| I remember as a small child at my grandparents | | | | that Lester's trade was that of a wagonmaker |
| home, I would stare at them. Those two old black | | | | and by 1840, America was moving west. |
| and white pictures in an old frame that sat on my | | | | Rockport, Illinois was one of the jumping off |
| grandmother's shelf with her other nicknacks. | | | | places for settlers moving west and it made |
| They showed a man on one side and a woman | | | | sense that his work would take him there.By |
| on the other. It was assumed they were husband | | | | 1861, Lester was about 40 years old. He and |
| and wife from an earlier time."Who are they?" , I | | | | Lucinda had produced three sons and named the |
| would ask my fathers parents. The reply was | | | | oldest James, the middle one Charles and the |
| always the same. Oh, those are people from the | | | | youngest William who was an infant in 1861 and |
| family in the early times. " His name was | | | | was destined to become my great-grandfather. |
| Sylvester and we don't know what her name | | | | Apparently, their business was thriving but change |
| was", came the reply.As I grew older, the | | | | in the country was fast approaching.Civil war |
| pictures still held their spell over me and the desire | | | | broke out in America and Lester volunteered for |
| to know more about them was growing stronger | | | | service and joined the 93rd Illinois regiment and |
| with each passing year. My own father was of no | | | | was placed into company A. He was older than |
| help. He had no interest in such things and my | | | | many and was enlisted as a private in Infantry. |
| grandfather really knew very little about the old | | | | Why he joined is a bit of a mystery because he |
| pictures.Probably twenty years came and went | | | | was probably old enough to remain at home, |
| without any research being done on my part. I | | | | however, it is my speculation that he had a deep |
| was busy developing my career and raising my | | | | sense of responsibility to his country and |
| family. However, once in a while the desire to | | | | answered the call.His letters tell of camp life and |
| understand my roots was strong in me and I | | | | of the western campaign that was fought along |
| would think of the old pictures and something told | | | | the Mississippi and down to Vicksburg. He was in |
| me, they held the truth about my family and the | | | | some ground battles including the battle of |
| secrets of the past.When my grandparents died, | | | | Jackson, Mississippi and the so called Yazoo Pass |
| the one thing that I received from them was the | | | | Expedition. He rode the gunboats down the |
| old pictures. They knew I was interested in such | | | | Mississippi with his comrades to Vicksburg and |
| things and certainly, the desire to know more at | | | | participated in the siege. However, at the time of |
| that stage of my life was strong. I was | | | | the siege, his letters take a darker tone and tell |
| determined to find out the story of my family | | | | of his time of illness. It was an illness he did not |
| and the truth of my roots.The man in the picture | | | | recover from and shortly after the fall of |
| stared at me and I could tell he was wearing a | | | | Vicksburg, he fell gravely ill and died in a military |
| military uniform probably about the style worn by | | | | hospital near there. Today, he lies on hallowed |
| troops about 1860. The lady wore the dress of | | | | ground in the Vicksburg military cemetery that is |
| someone also from that time period.Then the big | | | | groomed and cared for by our government. Since |
| break came when a cousin that had been | | | | he was in a military hospital at the time of his |
| previously unknown to me, contacted me about | | | | death, he was properly identified and lies beneath |
| my own family. We talked at length. She informed | | | | a military tombstone bearing his name.Today, |
| that she too was researching the family history | | | | when I look at those old pictures of my |
| and indeed, she even knew the names of the | | | | great-great grandparents, I have a sense of not |
| people in the pictures! They were Lester and | | | | only identity but of great pride. I know where I |
| Lucinda and yes, they had been husband and wife. | | | | came from and the fact that my name carries |
| They came from Rockport, Illinois and he had | | | | with it an honorable past. As I stare at Lester and |
| served in the American Civil War. Further, I was | | | | Lucinda in their clothing from another era, I silently |
| informed of a distant family member that actually | | | | thank them for what and who they were and for |
| was in possession of letters written home from | | | | making me a stronger person. I take strength in |
| Lester to Lucinda while he was serving in the | | | | this knowledge of my family identity and it |
| military.I lost no time in securing photocopies of | | | | sustains me.God bless you grandpa and |
| those letters. The treasure trove of not only | | | | grandma.Rick Seward is a game warden for the |
| family history that those letters provided but also | | | | state of Nebraska. He loves the outdoors and also |
| of American history was absolutely | | | | has deep sense of history and of family. He |
| stunning!Lester Seward and his wife Lucinda were | | | | maintains a website located at and invites |
| from the Catskill Mountain area of New York | | | | everyone to look at it. The site will showcase the |
| State. When they were married at about the age | | | | art work that he does in his off duty time and it |
| of 20 years, they moved to Rockport,Illinois. The | | | | will give the viewer a deeper understanding of |
| reason for this became clear when I discovered | | | | what Rick believes in. |