No. 990.
Mr. Bayard
to Mr. Strobel.
Department
of State,
Washington
,
September 8,
1888.
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.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 321.]
Mr. Prewett to Mr.
Bayard.
Modena,
Missouri
,
August 15,
1888.
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.,
[Page 1468]
[Inclosure 2 in No. 321.]
Mr. Prewett to Mr.
Bayard.
Modena,
Mercer County, Missouri
,
September 3, 1888.
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,