HISTORY OF THE J. J. SAMS FAMILY
and incidentally
A HISTORY OF THE WHITE RIVER VALLEY COUNTRY IN
NORTHERN ARKANSAS FROM 1816 to 1896
by
J. J. SAMS
Copy furnished by Miss Clara Davis
Checotah, Oklahoma
Transcribed by Kathryn Langston
1/19/2000
INTRODUCTION
As the public seems to feel an interest in the history of an individual so humble as I am and as that history can be so well known to no person as to myself I have, after a long time, and under many pressing solicitations from my friends, at last determined to put my hand to it, and lay before the world a narrative on which they may at least rely as being true, and seeking no ornament or coloring for a plain simple tale of truth, I throw aside hypocracy and all fawning opologies and according to my own axium just go ahead. Where I am not known I might perhaps gain some little credit by having thrown around this volume some of the flowers of learning, but where I am known this vile cheatery would soon be detected, and like the foolish
...............that..............................................
.........(Note: There is an omission here. The narrative begins again on page 4).
surveyor and had the lines run around the land he wanted and then he entered it at 12 1/2 cts, per acre.
My father was a very active man in his young days, running and jumping. I heard him say the worst plagued he ever was in his life was by a little bowlegged negro beating him jumping he
had not been beaten before for se veral years. He was, also, a great singer and had a voice like a lark.The Sam's were reasonable good citizens. They were a tolerable well grown set of men, six footers, and spare made. They attended to their own business and let others alone and if you undertook to attend to their business you was sure to get into a fuss.
Ancestors of J. J. Sams continued
If you are not tired I will tell you something about my other grandparents and their history: My grandfather, James Jeffrey, was born in England. he was a great grandson of the great Isaac Jeffrey of England who rebelled against the king of England in the great revolution of1764. The old Isaac Jeffrey gave his only son money and means to come to America in or about the year 1766; and young Isaac came to America with himself and five sons, his wife being dead. His sons names were Jery, Joseph, John, the Indian killer, Jams, my grandfather and Jessee. I have seen three of them myself in days past and gone.
Isaac Jeffrey settled in Virginia in the year 1766 and lived there a few years then came further west to Tennasee and settled in Knox County near Knoxville. The Indians were plenty
there at that time, and troublesome. Isaac Jeffrey died there in his seventy isxth year. His sons were grown then; Jerry was the oldest of the five brothers. After his father brought him to
America he turned Tory against his father and four brothers. he brought a gang of soldiers to his father's and got into a dispute with his father on politics. Jerry was a very stout man and
picked up the stand table, broke it to pieces, and struck his father on the head with a portion of it, knocking him senseless for some time. Jerry concluded to not come back anymore and that
was the last time the old man ever saw him. The King gave Jerry a large pension for life and he went back to England but he lived only a year or so after he went there. His father diden't shed a
tear when he heard of Jerry's death, he gave a long sigh and said, "poor Jerry I hope he made peace with his God before he died".James Jeffrey moved from Virginia to East Tennasee, date not known at this time, he and his wife whose maiden name was Jane Mason whoom he married in Virgina. >From East Tennassee they moved to what was known as West Tennasee near Knoxville. James, Joseph and Jessee settled there and cleared a small piece of land. The Cherokee Indians were very troublesome at the time there and one would stand pickett while the other two worked in the field. At night they would stay in the fort with guards around. All that lived close enough would come and stay in the
fort with them at Knoxville.One morning just at the break of day Jessee Jeffrey was standing on pickett at the fort which was in an open field which was surrounded by thick under-growth, when he saw something move,
in the edge of the timber, he said, which looked like a man, and on watching closer he saw an Indian slipping on all fours through the tall sage grass, coming towards the fort. He was moving very cautiously, now and then stopping, to look and listen. he was carrying a bundle of sticks and kindling with which to set the fort on fire. Jesse Jeffrey let hime come on the fort, and waited 'till he had commenced to fire the fort when Jeffrey placed himself and shot the Indian. At the report of the gun the Indian jumped his full length, fell and gave an Indian grunt and yell. They said the Indian was full six feet high.James Jeffrey moved from there to the section of country called the New Madrid; he was living in the upper edge of it in 1812 at the time of the great earthquake of that period when the
whole New Madrid country sunk several feet. he lived in a bottom called Tywopity, on the Mississippi about fifteen miles above the Ohio river mouth. he moved from there across the river into Illinois and stayed three years, thence to the Arkansas Territory, in the county of Lawrence, on Reeds Creek where he opened a farm and lived five or six years, he and his two sons James Jr, and Jessee Jr. After a time a man by the name of Henderson entered him out of house and home, when he moved to White river in Izard County and remained there till his death,
which occurred in 1844, in the eighty sixth year of his life. Of these I will speak more in another place.
Old Jessee Jeffrey, my grandfather's Brother, emigrated toLawrence County in the year 1716 (surely meant to be 1816) (KL) from Knox County Tennasee. He had a family of six children, three sons James, Jerry and Jessee, and his daughters were Cintha, Louiza and Hetty who was the youngest at that time.
Old Jessee Jeffrey was a man that would make money, and his brother James said it did not make any difference how he got it.
