H.G. Arnett Letter to Hon. Charles D. Arnett
July 1928
In 1942 Dr. D.V. Sublett wrote Wellington Patrick apparently asking him for a copy of a letter from Mrs. Sebastian. The letter had been written by H. G. Arnett in 1928 in answer to a genealogical query by Hon. Charles Arnett. D. V. Sublett was the grandson of H. G. Arnett, whose daughter Loulie had married D. Glenn Sublett and had four sons including D.V. In May 1942 Dr. Sublett received a copy of the letter with the attached note:
May 1, 1942
My dear Dr. Sublett:
The enclosed copy of a letter written by your distinguished grandfather, Mr. H. G. Arnett, is furnished you with the permission of Mr. Walter Sebastian. I told her that I wanted to furnish you with a copy and she said that she was glad to have you get one. She says that she has the original letter written by H. G. Arnett. It is typewritten and some of the errors or dates in it led me to think that perhaps she has only a copy, but of that I am not sure. If hers is a copy, then there may have been errors in copying. This is a correct copy of what she has in her possession.
With cordial good wishes, I am
Your friend,
Wellington Patrick
President, Patrick Family in Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
In September 1998, Dr. Sublett's daughter, Barbara Berryman, permitted me to make copies of Mr. Patrick's 1942 letter and his copy of H.G.A.'s 1928 letter. I've made a few annotations [in brackets] of H.G.'s letter and altered some punctuation and paragraph format to make the information more accessible. A copy of the original copy is attached.
-- John W. Arnett
[John Arnett is the great grandson of H.G. Arnett, grandson of Eugene Brittain [or Britton] Arnett and son of Walter Wendell Arnett. D.V. or Vo Sublett was Walter's first cousin. Charles D. Arnett was an attorney in Louisville who was elected as Secretary of State for Ky in 1935. He was born in Hendricks, March 9, 1879, the son of Philip H. and Elizabeth Miranda (McQuinn) Arnett and grandson of H.G.A.'s uncle, Reuben Arnett, Jr.
I don't know where Walter Sebastian fits in the family.]
Hendricks, Ky.
July '28
Honorable Charles D. Arnett
Attorney-at-law
708 Republic Building
Louisville, Kentucky
Dear Friend,
I received your card, several days ago, and to fully comply with your request, would require a manuscript covering several large volumes, however, I am sending you a compendium of the genealogies so far as I am informed and remember, which no doubt is much more than you have been able to acquire from our illiterate ancestors, of the older type. . .
The original two Arnett families migrated to Magoffin County (now) Ky. from Harlan County (now) Ky. in the year 1814 (the year my father, Ambrose Arnett, Sr. was born)
Their names, were Stephen Arnett, Sr. who married a Hanby [Floyd Co. marriage records and traditional material in the Arnett and Howard Albums give Stephen's wife as Elizabeth Howard [m.13 Jan 1803, Knox Co, Ky], and there's no mention of a Hanby surname in the Arnett or Howard Albums] and Reuben Arnett, Sr. who married Susan Kilgore, who went by the name of Howard, her mother's maiden name, as she was an illegitimate [Susan's father has been assumed to be Hiram Kilgore, but as there's been no proof of her parentage, this statement may be true] . . . She was my grandmother and your great grandmother.
Well, Stephen Arnett Sr. and family pitched their tent and settled at the Meadows of the Licking River, now Royalton, KY. and Reuben Arnett, Sr. pitched his tent and settled on the now E. B. Dyer farm, where your father and you were reared to manhood, now known as Hendricks, Ky. These were the two pioneer families, who first settled what is now Magoffin County, Ky.
I was informed that those two Arnetts' father's name was David who came to Harlan County from old Virginia or the Carolinas just after the Revolution war, and his father came from Scotland during said war, and he [unclear who "he" is ] wrote his name David Arnette, accented on "nette." Well, the old home farm where you were born, reared and enjoyed liberty, and privilege and the glories of your hallucination, will be long remembered by all the Middle Fork Arnetts.
Now I will extend on the offspring of Reuben Arnett, Sr. and his wife Susan. . .
