Transcribed from carbon-copy, onion-skin, typescripts for this site by Doris Kinser Fountain. The papers are in the McClung Historical Collection, Knoxville, TN. See also the Moore Family Photo Album on this Web site.
Series of letters to his sister, Cynthia, from J. N. Moore, Attorney at Law, 217 McTownlee Bldg., Knoxville, TN. One envelope addressed to Mrs. W. H. Bettis of Jefferson City, TN, from J. N. Moore, Attorney at Law, 217 McTownlee Bldg, Knoxville, TN; envelope postmarked Feb. 21, 1942.
Letter dated April 3, 1934
Dear Cynthia,
Having written a little family history of our mother recently, I thought I should write something of our father and let the two records go together.
I seem to myself just a boy and it is hard to realize that I am past three score and ten and two, and the oldest member of all the Moore relationship except Cousin Billie Moore of Kansas; but it is true, and I fear that if I should fail to record the little that I happen to know about our parents, that little would by and by become lost and unobtainable by the members of our family.
I am inclosing (sic) you a copy.
Take good care of your self.
Truly, John
Letter entitled, "Grand Mother Moore" (dated at bottom)
All that is now known of grand mother Moore, is that she was the daughter of Benjamin Allen, a soldier under Washington in the Revolutionary War. Her name was Martha, born in 1794 (marked out and replaced by hand with date "1790"), the year grand father came to Shady Grove.
At the age of 18 (marked out and replaced with number "20"), she married grand father, in 1819 about the time great grand father Jared Moore died and about the time great grand father conveyed the Harrison Mill to grand father.
They lived at the old home place opposite the lower point of the Zimmerman Island till her death 24 years later, in 1834. She died at the age of 44 years in that home and was buried on the bluff near the home, being the first person buried there. I never saw the grave. Our father pointed out the grave to brother Joe many years ago. There were grave markers there at that time but since then, the stones have been removed and the land cultivated.
A Mr. Jenkins says when he moved there, there were 13 graves. Joe says the markers that are now there are farther up the bluff than the grave pointed out to him as that of grand mother. If there is no way of identifying the grave of grand mother with satisfactory certainty, it would seem useless to remove just the dust of somebody.
There would be but little sentiment in removing a grave that might be that of a stranger. It is quite certain that grand mother is the only member of the Moore family buried there; she was the first, great grand father died 24 years before her death.
Grand father and all of his family moved away from there, as I recall, about 8 years after the death of grand mother and none of the family died during that period.
I imagine that Joe is the only person now living, to whom the grave of grand mother was ever pointed out and, if changes make it impossible for him to locate it to his satisfaction, there is probably nothing we could do express (sic) the sentiment we feel.
If all of the graves could be moved to the same place, that would be something.
February 21, 1942 (Signed) J. N. Moore
Letter dated Feb. 25, 1942
Dear Cynthia:
I have your letter of yesterday.
It was at home that that (sic) the markers at the grave of grandmother should have been destroyed without notice to the family. Of course her grand children would have had her remains taken to another place if they had suspected that her grave would be desecrated.
I have never heard that grandfather was believed to have buried money with her body. It is true that he was well off at that time. He owned the lower point of the Zimmerman Island, the river place where he lived, father’s farm, Uncle Albert's, the Hodge farm and that of Uncle John Moore and other lands and he probably still owned the Harrison Mill. I do not know when he sold it but he got title to it from great grand father just before the latter's death in 1810 which was the year grand father and grand mother married.
Grand father operated one or more flat boats on the Tennessee and French Broad rivers. Grand father conveyed the River Farm, the old home place, to Alva McSpadden Dec. 27, 1841. This was 7 years after the death of grand mother and just before the family separated and scattered every where.
Alva McSpadden, you will remember, owned the old brick house below Cedar Dale. Grand father conveyed a farm to Uncle Albert March 7, 1870. Deed from grand father to our father conveyed our old home place, was made August 12, 1870; witnessed by Uncle Albert and James M. Nicholson, the County Surveyor of Dandridge, who lived in and owned the old large house you know as the Nicholson House just above the Frank Park Home opposite the Court House at Dandridge. Uncle Albert sold to S. M. Hinkle March 1, 1881, father and Shade Alderson were witnesses. Over
(end of first page)
The deeds to Uncle Albert and our father, were made the year before grand father's death in Novmerb (sic), 1871.
Aunt Mary got deed to her trust from Thos. Evans March 25, 1870. I remember the transaction distinctly. Aunt Mary was in possession of that tract and had been for some time with the understanding that a deed would be made to her on account of a previous transaction involving interests in the Zimmerman Island that Evans had bought, the Zimmerman Island then being known as Evans Island.
Without any previous notice, Evenas (sic) filed a bill through Thos. Arnold of Morristown to recover that land. My recollection is that grand father was made a defendant to that suit; I recall that he was very much disturbed, he and father went to Dandridge to see about it and got deed to Aunt Mary by paying $350.00.