At that time there was some counterfeiting going on here in the Territory of Arkansas, so I have been told. But Old Jessee always kept others between him and the halter; but he always got
his share of the proceeds. he most generally kept some character in his reach to do his dirty work for him if necessary, just like such things are done this day and times. I have seen a many of their dollars in my time and they were well made too. They would wear some time before detected. They would make a right smart chance of them and change them from one to another before taking a journey off. On these journeys they would stop in and call for a glass of whiskey or brandy and hand out a counterfeit dollar and get back eighty seven and a half cents in good money, then they would go to the next station. They always made it convenient to call late in the evening or at night to get a "horn" or some other small article, always getting good money in
change. Some times they would be gone three or four months at a time. When they got a sum to justify they would buy up a flat boat and go down to New Orleans and on the way down they would
unavoidably stop and tie up just at night and change off some of their money and then leave in the night.Perhaps you might want to accuse me of making money, and if you do, I can say like old John Jeffrey said about killing the Indian that I reckon that it was no more harm to make the last
dollar than it was the first one.But I will proceed concerning Old Jessee Jeffrey and his family. Cintha, his eldest daughter, married a man by the name of Jarret Brickey they went to little Red river in 1891. Cintha
Bickey was living there with her great grandchildren and at that time was keeping her favorite saddle horse to ride whenever she choose to ride. She would go to the stable, bridle and saddle
her hors, get on him, and ride ten or fifteen miles like she was not more that sixteen years old. At that time she was in her ninety first year. Old Jessee Jeffrey moved to red river in 1824 and died there some years afterwards.Jerry Jeffrey Jr. left about the year 1823 to the country called the Spanish Country, now known as Texas. It was supposed the Spaniards killed or captured him for he was never heard of
any more, as them days the Spaniards captured a great many people. I saw one man and got very well aquainted with him that was captured by the Spaniards in those days. This man was John
Ware. He lived on White River and married here. He said the Spaniards kept him in chains confined in prison twenty two years in the City of Mexico before he got away from them. He was a
relative of the Ware family now her e in this country. Ware was a regular graduate. he graduated in the City of Mexico.Louisa Jeffrey strolled off. Hetty married a man by the name of Bagwell and she has some grandchildren here in this country now.
But to my subject: I will give you another portion of the history of Jessee Jeffrey Sr. more particularly for the information of relatives of his wherever they may be if they should happen to meet up with this little volume.
I was just big enough to hear him tell about his voyage with his father and brothers across the ocean. I heard him say he was nine years old when they came across in the year 1764. When I
was eight years old he wanted my mother to let him take me and raise me. He said he would bind himself to do by me as he done for his own children. He delighted in all kinds of fine stock
except jacks. He delighted in running race horses and generally kept the fastest stock of that time. Sometimes he would have jockey riding done in order to get a better race in the future,
but most always had apretty good horse to run if anything was worth running for. Then he had what he called fast judges, for he said there was more in fast judges than in fast horses. Old
Uncle Jess and myself would sometimes meet in the road and he, for sport, would banter me for a race. My mother had an old mare that was very gentle to ride and had been trained some for
running. On these occasions when we met we soon got up a race and the first strait place in the road we would turn our horses and, the word given, away we would go for about two or three
hundred yards, and ofcourse I always beat. Old Jessee Jeffrey was a large man, he weighed about one hundred and ninety pounds. I have heard him tell my mother that I was the best rider he ever saw to my age. Mother would give me a reprimand; it done no good for when we happened to meet again there was another race up. I was in my eighth or ninth year. Once I heard my Mother tell Uncle Jess that the reason he wanted me to raise was, we was so much a like in disposition, "If you had him", she would say, "he would get hung or get his neck broke for he is as full of meaness as you are, all he wants is just a little training".My Mother was a very pious woman; she belonged to the Methodist Church but was really a Cumberland Presbyterian in belief. She attached herself to the Methodist Church because her
second husband, Rev. Thos. Culp, was a Methodist She said it looked too odd for her husband to belong to one Church and her to another.She lived in the Methodist Church from 1830 until her death, which accurred in the year 1863 in her sixty sixth year, here in the White river valley in Izard county, on January 3rd. She
lived and died in three miles of the first place she moved to when she moved from Lawrence county.
Old James Jeffrey
I will give you a more full history of old James Jeffrey my grandfather, a brother to old Jessee Jeffrey. He was a man of very few words and seemed to be a very solid sober man rather selfish looking, but a man of good business conversation but no gestures. When a boy I would be about his house a greatdeal . I was very rude and cut up a right smart. He would say "Jehoida I wish you would behave", that was enough, right then and there you would see me getting.
He was a Freewill Baptist as far back as I know of, but some years before death he joined the Presbyterians as there was no Baptist Church in that country then; but he always contended
theat the Baptists were right in belief. He was a man who attended to his own affairs, and others must let his alone. He was a very peacable man in the neighborhood. The only time I ever heard of him having any trouble was with old Henderson who entered his land from him of which I will speak more fully in the future.And now I will speak more fully of my grandmother Jeffrey old James Jeffreys wife. Her maiden name was Jane Mason, she was born in Old Virginia, near the town by the name of Kingston,
the date not known by me at this time. I shall have to leave off many dates as I have forgotten them at this time.James Jeffrey and Jane Mason were married in Virginia near a town by the name of Alexandria. She was in her sixteenth year of age. Her parents were very much opposed to her marriage. Her
parents were very wealthy and she was well educated and they dident want her to marry a man of no learning. The idea of ther marrying such a penniless unlettered fellow was too bad just like
it is this day and time. But not withstanding, they married all the same.My grand Mother was of Welch decent; her father was from Wales, her mother was an American raised woman.
