I also got the money and likeness you sent. I am not surprised at your sending it, for it is bad looking. It is not much better than the original is at present. I know I have broken considerably since the first was taken. I reckon that accounts for your trying to persuade me to marry again. You have probably seen some lady in Georgia who you admire more than my picture and you are trying to dishearten me about yourself by saying you look so bad, old and grey-headed, so that you might feel at liberty to choose another. But I am very well satisfied with you if you are grey-headed. I think you will have to adopt some other plan to get rid of me, for remember you took me for better or worse and if I have proven to be worse, I will try to amend in the future and you will have to submit to your fate, for I don't think I can ever give you up and besides old age is honorable and grey hair it. You had better be careful how you write, as you have the sympathy of Granddaddy Roberson. He read the letter and when he came to that part he seemed very serious and said "Poor Overton, he is afraid his wife will marry again," but Grandma told him you never thought of such a thing, you were only joking, but enough of this nonsense. I did not feel like it at the start, but don't like to be outdone.

   Well we had a pretty good shower nine or ten days ago and a shower last Thursday night. In fact, we have a shower every ten or fifteen days but not enough to start the creeks and springs. I have some water in my well and there is plenty in the old well down by the willow trees. Crops look very well considering the late spring. Last week was quite warm, which is the most pleasant weather we have had. There has been some sickness this spring, more than I ever knew. It is mostly colds, some typhoid fever and some pneumonia. I think it was caused from the cool, damp winds. It has certainly been the most unpleasant spring I ever saw and the most lonely one.

   I would give worlds, if they were mine to give, if you could come home and stay and we could have peace as we did in the blissful days yore. I want to see you worse every day and miss you as much as I did when you first went away. Sometimes I feel like giving up and then I think of my dear husband who is dearer to me than all the world besides, and our sweet little children who look to me for protection. Then I feel like I have something to live for and one whose affection I can never forget. Sometimes I feel almost unworthy of such a husband. I thank heaven for the gift and pray the Lord to enable me to do my duty to husband and children. I feel that I need your assistance to train them as they should be, and I often fear I will ;leave down some gaps, but I feel and know that we have the prayers of a Christian father and husband offered up in our behalf and that consoles and encourages me to try to do my duty. Pray often for me, my dear husband that I may be kept in the right way. God grant that you may be spared to see the end of this horrible war and return in peace and safety once more. I can hardly tell why but when I begin to write you I feel more crying than writing. I have no language that can express my feeling when I look at our sweet little girl and think she is the only daughter we have and you can't be permitted to stay with her and would not know her if you were to see her.

   She often calls you and says "Come home Pa to this home" but she has but little knowledge of what "Pa" means. She hears the other children talk about you so much, when I ask her who she loves she will say "I love my papa, and he has gone to war to kill the Yankees." She has always been one of the sweetest things you ever saw. She is the very picture of health, eyes black and cheeks rosy, round face, high forehead, and favors Eph when he was a baby. The other children all think they would know you but I don't think Parks and Jewitt would. They are both going to school and Parks knows the alphabet. He is anxious to go to school. Mrs. Wade thinks he will learn and I let him go until Tom and Eph start again. Jewitt has been through his book once and is nearly through again. He and El, Sarah Collard and Ed Neff are in a class together. All try to beat and all doing fine. Jewitt stands head about half the time. It would amuse you to see him when he comes home at night. If he is at the head of his class he comes in smiling and his eyes fairly sparkle. He makes a bow to me every evening. Mrs. Wade has promised the class that when they get through the book this time, all who have good lessons may go in the first reader and they are doing their best. Tom and Eph can't go any more until the crop is laid by.

   They have it run around and are about half through hoeing it. When they get through it will be in fine shape. Tom says I must tell you he has the best corn in the country and he has done it all himself, only had help to plant it. He plowed in 2 acres of grass and he and Eph planted it in cane by themselves. Their crop all looks well considering children did it. They are both good boys to work and steady.

   You must send them all some little present the first chance you have. Money or anything it suits you to send, as they would prize very highly anything sent by you.

   Billy Grant is very proud of his six shooter and got it in good time, just before he had to go out on scout duty. I learned that the Brigade he belongs to were sent in pursuit of a company of some 35 or 40 men who passed through last week somewhere below Gatesville, supposed to be deserters. -------There were some 14 or 15 men passed down toward Belton who said they were going there to join a company. Guess they belonged to the same clan. I think we have enough men to take them. Col. ---(?) sent out all the men he had at that time and I don't know how many more went.

