conversation of the women around me, was too much for me after a long, cold ride. I know not, but this I do know, another of the happiest experiences of my life was ended, an experience which has now become a happy memory, the memory of "Going Down Home."

Fayette Co., IN deeds: James Kelley & wife to Samuel Vance 14 Oct 1843 $50 pt E1/2 NW 1/4 9-14-13 18.66 acres. Campbell, Thomas from James Kelley & wife 9 Oct 1850 $275 1/12 pt sec. 7 T14 R13, 344.5 acres. Myrtle Swaim was also mentioned in notes of Julie Smith as a "daughter" of the Kelleys

She married James Kelley (49) (A54).