Books by, about, or otherwise concerning the family

Here is a list of books that are written by people with our surname, about people with our surname, or dealing in some way with a family member. If you know of additional works, please let me know! A good source for locating out-of-print books is the search page at ABE Books, which has the inventories of hundreds of bookstores in its database. Also keep an eye on eBay!

Travels in Search of the Past: The Ancestry of William Motter Inge, Playwright by Luther C. Inge, self published. copyright 1991. Besides biographical information on the title subject, the book contains a generous amount of information on his ancestors. It contains photos and a chapter on the George B. Inge family; Mrs. Inge was Sophia Slavens, a daughter of Reuben Sr. and Elizabeth Slavens; and a little information on Martha Inge and husband Reuben Slavens Jr. In addition to these Slavens family mentions, it also gives a glimpse of the history and life in early Virginia, Indiana, and Kansas, where many Slavens "cousins" were also living. NOTE: Copies are no longer available. Jean Inge, the author's widow, is willing to photocopy pages from the book for those interested; I will too, or scan and email the pages of interest. Email me for information.

Descendants of John H. Slaven of Pike County, Mississippi by Betty Slaven Welch, self published, copyright 2002. Hot off the press, this book details the descendants of John H. Slaven, born circa 1846, and a long-time resident of Pike County, Mississippi. While he hasn't been definitely linked to one of the "older" American lines, like "John of Garrard County" or "John of County Tyrone," Betty has done a great job documenting his descendants. The book also includes scans of a handful of family photos. Copies of the book are available for $28 postpaid from Betty Slaven Welch, P.O. Box 99, Osyka, MS 39657.

Biography of Rev. James Hervey Slavens, M.D. and an autobiography by Luther J. Slavens, November 1929, self-published. Not to be confused with the James H. Slaven mentioned above, James Hervey Slavens was the son of William Stuart Slavens and grandson of Isaiah Slavens, and Luther Slavens was the son of James. The book has been reprinted on slavens.net; find the link to the table of contents and the rest of the book on the Bios page.

South Fork Country by Samuel D. Perry, 1st Books Library, copyright 1983, 2002, 2003. A history of the Big South Fork area of Kentucky and Tennessee, home for the Richard Harve Slavey/Slaven family for the past two hundred years. Members of the Slaven family are mentioned several times in the book, as are surnames of families that married into the line. There's also a chapter on the early life of Rev. Raccoon John Smith, who later married a few of Isaiah Slavens's children in northern Kentucky. The book is available from the author, Samuel D. Perry, 175 Rogers Road, Whitley City, KY 42653, for $12.50 plus $1.50 shipping; Kentucky residents also need to send an additional 75 cents tax. Click for a larger view of the cover.

Portland Mills Remembered 1822-1959 by Don D. Harbison and Malcolm S. Romine, edited by Paul H. Clodfelter, self published, copyright 2001. Portland Mills, along the Parke/Putnam county line in northeast Putnam County, Indiana, was the home of several branches of the Slavens family descended from Isaiah Slavens. The book has several mentions of Slavens family members and of families they married into. It also has a listing of patients and a sampling of charges for various treatments taken from a ledger book kept by Dr. John Slavens from 1839 to 1844. (This ledger is in delicate condition but can be seen by request in the Cyrus Johnson room at the Putnam County Library in Greencastle.) For more information on ordering a copy of the Portland Mills book, follow this link.

Portland Mills Pictorial 1822-1959 by Don D. Harbison and Malcolm S. Romine, self published, copyright 2003. A companion book to the preceding volume, filled with photos of the people, buildings, schools, cemeteries, and more. While the book doesn't contain any Slavens photos, those with ties to the area should find it interesting. See the link above for ordering information.

"A Patient's Guide to the Care of the Eye" and "Ply Not Thy Fortune From My Malady" by Robert L. Slavens, MD, self published, copyright 2001 and 2002. Both books are available from Amazon.com.

"Care of the Eye" contains a description of the common conditions of the eye and the tests performed in the eye care specialist's office. It also contains information related to maintaining the health of the eyes.

