Caloma California Shands Douglass' letter to Julia Bell Shands Thompson

Return to Trees
Aunt Callie

A Record of the Ancestry and Descendents of Hilliard Judge Shands and his wife Melissa Boydston Penry Shands

Also an account of some of the important events in their lives, and details of their journey by oxen-drawn wagons from Missippi to Texas

Written by

Coloma California Douglass
(A Daughter)

And dedicated to

Julia Bell Shands Thompson
A Grand-daughter

March 27-1940

Your Grandfather Hilliard J. Shands was born of fine parents in Spartanburg District South Carolina. His Father died when he was only two years of age, his brother, about five. They were so young they did not fully realize the meaning of their Father's death. A few days after his death they were found digging down into the grave - trying to give him some of their cookies.

His Mother was married later on, to an Irishman named Toal who was a ditch digger by trade and made a great deal of money but unfortunately would occasionally go on drunken sprees and waste it all. At these times he was very unkind to the boys. Uncle Almeran and your Grandfather both left home when very young, Father being only ten years of age.

The night he left home some campers took him in for the night. The next day he made his way to the home of some relatives where he remained and worked for three dollars per month helping on the farm.

I do not know at what age he started to school but he did attend a country school and gathered pine knots to make a light to study by at night.

The next I know he was teaching a country school. I do not know about the time of his transfer to Georgia, but it was during his stay there that a Dr. Foster became interested in him and asked him to read medicine in his office. With the help of Dr. Foster, he became a successful physician, later going with Dr. Foster to Nicaragua as an assistant during an epidemic in that country. Dr. Foster had a friend who was also interested in another young man. They made a wager as to which of their protégés could read law and be the first to be admitted to the bar. It is needless to say that Dr. Foster won the wager. Your Grandfather pleaded one case and won it, but did not care to continue in the practice of law.

Later on he located in Noxube Co., Miss., where he met and married Miss Melissa Penry, who with her parents had moved there from Alabama, locating on a farm near Summerville, Miss.

Your Grandfather and Grandmother lived in a little village called the "Skillet" (which was near Summerville) There was also nearby a village called the "Lid". Your father always jokingly told me that I was born in the "Lid" and he and Brother Percy in the "Skillet".

In 1849, During the Gold Rush, Father and his brother in-law, Newton Penry went to California. Father was gone one year, but Uncle Newton remained there 25 years. It would take Father's letters six weeks to reach home. Quite a difference in service as compared to our Air-Mail delivery of today. He left Mother and the boys in the care of Grandfather Penry.

After his return from California, they lived in the "Skillet" until after I was born in 1853. Then they moved to Summerville, Miss. where they resided until the close of the Civil War. Brother Newt and Sister Bell were both born in Summerville. During the stay in Summerville, he operated a general merchandise store including drugs, but continued the practice of medicine. His brother in-law Silas Penry helped with the store.

The Civil War began in 1861, during which time many hardships were encountered, although none of our immediate family were called to service with the exception of Uncle Simpson R. Stevenson, who was the husband of Aunt Mary Penry.

Many of the soldiers when leaving for the war entrusted the care of their families to your Grandfather, which included the care of the servants. He cared for them all, never failing to render medical attention or to furnish drugs and food to those in need, without thought of whether he would be repaid. These soldiers were stricken with camp fever and sent for him to come and treat them. It was a long journey to the camp and he was gone many days. He nursed them back to health, with the exception of two, whom he brought home to recuperate before returning to their camp. On reaching home he was stricken with the fever and came near dying himself.

My Grandmother Penry owned a "loom house" where all our clothing was spun and woven from the raw cotton. I remember very distinctly my "prettiest dress". It was woven with stripes across the material - a gray stripe about an inch wide, then a narrow stripe of two yellow threads, four red threads then two yellow threads which were made by picking old flannel to pieces, carding and spinning the thread.

