USA > Virginia > Rockbridge County > Rockbridge County > A history of Rockbridge County, Virginia > Part 33
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62
277
FAMILY SKETCHES AND BIOGRAPIIIC PARAGRAPHS
terms. Upon the death of his father he succeeded him as professor of Consti- tutional and International Law and Equity. In 1905 he was President of the Jamestown Exposition. Mr. Tucker has written a treatise on the treaty-making power of the Federal Government, and has edited his father's Tucker on the Constitution.
Vethake. Henry Vethake was a native of British Guiana who was gradu- ated from Columbia College in 1808. He practiced law and also engaged in edu- cational work. In 1835-36 he was president of Washington College, and until 1859 he held the chair of mental and moral philosophy. He died in 1866 at the age of seventy-four.
Wallace. William A. Wallace, known in American history as "Big Foot" Wallace, was born one mile south of Lexington, April 12, 1816. In the fall of 1837 he heard of the death of a brother at the hands of the Mexicans in the Fannin massacre. Leaving his plow and team in the field, he started at once for Texas on a mission of vengeance. He was accompanied by James Paxton and J. Frank Shields, the former dying in Texas. In the Texan army, Wallace was a lieutenant of rangers. He accompanied the Mier expedition and was captured, but by good fortune he drew a white bean, and thus escaped military execution. His captors called him the "Big Foot Gringo," and he was made to work a long while on the streets of the City of Mexico. Some time after his release he killed "Big Foot," a Lipan warrior, in single combat. Wallace made his home near San Antonio, but at length the region became too thickly settled to please him, and he went farther west. He visited Rockbridge in 1850 and again about 1872. He never married, and he died in Texas, January 8, 1899. Big Foot Wallace did not really have feet of unusual size, considering his stature, yet was conspicuous for immense shoulders and a very large head. He was a grandson of Colonel Samuel Wallace of the Revolutionary period.
White. Robert White was born in Ireland in 1775, and came to Lexington in 1800, going into the mercantile business. He was a lieutenant in the war of 1812, a justice and sheriff, and in politics was a Whig. In 1802 he was mar- ried to Margaret, daughter of Zachariah Johnston. His sons were Zachariah J. and Robert L. Mr. White died in 1851.
Woods. Richard Woods settled on Woods Creek in 1738 and gave it its name. It is thought that he was a son of Michael Woods, of Albemarle, who came to America with nine boys, three brothers and their families, and a widowed sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Wallace. Richard Woods was a sheriff and otherwise very prominent settler. He seems to have had a brother, Charles, who died in 1761, and three sisters, of whom Martha married Peter Wallace, and Sarah married Joseph Lapsley. Magdalena was successively the wife of Captain John McDowell, Benjamin Borden, Jr., and General John Bowyer. The name Woods was represented in Rockbridge mutil after the opening of the nineteenth cetury.
THE MACCORKLE FAMILY
THE PIONTER MACCORKLES-TII. ROCKBRIDGE BRANCH-THE NAME IN BRITAIN-LINE OF JOHN MACCORKLE-BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
In the history of the MacCorkles* of Augusta and Rockbridge are shown several interesting facts, true also of some other pioneer families. We find at the outset a number of individuals with the same surname. Some of these are soon lost to view. This fact is significant of the ceaseless emigration that set in from Old Augusta, even in the first decade of its settlement. For a long while this outflow was almost wholly to the westward and southward. But during the present industrial era, it is in part directed to the commercial centers of the Atlantic seaboard.
The MacCorkles that clung to the Forks of the James have been very large landholders in the most favored portion of that district. They are an industrious. forceful, intellectual, and religious people. These traits, coupled with a tenacity in holding on to a good choice in extensive landed possessions, could not but he reflected hy prominence in public and professional life. That the men of this stock should be prompt in responding to a conviction of patriotic duty follows as a matter of course.
Even before Augusta set up a county government at the close of 1745, one James MacCorkle was living on a survey in Beverly Manor, apparently a few miles northeast of Staunton, and between Lewis and Christian's creeks. It would appear that in many instances the newcomer did not at once perfect a purchase. but held his land for a while on a rental basis. From an ejectment suit brought against him by the proprietor of the Manor, he came out victorious. In 1747 William Beverly gave him a deed for 370 acres, the price being $54 15. But in 1753 James Mactorkle and Jane, his wife, sold this tract, and we find no mention of another purelate. In 1751 the immigrant was a constable, and in the same year be and Robert Bratton were the guardians of Archibald Crockett of the Calfpasture Ten years later he was one of the appraisers of the valuable e tate of Adam Dicken on, the leading pioneer of the lower Cowpasture. And as both Dickenson and Bratton were men of wealth and position, it follows that only a man of proved character and known ability would have been appointed to there trusts No will is on record in Augusta, and it is not clear that he is a am named in the records It is probable that he died before the Revolution.
