David H. Homan, son of
Michael and Lena Homan, was born in 1836, in Rockingham Co., Virginia, where he was reared
and educated. In 1860 he came to Henry County, Indiana, and located in Fall Creek
Township, where he was extensively engaged in stock dealing till 1871. He then began
farming, and has since followed that vocation.In 1881 he moved to Jefferson Township,
where he now owns a large well-cultivated farm. He was married in 1872 to Hannah Bushaugh,
a native of Shenandoah County, Virginia, born in 1833, and a daughter of Peter and
Elizabeth Bushaugh, who came to Henry County in 1857. From 1857 to 1860 Mr. Homan traveled
in the Western States, visiting Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska.
LETTERS
Bowman’s Mill Sept.
27, 1858
Dear Sir,
Your Mother asked Abigail
to write you a few lines and she not being very well requested me to write for her. We are glad to hear of your continued health for
health is one of the creators great blessing to man, and to a person sojourning amongst
strangers in a far off country it is but the more appreciated. I suppose you have had a full history of our wheat
crop which if you have you must know it was very light about a half crop in quantity and
averaging about 53 to 56 lbs. to the bushel. The
corn in our immediate vicinity will perhaps yield an average crop or nearly so. Corn is all cut up and our farmers are seeding
(the corn p______) by shoveling in with the shovel plow. In consequence of the long
continued drouth the stubble lands cannot be plowed in our clay soils. In sandy and gravely soils the farmers have been
seeding stubble lands, our seeding will very late as the drouth still continues, and the
crop seeded must necessarily be less than usual.
All kinds of business is in a very depressed condition and must
remain so for all I can see until we once more have a suspicion (?) of good crops which I
hope may soon come.
Herod is still handling fat cattle, but he
has dealt very cautiously this summer for there was danger in being rash in the cattle
business this season. The fat cattle have
nearly all been driven now, and the business of buying stock to feed and graze will soon
begin. George W. Thomas and Lady are on a
visit here now, having fled from the yellow fever in the south. They will soon leave, at least when they hear the
fever has abated so as to make traveling less dangerous.
Mary and Caroline with their husbands were to see us a week ago. They were enjoying health at that time. Since then we have had no news from them.
Abigail says that your Mother wished her
to say to you that if you was in want of any money she would send you some. Your Father’s health is much as it was when
you left. He is still very subject to severe
colds which give him much trouble.
Many of our farmers are making sugar and
molasses from the Chinese sugar cane. I have
no doubt it will be a valued addition to our farm products as the yield is large and the
syrup made from it is excellent. I have not
yet saw any of the sugar produced but am told it is a good article. I will not close without telling you of the
melancholy death of my Brother David, who came to his death by drowning in a well into
which he threw himself in a fit of mental aberration caused by an attack of fever. Before he could be rescued life had fled and gone
to that vast eternity of which we know so little.
I would like to hear what your prospects
are for the future, and if not good where you now are.
I think you would better return to your old house where I do not doubt an
arrangement could be made that would prove to your advantage. May Heaven’s choicest (?) blessings be ever
yours is the wish of
J. J. Bowman
D. H. Homan
Lacey Springs, Va., January 18/61
Mr. D. H. Homan
Dear sir,
I received yours of the 28th of
September in due time and have put off writing to you from time to time. Today I will comply with your wishes as well as
my own, and give you a short sketch of things adoing in ole Rockingham.
I’m always very glad to hear from
you, for I still remember the olden times gone by, and still remember you, as I would a
Brother that I once played and sported with in our Youthfull days when we were most happy. Those days when we used to work hard all week and
on Saturday night and Sunday, take a little turn for our health and a little fun together. Those days I now remember as being the sunny days
of my life.
I’m living now easy enough, yet I’m not
altogether satisfied, and it appears to me that I want a change of climate or a squaw (?)
one or the other. I supposed you would say
the other.
I’m at a loss to know how to shape my letter so as
to make it satisfy your craving appetite for the news of your old home. Politicks are first and they have run very high
and resulted in the election of a damned Black Republican President. And you were a Douglas man and in being one aided
Lincoln’s Election. Now if I was near you I would lick you, for
forgetting that your Father once fought for your country and raised you to know better
than to vote for Douglas. We are now
volunteering and raising company after company and preparing to defend our Rights, that
are as sacred as our Fathers are dear to us, and have five or six companies in this
county, and all uniformed and the most of them armed.
The Valley Rangers, to which I belong, are a good company of mounted men,
number 60 men, and Headed by Capt. H. L. Shoup, who parade tomorrow at 10 O’clock, at Lacey Spring. We are going to offer our services to South
Carolina. The trouble in the States has
caused business to be very dull and times very hard, stock and all kinds of produce have
falled one third, and the money appears to be all gone.
