James Pierce Stroup Family

This is the first chapter of this book written by Mamie Estelle Stroup Hayes in 1954. I found this chapter very heart warming. The original is written in all caps with many grammar errors.

CHAPTER I - A LOVE STORY

IN THE YEAR 1836 (1852?), A FAMILY BY THE NAME OF JAMES CRUTCHFIELD OF CHATHAM COUNTY N.C, DECIDED ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS TO GO WEST, LAND HAD BECOME EXHAUSTED IN CHATHAM COUNTY AND SO, OFF TO GREENER PASTURES, SLAVES) CATTLE, HOGS, CHICKENS, AND CHILDREN, ALL ALONG IN A COVERED WAGON TRAIN.

JAMES JOINED IN THE LONG LINE OF NEIGHBOURS AND FRIENDS, THOUGH NOT ALL FOR SOME OF HIS CHILDREN WERE MARRIED AND DID NOT CHOOSE TO GO. FOR JAMES CRUTCHFIELD OWNED THE ORE HILL FARM AND WAS CONSIDERED A GOOD FARMER AND BETTER "LIVER" THAN MANY OTHERS, SO, SOME OF THE OLDER CHILDREN TOOK OVER AND REMAINED BEHIND.

SOME MIGHTY INTERESTING HISTORY WAS MADE BY THIS MIGRATION IN SO FAR AS THE PRESENT SKETCH IS CONCERNED. THEIR ROUTE MUST HAVE CARRIED THEM TOWARD THE WEST ALONG SOMEWHAT IS NOW NO.70 HIGHWAY STRIKING THE PIEDMONT ALONG ABOUT LINCOLNTON AND THEN ON WEST, PERHAPS, THRU WAUTAUGA COUNTY INTO TENNESSEE.

ALONG THE ROUTE, OTHER SUCH FARM FAMILIES JOINED IN TO SWELL THE MIGRATION. BY THE TIME IT REACHED THE LOWER MOUNTAINS, A GREAT HOST HAD ENLISTED. CAMPING AT NIGHT WAS A GRAND TIME FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE AS WELL AS THE OLDER ONES. MANY QUESTIONS WERE RAISED AND SETTLED AROUND SUCH CAMPFIRES. NATURALLY, THE YOUNG PEOPLE "CAST EYES" AT ONE ANOTHER, NOT A FEW FRIENDSHIPS THUS BEGUN BECAME FAST AND LASTING.

TOO, THE CRUTCHFIELDS MEN, TRADERS, WHO HAD BEEN OVER THE ROAD MANY TIMES BEFORE AND KNEW THE HAZARDS BOTH FROM THE RUGGED COUNTRY AND THE INDIANS. THE LATTER AT TIMES A REAL MENACE SINCE THEY FELT THE OUTRAGES OF HAVING TO GIVE UP THEIR "HUNTING GROUND" TO THE WHITE PEOPLE. THUS THE MORE MEN OF ABLE BODIES AND THAT COULD CARRY A MUSKET, WERE THE MORE WELCOMED AS FELLOW TRAVELERS.

ONE MAN OF THIS KIND, YOUNG AND ENERGETIC AND ABLE-BODIED BY THE NAME OF HOSEA HOLCOMB STROUP LIVED IN LINCOLN COUNTY ALONG WITH HIS PARENTS. WHEN THE CARAVAN REACHED HIS VICINITY, HE FELT CONSTRAINED TO JOIN THEM, AND FELL IN AS A TRUSTED FELLOW TRAVELER AND HELPER.

IN THE CRUTCHFIELD FAMILY WAGON WAS A BRILLIANT YOUNG TEENAGE GIRL, JUST TURNING 16, VERY ATTRACTIVE AND WILLING TO HELP MAKE THE MOVE AS LIGHT ON ALL AS POSSIBLE. SHE HAD BEEN GIVEN THE NAME OF
NANCY SALINE CRUTCHFIELD.

ALONG THE WAY, THEY CAME TO A TOLL-BRIDGE OVER WHICH ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER COULD CROSS AT ONE TIME. NANCY WISHING A LITTLE BETTER VIEW OF THINGS, CLIMBED UP ON THE GATE GOOD AND HIGH. HOSEA BEING SOMEWHAT OF A CUSTODIAN OF THE FAMILY, SAID TO NANCY,"YOU HAD BETTER GET DOWN, YOU WILL TEAR YOUR DRESS". SO "WORDS FITLY SPOKEN ARE LIKE APPLES OF GOLD IN PICTURES OF SILVER". NO ONE IS ABLE TO TELL THE LAST FROM SUCH CASUAL WORDS SPOKEN.

