JANUARY 1996 NEWSLETTER
Report By Trudy SCHENK on Brill Research:
"Dear Jerry and Mower Family: A few weeks have passed by and I have been patiently waiting for answers to letters I have written to parishes in Germany, trying to come to a conclusion on the origin of the Brill family.
I have concluded that the area around Eschwege in the district of Hesse-Kassel is most likely where the Brills / Briehls came from. There are no microfilmed church records at the Family History Library for this part of Germany. So I can't conduct any research from here.
A friend of mine happened to be in Eschwege three weeks ago. I faxed her the Brill information known through Pennsylvania records at this point. She came up with the following information:
Many Brills are in the Eschwege church records. The given name Martin Christoph, Georg Henrich and Hermann are being used much in the first half of the 18th century. The Lutheran church in Eschwege has a selection of filmed church records of fiche from many villages around and anyone is welcome to search there.
Before I knew my friend was going to Eschwege, I sent a letter with 50 German Marks to a nearby pastor asking him to copy all Brill entries between 1700-1750. The letter was sent off on 24 Oct. 1995. So far, I have not received an answer.
With the information received from my friend, I now know that the parish records of the town I wrote to are most likely also filmed in Eschwege. The result of all this is, that a search on-site is necessary, where it will be wise to extract all the Brill entries from as many surrounding villages as possible.
I'm enclosing a page from the original Church records of Eschwege. At this point I am planning to be in Germany in May of 1996. At that time I will also search in the archive at Neuenstein in Wuerttemberg. The archivist has already given me permission to do so. The check of $1000 I received a few days ago is already at the bank for research in Germany next May/. It is very expensive right now to travel anywhere in Europe. Thank you for your check. Have a very happy and blessed holiday season.
Sincerely yours, Trudy Schenk. Henry Mower immigration continued.... from the journal of Silas Richards
August 27--- Morning fair and cool, day pleasant. Traveled 13 miles and encamped on the river bank. Feed not good.
August 28--- Morning fair and cool, evening cloudy and cool. Traveled 16 miles and encamped about 1 mile from the river. Drove the cattle to the river for water and guarded them near it through the night where there was good grass.
August 29--- Morning cloudy and cool, with mist and rain. Evening very cool and fair. Encamped near Scotts Bluffs, having traveled 16 miles. Grass good near the river.
August 30--- Morning fair, heavy with frost, ice 1/2 inch thick in vessels. Feed scarce today along the road. Traveled 14 1/2 miles. Camped near the river. Good feed.
August 31--- Morning fair and cool. Some ice, good grass along the road. Stopped for noon at a creek 8 miles. Traveled about 5 miles. Crossed the Platte River and encamped on the south side near the grave of Chas. Bishop of Washington City.
September 1--- Morning fair, some frost. Traveled about 5 miles. Came to a large village of Cheyenne. Indians lately located here, several traders with them. The Indians flocked around us in great numbers. We passed on about 6 miles and encamped, the Indians following in great numbers. The chief, Bony Frenchman, presented a recommend from Major Sanderson and others soliciting presents as usual. The request and a note was sent to the traders that they bring an interpreter the next day if they wanted any business transactions with us. They left our camp about dark. I would not admit them inside our corral.
September 2--- Sunday morning clear. This place being the first timber where we could burn coal, we improved the opportunity, and set a great number of wagon tires. The Indians crowded our camp and Mr. Reynolds came as interpretor. I called a council inside the corral, placing a guard at the entrance. We had a talk, a smoke, and gave them a variety of presents, consisting of flour, meal, tobacco, sugar, coffee, lead, matches, handkerchiefs, calico, clothing, etc. They were a band of Sioux, with their chief, Whirl Wind, and a band of Cheyenne, with their chief, Bony Frenchman. This bonus was demanded for the privilege of traveling through their country.
September 3--- Morning clear. Lay in camp today for the purpose of setting tires, repairing etc. In the evening Bro. Benson's company came up with us, all well. They intended stopping a day or two to set tires, etc. Feed scarce. 2 of our oxen died here.
September 4--- Bro. Smith's company came up about 8 o'clock, just as we were starting, all well. About 9 o'clock, we met a large train of traders with horses, mule and ox teams, together with a vast number of Indians, hauling their lodge poles and other effects with horses, dogs, etc. They were going to Scotts Bluff. We crossed Laramie Fork near the mouth. It was deep and rapid. We encamped on the Platte, having traveled 14 miles, very little feed.
September 5--- Morning fair, north wind. Traveled 11 miles and encamped on an island near the fork of the road. Found a little feed by driving our cattle over the river.
