He was active as a cat, strong as a second Sampson

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Photo above: “He could feel the bark on a tree the darkest night and find his direction.”

Please welcome guest author Greg B. Miller of Chattanooga, TN. “My great grandmother was a Walden of Walden’s Ridge,” he says. “I was moving an old chest of drawers for my mom when I found a family history written by my grandmother’s brother in 1937.” The following excerpt is from that document:

Walden Family History from England to Chatt, etc.
Researched and written by A. Taylor Walden
Chattanooga, Tn. in 1937 for his sister, Sarah Susan Griffith

Transcribed to computer by Marie Griffith Miller 2010
[Misspellings & grammar left intact to reflect A.T. Walden’s voice]

I will, for the benefit of Andrew Walden’s younger decendants say something of his general character, features, physical strength and jovial disposition. Knowing him in his old age as I did, being his namesake and loving him with all my soul, I am glad to be the decendant of such a character. Grandadie in his prime was 6 feet 2 in weighed 200 to 220, broad(?) shoulders, tapering down to a size 9 shoe. Active as a cat and strong as a second Sampson, cold black hair and eyes, very scattering beard shave once and twice each week as long as he lived.

A great lover of his home, industrious, truthful, and sober, yet he was a dram drinker. Always kept whis and brandy, as was customary in his day. Still he was temperate. He was a lover of fine stock as hogs, horses, cattle and sheep. His smokehouse was never empty. He was a great lover of bees. He had frome 50 to 100 stands of bees at his death in 1883. He sold honey most every at 10 cants per lb to meet all his bills, his taxes included.

Grandadie was a great lover of his gunn, dog and fishing tackle. Many be the time when I was a very small boy have I followed him in the woods on a squirrel hunt, or to Chickamauga creek fishing. He had a fine musical talent, played the violin well and was a fine dancer on down to old age. He gave many raid mauling(?) corn huskings before my day with a big dance at night.

He loved his neighbors and delighted in having them share his hospitality, yet truth, industry, soberness, decency and humor was all traits in his noble character. He was a man of fine horse sense and the most wonderful memory of any person I have ever met.

Being raised up with the Indians in Va. He could speak Cherokee to the day of his death. He was one sixteenth Indian and inherited many of their ideas as to living up to nature. He could feel the bark on a tree the darkest night and find his direction. He was great believer in moon for signs and seasons. He planted and worked his cop by certain signs in the moon. He a believer in the dog day theory that all poisness snakes was blind for forty days and sore would heal.

He witnessed the falling of the stars at 3 oclock a.m. (?)the 18 1863. He said people who had never prayed before, pray that day. It made the cold chills run up my back when I was a child to hear him relate the incident and describe his feelings. Grandadie was a well informed man of his day. He could read with a good understanding, could write a plain rough hand. Of the seven brothers and three sisters, only grandadie, his oldest sister Nancy Roberts and youngest brother, Hudson could read and write. In his religious beleife he was a primitive Baptist, although he never any profession of religion, or united with any church. He read and believed the bible as he understood it, and atended church often. His life of truth, honesty and charity was his religion, he lived and died by it.

So was the life of Andrew Walden, born in Lee Co Va April 1804, died in Walker co.Ga. June the 7th 1883. seventy nine years, one month and twenty two day old. So ended the life of a noble man in the estimation of his grandson, Andrew T. Walden.

Read the full family history here:
WALDEN HISTORY