THESE WERE THE WORDS OF A LASTING FRIENDSHIP "TIL DEATH DO US PART". THE LONG TEDIOUS JOURNEY LASTED ON INTO THE WEEKS AND MONTHS; HOSEA HAD MORE BUSINESS WATCHING THE WAGONS NEAREST TO NANCY'S. WHAT WAS A WORD OF CAUTION IN THE BEGINNING BEGAN TO RIPEN INTO A REAL ROMANCE. THE FLOWERS, HILLS, AND WAGON TRAIN ALL BECAME MORE ATTRACTIVE. TIME WAS BEGUILED BY MANY A SWEET WORD SPOKEN IN THE TWILIGHT OF A FAST BLINKING CAMP FIRE. OFTEN, THEY WERE IN THE SAME WAGON, OFTEN ON THE LONG STRETCHES OF UP HILL ROAD THEY WALKED TOGETHER, AND IT SEEMS THAT THEY MUST HAVE BEEN WELL "AGREED".

THE CRUTCHFIELDS WERE CARRIED ON FARTHER THAN THEY LIKED BY THEIR NEWFOUND FRIENDS. WHEN THEY REACHED ARKANSAS, THEY DID NOT LIKE THAT COUNTRY AT ALL. SO, TURNING BACK, THEY CROSSED THE MISSISSIPPI, ABOUT THIS TIME MOTHER CRUTCHFIELD BECAME VERY SICK. THEY CAMPED A LITTLE NORTH OF MEMPHIS AND BIDED THE TIME WHEN MOTHER CRUTCHFIELD WOULD BE ABLE TO RESUME TRAVEL. THUS, TIME WAS GIVEN TO CAST ABOUT AND SEE WHAT THE COUNTRY HAD TO OFFER. FINDING GOOD FERTILE LANDS AND PLENTY OF TIMBER, THEY DECIDED TO MAKE PURCHASE THERE. THERE REMAINS TO THIS DAY THE WISE SELECTION OF JAMES CRUTCHFIELD IN THE CRUTCHFIELD HEIRS.

IT SEEMS THAT HOSEA DID NOT STAY WITH THEM BUT RETURNED TO NORTH CAROLINA. WHEN ONE IS BITTEN WITH THE "LOVE BUG" IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP TOO GREAT A DISTANCE BETWEEN PARTIES. SO, RETURNING IN ABOUT A YEAR, HOSEA FOUND THEM AT THE HOME WHERE HE LEFT THEM, AND NANCY AS CHARMING AS EVER. JUST HOW LONG THIS VISIT WAS AND MUCH WORK WAS DONE TO HELP THE CRUTCHFIELDS WITH THE CLEARING OF THE LAND, I DO NOT KNOW. AT ANY RATE, HOSEA STAYED LONG ENOUGH TO GET THE KNOT TIED GOOD AND FAST AND RECROSSED THE BLUE RIDGE WITH HIS CHARMING BRIDE.

ONE INTERESTING STORY SURVIVES ABOUT THIS CROSSING THE RIDGE. IN NANCY’S YOUNG FANCY, EVERYTHING WAS SO BEAUTIFUL. SHE ADMIRED THE PRETTY BIRDS FLITTING ABOUT IN THE TREES, THE MOUNTAIN LAURAL, RHODENDRON AND OTHER FLORA CAUGHT HER ATTENTION ON EVERY SIDE. THE YOUNG HUSBAND TRIED TO COMPLY WITH EVERY REQUEST. HOWEVER THIS, CONTINUAL STOPPING TO PLUCK FLOWERS WAS TELLING ON THE TIME LIMIT. SO, THERE HAD TO BE A LIMIT PLACED ON THE FLOWER PLUCKING. "THERE I WAS A LITTLE SILLY THING DELAYING MY HUSBAND ALL FOR A LITTLE FANCY". SAID NANCY MANY YEARS AFTER.

AFTER A LONG AND UNEVENTFUL JOURNEY SAVE FOR THE FLOWER PLUCKINGS, THEY REACHED THEIR DESTINATION IN LINCOLN COUNTY, NOW GASTON COUNTY SETTLING DOWN NEAR THE LITTLE TOWN OF ALEXIS, N.C. TIS HERE IN THIS VICINITY THAT NORTH CAROLINA STROUPS HAD THEIR BEGINNINGS IN AMERICA AS WE SHALL SEE A LITTLE LATER ON.