LYDICK & CHANCE FAMILIES
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LYDICK BIOGRAPHIESAugust 30, 2007 - Biography for Hiram Carpenter Lydick added. June 28, 2007 - minor revisions made to Jost Leydig's biography. August 26, 2006 - Biography for Jost Leydig (Senior) revised. June 11, 2005 - Biographies added for John Black Lydick and Samuel Lydick. June 3, 2005 - Biographies added for Joseph Leydig, Jr. and William Lydick. Still to come: Hannah Leydig, Samuel and Catherine Lydick, John Black Lydick, Oliver H. Perry Lydick, and more. Check back soon. Jost Leydig (Senior)Jost was probably born in Germany (his naturalization record indicates he was German). His birth was before 17551, probably even before 1749 (the best guess we have for the arrival of Jost's parents in the colonies). An educated guess would be a birth year of 1747 or 1748. Not much has been written about Jost Leydig, and records are hard to find. Although he didn't leave behind an extensive set of clues to study, it is possible to make some assumptions about his life. He assumed a quiet and agreeable role in society, probably as a miller and a farmer and, like many German immigrants, worshipped as an Evangelical Lutheran Christian. Jost and his wife Margretha raised a family of about 5 children. Sometime prior to 1789 the Leydigs and a handful of other families settled in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, among the first permanent white settlers of the area. Numerous family researchers have expended a great deal of time and effort to find solid evidence about Jost's parents, but so far as I am aware, no one has found a church record or document that indicates who they were. We do have proof that our Jost bought land near Westminster, Maryland in 1770, and there was a record of a Jost Leidig in Frederick, Maryland (not very far from Westminster) in 1763. There were several other Leidigs living in Frederick at the same time, so Frederick, Maryland is a likely place to search for clues about Jost's parents. There was a tailor named Jacob Lydich who bought 50 acres of land in Frederick in 1760. Jost was probably a young boy in the company of his parents when he left Germany for the American colonies, and we do not know exactly when he came or which ship he sailed upon. Some of my older Lydick relatives thought they recalled their older relatives saying the Lydicks arrived in the American Colonies about 1749. Jost's name is not on any of the available published ships lists from Philadelphia, but the ship lists generally only included the names of males sixteen years and older. It is possible that his parents sailed to Baltimore rather than Philadelphia, although we do not have a record that shows this (the port of Baltimore town in Colonial Maryland did not require passenger records be kept in the early 1700s). One of the earliest records of Jost dates to early Spring of 1763, in Frederick, Maryland. Rev. John Samuel Schwerdtfeger arrived at the Frederick Lutheran Church as new pastor to the Congregation of the Monocacy in Frederick County. One of his first acts was to attend to the finances of the congregation, specifically securing free-will monetary support for the minister and the schoolteacher. Schwerdtfeger recorded the names of the members of the congregation who supported this effort and pledged annual contributions. The list includes the name of Jost Leidig, who contributed five shillings (the pledge amounts of the group ranged from two and a half shillings up to three pounds). I could not find his name in any other records for this church, including marriage, baptismal and communicant records.2 We know from source records that he was married before April, 1772, and he and his wife Margretha lived near what is now Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland (in 1772 this was part of Frederick County).3 He became a naturalized citizen on April 15, 1772 in Baltimore, Maryland.4 In 1770 he bought 75 acres of land (part of a much larger tract of land called Peach Brandy Forest) about four miles south of Pipe Creek Church (now called Krider's Church). His neighbor to the south was Peter Fischer. Peter was a sponsor at the baptism of Jost's son Joseph, and Jost sponsored the baptism of one of Peter's children. Both men traveled to Baltimore and took their (citizenship) oaths together. I mention this for a reason: it is obvious that they were friends, but it's possible they also shared a family connection. We know that Jost's wife was Margretha Leydig, but her maiden name is a mystery. We also know that it was common in those days to live near one's relatives, so an obvious starting point in the search for her family name would be to investigate trusted