The Joe Harrison place was deeded by our father and mother to Joe Harrison June 12, 1875 when you were a little girl of 8 years, that was after you saved that hammer for me in such a kind and thoughtful way. I always thought that showed a fine sentiment in such a little girl. That was fished out of the chimney in the old kitchen by the side of the house.
I have noted the dates of the incidents mentioned so that you may have them as a sort of sign boards along the journey of your youth. We remember things largely and principally by association of events, by knowing the date of one event we fix that of others associated with it.
Referring again to the impression that grand father buried money with grand mother; I think that must be error. At that time, grand father was an unusually clear headed man, fully conscious of duties and responsibilities, he then had 8 children aged from 21 years down to 2 years of age, he was in the prime of life, 48 years.
I could hardly conceive of his buried money (sic) under those circumstances. During the last quarter of a century of his life, he had lands, but no cash means of consequence; his condition was such as that, if he had had hidden treasures, there would have been strong inducements to recover them. As stated, I had never heard about father's suspicion that money was buried.
I wrote Mollie a long letter the day I wrote you and Joe. Am sure they are all right or Alma Sue would have heard. Usually when there is no news, there is no bad news to report.
Wishing you the best,
I am as ever, John
Letter dated February 31 (sic), 1943:
Dear Cynthia:
I have your letter of 19th inst. in regard to removal of dust of grand mother Moore. I received in same mail a letter from Joe about it.
I have typed off all I know about grand mother and am mailing a copy of that to both of you.
It has been 108 years since her death and Joe tells me that there is no marker or any thing else there that would help him locate the site pointed out to him by our father. The markers now there are further up the bluff than the site pointed out by our father. It seems that the markers at the grave of our grand mother, have been removed and the land cultivated.
It does not look like there is any thing we can do.
Am glad Lee is getting along well and that Alma Sue is back in Jefferson City.
All of you come to see us any time. As ever, John
P. S. - I believe the Moore family should hold a reunion at Shady Grove next fall before the flood waters of the dam cover it. That was the community center of all our people in the early history of Tennessee; including great grand father, our grand father and grand mother, our father, our uncles and aunts, and down to us and to the present day.
(Signed) J. N. M.
Letter undated from J. N. Moore to Mrs. Wade Bettis, Jefferson City, TN:
Dear Cynthia:
Emet is on one of the longest trips into Kentucky and may not be here Sunday week as I supposed he might be when I wrote you the card. On account of that uncertainty, I am returning the Callen letter. Am also inclosing (sic) a letter from me to him which will help you out a little in answering his long letter. He probably and I might say certainty, knows very little about his mother's ancestors, and for that reason, I am inclosing (sic) a copy of our family history.
It will be some satisfaction to the families out there to know even the little that I happen to have gathered and absorbed as I came along down the 72 years of my time. It never occurred to me that I should undertake to know the history of our people till they were all gone and I had no way of finding out any thing.
But it is worth something to put together the fragmentary facts that I had and pass them on to our families.
When you answer the Callen letter, you may inclose (sic) my letter to him and the family history. It does not seem possible that it has been more than twenty-one years since I was at Uncle John's and more than a third of a century since he was here, but the details of the events are as clear in my mind as the events of yesterday.
I think it would be fine for Cousin Callen to be here at the time of the reunion in September; it is a good time of the year and whether there is a general reunion of our family as last year or only a partial one, it would still be a good time for him to come. We expect to be up there to see you before long.
I wish you well. (Signed) John
(Written in script at the bottom of the preceding typed letter in John Moore's handwriting):
P. S. With all the things I am remembering (?) in here for your letters, you will not have to say so much.
Letter Addressed to: Mr. W. H. Callen
Stone City, Colorado
Dear Cousin:
I learn from my sister Cynthia, Mrs. Wade Bettis of Jefferson City, Tennessee, that she has been corresponding with you and that you spoke of Joe Moore visiting your father a good many years ago; I am the one you refer to but my name is John, Henry Moore's oldest son. Our fathers were the very closest friends in their youth and throughout life, they corresponded when I was a small boy and your father's letters were the first I ever read, more than sixty years ago.
Your father visited in Tennessee in the fall of 1900, my home was the first he visited. On his arrival in Knoxville he hunted me up, came to my office and went home with me. I recall that soon after getting to my home, he stood out on my rear porch and looked with great interest at the Great Smoky Mountains, now a National Park, the highest points East of the Rocky Mountains, the familiar scenes of his childhood and early manhood. He made an extensive visit among his old acquaintances then living in Jefferson and Sevier Counties, meeting our father, Uncle Albert and Aunt Mary and many others. He was given the warmest welcome everywhere and had the time of his life. When his visit was over and he started on his return journey, he came to my home again and with my father. He left Knoxville on the night of October 10th, arriving at his home October 13th, 1900. Father and I went with him down to the car line about 8 o'clock in the evening, a few blocks from home; they parted there, a right pathetic parting, two old men, life long friends, bidding each other a last good by (sic). Father lived ten years after that, your father nineteen. I received several letters from your father after he came here. It has been over twenty-one years since I stopped at his home in Colorado. I went to California early in January, 1913, and before leaving I wrote your father telling him I hoped to stop over and see him on my return from San Francisco. I gave him an address in Los Angeles and when I got there I found a letter in answer to mine, urging me to stop as I came back. You had received the letter in the absence of your father and opned it and answered it before your father knew it was written. I did stop and spend the night, it was the 28th of January, 1913.
