USA > West Virginia > Braxton County > History of Braxton County and central West Virginia > Part 38
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continue with names of the children -- Sarah married Jaeob Zinn, Mary mar- ried John Fairfax, Charles married Charlotte Ash, Thomas married Rebecca Dorsey, John never married, and Elizabeth married Arehibald Anderson.
Peyton Byrne was born near Dumfries, Va., his wife undoubtedly being from the same place, and they were married there. Their children were eight in number, as follows: John B. married Ann Haymond, Samuel married Eliza- beth Low, and died on Salt Liek Creek; Thomas and Peyton Buckner went to . Kentucky where they settled and reared the family of that name in that State; Charles died at home; Naney married Wilson Haymond; Elizabeth married Jesse Arnold of Harrison eounty ; and Mary died unmarried.
John B. Byrne died July 8, 1846, and his wife, Ann Haymond Byrne, died December 25, 1846. The children of this union were William H., quite promi- nent in the early history of this country; John P. also was a prominent figure in the early organization of the county, he having been one of the first deputy sheriffs under John Clifton. He was later County Clerk, and died Feb. 2, 1860. He married Sabina C. Sterrett April 3, 1845. To this union were born Mar- garet A., wife of J. M. Boggs; John, Andrew, Amelia and Effie. His second wife was Jane Hamilton, and to this union were born Rebecea, wife of James Taylor Frame, Charles Y., and Peyton. The two surviving children of John P. Byrne are John Byrne of Sutton, of the first marriage, and Peyton Byrne of Washington, D. C., by the second marriage.
The children of this family who have been honored by elective offices in "Braxton were John who was elected Sheriff ; Charles Y. Byrne was elected Cir- cuit Clerk of the county for three terms, and at the time of his death was in office. We doubt whether any man ever lived in Braxton who had more friends than he. Peyton Byrne represented his county in the Legislature for one term.
The other children of John B. Byrne were Roena H., married Jas. R. Dyer; Benjamin W., well known by all throughout the state; Marcellus, Tom M., Thaddeus, Miranda, Sarah E. Dunlap, Maria Darlington, and Mary A., who married Judge Homer A. Holt.
John Byrne married Franeis Catherine Squires, daughter of the late Nor- man B. and Rheuma Squires, and to this union were born Sabina C., wife of the late Joel S. Berry, Norman, Ella, wife of Dr. M. T. Morrison; John Peyton, Guy (deceased), Chas. M., Russel (deceased), Mamie, wife of John Newlon ; Robert, Hugh, Ethel, George Coble and Clarence.
CHARLES BYRNE.
Charles Byrne was an early settler on Salt Lick. He married Temperanee Gibson, and moved to Illinois many years ago.
BENJAMIN WILSON BYRNE.
Benjamin Wilson Byrne was born May 16, 1820, near Burnsville, in Lewis (now Braxton eounty) Virginia. He was the son of John B. Byrne and Ann
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Haymond Byrne. His ancestors settled in Prince William county, Virginia, in 1720. Early in the last century his father moved to and settled in what was then Harrison (now Braxton county). His family connections were numerous, and among them were the Haymonds, Wilsons, Camdens, Holts and other dis- tinguished families who adorned the history of Virginia and later West Vir- ginia. He was well educated and studied law at the famous law school of Judge Lucas P. Thompson in Staunton, Va. In 1848, almost as soon as he was licensed to practice law, he was elected to the legislature from the district composed of Braxton, Lewis and Gilmer, the same territory now covering Calhoun, Upshur, half of Clay and half of Webster, and portions of Barbour and Ritchie, a grand constituency. He served in the session of 1848-49, and in the extra session of 1849, called to revise the code.
In 1849, he married Mary Louisa Holt, daughter of Jonathan Holt, and sister of the late Hon. Homer A. Holt, of the Supreme bench, and also of Mrs. T. B. Camden of Parkersburg. He was again elected to the legislature in 1857 from the counties of Braxton and Nicholas, and in that year he had the new county of Clay carved out of Kanawha, Braxton and Nicholas. He served in another session in 1858.