To give you a short account of myself I am still
trading a little first one thing and then another. Last
Spring and summer I was trading in Sheep all the time and in the fall I went into the Hog
trade pretty strong. I cared(?) three lots to
Washington early and then drove a heavy lot across the Ridge. I handled six hundred and the hogs that went to
Washington made money. I rent my property to
the Boys and expect to trade around until next fall and then I’m going
back_____________________ big hunt with the major in ______________and if some of them Old
____________ don’t ______________, I’ll
catch one of their Daughters. I will start in
Oct. or November. I’m going out just to
spend the winter and to hunt a Little Deer. I
would be pleased if you would join me next fall, and we would take another Round together. I’m going expressly to hunt and have a little
fun once more. Cal and I will start over the
Ridge in a few weeks with a Lot of horses. Dereck
Radar and Het Moyers was married a few weeks ago. Mag
Beary and Dr. Zirkle were also spliced a short time ago.
Your old Sweeheart __________
is still on hand yet, and the Beary’s are trotting around with _________. I have not seen her for a long time.
Your Father has been very sick, but is well again. They were all well at home a week ago. I was down and your Mother thinks hard of you that
you do not write to her. Write soon
very soon and give me the particulars and I will answer you promptly and give you
the news generally.
Write to me what you have done with your Pretty,
Nice Rich and Fast talking Dutch Girl.
Hoping to hear from you soon I will come to a close by
asking you again to _________________________________.
I remain yours truly,
J. G.
Shoup
April, 1861
Rockingham Cty., Va.
Dear Brother,
This evening I will try
to write a few lines to you again, I would of written some time ago, but I could not find
out where to direct a letter to you. I was
rather crossed that you did not write to me
you knew where to direct to us, if you would have been as anxious to of herd from us as we
was from you, you would of wrote please do
write oftener. I cannot express my sympathy
for you and how anxious I am to see you. I do
hope you are well for that is certainly the greatest blessing we can have, we are all well
at this time and all of our relations, so far as I know.
Our kind old neighbor Mr. George Branner died 17th of March he was
buried on the 9th. Benj, an myself
went down that day by taken an early start we got their in good time before the(y) started
to they church. It was a very large
congregation the church was crowded.
Mr. Branner was
complaining for some time. He was not
confined to his bed very long before his death. he
looked very badly indeed. He would still ride
out when he was so weak he was scarce able to ride. I
suppose he felt anxious to worry and wear the disease out.
he was dyspeptic an some other disease, I think that is what they said. I feel very sorry for Mrs. Branner. it is very hard for her. it has not been a year since little George
Branner died. his disease
was fever. their was a great deal of sickness
down in that neighborhood, an a great many deaths, their
is such a change since you left on the river an creek to, in almost every way and
it is to tegious for me to try to tell you. I
am such a poor hand to write and give the news, I would so much rather you would come back
that we could see you and talk to you. what a pleasure that would be…how glad mother
would be to see you an thinks you mite write oftener than you do.
If you was to step in at Abigail’s you would be so
surprised how they children has grown.
I don’t think they
have changed in the face much perhaps you would think differently, they have grown so I
don’t believe you would know them, Caroline’s children don’t grow very fast they have grown but not so much I have not been at Caroline’s for some time I want
to go soon Can’t you come an go along
with us, When I was at home I staid a week an
then Sis came home with me a staid until
Easter Monday, Harrison, Susan (?) said I should tell you for her that she stile
lives with me and she wants to know if you are going to get married soon and bring your
lady to se us, I believe she is just as anxious to hear from you as I am, and so is
Rebecca Whitman and John they ask me often
about you and I was sorry I did not hear from you for so long I had herd you was in Indiana an that was about
all I could not tell what you was engaged in
for I did not know.
For the last week or ten days we have had snow or rain nearly
every day. I am tired of so much of it. _______________________ if you have such rainy an
gloomy weather now as(?)it is here It is bad
on the hands that work on the railroad______________________
________________a change it makes down about home and all along they road there is a great
deal of work on the road to do yet I do wish
it was don it is a great deal of trouble to
them that live along the road that is sure,
an one more great trouble and that is Abe Lincoln. It
gives great uneasiness to hear about war there
is a great deal said about it is
going______________________ I don’t think I
do hope their will not be war
Now Dear Harrison do write soon and let me know how you are
getting along an if you can enjoy yourself Oh,
I think of you so often if I could just see
you some times I fear it will be like with
our Brother Harvey die in a distant land I
hope you will prepare for death let it meet
you where it will, good bye, (dear Brother) Mary
N. Bowman, B. D. Bowman
Ed. Note: Along
the side of this last page is written: Mother
received your letter
April 25, 1861
