USA > West Virginia > Randolph County > A history of Randolph County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time > Part 18
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A HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY
lenix's. That brindle cow of hisn had two desput fine calves this mornin', and they're both of 'em dead, yes, they are, ah. The old woman she just sot down and cried, she did, and Suze, she was afeard to milk her, ye-as she wuz-ah, till Jess he drew her up in a corner and hilt her by the horns, then Suze she milked her, she did, and they wuz two turrible fine calves, yes, indeed, they wuz, so they wuz, ah.
A Sylvan Golgotha.
A Sylvan Golgotha was Porte Crayon's apt and poetic description of a "deadening." The appellation applies today to the entire forested area of the country. The destruction of our forests has been an improvident blunder and an economic sin. Large areas have been denuded, suited neither for graz- ing nor agriculture. Porte Crayon gives this description of an "improvement" as it impresses his poetic imagination.
"Savage and lonely as are these vast tracts of primitive forests, there is yet a virgin freshness in their haunts : a variety and affluence of natural life which relieves their monotony and charms away their solitude. But on issuing from the pillared aisles and verdant archways of nature's temples into a moun- tain, 'improvement,' one feels as if approaching the lair of some obscure and horrible dragon. Death, desolation, and decay are visible on every hand. Skeleton forests, leafless, lifeless, weather-beaten, and fire blasted: heaps of withered branches, split rail fences, warped and rotten; in the midst of a space from whence every green thing and graceful form has been banished. "
Trout Fishing.
"Thus am I teased, my vision pleased, Commingling sport with idle wishing, Time moves as if his wheels were greased, While half dreaming sit, half fishing.
Strothers and his party are now on Gandy, a tributary of the Dry Fork, and at that time teeming with the vermillion
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spotted, salmon tinted trout. The explosion of a stone be- neath a fisherman's coffee pot and frying pan, while not on the program, when it does occur, adds zest and excitement to piscatorial pleasures and largely compensates for the loss sus- tained. In this case it supplied an interesting incident for Porte Crayon's pen and pencil. He gives the following nar- rative of the ludicrous incident :
"Pleased with the idea of cooking our own meal, we soon raised a fire whose smoke circled above the tree tops. I was detailed to make the coffee while the Major superintended the preparation of the fish. The Major discoursed with the assurance of an expert and sliced his middling with a certain affectation of nicety which impressed his assistants with the idea of his profound science. Laying a cut on one of the heat- ing stones, he exclaimed. 'It is just in trim. Now boys bring your trout !' The scullions hastened to obey the order, each bearing a tin platter with a dozen selected fish. The chief picked them off with a forked stick and daintily arranged them side by side in the bubbling fat.
"A tall mountaineer, on an absurd little horse, who had stopped in the road to look at us, now approached with gaping countenance and outstretched neck, as if deeply interested in the proceedings.
"'My friend, won't you 'light and take dinner with us?'
"'No,' said the fellow bluntly, 'I don't want none of your victuals, but I'm cur'us to see ye cook them fish.'
"'Just wait a moment then,' said the culinary director with a complacent wink, 'and you'll see something to surprise you.'
"At the word there was an explosion like that of a ten- pound shell : a fragment of a cooking stove whizzed by the spectator's head and a hot trout slapped him in the face. 'Heavens,' he shouted, 'I've seen enough!' and putting whip to his horse he started up the road at full speed. Then in quick succession there followed a whole battery of explosions, sending stones, fish, firebrands and tinware in every direction, some cutting through the branches of the adjacent trees, oth- ers sizzed into the stream : the horses broke loose and scam-
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A HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY
pered away ; the cook and attendants dodged behind trees or scampered after the horses. I deftly dropped behind a syca- more log, creeping under the opposite side where I remained during the bombardment. I had been watching the coffee, and after the firing ceased, ventured to raise my head above the log parapet to look after my charge. Its place was vacant, but I saw the pot overturned near the margin of the stream some twenty yards off.
".Hello, Laureate! Are you all safe and do you think it's over?'
"I saw the Major peeping from behind a large maple with a queer expression as if he was undetermined whether to laugh or swear. As the fire was pretty well scattered and not a trace of our cooking visible, I thought we might leave cover and so we did.