neighbors who shared important experiences with them. Perhaps Peter Fischer was Margretha's brother. If anyone has evidence either supporting or refuting this, please email the site administrator, at sllydick@yahoo.com. On May 23, 1774 he and his family were still living near what is now Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland.3 And, to my knowledge, that is the last substantiated record of Jost and his family for the next ten years. Two of his sons, George and William, were born during this ten year period, and William is said to have been born in Bedford (now Somerset) County, Pennsylvania. We have to wonder if Jost spend part of this time as a soldier in the Revolutionary War (the war took place from April 19, 1775 until November, 1783). It seems almost certain that he would have participated in the war in some military capacity, and that would help to explain the ten year gap in records. Which brings us to the question of where he might have served. Several sources suggest that Jost was a soldier in a Pennsylvania unit, but his name is not mentioned in the Pennsylvania Archives. The Eber Cockley file (Somerset County Historical Society and Meyersdale, PA Public Library) refers us to page 1260 in Vol. 15, Series VI of the Archives (which is the appropriate source), but there is no mention of Jost's name on that page, nor in any of the Pennsylvania Archive's military records. If he fought at all, it is possible that he enlisted in Maryland and served in a Maryland unit, since he was living there just prior to the start of the war. There are service records for a "Just Lettig" (also written as Justin Littig and Job? Littig) from Baltimore County, Maryland , but we are pretty sure he was a different Jost. (see "Littigs of Baltimore" for further information). By 1785, Jost and his family were living in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, although we don't know exactly when or why they moved. Interesting bit of prior Bedford County history: The western part of the county, where Jost settled, was essentially sparsely populated frontier. In 1777 natives attacked some farms, forcing the settlers to flee for a period of time. There were additional, more threatening raids in 1779, convincing some of the settlers to move back east and abandon their land permanently. No doubt those events helped to keep the price of land low, which would have appealed to the poor German immigrant farmers needing more land to support their families. Yost Lidick was listed as a farmer with 54 acres of land on the 1785 tax list, Londonderry Township, Bedford County (later annexed to Somerset County), Pennsylvania. He was the only "Leydigh" on the 1789 tax list for Londonderry Township.5 In 1797, on a Bedford County Land Deed, we see that Jost signed his name with an "X", so we assume that he could not read nor write. His name (Joseph Leidig, Sr) appeared on the 1800 census -- Londonderry Township, Somerset County (as did the names of his sons Joseph, Jr. and Jacob). That census was taken on the first Monday in August, 1800. Neither he nor his wife were listed on the 1810 census. The date of Jost's death is a matter of speculation..... It is worth mentioning that, on May 15, 1802, sons Jacob and Joseph, Jr. purchased a substantial piece of land costing more than 500 pounds. It is possible that this land purchase was in some way made possible by the event of Jost's death. Also, some road petition documents might hold a clue about when Jost died (see Lydick Miscellaneous Documents page at this website). In a road petition document dated February, 1801, Jost's mill is referred to as "Leidig's Mill"; but in November, 1802 they refer to the mill as "what is called Lydeagh's Mill" -- if Jost died between those dates there might have been some confusion about how to refer to his property in the 1802 document.. According to a recorded real estate transaction, the heirs of Jost's estate sold his land in February, 1809. So perhaps Jost was still living as late as 1808.
Margretha Leydig: Wife of Jost Leydig. The Pipe Creek Church Baptism records refer to the mother of Johan Jost Leydig as "Anna Margretha Leydig". Two years later, the church records refer to her as "Maria Margretha Leidig", when she and Jost were sponsors for the baptism of the daughter of Peter Fischer.3 (In the German naming custom, one was given a "spiritual" first name, and a "secular", second name. The secular name would be the name a person was known by. Anna or Maria would have been Margretha's spiritual name).
Margretha's name was not mentioned in Jost's estate records, so it is assumed that she preceded him in death, or died before the court settled his estate (which was in February, 1809).
