Family Papers Including Hair Genealogy – “My Children’s Hair” (1808-1833) And Correspondence Between A Mother And Her Sons As They Explored The Northwest Territories (1856-1859) For The James Rogers’ Family, New Castle Delaware, New Castle, Delaware, Chief Justice Of The Court Of Common Pleas, Attorney General And Secretary Of State Of Delaware. -

James Rogers (1789-1870) married Maria Booth in 1807. Materials include:a. Genealogy and snippets of each of the children’s hair. Two pages attached at top. The first has an affixed 2 ¾” x 2 ½” embossed envelope that reads “My Children’s Hair” on a 4 ½” x 7” sheet with thirteen (13) snippets of hair sewn to the page. Each is captioned with a child’s name and date of birth. The reverse lists specific genealogical information including birth and marriage information about the parents and the specific day and time of birth for each child. This list ends after 1827. The children were born between 1808 and 1831.b. A scrap album page with hair with plaited hair held in place with gold hearts from the parents James and Marie while they were courting in 1804. Also includes a snippet from a newspaper announcing their wedding. Additionally there is the top of this page, which has separated from the hair that has a woven paper wreath with a hand-penned verse” Accept my dear flower which time cannot fade …emblem of my love for you”. Dated 1806.c. A letter with transcription from Maria to son Robert, an attorney in San Francisco in 1856 containing family news and reference to an unfortunate incident that had occurred in San Francisco in the recent past.d. A letter with transcription to Maria from son Julian, while serving as clerk to Major Franklin E. Hunt; Camp Floyd’s First Army Paymaster, August 12, 1857, Fort Kearny N.T. Discussing the trials and tribulations of traversing geography to reach the soldiers and give them their pay describing the frontier prairies destitute of all kinds of game and seeing where a herd of buffalo had been killed. A report on Southern Californians complaining of the overabundance of buffalos trying to get to their cattle. He continues by describing Fort Kearny and its surrounding landscape. He then asks after family members and concludes with a postscript “The Cheyenne Indians run off with 840 beef cattle a few days ago, belonging to the contractor and intended for the Utah Expedition. They killed one of the herdsman and wounded another. They are more the boldest Indians of the plains and it is a pity Col. Sumner did not meet them. This occurred only thirty miles from the fort.”e. The final item is a letter with transcription from Maria to son Julian from Boothhurst, New Castle, Delaware on September 17 through 18, 1857. Laments her concern for the safety of Julian as the papers are discussing those “horrid Mormons and are raising troops to occupy narrow passes in the road and how Brigham Young laughs at the idea of government send in troops to Utah as late in the season, when in all probability could weather will catch them before they cross the mountains”. Then discusses the passing of an aunt. This is followed by father (James) going to town to get letters from a steamer that is not insight. James returns without the letters. Additional news from the following day James returns from town with no letters and melancholy news of the loss of the Steamer.