There were born to them 10 children, 6 sons and 4 daughters, their names in order are: Stephen, Sr., William, Sr., David, Sr., Hiram, Sr. [in the Arnett Album Hiram is listed as younger than Ambrose], Ambrose, Sr., Reuben, Sr., the daughters are Ann Howard (William Howard's wife), Nancy Howard (Reuben Howard's wife)(Delana's father and mother on Lick Creek), Letty Carty (Rev. D.J. Carty's wife) and Polly Gose (Phillip Gose's wife) --
Now I will only take in Uncle Reuben, Jr. [b.1825] and Aunt Emily's lineage to include Philip's folks -
Reuben Arnett, Jr. [b.1825] married Emily Patrick, a daughter of Reuben Patrick, Sr. [b.1791, Giles Co, VA] whose wife Charlotte [b.1794, Giles Co, VA] was a Wilson and early pioneers --
will further note that said Reuben Patrick, Sr. and Uncle Elias Patrick [uncle of Reuben Patrick, Sr and brother of William Patrick (b.1762) son of Jeremiah Patrick and Sarah Blair], also married a Wilson, and were brother-in-laws [Elias m. Mary Wilson, the sister of Charlotte] -- said Elias Patrick was also, another early pioneer, and settled right where I have resided for 74 years. Said Elias Patrick committed suicide February 28, 1829 in my [eventual] yard by shooting himself with a flint lock rifle -- will further say for your edification that Mason Williams, Sr. (now dead) of Frankfort, Ky., married Siller Patrick, said Elias Patrick's daughter, and their grandson, Ben G. Williams, is now Circuit Judge at Frankfort, Ky. [Ben Williams may have been the son rather than the grandson according to a note at the end of this letter.]
Well, there were born to Reuben Arnett, Sr.[Jr.], and wife, 5 sons and 4 daughters, viz: Philip, Sam H., John, Came [Cambridge] C. and Leslie, and Charlotte, Martha, Carrie and Francis (dead).
Philip Arnett married Maranda McQuinn, and there were born to them 5 sons and 3 daughters.. names, viz: H. Clay, Floyd, Charles D. [the addressee], South and Sam. H. Clay married a [Nicki] Howard; Floyd a Rose [and 2nd a Reed], Charles D. a [Amanda] Manns; South a Rose, and Samuel a Henry.
Philip Arnett's sons deserve wonderful encomiums and great consideration, for the unexampled progress they have made by their own effort and perseverance, especially Clay, Floyd and Charley, when we come to think of the "Old-Log-Cabin-In-The-Lane" ... Just like the place where I was raised.
1. Now, I will go back to Old Uncle Steve, Sr. [Jr.][son of Reuben and Susan Kilgore Arnett], -- he married Eliza Gullett, and there were born to them 8 sons and 2 daughters, viz: William, Flemming, Wiley, Franklin, Reuben, Levi, Stephen, Jr. and Granville. The 2 daughters were Mary Allen, James D.'s wife and Jane Williams, J. Green William' s wife..
William Arnett Jr.[son of "Uncle Steve, Sr." above] married Nancy Fletcher... Flemming Arnett married Martha Rose, Wiley Arnett, Jr. married Esther Rose -- Franklin Arnett, Sr. married Sarah Gose -- Rev. Reuben Arnett married Arzelia Wilson, 1st wife [2nd]-- Levi Arnett married Susan Patrick -- Big Steve Arnett married Charlotte Arnett -- Granville Arnett married Lizza Fletcher--
2. William Arnett Sr. [son of Reuben and Susan Kilgore Arnett] married Jemima Ray, and there were born to them 5 sons and 6 girls, viz: Martin, Eleanor, Branch, Sherman, and Smith, Daughters, Puss Jones, Pauline Arnett, Anna Craft, Rhoda Arnett, Letty Perkins, and Louvana Row (now dead)
3. David Arnett Sr. [son of Reuben and Susan Kilgore Arnett] married Lydia Gullett and there were born to them 2 sons and 6 daughters, viz: Lark and Jackson L., Nancy Jackson, Susan Arnett, Rebecca Dyer, Polly Gullett, Jane Dyer, and Siller Hampton, end on this --
4. Hiram Arnett Sr. [son of Reuben and Susan Kilgore Arnett] married Renn Arnett and there were born to them 3 sons and 2 girls, viz -- Catlett, Birdyne, and Hiram, Jr.(Rose). Catlett married a Howard, Birdyne a Salyers and Rose [Hiram, Jr] an Arnett (Roda), and Letty, Jack [had two] Boys -- Betty, never [married] --
5. Ambrose Arnett, Sr. [son of Reuben and Susan Kilgore Arnett] married Susan Ray -- There were born to them 4 sons and 1 girl (died young) and my father died Sept. 1, 1854 and was only 40 years old and I was 5 years of age -- names are: Logan, Harris G., Ben F. [Franklin], and Ambrose Jr (Babe), Polly (girl). Logan married Delana Howard, H. G. married Rebecca Higgins, May 29, 1812 [H. G. and Rebecca were married 1872 suggesting this letter was typed by someone other than H.G. -- probably Charles Arnett or one of his family; see notes at end of letter] -- Benjamin F. married Louisa Fletcher, and Ambrose married Sarah Jane Perkins.