"My Malady" counters the federal, single payer, one-size-fits-all healthcare solution proposal by exposing the cracks in American healthcare today and laying out a plan for a system whose hierarchy extends no further than each autonomous region. Click for larger views of the cover of "Care of the Eye" and "My Malady."

The Yanks are Coming, William Slavens McNutt. The Page Co., Boston, copyright 1918. William Slavens McNutt, the son of George L. McNutt and Lulie Slavens, was a war correspondent, pulp fiction author, and screenwriter during the early decades of the 20th century. This book seems to be the most widely available on the used market, although pulp magazines with his stories are readily found. William's brother Patterson was also a writer. Click for a larger view of the cover.

Books about The Great Locomotive Chase

Several books have been written about Andrews Raiders and "the Great Locomotive Chase" in the early days of the Civil War. Samuel Slavens was one of the raiders and was hung by the Confederates, so he does not appear as a major figure in any of the books. However, there's great interest in the Civil War and the Raiders, so here's a round-up of some of the works.

Wild Train: The Story of the Andrews Raiders, Charles O'Neill, Random House, New York, 1956. In my opinion, if you're only going to read one book about the Raiders, this would be the one to read. O'Neill blends Pittenger's and Wilson's accounts, along with other period publications and sources, in search of the most accurate and impartial account of the story. The book was very popular at the time, helped no doubt by the then-current Walt Disney movie, and used copies can be found fairly easily at $10-20. Click for a larger view of the cover.

The Great Locomotive Chase by Craig Angle, self published, copyright 1992. Similar to O'Neill's book in treatment, with the story of the event and the aftermath told by pulling bits and pieces from the various historical accounts. This book is more heavily illustrated, though. The book is also harder to find the Wild Train because of the more limited distribution; it could probably be found in the $20+ range today.

Capturing a Locomotive by William Pittenger. Pictured is an 1897 printing by The National Tribune of Washington, D.C. This book, the Alf Wilson book described on this page, and many other titles were available as cheaply printed volumes that were given away free with subscriptions to the National Tribune. Pittenger's book, also published under the title "Daring and Suffering," is a popular and well-known retelling of the story. The book was reprinted in the 1980's as a part of a Time-Life Civil War reprint series; the blue leather-bound volumes are easily found in the $10-15 range.Click for a larger view of the cover.

The Adventures of Alf Wilson: A Thrilling Episode in the Dark Days of the Rebellion by himself (John A. Wilson). Pictured is a 1972 reprint of an 1897 printing by The National Tribune of Washington, D.C. Wilson was one of the seven men who successfully escaped after being imprisoned for six months, so his book has an extra element of excitement that exchanged prisoner Pittenger's book does not. Personally, I like it better that Capturing a Locomotive but this is the only copy of the book that I've seen. That said, it was still under $20 from a used book dealer.Click for a larger view of the cover.

Catherine Livezey brought up another book, Andrews' Raiders by Roberta Strauss Feuerlicht, part of a series for young readers called "America in the Making." Feuerlicht has written many nonfiction historical books; this book came out in a couple editions in the 1960's. Check your library or used bookseller for a copy. An earlier youth-oriented retelling of the story is The Stolen Train: A Story of the Andrews Raiders by Robert Ashley, published in 1953.

The Case of Private Smith and the Remaining Mysteries of the Andrews Raid by Parlee C. Gross, General Publishing Co., copyright 1963. Glossed over in the other books on the Andrews Raid are the fates of the three soldiers that started off with the rest of the company but did not reach Marietta; this book focuses on them (James Smith and Samuel Llewellyn, who joined a Confederate unit as directed by Andrews when they were stopped and sharply questioned enroute, and an unknown third soldier). A little repetious in spots, but a very interesting read for those interested in the subject. If I remember correctly, there's only one mention of Samuel Slavens, and it's fairly gruesome (details of the discovery and reinterment of the seven men hung by the Confederates). Hard to find, but not terribly expensive (around $20).

Copyright © 2009 Larry Slavens. All rights reserved.