John A. O’Sheal’s Letter
Among the Revolutionary War Pension papers for Jethro O’Sheal is a letter that was written 12 October 1855 by John A. O’Sheal, who was one of the HEIRS of Jethro O’Sheal. John was living in Cass County, Georgia, near his wife’s parents, Henry and Anna Gaines in Adairsville, Georgia, and approximately ten miles from Calhoun, Gordon County, Georgia, which was the location from where the following letter was mailed. This letter proves John A. O’Sheal was a direct descendant of Jethro O’Shields.
SOURCE: Publication: M804; Pension number–S 18144–Jethro O’Shields or O’Sheal
Calhoun, Georgia, October 12, 1855,
L. P. Waldo, Esq.
“Sir, I desire some information in relation to what time Jethro O’Sheal of Spartanburg District, South Carolina drew his last pension or in other words at what time he made his last draw from the pension office. The SAID Jethro O’Sheal was a Revolutionary soldier and died in the year 1846, about the last of end of that year. There was some time before he died that he did not draw at all, therefore there is coming to his HEIRS you will please give me some information concerning the amount that there is coming to SAID O’Sheal from the time he made his last draw up to December 1846, you will much oblige. Yours very truly, John A. O’Sheal”
The line of descent from Jethro OSheal to John A. O’Sheal:
JETHRO OSHEAL had a daughter, ELIZABETH.
ELIZABETH OSHEAL married TYREE HARRISON in Spartanburg, SC.
ELIZABETH OSHEAL and TYREE HARRISON had a daughter, Charlotte.
CHARLOTTE HARRISON married JOHN O’SHEAL and had a son, John A. (Charlotte Harrison and John O’Sheal were cousins.)
Their son, JOHN A. O’SHEAL was the same person who mailed the letter to L.P. Waldo 12 October 1855.
JOHN A. OSHEAL was the great-grandson of JETHRO OSHEAL through JETHRO OSHEAL’S daughter, ELIZABETH OSHEAL who married
TYREE HARRISON.
One researcher reported the name, Sarah or Sara was written into the letter by John A. O’Sheal. My research shows this is not true. I have quoted the entire letter from John A. O’Sheal, and the name–Sara–does not appear. The researcher who reported the name Sara was incorrect with his conclusion. The researcher substituted the word–SAID–for the name, SARA.