Stanley Family Documents
Letter from Francis Rider to his mother
no date (about April 1, 1846)
Dearest Mother:
You wrote in your last letter I received from
you, my brother, Lorenz, is three months away from home, and you don't know
where he is. I would like to let you know what I found out. I received your
letter April 1, 1846. After I received your letter telling me about Lorenz, I
met a salesman from New York, who told me Lorenz was was in New York. He told
me Lorenz sent me a letter to Claeburn, Alabama, but I have since moved. Lorenz
visited me in Alabama the first time. That is all I know about Lorenz. Maybe
the next time you write you'll have heard from him. I hope so with all my
heart. Maybe he went back to his homeland, anyway, I hope you hear from him
soon.
Your loving son,
Franz
(Note: The present-day Reuter family still
living in Germany confirms that indeed, Lorenz returned to Germany, never
married and died in 1877.)
Letter from Francis Rider to his mother
and family. Dated 25 Dec 1847 Louisville Mississippi
Dear Mother, Brothers, Sisters, and
Brothers-in-law;
I can't understand what the problems are! I
haven't received a letter from you in the last twelve months. I wrote you three
letters, and I received only one. I am really worried about you all. I can't
understand the reason. Maybe you are all dead; or my letters didn't get to you;
maybe you lost my address; or the mail got lost! I can tell you what was in the
three letters, because I could not hear from you. I just want to let you know
that I am fine.
I am now married seventeen months, and have a
young son. He is 8 days, 6 months old. He gives my wife and me a world of
pleasure. My wife is an American. Her name was Miss Earline Lewis, and we love each
other very much, and we are real happy with each other. I am real happy I stole
my wife away from Mr. a. Lewis. A young man by the name of Anton Bierman stole
Mr. Lewis' youngest daughter..now I have a German brother-in- law.
Your son,
Franz
Letter from Francis Rider to his mother
and siblings dated 4 Feb 1853 Itawamba County Mississippi.
Dearest Mother, siblings and In-laws
I cannot again neglect to write you. I hope
that this letter finds you all in good health. As it left us, it would make us
rejoyce from the heart.
Dearest Mother, now I need to let you know,
that from 1846 until now I have written 6 letters and only received one answer,
which has alarmed me, since I cannot think what could be wrong. Dearest Mother,
I will now write this letter to you and all from Mississippi. Fortune and
misfortune from 1846 until now. On the 6th day of Aug 1846 I have
married an American woman by the name of Miss Erllein Louis and in the mean
time I had a store in Louisville, Winston Co. State of Mississippi, 12 miles
from the place where my wife's parents live, and on the 17 of December of the
same year I had the unfortunate bad luck that the store next to mine cought on
fire and within a week 19 houses had gone up in flame and smoke. Even though we
had a loss of 2600 dollars, we didn't lose a life and we were able to safe a
few things, and everything within the hour turned into great sadness. In 1847
my wife and I planned to come to my old fatherland to visit my old mother and
siblings one more time. This would produce such great happiness in this world.
My wife and I stayed in Louisville until the 2 day of Christmas, when we moved
to her Father's land. My courage was coming back after it had been gone so
long. Now I am with my father in law and hope that he will help me to purchase
a store, because he is very rich and can do that. He would be glad to help me,
if I become a farmer, but not as a storekeeper. But I could not become a
farmer.
The President of America asked for volunteers
in the war with Mexico. I said to my wife that I have seen already a lot of
things, but never been in a war. My wife told me she is not willing to let me
go. I said for freedom I would go. On the 1st of april I told my
wife goodbye and she stayed with her parents and I went with the company and
with General Taylor to Mexico. I told my wife that I would be back in 6 months.
But the 6 month became 13 month and 4 days before I came back. The first 6
months with Gen. Taylor we had only one battle so we had free time together. We
have had several battles and captured 4 Forts with the names 1) Mexico, 2) Palo
Alto, 3) Rexamz, 4) Monterey. When the war was over, each volunteer was given
320 acres of land an $8 a month for the wife. Here it is better as a soldier
than in Germany as a General, where the kings and priests get it all and
everybody else is a pig or goose sheperd and so on. On the 14 of Aug 1847 I
went to the Gulf of Mexico. General Taylor came to me and said Mr. Reuter, the
last weeks were hot, so today let us go and have a drink. The General asked me
what kind of a soldier I was. I said, I can tell you that easily.
I was born and raised in Germany for 25
years. But God helped me and I hope that I can stay here the rest of my life. I
said, Oh General, I would tell you a story about Europe. I have been in this
land for 7 years now and have not paid a penny to a priest or had to have my
sins forgiven. In Germany I would surely be on my way to the devils fire. I
have not had to pray to Holy Mary, Barbara, John, Paul, Anthony, and may others
who I have forgotten. But the priest would say that I'm heading for the devils
fire. Well, said the General to me: what is this hell fire. I replied, fire is
a darkness, thru which the church kept mankind in the dark. The church taught
things not contained in the Bible. Now, General, I heard that in Mexico they
keep the people in the dark as they do in Europe, and als have large churches.
I hope, O General, that we can take Mexico, for we will pray to God and the
Saints! God hears your prayers everywere, in the woods as well as in a big
church. The General signed and said, here my son is a 100 dollars for you and
early in the morning we go to the Gulf of Mexico. I thought to myself what was
I going in Germany dealing with silver and here now I'm in the field preaching
early in the morning. So did I speak to the army about the difference between
Europe and America.
The whole army shouted: Toro, Toro for our
liberty. Toro for our independence. Never let our liberty die. Let live as you
would say in German.
Dearest Mother, I would have long ago sent
you something, But since I've not heard from you, I didn't think that I could.
Please write a letter to me right away, so That I can hear some news from you
news about my brothers and all of my friends. Many regards to all my friends
who ask about me. Regards to Eliza Schmidt. Write to me how she's doing. I know
nothing else to write. Other than that we hae two children, 2 sons names Frantz
and Lorentz. Lorentz is 2 years old and Frantz is 5 years old. They both bring
us much joy.
I sent you my Dearest Mother, siblings and
in-laws many regards and remain your dear Son. I hope, that you can understand
what I have written to you, since I have written so little German in the past
12 years.
Francis Rider is Jared's great great great great grandfather (the father of Mandy Elizabeth Rider, maternal grandfather of William Fuston Stanley, Sr.)
Letters were emailed to me by Carolyn Franklin, a great great great grandaughter of Francis
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