I have no other documented information about her life. Children of Jost Leydig (could not locate baptism records for children other than Johan Jost, so can't say for certain that Margretha was the mother of all of these children): Jacob Leydig -- born March 1, 1769, married Mary Sturtz, died March 13,
1852. Notes 1. 1800 US Federal Census, Somerset Co., Penn., Londonderry Township shows Jost as "older than 45 years". 2. History of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Frederick, Maryland 1738-1938 , by Abdel Ross Wentz, pages 125-128. 3. Pipe Creek Church baptism records from Maryland German Church Records: Volume 9, by Frederick S. Weiser, pub. by Historical Society of Carroll County, Westminster, MD, pages 35-36. 4. Colonial Maryland Naturalizations, page 68. 5. 1785 Bedford County, Pennsylvania Tax List.
Johan Jost Leydig (Joseph Leydig, Jr.) Son of Jost and Anna Margretha Leydig, born December 23, 1771. Birthplace not identified, but probably in Frederick County, Maryland, near present-day Westminster (Carroll County), Maryland. Baptized April 19, 1772 in the Pipe Creek Church, near present-day Westminster, Maryland. Baptism sponsors Peter and Margretha Fischer.1 By 1785 his father (Jost) had moved their family to Londonderry Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania where they farmed and Joseph received at least a rudimentary education (he learned to write). Little else is known about his childhood. On June 5, 1792 Joseph married Hannah Grissing (or Griesing).2 Over the next twenty-two years they produced a large family, with eleven children known to have survived to adulthood: Elias, born July 21, 1796; Susannah, born abt. 1796; Samuel, born April 17, 1798; Jonathan, born abt. 1800; Rachel, born abt. 1802; William Allen, born abt. 1804; Catharine (Kate), born Nov. 10, 1807; Druscilla (or Drusannah), born abt. 1809; Hannah, born July 12, 1811; Elizabeth, born abt. 1812-13; and George, born abt. 1814.3 Joseph made a practice of buying land in Bedford and Somerset Counties. There are at least four, and possibly six, deeds involving Joseph as the grantee (purchaser) during the period from 1800 until 1814. These can be viewed on the "Deeds" page of the website, but to briefly recap: in June, 1800, 58 acres in Londonderry Township (on waters of Wills Creek and part of the tract known as Black Oak Ridge) were purchased for thirty pounds (there is a slight chance that Jost Leydig, rather than Joseph, Jr. purchased this land); also in June, 1800, another 103 acres of the Black Oak Ridge tract was purchased (probably purchased by Joseph, Jr., but possibly by Jost); May, 1802 in Southampton Township, Joseph, Jr. and Jacob bought 294 acres known as "Gillinger" for 500 pounds; in December, 1812, Joseph bought 115 acres in Southampton Township for 244 pounds; June, 1814, Joseph sold 172 acres of land he had previously purchased from his brother William (not part of any of the transactions mentioned earlier) for $1100.00; and in October, 1816, he bought 40 acres in Londonderry Township near Wills Mountain for $100.00. All in all, about 800 acres purchased. To have sufficient means to conduct these transactions suggests that Joseph was fairly successful as a farmer/land owner. The June, 1814 deed tells us a little about what Joseph farmed. On that particular property, there was a pasture containing twenty head of cattle, some grain fields, and trees growing some sort of fruit (probably apples, since they were plentiful in that region). At least some of the land Joseph owned remained "unimproved", meaning not cleared for farming. The tracts of land in Londonderry Township (which, by the way, became a source of contention for family members in the years to come after Joseph's death) composed about 200 acres, with only half an acre cleared, and contained a sawmill and gristmill. It could be that the land was held for its timber value. One of his sons, Samuel, whose principal occupation was blacksmithing, ran a sawmill from time to time throughout his life. Possibly he learned the trade from his father at this location. Joseph died sometime in early 1820, when he was 48 years old. He left no will, and all estate matters were handled by the Orphan's Court of Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The courts required that the deceased's property be disposed of in order to make a lawful distribution of assets to outstanding creditors, his widow and children. For reasons unbeknownst to us, it took until 1846 to sell his land, settle his estate and make the distribution of assets to his heirs. That's 26 years! We can only imagine the hardship that created for his widow Hannah, only 45 years old and with six children still in her care at home. Hannah was 71 before she received money for the sale of his property. Notes: 1. Pipe Creek Church baptism records from Maryland German Church Records: Volume 9, by Frederick S. Weiser, pub. by Historical Society of Carroll County, Westminster, MD, pages 35-36. 2. From the marriage records of Adam Miller, a Justice of the Peace for Brothers Valley Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Source found in the Bedford County Archives, vol. 2, page 114. Also, record found in Laurel Messenger, November, 1971, page 8. 3. The names of the children came from Joseph's estate records, dating from 1820. Naturally, if there were other children born who died before Joseph's death, their names would not have been recorded in the estate proceedings. I do not have a record of births/deaths for any other children. The birthdates of all of these children have come from other family researchers, and I have accepted these dates without being able to confirm any of them with source material.
