Mississippi frozen -- no sugar from New Orleans -- made maple.

Ground sank in 1812.

Guardian of Oliver

Pa was also guardian for Cousin Oliver, son of Ma's only sister, Columbia, and Pa's brother, Joseph English, who died in Missouri. When he became of age, Cousin Ol bought a tract of land where the village of English is now located, and moved his Negroes there.

In the summer of 1852, Pa and Cousin Ol went on horseback to Texas, and went as far south as Smith County. They liked that part best of all and decided to move to that county. They returned to Missouri and prepared to move. In the middle of November the three families began the overland journey in wagons. The family of Simeon English consisted of himself and Erina, his wife, and the children -- Effie Jane, Joe, Bettie, myself (Lou, then 11 years old), John W., Maggie, and Amelia. He also bought [brought?] his Negro slaves, about twenty-five or thirty. The family of Rev. Thomas Anderson consisted of himself and wife, Columbia, and children -- Bettie, Sam, Alexander, Annie, Jason, Addie, and Oliver English -- Aunt Columbia's oldest child by her first marriage to my Uncle Joseph English. The family of Robert English consisted of himself and wife and five or six children. They stayed here seven years and then moved to the vicinity of Southern California.