My grandmother had a head of her own and she retained it as long as she lived. She was a very synpathetic woman for all that. When her and my grandfather were first married he did not know
his letters. She learned him to spell and then to read. He would read in some old style with a long tune to the last of his reading, something like the old Ironside Baptist preachers used to do. He was a man who read a right smart, but only in the Bible. I have heard him say he would not read a newspaper; he said they lied to much for him. I have thought he hated a liar above all people on earth or under it.As I have said before my grand mother was well educated. She studied medicine in her young days and became to be a great woman and children doctor. I have known her to go fifty miles to
see a sick woman in an early day here when there was no physician in the country. She would go day or night. I heard her say that she commenced to be a doctor in her thirteenth year and followed it up as long as she lived. She was eighty six years and six months old when she died.
Old John Jeffrey The Indian Killer
In this connection I will give you a more extended history of John Jeffrey "The Indian Killer" and two brothers in the war of 1812, under Gen. Jessups regiment. His Captians name was Warren. At one time the orders were that there were to be no furloughs given as the Indians were all around the camps at that time and an attact was eminent. After the orders for no furloughs to be given he heard that the Indians had killed and scalped his wife and two children at home and left them weltering in blood. When he heard this he said, that the orders were for no man to have a furlough and it was death by the law to go without a furlough, but he was going to start home as soon as he could see his Captain. He told him that he had just heard from home and that his wife and his only two children had been killed and skelped and left lying in his home. "Now", says Jeffrey, "I want revenge and I am going to have it if I live" The Capt. said "Jeffrey I cannot give you a furlough. It is death for an officer to give a furlough at this time by the law, or for a soldier to leave with out one". Jeffrey said to him, "Capt. I am going home and I am not going to slip off, either I am going off before all the Regiment; I know the orders are for no soldier to have a furlough at this time; I care not for that now you know I have tried to do my duty as a soldier since I have been here in the army". The Capt.'s reply was; "You have been a good soldier and I would be very sorry to see you punished for desertion". Jeffrey said, "I am not going to desert, Capt., I am going to go away before your eyes". "But I will send a field officer after you" says the Capt. "and if you send after I'll be D----- if I don't get as many of you as you get of me Sir, good bye, Capt, I will go to Col. Jesseps and see what he has got to say about it".
He approached the Col. in a very polite manner and told him he wished to go home, that his wife and children had been murdered and skelped and left lying in his house. The Col. told him that he could not grant a furlough to him. Jeffrey hooted at him, and said; "I am going home and that very soon if the D----d Cherochees don't kill me before I get there, and I am not going to slip off either; I will go off before your and your regiments eyes, Sir". "Don't you do that, Jeffrey, I will send a file of soldiers after you and bring you back sure".
"Well", says Jeffrey, "you are my superior in office but put me on equal footing with you and I would talk different; I respect you as a man and an officer Sir; But I will tell you in plain words I am going and that as I get ready. "The Col. said once more; "Don't do that Jeffrey the Indians will be sure to kill you for they are all around here at this time". "It makes no difference to me now" says Jeffrey "If I thought I would not get to kill any of them D----d Cherochees.
So he went back to his camp, caught his horse, saddled him got his gun and other equipments. Then in the presence of his Col., Capt., and Regiment, got on his horse and riding through
the command, he waived his hat, saying, "Good bye friends; I am on my way home to kill all the D-----d Cherichees I can find in the next ten years, big, little old and young". So he did.After he got some distance from camp some smart eleck or dead head ask the Col. if he was going to send after Jeffrey. The Col. reply was; "We have no men to spare at this time for if
we follow him to bring him back he will get as many of us as we get of him".He got home and arranged his affairs then he went to still hunting by himself. He killed a number of them for he hunted five or six years after the treaty of the United States with the
Cherochees. They got twice after him. The first time that they court marshalled him he got clear very easy, but the second time he run a narrow risk of loosing his life. He got to be a great
terror to the Indians. Occasionly there would be an Indian missing; finally he was caught and put on trial. The evidence was point blank that he killed a certain Indian at a certain time and place.
This time he managed to get some of his comrades on the jury, then pled his own case. The State got up and argued the case very eloquently telling the jury to pay no attention to anything but the evidence in the case.Jeffrey got up in his own behalf and said; "Gentleman of the jury I am arraigned before this court for killing a D----d Cherochee Indian. I don't consider it any more harm than killing
them others I killed before I killed this one, as I have killed a good many more besides this one I am now being tried for". Then he went on to tell how the Indians had killed his wife and two babies and scalped them leaving them lying in his house. "But gentleman",says he, "I will promise one thing I will not kill any more children (cherekees) if they will keep out of my way".He killed three of the Benges family of Indians. There was some of the offspring of this family moved through Izard county in 1838, and they camped on White River as the Cherochees were
moving west they were camped near Old Athens for five or six days resting up. Ther was said to be fifteen hundred of them. There were several of them came to my uncles one day and asked who
lived there; they were told that Jeffrey lived there; they asked if he was any connection to John Jeffrey who lived in East Tennasee and being told that John Jeffrey was his uncle, they went away and did not come back any more.Well, I will finish concerning John Jeffrey's trial for Indian killing. The jury went out and in a little while came in with a verdict of not guilty. So he was released. He died before his ten years was out that he had set to kill Indians.