William Lydick Son of Jost Leydig, born October 28, 1781. He married Catharine Welker (daughter of Paul Welker) about 1808, in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. In 1809 they left Pennsylvania and relocated to Union Township, Knox County, Ohio, where they were among the earliest permanent white settlers to the area. William was a farmer, and their first home was a log cabin that he built. A few years later he built another log cabin, and after a short time enlarged it with an addition made of hewn logs. In 1835 he erected a brick home near the cabin where they lived the rest of their lives.1 William and Catharine had three children: Reuben (who took possession of his father's farm property and remained there until after 1881), Druzilla, and Lydia.1 Catharine died September 12, 1859, and William followed on May 8, 1861. Both are buried in the Workman Cemetery, just south of Danville, Ohio on Route 62 (in Union Township, Knox County). Notes: 1. From page 724 of History of Knox County, Ohio: It's Past and Present, published in 1881 by A.A. Graham and Company, Mt. Vernon, Ohio.
John Black Lydick (most of the information in this biography comes from John B.'s Civil War Pension file)
John B. was the seventh child of Samuel and Catherine Fair Lydick, born September 20, 1834 near Bethany, Brooke County, Virginia (now West Virginia).1 By the time he was six years old the family had moved to Glen Easton, Marshall County, Virginia (now West Virginia) where his father (Samuel) had a blacksmith shop, and that is where he lived until 1856. His father died in 1850 when he was sixteen, and his mother shortly after. He "boarded" with his brother William for about two years after William's marriage (which was in 1852) and worked for William on his farm. From his pension file we know that his sister nursed him through an "attack of measles". She said that was "about 1854 and about two years before he was married".
He married Mary J. Luster on April 13, 1854 and they made a home for a few years in Glen Easton where he rented a blacksmith shop from his brother Jesse. He worked alone in the shop as a blacksmith and wagon maker until he bought a saw mill at Rosby's Rock, about 1858. They lived in the village of Rosby's Rock "about fifty yards from the general store". He and his brother Josiah ran the saw mill together for a few years and then he bought Josiah's interest in the mill after they had some financial problems (which created bad feelings between the two men). John B. ran the sawmill until the time of his enlistment. While he was living in Glen Easton, John B. also had a gristmill business which he ran for a while and then sold to John M. Harris.
He was commissioned as a recruiting officer for the Union Army and held that position until his enlistment on July 29, 1862 as a Second Lieutenant in Company C, West Virginia Infantry Volunteers. He resigned from the army on December 25, 1862 following a service-related injury. For more information about his military service, please go to "Lydicks in Military Service" at this website.
"After he returned from the army he was not able to do anything for nearly a year. Then he bought a gristmill at Cameron (Marshall County) and I remember being there one day, a Saturday, when there was a good deal of wheat to be handled and saw him take hold of a sack and lift it without thinking of what he was doing and he sank right down and was under the care of the late Dr. Stidger for two or three weeks afterward," so stated his brother Jesse Lydick, describing how John B. was affected by his hernia injury.