I had the directions from you; I left my traveling companion on the main line of the Denver and Riogrande, at Florence and went down to Denver on a local late in the afternoon and after dark, went down to the swinging bidge (sic) over the Arkansas River, crossed on that long rickety foot bridge, it swayed from side to side, some of the foot boards were out, I looked down at the river through the bridge, and I was not right sure whether I was going over or going in. Getting over, I went up to the station of the Penrose & Northern, got on the train, stopped at Fry, went up the road a few hundred yards to the Gilbert home, Gilbert's boy got on his bicycle and piloted me around to the creek near the Jesse Kelley home. It must have been nearly 9 o'clock when I got there, we sat up and talked till well after midnight and got up early next morning and had a fine breakfast in that big dining room, Uncle John and all there, a large happy family. Breakfast over, Uncle John took me up to the little log house where he first lived after going out there in far away 1864. Next we went down to the site of the stone house that was washed down by the great flood in Beaver Creek that came down by surprise in the night and washed out the front fence, the yard and then the house itself.
We then went back to the big white house, the Kelley home by the orchards and talked and talked. Uncle John wanted to know about every body and every thing back home and there was no lost time. I had to leave that morning, there only about twelve hours but it was a most delightful visit. When I left your father went with me down to the creek, we parted in the middle of Beaver Creek, standing on the rocks. We were well acquainted and close friends, I was the only one of his family that ever visited him from the Old Home in the East, neither of us expected to visit the other again and with that feeling when I left him, he held on to my hand, tears came to his eyes, he said good by with a trembling voice, his memory was filled with all the past.
He was a grand old man. I heard from him on several occasions later. You notified me of his death Aug. 16, 1919.
On my return home I went to see Uncle Albert Moore who lived in my community and told him all about my visit to Uncle John and he came near keeping me all night telling about it; it was a great pleasure to him to hear about it.
For the benefit of my brothers and sisters, I have just written what information I have about the ancestry of the Moore families.
If at the time your father was here, I had thought to get information for family history, I could in a little while have assembled enough knowledge to have made a book. But our old people are all gone and with them, every means of getting family history is gone.
Since this ancestry is also yours, I am furnishing my sister Cynthia a copy of what I wrote, to be sent to you by her, along together with this letter.
Give my highest regards and best wishes to all of your people and my gratitude to the Kelleys for the kininess (sic) they showed me when I was in their home.
Most truly yours, (Signed) J. N. Moore
Written by hand at bottom:
Cynthia,
I made a carbon copy of the Callen letter for you because I intended to make references to incidents for Uncle John's visit here which you remember.
J
(Undated Typed Page)
HEIRS of MRS. CYNTHIA MOORE BETTIS
- J. W. Moore (brother), Route 3, Dandridge, Tenn.
- P. E. Moore (brother), Box 27, 204 Hale Road, Knoxville, Tenn.
- J. N. Moore (brother, deceased)
- Mrs. Lida Moore McLean (daughter)
Apt. B
1408 Agawela Avenue
Knoxville, TN - W. H. Moore (brother, deceased)
- William H. Moore, Jr.
Route 8
Knoxville, TN
- William H. Moore, Jr.
- R. L. Moore (brother, deceased)
- Mrs. Natalie Moore Hill (daughter)
Box 157
Stone Ridge, New York
- Mrs. Natalie Moore Hill (daughter)
- Mollie Moore Leeper (sister, deceased)
- Mrs. Alma Sue Leeper Henderson (daughter)
Route 3, Box 3-A
Marianna, Florida - Mrs. Edwina Leeper Henderson (daughter)
P.O. Box 302
Chattahoochee, Florida - Mrs. Ora Leepre Fulmer (daughter)
Arcadia, Florida - Mrs. Rebecca Leeper Danford (daughter)
Arcadia, Florida - Von Leeper (son)
Route 3
Marianna, Florida - Major Emmett M. Leeper (son)
A0-578296
317 Supply Squadron
APO 13, New York, NY - Guy Leeper (son), deceased
Mrs. Peggy Leeper Harris
635 Voncile
Tallahassee, Florida
- Mrs. Alma Sue Leeper Henderson (daughter)
- Mrs. Molie Moore Sawyers (sister, deceased)
- Henry Sawyers (son)
Seymour, Tennessee - Willis Sawyers (son)
Seymour, Tennessee - Perry Sawyers (son)
Seymour, Tennessee - Gertrude Sawyers Mize (daughter)
Seymour, Tennessee - Edna Sawyers Cunningham
Seymour, Tennessee - Mrs. Kate Sawyers Graves (daughter)
Route 1
Madisonville, Tennessee - Mrs. Georgia Sawyers Davis (daughter)
Seymour, Tennessee
- Henry Sawyers (son)
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