The life of Hon. J.J. Sams, one of the first White River pilots.
Well, my dear readers you may get tired of my poor schollarship; but if you do just rest and try it again for I am a man of no education and never tried to write a history before and I beg to be excused for my awkwardness for I would have not undertaken to write this book had it not been for the satisfaction of my friends and relatives who have been for the last fifteen years teasing me about writing the history of the first settlements of the White River valley or a portion of it being that I was the only man living who lived in this valley as early as 1818 among the Shawnee Indians on White River. They owned the south side of White River at that time. I have danced
a many a tune with them and ea t soup around their kettles with one of their horn spoons. If you would be sociable with them you was alright but if you were somewhat distant they would have no
use for you, whatever.I was ten years old when my mother moved to White River; that was sixty eight years ago, that makes me come back seventy eight years. Fashion is a thing I care little about except when
it happens to run just exactly according to my own notion. My father and mother were married in Union County Illinois two miles and ahalf from Jonesborrough in the year 1817. They had only the one son; what a pity I was not a seventh son, for then I might have been, by common consent, called Doctor, and have become great, but like many others I stand no chance to become great
except by accident as my mother was very poor and living as shedid far back in the backwoods she had neither the means nor the opportunity to give me any learning; But before I get on the
subject of my own troubles and a great many funny things that has happened to me as to all historians and biographers I should inform the public that I was born myself was well as other folk. That important event happened to my, according to the best information I have received on the subject, on the sixth day of May in the year 1818, on Reeds Creek in Lawrence county Arkansas in three miles of the mouth of the same, whether by day or by night, I do not know and I suppose that it makes no difference to me or the world as the more important fact is well established that I was born. And indeed it might be infered from my present size and appearance that I was pretty well born, but I have never yet attached my self to that numerous and worthy society. For the purpose of showing what sort of a man I now am, and also, to show how soon I began to be a sort of a little man, I will endeavor to take the back track of life in order to fix on the
first thing that I can remember, but even then as now, so many things were happening that as Major Jack Downing would say, they are all in a mess, and I find it hard to fix on that thing whichhappened first among them all. But I think I have likely hit on the outside line of recollection as one thing happened at which I was so badly scared that it seems to me I could not have forgotten it had it have happened only a little while after I was born; therefore it furnished me with no certain evidence of my age at the time, but one thing I know is, that when it happened I
had no knowledge of the use of pan taloons for I had never wore any. But the circumstance was this; my stepfather and John Minikin, his partner, were running a tanyard together on Reeds
Creek in Lawrence county Arkansas territory. One cold morning they went to the tanyard to work, as usual and I ask mother if I could go with them. She said I could not go, but after they had been gone some time I slipped off and followed them on to the tanyard. My stepfather saw me in the tanyard and kept a good lookout for me. I was among the vats, of which there seven, six
in one place and one off to its self in another. I had taken a good look at the six vats, and then I must look at the one by itself, like all boys will do and especially smart boys like I was, and while viewing this vat I fell in it.It was about four feet deep in very strong oose used for putting dry hides in to fix it ready to curry and dress.
My stepfather soon missed me and went to the deep vat to look for me, and there I was. The vat had frozen over the night before and I had broke the ice when I fell in on it. When I would strike the bottom of the vat I would give a kick and up I would come and then to the bottom I would go again. My stepfather caught me by the dress tail and pulled me out.
I can, in imagination, see the ice bobbing up now, and I suppose I must have been something like an old darkey of George Matens one time at a big meeting, at a camp ground at the Mouth
of Big North Fork of White River, he was calling mourners, and at last, here comes on of his master big negroes to be prayed for; and old Johny prayed for the Lord to come down quicky wid his two edged sword, which cuts goin and guyin and kill dis big niggo man an make him a live agin.I can recollect my stepfather leading me up a slanting road my coat tail flapping aginst my legs, to the house where my mother was I felt curious, I did not know whether I was scalded
or frozen. After my mother got me thawed up she gave me a reprimand, sure. I can say I never fell in another tan vat after that sure and I have tanned a many a side of leather since that
day.
Josiah Culp At The Foot Washing
In this chapter I will relate to you an accident that hapened to my half brother, Josiah Culp, Josiah was about as lazy as I was, but I don't think he studied meaness half as much as I did.
When I was about ten years old and Josiah about seven, I had to heat water every night and wash his feet. I would warm the water in a kettle and put a handful of meal in it; then set it between his feet and take something and scrub his feet until they were clean. He was one of these fellows whose feet would get rusty and crack open and get very sore.
I was one of the first crop of children and, therefore, had to take the first row, alway. So at the time of which I am speaking, I prepared me two kettles exactly alike, as I had got tired of the foot washing business and aimed on breaking it up if possible, although I don't mind washing feet, but I want every body to wash their own feet.
I prepared my two kettles as above stated. In one of them I put about one half of mushy ice and one half of water and stired them up good. The other kettle I prepared as usual, by setting it on the fire and warming the water in it. When it was ready I set it off, and, watched a chance, when I set it back and slipped my kettle of ice and water in its place.
