USA > Virginia > Augusta County > Augusta County > Annals of Augusta county, Virginia, from 1726 to 1871 > Part 14
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The old courthouse, No. I, was not removed when No. 2 was built, but was converted into a residence. Squire Robert McClanahan was the renter of the house in 1763, and in 1771 his son-in-law Alex- auder St. Clair lived in it. It was of course divided into several rooms, and it is to be hoped that means had been provided for heating, that a floor had been laid, and that the " holes cut for windows " had shutters to them, if not glass lights.t
* The region east and south of the site of Lexington.
+I have a peculiar interest in this house from the fact that my maternal grandmother, a daughter of Alexander St. Clair, was probably born in it .- J. A. W.
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The BRECKINRIDGES were driven by persecution from Ayshire, Scotland, to the north of Ireland, during the reign of Charles II. In 1728 Alexander Breckinridge came to America, and after residing a few years in Pennsylvania, removed to Augusta county, and settled on a farm near the site of Staunton. As we have seen, he was one of the commissioners of Tinkling Spring congregation, August 11, 1741. He died in 1746, and his name does not appear again in our annals.
From the records of Orange Court, in 1740, when Alexander Breckinridge "proved his importation," it appears that he had seven children exclusive of his daughter* Sarah, wife of Robert McClan- ahan.
The names of three of the children are illegible, but one of these was Adam. Of his sons John and Smith, daughter Letitiaf and two anonymous children, we have no information. George Breckinridge, his father's Administrator, probably removed to Albemarle, as stated elsewhere. The only mention of him we have found in Angusta county records is the fact that he conveyed 245 acres of land in Bev- erley Manor to Robert Breckinridge, May 16, 1747.
George Breckinridge's wife was Ann Daws. He had three sons, Alexander, Robert and John; and three daughters, Jane, Elizabeth, and Letitia. The descendants of this branch are numerous. They write their names Breckenridge, not Breckenridge.
Robert Breckinridge remained in the county, living on a farm ad- jacent to Staunton, and became prominent during the Indian wars. He incurred the hostility of Governor Dinwiddie, and was roundly berated by that irate letter-writer, for which we do not think the worse of him. The town of Staunton being incorporated in 1761. Major Breck- inridge was named in the act as one of the trustees, in association with his brother-in-law, William Preston, his nephew or cousin, Alexander McClanahan, and others. Some time thereafter he removed to the "upper country," and when Botetourt was constituted, in 1769-'70, he was one of the first justices of the peace and lieutenant-colonel of the militia of that county. He died in Botetourt in 1772.
Colonel Breckinridge's first wife was a daughter of Robert Poage, one of the first Justices of Angusta county, who probably came to America and the Valley with the Breckinridges, Prestons and others. By her he had two sons, Robert and Alexander. These sons, accord- ing to Mrs. Floyd's narrative, not living harmoniously with their father's second wife, were sent to Hanover county to learn the carpen- ter's trade with Francis Smith, Col. William Preston's brother-in-law. They became skilful workmen, and were employed by Colonel Preston to build his dwelling-house at Smithfield. Both of them entered the continental army when the war of the Revolution arose, and became officers, and both removed to Kentucky soon after the war. Robert, Jr., was a member of the Kentucky Convention and Legislature, and the first Speaker of the House of Delegates. He died, an old and wealthy man, in Louisville some time after 1830, Major Alexander Breckin-
*Perhaps a sister instead of daughter.
t Married Elijah McClanahan in 1749.
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ridge died comparatively young. His wife was the widow of Col. John Floyd, daughter of Col. John Buchanan, and granddaughter of Col. James Patton. Among his children was James D. Breckinridge, who represented the Louisville district in Congress about the year 1836, and who was a half-brother of the first Governor Floyd.
Colonel Robert Breckinridge's second wife was Lettice Preston, daughter of John Preston, of Staunton, and her children were four sons, William, Jolin, James and Preston, and a daughter, Jane, wife of Samuel Meredith.
William Breckinridge, son of Robert, married in Augusta, but spent most of his life in Kentucky. He was the father of the late John Boys Breckinridge, of Staunton.