"Searching land and water and branches of trees we recovered most of our tinware, dented and battered, but still available for all purposes. The actual loss consisted of two dozen trout and a boiler of coffee. Nevertheless, it behooved the Major to explain the result of his cooking arrangements, which he did in this wise: 'For the sake of shape and clean- liness we selected stones from the bed of the stream: they contained cells filled with water, which as they became heated, generated steam and blew everything to pieces.' Agustus plucked up :
" I've seen flying fish in Barnum's museum, but scarcely expected to see flying fish in the mountains."
".Pepper away, pepper away, young gentlemen ; but mind your work and don't let the dinner lag. Without accident you will find the receipt a good one.'
"Said I, 'It will appear in the cookery books as a "sauté" of trout with capers, furnished by an officer of the United States Artillery.'
"'Bravo, Laureate! excellent! Now,' said the annoyed chief,handing me a hot fish on a biscuit, 'put that under your ribs and then comment on my receipt.'
"The hot stones had been again heated and cooked our fish very quietly. Their flavor fully justified the Major's
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boasts, and we made a delightful meal, all the merrier because of the preliminary misadventure.
"Expanded by a dozen or more of his brownest specimens, a stiff toddy and an excellent cup of coffee, the culinary chief answered all our rallying good naturedly and even kept his temper when the Dry Forker stopped to gibe at us on his re- turn.
" 'I say men, is them fish done yit?'
"Dick asked him how he liked the specimen he got.
".It was something hotter than I ginerally take 'em,' said he facetiously, 'and then instead of bread ye gim me a stone, which is agin scripter, haint hit?'
"'Oh, you didn't quote scripture as you rode off a while ago,' rejoined Dick. 'But get down and we will give you the receipt for cooking the fish which you can teach to your wife.'
".Excuse me mister, my wife don't want none of your receipts for blowin' up things ; she's got a way of her own which is more convenient.'
"'Come neighbor, 'light and be sociable,' said the Major, holding up his flask in an insinuating manner.
".Now that's the kind of talk I understand,' said the na- tive, dismounting and joining our party. 'Gentlemen, here's luck!' and when the drink was swallowed he seated himself upon the log and laughed long and loud. . Well for all the world I'd like to know what was in them devlish stones.'
"The Major explained everything to his satisfaction, in return for which he told us his name was Roy. We engaged to visit him and said he, as he took leave, I'll show you how to cook 'em without blowin' your head off." "
Poetic Pleasure.
Anyone who cast a line in "Gandy's amber waters" a half of a century ago will appreciate this stanza of Strother's:
"On an afternoon in blooming June, I sit by Gandy's amber water
'Mid vernal bowers and scented flowers, And trout in plenty to be caught there.
A HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY
Rhetorical Dry Fork.
Here is a poetic description of Dry Fork by Porte Crayon that merits preservation :
"Brawling brooks ofcie tumbling down from the wooded hills. full of noisy confidence, like provincial capitalists rush- ing into Wall Street to find themselves 'sucked up' ere they can find a puddle deep enough to float a trout. Thoughtless Little cascades, tri ping and skipping through thorny bowers, jumping down from moss clai ledges, and are lost before they reach the channel. So they come, che after another, like joy- ous children with their dimpled faces and tinkling voices. sinking to death an ! silence in this cruel sepulchre. Oh re- morseless grave, t whose dark prison the Moveliness, the mu- stc, and the Ities of earth are ever hastening. when shall thy rarening cease. or when thy mystenes be revealedd:
"At certain points, by placing the ear close to the house stones which form the river's bed. ire may hear por immagine we hear, the whispering and meaning of the Most waters deep down below, as if the Ware stream was dragging its innocent captives through subterranean passages t some deeper. darker prison. Then again, the Dry Fork is not always a val- ley of dry bones, for + metimes during the season of melims snowes we affer ne of these diluvial thunder showers commen in this region, the silent, grinning skeleton awakens to life and comes down rearing and foaming like a manias broke Those. For a day or two the stream is dangerous and im- passable, then sinks again into its deathlike trance."
A HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY
CHAPTER AV. MISCELLANEOUS.
Trial by Fist and Skull.
IN the earlier bi 1' 1 the delays and
1 4
cies of the la
of title on land and
Church in Hottonsville D . Ta
and made a clearing. by virtue of
tignous bottom. John and William White
also. The White brothers pompise Ito settle the
resort to a Eghi. Es: and skall. M- Warwick Feari === re-
sul- traded lands with Andrew Crouch. why
title by accepting the challenge of the other al
Crouch met and vanquished William White who accepted
resul: with satisfaction and Mr. White and M. came close friends Tobe White was killed -
1 --
Point Pleasant and William White fell a victim
1
-avagery in what is now Toshoe County
Major Andrew Crouch.
