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THE MARTHA PERCIVAL STORY

In 1830 an unmarried school teacher set out on a long voyage in a whaling vessel from Sandwich, Massachusetts to Texas. Her name was Martha Percival, granddaughter of Benjamin Percival. She had been hired by Seth Smith, owner of the ship, as governess for his children.

Seth had been in the whaling business and owned several ships in partnership with his wife’s father Paul Gardner. The beginning of the 19^th century was known as the “golden Age” of whaling. However the death of his partner coupled with losses to the French privateers convinced him to sell out and head for parts unknown. He sold all his vessels save one, loaded a pink granite coffin, building materials and furnishings for a new house, hired a governess for his children and set sail. Several months later they came into what is now known as the Sabine Pass in Southeast Texas. The whaling ship, running too deep to traverse the river was traded for a river boat. On August 24, 1835 he applied for a settelers head-write and sailed up river to a place called New Salem named after Salem, Massachusetts. Here they settled and started a ferry that became, as was for many years, the main crossing between Louisiana and Texas.

Martha’s was a rich New England heritage. Her Mayflower descendants were many. Edward Fuller, John Howland, William Bradford, and Edward Tilley, to name a few. Her parents were John Percival and Sarah Smith Percival. Sarah was descended from Rev. John Smith who was one of the first ministers in Sandwich. Her cousin Joseph Smith started the Mormon Church the year Martha started for Texas. He would be murdered by an angry mob in Carthage, Illinois fifteen years later. John Percival, Martha’s father was a farmer. He was the son of Benjamin, son of John, son of John, son of Lt. James. The latter was the first of the Percival line in America. He had come from Virginia and settled in Sandwich in 1675. Family tradition is that he was born in South Somerset, England, great- grandson of Sir James Percival Lord of Eastbury. The home Lt. James built on Ashmet Pond in South Sandwich, is the home where Martha was born. It is still standing, perfectly preserved today after more than 300 years.

In the year 1832, three Cochran brothers, with a Colonel Lewis’s family, came down the Ohio River from Evansvillle, Indiana, where the cochran family had settled after migrating from Massachusetts. Their ancestors had first gone to Salem and then settled in Rehobeth. Many of them were killed during the terrible massacre that occurred there in 1676 during King Phillips War. They entered the Mississippi River at Cairo, Illinois and thence to Alexandria and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They went from there overland to New Salem, Texas, already an important settlement. Henry Cochran was single and he and his brothers preempted each a league of land in what was at that time a part of the Mexican Province of Texas. It is now Newton County, created April 22, 1846 by Governor James P. Henderson as one of Texas’ 31 original counties.

At Salem, Henry Cochran met and married Martha Percival. On April 9, 1837

Henry and Martha were married at the Suddeth home in Salem.

The following month she wrote her younger sister in Sandwich:

You cannot think how glad I was to see your handwriting once more, no dear Sister! I could not believe you had forgotten me if all the rest had, for I am sure I would never forget you if I should never see your face again, which I hope I shall in many a time yet in the land of the living. My health is much better than it has been. I feel nearly as well as ever I did in my life although I have not got my flesh and my strength quite yet. Tell my Dear Mother not to worry herself about me too much, I think I shall do very well now, I will try to at least, the weather is delightful and the season is far advanced, as it will be with you by the middle of summer, I had a dish of ripe blackberries brought into me while writing, hucleberries are ripe, we have cucumbers and squashes in bloom, besides all other vegetables very forward. Mr. Swift’s seeds, that he brought did not come well, which put him back some, but he succeded in obtaining others, and they are now growing finely----I rejoice to hear that Jean Elizer is become one of our family, may you long live together in the bonds of friendship and love, I should be truly glad to make one in your little midst for a few days or weeks, but do not expect to at present. I have now a tie here. Yes dear Abby you have a new brother if you did but know it. Now do not cry! For I love you just as well as ever I did. I think you would like him very much if you should see him. He is only five years younger, than myself, that is all, and is not a widower, tell father he is a good moral character as far as I have known him, does not yet drink nor swear, which is a rare thing, in this country, he sends his respects to you all, says he should be glad to see any or all of you in Texas, and I should wish you were all here if I thought you would have your health, but I should not be (over) willing you should any of you come, to suffer as much as I have, and I do not think you would, if you come in the right time of year, I think much depends on that, we arrived in the midst of the sickly season, and were very much exposed which I think is the cause of our sickness----I was married the ninth of April to Henry Cochran. Now I suppose Abby you will feel interested to know what sort of a wedding we had, what I was drest in and all bout it, I do not much like giving you a description but will try, the wedding was at Mr. Suddeths as he had a daughter married at the same time and it was thought best to have it together, it was like most of the weddings in this country, they have a violin and dance most of the night, as for my dress it was white swiss muslin, and I looked for more like a ghost than a bride. I guess that will do for description now. Abby what do you think about coming to live with me, don’t pray tell Mother that I asked you, for she will scold so. Henry says I must send for one of my sisters to come and live with us, and I am sure I should be very glad for you to come. I expect some to go to Zavalla this summer, but when he settles on his own land it will be about fifteen miles from cow creek. All the family send much love to you, Sarah says you must write to her and says you must be sure and come out here---

Finally, after six months she received a reply from her sister Abby and immediately wrote her back

Your dear and welcome letter came to hand just one week since. O’ Sis could you know what a pleasure it is to hear from you all, you would write very often.

