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Transcript of Cassandra Cheuvront's Suicide Note 
written November 11, 1839 
first transcription (unedited) by Helen Cheuvront, 1988 

EDITOR'S NOTE: Rose Olinger provided me with a photocopy 
of this letter to Mr. Joseph Gusman, a family friend 
who owned the mill and pond where Cassandra chose to end her life. 
She committed suicide by drowning herself on Nov. 11, 1839 
in the Gusman Mill Dam over a love affair with Darius Hinkle. 
As I was constructing this site I was unsure whether I should include it, 
but in the end decided it belonged with the rest of the important family documents. 
 

Mr. Gusman, 
     Don't think that this is done in order to cast a slur on you or your family.  It is trouble and nothing else and Darius Hinkle is the cause of it all, for I was living in peace with all my relations and neighbors, and enjoying myself, very well and he came with all his deception that was possible for a ------- to do, interrupted my peace and destroyed my mind.  When he first began to come I told him that I had a good home and that I was well satisfied with it and did not want him to come and interrupt me with out it was the sincerest decision of his heart and he profest all the sincerity that he could and made so many solemn vows, that I was constrained to place confidence in him, and soon there was a report started that he was a trifling with me and I told him if it was the case I wanted him to leave me then and he would not, but continues his visits until he had come long enough to bring me to disgrace, and then left me without any provocation from my hurt.  I told him that I had a thousand times rather that he would murder me at once for he has done it by inches.  I have been abused at home a branded on his account, I am forsaken by a good many of my relations and all on his account, I can't express the trouble that I have, it is more than I can bare up under, I can never see any satisfaction any more, I leave this to tell you the truth about it, for it may be said that this or that, was the cause of her doing so, but I have told you the truth for these is my last words.  Darius thinks he has not hurt me to disgrace enough, I am informed that he has talked at great length about me and very scandalously too.  That is more than I can bear, for I have suffered so much on his account it is the finish of my soul he wants, tell him that he has got it now and he can live with it, if he had never treated me as he has, I never should have come to this dreadful finish. 
  
Cassandra Cheuvront
 

 
Darius Hinkle, b. May 8, 1813, on West fork River, Harrison Co., WVA, d. Dec. 1854 Harrison County.  He was the son of Leonard Henkle,(b. c1789, d. bef. 1840, Harrison Co., WVA), and Mary Cunningham(d/o Abraham Cunningham and Mary ____), b. c1791 Pendleton Co., WVA.  Leonard received from his father Abraham Henkle (b. Mar 20, 1749, Bucks Co., PA, d. Sept 3, 1815, Augusta Co. VA, m. Mary Catherine Teter) "the place on West Fork River in Harrison County.  An interesting note - Abraham Henkle was brother of Anna Marie Elizabeth Henkle who married Moses Ellsworth, parents of Elizabeth Elsworth, first wife of Cassandra's father, Joseph Cheuvront.(see info here) 
 

 From Henckle Genealogy, page 238: "Cassandra Cheuvront born December 28, 1812; died November 1, 1839; single." 
 

 The Gusman Mill and Dam was origionally built by John Patton in 1820 and operated for nine years, deeding it and 50 acres, located about 100 yards below the mouth of Hackers Creek, to Josph Gusman.  The following account is from the book "Old Grist Mills of Harrison County" by Harvey W. Harmer, and graciously shared by the present owner of the tract of land, Paul Nay of Jane Lew, West Virginia. 

 "The mill Joseph (Gusman) purchased was a small one, but soon after, he rebuilt it, erecting a large three-story frame mill fully equipped with machines for carding and spinning wool and weaving and fulling wollen cloth.  It was said to have been the largest and best mill, at that time, in the country. 
 When Gusman purchased the mill, one of his neighbors was Rev. Joseph Cheuvront whose only daughter Cassie was then seventeen years of age.  Three years later her father died and she became a favorite in the Gusman family.  Darius Hinkle, a young man, also lived in the neighborhood, where he and Cassie grew up together, and later were friends and sweethearts. 
 In the summer season, boat riding on the river above the milldam was a pleasant pastime and recreation.  Often, Darius and Cassie came to the mill and asked Gusman for the loan of his boat, and rowed up the river some distance, then slowly drifted back in the moonlight.  What more favorable surroundings could any man find in which to make love to a beautiful young woman?  After the passing of her father, Cassie looked upon Gusman as a father.  He witnessed the growing friendship with Darius and her with approval, and observed the romance of their lives, fully suspecting it would soon ripen into marriage.  Later, on November 22, 1829, Cassie wrote Gusman, telling him of the devoted attention Darius had shown her and of her expectation of marriage to him.  But now she said he had cast her aside, and life without him seemed undesirable; therefore she contemplated suicide that night by drowning in a deep pool below the milldam, the sole reason being her disappointment in love.  The next morning, shortly after Gusman received Cassie's letter, her lifeless body was found in the river some distance below the mill." 
 

Another account from the same book ("Old Grist Mills of Harrison County" by Harvey W. Harmer) page 77: 
"Darius Hinkle, according to local lore, had earlier deserted a sweetheart with grievous results.  When growing up he was friendly with Cassandra (Cassie) Cheuvront, youngest daughter of the well known Rev. Joseph Cheuvront, a Methodist minister.  Their homes were not far apart along the West Fork River in the area near the mouth of Duck Creek.  After the Rev. Cheuvront died, Cassie bacame close to the Joseph Gusman family.  Darius and Cassie frequently were together at the Gusman Mill on the West Fork River, would go boating together on the millpond and were observed to be close friends.  For some reason, Darius stopped seeing Cassie who was heart broken.  She was said to have heard-incorrectly-that he had married.  She left a letter for Joseph Gusman and one night drowned herself in the pool below the mill dam." 

see also related GUSMAN family information


Cassandra was burried in the Cheuvront graveyard. 
 
 
 
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