Shortly before the end of the war a company of 75 Yankees came to Summerville and spent the night. Among them was a spy, who had been there about two weeks before, trying to trade horses with your Grandfather. So he stole Father's horse that night. When your Grandfather heard that the Yankees were coming into town, there were several men sitting around the door of the store talking "war". Of course they scattered to their homes. Your Grandfather told your Father to lock the store, and he (Father) ran home to bury his money and important papers, which he always kept in tin cans. He kept a very mellow spot in the garden in which he buried those cans with one stroke of his heal. When he had done this he turned around and saw the spy on his horse at the gate. Your Grandfather walked out to the gate and spoke to him. He ordered supper for six. The Negro slaves were all frightened and ran away to hide.

Mother hurried the children to eat supper while she (without thinking of self) busied herself hiding food in out-of-the-way places, such as patches of weeds which were cultivated for this purpose so that if the home was pilfered and burned her "precious" children would not be crying with hunger. Such packages she kept in readiness for these emergencies. By the time she had finished hiding the food, the Yankees were there, ready to "wash up" and eat their suppers. It was your Father's lot to draw water from the well and carry it to the porch for them to use. When the bucket was emptied he picked it up to fetch more, when the "Yank" who was next in line to wash ordered "hurry up boy". Your Father set the bucket back on the shelf and walked into the house.

Father and Mother with the help of Aunt Annie prepared the meal for them. They were all loud in their praise of the supper (especially of the buttermilk and corn-bread).

The price of coffee was exorbitant. The last your Grandfather bought, being sixty dollars per pound and only two pounds to be had. Your Grandmother being in such poor health they thought she must have coffee. As a substitute for coffee Mother had wheat boiled and dried in the oven, then parched. Clothing had been made and everything in readiness for your Father and Bud Penry to enlist, but we were all very happy when the war ended before they had to go.

The Civil War and freeing of slaves wrought havoc with your Grandfather's future as a physician in that country. These soldiers whose families and slaves he had cared for during the war, were not able to pay, for they had nothing left except their land, and he would not take that from them. So he decided to come to Texas, a new and prosperous country. He preferred to go to California but that move would have left Grandmother Penry in Mississippi. And he would not separate her and Mother. His own mother and step-father refused to leave Mississippi, and remained there with Uncle Almeron. Father left the old debts to be paid to them to help with their support, but when he went back three years later, they had never collected a penny.

We left Summerville about October the first, 1865. The caravan consisted of three wagons drawn by oxen, and three by mules, one carriage drawn by mules. The personnel consisted of Father's family (Father always on horseback); Uncle Silas Penry and wife and seven children including twin babies; Grandmother Penry and her three unmarried daughters, Lycenia, Sallie, and Annie; Uncle Simpson Stephenson and his three motherless children; Adolphus (Bud) Penry, son of Uncle Milton Penry.

Father used two cows with his team of oxen to furnish milk for the babies. I remember very distinctly when we drove out into the country the day before we left to say goodbye to Grand-Pa and Grand-Ma Toal and Uncle Almeran's family. Grand-Pa Toal had reformed from the habit of drink and was a sweet, quiet old man. He was very fond of your Father and tottered to the roadside to get a last glimpse of "his boy". Several of our old friends traveled with us the first day and camped with us the first night. The next day as we were bidding them goodbye the sun was in total eclipse. It was so dark that the chickens went into their houses, but the sun shone out before they got onto their roosts.

Some days we drove as far as four or five miles and on the other days a little farther. Father had taken great precautions for the trip, such as leaving the trunks all covered with dressed cowhides and each bed was rolled in a similarly dressed hide. The hides were dressed on the inside, leaving the hair on the outside. This was to shed the rain and dampness from the ground, which we found very wet at times.

One night we were caught in a cane-break on a road just wide enough for the wagons to travel over. So the men and boys took axes and cut the cane and piled it under the tents to protect the beds from the mud and cleared a place for the teams and wagons to stand. At this place we had no water to "waste" for washing faces and hands. Of course we moved along very early in the morning. We never traveled on Sunday if we had a comfortable camp with water plentiful. These Sundays were spent in reading and singing by those who could sing.

