​​Armchair Genealogist

   Well, why need I be troubled about sutch things, when the people pass away their lives and care nothing about it. It may be because they have never seen any sutch thing and don't believe any body else ever did, like neighbor Smith. I told him about my seeing that appearance of a coffin in the barn and some other sights that I had seen. He said it was all a shim, he dident believe in any sutch thing. "Well," said I, "I might agree with you, will before long know more about it."

   He said he dident believe but in very fiew nights after that, he was at Mr. Nashes and with him until late in the night. It was cloudy, misty and dark. It had rained and the water stood in puddles in the road. He could not see to shun the mud holes. All at once it became as light as day. He looked to see the cause of the light. He saw the shape of a man over his head, that sailed along up high in the air and went on until it got over his head, that sailed along up high in the air and went on until it got over his brothers house and settled down over or on his brother's house. He said he was surprised at the sight. He said the image of a man streaked out with the arms and legs spread.

  This neighbor Smith was a strong minded honorable man. He belonged to the Prespertarian Church, yet said I to myself, people will believe him that would not believe me because I don't belong to any of their churches. If they knew I told the truth, they would say it was of the devil and a sham. Then he became as foolish and whimsical as I was. He said any body would know thare was no natural cause for sutch an image as that up in the air, in the dead of night. Then he knew thare was sutch a thing as super spiritual appearances that no one could comprehend. I was glad that he became convininced that I was not so mutch skeptical as he thought I was but in a fiew days, his brother lost one of his childre. I think it was 5 or 6 year old boy.

 

 

Sources:

   1820 United States Census

 

   "Men of Oneida Co, who served in the American Revolution"          Found on Ancestry.com