"Within Rockbridge self the name has usually been spelled with the prefix abre. wate !- HcCorkle During the colonial period the orthography was less uniform than it is now This we find in the public records the forms McCorkal, McCorkell. McChorkle. McKoche, ctc.
279
THE M'CORKLE FAMILY
In 1770 another James came from Ulster and was a merchant at Staunton. A few years later he removed to Montgomery, of which county he was sheriff in 1778. He died there in 1794. It was this James who was a trustee of Liberty Hall Academy in 1783. He had a brother William, whose daughters were Margaret, Martha, and Rebecca.
We are told that the first James was the parent pioncer, and that his sons were Alexander, William, and John. We are further told that Alexander, born 1722, died 1800, married Agnes, a daughter of John Montgomery, of Harris's Ferry-now Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-and that in 1752 he removed to North Carolina, settling fifteen miles west of Salisbury. A great grandson is Joseph W. McCorkle, Member of Congress from California.
But there was a Robert MacCorkle, who purchased of Beverly 269 acres, his tract appearing to be contiguous with that of the elder James. In 1752 he sold this land and went away, perhaps accompanying Alexander to North Caro- lina. There was also a Samuel, who in 1749 was a close neighbor to James and Robert. He may have been the Samuel who died in Augusta in 1785. The name of his wife was Sarah, and his children, at least two of whom were then mar- ried, were John, Mary, Martha, Samuel, Robert, Sarah, and Elizabeth. Samuel. Jr., seems to have left Augusta by 1796. Still another of the early McCorkles was Patrick, who in 1759 witnessed a deed given by Samuel Steele to Robert Steele, and in 1762 a deed by Benjamin Bennett to John McNutt. It was probably the same Patrick who helped to build a road in the south of the Rockbridge arca in 1753, and who sold a parcel of land to Samuel Lyle in 1778.
Among the above mentioned MacCorkles we meet the same given names as occur in the Rockbridge line that we shall presently trace. Several of them were near neighbors to one William McNutt, and a McNutt became the wife of John MacCorkle. It was characteristic of the Scotch-Irish pioneers to come to America in bodies and not as isolated individuals. It is highly probable that the younger MacCorkles we first encounter in this region were the sons of two brothers, James and William, one or both of whom accompanied the sons.
The Alexander MacCorkle who settled in the Forks of James may therefore have been a cousin to the one already named. One or the other is mentioned in the appraisement of the estate of Andrew Boyd in 1750. Boyd appears to have lived near Old Providence Church. The first certain mention is in 1753. when he and Patrick worked on the road already spoken of. In 1757 he was an administrator of the estate of Robert Renick, who had been killed by the Indians. In 1761 he purchased 300 acres in the Borden Tract, and in 1766 conveyed one- half of this to Patrick MacCorkle. In 1768 he was given a bounty certificate for growing 1712 pounds of hemp, a quantity above the average for the colonial
280
A HISTORY OF ROCKIRIIM.E COUNTY, VIRGINIA
planter No will is on record, and his name does not appear among the tax- payers for 1778. The inference is that he died near the beginning of the Revolu- tien, and when he was in the prime of life.
The wife of Alexander, ancestor of the MacCorkles of Rockbridge, was Mary Steele. The children of the pair were James, John, William, and Nancy. and perhaps also a Sammel, since there was a tithable by this name in Rock- Fridge in 1778. James married Margaret McCollom. John married Rebecca, a daughter of John McNutt and aunt to Governor Alexander G. McNutt, of Mis- sissippi. William, who lived on Elliott's Hill and died in 1818, is described as a recluse of eccentric disposition. His first wife, the mother of his children. was a McCluer. The second, whom he married in 1802, was Ann, a daughter of Captain Audley Paul and widow of the grandfather of Bishop William Taylor.