Price's History of Pocahontas Obenty records the follow- ing interesting remmissences of Major Andrew Coach:
"In a visit to Major Andrew Crouch May. 1857. this aged man related a reminiscence of bis boyhood. "When he was six years old his father took ha
corn Seld and while the father worked the little b the fence. One of his macles came to in creat the news that Lewis Caran ( Kimman) and three
just been killed by the Indians The Croaches Harried their
families to the home of James Warwick, apt far from where the Old Brick Church stood In their Harm e Crouch booth-
-
Ne
Lamed the coz-
-
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A HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY
ers and Warwick seized their guns to go to help the families exposed to the Indians farther up the river ; they neglected to barricade the fort, and so the little boy and the two little girls went out to the branch. While the little boy was washing the blood from his face, caused by his nose bleeding, the little girls became frightened and without saying anything, ran back into the fort and left him alone. When his bleeding stopped he went back and found the fort barricaded. The Crouch brothers had been met by some persons from the lower fort, took them along, and so their wives and children were left to themselves at Warwick's to make the best they could of a perilous situation.
"When the boy, Andrew Crouch, came to the fort, he heard his aunt in a loud voice giving orders as if there was quite a number of men in the fort, when in fact the force con- sisted of three white women and one colored man and wife and some little children. An Indian climbed to the roof of the fort buildings after night and set it on fire. The colored man put it out. Then the stable was fired. The black man said they should not burn the horse. He went out and carefully approached the place. Seeing an Indian by the light he shot at him and let the horse out and safely returned to the fort. He dared the Indians to come on and as there seemed to be but two or three that showed themselves it seems they were not disposed to storm the loud but little garrison.
"When the barn burned down and became dark the col- ored woman insisted on leaving the fort and giving the alarm farther down. She was allowed to do so and the next day the men came up and moved all farther down. Then the little boy and eight of the others went to bury the dead, Lewis Kinnan and the three children. He says no one wept nor did any feel afraid while the funeral was going on.
"After the burial the men seeing no signs of Indians be- lieved they had withdrawn and so they disbanded. But late in the evening an Indian killed Frank Riffle near where the Brick Church stood and burned two houses not far away be- longing to James Lackey. Major Crouch remembers seeing Lackey not long after the battle of Point Pleasant. He could show the rock on which Lackey sat and sung a war song,
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then very popular among the mountaineers, in commemor- ation of the battle of Point Pleasant, that eventful struggle.
"In subsequent years Mr. Warwick moved to Ohio and rewarded his faithful negro with his freedom for his gallantry in saving the fort and the property. This Mr. Warwick was the ancestor of the Ohio Congressman of that name who, rep- resented Mckinley's district a few years ago."
Lackey's war song was as follows:
Let us mind the tenth day of October, Seventy four, which caused woe, The Indian savages did cover The pleasant banks of the Ohio.
The battle beginning in the morning, Throughout the day it lasted sore Until the evening shades were turning down Upon the banks of the Ohio.
Judgment proceeds to execution, Let fame through all ages go, Our heroes fought with resolution Upon the banks of the Ohio.
Seven score lay dead and wounded Of champions that did face the foe, By which the heathen were confounded Upon the banks of the Ohio.
Elk Horns Found.
In 1913, Chas. Collett discovered Elk horns in a cave or sink on the Pritt farm, at the head of Files Creek, that measured eight feet from tip to tip. The horns and the skele- ton of the animal were in a good state of preservation. The sink was about twenty feet deep and its sides almost perpen- dicular. The animal probably fell into the cave and perished from the fall or starvation.
The Formation of Randolph County.
Randolph County was formed from Harrison by act of the Virginia Assembly, October, 1786. The following is a copy of the act :
I. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEM- BLY, That from and after the first day of May one thousand
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A HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY
.