John Breckinridge, the next son of Colonel Robert, was born on his father's farm, at Staunton, December 2, 1760, and removed with the family to Botetourt in 1769, or thereabouts. He was educated at Liberty Hall (?), and while a student, before he was twenty-one years of age, was elected by the people of Botetourt a member of the State Legislature. Marrying Miss Cabell, of Buckingham county, he settled in Albemarle, on James River, and rapidly gained distinction as a lawyer. He was elected to Congress by voters of Albemarle district, but declined the position. In 1793 he removed to Kentucky, and during the administration of President Jefferson was Attorney General of the United States. He died in 1806, only forty-six years of age. One of his sons was Cabell Breckinridge, a distinguished lawyer, who died young, leaving a son, General John C. Breckinridge, late Vice- President of the United States. The other sons of John were the cele- brated divines, Rev. Drs. John, Robert J. and William L. Breckin- ridge.
James Breckinridge, third son of Colonel Robert, spent his life in Virginia. He was long known as General Breckinridge, of Botetourt, and was distinguished as a lawyer and member of Congress. Among his children were Messrs. Cary and James Breckinridge, of Botetonrt, Mrs. Edward Watts, of Roanoke, Mrs. Mary M. Bowyer, of Botetourt, and Mrs. Robert Gamble, of Florida.
Preston Breckinridge, the fourth son of Colonel Robert, married a Miss Trigg, and died in middle life, leaving daughters, but no son.
WILLIAM PRESTON was the only son of John Preston, and was born in Ireland in 1730. He was therefore about ten years old when he came with his father to the Valley. For most of his education he was indebted to the Rev. John Craig, near whose residence he lived, according to the testimony of his daughter, Mrs. Floyd. His first regular appointment was posting the books of the Staunton merchants and aiding his uncle, Col. Patton, in his extensive business. He was deputy for Wallace Estill, when the latter was High Sheriff of Au- gusta. He was also clerk of the Vestry of Augusta Parish and clerk of the Court-Martial of the county. Step by step he rose to higher employments. During the Indian wars he became quite prom-
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inent as captain of a company of rangers, and many of the letters of Governor Dinwiddie in that stirring time were addressed to him. When the town of Staunton was incorporated in 1761, he was one of the board of trustees. In the same year he married Susanna Smith, of Hanover county. He represented Augusta in the House of Bur- gesses in 1766-1768-'9, and was probably a member from Botetourt in 1774. Upon the formation of Botetourt in 1767, he removed to that section, and was one of the first justices of that county. At the first court he qualified also as county surveyor, coroner, escheator and col- onel of militia. His residence was at a place called Greenfield, near Amsterdam. Fincastle county was formed in 1772, and Colonel Pres- ton became its first surveyor. In 1773, he acquired the Draper's Meadows estate, removed his family there in 1774, and changed the name to Smithfield. He intended to accompany Colonel William Christian in his march to the Ohio, in the fall of 1774, but was de- tained at home by his wife's condition. The child born to him at that time was James Preston, who became Governor of Virginia. In 1480, Colonel Preston was engaged with Colonel Arthur Campbell and Col- onel Christian in their respective expeditions against the Cherokees. The legislature of North Carolina included him with Colonel Camp- bell in a vote of thanks for their services in protecting the frontier. Throughout the war of the Revolution he was actively employed, holding important command in Southwest Virginia, and his official papers show that he was a man of more than ordinary culture. He died at Smithfield in 1783, leaving eleven children, of whom five were sons. One of his sons, General Francis Preston, married the only daughter of General William Campbell, and was the father of William C. Preston of South Carolina.
Colonel Preston was taken ill at a regimental muster, June 28, 1783, and died the following night. He was five feet, eleven inches in height, inclined to corpulency, of ruddy complexion, with light hair and hazel eyes. His wife survived till June 18, 1823, having lived a widow forty years.
Several full accounts of this numerous and prominent family are already in print, and therefore the subject is not pursued further here.
JOHN MCDOWELL, who was killed by Indians near the forks of James River in 1742, had two sons, Samuel and James, and a daughter, Martha, wife of Colonel George Moffett.
Samuel McDowell was born in 1733 .- In 1773 he was a member of the House of Burgesses from Augusta. There is reason to believe that he was captain of an independent company of rangers at the battle of Point Pleasant, in 1774. In 1775-6, he and Thomas Lewis represented Augusta in the State Convention. When Rockbridge was formed in 1777, he became a citizen of that county, his residence being there. In 1781, he commanded the battalion of Rockbridge militia at the battle of Guilford. In June of the same year, he was sworn in, at Staunton, as a member of the Governor's Council, Governor Nelson qualifying on the same day at the same place.
