The Wandering Years

Introduction

“The Wandering Years” is Robert E. Howard’s personal account of his family’s history, tracing the lineage of the Howards and their kin from their earliest days in America to the post-Civil War era.

The footnotes (by Rob Roehm and Rusty Burke) throughout the essay provide corrections and context to Howard’s family history, revealing gaps and uncertainties in the genealogical record. They offer a candid look at the challenges of tracing lineage and the interplay of family lore with documented facts.

Summary

The narrative begins with the Ervin family, specifically noting their establishment in North Carolina by 1724 and clarifying that they are distinct from other Scotch-Irish families arriving later. Robert Ervin, Howard’s great-grandfather born in 1801 (not 1800 as previously believed), married Jane Tennyson, herself from a colonial family of longstanding regional presence. The Ervins were recognized as patriots during the American Revolution.

By the 1830s, the westward movement led Robert Ervin to Iuka, Mississippi, where his son George Washington Ervin grew up. Contrary to Howard’s belief, the Ervin family Bible indicates that George was born in 1830, not 1833. Around 1848, Dr. Thomas Martin, from a pioneering family, moved nearby, and George married his daughter Sarah Jane in 1849. That year also saw Sarah Jane’s brothers head to California for the gold rush.

George served under General Bedford Forrest during the Civil War. This aligns with family reports, despite some conflicting details about his military service. Post-war economic hardship prompted his move to Texas in 1866, a state still young and recovering from the impact of the Civil War. This period saw the beginnings of the cattle trails, notably the Chisholm Trail, and was marked by feuds and outlaw activity, framing the tumultuous environment in which the Howard family lived.

In Texas, George settled as a planter in Hill County, not far from emerging towns like Dallas and Fort Worth. The presence of unbranded cattle and a lack of markets characterized the region. Significant historical events unfurled around them, including feuds and the Comanche’s last stand against settlers. This chaotic period is where Hester Jane Ervin, Howard’s mother, was born in 1876, as confirmed by the family Bible, contradicting earlier records that suggested a different birth year.

George’s restless spirit saw him venture into various businesses, from sheep ranching to silver mining near the Arizona border. He experienced mixed success, attributed to his informal and trust-based business dealings. In a decisive move that Howard considers a mistake, George turned eastward to Missouri in 1891, where he would spend the rest of his days. His children, however, stayed behind in the West, with Hester Jane spending time in Muskogee, Indian Territory, deepening her antipathy for Native Americans.

On the paternal side, the Howards arrived in Savannah, Georgia, with Oglethorpe’s colony in 1733, slowly moving west. William Benjamin Howard, born in 1827, attempted to reach California but settled in Mississippi after a cholera outbreak halted his journey. He became an overseer on the plantations of Squire James Henry and married his daughter Louisa. The Henrys embodied the pioneer spirit, with origins tracing back to a family landing in New York and migrating south.

The essay weaves the fabric of American history through the personal experiences of Howard’s ancestors, set against a backdrop of war, migration, and the ever-shifting American frontier. It portrays the Howards as a family ingrained with the spirit of their times—restless, pioneering, and resilient.

Involved persons

  • Robert Ervin: Howard’s great-grandfather, who moved his family westward to Mississippi.
  • Jane Tennyson Ervin: Robert’s wife, with strong colonial roots.
  • George Washington Ervin: Howard’s grandfather, born in Raleigh, North Carolina, who served in the Civil War and later moved to Texas.
  • Sarah Jane Martin Ervin: George’s wife, part of a family of pioneers.
  • Hester Jane Ervin Howard: Howard’s mother, born amidst the changing landscape of Texas.
  • Dr. Isaac Mordecai Howard: Howard’s father, a physician from Georgia who married Hester Jane Ervin.
  • William Benjamin Howard: Howard’s paternal grandfather, a Georgian who became an overseer in Mississippi.
  • Louisa Henry Howard: William’s wife, daughter of Squire James Henry.
  • James Henry: Howard’s great-great-grandfather, who moved to Alabama during its early days of statehood.
  • Martha Walzer Henry: James’s wife, from the pioneering Walzer family of Georgia.

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