1. Logan and wife had born to them 2 sons and 3 daughters.. Richard French, Bruce Wade, Phebe and Josephine and Laura -- R. French married Raney Green and there were born to them 4 sons and 1 girl... Lacy B., J.C.W. Beckham, Logan and Wm. O. and the girl, Ida, married, Bryan -- Bruce Wade, (now Postmaster at Hendricks, Ky.) married Missouri Howard, no children-- [Gratz Arnett is listed in the Arnett Album as a son of Logan's but not mentioned in this letter under Logan.]
Phebe, now Postmaster at Salyersville, Ky. married Wm. O. Howard, now dead. They had born to them 1 son and 2 daughters, viz: Hobart and Hortense, and Bulah--Hobart married Lewis Marshall's daughter, Hortense married Henry Lyons, Bulah is single.
Josephine married Berry S. Patrick and there were born to them 1 son and 5 daughters, viz: Watt Patrick married Erin Higgins (George Higgins' girl) -- Their daughters married Claude Gose, Lacy Higgins, Warrick Arnett, Trabue Arnett and Bruce Phipps--
2. Harris G. Arnett and wife had born to them, viz-- 5 sons and 3 daughters, Eugene Brittain, Dury Mylne, Grover Cleveland, Dooney and Fritz E. Erin Mavorneen, Loulie and Nelus, four now dead and for survive yet --
Eugene B. first married Julia Sublett, and there were born to them one son, J. Oakley, the girls are Helen and Ruth, both still single. J. Oakley married Willie Caudill's daughter of Ashland, Ky. -- Eugene's second wife, was Lucy Jones of the State of Illinois, then a teacher in the Salyersville College [Magoffin Baptist Institute; actually only through high school]. They have 2 sons and 1 girl, Paul and Wendell Holmes [Walter Wendell], the girls name Bernice--baby--
Dury M. married Dora Thompson of Lee County, Virginia and there were born to them 3 girls. Dury died and I raised them, names Myrtle Manerva, Gertrude and Hettgarn, all married. Myrtle M. married John Rennie, a Scotchman, in Iowa and both graduated at Davenport, Iowa as Chiropractor doctors and now reside in Mount Olive, Ill. Rennie is also a finished expert granite cutter, and helped complete the Goebel Monument at Frankfort, Kentucky and works for a monumental concern now, on a salary of $2500.00 a year, while Myrtle looks after the chiropractor patients. They only have one girl, now 11 years of age.. They own valuable property in Bedford, Iowa.
