History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 38

Author: Laidley, William Sydney, 1839-1917. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1066

USA > West Virginia > Kanawha County > Charleston > History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens > Part 38

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and his daughters were Mrs. Alvin Goshorn, tled and went into the general merchandizing Mrs. Lewis Wilson and Miss Sally Scott Fry, all of whom are deceased, except Joseph L. Fry.

CAPTAIN SNELLING C. FARLEY.

He was born in Kentucky in 1806, was brought to Kanawha in 1813 and went to school at Mercer Academy in Charleston to Jacob Rand, and he was deputy sheriff under Col. Andrew Donnally. In 1844 he purchased an interest in the side wheel steamboat "Cum- berland Valley," and he was given command of her, and ran her from Charleston to Nash- ville and from this time on he was constantly on the river. His next boat was the "A. W. Quarrier," which ran to Cincinnati-next the "Allen Collier"-then the "Anvilla Wood," then the "Hermann," then the "Ellen Gray," "Kanawha Valley" No. I-then the No. 2. He built the "T. J. Pickett" and ran her from Cannelton to Louisville. He was Captain of the "Mollie Norton," a large side wheel boat. then the "Cottage No. 2" and his last was the "R. W. Skillinger." He was an excellent boat- man, and is said to have brought his boat up the Kanawha when there was insufficient water to float her over the bars when he would raise her bow and jump her over the bar. He was exceedingly popular, and he ran his boat for the comfort of his passengers, and it was a pleasure to travel with him. He was a safe man, and everybody knew Captain Farley, who never became loud nor rough but was always polite and gentle.

He was on the "Kanawha Valley No. 2" when General Wise took charge and burned her. His home was on Kanawha Street on the corner of Clendenin Street. His wife was the daughter of Morris Harvey, and after he quit boating she kept a good boarding-house.

THE MILLER FAMILY OF GAULEY BRIDGE

In 1800 John Miller of Bath removed to Lick Creek of Greenbrier. He married Jean Hodge in 1803. and James Hodge Miller was born in 1805 near the Green Sulphur Springs of Greenbrier.

A certain Miss Chapman was born in Frank- fort, Kentucky, in 1806 and she and James Hodge Miller were married in 1831. Soon after 1831 they went to Gauley Bridge and set-

business, kept the postoffice and a house for public entertainment. They were within sight and hearing of the Kanawha Falls, and there were many who stopped here to enjoy a fishing trial. The old fashioned stage coach with four horses ran from Charleston to the Allegheny Mineral Springs further East and on to Coving- ton, Virginia, and going west, they went to Charleston where they could get a steamboat : or they could continue across the country to the Ohio river at Guyandotte. where boats could be had. at any time, of some kind. This line of travel continued from an early day until the opening of the Ches. & Ohio R. R. in 1873.

Mr. Jas. H. Miller did business for sixty years at this place and kept the post office for forty years. During the civil war, the place was frequently crowded with soldiers. Gen- erals Floyd and Wise held the place and Floyd fought the battle of Carnepex Ferry near this place. Wise fell back and destroyed the bridge across the mouth of Gauley, which perhaps made a mark indicating that he had been there. but did not delay any one long enough to write about it. General Floyd, they say, fought some, then in the night got away. He and Wise were not helping anybody and they did not harmonize worth a cent. General Cox and General Rosecrans, directed the Federal forces, and let General Floyd get away without incon- venience.

But in all this Mr. Miller held his own place, and after the war was over was sent to the West Virginia Legislature a couple of sessions. Neither the war nor the Legislature was the sort of entertainment exactly suitable to the taste of Mr. Miller. He was a very quiet, peaceful man. and preferred life without the excitement attendant upon war and killing peo- ple, or the peculiar excitement usually attendant upon the making laws or electing a U. S. Sen- ator. The children of James Hodge Miller were Tames Henry Miller. Ann Eliza Miller and William who died in infancy. James Henry married Margaret Muncy in 1860, and they had Fenton H. Miller, William A. and Robert H. Miller. Fenton is the cashier of the Bank of Gauley. He was born in 1865. James Hodge Miller died in 1893 and was

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buried near his home and his wife followed him in 1899 and was buried near her home. James Henry Miller continued the business of his father, and in 1906 he, too, went into the other world. His wife is still living. He was much the same kind of a man as was his father-an honorable, honest, upright, consci- entious, quiet, unobtrusive man, one of the kind that had the confidence and respect of all people.

