The following letter is on file in the Texas State Archives.

Rocky Creek

Gordon County, Georgia

July 19, 1858

Dear Virgil--

Yours of May 30th and June 5th came to hand on the 4th day of July instant at church- in that you ast me to give you such information as to the origin of our family-record, etc, etc. I had a stroke of the New Ralgey in my head and under jaw. That has all most disqualified me for such a task. Last week I was down sick most of the time---this week my head and jaw pains me much, and the cough is distressing on me, but I will try to say something.

My old Grandfather Wm henson said that him and 6 other brothers and one sister came from Virginia to N. Carolina. The Revolutionary War soon broke out. The whole 7 brothers took up arms--and fought for independence during the war. They was in the Battles of Kings Mountain, the Cow Pen---the Retaw Springs and many other Battles, etc. They were all brave men, and done much service for their country. Strange to tell but one of the 7 brothers got wounded, he got 3 fingers shot off, leaving his thumb and fore-finger sound on the right hand. His name was Edmon. They all married sisters, Holder women, after the war they came to S. Caroline and Georgia and from them 7 brothers we find Hinsons, Hensons and Hansons. They were English and mostly shoemakers by trade. The sister married Jacob White, who fought for liberty until near the close of the war, when he turned Tory and got badly wounded the first day, and has never been heard of after that night he passed his home. He was the only Tory that belonged to the Henson stock, and he was killed the first day after he turned Tory.

Our grandfather, Wm. Henson was Col. Ben Cleveland's Aid di Camp, they two was the first settlers of Toogaloe River, he died on Tramel Creek, Sumner Co., Tenn. His brother died in Paulding Co., Ga., in 1839* or 40 etc. They all belonged to the Baptist faith and order of Religion, etc. My grandfather Wm. Motley came from Va. To Spartinburg Dist., S. C., where he was killed by the Cherokee Indians in the year 1776. He had married Margaret McCarter, she was of Irish parents, who had been banished on account of holding to the Prodistant faith. I hold the old Family Bible in my lap this moment, that her father, Alexander McCarter, brought with him from old Ireland. They had two children, Joseph Thompson Motley, was born 29th of Novemeber 1773, my mother, Drewciller Motley was born 22nd Sept., 1775, she was 6 months old when her father Wm. Motley was killed. Grandmother then married John Lynch, and had two other children, Thomas Lynch was born March 31, 1779, John Lynch was born 24th January 1780 as appears on this Bible.

Now I come to our own family. First Wm. Henson and Drewciller Motley was joined in holy matrimony on the 12th day of May, 1800, in old Pendleton Dist., S.C., T. M. Henson was born 5th April 1801, Jas. Baret Henson was born 24th August 1802, John Berry Henson was born on the 5th April 1803, and died 5 May 1804. W. V. Henson was born 10th November 1805, A. B. Henson was born 4th September 1807. Winiford Henson was born in Ky, on the 27th day of January 1810, died 9th April 1856 in Polk Co., Ga (I think). Tissell was born 16th day of Mary 1812, Presly Thomas Henson was born 22nd day of April 1815. Wm Henson departed this life on the 13th November, 1834, in Benton Co., Ark., in the 53 year of his age. Drewciller Henson departed this life in Rocky Creek Velley, Gordon Co., Ga, on the morning of the 23rd October 1854. Her mother, that is Grandmother Neville, departed this life in the fall of 1837 in Pickens Dist., S. C. My Uncle, Joseph Thompson Motley departed this life at his mother's in S.C. in the year 1801 or 1802.

This is the best account I can give of our familys etc., I could have told you where some of the old set of those 7 brothers, Hensons, died but I don't know in what year they departed this life.