Gertrude married John Hardy Patrick, a son of Judge Wiley Patrick of Salyersville, Ky. and they reside in Tampa, Florida. Hettgarn, Dury's youngest girl married in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mrs. Thomas L. King has no children and resides close to her mother who married again to George Seibert, mechanic -- Erin M. married Calloway Howard, Atty., and they only have one son, Max Lowy, who is still single -- Loulie, married David Glenn Sublett, attorney, and they have 4 sons, viz: D. Voorhees, Rex, David D. and Edward Romine all single, except Voorhees, who graduated in Louisville, Kentucky over a year ago and now working in a large Hospital in Oklahoma City, Okla. as an assistant M.D. doctor at a good salary. He married a girl in Illinois [rather he married in Oklahoma a girl from Louisville] some weeks ago by the name of Wood-- looking for them soon. Fritz Earl married Loulie Dyer, and they have 1 son, Lansing Ray, and 1 daughter, Erin now 17 years old, and married J.C.W. Beckham Arnett July 7, 1927, so we only have my youngest grandson [Lansing, b. Nov. 1,1916] at home, now 11 years old, Nov. 1, 1927
3. Ben F. [Franklin] Arnett and wife had 6 sons and one girl, Della, who married Will Tom Arnett. The boys are Kelse-Willus [Walter], Warrick, Dean, Patrick [and Bryan]. Warrick married--Patrick, Dean married Georgean Gullett, Bryan married Ida Arnett, Walter, (died several years ago) --
4. Ambrose Arnett, Jr. and wife had born to them 5 sons and 3 daughters, names Dudley H. (dead) Warney (dead) Hayden, Bernie, and Bert -- Hayden married Josie Risner, Bernie married Daisy Risner, and Bert married Julia Higgins.
Now I will give a short sketch of the Licking River generation of Magoffin County Arnetts -- Beginning with Stephen Arnett, Sr. and family, as aforesaid, pioneer settlers on the Meadows of Licking River in the year 1814 -- now, Royalton, Ky. Stephen Arnett's wife was a Hanby [The Arnett Album Vol. II lists Elizabeth Howard as Stephen's wife.] as I was informed by Old Uncle Black Stephen Arnett, Sr.[b.1808, son of Reuben] who dies [died] at the age of 95, retaining his health and mind. Stephen Arnett and wife had 3 sons and 4 daughters.
The sons were
[1] Wiley ["Ole Wile"] Arnett, Sr. [b.1816],
[2] Big Dave Arnett (who never married) [bc. 1812] and
[3] Long Black Reuben Arnett, Sr. [bc.1810]
The girls were
[4] Nancy Arnett, who married "Old Ben Howard, Sr.," Old Lark Howard's Sr. Father and mother -- (Lark Howard is now 97 years old, and very active).
[5] Phebe Arnett married Isaiah Salyers, Levi Patrick's wife Nancy's father and mother.
[6] Linda [Malinda] Salyer was old uncle Samuel Salyer's wife, whom "Salyersville" was named in 1860 -- They were the father and mother of
Abner Salyer, who married Betty Patrick, your grandmother Emily's sister who died a few days ago, age 96 years, retained her mind up to her death, memory excellent -- also, parents of
Martin Salyer, the fiddler, who married Caroline, Tommy Salyer's daughter -- Old Uncle Sam Salyer, ex. representative of Kentucky, 1860, was the father of the noted
Hon. John C. Salyer, ex-State Senator, also of
Hon. Sam P. Salyer, who were both my old students in school and both self-made men-(both died too young), their mother was Peggy Picklesimer-- then
[7] Rena Arnett married Hiram Arnett, Sr., my uncle who had born to them 3 sons, and 2 daughters, viz: Catlett, Birdyne and Hiram (Rose) -- Betty and Letty were the girls -- Betty never married, and Letty married Jack boys-- both dead--
[1] Wiley Arnett ["Ole Wile" b.1816] married (first) Betty Sizemore, and there were born to them 7 sons and 2 daughters, viz-- William Russell, John Bud, Farish, Kendall, Proctor, and Augustus-- the girls were Martha and Jahaza, who married brothers-- Martha married Nathan Howard and Jahuza married Martin Howard--
1. William Arnett [son of "Ole Wile] married a Collinsworth, and had 1 son and 1 daughter, William and Phebe--
2. Russell [son of "Ole Wile"] married America Minix, and had born to them, (first wife) 2 sons and 3 daughters, viz: Came Arnett, Jr. married Adam Allen's daughter-- Wiley married Harrett Howard, Amanda Arnett married Jackson L. Arnett, Elizabeth married Alexander Allen and Melvina married an Allen--
3. John Bud [son of "Ole Wile"] married Solomon Dixon's daughter--
4. Farish [son of "Ole Wile"], (first) married Eliza Howard, and there were born to them 5 sons and 2 daughters, viz: [also a Robt. Lee in Arnett Album], Jeff D., Jack, John, Gratz and Jo. Pigg-- Mary, S.E. Patton's wife, and Georgia Noble, Henry Noble's wife-- Jeff D. married Rebecca Patrick-- John married Celia [Sarah] Cooper-- Jack married Cora Adams, Proctor married Paulina Prater, Augustus married Mattie Patrick, Jo Pigg married Betty Keeton's girl-- Gratz married Jennie Anderson.
