Hiawatha, Kansas.
September 14th, 1899
My dear Dr. Thompson:-
By this mornings mail, I have yours of the 9th. No I
have not received the notes on Legal Cap, and hope you may find them with the Rev. E.W. Thompson, otherwise they must have been lost in the mail, which is quite unusual, alto [sic] not impossible by any means.
A History of Dorland, Dorlon, Dorlan, Durland: Durling Family in America, has been published, and seeing that the progenitors of that Dutch family, were of Flatbush, Raritan &c, I bought it. The author Mr. John Dorland Cremer, is the clerk of the Ways and Means Committee in Congress, and has had exceptional advantages for his work. Consequently he has made a really fine book. He has suggested that I write to Mr. John A. Powelson, at Somerville, and Mr. Nathaniel M. Durling of Raritan, as they are both well up in the old history of the Raritan settlers. This I have done, and hope when I get replys [sic] to be able to establish beyond question the connection between the early Atens and Autens of that vicinity. I have established the connection of Autens of Michigan, Ohio, and Arkansas with the Atens of Jerseytown, Pa. But this is of more recent date than that of the Autens of the Raritan.
Then too, I am still hoping for something in this line from the Rev. Mr. Davis of Somerville. Of one thing I am well assured; that is if the Autens of the Raritan valley are descended from the Atens, the fact can be proved beyond doubt. But it will take time and work to get at the facts. It appears probable to me, that the change in spelling the name, took place among the Autens of N.J. about the time of the Revolution, and if so, it may have been on account of the spelling of the names of Aten soldiers on the rolls, from hearing the name pronounced. That was the way a soldier was enlisted in that war- that is the soldier gave his name to the mustering officer, and that officer wrote it on the roll.
Sincerely Yours