Mary Adalea - the youngest of the motherless children was loved by all. On one occasion Aunt Sallie Penry who had always had the care of her, decided to ride in the oxwagon, which was driven by a crippled Negro boy, who of course stood on the tongue of the wagon, guiding the team with a whip. The driver looked back to see the baby as she was rocking and singing her little "lunch bucket" to sleep, after having eaten all the food from it - which consisted of bread and milk. Just at this time the wagon struck a stump, turned over and spilled us all out. The wagon bed was thrown out and the team walked peacefully on with the running gear, supposedly relieved of their heavy load. None of us were seriously hurt.

We crossed the Red River where the Washita (Oushita?) empties into it. We crossed the Mississippi River where it was one and three quarter miles wide. The night before we crossed the Mississippi River, one camped in what was known as Prentiss. The next morning we began our trip across the river, which lasted all day. The wagon teams and drivers were carried over on a ferryboat (one wagon at a time). The rest of us went in a canoe, which carried four at a time. We landed on Napoleon. Although it took all day to cross, it only cost eighty four dollars.

One of our main camps in Texas was near Clarksville in Red River County. It was about the middle of December, 1865. Father rode into Clarksville prospecting for homes in order that we might stay for the remainder of the winter. Some fellow travelers who would from day to day pass us, or we them along the road, had learned Grandmother's name. They passed us on this particular morning and made their way to the home of some people who happened to be distant relatives of Grandmother. In talking with them the traveler said, "I surely feel sorry for those people camped back down the road". On being questioned about who they were, he said "All I know is that old lady's name is Penry". This was a lucky break for us, because the relative (Mr. Rogers) came immediately to us, making himself known, and urged that we come quickly to his home for there was a "blue norther" coming that would get us. This nearly frightened us children to death, for we had never heard of a "norther". Your Grandmother disliked to leave before your Grandfather returned, but finally consented knowing that he would track the wagon wheels to where we were. We were nearly frozen when we arrived there, but upon being lead into the large and "homey" living room with its fireplace full of crackling logs, we were very thankful. We pitched our tents in the yard with the backs to the north. Big log fires were built in front of them and were kept burning all night, for the "blue norther" had gotten there. There was not room in the house for all, just the older ladies. We stayed here several days. In the mean time your Grand-Pa had heard about the fine school in Gilmer, (Winslow Co.) Texas, so we went on there arriving December twenty fourth.

We lived in Gilmer about three years, your Grand-Pa practicing medicine, and Uncle Silas managing the store for him. Your Father, Uncle Percy, Bud Penry and I attended Mr. Looney's private school.

In the mean time Uncle Silas and his family moved to Longview, Texas and Grandma Penry, Aunt Sallie, Uncle Simp (who had married Aunt Annie) and his children moved to Burnam, and small town five miles from Ennis then later moved to Ennis. We moved to Kaufman, Texas in August of 1869, where we lived until 1875.

During the time we lived in Kaufman, your Father taught a country school, riding horseback to and from school, and reading medical books as he rode along. He later attended medical school in Louisville, Kentucky, where he received his degree. After which he located in Brooklyn, Texas where he practiced medicine. The first and only railroad came through there in 1873 and the name of Brooklyn was changed to Forney (after a railroad executive who was persuaded to locate the track through Brooklyn). Your Father built and operated the first store in Forney.

Your Uncle Percy was Postmaster at Forney for several years (I think the first) later taking up the practice of Dentistry. Your Uncle Newt finished medical school in Louisville, Kentucky, and practiced medicine in Forney thirty years. Your Aunt Bell and I were both married and settled in Forney.

These five families settled around the old home where their Father and Mother lived, which made them very happy. It was a custom for the families to gather to spend one day out of each week in some one of the homes, and what a merry time we would have. Many happy memories linger with me.