Old Sides Letter (John Sides)
---Posted on behalf of Nellie Schueler
For quite some time, I have intended to share this old letter with others who may have an interest and decided to do so today.It has been in our family for a very long time and shared by many of our relatives.The letter has been a good aid for some of my cousins and me while doing our research on the Sides Family tree.Some of the facts contained in the letter have been proven time and again, although some of his meaning has been hard to interpret.We now know that John, the son of Henry Sides likely died before 1830 in Walker County, AL and it was probably John's son, John who went to Mississippi.
The letter was written to my father's half-sister, Mildred Elizabeth Sides Coffman who lived in Itasca,TX at the time.The letter writer was W. A. (William A.) Sides who wrote the letter on 25 April 1922 while he was living in Ryan, OK.W. A. Sides was a first cousin to my grandfather, Willis Coleman Sides.Our family line comes down from Henry Sides 1734-1830 through his son, Stephen Sides born about 1795 NC.W. A. Sides, born about 1846 MS is to be found living in household with his father, Holden W. Sides on the following census records:1850 Itawamba County, MS, 1860 Walker County, AL , 1870 Giles County, TN and 1880 Limestone County, AL.After the death of his parents before 1900, he, along with some of his siblings and families moved to TX.They are found 1900 and later on TX census records.
Here is a copy of the letter (transcribed and passed down from the original, which has not to this date been found):
Ryan, Oklahoma
April 25, 1922
R.R. 3, Box 2
Dear Cousin,
I'll stop to answer your welcome letter to hand and glad to hear you were all up.We are all up here and well.I am just hobbling around as usual.Hope this may find you all well and doing well.Well, it sure does rain here at last and almost too much for the recent needs.Everyone is rushing to get his crop in, but lots of cotton to plant yet.Glad to hear Jimi is getting along so well with his work.Hope you all make a fine crop this year.Am glad you have heard from your papa and hear he was well.I sure would love to see the poor old fellow one more time, but have no hopes of that pleasure anymore.I would go back there one more time if I was able to travel, but I am not and I want to see you and your folks.I have never seen one of your children at all and it has been twenty-one years and past since I have seen you and your papa and that is still longer.I am living to go and see sister Sindy in May and if am possibly able I will come back by and see you all.Sindy is 18 miles south of Dallas County.They was all well a few days back.They are truck farming this year, but have had a bad year to truck in on account of so much cold and rainy weather.
Mildred, you asked me to tell you about the Sides family, or the Sides lineage, or the nationality.The first three Sides brothers that came to America came from Germany and settled in North Carolina some two hundred years ago.My great-grandfather, Henry Sides was in the war of 1776 for the independence of America, from under England and him and great-grandfather and my mother Sides was the first to settle at Walker County, Alabama.I have been at my great-grandfather Sides grave.He was 98 years old when he died.
My grandfather Sides wife, my grandmother, was Scotch-Irish.My mothers ancestors were Dutch and both my grandfathers was English.Your grandfather, Jack Sides, Willis' father was born in North Carolina.My father, your Uncle Holden was buried in Alabama, near the Georgia line, in Cherokee County, Alabama.My great-grandfather's boys as far as I know was named one Henry, one Levi and one Stephen, my grandfather.He died in Mississippi, close to where your Uncle George lived, and my Uncle Jack and Cal and Aunt Nancy and Aunt Polly all died close by there.So you are a mix of German-Irish, Scotch-Irish, quite a Dukes mixture.There was also, I think, one brother, John Sides that was a brother to my grandfather, Stephen Sides that went to Mississippi and Moses Sides of the old set.I have seen the first four that I have named, Henry, Levi, William and grandfather.Your great-grandmother was a cousin to James K. Polk who was one time President of the United States.
Well, I hope that you will make out to read this mess.I have told the best I can about the Sides family.Write me again as soon as you can, so with love and respect to you and your family, I will quit for this time and may the Lord bless you (missing text) and we have a home in Heaven at last.
As ever, your old feeble cousin,
W. A. Sides
By:Nellie M. Sides Schueler
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Re: Old Sides Letter (John Sides)
Gladys C. Shannon 5/16/05