I now set a chare by it and told Josiah that I was ready to fix his feet. He come and placed himself in the chair as he usually done. I then told him to put in both at once and soak them good. He raised both feet up and set them to the bottom of the kettle. I now stepped back by my grandmother.
Josiah jumped about four feet out in the floor and screamed like a Comancha saying that he was scalded, and he rolled all over the floor backwards and forwards.
His father was sitting by the other side of the fireplace reading a newspaper. He jumped up and throwed the paper as far as he could send it and hollowed out, "Jehoida, you have ruined
that child forever"! My grandmother setting there fit to burst laughing on the sly and not saying a word and the Dr. Culp was almost going to eat me up without grease or salt. I stood back by my safe piece, Old Grandmother looking as sly as a fox wanting to know which end he would commence on first.The Dr. Culp just ramped and store around for a while, then he went out of the house for a switch and if you had been there you would have thought that I was not long for this neck of woods.
By the time the Dr. got back with his switches my grandmother had recovered from her fit of laughing and told him to feel of the water and see how hot it was. He went and thrust his hand into the ice and water; then you ought to have seen the joke turn.
My grandmother then commenced on him about upholding his trifling boy, and gave him "Hail Columbia". I had no more water to warm for Josiah after that. This happened in the year of 1828.
The first schooling of J. J. Sams
After my stepfather and my mother married they moved across on the Shawne side of White River I wearried along, no schools. I was about fifteen years old. I learned by pine fires until I
could spell a little in two sylables, but I will tell you how I learned my letters. My grandmother wrote me the first nine letters of the alphabet on a smooth board and I learned them before I ever went to school. The first Jay at school I learned the other fifteen. I went about three weeks and the scoal broke up. After that I would go sometimes two weeks at a time and sometimes maybe not more than one or two days at a time until I was in my sixteenth year.I now took it into my head this won't do hardly any clothing, only buckskin pants and leather hunting shirt, and often no other one under it. I saw other boys of my playmates, whose parents were able to dress them when they went to gatherings. I thought to myself, I will not stay here any longer; so I started out to see if I could get any work to do. I thought I might get work for I had worked some of odd days when I could get off from my mother. She always kept me engaged carding and spining, only when I could dodge her.
I knew if I stayed with mother I would have neither money or clothes, and I thought that would not do at all, for I began to think that maybe, in one or two years more, mother would let me spark the girls, as I had began to twist the buck bushes etc.
Marriage of Wyley Sams
I will give you the history of the marriage of father and mother and how long they lived together. They were married on the sixteenth day of January 1816, in the State of Illinois, Union County, in two and a half miles of Jonesburough. In the next year they emigrated to the Territory of Arkansas, and stayed there a little while, when Old James Jeffrey, my mothers father also had come to this Territory with my father and mother. Concluded that he would go to the Spanish Country, now Texas. They started and got as far as Moors ferry one mile above where Poke Bayou is on White River. They stayed there a few days and concluded that they would go back to Lawrence County, whence they had come.
My father was not satisfied there and said he would not stay there, and he and my mother got into a dispute about leaving. She said she would not leave her father and go back to Illinois, and that she would not go to the Spanish Country either. They Jawed on this a few weeks, and he told her that he would not stay there and be an underling for the Jeffreys any longer, so she told him he could do as he pleased.
So he took his horse and gun and left her a horse and ten head of cattle and everything they had in the house, and left and went to Illinois. He stayed in Illinois until Jackson's purchase
was made with Black Hawk; then he went to Kentucky, he married a dutch girl there and raised a family of seven children. It was bout seven years from the time him and mother separated until he married again. He died there in June 1866 as I ahave stated elsewhere.My mother stayed here in Lawrence county five years and married Dr. Thomas Culp, and they raised a family of eight children, leaving me out to myself, for I was not raised, I come up "sorter" by chance, among the Shawnee Indians.
I was born in about three months after my father and mother separated, and I never heard of him until I was in my eighth year. I heard that he was living in Illinois, but he was at that time living in Kentuckey and my informant did not know it at the time he told my mother. I heard no more of him until I was in my fifteenth year, and then I heard that he was dead and I knew no better until I was thirty one years old. When I heard of him and went to see him he had given me up for lost, for he had not heard of me for sixteen years and had thought that I was dead or had
gone to the far west and that he would never get to see his lost boy. I will speak more fully of our first meeting in the future pages of this book.As I stated, I was in my sixteenth year and wanting to marry, had no clothes ect. There was a young man died in the settlement whom I was aquainted with. He was some larger than I was. A man by the name of Aza McFeltch had went to New Orleans and found him there. He was an orphan boy, exposed for sale for five dollars to finish paying his passage across the great deep.