Sometime after the war, John B. moved his family to Quaker City, Ohio. It might have been around 1868, because a Guernsey County resident stated for the Pension examiner that he knew John B. Lydick since 1868. In February, 1879 he was living in Quaker City, Guernsey County, Ohio where he was a building contractor as well as mayor of the village. Still residing there in January, 1886. On December 2, 1887 he was in Uniontown, Bourbon County, Kansas and was still there on January 20, 1888, although it is not clear if he was residing there or just visiting.
On November 2, 1893 his wife Mary J. (Luster) Lydick died in Wilmot, Cowley County, Kansas. By 1896 he was living again in Quaker City, Ohio and married his second wife Mary C. Boyd Hoover, the widow of John F. Hoover, on December 28, 1896. A few details about Mary C. Boyd: she married John Hoover on August 12, 1890, and he died about February 9, 1892. She was still alive on November 3, 1928.
John Black Lydick died February 5, 1914. His death certificate, a copy included in his pension file, indicated that he died of pneumonia, his occupation was merchant, and that he was buried February 7, 1914 at Green Lawn, Quaker City, Ohio. The death certificate was completed by John B.'s son Dent, who (incorrectly) showed John B. Lydick's parents as: father, Jacob Lydick born Pennsylvania; and mother, Catharine Hannah, birthplace unknown.
Children of John Black Lydick and Mary J. Luster (taken from Pension File): Dent L. Lydick, born April 25, 1855 Anna Lydick, born September 9, 1856 Amy C. Lydick, born October 2, 1858 Lavina P. Lydick, born September 13, 1860 William M. Lydick, born July 9, 1862 Uriah H. Lydick, born October 12, 1864 Idona B. Lydick, born January 5, 1870 John W. Lydick, born February 22, 1872 Isaac H. Lydick, born June 12, 1875 Henry L. Lydick, born April 8, 1878 Lula D. Lydick, born May 22, 1880 Millie (died as an infant) Idarene (died as an infant)
Adult physical and personal traits of John B. Lydick taken from his pension records: Height -- about 5' 5 1/2" Weight -- around 130 lbs. "Fair hair, grey eyes, fair complexion" In 1907, he was described as "72 years old, 5' 5" tall, 115 pounds, grey eyes, grey hair, walks with a cane, thickening of joints from rheumatism". His brother Jesse described the way he was before the war as "a small man, but a strong man who did the heaviest kind of lifting". William Clayton, a man who worked for John B. Lydick said that before the war John B. "could handle saw logs and heavy timber that a common laboring man could not". A pension examiner said, "He impressed me as being a very shrewd man with a keen eye for business." A pension examiner felt that John B. was honest, a man of good reputation who would not swear falsely to receive a pension. In 1879 John B. described his ailment: "It (the hernia) grows much worse all the time and I can perform no manual labor at all without suffering intense pain. I cannot stand without I wear a very strong truss." His doctor described his personality during the last years of his life when he was essentially an invalid (with bronchial problems so bad he had to sleep in a rocking chair to prevent coughing): "when feeling at his best he was very cheerful and delighted to visit with his friends."
Notes: 1. Samuel Lydick's Family Bible.
