The following story was submitted by Jack Hendrick from Palno, Texas on February 28, 2002.

Excerpts from "GENEALOGY OF THE HENDRICK FAMILY OF TEXAS"

My great-grandfather was William Hendrick, born ca. 1807, of Scotch-Irish descent. The date of his marriage is uncertain, but probably ca. 1833-34. His death is believed to have occurred ca. 1853. His and his wife's burial site is on the old family farm in the country, near Thompson Creek, and the site of these graves is now unknown, no headstones ever having been employed. No one now living claims to know even approximately the location of the Graves. Whether anyone else was buried nearby is also unknown. They were once enclosed by a fence, but the same has long since fallen down, been destroyed, and removed.

The old homestead has passed out of possession of any heirs. The original and the second house have both been demolished, although the second can be identified by the presence of an old dug well. I remember seeing the original, while it was still standing in 1937, and the second while being torn down in 1962. Both were built with hand-hewn timber of large dimensions, square wrought-iron nails, over-size bricks, etc. In all probability, the second was built by the oldest son, Thomas, and served in the rearing of a large family. All the acreage is now covered with pine trees as the place belongs to a lumber company which is cultivating them for use as pulpwood.

William was married to Martha Ann Watson, who had a brother named Michael, about 12 years older than she. The 1850 census lists all these people by name, giving their ages, and state of birth. William was born in S. C., but Michael and Ann were born in N. C. The Hendrick farm and homestead was probably located just within S. C., and the nearby village general store, church, school, etc., was located at Long Pine. Whether Long Pine was in N. C. or in S. C., I do not know (located in NC ajh), as it is not shown on any present day general use maps however, my grandfather always referred to it as being in N.C. The nearest town of any consequence was surely Mt. Croghan, S. C. These places still exist, although Long Pine now has only an old frame Methodist Church and a well-kept rural cemetery. Farm roads which give access in this present day to these sites bear no markers to denote the location of the state line.

Of the five sons, brothers, of whom we know, four fought in the Civil War and all survived except "Jack." Grandfather James W. was too young to serve, but remained at home and helped care for his mother. In all probability his two sisters had married by this time and had established their own households elsewhere. He was not yet 15 when the war was over. His brother, Hardy, less than 18 when the war was over, did serve, although probably for only a short time. "Jack" was only 21 when he was killed.

Grandfather often told me of the passing through of General Sherman and his army on their famous, or infamous, march from Savannah, Georgia, to Fayetteville and Goldsboro, N. C., and of the hardships which ensued. Knowing in advance that the Union Army was coming and that the Confederate Army was proving unable to halt its advance ,he hid dry corn in the ground under an old brush-pile, where it remained safe, and on which they subsisted exclusively for 17 days. All the local inhabitants had tried to consume as much of their food as possible before the arrival of the Union troops, and to secrete the rest but little of it remained undetected. The Union soldiers utterly ransacked the house, and killed or captured every living thing good for food, and took off the horses.

One story which he never tired of telling me concerned the loss of his pocket knife, a Barlow, to a Union soldier who confiscated it. He complained to a bystander, evidently an officer of considerable rank, about this, and the officer made the soldier give it back to him, with some comment about their obvious ability to win the war without a boy's pocket knife. Shortly after, another soldier said to him: "Sonny, do you know who that officer was who made the man give you back your knife?" Grandfather replied: "no, I don't." "Well, Sonny," the man said, "That was General Sherman himself."

History books show that Sherman crossed the state line from S. C. into N. C. on Monday, March 6, 1865. This was very shortly before the end of the war in April. Much more looting and destruction was done than the General had authorized, and the ravaged inhabitants found themselves utterly deprived of food, clothing, bedding, etc. Most of them had no livestock, even to work their crops.

Grandfather was known as Jim and used the initials, J. W., all his life. He came to Texas in 1869, sailing from Charleston, S. C. to Galveston, Texas. It is not known whether anyone accompanied him to Texas. I have always had the impression that he came alone, as he told me that when the war was over and his brothers came home, he came to feel there was no further need for him, so he left home and caught the boat at Charleston.

He was the only member of his family to migrate west, and he never again saw his mother nor his sisters, however, he did see one or more of his brothers when they attended a Confederate Reunion in Dallas, Texas. I am not the only Texas Hendrick to ever visit the Carolinas, but I am the only one to date to visit Mt. Croghan, Long Pine, the cemeteries, the homestead, the remaining kins-folk, etc. This was done while I was living in Charlotte, N. C. in 1936-1938, and on a trip there in 1962, which I hope to repeat within the next year or two to gain additional information if available.