So McFeltch bought him and took him home and raised him. He was a Dutch boy. He was twenty three years old when he died. He had no relations in this country, and when he died McFeltch
administered on his estate. He owned several head of good horses at this death and had some money besides a lot of fine clothes. Him and McFeltch had been boat men together all his life.His property was sold to the highest bidder and as I was scarce of clothes, I went to some of my friends and ask them if they would go on my note if I bought anything. They told me to go ahead and buy anything I wished and they would give me work to do before the year was out to pay for it. They went ahead and sold the horses and a great many other things. At last the clothing was put up and one or two bids made on them, the last bid was five dollars and seventy five cents. I then bid six dollars, and all the bidins stoped right then. Those that had been bidding told me that they would not have bid on the clothes if I had told them that I wanted them. They wanted the salesman
to not coy their bid, but he told them that that would show fraud. So the clothes was knocked off to me at six dollars. I was as proud as a negro with a new shirt. I gathered up the clothes and some one said, "Jehoida who will go on your note". There was five or six spoke at the same time and siad, "Jehoida Sam's name is all we want, we don't want his note". I will name some of the men who spoke up in my behalf, for the sake of their relatives who may happen to see this book. Daniel Hively Sr. was one Robert Livington, another and ASa McFeltch was another.I was standing there over my bunch of clothes, looking as cunning as a Swamp Fox watching a hen roost, President Cleveland dident feel any bigger when he first took his seat as president
of the United States, than I did at that time. When the sale was over the clerk hollows out, "The notes are all ready to be made out; only Jehoida's, his name is all we want. You ought to have
seen me then like a crow in a gutter, to think my name was all they wanted and the other men had to give a note and good security. But the best of all was my bunch of clothes for six dollars, and they were valued at thirty dollars. I was stepping around there with my buck skin pants on and on't you forget it. In the evening I gathered up my clothes and went home to my mothers and undone them. There were three cloth coats, two new ones, and one that he had worn some but there was not a break in it, and several fine pants besides several fine shirts and other
things and the most of them fit me.Some people told me they wouldent wear dead peoples clothes; I wouldent either if I dident know whose they were. I soon quit wearing my buck skin pants and hunting shirt, only at home or work.
Them clothes lasted me about two years, I was in my sixteenth year and weighed about one hundred pounds at that. I went to hunting work wherever I could get a job and in three months I had earned money enough at odd times at work to pay for my clothes, and went to the administrator and payed him up.
I worried along for some time thinking what I would do next. I finally concluded that I must have me a horse, bridle and saddle. I looked around for some time; at last I found a splendid young mare, four years old, that I could buy for forty dollars, and have four years to pay the same in, ten dollars each year. So I hit the trade. At this time I was in my seventeenth year and no education. So myself, Miles Jeffrey and Mason Haggard all agreed to board our selves out and go to school. The school house where we went was where JOhn Arnold now lives, one mile from Melbourne Izard County Arkansas. We started on the first day of August and went two months, then the school was out and we went home. I had finished my education, head got so I could read and write a little. That was my school house education, had got so I could read and write a litlle. That was
my school house education. The balance I got by "main strength and awkwardness".
My first trip to New Orleans
After my school house education was completed I worked a while building flat boats, until the first day of February, 1835, I hired to Aza McFeltch and started on my first trip to New Orleans, on a flotilla of flat boats, loaded with beef cattle and other things. We loaded the stock tow miles below where Jackson Port now is and when we got the boats all loaded and lashed together and away we went. I had never been lower down the river than Batesville. I pilotted the two boats to the city of New Orleans, and sold them out in the city and stayed six days waiting for an old tub wheel steam boat to bring me to Jacksonport, and after we started it took eight days and nine
nights to come to Jacksonport. I had been gone three months and six days.Take notice, I bought me a supply of fine clothes and every day clothing and got back with fifty dollars in cash. So I thought I was pretty well healed, but I had no bridle and saddle. I knew of a man that had one to sell and I went and bantered him for a trade, and we soon traded I gave him wenty five dollars for the saddle in trade and payed him easy. I then hired to work for one of my uncles then I worked some for my old friend Daniel Hively.
There was a fourth of July dinner to be given near by and when the time come on I was there, "Staked and ridened" as I thought, and when I got there I saw the prettiest girl, Oh hush! They had a big dance in the evening. The house was crowded, and I was in there but not dancing. In scrouging round I happened to get right by this pretty girl. When I saw I was so close to her I thought my heart would jump out at my throat and when I got my heart settled I could not think of anything to say only, I ask her to pardon me, and she said it is granted sir. I thought this was glorification without spectacles.
Finally the crowd broke up and went their way I watches round and finally found out who the pretty girl was; her name was Margaret Bailes. She was always called Peggy. I watched as
sharp as an owl in a buckeye tree until I saw her going with a crowd of youngsters to their horses. I started too, my heart got so low down in my bootleg I could hardly walk, but I made out to get to her horse and unhitched it at last; it seemed to me that I would never get it unloose, the young men helping their girls on their horses, had all got done.I was scared so bad that I led her horse up on the wrong side before I noticed the mistake, then I wheeled her horse around again. I thought I was a goner, sure, and I beg to be excused, for this was the first time I ever attempted to break the ice on the fourth of July, and first time I had worn my new suit that I had got in New Orleans.
Firt Marriage of J. J. Sams
I was in my eighteenth year and me and a man by the name of Anderson Hamilton built a flat boat for McFeltch & Livingston. They had run shrot of means and could not pay for it. Hamilton
sold his half to one of my uncles. I kept my half and I and my uncle bought up a load of produce and loaded it and started to New Orleans. I pilotted it to Vicksburg and sold it out boat and all. I made some money on the trip. I then come home and went to farming. I made two crops on my uncles farm. I kept on piloting until I had taken seven flat boats to New Orleans. I then quit piloting for ten years, then I took a boat to New Orleans, and while on the trip I took the cholera. I made out to get home, and I said that that was my last trip.When I was in my nineteenth year I concluded that if I could find a girl that suited me and I could get her I would marry. I looked around and finally found a girl, and after sparking her a while I married her, on the 13th day of December 1837.