Colonel Byrne's children surviving him are Mrs. J. C. Given of Canton, Ohio ; Mrs. J. M. Boggs of Big Otter, this state; Mrs. M. W. Venable, Mrs. Olin White, George Byrne and W. E. R. Byrne of Charleston. These and their children and his devoted widow will mourn him and revere his memory as a beloved husband and an unselfish and ever kind father, while this city and state will always honor the memory of his useful and honorable life. His death occurred at Charleston in September, 1903.
W. E. R. BYRNE.
W. E. R. Byrne was born Oct. 26, 1862, at Ft. Defiance, Va. His father, Benjamin W. Byrne, was a native of Braxton county, and his mother, Mary L. Holt, was born at Beaver, Pa. His grandparents were John B. Byrne and Anne Haymond.
Mr. Byrne was married June 12, 1889, to Amanda Austin, and their chil- dren are George A., Marie L., Barbara Linn, Charlotte and Wm. E. R., Jr. W. E. R. Byrne served as Prosecuting Attorney from 1893 to 1897, and moved to Charleston Jan. 1, 1897, where he now resides.
Mr. Byrne is a man of sterling character, a safe councilor and a strong ad- vocate. He formed a partnership with G. R. Linn, and they have a lucrative and extensive practice in Charleston.
SAMUEL. J. CLAWSON.
Any history of the Methodist Protestant church without the name of Sam- uel J. Clawson, would be incomplete. He was one of the noted pioneer preach- ers in Central West Virginia. Ile preached the word without fear or favor
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and could meet and put to flight the boldest and most daring skeptic ; he roamed the mountains and searched the valleys for sinful men to call them to repent- ence. At times in his preaching he would reach such a climax in the denuncia- tion of sin that it seemed like a thunderbolt from the sky. Rev. Clawson was born in Pennsylvania and was the son of a Revolutionary soldier. He began preaching in 1834 in his native state, but for many years his labors were in West Virginia, where he was universally beloved.
RUSH CONRAD.
Rush Conrad, son of A. R. and Lydia E. Conrad, and grandson of John and Rachel Conrad, was born March 25, 1820, at Bulltown. He was married Nov. 16, 1843, to Lydia E. Singleton. He was a farmer, and a member of the Baptist Church.
JOHN CHENOWETH.
John Chenoweth was a Revolutionary soldier and his record in the war de- partment is that he was in the battle of Brandywine. He was born November 15th, 1755; he lived in Randolph county, where he died and was buried near Elkins. His descendants placed a monument at his grave. There his son Robert was born July 4th, 1782. He married Edith, daughter of Capt. John Skidmore; they moved to the Holly river and settled on the big bottom known as the Skidmore farm, and afterward moved to the Elk river, not far from Frametown. Mrs. Chenoweth was born September 15th, 1788; they spent the last years of their lives on the Westfork in Roane county, where they are buried.
Their son David W. Chenoweth was born November 22, 1831, in Randolph county, Virginia, and came to the IIolly river with his parents in his fourth year. He relates that he rode horse back with his mother and part of the time she carried him in her lap. He remembers crossing the Little Kanawha river at Bulltown; the river was swollen and one of Mr. Haymond's colored men set them over in a canoe. Mr. Chenoweth married a Miss Mollohan and reared a large family. He is now, 1918, living at his old home on the Westfork in his 87th year.
The children of Robert and Edith Skidmore Chenoweth were Susana, Rachael, Leah, Anna, Emma, Edith, Ira S., Sarah J., Isaac R., James and David W. David, the youngest and only one living, enjoys the distinction of being one of two living grand children of John Chenoweth, the Revolutionary soldier, the other being Calvin Hart of Randolph county. Also he and Delilah Cogar are the only living grand children of Capt. John Skidmore, who was wounded at the battle of Point Pleasant.