I thought I was so long in getting a letter from you that you had given me up because I had married a stranger you say it is so strange, and so it is. I do not wonder that you were surprised, but when I tell you there is not a single woman in the County over 20 years of age you will not think it so strange. There are a great many more men than women in any new country, which is the reason probably for no woman living single, any length of time. I might have been married a dozen times before I was if I had chosen so to do, but I did

not marry until the right one came. Not that he answers all my ideas of perfection (as you say) but he is all I have a right to expect. I have found him, what I thought he would be, a good kind husband.

He is a steady industrious man with a tolerable good education. You ask me to describe him: He is not handsome, but looks very well, he has dark eyes and hair, good teeth and a

tolerable white skin when not sunburnt. You ask me the place of his nativity: His father emigrated some years since from Massachusetts to Indiana and from there he came here about five years since, with Col. Lewis, in whose family we are now living, he has two brothers living in Texas, one of whom married Col. Lewis daughter. He is expecting the rest of his family in the spring. I shall then have plenty of brothers and sisters as he is the youngest of seven sons besides two sisters. His Mother is living and expects to come in the spring, not that they think this a better country than their own, but there is a better

We don’t expect to go on our own land at present, and I don’t know when we shall as Henry is a house builder and his labor is wanted in every direction to build houses and mills and commands a very high price. He could sell his land at any time as it is near the Sabine and land in that section of the country is in great demand, since they have commenced cleaning the river, it is now nearly finished, as you will see by the papers, I suppose.

Henry has a fine mill stream on his land, which will make it very valuable, he and his brothers talk some of putting up a saw mill next spring.

The land on both sides of the Sabine is settleing very rapidly, there is a new town just commenced, six miles above Salem, by the name of Belgrade, the lots there sold at a hundred dollars a lot, and lots in Salem will fetch a higher price whenever the owners choose to sell, it is lower down on the river.

Mr. Swift has cleared a good deal of his land on the river and set out fruit trees, he has had the finest garden in all Texas this summer and has raised melons enough to cover an acre of ground, of all kinds besides any kind of vegetable you can mention, in profusion, and his land must fetch him a great price before he will sell it for town lots. I came to Zavalla about the middle of June, where I have been ever since I have seen Mr. Swift once since I left but none of the rest of the family, I have heard from them frequently, I begin to want to see them very much. Henry had two houses to build this summer and as soon as he has finished, we will expect to go to Salem, where we expect to spend the winter, it is 50 miles to Salem.

I have been pleasantly situated this Summer past, I board in with the family, but have a room to myself and spend my time as I please, it is a new house, just finished and the best one I have seen in Texas, it has four rooms with a galery and a piazza in front and is very pleasant in warm weather. They have, I hardly know how many slaves, until I reckon up. There is Old Rose, Hannah, Emily, Gin, Amanda, and Martha Ann. I believe that’s all, you can count them if you please. I am so great a favorite with all of them that they do anything to serve me, and if I know now, I could be waited on in great style.

Col. Lewis has one daughter, not married, her name is Melinda, she is about 14, a very pretty pleasant girl, and reminds me often of my sister Abby- and now Dear Sister what shall I say more.

I believe I have not told you about my health, yet, well it is as good as it ever was in my life, I have not had a sick day since I wrote last and am about as fleshy as ever.

We have had peaches in great abundance and melons, plums and grapes, plenty of sweet potatoes, milk and meat but we don’t get many pies and puddings as well as many other things you get there. The weather is very fine, it is now quite cool, calm and bright, so have had a white frost, which makes cool mornings and evenings. I wish you all could come out here and live, but I guess I must not mention it. I want William to come out and see the Country, now the Sabine is open it will not be much trouble, there will be Steam Boats running from New Orleans all the time, up the Sabine which will bring you right to Mr. Swift’s place, and you could come with him, is that not a good plan? It would cost something, I suppose. Don’t tell Eliza about him coming because she would not like it, and dear old Mother, she would frown to, I suppose.

I have just been asking, if I can put in another half sheet so that you will not have to pay postage on it, Mr. Shelby a gentleman present says he can put it in so you will not, I shall try it. I have left just room enough for Henry to sign his name.

This is a letter, written by Martha Percival Cochran to her sister Abby. Martha was a teacher who had come to Texas with the Seth Swift family. She had married Henry Cochran. At some point in time Mr. Cochran died, as did Mrs. Swift, then at some later date, Martha and Mr. Swift were married.