I was in my nineteenth year and the girl was in her sixteenth year. Her name was Sarah Scott. She was an orphan girl. Too orphans together. We lived together thirty six years and nine months and raised eight children. She was a good woman and lived a christian in the Methodist church for more than thirty four years.
When we were married she had her clothes, but no bed. I hadent any either, nothing only my clothes and a few dollars in money. I had my mare, briddle and saddle and one cow and a calf,
which got choked to death when it was three weeks old and last, but not least, I had a straw bed tick.My uncle gave us two shoats, of the very best stock. He gave them to me for helping mark his hogs. When we got our chattles together in a house the scratching commenced. I thought a wife was all I needed. In about three or four weeks I began to look around and saw we had nothing to commence with and times hard. It was the year of the Arkansas Bank break. Everything went down. I did not see ten dollars in circulation during that year.
I had a few dollars myself but I would not spend it. I saw a good three year old horse sell under the hammer at sheriffs sale, for five dollars.
Before I get too far I will give you a short history of my first wife, Sarah Scott. She was of Irish descent. Her mother was foreign, decended from Ireland and she had raised her family
to work in the house to car d and spin and weave, and to plow, too, if necessary. I rented a little place the first year and made corn enough to do me. I would work all day out doors, and at night I would card wools for my wife to spin. We kept this up for the first two or three years, when she was in a tight for a piece of cloth, and she wove it. She had to go to one of our neighbors to do her
weaving. I soon got tired of that, and turned in and made her a loom. It was the first one I had undertaken, but I had an old one of Daniel Hiveleys to look at, and done well. It was thought that no one could make a loom but Daniel Hively. He was at my house one time, and I said to him, "come look at my loom" he looked at it, and said, "my dear sir, that is a good one".
Judge Sams As Captain of the Malitia
From 1840 to 1843 we rolled on the best we could, me opening up a few acres of land occasionally, until I had quite a little farm. In the mean time I proposed to two of my cousins for us to build a flat boat, load it with produce and take it to New Orleans.
I was wanting to try my old plan of flat boating to make some money. We could make plenty to live on but could sell nothing for money, and it was too slow a go with out a little money. So we loaded our sixty feet flat boat and away we went down the river; I was the pilot as usual. My two cousins were no watermen but I soon had them alright. We went to New Orleans and sold out, boat and all, making a hadsome profit, and went home with our heads up.
About this time the people concluded the malitia must be organized in Izard county, rkansas. So I went to the place where the officers were to be elected. When I got there they come to me and said they were going to run me for Captain. I told them that I was never at a muster in my life. They said that made no difference, that they were going to run me, and elect me too.
There was another man, one of my relatives, a candidate for the office, and I told them that I did not want to run against him as his father was rich and I was a poor orphan boy with no education. But nothing would do only I must run, and before the polls were opened I must get up on a stump and make a speech, as it seemed I could not get off from making a speech. I looked around and picked out the largest stump I could find and got on it with the assistance of three or four to help me. The stump was about six feet high. After I was well erected on the stump I says, "Gentlemen and fellow citizens I am like the boy standing in the road beating on an empty barrel with a club, and a man come along where he was beating away and said, "What are you beating on that empty barrel for" and the boy said, "There was cider in it three or four days ago and I was beating it to see if there was any in it now", I said that I had a speech on me when I got on this stump but it is all gone now.
This raised as big a laugh as you ever heard, and they commenced hollowing, "hora! for Jehoida Sams, in every direction. They tried to get my opponent to speak, but he would not do it.
I says come an all them that votes for me and all them that don't vote for me perhaps their minds will change before I am a candidate again and lets have some cider and here they all come
hollowing, "Ho ra! for Captain Sams, and there I stood trying to look as smart as I could.They could not get my opponent to treat to a thing, as I called out more cider. It was hard cider, and some of them got in a big way. When the votes were counted out that evening I had one hundren and seventy six votes and my opponent had six votes.
I went ahead, and once every month we would meet and I would tangle them up desperately for the next two years when we concluded to quit the business.
Judge Sams As Justice of the Peace
In the fall of 1840 the general election come on for county officers to be elected. I was in my twenty first year. One day some of my friends come tome and siad, "We are going to run you
for an office; justice of the peace". I told them that I dident have learning enough for that office and besides you will get me beaten as my old uncle is a candidate and he will be hard to beat. He says, "there is two to be elected and you will be one of them". I told him to go head, and I went to electioneening on all occasions, for I thought if they would have me to run, I would be elected if possible.At this time the division of the two parties sprung up and I was considered on the weakest side. The excitement grew up about the removal of the county seat, and they knew I was opposed to the way they were doing the business. So one day the people called on the Candidates fro justice of the peace to give their ideas about matters in general. There were three got up and spoke, and I was the last as well as least. When my time came to speak I got up and addressed the crowd in as gentlemanly way as I could; it was the second time I had ever been called on to make a public speach. I bave them my views, and then told them that I was a candidate for justice of the peace for Union township, Izard County. I said I wanted them to vote for me because it would not hurt those other candidates to get beaten like it would me. I went on and said a great many other foolish things, when the crowd commenced hollowing for Sams.
