French, Benjamin Born: Jan 26, 1824 Pvt; Co. D, 1st Bttn MS Cav Res Enon (aka Erin Cumberland Newton
Newton County, MS Enlisted; Mar 8, 1862 Presbyterian Church) Died: Jan 26, 1908 Discharged: May 4, 1865 6 mi SW of Union, MS
Conehatta Private
ensus records for Newton County, Ms. 1860 show the following:
Ben French 28 M Farmer Ireland (page 95 house #631, Family #647)
Sarah 23 F Ireland
Robert 6 M Mississippi
Samuel 4 M Mississippi
Nancy 31/2 F Misissippi
Census records for Newton County, Ms. for 1870 show the following:
French, Benjamin M 46 Farmer Ireland (Parents foreignborn)(p.32, house #84, Family#84)
Sarah Jane F 32 Ireland
CHILDREN
Robert George M 14 farm Lab. Mississippi
Samuel James M 11 Miss. B 6/17/1865
Nancy Jane F 8 Miss .B 4/17/1856
Sarah F 7 Miss,. B 5/5/1860
Benjamin M 5 Miss B 5/13/1862
Charlotte F 3 Miss. B 4/1/1866
(All members of family indicated could not read or write)
CHILDREN
1880 Newton County census (pg 40, house #358, family #346)
French, Benjamin M 55 Md. head farmer B 5/1823 Ireland D: 1/26/1908 Newton co, Ms
Sarah Jane F 45 wife kp hs. B 2/1828 Ireland D: 3/16/1908 Ireland
Robert George. M 25 son wid. farmer B 6/17/18664 Ms.
Samuel James M 22 son farmer B 4/17/1856 Ms.
Nancy Jane. F 19 dau school B 5/6/1860 Ms.
Sarah H. F 16 dau school B 5/13/1/62
Benjamin JR. M 15 son school B 4/1/1864 Ms.
Charlotte D F 13 dau school B 1/23/1866 Ms.
William John (Bill) M 7 son school B 1/6/1/73 Ms
Sallie F 3 gdau B Ms.
William H, M 1 gson B Ms.
Head of household cannot read or write
1890 Census destroyed by fire
1900 Newton County Census, Ms.
French, Benjamin 73 M H B. May 1827 Md. 49 yrs. Ire. Ireland Ireland
Sally J. 60 F Feb. 1840 9ch., 6 liv Ire. Ireland Ireland
William J. 27 M Sing Jan 1873 Ms. Ireland Ireland
(records indicate that Ben came to America in 1849 and he became a naturalized citizen
in 1850. Sally came to America in 1848. No indication of citizenship.)
The following letters were received by Benjamin French in America from his father George French
in Ireland:
Tyanee, November 14, 1852
Dear Son,
I take up my pen to let you know that we received your kind and welcome letter that gave us great
satisfaction to hear that you were all well. we are all well, thanks be to God for his mercies to us
hopping this will find you enjoying the same blessing. Your mother and I were very glad to hear
(that you) took a notion of changing your life that you fell in with_______a desaent mans Daughter
I had no acquaintince of the girl but I new her father well and I hope that you will be mindful of your
____and if you look for his blessing there is no dought you will attain it and that you will be a good
husband and she a dutiful wife. Your brother Robert did not go to Sydney for the reason that when
he saw that your father and mother would be so much troubled he could not think of leaving them
and then he continued at his work and then don well.

Your Mother and I was at the Carouse and had a fine night and if you send us word a while before your
Mrs. has her young one we will go over and I think we might have as good a night then your mother
will take it a shoat of clothes but if it is a girl you must call it for her as I think the trouble of going wont
be worth the name.

Times in this country is a great deal better than when you went away oat meal is from 9S to 10S per wt
and potatoes from____ per wt pork L2 to L2S5S cow cattle is pretty high at this time the weaving trade
is doing finley now, my Brother Wm. John has 17S for weaving his last web it was a 14 hundred and
he wove it in eight day beginning and all so this is the state of our country now and I think we can do well at home uncle Benjamin wife and family are well and living on where he was when you went
away he was in Innisbrook mill this season and is doing finley he and his two daughters Peggy and
Elizabeth.

Brother Joseph is working in the mill with my self and is doing finley and is grew to be as fine a young
boy as you would want to see and is working very hard an close and making plenty also. Hanna and
Nancy Jane is with us Wm John wrough a good dale to Mr. Courtenay this summer but now he is at
home and is grew so big that you would not know him. Bessey Dortehiah and Charlott is all well and
growing very fast I had a strong notion of going to Sydney but when I got your letter it changed me of my______________I thank the assistince of God I will be able to make out life here now as times is a
great deal better here than when you went a way and my years wearing fast up and has not how soon
I may be called of this foot stool Brother Robert is thankful to you for your kindness in saying that you
would give him some assistance to take him over there he his wife and family is well and he has a fine
young son Benjamin and is thriving finley and is very like you want? To know who Nancy French is married to his name is David Hall a son of Wm Haulls of Portglenone Nancy had a young Daughter
this day week.

Give your mothers and my love to Neil French and his wife Isabella I shall end. we are all very glad that
you both fell in together and hope that he will do well and liv agreeable life. Charlotte and John Dool
sends their love. Margaret Ann is the kindest manner and hope that her mother will not forsake her
when she get another family. John French wife and family are well also Wm wife and family are well.
So_________we your father and mother Brother and sisters uncles and aunts. Brother Robert and his
wife. We remain your loving father and mother to death.
George and Jane French.
Robert Dool wife and family are all well.
The more that you have got married don't forget to write.

