This Lyon County material is provided by Pat Oliver

Greetings.... Hope you all enjoy this letter as much as I have. Don't you wish we
had more like it! Please note the last paragraph of the letter.

My tie to all this is through Cynthia Aurelia Galusha, daughter of Elijah G. and
Lucy W. Throop, who married Wilson Parent, son of David and Nancy Conway Parent
of Nelson and Caldwell Co.

This letter, dated April 5, 1828, at Washington, from Chittenden Lyon, Member of
Congress, to Hon. James Witherell, can be found on pp.424-5 of "A History of the
Town of Fair Haven, Vermont", by Andrew N. Adams, published 1870 by Leonard and
Phelps, Printers, Fair Haven. I obtained photocopies of a few pages in 1971 from
the Curator of the Bennington Museum, Bennington, VT. See my notes at the bottom
of this page. Corrections/additions are welcome.

"Dear Sir:- Your esteemed favor of the 17th ult. was received this morning, and
letter contained therein handed to Col. Watson.

It gives me great pleasure to receive this attention from the long and much
valued friend of my lamented father, and brings to my mind the scenes of my
childhood. I well recollect you and your family, and regret to learn that so many
of them have, like my own connection, "gone the way of all flesh." You enquire
after my mother. She is no more; she survived my father about 18 months, worn
down with grief and affliction for the misfortune and death of her husband and
two children in less than two years; but she found consolation and resignation in
religion. She had been for the last twelve years of her somewhat eventful life an
exemplary member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and died in the full hope and
faith of sleeping in the arms of her God. My eldest half-brother, James Lyon,
died in South Carolina about four years since, poor. My eldest half-sister, Ann
Messenger, and her family, reside in Illinois, near Bellville. Her husband is in
comfortable circumstances, and is very respectable. Sister Pamelia resides in the
same state; her husband, Dr. Geo. Cadwell, died some two years since, leaving
seven unmarried daughters, and no son, (his only one having died some years
before him,) in moderate circmstances. My half-brother, Elijah G. Galusha,
resides in Kentucky, near me. He married the daughter of Mr. Throop, is a poor
farmer. My eldest own sister, Minerva, resides in  Beavertown, Penn. Her husband,
Dr. Cattlett, late surgeon in the U. S. Army, died a little more than three years
ago, in moderate circumstances. My syster, Aurellia, died about nine months
before my father, leaving two orphan children. Her husband, Dr. H. Skinner, died
about two years before her, and left a pretty little estate for their children.
My brother Matthew, lives within two miles of my residence, (Eddyville, Ky.,) and
is doing very well, in fact getting rich, for he minds the main chance and
dabbles but little in politics, but is a candidate for Elector on the Jackson
ticket. My sister Eliza Ann, born in Kentucky, resides also in the state of
Illinois. She married a worthy man, but poor, and moved to that state about one
year ago. My youngest brother, Giles, also born in Kentucky, and who lived with
my mother, died in the 20th year of his age, about five months before my mother.

Of those who went with or followed my father, besides our family, G. D. Cobb, who
married Modena Clark, resides at Eddyville; has a large and respectable family,
but is reduced in his circumstances in consequence of losing a valuable farm,
which was taken by a prior claim after a long law suit, which he had highly
improved. Capt. Throop has been dead many years; he died as he lived, poor. His
wife, second daughter, and youngest son went to her brother, Samuel Vail, at
Baton Rouge, La., and all are dead. His eldest son, John, resides at Eddyville, a
vagabond. His daughter, Betsy, is a widow. Samuel C. Clark resides with G. D.
Cobb; is poor, and has lost one leg, amputated close up to the body; and last,
old General Whitehouse, who you no doubt recollect followed my father to
Kentucky, and survived both my father and mother, and several of the younger
branches of the family, and died about eighteen months since, having been a
charge on my hands for many years.

In answering your enquiries I have necessarily been led into a long, and to you,
somewhat uninteresting letter, while a long speech was making upon the Tariff
bill, which is still under consideration in the House of Representatives.

I have had a severe indsposition since my arrival here, which confined me near a
month, but I am now perfectly recovered. I have had the misfortune to lose my
wife since I left home. She died on the 4th of February, and has left me a family
of five young children, the eldest 10 years, the youngest 3 months and 4 days.

Please present my respects to your good lady.

Very respectfully your obedient servant, Chittenden Lyon

Hon. James Witherell"

Persons mentioned in the letter and some limited background from my records:

Hon. James Witherell - See information at these URLs:

http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/wisner-witherow.html and

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000657

Chittenden Lyon - 1787-1842 m 1st 1817 Nancey Vaughn daughter of Mary Gracey. m
2nd 1829 Frances B. Jones. Member of Congress from West. KY. Son of Matthew and
Beulah Chittenden Galusha Lyon. Lyon County was named after Chittenden Lyon.

His father - Matthew Lyon 14 July 1750 Ireland - 1 Aug 1822 Spadra Bluff, Little
Rock, Arkansas. Matthew was married 1st Mary L. Hosford, had 4 children Anna,
James, Pamelia and Lauren. Married 2nd widow Beulah Chittenden Galusha.

His mother - Beulah Chittenden Galusha Lyon 15 May 1764 - 7 Feb 1824 (The Lyon
County Cemetery book has 6 Feb 1821 which would be incorrect from this letter.)

Beulah Chittenden was the 6th child of Gov. Thomas and Elizabeth Meigs Chittenden
of CN and VT. She married 1st Elijah G. Galusha 1757-1783 and had two children
son Elijah G. and daughter Lorenda who died in infancy. Married 2nd widower
Matthew Lyon.

Matthew and Beulah had eight children: Minerva, Chittenden, Aurelia, Matthew,
Noah C., Beulah, Giles, and Eliza Ann.

Capt Throop - John Winchester Throop 1764 - abt 1817, son of John and Frances
Dana Throop. John W. Throop served in the Rev War in VT Militia, I understand.
Married Elizabeth Vail 1765-1822. They had five known children: Lucy W. married
Elijah G. Galusha, John W. Throop Jr. married Elizabeth Hannah, Elizabeth V.
Throop married William Gore. (All three married in Caldwell Co.), Joshua V, and
Cynthia.

G. D. Cobb -Gidean/Gideon Dyer Cobb. married Modena Clark.

Modena Clark - daughter of Gen Isaac and Hannah Chittenden Clark. Hannah
Chittenden Clark was sister of Beulah Chittenden Galusha Lyon. Another daughter
of Gov Thomas and Elizabeth Meigs Chittenden, Mary Chittenden, married Gov. Jonas
Galusha, 5th Gov of VT and elder brother of Elijah G. Galusha.

Samuel C. Clark - Can't find my notes on him but recall he might have been a
brother of Modena Clark.

General Whitehouse - No further information but I'm checking.


Pat Oliver