   May 2nd -- Mrs. Dean and Mrs. Howard came yesterday evening and I stopped writing. Their families were well. Sister Shook stayed with me last night. Her health is bad. She is going to the Springs down on the Colorado in a few days. I was quite unwell week before last and part of last week with cold and slight touch of liver complaint. I have not been bothered with that for some time, two or three years. I kept up but was not able to do anything. I took some liver pills and put some mustard to my side which helped considerably. I am now able to eat all I can get, or as much as I ought to eat.

   We heard the smallpox was in Waco and a great many of us were vaccinated, myself and children except Bettie, she was vaccinated last spring. Tom's did not take and I was glad of it. He is my main dependence. He and Eph haul my wood. Some say the matter used was impure, but ours are all nearly well. It never hurt any of us except Billy Grant. I think he took cold in his arm as he was camping out thin and to make matters worse his horse's back was sore and he had to let him rest. One of the men in his company proposed to loan him a horse if he would break him, and told him he had no idea the horse would do anything. He got on him without making any preparations for the horse to pitch. He had not much more than gotten on him when he was laid flat on the ground, a little harder than he chose to be, but was not hurt much. That did not satisfy him and he tried the second time, with the same luck. In falling the last time his sore arm and shoulder struck the ground. His shoulder and chest pained him very much for several days, but he was about well when he left home.

   I prevailed on him at last to let the horse alone. He has done no work for a month or six weeks, he stayed at home 20 days out of 40. He takes Josh Roberson's place, as he wanted to pay for his horse, he gets on hundred dollars a month with everything furnished. He has paid one hundred dollars on the horse. He is anxious to go back with Mr. Oglesby, but that is such a risk I don't think it prudent to let him go. He is lots of company and help to me when at home.

   I sold my horse. He was getting old and every time he got loose he would go back to the Cow House where he was raised. I hated to part with him, he suited the children so well. I bought another for the same money--three hundred dollars -- from Mr. Darson. He runs close around and will suit me better when I get him broke. I will not let the children ride him until he get perfectly gentle, so you need not be uneasy.

   I have my loom done, have woven 48 yards of cloth on it. I like it fine. The batten works on rockers which makes it much lighter on me. I could get all the waving I could do, but won't weave but very little. I have my loom in the house, I turned one bed around so you see I have a house full. The loom is quite small and takes but little room.

   My garden looks very well, have cabbage plants set and can get a mess of peas in a few days. I can have turnip greens and hogs jaw as often as I want it, so I guess I won't starve as long as that lasts. I have plenty of bacon to do me and more corn and meat, which cost me ninety dollars. I was fearful there would be no corn raised. My wheat was an entire failure. I have very good prospect for wheat another year. I have one big hog up and will keep him up all summer. I have a sow and four beautiful shoats that Billy Grant got from Josh Roberson, some of your old stock of hogs. I think the big hog and three of the shoats will make my meat. You need not be uneasy about us suffering. I would like so much to send you some underwear but have no chance to do so. I know you will not suffer for clothes while you are near your family. If I could hear from you every week I would rather you were there, unless you could stay in the state. I was sorry to hear you have reinlisted, but I was in hopes when your time was out you could stay in the state, but it may be all for the best. The children would ask me almost every week how much longer it would be until your time was out and we would count the months, weeks, days and almost the hours, but alas, I know not how to count now. Some think it will be ten years yet. If so, I have no desire to live to see the end. I can hardly think it will last that long. It almost breaks my heart to think of it lasting one year. I would give anything I have to be on that side of the River while you stay there, if you could only come home occasionally. They are now old enough to remember you and were you to die, some of them would never know the worth of a father. I sometimes think if you were to come home I could never bear to part with you again.

   This is certainly the most trying time since the creation of the world. I could shed millions of tears if it would do any good. When will this miserable war ever end? I often while away the time thinking of the happy hours we have spent together and try to promise myself happiness will again be my lot. What peaceful hours we once enjoyed, how sweet their memory. Still religion and the many blessed promises which the Bible contains is a source of comfort to me. But for that I could never be cheerful and happy, but now I will try to submit to my fate and pray that God will spare us all to meet again on earth, but if not on earth, Oh let us meet in heaven.

   When you get this I want you to sit down and write me a long letter and tell me how you are getting along religiously, as it helps me to hear you talk on that subject. How does it make you feel when called to the battlefield, and your feelings while engaged in battle, if you all still have prayers in camp at night and everything you can think of that would interest me.

   I heard from Harbert a few weeks ago, they have been in two or three battles and Harbert's horse was shot from under him, he was not hurt then. I have not heard from him since the last battle. No one from Station Creek was hurt in the first one. Kate had a letter from Mr. Bailey a few days ago. Lavinia (?) died on the 11th of January, after an illness of months. She had rheumatism and consumption. She died a very triumphanl death, talked to them all and told the little girls how to live and conduct themselves.

