William Shakespeare Hitch

  Notes:

In the notes of Harold Donovan Hitch, it states the following with regard to Will S. Hitch:

"In 1877, he was in the Indian Territory of Oklahoma where he had gone to claim a stake before it was a state. I have one letter we wrote to his mother:

Edmund, Indian Territory May 26, 1887

My Dear Mother:

I received your welcome letter last Tuesday, you can hardly guess the happiness it gave me, it seemed as though I never was going to get any letters from home. I got one from Kate the same day. I had only a short letter from Harry and Tom before those. I received another from each of them yesterday. I went last Wednesday and Thursday to the train to meet Tom. I thought he would be sure to come, I know you will hate to see him leave but the climate will help him. I wrote to Harry this morning and told him all about my filing. I won't any trouble about my land now. It will be mine if I live years, I think. Tell the biys I went to water the horses a while ago and saw a big turkey. I came back and got my gun (and) went to see if I could kill him if it was Sunday but I could not get close enough to shoot at him before he flew across the creek. As I came back down the creek, I saw a bouncing big coon and I killed him. It was about twice as big as the one we caught the time we went over the river when Hugh was along. There are plenty of coons here. Well, you wanted to know how we cooked. We have what we call a dutch oven to bake our bread, then we have a skillet, tea kettle and coffee pot. This is the outfit. We make a fire on the ground then set things around it. Louis does the cooking, I tend the horses and do the plowing. I haven't cooked much, only while Louis was off filing, that was only two days and nights I was all alone. Lee is working down at Oklahoma City, has been there for over two weeks. I don't know when he will be home. Yes, we sleep on the ground but we have some hay under us. It went pretty hard with me for awhile but I have got so I don't mind it now. I think we slept this morning till nine o'clock. The nights are always cool, we have three covers over us. Our house leaks some, we had an awful hard rain last Friday night. Got most everything wet. Louis was all alone, I had gone to Guthrie to file. Yes, we have found Nelse. I came across him in Guthrie. Get Crosier to tell you how it was that we met. We haven't come across anyone else that we ever knew. Is any of Abbott's folks here that you know of? Louis has gone to Sunday School over on Bluff Creek and it will fall on me to get supper. Well supper is over, we had coffee, meat and bread and rolled oats for dessert. The rolled oats is a fine dish and cheap too. Louis said the Sunday School didn't pan out very well, there wasn't but five of them there. There are a few women and children here yet, they think they will have a larger attendance next Sunday. Most of the men had gone deer hunting today. We have but two close neighbors. They are both very fine men and they think a good deal of us. They will do anything for us they can. They will bring their families out this fall. Their names are Jinks. They are from Kansas. Most everyone has filed on their land and will be away until fall when we will have plenty of neighbors. We want Nelse to settle here and I expect that he will. Nelse has a very clever wife. She wants Nelse to come here. I have stayed all night with them several times. You must get Crosier to tell you about the country. He can tell it to you better than I can write it to you. Ma, I will try to be a better man. I don't know why I can't be like my brothers and sisters. I reckon it is because I haven't (tried?) as hard. I believe God will change me when he sees fit. I believe God has the power to do all things. Tell all my brothers and sisters to write me. Tell Ruby I can almost hear her sing now. The last song I heard he sing that was at Foster's. I will never forget it. Give my love to all inquiring friends. Tell Kate I will write to her soon. I wrote to her just a few days before I got her letter. It is bedtime and I must close. Write as soon as convenient. I love to hear from home. I am not homesick. This is my home now.

Your loving but disobediant boy, Will

He was a First Lieutenant, Company H, First Regiment in the Oklahoma National Guard. Honorable discharge January 13, 1893. He was a Private, Company I, First Regiment of Indian Territory in the Spanish American War. Honorable discharge February 13, 1899."

In the Federal Census of 1880, W.S. Hitch is listed in a household in Ottawa County, Kansas as follows: - W.S. Hitch, age 29, born in KY - Katie Hitch, age 33, born in KY - Aggie Hitch, age 5, born in KY - Walter Hitch, age 3, born in KY - Mabell Hitch, age 1, born in KY.

In the Federal Census of 1920, Will S. Hitch is listed in a household in Pendleton County, Kentucky as follows: - Will S. Hitch, age 69, born in KY - Fannie Hitch, age 53, born in KY.

In a file of Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards (Index) 1907-1933 in the National Archives, it states that William S. Hitch died on October 23, 1927 with widow Fannie Hitch living at 19th West 30th Street, Covington, Kentucky. He was a Corporal in Company I, 1st Terr. Regiment, U.S. Volunteer Infantry. (Cert. No. 1190218)

  Notes:

Tombstone states he was in Company I, 1 Ter. U.S. Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish American War.

William married Catherine Brown (Katie) Crosier, daughter of David Crosier and Mary Margaret Chrisman, on 06 Mar 1872.¹ (Catherine Brown (Katie) Crosier was born on 18 Feb 1845 in Nicholsonville, Jessamine Co., KY ^{10 11 12} and died in 1901-1919.)

William next married Francis (Fannie) Coleman. (Francis (Fannie) Coleman was born in 1867 in KY ¹³ and died after 23 Oct 1927.)