[2] Big Dave Arnett remained single, but had 22 children. So did Wiley, his brother, who was married 4 times--
[3] Old Long Black Reuben Arnett, 1st married a [Sally]Manns, then a [Luranny] Jones and there were born to them 4 sons and 2 daughters by the [Sally] Manns wife (she died), and Long Black Rueben Arnett married the second wife, Miss [Luranny] Jones, (a sister of Capt. Wiley Jones). They had born to them 2 sons and 1 daughter. The children's names were
[by Manns] (1) Harris Arnett, Sr. (called Nat) who married a Joseph (Sister to little Dave Arnett's wife on Half Mountain, our Martin Arnett's father-in-law). (2) Muley Reuben married Celia Whittaker, preacher Dave Whittaker's sister-- (3) Jack Arnett married Old Sam Howard's daughter on the head of Licking River. (He died with small-pox). (4) Stephen Arnett (called Bullett) married Mary Risner, old Meredeth Risner's daughter on Puncheon Creek--
now by the Jones Wife-- William Arnett and Asberry-- I do not know who they married-- They lived on Puncheon Creek all their lives-- The girl Louisa married Marion Patrick, (called Tank) son of old fighting Jack ["Fightin' Jack" Patrick, b.1818]. They were the parents of Asbury, Menefee, Jack, Tom and Samuel J. and Lee, who was killed--
Now, I take up Martha [daughter of [1] "Ole Wile" Arnett] and Nathan Howard, again, they had born to them 5 sons, and 2 daughters, viz--
Harris, who married Cena Lacy, now a very wealthy man, in lands, he owns lands in Montgomery, Morgan and also a large tract in Magoffin County all said to be worth over $250,000-- Harris's son, J. Woodford, is our present State Senator, and a first class lawyer, and is very prominent in the state--
next Jahaza Arnett, who married Martin Howard who had 4 sons and 2 daughters, so I will mention J. Breck Howard whose father was killed by William Arnett, Jr. while he was very young--
He [J.Breck Howard] is a self-made man and married a Miss [Sarah Mae] Hurt--is an attorney at law at Royalton, and is called the Cross-Tie-King of Magoffin. He is a capitalist and made a gallant race for circuit Court Judge, in the 36th Judicial Dist-- last fall against Hon. Chester A. Back, Augustus [brother of Jahaza] Arnett's son-in-law [m. Augustus' daughter, Maude], and was defeated. Well, I will close-
Hendricks... July 4, 1928
Dear Charley:
When I started in on this manuscript, I intended to only block it out and take it to town and transcribe it myself on Erin's typewriter, thus getting it in better shape, and make several corrections, so you could read it legibly, and better understand it--so, you see, I left out the extension of several families of now importance to save space, so I hope you will be able to read it by sheet number, and make the proper corrections-- so excuse this crude work, bad form, bad grammar and misused words, pencil and cheap paper-- [This comment suggests that the original version was in pencil and that someone in Charles Arnett's family typed this copy.]
Well, the democrats are all jubilant over the nomination of Governor Alfred E. Smith for President, by acclimation, also pleased with Senator Joe Robinson, for Vice from the South--- So it looks now like we have a Moses to redeem and restore our old Jeffersonian Constitution.
[Alfred Smith, a big city Catholic son of an Irish immigrant who supported liberalizing the Volstead Act and had a favorable farm plank, was defeated in the November 1928 election by the Republican, Herbert Hoover. Smith's Democratic agrarian policy outweighed his Catholic persuasion in H.G.'s mind.]
Always for you and yours,
H. G. Arnett
P. S. All are well.
P. S. I mentioned in this writing that Judge Ben G. Williams of Frankfort, Kentucky was the son of Old Uncle Mason Willaims, Sr., who married Sillar Patrick, who was raised on the spot where I reside-- I may be the said Judge is the grand child and I am wrong as it was 40 years ago when I was at old Uncle Mason's ... I am 80 now.
H. G. A.
"Rain, rain, which keeps the roads all so muddy I cannot ride to Salyersville."
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