Second letter: Tyanee 26th Apr. 1874

I now take this favorable oportunity of writing to you to let you know thatwe are all on the land of living
and in the Place of hope and in good health hoping this may find you and family and all friend in the
enjoyment of good health my dear son and Daughter you may think me very ungreatfull for not writingto you before now after receiving your Kind and long looked for letter that gave us all great Pleasure to
here that you were all well and in the enjoyment of good health. I would have writen before now but
weating to after the 7th of March comonly called Patricks day. we had a find display of ribon men in
this country we had no disturbance about Party cenone all Past over quietly here but not so at
Bellaghy and Kilrea. there was 15 stan of colors walked through Belaghy without any one to anoy
them except weomen and _____ of Boy but the began and smashed the windows from the one end of town to the other and after all the orangemen did not interfere but the government has taken the case
and is puting the Law in force the Law has stood five days this week and not near finished yet therefore
Kilrea the ribon men came there 11 stan of Colors but the Poliece stoped them and would not let them
in to the town with the exception of some of them that forced their way through then the orangemen
attacted them and blood attact it was but still the orangemen gained the day and those that forced
through paid for their valor there will be Law about it alsaw but it is not over ye so this is the state of our
country now.

You want to know about the orangemen of Innisrush last year the had to go to Derry and stand their Trial but the were all sent home without having to go to Jale and the has a five days walking there was
15 stan of colors came to Innisrush and spent their day there all Past over very quietly. Your Brother
William has got married to a girl by the name of Elizabeth Montgomery and the are both well now but
he William John being in Kilrea on Patricks day and in the fiting Party he was very nerly kilt he was
under the care of Doctor Dysart for two weeks and was thought not to recover but thanks be to the
Lord he is better now and able to do some work. The Labour is going on very well here now and
the corn is all sowed and the most ot the Potatoes are got in and the flax seed is not sowed yet.
Cows and Horses are got to a very high Price here far above anythin your selves saw Mother thinks
very strong that youd said so little about her in your last letter though she excuses you as you said that you would send a letter to herself which she hope you have don. she thinks that your Mrs. and some of
her grand children might wirte to her by them selves for she thinks that there is not any think give so
much comfort as us reding a letter from you or any of the family. Your Brotherinlaw Robt John and
sister Charlett and child are all well and is very glad to here from you and Mrs. and family hoping
the Lord may bless you and keep you in_____of____Brother Robert and Mrs. and family are all well
and very glad to here of your welfare and Brother Herculas and Mrs. and family are all well and I expect he has writen to you before now. Mother sent you a newspaper after the 12 of July las you did not say
which you got or not.

you will think very strange to here of the steat of our County now. Ribonism is getting to a very high
degree now but it is expected that last Patricks day will put a stop to the______things as in Place of a
___________we have a Protestant government now and it is though there will be a change made we all hop the may so as the Beads may never overcome the Bible for our cry is no Surrender hoping
that although you are far away that you will remember old 230 and Join in the cry of no surrender. we
were all glad to hear of Johnney French being with you and that he is well we want to Know if he is
with you and and how affairs as going on now.

Robert Dool and Mrs. is very thankful to you for taking so much trouble in looking for David's Daughter
Peggy Ann and hop that when you find out where she is that you will write to them Know__________are reating. here as follows
Oatmeal from 10s to 17a per hundred Indian meal from 10s to 11s per Wt. Potatoes from 3s to 4s Per
Wt butter from 1/2 to1/4 lb eggs from 8 to 10 per dozen so I think I have gave you a Pretty farish detail
of the state of our country now I hope that if we are living to after the 12 of July coming that I will be
able to giv you a good detail that is to sa like old Olivers Drum Peace and Plenty.
So now my dear son and Dauguter I must conclude being Joined with your mother Brother Robert J
and Charlett and child in sending our loves to your family and all enquiring friend in the Kindest manner we are your loving Father and Mother George and Jane French.
I wish to let you know that Charlett and husband are still living with us and I do hope will as long as
I live we are living a agreeable as I could wish. you want to know Brother Roberts address.
Mr. Robert French, Croggan Randalstown Co. Antrim
Address, Herculas Ellis, Hazzle Bank care of the Rev. George Kilpatrick, Craigs Cullobeake, Co.
Antrim.
This was write by your old friend and Brother Robert Dool
Explanations:
s=shilling
Orangemen- The Orange Order is a Protestant organization regarded as anti-Catholic. It uses the
color orange to commemorate the victory of the English King William of Orange (Protestant) over the
Catholic King James II. Catholics are not allowed to be members of the Orange Order nor can they
marry Roman Catholics.
Ribon/ribonism- The Ribbon Society was founded in the early part of the 19th Century as a protest
against the Orangemen. One purpose was to prevent the eviction of tennant farmers by landlords.
They wore a green ribbon as a badge.
July 12 - the main parage of the year is July 12th commemorating the vvictory of King William of
Orange
1845-1850-crop failures resulted in famine and many fled to America.
Thanks to Bess Hollingsworth, Newton County Historical Society for translating these letters. The
writing was very hard to read.