Letter from Cyrus L. Henney
Replies: 1
Letter from Cyrus L. Henney
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Posted: 6 Jun 2006 8:58PM GMT |
Classification: Biography
Surnames: HENNEY
Letter of Cyrus L. Henney, Des Moines, Iowa
Son of Peter, son of Rev. Adam Henney, first missionary of the Evangelical Church in Ohio. The following is an excerpt from a letter to his son, Mr. V. L. Henney, Akron, Ohio, written some time in summer of 1927.
… In regard to my ancestors, I have no recorded history of the Henney family. I think John Henney, Clerk of the Supreme Court, Columbus, Ohio, did have.
I only knew my Grandfather well (Rev. Adam Henney), and for a number of years. He was a German missionary in Ohio. I think he established many preaching points, which are now large churches. He was a broad-shouldered, heavy man, with powerful lungs. I have heard people tell, who had heard him preach and pray one mile away. He was great at Camp Meetings and Revivals. He was German, and his name was changed from the unpronounceable German, -- along in 1790-late – to Henney. I think originally it was Hennige. He was a “Swabian†by descent, from near Wittenberg, Germany. He was not educated, but was a very religious man.
He had 14 children, one of whom died in infancy. The boys names were: Peter, Adam, John, Abner, Samuel, Henry C. and Enoch.(7)
The eldest was my father, Peter Rickel Henney. He was a wonderful man, strong and muscular. A very good scholar – all or nearly all acquired around the old fireplace. Father was an Astronomer, Geologist, Logician and all the English common school branches, he was proficient in. He taught German in his early years, and for many years taught in English schools. And I know he was a wonderful man, a brainy man, far above his fellows. In truth when I visited an old neighbor, white-headed and old, he said, “Your father was an oracle in our neighborhood. We all looked up to him. Your Grandfather was a man of God. My father was a member of the Evangelical Church in younger years. My mother always was a Presbyterian, and remained so during life.
My great grandfather was Adam Henney. My father’s brother Adam Henney, married and moved to Genesee Illinois. He was Sheriff and County Superintendent of Schools for a number of years.
John Henney was a merchant and Postmaster at West Salem for many years. Your friend in Columbus is a descendent from my Uncle John and I think is a mighty nice young man. There is another boy and girl in the family. Another boy is a druggist in Marion, Ohio, President Harding’s town.
Grandfather Henney was a strong Democrat and often quarreled with my father.
Tracing ancestry is fine sport. I wish I had taken interest in it when I was a young man. There are so many little traits and incidents in later life that you notice – that will connect things of the past.
Take Adam, my grandfather, who came west into Ohio – when it was a wilderness – entered his large farm from the United States – when it was a deep dark forest of oak, wild wolves, occasional bear, and camps of Indians for neighbors. It took men of courage and strength to win out those days, build homes, raise large industrious families and to start civilization. Every boy and girl learned a trade. Brave, courageous people. Rough and uncouth in the start, but they developed quickly into sound souls, and strong men and women. The very aftermath of Martin Luther, the great first Protestant Reformer. That old German Bible which Adam Henney carried in his saddle bags through the forests, was his inspiration and his guide and was sometimes blended with superstition and false religion of the ancient past. Nevertheless, was of Luther made – a grand old character.
Yes sometime, when you go to Cleveland, take it along and go the Evangelical Head Quarters and see what you can get for it. I cannot read it, neither can any of my children. I understand the Evangelical church held its first Conference at Great Grandfather’s dwelling in Center County Pennsylvania. I think a 3 story brick. And everything made by the boys. Brick, iron hinges, etc., etc. So my uncle Henry told me.
Henry C. Henney is dead (paralysis). He was my father’s youngest brother. He wrote most of the History of the 55th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Uncle Sam, another uncle was killed at Ressaca, Georgia. He was one of the bravest of men. And with a great gaping hole through his lung, lived for a week or two after he was wounded. He would sing and laugh every day and finally smiling, told his nurse: “Write my mother. Tell her I died for my country.†He was a wonderful man of blood and iron, a true Swabian.
Read History of 55th O.V.I. Henry Henney drew the maps, and most of the history was made from Henney’s diary – written on the spot in short hand. He was a fine reporter – the Ben Pittman system. A number of the Henney boys were Phonetic writers before the War, in our common school.
