BY JAMES W. REDMAN
In my late 20’s, I began to gain an interest in my ancestry beyond the living individuals I knew. Through the process of inquiry of the elders on my Redman side, I became intrigued with the earliest Redman ancestor that any of my elders could tell me about. This individual was the original William Byron of our family (my father and grandfather also bear his name), and the discussions with the elders had told me that they thought he resided in Nebraska and recalled the towns of Genoa and St. Edward. Aunt Jerry, my grandfather Redman’s youngest sister, was about ten years of age when this William Byron (“Byron”), her grandfather, died, and she remembered a few things about him. These tidbits included that he had fought in the Civil War with General William Tecumseh Sherman, chewed tobacco (for which Jerry and her sister, Katherine, would fight over who would get to go to the local grocery store to buy the next supply for him during his visits to their Walnut, Iowa home), wore a nightcap to bed, and had his face pushed into a barrel of hot syrup by an “old black mammy,” burning a small portion of his face while on the march to the sea with Sherman. The only other piece of knowledge passed on by the elders was that Byron’s parents had been killed by Indians when he was very young, and he went to live with a family named Steel. Well, this ghost of my past had always intrigued me. I suppose, the fact that I share his surname has always added to this interest but throw in the intrigue of the Civil War, the conflict with mammy, and the kicker that the Indians had killed his parents, perhaps leaving him for dead in a log cabin out in the wilderness… The mind certainly can take it and run with it, and mine had run a marathon. In 1998, I made a trip to St. Edward, Nebraska and through a series of lucky happenstances, was able to find Byron’s 1928 obituary at the local newspaper office. The obituary indicated that Byron was born in 1846 in Tipton, Indiana and “losing both parents at the age of two and one-half years, he was kept among his folks until four years of age, and was then adopted by a family by the name of Steel and taken to Hancock County where he grew to manhood on a farm.”
Later in 1998, I actually passed by Tipton, Indiana and found the will of Byron’s grandfather in the courthouse, which mentioned Byron (the only grandchild mentioned) and stated in part, “I will and devise to Daniel Redmon one hundred dollars, upon the demise of my said wife, if it be then ascertained that he is then living, if not then living, I will that William Byron Redmon, son the said Daniel, have fifty dollars.” So apparently at the time of the writing of Byron’s grandfather’s Will in 1854, the family did not know if Byron’s father, Daniel, was alive or dead. I was also able to ascertain through the county history books that the Indians had been ushered off the land around Tipton, Indiana, long before Byron was born, so it was evident that Indians were not responsible for the demise of Byron’s parents.
For 20 plus years since that discovery, I contemplated and searched for what happened to Byron’s parents. With bits and pieces of information and given the time frame, my initial inclination was that Byron’s mother may have died in childbirth of additional children (certain records in Indiana indicated two additional children born to Byron’s mother) and that Byron’s father may have intended to leave temporarily when Byron was 3-4 years old (around 1849 – the California gold rush) to make his fortune. After all, the family had taken care of Byron from age 2 ½ to 4 when he went to live with the Steel family, which I later determined to be related to the Redmans. I searched passenger lists for ships (which carried many people from the east coast and Midwest on the Mississippi River, to Panama or around the southern tip of south America to California) and wagon trains going west during this time and never found anything definitive, although I did find many interesting historical stories. I also continued to pursue trying to find a descendant of Byron’s son Frank, since Byron died in Nebraska, living at that time with his son, Frank, while my ancestors had been living in Iowa prior to and since Byron passed away in 1928. As Frank and his family later moved to Washington state, our line of the family lost track of them and while I made contact with one of them a few years back through a distant cousin DNA match on the Ancestry website, that person could not provide any new information.
