Records compiled by Gilbert Cope mention neither the marriage of Sarah Chandler to Samuel Hess, nor their children. However, letters written between 1855 and 1858 refer to five children who I now believe to have been the result of a previous marriage of Samuel. Mary Eleanor (Ellen,) Sarah Jane, Joseph, Cyrus, and Roseanne are mentioned in an August 1855 letter. The August 27, 1856 letter mentions not only the boys but also Rose and Mary. Other letters refer to “the boys” and “the children.” When Samuel writes on March 20, 1858 to inform the family of Sarah’s death, he notes that Joseph collected a final letter from Chillicothe on the evening after Sarah’s passing.
It is curious that “the boys” are usually mentioned in conjunction with such tasks as gathering and hauling wood, and planting and harvesting crops. For several years I believed that the term “the boys” was being applied to Mike, one of their horses, and his team mate. Mike is mentioned in the July 4, 1856 letter recording their move to Decatur, and is mentioned later in at least two letters - one some eight years after the 1856 move to Decatur. Mike appears to have been a favorite of the family.
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