September 6--- Morning fair and pleasant. Took the right hand, or river road which was hilly and rocky for several miles. Turned off the road 1/2 mile where water, timber and pretty good feed.
September 7--- Traveled about 6 miles and turned off the road to the river by noon. Here we found plenty of timber and good feed on the opposite side of the river. Here we held a council and determined to stop a day or two, burn coal for ourselves and Bro's Smith and Benson Companies, set tires etc. 13 men were detailed from the several tens, under the direction of Col. Rockwood, the Marshall, to chop the wood and burn the coal. The blacksmith went to work with some coal we had brought along. Our cattle fairing finely on the excellent pasturage near by. Feed had been very scarce for several days.
September 8--- Morning fair and pleasant. Today all hands were busy repairing wagons, hunting, washing, etc. About noon Captain Jones and Everett came up, a little in advance of Bro. Smith's Company, which soon arrived and stopped for noon, but declined doing any smithing here, as they intended to go to Deer Creek where they could get stone coal. They reported Bro. Benson's Company seven or eight miles behind. Bro. Smith was in good health and spirits, advised us not to divide our company yet on account of feed, as A. W. Babbitt had advised. Thought there was as much danger of Indians now as there was 2 years ago. The opinion of the member of Congress to the contrary, notwithstanding, and if we found it necessary to divide, then only into 2 divisions. Bro. Smith's company drove on about 3 miles to a spring and encamped. 1 Oxen and 1 cow died here.
September 9--- Morning fair and pleasant. Our work being done, our cattle rested, we started on in good health and spirits. As we passed Bro. Smith's camp we were informed that a man, a weak man, was lost the night before, he having rambled off from camp, and many were engaged in hunting him. Bro. Smith requested me to go ahead of our company and examine for the old man's tracks, which I did. About 11 o'clock I discovered the man on foot about 1/2 mile from the road. I took him and took him to our wagons and immediately dispatched a messenger, Mr. Stickney, on horseback to Bro. Smith's camp to let them know that the old man was found, that they might cease hunting and travel on. After giving the old man some refreshment, we left Mr. Bell with him to remain till the company came up. They waited till 4 o'clock and the back company not being in sight they started on to make their way to us on foot. It became dark before they discovered our camp fires. Mr. Bell left the old man at the road and ascended a hill to see if he could discover our fires. When he returned to the road his man was gone and Bell could not find him. After searching for some time, the night being dark and windy, he made his way to our camp and reported. When Bro's Samuel G. Clark and Phillip Garner went in search, and after diligent hunting for some time found the old man about 3 miles back, some distance from the road, and took him into camp. The next morning I requested Col. Rockwood to take him back to the train, instructing him not to give the old man more rope than a length of a lariat till he delivered him up, which he did, about 5 miles back, and returned to camp at night after we had stopped.
September 10--- Morning cloudy and warm, an appearance or fain. Traveled about 3 miles, left the traveled road and crossed the river, to the north side, taking the trail made by the Pioneers 2 years ago, as they returned from the valley. The river being fordable, we kept on the north side, of the river for 60 miles, finding better feed and when a bluff came to the river on the side we were on we dug the banks down and crossing over, always finding bottom land on the other side. Thus we made comparatively a new road for 60 miles which the after companies continued to travel ever after when the river was fordable, avoiding the rocky black ridges on the south side. Camped this evening early, near the river, rained a little after we stopped. Game very plenty, several antelope and one buffalo killed today.
September 11--- Morning cloudy and very cool. Road very rough today. Saw many antelope and killed several. Only traveled about 10 miles, in consequence of the rough roads and the breaking of 2 axle-trees. New ones were soon put in. Encamped on the river bank. Evening clear and cool. North wind.
September 12--- Bro. Benson's company within 3 miles of us. Bro. Smith's company came up with us this morning and traveled with us today. Crossed the river about 10 o'clock, to avoid crossing twice, traveled 10 miles encamped near the river, good feed, a bank of stone coal of excellent quality was found. Bro. Smith's company continued here a day to do smithing.
September 13--- Fair and warm, late start, traveled slow, having to work road. Camped on Bourse Creek about 2 miles above its mouth, only making 8 or 9 miles. Feed scarce.
September 14--- Traveled about 16 miles and encamped on the bank of the river. Feed short but green and fresh.
Commentary by JM: My hopes are between now and May are to send Trudy several thousand dollars to finance on-site research in Germany in the Eschwege records. It appears to her, that this is a likely area of Brill immigration. One never knows until research is done in that area. We have no other records to search in Salt Lake at the FHL. The Eschwege records are not in Salt Lake.