Treasury Dept.
Mr. F.D. LOVE, Washington, D.C. March 19th, 1903.
Georgetown, Tex.
My Dear Sir:
Your letter in regard to Col. Robert Love reached me in due time but I have had no convenient opportunity to answer your inquiries till now.
Col. Robert Love was a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary Army and joined Gen. Greene in N.C. during his (Greene’s) celebrated retreat from S.C. to near Danville, Va., and the subsequent battle of Guilford Court House March 15th, (I think) 1781. Col. Love was my great-grandfather. He was not at the battle of Guilford Court House, having been sent off to S.W. Va., to the lead mines, there to procure lead for Green’s Army. He was in the battle at Whitwell’s Mills, a short while before Guilford Court House.
There is an application on file for a pension by my great Grandfather, Robert Love, in the pension Office here, and if you will write the Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, D.C., he will, I have no doubt, send you a copy. It is very inconvenient for me to personally procure it for you, as the opening and closing of the Treasury, where I am employed, and Pension Office are the same.
Robert Love was a son of Samuel Love and Dorcas Bell (of the family of John Bell, of Tenn., a candidate for President in 1860); date of marriage, I cannot give. Robert married Miss Dillard (soon after the close of the Revolutionary War) in East Tennessee, and came to Buncombe County, N.C. about 1790, and afterwards to Haywood County, where he resided till his death in 1845. He gave to the County (Haywood) the land on which Waynesville is located.
Col. Love had a large family of children, among who was Annie Dillard, who married James Gudger (my Grandfather) in 1805. Of this marriage, my father, Samuel Bell Gudger, was one of the children, born Feb. 7th, 1808, and died Jan. 24th, 1888. Of this marriage there were children as follows:
1) Mary Caroline Gudger, who married Col. W.H. Moore; has three children, and is now a widow.
2) Lucinda Matilda Gudger, who married William G. Cander; she is dead, leaving three children.
3) James Cassius Lowny (or Lowry) Gudger; born July 4th, 1837. Married Mary Goodwin Willis, August 28th, 1861; she dies December 23rd, 1891. By this marriage there were several children, towit: (a) Eugene Willis Gudger, born Aug. 10th, 1866; is living and unmarried. (b) Mary Inez Gudger, born Feb. 18th, 1869; died May 6th, 1899; unmarried. Annie Elizabeth Gudger, born Jan. 15th, 1876; is living and married Charles Elridge Quinlan on Nov. 12th, 1902. (d) David Samuel Gudger, born Aug. 29th, 1871; is living, unmarried. The others of my Father’s children, are:
4) David Madison Gudger; twice married, first to Miss Lou Taylor; by this married a large family of children; second, to Mrs. Bessie Whitlow; there are no children.
5) Laura Ann Esther Gudger, who married John A. Stiklether; she is living and has children.
6) Louisa Carolina Gudger, who died in early womanhood, unmarried.
7) Loenora Thomas Gudger, who married James W. Rice; she is dead; leaving three sons.
8) Eva Lane Gudger, who married Mr. Joseph L. Young; she is living, but has no children living.
I collected at one time much information regarding my great grandfather, Robert Love. After the Dorcas Bell Love Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution was organized I turned over all the papers I had concerning him to Miss Mary Love Stringfield, who resides at Waynesville, N.C. These papers contained the genealogy of Col. Robert Love, from the landing of Samuel Love, who came to Philadelphia with Wm. Penn’s second Colony. Miss Stringfield will doubtless give you such information as these papers contain. Mrs. Margaret Hilliard, of Asheville, N.C., and Mrs. M.J. Branner, of Waynesville, N.C., granddaughters, and Dillard Love, Webster, N.C., and grandson, could, I think, give you much valuable information.
Wheeler’s History of North Carolina and Ramsey’s Annals of Tennessee also afford much data in regard to Col. Love. If I can serve you further command me.
Yours truly,
(Copy) J.C.L. Gudger