The Moves of Thomas Alexander O'Neal, 1824-1910

Picture 1 Thomas A. O'Neal Picture 2 Thomas A. & Lucinda White O'Neal

Thomas Alexander O'Neal, along with his family, was quite the wanderer. From census, birth, marriage and death records, I have listed what I know of his residences.

1829 Born in 1829, Greene, Georgia
1853 Married Lucinda White, Chatooga County Georgia
1854 Son, William H. O'Neal, born in Sublingua, Georgia
1860 Census, Cass County, Texas (listed in census, T.A., L {Lucinda}, W. H.)
1860 Daughter, Lucinda Crawford O'Neal, born in Wichita Falls, Texas
1865 Daughter, Martha Elizabeth O'Neal, born in Sublingua, Georgia
1870 Census, Yell County, Arkansas (listed in census: Thomas, Lucinda, William, Lula, Martha)
1872 Son, John M. O'Neal, born in Dardenelle, Arkansas
1875 Death of Lucinda White and stillborn son in Bellsville, Arkansas
1877 Married Julia Mason in Yell County, Arkansas
1878-1880 Letters from Thomas A. and Lucinda, in Clay County/Wichita Falls, Texas
1880 Census, Clay County Texas (listed in census: Thomas, Lou, Martha, John)
1883 Lucinda married R. H. McBride, Yell County, Arkansas
1887 Thomas married Mary Smith, Pope County, Arkansas
1891 Lived in what was to become Brown, Oklahoma (west of Tecumseh OK) in a dugout with daughter Lucinda and her husband Robert H. McBride, until a log cabin could be built.
1910 Died in Cromwell, Oklahoma.

Finding the Originals of the O'Neal letters

Through a connection I made on ancestry.com, I was able to locate two O'Neals in the Tecumseh OK area. One was the the granddaughter (Rosemary) of William H. O'Neal to whom these letters were written, the other was the great-grandson (Jack) of William H. O'Neal. Through the helpfulness and graciousness of these family members, I was able to find and look at the originals of the letters and was able to fill in some of the areas where the copies were illegible. I also met with a granddaughter of Lucinda O'Neal McBride. It was truly a pleasure visiting with these rediscovered cousins.

I also went to Brown Cemetery outside Tecumseh where Thomas A. O'Neal was buried, as well as Lucinda O'Neal McBride and her husband Robert Hugh McBride. Jack's wife Gena was so helpful in locating these graves and providing information on other various family members who were also buried there.

One of the most exciting things was to actually get a picture of the mastodon bone. See it on the post "I am a going to be rich!"

O'Neal Letters, Part I, Feb 24, 1878 "we have come thru mud that lookt lacked would sink the mule up"

My great grand-mother Lucinda Crawford O'Neal grew up in the area of Wichita Falls Texas. It was a very hard life. I have several letters written either by her, her father Thomas, or her brother Billy during 1878-1890. I am posting them separately, typed as they wrote them phonetically. However, I am adding periods to separate sentences for clarity in reading them. Lucinda was 18 years old in 1878. She was writing to her brother Billy; he was about 24 years old and was back in Arkansas; brother Johnny mentioned in the letter was about 6 years old. Their mother, also named Lucinda, died in Arkansas during childbirth in 1875.

February the 24 - 1878 Chickey Saw nation
Billy, I will try this evening to write you a few lines to let you no how we are getting along. We are all well and hope that this will find you well. Pa wrote you a letter at the first of the week but we have come a long ways sense that time considern the way the roads have bin but they are getting better fast but I never have seen such places as we have come over and hope so I live I never will again. I tell you the truth we have come thru mud that looked lacked (like it?) would sink the mule up. Well we have got to the railroad and we have see the cars several times pass and Johney said to tell you he had seen them without agoing to ruselville to see them but he still says he is coming back. Well we have got with the (indecipherable) at last. We have been with them to or three days and pa says he is going to stay with them and go with them to the place they are going. They are going somers about waco. Well I must quit for this time (indecipherable) such writing for I am very tired. I have to drive most all the time. We are now at new bogy. Lou O'Neal

O'Neal Letters, Part II, Jun 19, 1878 "the lonesemest place in the world"

Letter from Lucinda (Lou) O’Neal (McBride) to her brother Bill O’Neal. I believe the reference to Mat in the letter is her sister Martha, about 13 years old at this time of this letter.