Hiram Carpenter Lydick (from The History of the State of Nebraska, by The Western Historical Company, A.T. Andreas, Proprietor, 1882. Submitted for inclusion at the website by Jeff Bush, of Oakland, Nebraska) "Hiram Carpenter Lydick, Nebraska Pioneer and prominent farmer and stock-grower of Burt County, post office address Tekamah, was born in Knox County, Ohio, May 25, 1839; Son of William and Eva Rosanne (Carpenter) Lydick. In 1845 his parents removed from their Ohio home to Jefferson County, Iowa, (near Fairfield), and there Hiram C. Lydick received his education in the pioneer schools. A year and half after the family settled in Iowa, the father died, leaving his widow to care for ten children, none of whom were of sufficient age to give her much assistance. For about ten years young Hiram remained on the farm helping his older brothers. He then hired out as a farm hand, at $10.00 a month. He continued at farm work for wages until the spring of 1857, when he came to Nebraska and settled on a quarter section of land in what is known as the Arizona Bottoms in Burt County. There he commenced farming on a small scale and was successful. On October 24, 1862, he enlisted for nine month's service in Co. B. 2nd Regiment, Nebraska Cavalry, and served for two months more than his term of enlistment, being mustered out in September, 1863. Most of his time in the service was spent at Fort Kearney. With the exception of his time spent in the army, he has continuously devoted himself to his farming and stock-growing business. He still owns his original entry of 160 acres, and has increased his homestead in the Arizona Bottoms to more than 400 acres, all of which is as rich land as can be found in Nebraska. In addition he has about 1600 acres of land in other parts of Burt County, two-thirds of which is under cultivation, the remainder being utilized as meadow and pasture. He has always been an advocate of diversified farming, and besides the cultivation of the various cereals, and other crops, has been an extensive grower of cattle, sheep, horses and hogs. Immediately after his marriage in 1866, he built a comfortable home on his homestead, and resided in it until 1888, when he replaced it with a model farm house costing several thousand dollars. His homestead has all modern improvements, fine buildings for his stock, implements, grain and other products. His is one of the model farms of northeastern Nebraska. He has taken a lively interest in all matters pertaining to agriculture and horticulture, giving his support to the candidates who in his judgment are best qualified for the office sought. He has never sought political honors. He was married February 22, 1866, to Mary Giltner Strange, widow of John W. Strange, of Burt County. To Mr. and Mrs. Lydick ten children have been born, namely: William, married to Belle Musick; Cora Jane; Walter Burt, married to Minnie Holliday, Alvin, married to Millie Holliday; Samuel J., James, Rose Marie, Hiram Carpenter Jr. (Jake), and Jonathan J. (Jay). Lillie May died at the age of eighteen months. This information received from Ivan Lydick, son of Samuel."
Note: In 1850, when Hiram was about eleven years old and living in Iowa, his family fell victim to the cholera epidemic sweeping the area. To read more about this scourge and the effect it had on his family click here.
Samuel Lydick (unless otherwise stated, all the information for this biography came from Samuel's Civil War Pension file) Samuel was the ninth child of Samuel and Catherine Fair Lydick, born January 11, 1841 in Marshall County, Virginia (now West Virginia).1,2 His father died when he was nine years old (1850) and his mother probably died within a few years. Sometime about 1854 he went to live with his sister Mariann (Mary Ann) and her husband Uriah Harris for a period of three years. Until he enlisted in the Union Army (April, 1861) he worked as a farmer and in a sawmill. He said in his Civil War Pension File deposition, "About five years before the war I lived on Fork Ridge about 2 1/2 miles from Glen Easton and lived there until I enlisted. I followed farming until about three years before I enlisted, during that I was working at a saw mill with my brother. I left the saw mill and went into the army." Samuel married Nancy Standiford (daughter of Peter and Margaret Standiford, sister of Elizabeth Standiford who married Samuel's brother Levi) on February, 23, 1862, by Reverend John Trainer, at or near Glen Easton in Marshall County, West Virginia. Marriage license issued on February 20, 1862 in Marshall County. (For full details about Samuel's military service, go to "Lydicks in Military Service" at this website) During the war, in the Battle of Piedmont, he was hit by a (blunt) shell fragment in his left side. As a result of that injury, his lungs were permanently damaged and he suffered from hemorrhages (bleeding) the rest of his life. He had to be careful not to overexert himself, to prevent hemorrhage from recurring. After the war Samuel returned Glen Easton and resumed farming (he was still occupied thus in 1883 when he gave his deposition to the Pension Board). At first he treated his lung condition with patent medicines such as vinegar bitters, wine of tar, cherry pictorial. This was while his main complaints were a cough and pain in his left side. He had a bad attack (hemorrhage) in 1867 and had to have someone cut his firewood that year. Through the winter he could not do much although he took care of his livestock. They were living near his wife's parents at the time and it was supposed that his father-in-law helped support them. Uriah Harris, husband of Samuel's sister Mary Ann, stated in his deposition, "He (Samuel) was not a healthy man when he came home from the army. In 1872 he had a bleeding spell and the doctors gave him up," although he eventually survived that bout. In one deposition to the Pension Board, Samuel testified that his habits were good and that he had been strictly temperate (no alcohol) since 1872. Adult Physical characteristics: Height -- 5' 9 1/2" Weight -- 145-155 pounds Light complexion
He began to draw a small pension in 1886.
