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165. Dennis F. Hanks to William H. Herndon.

March the 7th 66

Friend William

I jest Received your Letter I was Down to John halls have Jest got home walked thAre and Back Old fogy Like I got a Copy of that Egreement that you wanted and Sent it to you this Day Billy it Seemes to Me from the Letters that you write to Me askin questions that you ask the Same questions over Several times how is this do you forget or are you Like the Lawyer trying to Make Me cross My path or Not — Now I will

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Look Below for the answer

St How Thomas Lincoln first Cum to Indiana on Horse Back I Say on Horse Back 2 Horses as well as I Recollect packed threw to Little pigeon Creek and Struck his tent in the Brush in Spencer County Ia

this the Last trip

I have told you that the first time he Came Down the Rowling fork in a flat Boat Made By his own hands Landing at Poseys on the Indiana Side Thare Left his goods went out and Located him a place and went Back afoot on Knobb Creek whare he Started from and then packed up and Started on his Last trip to his Lowcation Rite in the Brush Raised a half faced camp whare abe Killed the turkey

2d What Made Thomas Lincoln Leave The reson is this We war perplext By a Disese Cald Milk Sick I My Self Being the oldest I was Determed to Leve and hunt a cuntry whare the Milk was not I Maried his oldest Step Daughter I Sold out and they Concluded to gow With Me Billey I was tolerably popular at that time for I had Sum Mony My wifs Mother Could not think of parting with hir and we Riped up Stakes and Started to Illinois and Landed at Decatur this this is the Reason for Leving Indiana I am to Blame for it if any as for get More Land this Not the case for we Could have Enterd Ten thousand acres of the Bist of Land when we Left it was on a count of the Milk Billy I Had 4 Good Milch Cows to with it in one week and Leve young Calfs this was a Noug to Run Me Be Sides Liked toose My with it this Reason Nugh aint it for Leving Indiana

as to Thomas Lincoln Deed in Kentucky I Say No we Left Kentucky for the purpose of Hunting a New Cuntry whare we could get Land for 125 cts per acre and have the pick and choys which we did

3d# When Did Lincoln first Cum to Indiana in the fall of 1818 I tell from My age when we Started to Indiana Did he have have to Cut his own Road the trew Statement of the Case is this the Road had Ben Blazed out part of the way By a Man By the of Jesse Hoskins the Ballance of the way Lincoln had to Cut his way and part of the other for 5 Miles So that a Wagon Could pass Was he on horse Back or in a wagon this from poseys 18 Miles to his Location he was in a wagon got threw Safe

was there any older Settlers than Thomas Lincoln Yes Jesse Hoskins young Lamare Brewner Kitchen Jentry Thomas Carter John Carter T Turnham & Jones & woods

you Seam to think if thare were older Settlers they Must cut a Road I tell you this Much a Bout it is this We Did Not Cum from the Same Cuntry Did Not Cross the Ohio at the Same place this will Do wont it Billy

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Billy I intend Starting to Kentucky whare I was Born I want to Be thear on the 15th of May whare I was Born on the Very Spot which will Be 67 years a gow I Have Not Ben there Sence the Battle of New Orleans or the Shaking of Earth

So Billy if thare is any qustions Let them Cum for I think I Can answer them all

Yours Respectffuly
D. F. Hanks

nts

Notes.

1. See §166. See also §140.

2. The town of Troy, Indiana, near the mouth of Anderson River, had been laid out for Francis Posey in 1815.

3. Elizabeth Johnston.

4. Jesse Hoskins was a neighbor of Thomas Lincoln. Rev. Young Lamar presided at the burial of Nancy Hanks Lincoln. Numerous Brooners and Gentrys lived in the area. Thomas and John Carter, Thomas Turnham, John and Lawrence Jones, and William Wood also lived nearby.

5. Hanks doubtless refers to the New Madrid earthquake of December 1811, which was widely felt in the Ohio and lower Mississippi valleys.