Clay Co. Texas, Jun the 19 1878 Billy, i will try to write you a few lines this evening to let you here from ous again. we are all well and hope that this will find you well. well i got your letter and was surprised to here that Uncle John had gone back there. well we have plenty of rain these times. i tell you the folks that live in the ground has a sweet time. the water runs in at there doors until they cannot hardly stay in them at all. there is some sickness here since the rain has begun. Pa is still trying to brake land yet. one of the mules give out and he can not do much good. it was the one we got from Jim Crownover. she was the no countest mule I most ever saw. I would not give that pony we give for her hardly for two such mule. well i will tell you we had some Indians in our Country last week. They did not do anything that we have heard of yet. they was seven of them. they was at the first house. i have here they sayid that they was a mooveing (moving?). they first told that they would be thre thousand along the next day and then they told they would be only five hundred and from that to only fifty so no more has come along yet as we have heard of. no body nows what they was up to. they had thirteen ponys and wore bows and arrows pistols and one gun. they have guns here that shoots sixteen times. it was one of that kind. they swoom read river (Red River?) and went on in the nations. well me and Mat and Johney has done one thing since we have bin here we never done before. we stayed all night by our selves. we was looking for pa to come back from town and he did not get back and we had to stay by our selves. there is no guardens raised here to say any. there is no fruit for the country has not bin settled long enough to have any trees big enough for to have fruit. i have seen one orchard planted out sence we have bin here. the trees are about three or four feet high. the wind looks like it will blow them plum away but the little fellows stands it well. i am all the one of ours that has made any things sence we have been here. i saved enough for a woman to get one old hen and nineteen little chickings and a very good table. Bill, Johney says to tell you that he had him a bow and arrow and kills grasshoppers for the chickens. he says to tell you to send him your picture for he does want to see you. I no that this is the lonesomest place in the world. write soon and often from Lou O'Neal.

O'Neal Letters Part III, Apr 14, 1879 "Will not brake even atal this year"

Letter from Thomas A. O'Neal to his son Billy, Apr 14, 1879

Clay County Texas, April the 14-1879

Billy i will write you a few lines. But have no news to write. we are all well and I am dun planting and it is very dry. have had no rain since you left. corn can not cum up until we have rain. the first corn that was planted a gud deal of it was up and the frost kilt it down and Lu has planted over. wheat looks very sorry worse than it was last year it is so dry. I have give out booking any (indecipherable) - will not brake even atal (at all) this year. I have got as much land as I can cultivate any how and also what I will want to plow. I have got two much this year. it runs me too tire to get it broke and planted. I never got dun planting until the 11 of this month. I have went to cash (Cache?)once since you left. I kild one turkey and never hurd the like of gobling in my life. Johney was proud of his letter and money you sent him and he says he wants you to be in a big hurry and cum back. We have got 25 or 30 acres planted in watermelon. if they do any good we will have a few for to eat. my pigs is a doing fine. the two that was here when you left will way 40 or 50 lbs and the sow pig is just like the one you let. Ty (?) gave the other sow. Only brought 9 and all of them are a living and looks well. There was several her yesterday that was speaking of having a fish fry the first day of may either on cash (Cache River?) or wichataw one. I believe I have wrot all that I know for this time. write soon and often. you will have a better chance to print (?) letters than we do. we all four send respect to your Frances. A.Oneal to W.H. O'Neal, Spring Creek Arks. Have our respect to Mr Crownover and family and tell him to write to me and he ought to cum out to see us and the country.

O'Neal Letters Part IV, May 9, 1880 "i am a going to be rich" - Updated

This letter was from Thomas A. O'Neal to his son BIlly. It has been updated after reviewing the originals. Lucinda also added her comments to Billy. The letter talks about a land transaction, and an amazing find by Lucinda. This letter by far was the the hardest to read. I used a pen to trace over the words and they became readable. However, there are still a few unreadable areas that I will continue to work on. Also, it was very exciting to get a copy of a picture of the petrified mastodon bone that was in the O'Neal family. That picture is posted above. Per the new information I was able to read in the letter, it weighed 40 lbs and is sitting on top of a bucket