Cyrus L. Henney,
c/o Judge O. S. Franklin
District Court
Des Moines, Iowa
Son of Peter, son of Rev. Adam Henney, first missionary of the Evangelical Church in Ohio. The following is an excerpt from a letter to his son, Mr. V. L. Henney, Akron, Ohio, written some time in summer of 1927.
… In regard to my ancestors, I have no recorded history of the Henney family. I think John Henney, Clerk of the Supreme Court, Columbus, Ohio, did have.
I only knew my Grandfather well (Rev. Adam Henney), and for a number of years. He was a German missionary in Ohio. I think he established many preaching points, which are now large churches. He was a broad-shouldered, heavy man, with powerful lungs. I have heard people tell, who had heard him preach and pray one mile away. He was great at Camp Meetings and Revivals. He was German, and his name was changed from the unpronounceable German, -- along in 1790-late – to Henney. I think originally it was Hennige. He was a “Swabian†by descent, from near Wittenberg, Germany. He was not educated, but was a very religious man.
He had 14 children, one of whom died in infancy. The boys names were: Peter, Adam, John, Abner, Samuel, Henry C. and Enoch.(7)
The eldest was my father, Peter Rickel Henney. He was a wonderful man, strong and muscular. A very good scholar – all or nearly all acquired around the old fireplace. Father was an Astronomer, Geologist, Logician and all the English common school branches, he was proficient in. He taught German in his early years, and for many years taught in English schools. And I know he was a wonderful man, a brainy man, far above his fellows. In truth when I visited an old neighbor, white-headed and old, he said, “Your father was an oracle in our neighborhood. We all looked up to him. Your Grandfather was a man of God. My father was a member of the Evangelical Church in younger years. My mother always was a Presbyterian, and remained so during life.
My great grandfather was Adam Henney. My father’s brother Adam Henney, married and moved to Genesee Illinois. He was Sheriff and County Superintendent of Schools for a number of years.
John Henney was a merchant and Postmaster at West Salem for many years. Your friend in Columbus is a descendent from my Uncle John and I think is a mighty nice young man. There is another boy and girl in the family. Another boy is a druggist in Marion, Ohio, President Harding’s town.
Grandfather Henney was a strong Democrat and often quarreled with my father.
Tracing ancestry is fine sport. I wish I had taken interest in it when I was a young man. There are so many little traits and incidents in later life that you notice – that will connect things of the past.
Take Adam, my grandfather, who came west into Ohio – when it was a wilderness – entered his large farm from the United States – when it was a deep dark forest of oak, wild wolves, occasional bear, and camps of Indians for neighbors. It took men of courage and strength to win out those days, build homes, raise large industrious families and to start civilization. Every boy and girl learned a trade. Brave, courageous people. Rough and uncouth in the start, but they developed quickly into sound souls, and strong men and women. The very aftermath of Martin Luther, the great first Protestant Reformer. That old German Bible which Adam Henney carried in his saddle bags through the forests, was his inspiration and his guide and was sometimes blended with superstition and false religion of the ancient past. Nevertheless, was of Luther made – a grand old character.
Yes sometime, when you go to Cleveland, take it along and go the Evangelical Head Quarters and see what you can get for it. I cannot read it, neither can any of my children. I understand the Evangelical church held its first Conference at Great Grandfather’s dwelling in Center County Pennsylvania. I think a 3 story brick. And everything made by the boys. Brick, iron hinges, etc., etc. So my uncle Henry told me.
Henry C. Henney is dead (paralysis). He was my father’s youngest brother. He wrote most of the History of the 55th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Uncle Sam, another uncle was killed at Ressaca, Georgia. He was one of the bravest of men. And with a great gaping hole through his lung, lived for a week or two after he was wounded. He would sing and laugh every day and finally smiling, told his nurse: “Write my mother. Tell her I died for my country.†He was a wonderful man of blood and iron, a true Swabian.
Read History of 55th O.V.I. Henry Henney drew the maps, and most of the history was made from Henney’s diary – written on the spot in short hand. He was a fine reporter – the Ben Pittman system. A number of the Henney boys were Phonetic writers before the War, in our common school.
Cyrus L. Henney,
c/o Judge O. S. Franklin
District Court
Des Moines, Iowa