The children of James were six. William, born 1702, died 1847. was married to Nancy Welch in 1790. Patrick married Margaret Weeks, 1804. John went to Ohio Elizabeth married Samuel Hamilton, 1811. The others of the family were James and Alexander, the latter of whom lived in Collierstown. The nine children of William were the only representatives of the next generation within this county. Of these, Eliza and Jane were unmarried. Nancy, Benjamin. Margaret. Samuel, Thomas, Sally, and William H. married, in the order of their mention, Samuel Adair, Mary Adair, William Morrison, Mary Simonds. Susan Harper. John Patterson, and Virginia Wilson. The sons of Benjamin were William A., John, Henry C., and Oliver C. John and Oliver C. are unmarried. William A. and Henry married, respectively. Jennie McMasters and Ida Coffey. The daughters were Sallie and Anna. Sallie was the first and Anna the second wife of Alexander Harrison. The children of Samuel were William .1 .. Samuel B , Sallie, Margaret, Nancy, and Manie. The third, fourth, and fifth mar- ried in the order of their names, William Il Sale, John Dixon, and Samuel Mackey. Samuel B. resides in Staunton William A. married a Davidson His children, who are the only grandchildren of Samuel to remain in Rockbridge, are Carrie, William A, Gold, Stuart, and Daniel. Carrie married Ward Whitmer. and Gold married Mattic Swink. The first wife of William AL, Jr, was a Davidson The second was Agnes Gold, The children of Thomas, who died in 1879 at the age of seventy-five, went to Ohio. The descendants of William 1! are hereinafter named.
The children of John, son of Alexander, the pioneer, were Alexander, Sam- ud1, and Catharine. The daughter married Joseph Walker, 1804, and went West with him. Samuel married Catharine McCluer, 1804, and died 1833, leaving three children, John, Alexander, and Agnes. The daughter was then married to a McCluer Alexander went West. It was not then known what had become
W.M. A. MAL CORKLE Governor of West Virginia 1893 to 1897
281
THE M'CORKLE FAMILY
of John. The names and the dates of birth of the children of Alexander and his wife, Mildred Welch, appear later in this chapter. Mildred was a sister to Nancy. Of the ten children, Sally married James Wilson, 1814; John was mar- ried to Elizabeth Mackey, 1820, and later to a Cunningham; Samuel, to a Douglass, and afterward to a Perry; Thomas, to Susan Alexander ; Alexander B. to Lucilla Gamble ; Patsy, to James W. Wilson ; Jane, to James West ; William, to Mary H. Morrison ; Rebecca to Baxter Braford. Samuel, who had a large family, removed to Lynchburg. Two sons of John lost their lives in military service : Alexander C. at Monterey, Mexico, and James T. at First Manassas. The other children-George B .. W. D., and Nannie-married, respectively, Mary McCullough, Aurelia Sterrett, and Moffett McClung. The children of George B. are Lelia, wife of a Doctor Burks, and Emma, Julia, and George, whose consorts are a Walker, a Smylie, and a Humphreys. The children of W. D. are Aurelia and Douglass. Thomas, third son of John, had six children : Thomas E., S. W., Alfred, Jennie, Mildred, and Margaret. All these married, their companions being, in order, an Anderson, Lula Strain, Mary V. Hutton, Wil- liam Sterrett, Rice McNutt, and James Montgomery. The children of S. W. are Margaret, wife of Thomas Morrison, of Bluefield, West Virginia; Susie, wife of Samuel Dunlap, of Lexington, Virginia; Baxter, husband of Essie Kerr, Eldred, husband of Jennie Watson, and living at Red Ash, West Virginia ; Morton, married to Nina Paxton and living near Lexington, Virginia; Samuel, married to Susanna Franc and living at Lewisburg, West Virginia; Thomas, serving in the United States Navy; and Lula, wife of H. E. Moore, of Rock- bridge. Sadie, daughter of Thomas E., married C. C. Boppell, and died in Africa, where she was laboring as a missionary. A. C., son of Doctor Alfred McCorkle, married Grace Montgomery, and his only grandson in Rockbridge is A. C., Jr., of Collierstown. The children of Alexander B., who became a Presbyterian minister about 1836, were Gamble, William P., and Sallie. William P. is a Presbyterian minister.
William, third son of Alexander the pioneer, had four sons and four daugh- ters. The sons were Alexander, John, Abner, and Henry. John, who was born 1777 and died 1846, was married to Polly Montgomery in 1800, but was without issue. Three of the daughters were Phoebe. Patsy, and Nancy. The first mar- ried James Elliott in 1809. Patsy appears to have married James Taylor in 1805, and Nancy to have married Archibald Taylor in 1812. William P., a son of Henry, was graduated from Washington College in 1847. He was editor of the Valley Star and of the Lynchburg Republican.
With respect to the following marriages of MacCorkles, we are unable to tell what may be the point of contact with the descendants of Alexander.
Alexander to Sally Peters, 1822; Esther to William Porter, 1799; Jean to
282
A HISTORY OF ROCKBRIDGE. COUNTY, VIRGINIA
James Donald, 1805; James to Polly McClain, 1821 ; John to Sally Cunningham, 1821 ; Nancy to Samuel Paxton, 1825; Polly to John Adair, 1808; Polly to William Hamilton, 1800.