Clay County Texas May the 9-1880

Billy we have just received your letter and was glad to saw you and jo and also her(e) from you and to her(e) you was well. this leaves us well and crops looks tolerable well. but is small owing to being planted late. I am at plowing my corn the second time my was cut. I do not know whether it will even be worth cutting or not. We have had the windyest spring I ever saw. my wheat once lookt like it wud die but we had a rain and it has got to looking green but it looks like a slim show for wheat. I have no news to write you. the last I heard about the land I am on that the parties had agreed on the price but the title was not exactly all right tha (they) thought it would all be fixit up a(nd) the trade would be complete. I started to town Saturday a got to the creak and it was up so I had to turn back home. I will go in a few days and then I will her(e) from it and I will write you what I here(e). i think I feel determined to leave her(e). There is a great many dissatisfyde since we have had such a windy spring, the dust and sand got in my eye until one of them was as red as if it have had a good gouging but has got near over it. If I leave her(e) i do not know when I will gow. It would be owing to the way my pulse be at the strongest after I got shet (shed?)of what I have her(e) . I will write you something about a part of a petrifyed hed bone of Lew's unknown animal or some other huge head bone. There has bin but few to have seen it but no one had any idea of what it can be only that all pronounce it a hed bone of some unknown Beast. To them it is not (illegible) of the jaw. that it is from the shap(e) I do not know whether it is a upper or lower jaw bone. But resembles a upper most. I am a going to take it to town with me and see if I can find out what it is. Lou who found it in the mud near the spring we used when you was her(e). it was (weighed) 40 lbs. I will write you what i her(e) about it when I gow to town.

(Lucinda then adds her comments to this letter):

Well billy i will try to write you a few lines again but i wrote to you to weeks a go and i have nothing to write now more than we have had a rain and every thing looks fine. we have had several messes of salit and lettice lately. that is something new here. well billy, i have succeeded in finding me a petrified bone and now i am lady blunt (see my *note at end) i am going to be rich by selling it after while. i wish you could see it. i want you to take time and write oftener than you do. i will have to quit for this time. Besure and write soon so fare well for this time. Lular C. Oneal

(Thomas continues on another page)

I am at town and saw one of the parties that is trading for the land I am on. he is going to start to close the trade and sais he will cum up when he go to Bank to see me. The Bone is pronounst to be a tooth of a mastodon. I told Bacton Jones about it and see if he had any knowledge of such a thing. if I should have the luck to sell out I may be in that contry this summer or fall and will bring that tooth with me unless I get a big price for it - write often and give me the news. I will close now.

T.A. Oneal

*Note: After much pondering over this wording I firmly believe it says "now i am lady blunt". The "blunt" looked very clear, but i could not get a context for it. Finally, i "googled" "lady blunt" and to my surprise found much information on a "Lady Anne Blunt". She was born in 1837 and married Wilfrid Blunt in 1869. In the summer of 1873 they began their first adventure to the Middle East. They visited Egypt in 1875-76; after leaving Egypt they hired Bedouins and camels and traveled through the Sinai to Jerusalem. While crossing the desert, they ran out of water and almost died of third. However, they survived the experience and gained a rudimentary knowledge of Arabic and a determination to mount a major expedition into central Arabia. Lady Blunt was known as an adventurer and a writer, described as courageous, tough, resourceful, cool-headed, self-reliant, and adaptable. She was the first European woman to explore Central Arabia. This letter was written in 1880 and I think it is possible that Lucinda had read of Lady Blunt, known her to be an explorer, and thought of herself as an adventurer like Lady Blunt!
For more information about Lady Blunt see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Anne_Blunt

O'Neal letters Part V, Jul 3, 1880 "Do not spend more money in trying for the office than it would be worth if you was to get it"

This letter was written from Thomas A. O'Neal to his son Billy:

Big Wichataw Valley, Clay Co. Texas

Billy we have just rec yours this eavning dated Jun the 18 and glad to her(e) from you and to hear you was well. yours found us as well as common. Lou is a grunting with her head and teeth. I have no nus of interest to write. only we have pretty good prospect for a crop. our corn looks ver well. have not suffered for rain any this season for corn though i do not think corn will be as good as it was the year you was out her(e). though ther is a goodeal mor planted than was cut that time. I donot know what I will do yet. have not seen the parties that bought the land so as to know what they (they) will do concerning my improvement. Billy if the paper you send is not out or will come any time, have it directed to our office they (they) only put wichitaw on it and we have not got it but few times since you had it changed and then it was forward from some other office. I suppose it gows to witchataw County (indecipherable)...I will send you in this a post office order for the amount you wanted wich was twenty five dollars. I was glad to have it for you as it was the first time you ever written to me for assistance. Hoping you may have sucksess in your undertaking. But be carful and donot spend more money in trying for the office than it would be worth if you was to get it. I thought I would finish this. but will have to close. write soon and often. Yours respectfully T.A. Oneal

Scanned letters

I am scanning all these letters into PDF files. If anyone is interested in seeing these files and also trying to decipher words I was unable to identify (or correct anything), please send me an e-mail to shircri@msn.com and I will send them to you. I am going to continue to try to decipher missing words and will update blogs as I succeed.