Samuel died at home on May 2, 1890, about 10:00 a.m., in the presence of his wife Nancy, age 54, Skelton Standiford, age 52, and S.L. Lydick, age 21. Skelton Standiford helped prepare Samuel's body for burial.
At the time of his death, Samuel's estate was valued as follows, per an affidavit filed in his Pension record: owned land worth $1600. with $800. still indebted. About $200. of personal property. Widow (Nancy) would be entitled to use of 1/3 of the realty after debts are paid, which amounted to $18.00-$20.00 per year, that being her only income, and "some little household and kitchen furniture." W.A. Stewart testified, "She is a poor woman, and crippled in her right hand."
Nancy received a widow's pension until her death, on April 15, 1914. Her address at the time of death was Glen Easton, West Virginia.
Additional information taken from Samuel's pension file: 1. Josiah Lydick, Samuel's brother, lived about 6 miles from Samuel just after the war. Josiah moved to Ohio in 1869, but returned to Glen Easton in 1876 for a visit. It appears from Josiah's deposition that he and Samuel got along well together. 2. James Richmond said Samuel was his wife's uncle. 3. William Richmond and Samuel were boys together. He referred to Samuel as "Sam". 4. Skelton Standiford and Samuel grew up together, knowing each other from about 1857. 5. "A part of one winter in 1869-70" a man named William Echols (he sold sewing machines) boarded at the home of Samuel and Nancy Lydick. 6. Henry Harris was a neighbor of Samuel's. 7. Uriah Harris had known Samuel since about 1847. 8. Joseph B. Waite had known Samuel since about 1853, when they were boys. He "worked the roads" with Samuel about 1867. In 1868 they lived about 1/4 mile apart. And on March 21, 1882 Samuel moved to about 2 miles from Waite. 9. John Black Lydick, Samuel's brother, stated by letter (dated 7-31-1884) to the pension board that he had seen Samuel only once in the last 12 years, although they kept in touch with each other. John B. was living in Guernsey County, Ohio at the time. Stated that Samuel had once lived with him prior to his first enlistment and worked for him in his saw mill. Also stated that Samuel did not work for him between his 1st and 2nd enlistments, and that Samuel "was living with another brother" after his final discharge. 10. William Lydick, Samuel's brother, gave his deposition on July 30, 1884: "I am a grocery man", living in Quaker City, Guernsey County, Ohio. William and Samuel worked together for a while before the war, and between Samuel's 1st and 2nd enlistments he worked some on William's farm and they did carpentry and wagon-making together (William was still living in Marshall County at the time). 11. Deposition given by Josiah Lydick, Samuel's brother, in 1884: Josiah was still in West Virginia after the war, but living in Parsons, Labette County, Kansas in December, 1884 where he was a farmer. Didn't see Samuel very often between 1866 and 1869 (not over 3 or 4 times). Saw him again in 1876. Also living in Parsons, Kansas were two other friends from Marshall County, Frank and William Richmond. 12. Deposition given by Henry Harris, who was also in Company D, 1st Regiment, W.Va. Volunteers Infantry: He was in the battle of Piedmont along with Samuel, but did not see Samuel get hurt. And then, "On the 18th of June, 1864 I was wounded at Lynchburg, Virginia and left on the battlefield, and was captured and sent to Libby Prison."
Notes: 1. 1840 U.S. Federal Census for Marshall County, Virginia (now West Virginia). 2. Samuel Lydick's family Bible.
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