old letter from William M. Standifer To: W. B. Standifer

From: William M. Standifer To: W. B. Standifer
W. B. Standifer,

Dear Sir:

I received your letter yesterday and as the mail leaves tonight I______though it is Sunday. I am afraid that I can not give you much information in regard to my family that is at all satisfactory or reliable. But what I know I will tell you; it is strange but I really do not now recollect my grandfather speaking _______. I believe he_______drowned in the Tennessee river forty or fifty years ago. My ancestors were from Scotland and settled in Maryland some years before the American Revolution. From those two brothers the most of that name if not all in this county are descendants. I do not know much about my ancestors; this may partially be accounted for by the fact that I have lived at his, my fathers, house since I was a boy and of late years have seen my father but at distance intervals.

My father, whose name is Archibald Standifer, is now over eighty years old, yet still hale and ______. His place of residence is Hillsboro in Jasper County Georgia. His father had two brothers, John and William. John, I have been told died several years ago not far from Memphis in Tennessee. His descendants are now living there I suppose. William, the other brother quit writing to father about thirty years ago. He had previously been writing pretty regularly. The last letter father received from him he spoke of moving to Little Rock, Arkansas. But my father supposes he must have died about this time. My father’s only sister was married, Mrs. Margaret Hicks, and the last we heard from her she lived in Kingston or near that place in Roane County, Tennessee. I think John Standifer and Mrs. Hicks were both older than father. William was a few years younger. It is not probable that any of them now survives. John had several children as did William I think. I do not know whether Mrs. Hicks had any children or not. I think she married her husband ______the last _______.

You may recall Mr. Lemuel Standifer. I have had some little correspondence with that gentleman on the subject of his relationship. He consulted with father on the subject who said that he was not cognizant of any relationship. I suppose that he meant that he did not know that there was any relationship between us. I suppose if we are related ____only seven times removed, as Bailey,_____, Jessie would say! I am told there is a remarkable resemblance between Mr. Lemuel Standifer and one of my younger brothers, Mr. _______Standifer. I do not know anything of the Mr. Forrestor you mentioned. I regret very much that this letter is at most so unsatisfactory on account of my ignorance of my family history, but I will send your letter to father and ask him to write to me or to you all that he knows of the family. In the meantime, if you leave your present abode you will please let me know where to write. And if you ____I would give_____any more_____family and ______. I think that William Standifers father and my Uncle John Standifer married sisters_______this brother____but I am not certain of this. I have been endeavoring to find _____histories of the families_____. I could get ______when I forward your letter ____of his _______. I do not think he had a double name. I think his name was William and not William B. I do not think my grandfathers name was Benjamin. I expect we are relatives, but how near I cannot guess____our family judge. But we are clannish in our nature, and our hearts warm at the mention of the name of Standifer. I would be obliged if you would whenever you have leisure, and I can learn anything from my father I will write.

William M. Standifer