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At the close of the Revolutionary war, in 1783, Samuel McDowell removed to Kentucky with his wife and nine younger children, leaving two married daughters in Virginia. One of these daughters was the wife of Andrew Reid, the first clerk of Rockbridge County Court, and father of the late Col. Samuel McDowell Reid of Lexington. The other married daughter, whose name was Sally, was the first wife of Caleb Wallace of Charlotte county (subsequently of Botetourt), who was first a Presbyterian minister, then a lawyer, and finally a judge of the Supreme Court of Kentucky.
Samuel McDowell was one of the three judges of the First Ken- tucky Court (and is now generally known as Judge McDowell), president of nine conventions which met at Danville between December 27, 1784, and July 26, 1790, and president of the convention which framed the first constitution of Kentucky, in 1792. He died in 1817, aged eighty-four. His son, Dr. Ephraim McDowell, studied medicine with Dr. Humphreys, in Staunton, completed his professional educa- tion in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was very eminent as a surgeon. Among the numerous descendants of Judge McDowell were General Irvine McDowell, of the United States Army, General Humphrey Marshall, and the wife of James G. Birney, the "Liberty" candidate for President of the United States in 1840 and 1844.
James McDowell, son of John and Magdalene, had one son, also named James, the Colonel McDowell of 1812, and father of the late Governor James McDowell.
The wife of Judge Samuel McDowell was Mary McClung. Her brother, John, was the father of William McClung, who removed to Kentucky and became a judge of considerable distinction. He died in 1815. His wife was a sister of Chief Justice Marshall, and his sons, Colonel Alexander K. McClung and the Rev. John A. McClung, D. D., were highly distinguished. A brother of Judge McClung, the late Mr. Joseph McClung, lived and died ou Timber Ridge.
ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER, the Captain in the Sandy Creek expe- dition, first sheriff of Rockbridge, etc., was born in County Down, Ireland, in 1708, and there married his cousin, Margaret Parks. Their oldest child, a daughter, was born in Ireland, in 1735. Coming to America, in 1737, lie settled first at Nottingham, Pennsylvania, where four more children were born, including William, the oldest son. About the year 1747 the family came to the Valley and settled in Bor- den's grant, on Timber Ridge. The wife of Captain Alexander died in 1753. At the time of his wife's death, Captain Alexander was in Pennsylvania, having gone there, with John Houston, to present a call to the Rev. John Brown to become pastor of New Providence and Timber Ridge congregations. Before Mr. Brown's arrival, the cele- brated Samuel Davies visited the Valley and preached at Timber Ridge. No doubt to the surprise and dissatisfaction of the plain Scotch-Irish people of the Valley, Mr. Davies carried a gold-headed
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cane and wore a finger-ring, which had been presented to him in Eng- land. Most of the original members of New Providence and Timber Ridge churches, including Archibald Alexander, had been converted in Pennsylvania, under the preaching of George Whitefield, and were called " New Lights. " In 1757 he married his second wife, Jane Mc- Clure. Her children were five sons and three danghters. Of Archi- bald Alexander's children, six sons and six daughters became heads of families. The names of the sons were William, Joseph, John, James, Samuel and Archibald. The sou William married Agnes Ann Reid, and was the father of ten children, including the distinguished Rev. Dr. Archibald Alexander. The oldest daughter, Elizabeth, married John McClung, and was the mother of Margaret (or Elizabeth) wife of Robert Tate of Augusta, Judge William McClung and others. Mary, a daughter of Captain Alexander's second wife, married John Trimble, first, and afterwards Lewis Jordan.
The blessing of Abraham descended on Capt. Alexander .- His descendants are almost as countless as the stars. They embrace Alex- anders, McClungs, Tates, Stuarts, Paxtons, Moores, Steeles, Grahams, Campbells, Carutherses, Turners, Rices, McCrarys, Trimbles, Wilsons, Cummings, Scotts, Lyles, Doakes, &c., &c.
ROBERT ALEXANDER, the founder of the first classical school in the Valley, was a brother of Captain Archibald Alexander, and preceded the latter to America and to the Valley. He married, in Pennsylvania, Esther Beard. His children were-
1. William, who died in Rockbridge, in 1829, leaving children ; 2. Robert, who lived in Campbell county, and was clerk of the county court for many years, being succeeded in office by his son, and he by his son, both called Jack Alexander : 3. Peter, who, it is believed, went to the West ; 4. Hugh, who died unmarried ; 5. Jamies, who married Peggy Lyle, of Rockbridge, and removed to Greenbrier ; and danghters, Ann, Esther, Ellen and Sally. The last-named was the second wife of Colonel John Wilson, of Bath county.
