No. 990.
Mr. Bayard to Mr. Strobel.

No. 321.]

Sir: I inclose copies of two letters from Mr. Samuel Prewett, of Modena post-office, Mercer County, Missouri, who believes his wife to be interested in an estate left by a General Featheringill, alleged to have been in the Spanish army, and to have recently died in Spain.

If you can ascertain anything which may be of interest to Mr. Prewett you are instructed to communicate it to him directly.

I am, etc.,

T. F. Bayard.
[Inclosure 1 in No. 321.]

Mr. Prewett to Mr. Bayard.

Dear Sir: I desire to know the proper authority or office to communicate with to learn of the standing of the estate of John Featheringill, a citizen of the United States, who is reported to have died in Spain, in Europe, not long ago and left a considerable estate to American heirs.

Please answer me as soon as convenient, as this is a matter of great interest to us, as my wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Prewett, was Elizabeth Featheringill, and a niece of John Featheringill, deceased, as aforesaid, in Spain.

I am, etc.,

Samuel Prewett.
[Page 1468]
[Inclosure 2 in No. 321.]

Mr. Prewett to Mr. Bayard.

Dear Sir: Your kind answer to my letter of inquiry of recent date was duly received, and in reply I can only give a clipping from the National Tribune, of Washington, D. C., dated October 6, 1887, on page 8, first column. It reads as follows, to wit:

Obituary.—General Featheringill, of Spain, has recently died, leaving $1,000,000 to American heirs. He was born in Kentucky, but after a roving life as a young man> enlisted in the Spanish army, and rose to brigade rank.”

Now this is all the information of his whereabouts or death we have had for many years of him, if he be the lost uncle of my wife. His name was John Featheringill, and my wife’s father was William Featheringill; there were seven of the family, five boys and two girls; her uncle John was born in Kentucky, as stated in the Tribune, and as we never knew of another family of the same name we think it must be my wife’s uncle.

We think by communicating with the Spanish military authority, the full history of the “General Featheringill” may be obtained, which we hope you will do, and inform us as soon as received.

Some of my neighbors here state that they saw a more extended article in regard to “General Featheringill” in the National Tribune, copied from the Louisville, Kentucky, Courier-Journal, about October, 1887, but we can not now find the paper. Please answer me as soon as you can.

Truly yours,

Samuel Prewett.