You ask to know who was dead and who was married & I have given you the list of the dead of this section save that you some children. I did not state the death of old Milly Morris, perhaps, I hear of some deaths of late about Calhoun, one that was our States attorney, James C. Longstreet. I see in the papers taken from the Athens Carrier states that three great men have fallen of late, to wit: Genl. Wm. B. Wofford, of Habbersham Co., Ga., and Genl. Benjamin Cleveland (the father-in law of Genl. T. J. Rensk, late of Texas) of Habbersham Co., Ga, and Genl. Edward Coffee, of Rabun Co., Ga.

Well, I will take recess and go down to the cider press, where John T. and Henry Hunter is filling a Barrell of cider to take down to the sale on tomorrow morning, of Wm. M. Barnett property &c.

July 21st 1858. The sale come off on yesterday, H. Hunter was sick and not able to go, John T. took his barrell of the best cider they said that was ever offered to the public before in this Section of Georgia. He raked in his terms as you would suppose and come home sick. I think the fever. H. Hunter, is some better this morning but John T. is not able to git home as yet. He stopped at H. Hunters last night. Polly's little Angelina has been sick for some days past, the balance is all well with us and the P. T. Hensons family. I saw a man at the pole on yesterday that tole me that people is dying up like rotten sheep in the county of Gilmer, Fannin, Lumpkin, and Dawson, Typhoid Fever and Flux, is the disease.

I got a letter from George Reeds wife stating the same doleful news, George Reed is dead and two of his children was lay low, one with fever and the other with the flux, one Mrs. Reed wants to come back to us. We hear of sickness round on the River Oostanaula to Rome. The river has been from 3 to 6 feet past common water during this hot season, at this time for the first this year.

Day and the day before the rain was all around us, and the Pocket was washed away allmost, and from Printips Ferry to Calhoun was washed in to a perfect destruction to the crops &c. The crops on John Creek is sorry this year, too wet, the corn crops in this Section was never know to be so good before, our wheat crops was damaged by rust, most of the oats was killed dead by rust, throughout South and North Carolina, Ga, Ala, Miss, La, Ark, &c. And G. J. Fain travelled from Galveston, Tex. by way of Hendersons to Schrieveport. He told me no oats in Texas on his route, so I take it for granted that Jasper A. Williams is the only man that made oats this season. His crop on the mountain was furst best, he has made over 200 bushels, prices current, Oats

$1.00 per bushel, corn dull at .40cents per bushel, wheat no sale, the wheat sold at the sale yesterday on credit 12 months, white wheat .54 cents per bushel and red wheat (good) brought 51 cents per bushel, corn 50 to 55 cents per bushel, lot of ordinary corn brought 20 cents per bushel, bacon the 3 first lot brought 11 cents per lb. the two other lots brought 101/2 cents per lb, the balance of the property sold low, save one rifle gun, one cow and calf and the hogs, brought their worth, we have the greatest appearnce of most of this year that has even known &c. fruit to no end, my apple orchard is all most ruined, broke down by fruit, the peach orchard is broke to smash, we have some Nectorin and other forward peaches, ripe, good.

Well, your Aunt Ann Able is here, and Billy had come after her and my wife to go up to T. T. H. He says that little Jimmy is sick something like spring nettle, I got a letter from Uncle Wm. Neville informing me of the death of his son, Samuel Nevill, He ast to know if Uncle J. Lynch was satisfied in Texas, as he did not like no part of Texas himself. Sam Pollard has advertised his property for sale tomorrow, but it was thought yesterday that he would leave last night or tonight, he was drdging from a warrant, for whipping your Sampler with wagon whip &c. C. Burns wants to know the name of

____ He came from the State of Ky. Say to I. F. Chamlee that Martha Jones & John Lay is married. I write this to A. B. Henson and all his children, as my cough is so bad that I can hardly write this letter. A Love to A.B.H., Virgil, Pridgin, Spence & all the familys.

T. M. Henson & Martha L. Henson

*Lazerous Henson, a Revolutionary Soldier, died in 1839 in Paulding Co, Ga and very likely was this same Henson brother.