Gauley Bridge is within the sound of the Kanawha Falls, within sight of the Hawk's Nest and Cotton Hill-each about 1,000 feet high-which look down to see the gathering of the rivers to take a fresh start for the Ohio river. Here the surface of the country changes. as also the Geology, and Kanawha Falls is per- pendicular over twenty feet. This part of the country is greatly enjoyed and by some it is regarded as a suburb of Charleston, and noth- ing has added so much to the pleasure of the sojourn here as the Miller family.

JAMES CARLON'S MEMORY

John Carlon came from Richmond and set- tled at the Kanawha Falls. He afterwards re- moved to Springfield, Ohio, and died during the Civil War. James Carlon was one of his slaves, who was born in 1840. Mr. Carlon had fifteen slaves, part of whom he sold and the others he hired out until the war.

Jim remembers Major Montgomery's fam- ily, who kept the ferry just below the Falls and who was the father of James, Michael and William Montgomery, and James Montgomery was the founder of the town of Montgomery. He also remembers Mr. James Miller, the postmaster, Mr. John Hill, James Muncy, sher- iff, Mr. Paddy Huddleston and his sons, and Colonel Aaron Stockton, who lived at the Falls, kept the hotel, had a mill and a boatyard, and all his men were colored men and Fielding Julins was their supervisor. The wife of Col. Stockton was the sister of William Tompkins, who lived at the mouth of Kelly's Creek, now Cedar Grove. His sons were John and William Stockton. William was drowned in his attempt to bring a raft down New River. John died at his home during the war. Miss Eliza married Mr. James Veasey, father of Mr. Oscar Veasey.

Miss Rebecca married James Trimble and she was the mother of Mrs. M. Levi and Mrs. S. M. Smith. Miss Babe married C. F. Stock- ton. Mrs. Aaron Stockton died in 1862 and the Colonel died about 1866.

That the Colonel was a busy man, owned much land and the Falls; discovered cannel coal which he shipped to New Orleans. He took his daughter Jane with him to New Or- leans and she there married a Mr. Shaw and Jim's wife belonged to Mrs. Shaw. After the death of Mr. Shaw, she married Mr. Hale, and afterwards married Mr. Hawkins. Miss Mary Stockton married Thomas Lewis of Coal's Mouth, and Dr. Irvin Lewis was their son. The Doctor raised a company of cavalry and became their captain and served the Confeder- acy till the end.

Jim says that early in the war he was hired to bring over the river a canoe, and that night the men who hired him used the boat to cross over to meet Capt. Lewis, and that a black man reported Jim to the men belonging to a New York Regiment as being engaged in ferrying rebels, and his friends had to keep Jim out of the way. Later in 1862, Jim hired himself to Captain Fitch of the U. S. quarter-master's department and he remained in that depart- ment until the end of the war. Jim says that when the Confederate General Loring came down, they had a battle at Fayette and were fighting all along down the Valley and Jim took his battle ax and kept ahead of Col. Lightburn as he retreated, and went on to Gallipolis and remained until General Loring was satisfied with the Valley and retired, and then he came back to his post. Jim says the river was full of all sort of craft, full of col- ored people, and they were in Ohio called "Contrabands."

Tim says that his master John Carlon was a Southern sympathizer in Ohio and talked too freely and he had to get away from there. He came to Kanawha Falls and told. Jim he needed some money and Jim says he took all he had and he borrowed some and gave to him $100.00, and he gave Jim a paper saying that he could go where he pleased. Jim says he went to Springfield afterwards to see him and let him have $350.00 for which he gave Jim

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his note, and afterwards he was paid the note and five hundred besides and given his free pa- pers, in 1863-4. Jim says he bought his wife after President Lincoln's Proclamation, which he rather thinks he need not have done. After the war, Jim says he dug coal, teamed, helped build railroad on the K. & M. under Col. Sharp as Receiver and was inspector of R. R. ties, and also was on the Kelly's Creek R. R., and of late years he has been engaged in remov- ing houses. Jim says he was raised by good people, who were always kind to him, was paid well for his work generally, that he never was able to collect all his dues from the govern- ment and sometimes lost for his work, but he learned to read and write after the War, and gets along better now.

COL. BENJAMIN H. SMITH

He was one of the strong men of Kanawha, strong physically, mentally and financially ; his life business was that of attorney, and he was strong as such. He was a student of the law and never ceased to study it; he took a great interest in the land law of Virginia and did much to help clear it up and make land titles more certain and less complicated.

In Virginia and especially in the western part, where there was much speculation in lands, the mode of acquiring title to land was probably more loose and uncertain than else- where and the law of forfeiture of title for non-payment of tax, the law of possession un- der the statute of limitation, made the subject complicated.

