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Swift & Townsend connection...
There is a living witness for John Swift...
"Uncle Bill" Townsend, when telling this story was past 80 years old, he lived at Sinking Creek near Zachariah. Thats about 20 miles from the mouth of Swift Camp Creek by the best going a good days journey on horseback. Uncle Bill, knew Swift quite well as a boy of todays may know of his grandfather's friend. Uncle Bill declares that his grandfather "Dooley" Townsend found and saved Swift and his party when they where lost in the cliff country at the end of Swift's hopeless expedition, just after going blind.
Uncle Bill's grandfather Dooley Townsend was a trapper, and he set his traps on the water courses of the Red River in that country still unfavored of men, where Swift Camp Creek does its prettiest. It is the recollection of Uncle Bill that Swift died in Lexington (Fort Lexington at the time), but on that point he is unsure. He is sure, however that his grand father Dooley Townsend was with Swift when he died, and nursed him through his illness, and that Swift in gratitude gave Dooley his journal of his travels, and the location of the mine of great wealth. Uncle Bill recalls having seen the journal himself and knows that it was with his grandfather's effects when he died. He also says that when his grandfather's papers went into possesion of his parents that Swift's journal and intended legacy were missing. The family always suspected the lawyer who settled the affairs of the family of having stolen the invaluable document. Uncle Bill Townsend is apparently a simple and truthful man, he bears that reputation from his friends....
Its cool to have a family connection to Swift like this, both men mentioned in this story are real persons of past family members, I was very happy to find this .... I'll post more with time...
There is a living witness for John Swift...
"Uncle Bill" Townsend, when telling this story was past 80 years old, he lived at Sinking Creek near Zachariah. Thats about 20 miles from the mouth of Swift Camp Creek by the best going a good days journey on horseback. Uncle Bill, knew Swift quite well as a boy of todays may know of his grandfather's friend. Uncle Bill declares that his grandfather "Dooley" Townsend found and saved Swift and his party when they where lost in the cliff country at the end of Swift's hopeless expedition, just after going blind.
Uncle Bill's grandfather Dooley Townsend was a trapper, and he set his traps on the water courses of the Red River in that country still unfavored of men, where Swift Camp Creek does its prettiest. It is the recollection of Uncle Bill that Swift died in Lexington (Fort Lexington at the time), but on that point he is unsure. He is sure, however that his grand father Dooley Townsend was with Swift when he died, and nursed him through his illness, and that Swift in gratitude gave Dooley his journal of his travels, and the location of the mine of great wealth. Uncle Bill recalls having seen the journal himself and knows that it was with his grandfather's effects when he died. He also says that when his grandfather's papers went into possesion of his parents that Swift's journal and intended legacy were missing. The family always suspected the lawyer who settled the affairs of the family of having stolen the invaluable document. Uncle Bill Townsend is apparently a simple and truthful man, he bears that reputation from his friends....
Its cool to have a family connection to Swift like this, both men mentioned in this story are real persons of past family members, I was very happy to find this .... I'll post more with time...