In the evening there had come in some more voters, and I got up again, for they wanted to hear what little I knew, but before I got up we all went and I got a half a gallon of red eye and they took it freely. So when the steam got up to about one hundred and twenty I gets up and called the attention of the crowd and commenced and the steam had got up in me to about ninety six and on the rise still, and I let out speaking. When I got about through I said to the young men and ladies, for there was many ladies there, and to all the old bachelors and old maids, to all the widowers and widows and more particularly to the pretty girls, you go to work and elect me and if your fellows
don't have the chink to pay for the Gordssion knot to be tied dont put it off, just come to me and let me know, and I will be on hand, sure, and I will take my pay in chickens, roasting ears, dried punkens or green punkens ect.Then the crowd commenced hollowing for Sams. By this time the steam had got up on most of us to one hundred and eighty and was blowing off. When the election day come of all the excitement it was there that day. When the election closed Judge Jeffrey had seventy votes and I had seventy three. The other two candidates were left out. In those days a squire was allowed to
charge two dollars for marrying a couple.After I was elected I had several application to marry people before I was commissioned. At that time I could not write a legible hand. I went to studying law by pine lights of a night, in the statute laws of Arkansas. I found out by an old lawyer friend of mine that there were some more books that would be great in my business. So I sent off and got "Balckstone", "Greenleaf and Chitty". I supposed they were the first in th country. I had never seen nor heard of them before in a justices court before mine.
I was elected justice of the peace in 1840 and was reelected for four succeeding terms.
Judge Sams aas Judge of the Probate Court
The law of 1847 was that there must be two associate Judges of the county court to be elected by the Justices of the peace. On the first monday in January, 1847, the day of the election of
said associate Judges, I thought I would go to Mt. Olive the county seat. After I had been there some time the election come on. After the polls were closed, and the election anounced, I was one of the associate judges and George Mortin was the other.So I began to think I was some "punkens", never offering for office, nor hinting such a thing, and yet, being elected. I was elected on for two terms associate Judge, when the old Judges time was out and a new one to be elected.
Some of my friends said to me, "you must be our next county and probate judge". I says, "all right if I am not beaten, for the Old Wadkins party will try mighty hard to beat me as they do not like me, because I am on the side that wont be browbeaten and give way to them because they are rich and I am a poor man and had no fortune given me like they did, for I will give way to no man further than is right".
The election come on and my opponent of the Wadkins party was Andrew Pugh. I beat him five to one. He was a gentleman and a good Judge of good whiskey as the saying is. I rolled on for two years and the excitement had got up very high about the county seat of old Izard as usual. I was opposed to the way they had done in moving it, because it was not done fair.
This was the time it was moved from Old Athens to Mt. Olive. At this time the excitement was very high; they were almost at dagger's points, and there wereseveral knock downs about it, over the country. And here comes to election for county Judge again and I was a candidate for reelection, against my old opponent as usual. After the polls were counted I had beat my opponent one hundred and ninety votes.
Then the excitement commenced in earnest for the other offices. A young man by the name of R. M. Haggard was a candidate for bailiff of union tip. But soon laid that by and come out for county clerk in opposition to A. C. Jeffrey. A greateal of sport was made of him. He was an orphan boy raised by a poor widow woman. He was wild but had ordinary learning and lots of mother wit and quick on the answer. He beat A C Jeffrey for Clerk. S. J. Mason beat Simon G Roson for sheriff.
They had beaten us on the county seat question, but we had the offices and held them for six years in spite of the cecesh party as we called them. My side was the old party. When the
election of 1850 come on I did not want to run this time and then I could quit. So I run again and was elected, which was third time I had been elected County Judge. I run this time against a
man by the name of A. Bilingely and my old opponent, A.M. Pugh as usual. This made the sixth time he had run against me and I beat him every time.
After my third term, as county Judge, was out I run no more for office of any kind. I was elected several time afterwards as Justice of the peace, but I had not ask for the office. They still wanted me to ask for office, but I told them, "no", that a man should not hold office too long as I quit accepting them when elected.
This was in the year 1852. Not boasting, but I was never beaten in my life for an office for which I run. I hold eighteen commissions from the different Govenors of Arkansas, and that is
enough for any man. I will tell you the conditions of the finance of Izard county when I was first installed as Judge. At that time county script was worth only forty cents on the dollar. The county seat had been moved from Athens to Mt Olive and all the old buildings was to be sold at a reduced price of course. A new court house was to be built at Mt. Olive and jail and other public buildings. When I stepped out of office the scrip was worth as much as bank paper which was ninety five cents on the dollar.I quit trying to be a public man any more. R. M. Haggard died before his second term was out. In the succeeding election for county Judge B. F.(?) Holowell come in as my successor, well
qualified for the office as Judge. At that time we could on petition have our legislature to extend the time of an officer in office for one year, which we did bringing both the general, and
State Elections to be held at the same time. This was done toward the last of my last term as county Judge and I therefore held over nearly a year longer than the time for which I was elected thereby making me hold the office of Judge for nearly seven years in all.In those days we were economical and let a poor man have his rights as well as a rich man. We did not take from a poor man and give to a rich man as they do now. Our legislators got three dollars a day and said it was enough; now they get six and say it ain't too much.
On to Part Two of JJ Sams