Text of an old letter given to me by my great aunt, Estelle Doud, given to her by her cousin:

Clarinda Barden was born in Franklin Co. N.Y. Setp 13, 1817 and married Linas Doud April 20, 1834.  They lived in Geuga (this word is difficult to read and I'm not sure I have it right) Co. for six years then moved to Defiance Co, Washington Twp, Sex 22 and erected a log cabin in the forest and began pioneer life.  Roads were so poor and conditions so bad they were forced to endure many hardships.  There were no schools in the Twp but a log cabin in Sec. 16 was used for school and elections.  Mrs. Doud taught the first school in 1834 and Mr. Doud taught the Second School in the winter in Sec 23 which is now District #2  (this is near the Co line near the Old Marsh Place).  Books used were English Reader, Elementary Speller, Adams Arithmetic and the Bible.  Douds raised eight children who were teachers.  At one time in her teaching she rocked one of the children, "Edward" in a sugar trough in the absence of a cradle.  The cradle was borrowed from a neighbor near the school house and because she punished one of the woman's children, she sent for the cradle and took it home.  The late Grant Figley and Jim Hatfield went to the woods and got a sugar trough.  Mr. Doud was J.P. two or three terms from 1845-1854, was Twp Clerk for several terms, was elected Clerk 1842, Twp. Clerk 1843-44, and was elected clerk 1847, Twp. Clerk 1850, 1854, Twp Trustee 1855-1856.  This is copied from Defiance Co. History. 

PS There is a mistake in dates.  They were married 1834, lived in N.Y. 6 yrs

Linus Doud  b. May 15, 1797  d. April 5, 1872

married Clarinda Barden b. Sept. 3, 1817  d. Oct 15, 1895

Child                                       born                               died

Horace Alletus                                    Aug. 24, 1835                   Oct 7, 1907

Sarah Edith Corey                       Oct 25, 1837                    March 1892

Albert Lepidus                                    Aug. 11, 1839                   April 23, 1863

William Henry                                    March 8, 1841                           Oct. 28, 1862

Edward Brown                                    Feb. 9, 1843                     Dec. 17, 1904

Liba Barden                               Feb 19, 1845                    Nov. 21, 1911

Mildred Mason                                   April 27, 1847                           Feb. 17, 1933

Linus Pope                               May 8, 1849                    March 10, 1877

Clarinda Adelia                                    Oct 17, 1851                    date unknown

Forest Weston                                    Feb 17, 1854                    June 11, 1915

Mary Anne                               Sept. 7, 1856                    Sept. 17, 1857

Wallace Elmore                                    Oct. 25, 1858                    Aug. 11, 1939

Frank Elbert                              Sept. 12, 1861                   1917 or 1918

Wm. Henry Doud Corp'l Co. F, 48th Inft. Died Oct 28, 1862

Albert L. comp K, 21 Ohio Inft  died April 23, 1863

These were the two that Grandfather went to Nashville and brought both on stretchers to Defiance O. where Henry died.  Albert was shot at home while on sick leave.

(Linus Pope married Elizabeth Neiswender May 8, 1872

2 sons:  Forest Arthur and Neil

Forest was my great grandfather.  He married Maud Keller in Ney, Oh: 

Transcribed by Beth MacDonald)