   Well it is night and all asleep except little Lucy (Bettie) and myself and I am writing at the table where you so often sat to write to your parents. I'm just scratching along, don't know whether you can read it or not. If you can you are a good scholar.

   I went with Mrs. Roberson to Mrs. Collard's this evening to warp some cloth. They had late papers stating......This helped my feeling considerably and I am in better spirits than I have been for a long time, but I don't know how long my good feelings will last. I will live in hope if I die in despair. If I could only hear good news from you I would feel fine. I hope I will hear from you soon.

   We had preaching at the church on fast day. The 8th of April Brother McClain preached a good sermon. It did me more good than anything I have heard in a long time. His text was "Redeeming the time because the days are evil." He is doing all he can for the "war widows." Esq. Karness came near dying this spring. I think he made his will. Mr. Lee was very sick but is about well again. There are some things in this letter that I have written before, but you don't get them all. I do hope you get this. I have sent one by hand since I sent the one by E.R. Collard and a number by mail. I have tried to keep you posted ever since you were exchanged, but you get so few letters that I hardly have the heart to write them.

Your affectionate wife,
Mrs. O. F. Davenport

In 1892 the Davenports, Harrisons and other related families moved to Eastland. Overton lived in Eastland only a short time, then moved to Ranger where he lived until his death, June 22, 1909. Eliza died in San Antonio Dec. 20, 1924. Both are buried in the Pioneer Cemetery, Ranger, Texas.

Ephriam Pennington Davenport and brother Thomas H. married Laura Virginia Roberts, his half-brother, William Grant married Mary J. Shook, his uncle John A. and John's son Overton Vol married Sarah Ellen Backstock moved to Pearl in 1875. E. P. my grandfather, married Inez Estelle Whitney Nov. 6, 1861 in Stephenville and lived in Pearl. The two children born at this time were not born in Pearl. A daughter, Winnie (1882) was born in Stephenville and Overton Royal (1886) was born at Ealgle Springs. Ephriam and his cousin, Overton Vol, were operating a store in Pearl when it was called Wayback. He became postmaster March 28, 1890 and was instrumental in changing the town's name to Pearl. Vol's son, William Pearl, eight years old had been bitten by a rattlesnake, survived the bite and lived until Dec. 27, 1951.

In 1892 the cousins sold the store and move to Eastland. The two sons born in Eastland were Ernest Vernon (1892) and Travis Ephraim (1894). E. P. was a merchant and banker during this time. The family moved to San Antonio about 1915 where E. P. continued in banking. E.P. died July 25, 1935 and Inez died Oct. 4, 1950. Both are buried at Mission Burial Park, San Antonio.

Travis E. served in the A. E. F. in France during W.W.I and worked in San Antonio after for the Southern Pacific Railroad. He married Eleanor Anne Lucas Sept. 5, 1925. In 1931, Travis, Eleanor and children Travis Jr. (8/24/26) and Doris Anne (8/1/28) moved to Houston where they reside presently.

I know of no Davenport living in Coryell County except me, Doris Anne Davenport Thompson. I transferred here in 1981 from Huntsville, where I work for the Department of Corrections. My husband, Robert Bruce Thompson, Jr., died May 21, 1979. Our sons, Robert BruceThompson III, (11/24/60) and Travis William Thompson (11/26/62) presently live in San Antonio and Denton, respectively.

"Overton Davenport after the war. O.F. served for a time as Station Creek postmaster before being elected to a full term as Coryell County, commissioner. (Four commissioners and county judges make up commissioner courts in Texas.) He was then elected to represent Coryell County in the 13th Texas Legislature (1873) which repealed most of the carpet bag laws imposed upon the residents.

He continued farming and he and wife Eliza Agnes Pennington continued having children. Overton and first wife had one surviving child: William Gran. Overton and Eliza had 11 surviving children, including one named Albert Sydney, who became a district Judge in Eastland County. Overton accompanied by his family as well as those of brothers John Andrew and Jouett Harbert (a major in Co. D, 30th Texas Cavalry during the war) moved to Eastland County. For a brief period Overton engaged in a mercantile business and aided brother Jouett in starting the county's first newspaper while beginning, again, a farming operation. He engaged in some land speculation in the town of Eastland and later in Ranger. Overton died June 22, 1909 at age 89. He and wife are buried in Pioneer Cemetery three blocks from downtown Ranger, Texas.

Overton had 6 brothers. All entered CSA service. Three were killed or died, the other four were wounded."