The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-11-19
AN EARLY EXPLORER.
A Mystery Cleared Up for iowa His
toriaus.

Sioux City dowal Special to Louisville
Courier-Journal.
parentage Of Sergeant Charles Floyd, Of
Kentucky. whose burial place on tne
eastern border Of Sioux City Is marked
with stately monument erected by the
State Of Iowa and the United States GOV
eminent. has been received by D. a;
Magee. treasurer Of the Floyd Memorial
Association Of this city.
Historians and others interested in the
Lewis and Clark expedition. which, In
1903, under authority of Congress, OK
plored the newly-acquired Louisiana Fur
chase, have always been in doubt in writ
ing Of Sergeant Floyd. member OF the
famous expedition, who died on the Tip
here, as to which family OF FIoyas III
Kentucky he belonged. Mrs. Susan Floy
Gunter of 1927 Brook Street. Louisvllie,
has written a letter to Mr. MaSee IN
which she gives the facts as TO the dis
covery of the papers which esta blishes
the explorers identity. Mrs Gunter also
finds that she 10 a second cousin to Floyd
The evidence found Is a letter which
was written by Nathaniel Floyd. q
brother Of Sergeant Floyd, to their sister
Nancy. in which the news Of Sergeant
Floyd's death Is conveyed to the sister.
Mrs Gunter writes:
'The date of the letter seems to be
torn off, If it were ever there. The dis
covery was a great surprise to me as 1t
was by the merest accident l found the
letter 1t was among some old, old letters
was destroying 1 have searched and
written all over Kentucky to find out for
certain his ancestors. but now j am no
longer in doubt. This letter was given to
my mother by George Rogers whose wife
was Nancy Floyd. the daughter Of
Charles Floyd, Sr. Consequently she was
the sister Of Sergeant Charles My moth
er was the daughter OF Nathaniel Floyd.
- 49, al Or.
Charles was my mothers own cousin"
The letter written by Nathaniel Floyd
was as follows: Dear Nancy-Our dear
Charles died on the voyage Of collie He
was well cared for as Clark was there,
My heart Is too full to say more. (The
part which follows is too indistinct to be
read( will see you soon. Your broth
er, Nat
1t was folded as the letters Of olden
times are folded. no envelopes, but sealed
with red sealing wax.
Mrs. Gunter continues: IT had to paste
some paper on the back OF the letter to
hold It together, as it was falling to
married Sergeant Floyd's sister, was my
mothers most particular friend. Dear
Nancy in the letter is Sergeant Floyd 8
sister. 1t 10 signed by his brother, Nat:
cousin. The letter was among the old
papers of my mother, which had not been
looked into since 1855. l never thought
there was anything Of value In them.
The letter was given to me at the time
she gave me the. certificate Of my grand
father. Nathaniel, who fought In the bat
tie of New Orleans, which ! framed to
preserve II. All Of the family have be-
lieved Sergeant Floyd was the son OF
Charles, but now we know 1t for a fact.
In all of the writings in history there Is
doubt as to Sergeant Floyd's parentage,
| but now 1 am so glad and so well salts
fed to place him just where he belongs
| he'd given UP and discontinued to
search for anything authentic. but now
have found II right here in my old trunk
after many years Of waiting. They say
all thing scome to those who walt !
| have so wished Cousin George was alive.
as h eloved so to talk of the Floyds to
my mother. knowing them so intimately,
| the older set. He has been dead twelve
years, and was 80 when he passed away.
| Sergeant Charles Floyds father lived
abotu fifteen miles from Louisville on a
farm. The negroes carried on the farm
| ing and the men were hunters and were
| of adventurous dispositions"