seven hundred and eighty seven, the county of Harrison shall be divided into two distinct counties, that is to say, so much of the said county lying on the southeast of the following lines, beginning at the mouth of Sandy Creek, thence up Ty- ger's Valley to mouth of Buchanan river, thence up the said river including all the waters thereof to the Greenbrier line, shall be one distinct county, and called and known by the name of Randoiph and the residue of said county shall retain the name of Harrison. A court for the said county of Randolph, shall be held by the justices thereof on the fourth Monday in every month after the said division shall take place, in such manner as is provided by law for other counties and shall be by their commissioners directed. The justices to be named in the commission of the peace for the said county of Randolph shall meet at the house of Benjamin Wilson, in Tyger's Val- ley, in the said county, upon the first court day, after the said division shall take place, and having taken the oath of office to, and taken bond of the sheriff, according to law, proceed to appoint and qualify a clerk, and fix upon a place for holding courts in said county, at or as near the center thereof as the situation and convenience will admit of; and thenceforth the said court shall proceed to erect the necessary public build- ings at such place. and until such buildings be completed to appoint any place for holding courts as they may think proper. Provided always, That the appointment of a place for holding courts, and of a clerk, shall not be made unless a majority of the justices of said county be present, where such, majority shall have been prevented from attending by bad weather, or their being at the time out of the county, in such case the appointment shall be postponed until some court day when a majority shall be present. The Governor with the advice of the council, shall appoint a person to be first sheriff of the said county, who shall continue in office during the term, and upon the same conditions, as is by law appointed for other sheriffs. It shall be lawful for the sheriff of the said county of Harrison to collect and make distress for any public dues or office fees, which shall remain unpaid by the inhabitants there- of at the time such division shall take place, and shall be ac-
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countable for the same in like manner as if this act had not been made. The court of the said county of Harrison shall have jurisdiction of all actions and suits in law or equity, de- pending before them at the time of said division, and shall try and determine the same, issue, process, and award execution thereon.
HI. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the court of the said county of Harrison, shall account for and pay to the said county of Randolph, all such sums of money as shall or may be paid by the inhabitants of the said county of Ran- dolph, toward defraying the expense of erecting a court house and other public buildings in the said county of Harrison. In all elections of a senator, the said county of Randolph, shall be of the same district with the said county of Harrison.
The Whiskey Insurrection.
In the year of 1794, there occurred in the Monongalia Val- ley and adjacent territory, a series of acts in resistance to the Federal Revenue Laws, known in history as the "Whiskey Insurrection." Upon the recommendation of Alexander Ham- ilton, Secretary of the Treasury, Congress passed an Act, tak- ing effect June 30, 1791, that there should be paid on every gallon of spirits distilled in the United States, duties ranging from 9 to 25 cents. There was great dissatisfaction with this provision and Western Pennsylvania determined to resist its enforcement, and endeavored to secure the co-operation of Monongalia, Ohio, Harrison, and Randolph counties. This conflict between government officials and the distillers has found expression in violence and bloodshed in the mountain districts of the Southern States for more than a century. The incident is of historical interest as it was the first test of the efficiency of the general government in dealing with the oppo- sition to the enforcement of Federal laws as well as indicating the trend of public sentiment toward the nullification of such laws by sections and states.
Governor Lee, of Virginia, sent a circular letter to Hon. Thomas Wilson of Morgantown. The following reply was borne to the Governor by an express rider. William McCleary
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A HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY
or McCreery was the first prosecuting attorney of Randolph County and married Barbara, daughter of Michael See.
Colonel McCreery's letter to Governor Lee was as fol- lows :
Morgan Town, Va. 28th of Aug. 1794.
Sirs :
Your express arrived here today with sundry letters ad- dressed to the care of Thomas Wilson, who happened not to be at home: thinking it right (in this alarming time) I re- ceived the papers & Passed a receipt for them. Mr. Wilson will be at home tomorrow & no doubt will send them instantly forward to their address.
We are all in this, Harrison & Randolph counties in Peace & also Ohio with some exceptions : a state of neutrality is all we are able to support. and indeed, we are in this town much threatened now for lying still by our Powerful neigh- bors. However I trust we will support it until the Govern- ment takes steps to bring about Peace -- the Commissioners who attended at Pittsburg, by order of the President of the United States, and also by the order of the Governor of Penn- sylvania, but nothing has yet transpired that can be relied upon : a Committee of 12 men from the insurgents met them, and it is reported that no terms but the repeal of the Excise Law will be accepted by the People-however this is only re- port. I am in heast Sir.
Your Excellency's Obedient Servant, William McCreery.
Mr. McCreery had become a citizen of Monongalia sev- eral years previous to this incident.
Randolph Representatives in the Assembly of Virginia, 1782-1865.
