Seven Hills High School - Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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The third letter was written to his sister the last part of July. In this let- ter, for the first time, he speaks of real harm ,done by the Indians. He writes that not occasionally do they hear of murders committed upon the whites. The Colonel of his division has decided to make a vigorous effort immedi- ately to wipe out all trace of the Enemy. Even though the heat of the sun is most oppressive, they are leaving that day. Also, for the first time, he speaks of death. He writes: nThe weather being so unfavorable, Officers, Soldiers and horses must suffer severely. Some of us doubtless will fall victims to the consequent hardships and exposures. I don't say this, my dear sister, to make you uneasy, but in order to prepare you for any bad news, should sick- ness or death overtake me. He also tells in this letter of being highly hon- ored by the Colonel, who has now made him Adjutant ad-interim of the Second Dragoon. This, however, will necessarily keep him busier. Even with the fact that he was kept busier, I feel sure that he wrote fairly often, but the next letter we have, was not written until the fourteenth of Feb- ruary, 1839. By this time he was much more depressed, because three ex- press riders had been shot in the past three weeks. However, the company had captured fifteen more Indians, and he had been made a First Lieutenant. He was now in east Florida in command of Fort Harlei, with a civilian popu- lation of some thirty families. Of these he writes: HI have about me enough loafers to supply the world. In making the last assertion, I am not wide of the mark. His sister had been married by this time and there was such a sisterly and brotherly devotion between the two that, I think, he felt almost jealous. She was so fond of him that she named her first son, my grandfather, William Hardia, in spite of the fact that for three generations on her husband's side, the first son had always been named John. So went the Seminole Indian War in 1839. Today in 1939, I read that the Seminoles, still technically at war with the United States, are suing for peace. They live, five hundred strong, at present in the Florida Everglades. And when I think of the time those letters took to reach my great-grandmother and great-great-grandfather, it seems truly incredible that today, by plane, you can reach Florida in seven hours. ISABEL MACKOY, 1940 W wrong, 193 Q I96l

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great-grandmother and her husband. The letters were written before they were married. They wrote of their plans for the wedding and wedding jour- ney. I read these letters with some qualms of conscience, as I hardly thought my great-great-grandmother and grandfather would have liked their love let- ters to be read. The next letters in the box almost powdered in my hand. Even picking them up very gently, a corner here or there fell off. Next were some letters about business matters, and, as these did not interest me, I passed on. At the bottom of the box, I found four letters, written in the same handwrit- ing. The ink had turned brown and the paper was old ivory, but even so, these letters were unusually legible. The handwriting also impressed me as being very neat andglegilile, although the double s was made like an f, as was then the custom. They were, I discovered, from my great-great-uncle, William Hardia. Two of these letters were written to his sister, my great- grandmother, and two of them to his father, my great-great-grandfather. Great-great-uncle William had graduated from West Point and had imme- diately been sent to Florida to fight in the Seminole Indian War. Our four letters were written at the time he was in Florida. The first letter was dated the fourth of ,I une, 1838, and was addressed to his sister. He had been in Florida nine months when this was written, and he was very homesick for Kentucky. He wrote: HI am extremely anxious to get out of this country, but at present see no hope for itf' Then followed an account of some pets he had collected. The pets consisted of a fawn and three owls. Evidently at this time my great-grandmotlier was becoming in- terested in my great-grandfather, because William Hardia wrote: '6If you promise not to get married, I will send you the whole concernf' His next statement proves that men were very much then as they are now. He writes: HThe Florida girls are so hideously ugly that I cannot fall in love with them- knowing how susceptible I am, you can readily imagine how very ugly they must bef' The second letter was written to his Father, and, even if the salutation had been lost, I am sure I should have known anyway. This letter is in a much more serious vein. He wrote this soon after returning from an expedition up the St. ,Iohn,s River. The Indians had left this section and he believed that they had gone to the Okefenoka Swamps in Georgia. These swamps are almost impenetrable and even now are used as a hiding place for a great many animals. He had at this time been appointed Acting Assistant Ad- jutant General. Wigan., 193 9 I95l

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An Old Stone House Near Loveland, Ohio, a road winding up a hill, shaded by trees, merges into a clearing, where juts a house built of stone. This house has weathered one hundred and twenty years of springs, summers, autumns, and winters. It is built of native stone, limestone, which was gotten from the creek that meanders and turns at the foot of the hill. Near by the house, stands a barn made of huge beams, with knotholes large enough for the birds to build their nests in. In the summer the birds fly noiselessly from beam to rafter in the dusty, warm interior, while outside the sparrows chatter noisily while flitting in and out of the green vine that covers halfway the sides of the barn. . 7 7 L . The east and west walls are flanked by squat chimneys. Upon entering, we are greeted by a warm glow issuing from the fireplace. Against the flames is silhouetted a large crane from which hang darkened pots and kettles. Fram- ing this is a white mantel upon which rests a square old-fashioned clock and a pair of bee-hive candlesticks. From the center of the room is suspended a lamp which can be raised or lowered as desired. Over the doors, guns rest on turkey feet with upturned toes. This is the living room. A narrow staircase leads to the upper story of the house. There are only two bedrooms and each contains a huge bed with posts and backs that reach to the ceiling. To get into one of these beds one must either have long legs or use a chair. A few chairs, tables and chests complete the furnishings of these two rooms. The floors, which sag slightly from age, are of oak planks, as are those of the downstairs. From the windows is a commanding view of fertile fields fringed with virgin woods. ln the evening, a blue-white mist arises from the valley and floats out upon these fields making them appear as if they were a calm lake in the twilight. On the surrounding grounds, is a seven trunked elm tree with a spread of about thirty feet. Under this Indians played and camped, for they left be- hind arrows and machettes, and signs on beech trees in the near by woods. In another direction from the house is a locust grove. ln the spring time this grove is transformed into a lovely and beautiful bower. From the dark branches are suspended fragrant bunches of white flowers, which give forth a heavy, sweet scent. When a slight breeze stirs, there is the perfume of these flowering trees over the whole hill side. Near by this lovely glen are vegeta- ble and flower gardens, from which are gathered beautiful blooms for vases and ripe vegetables for the table. Wdafm, 193 9 f97l