In 2020, I joined a ‘Redmond family DNA project’ on the ‘Family Tree DNA’ website and I eventually paid for a sophisticated paternal line DNA test called a Big 700 test, which identified a ‘cousin’ that was descended from Frank. This cousin’s name turned out to be familiar as his name was John Byron Redman. I told John about my quest over the last many years to try to understand what happened to Byron’s mother and father and John indicated that an uncle of his had recently shared a letter with him, which letter was written in 1885 by Frank Pickerill, Byron’s uncle, to Byron explaining the very sad circumstances leading to Byron being “orphaned.” It is interesting in retrospect to look back at Byron’s obituary which included the wording, “Losing both parents at the age of two and a half years,” it appears that “losing” was a strategic word, as the letter below explains that one parent was “lost” to death while the other was more truly “lost”. John, who provided this letter, told me that his family was not aware of the letter or the story of what happened until fairly recently, when an uncle of his was doing genealogical research and uncovered the letter (which apparently Byron kept until his death in 1928 and somehow was not thrown away in all the years that followed). The truth of the story would have been a hard one for Byron to live with and likely the reason that the only thing that was passed down in my line of the family was the false story that his parents were killed by Indians. I have transcribed the letter, and provide it below, with a few comments, including where a few words were not legible:
[Note – Spelling, punctuation, etc. presented as in the original letter – Jim Redman (JR)]
Homer Ill Feb 16 th 1885
Byron Redmon
My Dear Nephew
I am in weekly correspondence with your Aunt Hannah [Huff?] [This could be Hannah Hays as Daniel Redmon had a sister Hannah that married William Hays and she lived until 1907 according to the FamilySearch website – JR]. I had a letter from her To Day giving your address – My Boy I hardly know how to commence a letter to you – my mother died when I was only 7 years old [Dorcas Pickerill, who died 1840 – was the mother of the author of this letter, Francis (Frank) Pickerill, who was born about 1832 and was ten years younger than his sister Fanny Jane – JR] and my sister Fanny Jane (afterwards your mother) took care of me and my next older brother until I think 1846, when Daniel Redmon came along and married her – after they went to home keeping. I lived with them a part of the time after your father and mother moved to Tipton your father started a small store my father assisting. Your father was elected Justice of the Peace and everything go[t?] along nicely & happy. Your sister Evaline was about 2 years old when they moved to Tipton – you the [next?] to come to town. Evaline was one of the prettiest [and?] sweetest children in the world. (God Bless her) [And?] in time Dave Bishop a brother [illegible; however, Andrew Jackson Redmon, brother of Daniel, married Susan Bishop] Redmon, Jack Redmon’s wife – came along, and influenced Father to get a barrel of whiskey and [???] him how to drink it – soon trouble began.
I have sat up with your mother many a night when you was a boy waiting for your father to come – when he did come (Drunk). Yet he was Generally Kind. But one [Lass?] after another. Nearly all was gone except the whiskey – one enemy. We was all going a fishing but before we went your mother called us in to see you. She had made a suit of Calico in your pants waist – well you cut up all sorts anticks – you was a pretty smart child [just?] 14 months old. Well we went a fishing and Dave Bishop was along and an old man by the name of Smiley – and Bishop said for every Nibble the Bottle was to be passed round – of course I was a Boy – and did not drink. But they all Got Drunk – Ok. Such trouble your Poor Mother had – well time passed along and I was to go to Ohio that summer [Elijah Redmon and Dennis Pickerill both come from Ohio to Indiana, so perhaps Francis was going to visit relatives there – JR] – no Rail Roads. I road a Colt with another man – While in Ohio. I dreamed I seen a Big Fish playing in the water.
Next day we received a Letter stating that Fanny (your Mother) had been confined. And a sick Baby was Born. During her sickness Evaline was taken with Scarlet Fever – also yourself – the baby took it. Your dear mother was left a Lone to suffer (I was away). Tiney Evaline died, the baby died and your Sainted mother and all buried in one grave and your Poor Miserable Father Drunk and knew nothing of the suffering – Poor woman neglected. No one to hand her a drink of water or do anything except what a girl would do that would come in and do———- Byron my Boy, my Blood Boiles as I bring up these old sad events – Whiskey Whiskey what will you not do – their was no better man on Earth than your Father before he got to Drinking – but Byron Whiskey has rob[b]ed many a house of its head and Brought Poverty Suffering & Death – Byron never touch the [Ecuised?] Stuff. If you do – as you drink it Look up on it – and think. Yes think of your dear Mother Ruined Father – dead sisters all caused by it – then dash the cup from you – forever. The Rail Road Passed threw the Grave yard when no one was their that had any interest in your Mother: so their remains was Either taken up and Put Some place Elts [else] or Left under the RR Enbankment. I could never find anyone that could tell me anything about it. After your Father realised all – I had returned. And one day at Cicero [Indiana, where Daniel’s father Elijah lived and is buried next to Fanny Jane’s father Dennis Pickerill – JR] we walked over to Alfred Redmons – threw the woods. Oh how badlly he felt. We talked it all over; a few nights after he had a Fit in the school House – after that he disappeared. And no one has ever seen him cince. Nevel [Neville was a brother of Daniel – JR] thought he had a [Cl… ….?] but it was a Failure – no Daniel [,] if he is yet Living [,] I would give anything to see him If reformed – no it can not be that he is Living. Poor man – he never thought when taken his First Whiskey that it would soon so soon be his master and his ruin. And cause the Death of 3 members of his Family. Well Byron, I will close. I hope you will answer this. And let us keep track of each other while we Live on Earth. Your Mother was a church member but had no opportunity to attend church for years before she died [The families of Daniel Redmon and Andrew Jackson Redmon were 2 of the first 12 families to settle Tipton, so there was little there at the time of and years prior to Fanny’s death – JR]. Well It is getting pretty Late tell me all about yourself and if you have or can Get a Picture of yourself send me one – I will send a small one on the top of my Letter of myself – my wife is by me reading the children are all gone to bead [bed] – Oh Byron – I am Sad – thinking over the Past has caused it but such is Life: Oh my Dear Dead Sister and Sweet Little Eveline – they must be in Heaven
good by
as Ever your Uncle
Frank M. Pickerill