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REV. CURTIS W. CHENOWETII.
Rev. Curtis W. Chenoweth, son of William North and Ann H. Stump Chenoweth, was born in Gilmer county, West Virginia. He attended the public schools and began teaching when quite young. So rapid was his progress in learning that he determined to acquire an education, but before going away to school he married Jessie Rider, daughter of Benjamin and Julia Hyer Rider, and he and his young wife attended school for a few months, then he began preaching and was appointed to the Rosedale circuit by the Conference of the M. E. Church. After serving that charge for one or two years, he took work near Buckhannon, where he and his wife for the next five years attended school at the Seminary. Later he graduated with high honors at Harvard University, at the same time filling a pastorate in Cambridge, and after his graduation he held the chair of oratory in Harvard. Recently he resigned all his work and joined the U. S. army and was made Chaplin of the 302nd Mass. Field Artillery and ranks as First Lieutenant.
Lieut. Chenoweth descended from Revolutionary stock; his great, great grand father John Chenoweth served in Gen. Washington's army, and on his maternal side his great grand mother Edith Chenoweth was a daughter of Capt. John Skidmore of the Revolutionary army. His mother descended from Major George Stump, also of Revolutionary fame.
THE CAMDEN FAMILY.
There were three brothers who came over from England, namely: Richard, John and Henry. Henry settled in lower Maryland, married and had three children, Joseph, Hester and Susan. He married a second time a widow named Shrievner, who had a daughter by a former marriage, and she married Joseph Camden. Their issue was eight children.
REV. HENRY B. CAMDEN.
Rev. Henry B. Camden was born May 4, 1773, and married Jan. 8, 1793, to Mary Belt Sprigg, daughter of Major Frederic Sprigg and Deborah Wood- ward. Their issue was ten children: Debby, Frederie, John Shrievner, Joseph Hill, Lenox Martin, Gideon Draper, Lorenzo Dow, Richard Pindal, Minerva Weems, Eliza Pool. Rev. Henry Camden was granted license to celebrate the rites of matrimony by the Harrison County Court, June, 1807, and for some time was a eircuit rider in the M. E. Church. He served the church at Buck- hannon, since known as Carper's church. He and his wife were buried at Jacksonville, Lewis county.
JOHN SHRIEVNER CAMDEN.
John Shrievner Camden was born Sept. 15, 1798, in Montgomery county, Md., and married Nancy Newlon, daughter of Wm. and Sarah Furr Newlon, Feb. 20, 1825, issue, fourteen children: Wm. H., Johnson Newlon, Thomas
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Bland, Mary B., Sarah E., Harriet, Richard, Ann, Edwin D., Wm. D., Lorenzo Dow, Amanda E., Mary Matilda, and John Scribner.
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Mr. Camden settled in Sutton in 1837, and was a prominent man in the affairs of the county. He represented the county in the Virginia Legislature two terms, 1845-1846, for Lewis, Gilmer and Braxton counties, and served in various capacities as an official of the county. For many years, kept a public tavern on the corner of Main and Bridge streets in Sutton where most of the children were born. He died in Weston, May 25, 1862, and his wife died Feb. 18th, 1862. They were buried at Weston, Lewis county, this state.
JOHNSON N. CAMDEN.