WILLIAM WILSON and his wife, Barbara McKane, were married in Dublin, Ireland. They came to America about 1720, and settled at Forks of Brandywine, Chester county, Pennsylvania. At that place, their son John, mentioned above, was born, in December, 1732. In the fall of 1747, this family came to Augusta, and settled near New Providence church. John went to school to Robert Alexander, and became a skilful surveyor. The Rev. William Wilson, of Augusta, was a cousin of William Wilson and wrote his will.
In 1762, William Wilson and his family removed to Jackson's River, now Highland county, near Stony Run church. The next year they were assailed by a band of Indians, supposed to have been a part of those who perpetrated the first Kerr's Creek umassacre.
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After this Indian raid the Wilsons returned to the neighborhood of New Providence, and remained there till the close of the Revolu- tionary war, when they went back to Jackson's River. William Wilson died in March, 1795.
At the outbreak of the Revolution, John Wilson entered the mili- tary service, and he is said to have commanded a regiment of militia at the siege of Yorktown. Previous to the war he married Isabella Sea- wright, but she died childless in a short time. In December, 1785, he married Sally Alexander, daughter of his old teacher. He was one of the first justices of Bath, when that county was established, in 1791. His wife died in 1808, and he on the 21st of January, 1820.
The children of Colonel John Wilson were a son, William, born January 9, 1787, at the house of his grandfather, Robert Alexander ; and two daughters, Peggy, who married Mr. Hanna, of Greenbrier, and Esther, who married Major John Bolar, of Bath.
William Wilson, Jr., married Sally McClung. His children were John, who died unmarried ; Susan, who married Washington Stephen- son, and Sarah, who married Adam Stephenson, of Highland county.
GILBERT CHRISTIAN with his wife, three sons-John, Robert and William-and a daughter, Mary, landed at Newcastle, Pennsylvania, in 1726, and in 1732 removed to a spot near the site of Staunton, on Christian's Creek, giving his name to that stream. John Christian was a prominent citizen, and is repeatedly mentioned in the earlier pages of these Annals. He was one of the first Justices of the Peace, etc., etc. Robert married Isabella Tiffins, of the lower Valley, and is the ancestor of the Christians now living in the county. William is presumed to be the Capt. William Christian mentioned elsewhere as member of a "Council of War," in 1756. His wife was Mary Camp- bell, probably a sister of Arthur Campbell. Mary Christian married, first, John Moffett and became the mother of Col. George Moffett and others. She married, secondly, John Trimble, and became the mother of Capt James Trimble, of whom much remains to be said.
ISRAEL CHRISTIAN, a very prominent citizen of Augusta, is be- lieved to have been a nephew of Gilbert. He is said to have had some training in the mercantile business before he left Ireland. He came to Augusta in 1740, and was a prosperous merchant at Staunton for some years. He was a representative of Augusta in the House of Burgesses in 1759-'61. His wife was Elizabeth Stark. One of his daughters married Col. William Fleming ; one was the second wife of Caleb Wallace ; another married William Bowyer, of Botetourt ; and a fourth Colonel Stephen Trigg, of Kentucky. A county in Kentucky was named in honor of his son, William, and another for his son-in-law Trigg. He was the founder of the towns of Fincastle and Christians- burg.
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WILLIAM CHRISTIAN, son of Israel, was born in Augusta in 1743. He was a member of the House of Burgesses in 1774 (from Botetourt), and leaving Williamsburg he raised a company and has- tened to join General Andrew Lewis, but failed to overtake him till the night after the battle of Point Pleasant. In 1775 he was chosen Lieutenant-Colonel of the first Virginia regiment of which Patrick Henry was colonel. In 1776, however, he became colonel of the first battalion of Virginia militia, and commander of an expedition against tlie Cherokee Indians. The troops under his command consisted of two battalions from Virginia and one from North Carolina, which, with other men employed, composed an army of one thousand six hundred to one thousand eight hundred men. The campaign lasted about three months. Not one man was killed, and no one died. Tlie Indians fled at the approach of the army, but many of their towns were destroyed and their fields wasted. On the return of the army to the settlements, Fort Henry was built at Long Island, in the Holston, near the present Virginia State line, and supplies were taken to it from Rockbridge and Augusta counties. The fort was then supposed to be in Virginia.