In the early records of Augusta there are these three MacCorkle marriages : John to lydia Forrest, 1790: Mary of John to John Mcwhorter, 1791 ; Robert to Elizabeth Forrest, 1785.
There are few families in the United States, and in the Old Countries, whose history can be traced back as far as the history of the MacCorkles. We find branches of this old family in Canada and all over the United States, especially in the middle and Eastern States, and in Virginia. We find other branches in England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and Denmark. All these families use a coat of arms that shows, although differing slightly, the same main features. i. c.
Crest : . A stag, standing at gaze, attired gules ;
Arms: A demi-stag, gules, naissant out of a fosse tortille ;
Motto: Vivat Rex !
The difference between the arms is so slight that there is no doubt that these families belong together. Only the Danish branch of the family uses another coat of arms, but here are the complete historical evidences that it is the same family. The name is spelled in many different ways, but etymologically it is the same name. The following shows the development and the changes of the family name. The oldest form that could be traced is Thorgisl, in the Thorgis! Saga, about 700 A. D. This name changes in Thurkell, Thurkill, Thorkill, Thorquil, (Thurgesius, in the Latin text ), Torquil. Thorquil-dale, Mac Torquil- dale, Mac Korkill-dale, McCorkindale, McCorquindall. McCorkuodell. McCor- quedill, MeCorkell, McCorkel, MacCorkle.
All these names appear in the old manuscripts, books, and inscriptions, and we find the different names in all the countries where members of the family live. The different branches did not keep a certain spelling. They are scattered all over the civilized world, using different spellings of their name, but all tracing back to the same family. The name that is mostly used by the branches in the United States is MeCorkle, MacCorkle, or McCorkell.
Anderson's History of the Scottish Nation says:
MacCorquodale, otherwie Mac Tertil (the son of Torquill), Mac Corkle, or Corkin- dale, the kuriame of a Highland kept, the founder of which was Torquil, a prince of Denmark, who is traditionally stated to have been in the army of Kenneth the Great, on his Com1 R over from Ireland to the astrtice of Altin, king of the Seuls, against the Picis Previous to Kenneth's arrival King When, in a battle with the Pich h king, was killed, and hil head fixed on an iron sp ke in the midst of the Pietsch city, situated where the Carron IT(wirk row stard king kenneth offered to any one in his army who would pass the l' wih sentitely and remove the head. a grit of all the land on Loch Awe ude. Torqui, the Date, underteck the hazardous enterprise, and brought the head to the king, for which act of bravery, he was rewarded by a charter of the lands promised. This charter
283
THE M'CORKLE FAMILY
was for a long time preserved in the family, though the greater part of the lands had passed to other hands. Shortly before the Revolution it was lent to Sir Alexander Muir Mackenzie, for his inspection, and was lost. At least, it disappeared from that time. The name, which is, in some places of the Highlands, still called Mac Torquil, is perhaps one of the most ancient in the county of Argyle. Donald McCorjuodale of Kinna-Drochag, on Loch Awe side, who died towards the end of the eighteenth century, was the lineal descendant of Torjuil and the chief of the clan; his grandson and representative, John McCorjuodale, at one period, resided at Row, Dungartonshire. The heirs of John McCor- quodale afterwards lived in Row. The last lineal descendant afterwards moved to London, where he died a few years ago.
In the great Scottish invasion of North Ireland the family moved to County Derry, where a great many of them have resided ever since.
In about 1730 William MacCorkle came to America. He landed at Philadel- phia and moved down to the Valley of Virginia and Southern Ohio. He was engaged in the Indian wars in what is now western Virginia. He had a son, Alexander, who purchased from Archibald Alexander, executor of Benjamin Borden, the tract of land known as the "MacCorkle Farm" on North River. Alexander MacCorkle conveyed one half of this farm to his son John. This deed was partially proved at Finncastle and docketed. A month afterwards Alexander McNutt appeared at Court at Finncastle and completed the proof. This was just before the marriage of John MacCorkle to Rebecca McNutt.
Governor Patrick Henry appointed John MacCorkle an ensign, and the records of Rockbridge County Court show : State of Virginia,
At a Court held for Rockbridge County the 7th day of July, 1778.
John MacCorkle, produced a commission from his Excellency the Governor, appointing him Ensign in a Company of the Militia for this County, who took the oath required by the law.
In October. 1780, he made his will providing for his wife and three children, Alexander, the oldest, and for one not yet born. Then he joined the army in Carolina under General Morgan. Hon. William A. Anderson quotes an interest- ing incident arising from his going into the army :
Nov. 28, 1903.