This letter was transcribed and typed, as written, by Ruby Ray Boyett Burkett. I consider this and the letter written by Martha’s daughter, Mehetable Cochran, an important part of East Texas History. They tell us much about living conditions of those long ago times.

I have just learned from Mr. W. T. Block that the Zavalla in Martha’s letter was not the present day Zavalla in Angelina County but was Zavala located in Jasper County. Mr. Block reports there were about forty families living there during the Civil War but it was soon abandoned and it’s post office discontinued.

I am still at Abby’s. Thomas has gone on the Mary Falacy, he is mate. I have not seen Mr. Traylor yet. If I do not hear from him soon, I shall write to him. If I cannot get that school, I shall go to Mr. West’s, I would much rather go there, I would be nearer you, Mother. If I could be with you, Mother, how much happier I would be. I think I will come down in two or three weeks, Mr. White is going to the City and his wife Hattie wants me to stay with her.

If I just knew what to do to make something, but I don’t, unless I can get that School. If I can’t I will take Mr. West’s and Mr. Conn’s children, that will be better than nothing, and I would much rather be there than any place else.

If there is any school at Belgrade, send Sis, we will find some way of paying for it and she must have schooling someway. Give my love to Mrs. West and tell her I will come and live with her if I do not get that school at Mr. Traylors.

Abby has been very sick since we came back. She is better but not well, she has a very bad cough. My throat is swelled badly and very sore.

Charlie Carroll is dead. He died last week. Grandmother Lewis is very sick, they do not think she will live, tell her children if you see any of them. (Wife of Samuel Lewis).

This letter was written by Mehetable Cochran to her Mother Martha Percival Cochran, before her marriage to James West. She was born in 1839 and married June 27, 1860 at the age of 21 years. James West was born in 1840. Hettie was teaching school at Old Salem at the time of her marriage.

True to their thinking, Grand-mother Lewis did not survive whatever illness she had. We know this from information we’ve been able to gather on the Lewis Family. ( Grandmother Lewis was my ancestor).( Ruby)

I have just learned from Mr. W. T. Block, the Mary Falacy in this letter was actually the Mary Falvy, which was built at Bevilport and remained in the Neches-Angelina trade from 1854 until 1861.

My Dear Beloved wife I once more take the pleasure of Righting you a few Lines to Let you know that I am well hoping these few Lines will Reach you and all well and Doing well I have But Little to Right we have No News of importenc to Right Dear I want you to get your hors hoam and take the best cair of him you can and Don’t L et him git in Bad hands if you can help it give him a Little corn and Let him Run out and eat grass if you aint afraid of his leaving you By you sum corn Dear tell cusen Margret that Jame is well or was the other Day he is with the command on the other side of the River tell cusen Margret that she must Right to me for she has a good chanc and I have a Bad chanc though tell her that I will Right to her and Run a Raice hoo can compose the puriest Letter when we air so far apart My Dear I want you to give sum of them who are afraid to pay out money for your Letters when theair in the office 25cts for I No they haven’t go eney futher I Say that I am glad that the conscript has taken them off for a man hoo dont cear No moar you and the children than they Do I Don’t cear how Much they have to suffer in the war they will Not find a hoam when they get theair they will find a hard time and a hard ------- Dear I hoap theair will Bee a Day when we will all have Justis and when the poor will Be Eaquel and honord in Eaquality with the Rest Dear I undersand you to Say you have your Milling to Doo Dear I am Sorry to think you have So much to Doo take it all in good hart and I hoap this war will Not Last always Ihoap I will get to come hoam Between this and Spring if I Don’t I Don’t know what to Doo for I want to See you So Bad

My Beloved wife always try to content your self and try to take cair of our Little stuff at hoam first think of what your ould grandmother had to Bair during the corse of her unfotuunet Life and pray to god for his Noble assistanc hear on Earth further I am shure you no the cause so great that calls us all from our Lovers and hoames so we shold Recollect that hard and unfortunet times air now on our unit when we have to meat our furren foes or see our contry over Run Dear we must all confess it is a trying time and a time loang to Be Remembered but if we Don’t try with all our might and skill it seames our contry will Bee Lost and we shold Reather suffer Death than to see our families fall in to the hands of the Retched yankies those hoo have a family and hoam shold Bee willing to Defend them Most Especialy if they Love them Dear it seames to hard but I hoap it will close and we can Meat a gain and I hoap we will never have to part No moar Tell Jo and ----- they Don’t know how bad I want to see themtell Jo to Be a good Boy and Mind Maw and I will git him a purty poney and a New sadle and Bridle Tell Evay to Right and Let me no if Maw has got him his hat yet or Not I had you all sum aple sived and kept them a loang time until they all Roted and cold Not get the chanc to send them to you tell Jo to keep his pigs gentle and Maik a heap of Moneyand Bee smart Dear all the pleasure I See is to Read your kind Letters and talking to my ould friends Dear Excuse my Bad Letter for my chanc is Bad and I am in ahurry Remain your Loving husband until Death good By Dear for this time Hairrett L Morgan William Morgan