In 1780 he commanded another expedition against the Cherokees. In 1781 he was appointed by General Green at the head of a commis- sion to conclude a treaty with the Indians, his Virginia associates be- ing Arthur Campbell, William Prestou and Joseph Martin. In 1785 he removed to Kentucky, and settled near Louisville. The year fol- lowing he and others pursued a party of marauding Indians across the Ohio river, and overtook two of them near the spot where Jefferson- ville, Indiana, now is. There he was shot and killed by one of the Indians, both of whom were instantly killed by Christian's compan- ions. His body was carried home, and the inscription on his tomb- stone states that he was killed April 9, 1786, aged 43. His wife was a sister of Patrick Henry. Colonel Bullitt, of Kentucky, was his son- in-law. His only son died while a youth.
CHAPTER V.
INDIAN WARS, &C., FROM 1756 TO 1758.
Although the preceding chapter closed so peacefully, the war was not over. In fact the worst part of it was still to come, and for eight years longer there was no peace on the frontiers, and no feeling of security by any of the white settlers west of the Blue Ridge.
It is impossible to relate a tenth part of all the stories of adventure during these stirring times which have come down to us. Many of these are of doubtful authority, and others founded on fact are so marred by mistakes as to time, place, etc., that they have to be omit- ted. Nobody appears to have cared or thought at the time of making a record of passing events, and in the course of a few generations oral tradition became contradictory and unreliable.
Governor Gilmer and other writers relate that the house of Col. John Lewis was assailed by Indians on one occasion when the sons and retainers of the family were absent. Though old and infirm, Colonel Lewis is said to have stationed himself at a port-hole and kept up a constant shooting at the Indians, whilst his wife reloaded the guns. His sons and servants hearing the report of guns returned home and drove the Indians off.
As related, this story is inconsistent with the authentic history of the times. It is not probable that any dwelling within two miles of Staunton was ever besieged or assailed by hostile Indians. We know, however, that before war had arisen, parties of Indians often traversed the country, calling at houses, and soliciting, and to some extent de- .manding, supplies, just as white " tramps " do now-a-days. Very likely, during this time, a party came to the house of Colonel Lewis, and becoming troublesome, the doors were closed, and guns fired to frighten them away.
Here we may give some particulars in regard to the sons of Colonel Lewis, all of whom were men of mark, and very conspicuous in the early times of the county.
Of Andrew Lewis we have already said much, and shall say much more in these Annals.
Thomas Lewis, the county surveyor, was disqualified for military service by defective vision, but was a man of culture and influence,
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and held various important positions. He was a member of the House of Burgesses and of the State Convention in 1775, and commissioner in 1777 to treat with the Indian tribes on the Ohio. He died October 31, 1790.
William Lewis is said by some of his descendants to have been a physician, while others deny or question the statement. According to Governor Gilmer's testimony, he was as powerful in person and brave in spirit as any of his brothers, but less disposed to seek fame by the sacrifice of human life. Says Governor Gilmer : "He served in the army only when required. He was an officer under Braddock, and wounded at his defeat. He was an elder in the Presbyterian church, of the old covenanting sort." His daughter, Mrs. Towles, describes him as eminently pious. She states that a man who overheard him at his devotions in a retired place, was deeply impressed by his prayer, became pious, and finally entered the ministry of the Methodist church. She had this incident from the person himself. Mrs. Lewis, wife of William Lewis, was originally a Miss Montgomery, of Philadelphia, it is said.
The fame of Charles Lewis, the youngest of the family, has come down to us as that of a hero of romance. From all accounts he was an admirable man, and if his life had not ended prematurely would have achieved great distinction. At an early age he was reported to be the most skilful of all the frontier Indian fighters. Once, it is said, hie was captured by Indians, whilst out hunting, and suffered the usual treatment at their hands, but made his escape. He was forced to go with the Indians many miles, barefoot, his arms pinioned behind him, and goaded on by knives. Upon coming to a high bank, he burst the cords which bound him and plunged down the steep into the bed of a stream. The Indians followed hini, but when his strength failed he fell among some tall weeds, and his pursuers failed to discover hin. Before he could rise and continue his flight, a new enemy was dis- covered. A rattlesnake was coiled near his face and apparently about to strike ; but on his remaining still, the reptile glided away.
During December, 1755, or earlier, Governor Dinwiddie planned an expedition against the Shawnee town supposed to be on the Ohio river, at or near the mouth of the Big Sandy. This expedition has been known as the "Sandy Creek Voyage." Washington did not approve of it, but at the request of the Governor, appointed Major Andrew Lewis to command. The distance from the settlements was too great, supplies for a large body of men could not be transported such a distance over so rugged a route, and the army could not find subsistence in the wilderness, and, moreover, it was doubtful whether
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