INTRODUCTION AND COMPENDIUM.

HISTORY OF THIS BOOK.

My early years were spent in the home of my paternal grandparents, -a place where many members of our family connection resorted to discuss the history of the past, —and from listening attentively to the conversation that passed between those godly ancestors as they gathered around the ample hearthstone, I became, at an early age, deeply interested in everything pertaining to the history of my forefathers and their times. This interest increased with my years, and I determined that at some future day I would fully acquaint myself with the history of our family and its origin.

My grandfather was truly a patriarch, for he lived contemporary with eight generations of his family. From his standpoint he could look backward and remember three generations of his predecessors; looking downward he could see four generations of his descendants, and at the same time he himself was the connecting link of this chain between the first three and last four generations, making eight generations in all. This remarkable acquaintance with so many of his family, supplemented by the possession of a wonderfully retentive memory, which remained unimpaired till he was more than ninety years of age, qualified this venerable man in a peculiar manner to impart information respecting the history and genealogy of his family connections. The elder members of our family seemed pleased to advert to all the traditions known to their ancestors, and delighted to transmit them from father to son, always careful that nothing should be lost. When these discussions were going on I used to draw near my grandfather's knee and listen with the keenest relish to every word spoken, frequently asking questions about the relationship between the various cadets of our family mentioned in the conversation.

During those early years I noticed that frequent allusion was made to "Old Uncle John" and "Old Uncle Abram" in a very emphatic way, great stress always being laid upon the word “old.” This served to excite my curiosity and rekindle the fires of interest, until, as a result of my inquisitiveness, I possessed a very good traditionary outline of the history of my own branch of the family. If I saw one of our surnames in a book or newspaper, it always awakened a new interest and inspired a zeal to investigate more fully the genealogy of all branches of our tribe.

While spending a few days at my grandfather's home in 1868, and discovering the remarkable vividness of his memory, I availed myself of the opportunity to make copious notes respecting the branches and sub-branches of our own line of the family. I was especially careful to learn where all who had removed to