Below are given the names of the Representatives, Del- egates and Senators from Randolph County in the General Assembly of Virginia from 1782 to 1865, a period of eighty- three years. The senatorial and delegate districts were often changed and the name is given of the Delegate or Senator of
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A HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY
the district of which Randolph was a part. This, also, applies to the representatives from Monongalia at the time the pres- ent territory of Randolph formed a part of that county.
Senators.
Thomas Wilson 1793
John Haymond 1798
Thomas Wilson
1803
Phillip Dodridge
1806
James Pindall
1811
Noah Zane
1814
Geo. I. Davisson
1818
Edwin S. Duncan
1822
Chas. S. Morgan
1826
John J. Allen 1830
Chas. S. Morgan 1831
Richard Watts
1833
Francis Billingsley
1836
William J. Willey
1839
John S. Carlisle 1847
Albert G. Reger
1852
Lewis Steenrod 1854
Albert G. Reger 1856
John Brannon 1858
Delegates from District Including Randolph.
Benjamin Wilson 1782
Geo. Jackson 1786
Johnathan Parsons 1788
Johnathan Parsons and Cornelius Bogard 1789
Cornelius Bogard and Abraham Claypoole 1790
John Haddan and Cornelius Bogard 1792
John Haddan and Abraham Claypoole
1793
Robert Green and Cornelius Bogard
1795
Robert Green and John Chenoweth 1796
Adam See and John Haddan 1798
William B. Wilson and John Haddan
1799
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A HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY
Adam See and William B. Wilson 1801
John Haddan and William B. Wilson 1803
John Haddan and Mathew Whitman 1804
William Wilson and William Ball 1805
William Wilson and Jacob Kittle 1806
William Marteney and Nicholas Gibson 1807
Adam See and William Marteney 1810
William Marteney and James Booth 1811
Edwin S. Duncan and William Marteney 1813
John M. Hart and William Marteney 1814
Adam See and William Marteney 1815
Adam See and William Daniels 1816
Isaac Booth and William Marteney 1817
Samuel Ball and Isaac Booth 1820
Daniel Hart and William Marteney 1821
Isaac Booth and William Marteney 1822
Isaac Booth and Adam See 1823
William Daniels and William Marteney 1824
Robert Crum and William Marteney 1826
William Daniels and Isaac Booth 1827
Joseph Hart and William Daniels 1828
Benjamin Dolbear and Adam Myers
1829
Joseph Hart and Isaac Booth
1830
Joseph Hart 1831
Isaac Booth 1833
William Marteney
1835
William C. Haymond
1837
Henry Sturms
1838
Samuel Elliott
1841
Henry Sturms
1843
Washington J. Long
1846
Henry Sturms
1847
David Goff
1849
Chas. S. Hall
1850
Henry Sturms 1851
John Taylor 1852
John Phares 1854
Dr. Squire Bosworth 1856
Jacob Conrad 1858
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A HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY
Samuel Crane 1860
B. W. Crawford 1864
John and Benjamin Wilson represented Randolph County in the Constitutional Convention of 1788.
Adam See represented Randolph County in the Constitu- tional Convention of 1830.
John N. Hughes was a delegate from Randolph to the Constitutional Convention which met at Richmond, Va., in 1861. He was succeeded by Jacob W. Marshall, after his death on the Rich Mountain battle field.
Josiah Simmons represented Randolph County in the Constitutional Convention which convened at Wheeling, No- vember 26, 1861. This was the convention to form a consti- tution for the new state.
First Auditor of West Virginia from Randolph.
Joseph Hart, Milton Hart and W. J. Drummond were the delegates from Randolph to the first State Convention of Union men, held at Parkersburg, W. Va., May 6, 1863. Sam- uel Crane, of Randolph County, A. I. Boreman, of Wood County, and Peter Van Winkle, also of Wood, were presented to the convention by their friends for the nomination for Gov- ernor. No nomination was made on first ballot as neither as- pirant received a majority of the votes cast. Before the sec- ond ballot was taken, Mr. Crane withdrew his name and Mr. Boreman was nominated. Mr. Crane was then unanimously nominated for State Auditor.
Samuel Crane, the first Auditor of West Virginia was born in Richmond, Va. When a mere boy he moved to Tuck- er County, where he grew to manhood. He married a lady near Richmond, Va., and moved to Randolph County. He practiced law at Beverly until the breaking out of the Civil War, when he became active in politics. His wife died in Wheeling in 1863 and in 1866 he moved to Missouri to as- sume the management of the family and property of a de- ceased brother. Soon after going to Missouri he entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church.
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