Hon. Johnson Newlon Camden was born in Collins Settlement, Lewis county, W. Va., March 6th, 1828. His parents were John S. and Nancy New- lon Camden. Mr. Camden, about the time of the formation of the county of Braxton, in 1836, removed to Sutton, where he rcared his family and continued to reside until the Civil war broke out. Johnson N., the subject of this sketch, at the age of 14, went to Weston and entered the service of the County Clerk for one ycar. He then attended the North-Western Academy for three years. The following year was spent as Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court of Braxton county, with his uncle, Wm. Newlon. He then received an appointment as Cadet at West Point Military Academy, but remained only through half the course. His mind being directed toward the law, he was in 1851 admitted to the Bar, and was soon thereafter made Prosecuting Attorney for Braxton coun- ty and subsequently of Nicholas county. In 1853, Mr. Camden settled in Wes- ton, and became Assistant Cashier of the Old Exchange Bank of Virginia. In 1857, he turned his attention to the manufacture of oil from Cannel coal, and later to the oil field at Burning Springs, on the Little Kanawha river. It was here that Mr. Camden's great financial talent, his close application to business, was displayed. It was there that he so wisely laid the foundation for a great fortune. Mr. Camden did more than any other man to develop the natural resources of the great State of West Virginia. About 1875 he assisted in building the narrow guage road from Clarksburg to Weston, thence to Buck- hannon, and afterwards he was associated with Henry G. Davis and others in building the West Virginia Central. The railroad from Wheeling to Hunting- ton was projected and built through Mr. Camden's resources and energy. The road from Buckhannon to Pickens, and from Clarksburg to Richwood and also to Sutton, and other lines aggregating about 500 miles, was projected and built by Mr. Camden, and known as the Camden System. In all the large enterprises, involving millions of capital, Mr. Camden has either acted as President or as one of the directing minds in the direction of the business. Mr. Camden was twice elected to the United States Senate, by the Democratic party of West Virginia. In statesmanship he displayed that same careful and wise policy that characterizes his great business carcer. In 1858 Senator Camden married
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Anna, the daughter of the late George W. Thompson, of Wheeling, and his two surviving children are Johnson N. Camden, late Senator from Kentucky, and the wife of General B. D. Spillman, of Parkersburg.
EDWIN D. CAMDEN.
Edwin D. Camden was born March 30th, 1840, and married Elizabeth married Lee Jack; Anna, died; Kate, married Burk Hall; Minnie, married married Lee Jack; Anna, died; Kate, married Burk Hall; Minnie, married James Morrison ; Flora, married Bedford Jones ; Bessie, married Ralph Holden.
E. D. Camden was captain of Company "C," 25th Virginia Infantry Vol- unteers, He served the entire period of the Civil war, and saw much hard ser- viee under the command of Stonewall Jackson, also in prison where he was exposed to the fire of his own men. Captain Camden by occupation is a farmer, and is a member of the Baptist churchi.
WILSON CUTLIP.
Wilson Cutlip, son of Dr. Samuel Cutlip, married Lucinda Sutton Berry, daughter of William Berry. Their children were Newton, Elizabeth, Catherine, Jane, Samuel, James E., John, Joel, Abel and Theodosia. Two children died in infancy. He owned a fine farm on Cedar Creek. Mr. Cutlip died in ..-- , and Mrs. Cutlip married Win, Burk, and after his death she married for her third husband Messenger. She survived the death of Mr. Messenger an died in her 88th year. She was a woman of sturdy qaulities and exemplary in character.
Dr. Samuel Cutlip with his wife, whose maiden name was Williams, moved in an early day from Greenbrier county, Virginia, to Braxton county, then Randolph county, and settled on the Little Kanawha river, where he acquired valuable lands. He afterward moved to Cedar creek and made his home near the three forks of that stream. His possessions there proved to be very valua- ble. He farmed and practiced medicine until his death. His children were, Addison, Williams and Wilson, which sons all reared large families.
JAMES E. CUTLIP,
James E., son of Wilson and Lueinda Berry Cutlip, and grandson of Dr. Samuel Cutlip, one of the pioneer settlers of Central West Virginia, was born at Cutlipville, Braxton county, November 23rd, 1864, brought up on a farm, he learned those habits of energy and industry so essential to a successful life. After attending the public schools, he spent three years in the West Virginia University, and for three years he was Principal of the Public Schools of Rip- ley, Jackson county, and for one year was Principal of the Public Schools of Rip- of Ravenswood. He studied law in the offices of Warren Miller, Congressman from the Fourth Distriet, He was admitted to the Bar, and practiced in Jack-
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son, moving to Braxton county in 1893. He was twice elected Prosecuting At- torney of Braxton county, and in 1917, was appointed by Governor Cornwell, Pardon Attorney for the State. On March 28, 1898, he was united in marriage to Miss Maude Lambert. To this union were born six children, Eldridge, Rich- ard, Edwin, Katharine, Jean and Thornton, and by a former marriage he had one daughter, Reca. Mr. Cutlip's home is in South Sutton.
