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Here is a transcription of a letter from George Washington Sentell to Edward W. Sentell. This is posted on the Meriwether Georgia GAGenWeb (Meriwether County GAGenWeb Archives Historical Records) by Debra Allen" <u4eahh@hotmail.com> :
Table of Contents page: http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/meriwether.htm
Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm
Letter from George Washington Sentell
To Edward W. Sentell
New Orleans, La.
November 22, 1880
E. W. Sentell, Esq.,
Solus, New York.
Dear sir:
Your appreciative favor of the 12th inst. came to
hand a few days since. I was truly glad to hear from
you and the history of your part or branch of our
family. I am not familiar enough with my ancestors
to trace it back further than to my grandfather, and
really I am ashamed of my apparent indifference
heretofore about it. My father, who died in 1858,
doubtless could have enlightened us more, had I taken
the trouble to and should have done, and now I am
quite anxious to trace back several generations, but
am forced to seek such information from you or some
other source outside my immediate family. Your
letter is, indeed interesting and a great source of
information to me, and I shall endeavor to give you a
history of my family as well as I can, and I hope you
will write me again, giving me additional
information, after I have given you all I know.
As stated in my letter to Mrs. Seaman, I learned from
my father that Grandfather and a brother of his were
in the Revolutionary War together and after which,
the brother went up North and Grandfather Samuel
Sentell (who was only 16 years of age, when he
enlisted) after the war married a Miss Stephens and
settled in Spartanburg District, South Carolina, and
raised six sons, namely, William, Samuel, Nathan,
John, Britian and Martin and four (4) daughters,
Elizabeth, (who married Ingram Love,) Sarah, (who
married Andrew Griffin), Heaty (who married E. G.
Reynolds, afterwards was a Methodist Minister of
ability). Grandfather and the whole family moved to
Georgia. (Afterwards L. Carden moved to Tennessee)
Wm. Sentell raised a good large family and remained
in Georgia and Alabama. Uncle Samuel was living in
Alabams, (sic) near Tulidea (sic) and raised a large
family that is scattered from Ala. to Texas. Uncle
Nathan died before I can remember, leaving only a son
and daughter, John was my father, raised seven sons,
Samuel George W., (myself) John, Henry, William,
Nathan, and James. (My eldest brother, Samuel is a
bachelor,) (I married a Miss Dickson, December 27,
1853). John married but left no children, wehn (sic)
he died in 1873. Henry married and is living near
Jefferson, Texas, where my father died; the balance
of my brothers are all deceased (lost two in the
unfortunate war) and three daughters, Caroline,
Elizabeth, and Jane. My sisters, the last named, are
living, one in Tennessee, near Memphis, and other in
Texas. Uncle Britian raised a small family and died
in DeKalb Co., Ga. Uncle Martin died in Walton Co.,
Ga. leaving two sons and two daughters. I remember
having seen my grandfather in Walton Co., G., (sic)
where I was born, also all my uncles except Nathan,
and Father has a cousin, Joseph Sentell, who lived
near and owned the Mussle (sic) Sholls (sic) on the
Chatohoochie (sic) River, Ga. He visited my father,
while he lived in Walton Co, Ga. Father moved from
Walton Co., Ga., in 1835 when I was but a small
child, yet I remember occurences (sic) as vividly, or
perhaps more so, that took place in Ga. than in a few
years past and I am of the opinion after reading your
letter that Cousin Joseph of Mussle (sic) Sholls,
(sic) Ga., may be the Joseph, of whom you write. He
was about my father’s age. My father was born in the
year of 1793. I have never corresponded with any of
Cousin Joseph Sentell’s family. They all remained in
Georgia. Father moved from Walton County, Ga. to
Marshall Co., Miss., where I was raised. While a
beardless boy in the winter of 1846, I left my father
and moved to Bossier Parish, Louisiana, where I
engaged in the mercantile business with a success and
in Nov. 1860 I opened a cotton factory and commission
business in this city under the name and style of
Sentell and Prathur. Bro. John took charge of my
planting interest (having been raised on a farm, I
always kept an interest in a plantation),. Thus you
see I commenced business in this city at an
unpropitious time, the war coming on soon afterwards
and my money, or much of it, being advanced to our
customers, patrons, I was of course, my losses in
consequence of the war were great, but I continued
planting, merchandising, and carried on the cotton
factory and when we reopened and continued until
1869. Mr. Prathur retired and the business was
conducted under the name and style of G. W. Sentell &
Co. B. Conyers being the Co., until 1874, B. Conyers
retired, when Bro, Nathan W. became nominally my
partner under the same name and style, until he died
in 1878. Since then there has not been any Co., I
have six (6) children and reside in this city during
the winter and spring and spend my summers at my old
home at Collinsburg, Bossier Parish, Louisiana.
After the war I saw several persons that had met
Major Sentell of the Union Army, among them, Capt.
Haze, owner of the steamboat called Starlight, the
boat being captured by Maj. Sentell or a portion of
his regiment or brigade. Capt. Haze spoke in the
terms of Maj. Sentell. Besides as I stated in my
former letter, a young man by my name called to see
me and I visited his mother, then a widow living in
the southern part of our city. I learned but little
of the family from her or her sons, though I learned
from them that Maj. Sentell was a cousin and I wrote
him at the P.O. given me by them, but my letter was
returned to me through the Dead Letter Office. I
have learned however that the name of the father of
these two boys, that I visited, was Charles Sentell,
he having died before the late war.
I have visited New York in making my purchases for my
mercantile business and should I visit that city
again shall take great pleasure in calling on your
daughter in Brooklyn, or if I could would pay you a
visit, but would it not be better for you to revisit
our city and examine your work done fifty years ago.
I have frequently travelled (sic) over the road you
built. Our city is quite different now, or rather
many changes have taken place since you were at my
resident,(sic) where I am now writing this
unintelligible scrawl. This spot was in the middle
of a good large sugar plantation when you left and
even ten or fifteen years afterward. I should be
delighted to have you spend some time with me and
family. Our winters are quite pleasant and in fact
our summers are also. I spent only one summer here,
however it was quite pleasant. Can’t you induce some
of your family to move to this city or the South?
Our climate is temperate and pleasant and our lands
good. The southern people are liberal, warmhearted,
generous people, and when northern or other emigrants
of the flacy (sic) of the statements made by
adventurers that came south immediately after the war
to plunder, of course, the cold shoulder was turned
to such adventurers.
I am satisfied we are of the same family from the
fact as stated in your letter, we spell and accent
our name alike, and I hope you can give me additional
information. I have ever been of the impression that
we are of French origion, (sic) although some persons
say, to be a (sic)French we should spell our name
thus, Sentelle. I am sorry I failed to inquire of my
father to give the history of our family, which he
would and could have done. Yet he may not have
traced it as far back as I would wish. My father
moved from Miss. to Harrison Co., Texas near
Jefferson, in 1851. My family all unite with me in
sending best wishes to you and family, also your
niece, Mrs. Seamen and husband. Hoping to hear from
you again soon.
Affectionately yours,
George Washington Sentell
I do not have any other information on this letter. It was forwarded to me by John Strickland, who requested that I post it on the Sentell board.
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