Ridgely, Tennessee
April 19, 1937

Mr. Jesse W. Calhoun
Kokomo, Indiana

Dear Cousin,

Yours of the 10th Inst. received. Well I am glad that, there is another Calhoun who is interested in family history; I once wrote Chief Justice S. S. Calhoun (of Mississippi) asking for family history.  He wrote me a very interesting letter and closed it with the following characteristic Calhoun statement.  “This is all I know. To be perfectly frank it is a subject about which I care very little, feeling confident that none of my relations near or remote are in either the poor house or jail”.

This is a characteristic Calhoun attitude.  I have spent quite a little time and money trying to collect material for some future Calhoun to arrange methodically and write a book.  I’ll not write it.  Too poor and too old.  However some Calhoun will do it. We come from a heroic race.

You raise the question of the spelling of our name.  Well our original Scotch name (Klan was also named) was Colquhoun.  Read the history, of the Clans of Highland Scotland and you will find that Clan Colquhoun was distinguished for valor and virtue.  When William vanquished James at the Battle of the Boyne, Clan Colquhoun played an important part and were given a large grant of land confiscated from the Catholic Church in Ulater (sic), Ireland.  The name became Irishized (sic) and anglicised (sic) to Calhoun, Calhoon and Cahoon and Cochran (pronounced Caw-horn).  So you see as to spelling you take your choice as our forefathers did.

The Calhouns emigrated from Ireland to America, first to New Jersey, then to Pennsylvania. The clan stuck together in Scotland, Ireland and America. They founded a colony near Wthville (sic), Virginia, some time prior to 1755.  In that year Braddock was defeated by the French and the Indians became so troublesome that the colony broke up and the Calhouns scattered to all the colonies, among them our ancestor, Edom* (?) or (Elam)? Calhoun to North Carolina. I am not sure of the name and have only tradition to guide me. He my great great grandfather was appointed to collect supplies for Boston and was killed by a falling tree during Green’s campaign in Revolution.  His son was John Calhoon (born October 10, 1764) who married Martha Walker (born June 25, 1776) and they had the following sons and two daughters.

Warren Walker 1793-1559, James 1795-1874, Milton 1797-1840 (?), John Newton 1809-1875, Sidney 1812-1837 (?). One daughter married Manuel Roberts and the other Chris Bell and uncle of your grandmother.

Warren Walker Calhoon married Mary (Polly) Gracey, a daughter of Jno. Gracey, a son of Patrick Gracey (emigrant from Ireland 1740).  Patrick born 1700 died 1810 – age 110 years, 3 months and 10 days.  I have his will given me by your grandfather, dated 1789, executed 1810.  W. W. and Mary Calhoon had the following sons and daughters, Milton 1817-1862; Amanda 1819-1876; John 1823-1844; Augustus Newton 1825-1907 (?);  Elire (or? Clire), Martha, Joseph Barnett 1832-1908 (my father), Lucinda 1834-1864, Josephine 1836-1848, Victoria 1838-1840.

I have visited Jno T. Calhoon at Glen Mora, Louisiana, a splendid fellow. He was a son of James Alex. Calhoon, a son of Milton Calhoon the first. Miss Georgia Elvira Calhoon a daughter of John Newton Calhoun, a full cousin of your grandfather is still living at Glen Mora, Louisiana. One of the brainiest of our kinswoman. I see her nearly every year as my son is at Alexandria, Louisiana,

Now as to the West Virginia Calhoons. They or any other Calhoons are not near kin as I can trace every descendant of John and Martha Walker.

If you will visit me, I will give you all my data and help you.  Mrs. Lucille Sanifer wife of President of Hardin-Simmons College of Albaline, Texas is getting up Gracey data. I got her interested and she has moneys, leisure and mental ability to carry on.  She will sooner or later compile quite a Gracey book and wants to include all descendants of Warren Walker and Mary Gracey Calhoon.

I have a conglomeration of letters/file, wills and data that if compiled with some system would be interesting. Write me as I am 3 months older, birthday December 12, 1939.
Your cousin once removed. (Read your Blackstone)

Will N. Calhoun
N. in my name is for Newton, a namesake of your grandfather.