JAMES P. CARR.
James P. Carr was a native of England and came to America when a young man. He was a soldier in the U. S. Army, during the Revolutionary struggle. He died in Monroe county, Va.
His son, James Carr, came to the territory now embraced in Braxton, in the early settlement of the county. He was a soldier in the war of 1812.
He married Rebecca, daughter of James Boggs, and reared a large family of children : Andrew, John, Denum, Silas, Frank B., Isaae, Henry, Anderson, Mary, Susan, Betty and Agnes.
Three of Mr. Carr's sons, Silas, F. B. and Isaac, were U. S. soldiers during the Civil war. Isaac was killed in front of Petersburg.
CARPENTERS.
Wm. Carpenter, now living at the advanced age of 94, son of Solomon, who was the first child born in the county. His birth place was under a cliff of rocks. Wm. is a grand son of Jeremia, the first white settler in the county, and a great grand son of Wm. Carpenter, who was killed by the Indians on Jacksons river in 1764. Uncle Billy, as he is familiarly called, has spent the long years of his life on the Elk river, and has doubtless caught more fish and game on this beau- tiful stream than any man living, and is still able to enjoy his favorite sport. He is a citizen of Sutton and is universally respected.
The massacre of Benjamin Carpenter and his wife occurred in the spring of 1792, though With- WM. CARPENTER ers memoirs record it as late as 1793, and Wil- liam Doddrill places the date as carly as 1784, eight years before its actual occurrence. The account which he gives of the pursuit of the Indians after the murder of Benja- min Carpenter must have been the account of the time that Hughs and others frailed the Indians and came up with them when one of their number was killed on the Hughs river. The two Indians who found Carpenter and killed
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Benjamin, made their escape without being pursued. The summer of 1792 was the last Indian raid in central West Virginia except a party that made a raid in the Tygerts Valley as late perhaps as 1794.
Of this interesting pioneer family, more than a passing notice should be given. As early as 1790 or perhaps a year or two earlier, Jeremiah and Benja- min Carpenter settled on the Elk river near the mouth of the Holly. Their mother and a brother named Enos lived with them. Jeremiah settled on what is known as the Samuel Skidmore bottom, and Benjamin's cabin stood in the bottom just below the mouth of the Holly. Their father's name was William, and was killed at the Big Bend on Jacksons' river by the Indians, and his son Jeremiah was taken prisoner and remained with the Indians from his ninth to his eighteenth year. He together with three of his brothers, afterward became soldiers in the Revolutionary army.
Their settlement must have been but a few years priod to 1792 as this is the date of the Indian raid in which his brother Benjamin and his wife were killed; and either at this time or perhaps a raid that was made a few months later, he and his family made their escape to a cliff of rocks, and within their stay there his son, Solomon was born, being the first white child born in the county.
Many incidents are related of this pioneer family by their descendants and the older people who have heard the story of their adventures.