Hon. W. A. MacCorkle : Charleston, W. Va.
My dear Sir :
It was a pleasure to me to receive your kind letter of the 17th inst., and I gladly give you all the information I have about the interesting subject to which it refers. All that I know about it was learned from my father and uncles.
My grandfather, Colonel William Anderson, died several years before I was born. When a mere youth, he volunteered in a company from Botetourt County, was in the battle of Cowpens and other engagements, under Generals Morgan and Greene, and served through that Southern campaign in 1780-1. He was a first cousin of your great grandfather,
28-4
A HISTORY OF ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Lieutenant John MacCorkle's wife your great grandmother, but some years his junior Both Lieutenant MacCorkle and his brother-in law and my father's first cousin, Lieutenant or Ensign MeNutt, spent the night at my great grandfather's (their uncle's) home, as their company from Rockbridge was passing through that portion of Botetourt County on their way to jom the army of the South, some time in the year 1780. My grandfather, who was his father's oldest son, was exceedingly anxious to jein his cousins and go with them to the war. He was only about seventeen years of age, and. as his father was frequently called from home to meet the Indian raids, (Hotetourt County being then almost upon the frontier), his parents Icht that they could not safely allow this stalwart son (he was over six feet in height ) to leave them ; and they considered that he was too young (vigorous and enured to hardships as he was) to encounter the exposure to which the Continental troops were necessarily subjected. They earnestly opposed his request, but he was so im- fortunate that, two days after the Rockbridge Company had continued its march across the Blue Ridge mountains, towards North Carolina, they finally yielded to his impor- tunity, and he struck out alone, through what was then largely a wilderness, and in duc tine joined his relatives and afterwards the Botetourt Company under the command. I think, of Captain Howyer, some time before the battle of Cowpens, and was in that battle. as also was the Rockbridge Company. In that battle, Lieutenant MacCorkle was wounded in the foot, was carried, with those of Morgan's troops who afterwards participated in the battle of Guilford, to that vicinity, and there died of lock jaw, and was buried at or near Guilford, whether before or after that battle, I am unable to say. My grandfather was. of course, present at his funeral.
Many years afterwards, perhaps as many as forty, a man, whom my grandfather did not at the time recognize and who I think was named Lemon, came to him and asked him to certify to the fact that he (Lemon) had served with the Botetourt Company in that fight, so that he might obtain a pension. My grandfather could not recall him, but Lemon told him he could mention certain incidents that would satisfy him that he ( Lemon) was with the army of General Greene, and was at the battle of Cowpens and at Guilford One of the uctlents Lemon mentioned to him was that, at the battle of Cowpens, General Morgan commanded his troops not to fire until he gave the order, and then to aim at the kice buckles, which were conspicuous upon the knees of the British soldiers. A young man in the Botetourt Company, before General Morgan gave the order to fire, had leveled huis rifle and was taking aun at the British, who were then rapidly approaching General Morgan's hues, and were then in point blank range. General Morgan cursed this young solder, asking him "what in hell" he meant by violating his orders; and the young soldier, with tears running down his checks, said, "General. I'm not going to fire: I'm just taking good aim " This man Lemon told my grandfather that he ( Lemon ) was this young sokhier. My grandfather remembered the incident distinctly, and perhaps, then recalled that the man's nante was Lemon.
Mr Lemon told my grandfather that, afterwards, at or near Guilferd, he ( Lemon) was pre cit at the funeral of Lieutenant MacCorkle, and that, when the body was being let down into the grave, the coffin caught upon a root, or some other obstruction, so that the con could not be properly lowered into position. My grandfather remembered the occurrence distinctly; and upon these and other statements made to him by Mr Lemon, was so convinced that he must have been at Cowpens and in the Botetourt Company that he felt Imitted in uigning, and did sign, his certificate.
I receive ! the history of these occurrences more than once from my father, and from m. usie, John T Ander on, and I think also from my uncle, Joseph R Anderson; and I have no doubt that my cousins. William Glasgow, Miss Rebecca Glasgow. Mrs Kate
285
THE M'CORKLE FAMILY
Paxton, Miss Margaret Glasgow, and Colonel Archer Anderson, or some of them, have re- peatedly heard the same account from my uncles, or from my aunt, Mrs. Catherine Glasgow. Cousin Rebecca and her brothers and sisters were double kin to Lieutenant MacCorkle, and probably learned other incidents as to his history and heroic services, which were not communicated to me. He was one of the immortal band, who, under General Morgan, achieved the great victory at Cowpens-an event which contributed as much to break the force of the invasion of the Southern States as any other, except King's Moun- tain.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.