The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike, Volume 1 (of 3): To Headwaters of the Mississippi River Through Louisiana Territory, and in New Spain, During the Years 1805-6-7.Pike, Zebulon Montgomery
History
The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike, Volume 1 (of 3): To Headwaters of the Mississippi River Through Louisiana Territory, and in New Spain, During the Years 1805-6-7.
Pike, Zebulon Montgomery
Mississippi River -- Description and travel; New Mexico -- Description and travel; Pike, Zebulon Montgomery, 1779-1813 -- Travel -- West (U.S.); West (U.S.) -- Description and travel; West (U.S.) -- Discovery and exploration; West (U.S.) -- History -- To 1848
I have your letter of May 21st. My uncle, Symmes Harrison,
married the daughter of General Pike and left several
children; but I do not think I know of but one who
survives--William Henry Harrison, who lives in the
neighborhood of the old Pike homestead on the Ohio River,
about two and a half miles below my grandfather's old home
at North Bend.... I cannot give you the names of General
Pike's children; I was too young to have any knowledge of
them. Possibly my eldest sister, Mrs. Bettie H. Eaton, who
is now residing at El Paso, Texas, may be able to give you
some information about the Pike family.
Very truly yours,
[Signed] BENJAMIN HARRISON.
Mrs. Bettie Harrison Eaton was kind enough to reply to my further
inquiries, in a letter dated El Paso, Tex., July 2d, 1894, from which
I quote in substance:
My cousin's, William Henry Harrison's, mother was a
daughter of General Pike, whose maiden name was Clarissa
Harlowe Pike. She was married to my uncle, John Cleves
Symmes Harrison, but in what year I do not know. Indeed, I
know very little about the Pike family, as I always
understood that my aunt was General Pike's only child; if
he had others I never heard of them. I remember her very
slightly, as I was quite a little girl when she died. Her
mother, Mrs. General Pike, of whom I have a better memory,
was a tall, dignified, rather austere looking woman, who
always dressed in deep black, wearing always a large black
Canton crape shawl and a black crape turban on her head,
which to my childish eyes gave her a somewhat awe-inspiring
appearance. She was a highly educated and accomplished
woman, and a fine French scholar. She kept for many years a
diary, which was written in French. My cousin, to whom I
refer you, lives on the old Pike homestead, and could
probably give you the dates you wish, as he no doubt has
the family Bible, and the old graveyard where the family
are buried is on the place.
On applying to William Henry Harrison of North Bend, O., I received a
brief note dated Sept. 10th, 1894, in which the following information
is given: "My house burned some years ago, when all General Pike's
private papers were lost. He had but one child, my mother Clara. His
wife's maiden name was Clara Brown; she was the daughter of Captain
John Brown of Revolutionary fame."
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