Wm. Carpenter, familiarly known as "Squirrely Bill," who resides at Sutton, is in his 90th year, and is a son of Solomon Carpenter. He relates that his great uncle, Benjamin Carpenter who, with his wife was killed at the mouth of the Holly, was dressing a deer skin on the bank of the river just at the mouth of the Holly when he was fired upon. It seems from his story and others of the Carpenter family, that there were two Indians, a large and a small Indian, and that the large one was unarmed and the smaller Indian fired the shot, but missed. At that, Carpenter jumped and ran for his gun, but the large Indian reached the house first and secured Carpenter's gun, and was in the house when Carpenter entered the door. He fired and Carpenter fell out- side, then the Indians tomahawked and scalped Mrs. Carpenter who was deli- eate and lying on the bed. They had no children. The Indians set fire to the eabin and left. Mrs. Carpenter had sufficient strength to crawl out in the yard. Only a few hours after this occurrence, Amos Carpenter came home. It seems that he had been either to the West Fork settlements or to Fork Lick on horse- back and was returning with some meat. Mrs. Carpenter said to him, "The Indians have killed poor Ben and me," and he put her on the horse before him and started to go aeross the Elk just at the head of the island, and while he was crossing the river she died so he laid her body on some logs in a drift heap. He then hastened on to his brother Jerry's who lived above on the Skidmore bot- tom.
Wm. Carpenter also relates that Benjamin Carpenter's mother was at his house helping to burn some logs in a clearing, and that she was not discovered
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by the Indians. She saw them however, and also witnessed the shooting of her
son Benjamin. She had one of her children with her, and she took the child and went up the river to give notice of the presence of the Indians. They then went back to the settlement and Jerry, his younger brother Jesse and a man by the name of Schoolcraft, came back and buried Benjamin and his wife. Withers fixes this date as being in the early spring, and this is carried out by traditional testimony. Benjamin had fallen so near the building that his body was nearly consumed by the fire. The Indians carried away his gun, also the coat in which he was married.
Wm. Carpenter says that later another raid was made by the Indians, and they are the ones who burned Jerry Carpenter's house and barn, partly de- stroyed an apple tree and cut down some green corn; also that this was the time his grandfather and uncle Amos went to the cliff where his father was born. Withers mentions only one Indian raid.
Thomas, Jeremiah and Solomon were privates in Capt. John Lewis' Bote- tourt county Regiment. Joseph Carpenter was a soldier and drew a pension, but it is not stated in what command he served. Thus we see that four broth- ers served their country as soldiers in the Revolution, and were the most daring and skillful Indian fighters that ever ventured to the wilds of central West Virginia.
Mrs. Carpenter said that first thing which went into Solomon's mouth was bear's meat and sweet potatoes. There must have been a second raid as the circumstances would seem to bear out, hence it must have been later in the sea- son as sweet potatoes do not mature before the latter part of August in that section, and the time could not have been much later than July or August as Jeremiah Carpenter buried his brother's body and that of his wife in bark coffins, and they could hardly obtain bark after the season named.
The Carpenters must have settled on the Elk a few years before this occur- rence as they had some land cleared and some property. "Jerry" had planted some apple trees. The Indians cut a limb from one of the trees, but the tree lived and bore a red apple. It was called the Indian tree, and was living un- til a few years ago.
"Jerry" Carpenter and his wife are buried at the Skidmore cemetery not far from where his cabin used to stand. Mrs. Delila Coger, a granddaughter of Capt. John Skidmore, was born and reared on the Elk river where she now resides and is at this time over ninety years of age. She says after the massa- cre of the Carpenter family that his brother placed their bodies in bark which he peeled from the timber, and buried them on the island in the Elk just at the mouth of the Holly, and that he placed them at the head of the island which has since been washed away. About twenty-one years ago, the Holly River Lumber & Coal Company built a large band saw mill not far from where .Carpenter's cabin stood. Wm. Gum and others who were putting down the foundation for the boilers or engine house, say they removed the head stones from two graves, and digging down about two feet into the earth which ap-
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peared to be loose they placed a cement foundation there. In speaking again to Mrs. Coger in reference to the matter, she still contended that Benjamin Carpenter and his wife were buried on the island, and that the graves discovered by the workmen were a part of the John Mollohan cemetery, but this grave- yard is a mile or so above the mouth of the Holly. Wm. Carpenter says that his great uncle Benjamin and his wife were buried where the Palmer mill now stands and that he has often seen their graves, which doubtless is correct.
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