This has been set forth rather tersely by a dream. One of the greatest land litigants ever produced in Kanawha said that he dreamed that he died and went up to the gates and sought admission, where St. Peter sat to de- cide such questions as "the right of entry .. "- That the latter questioned him and learned that the litigant was from Kanawha (which fact, he said, made St. Peter frown), and that the applicant had spent a long life principally in liti- gation of land-titles, and if he had not acquired much land, he had given an awful lot of trou- ble and expense, and the applicant being versed in the subject, set up the fact that he had al- ways been engaged in asserting his individual rights under the law. To this St. Peter was

not advised so he referred the subject to St. Paul, and he stated that he had studied all the laws of science and other earthly subjects and had acquired some insight thereinto and that he had had occasion also to examine somewhat minutely the land law of Virginia, but that on account of its various complications he had been compelled to admit that he was totally un- able to understand it. This litigant was W. A. McMullin and his dream might be said to fairly give his idea of the situation. Such at least was the character of the land laws that Col. Smith made a study of during his entire life. There were at the Kanawha Bar several law- yers, who also worried over the same subject and made a suit for land a difficult subject and generally worth the land to try the case. So that in most land cases the attorneys were en- gaged with a contract to take part of the land for their fee, and hence, either the lawyer on one side or the one on the other, was encum- bered with a lot of land on which to pay taxes without even a prospect of receiving any com- pensation in a life time.

Generally speaking, there was considerable litigation in this county in regard to titles of large tracts of land and generally the suits were with non-residents on one side or the other of the suit, and these suits were gener- ally in the U. S. Courts. Col. Smith was al- ways sought by one side or the other in most of the cases; and his work was extensive and his fees were not small, although not sufficient to pay for the work that he did.

These lands were ordinarily what was called "wild lands," which means that they were not cultivated and generally without anyone resid- ing thereon. They were covered with fine tim- ber and underlaid with coal and lately have been found to contain oil or gas, or both, which has made them valuable, but which for so long paid no income to the owner, and only kept the owner poor by his holding and paying the taxes thereon. If he could do this, he left his grandchildren fortunes. Undeveloped lands were not an unmixed blessing.

We have attempted to give an idea of the country and the kind of work that Col. Smith devoted his life to study and in which he en- gaged as an attorney.

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Besides this, Col. Smith through marriage became interested in salt making, and no busi- ness of the extent of the Kanawha Salt busi- ness, could get along without more or less liti- gation, and sometimes of very large cases, con- sequently he naturally had his hands full of clients and cases in courts, and whenever he had a case, he thoroughly studied it, for he knew that to win a fight in Kanawha, he had some- thing to work for.

Col. Benjamin H. Smith was born in 1797, and he was named after his father, who was a son of Daniel Smith, who was a son of John Smith, all of whom lived in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, not far from Harrison- burg, once in Orange then in Augusta, and then in Rockingham County, Virginia. The orig- inal John Smith was supposed to have been an Englishmen, but this one is said to have been a Scotch-Irishman, but he was captain of the militia and held a commission under the Colo- nial Government of Virginia. Daniel Smith was quite a prominent man in war. He be- came a Colonel and aided Major Andrew Lewis, who came from the same neighborhood, in driving Governor Lord Dunmore from the col- ony of Virginia. Daniel had four sons, one of whom was Benjamin Harrison Smith, and the Harrison family and the Smiths lived in the same vicinity-for whom the town of Har- risonburg was named.

Daniel Smith married Jane Harrison. Ben- jamin Harrison Smith married Elizabeth Cravens. Col. Benjamin Harrison Smith mar- ried Roxalana Noyes.

It seems that the Smiths had their own no- tions concerning the subject of slavery, al- though they all, more or less, owned slaves. Col. Benjamin H. Smith's father, in 1810, re- moved to Ohio, and took his slaves with him and made them all free.

Col. Smith then was educated at the Univer- sity of Ohio at Athens, then studied law in the office of Hon. Thomas Ewing, Sr. It is stated upon good authority that this selfsame Thomas Ewing was a poor young man finan- cially but he had more than the ordinary brain power and other good qualities. That to get an education and make himself a lawyer, he came to Kanawha and got work at the

Salt furnaces, and while thus engaged, he also studied law and Latin. Of course such a man succeeded and became one of the great men of Ohio.

Col. Smith as a young lawyer from Ohio came to Kanawha, and for some reason, he was not by some kindly welcomed, but this did not deter him in the least; probably made him more determined to continue right here. We do not know why he was not regarded with favor by some, but he was regarded with the greatest favor by others, and it was not long before he married the daughter of Isaac Noyes, one of the largest merchants and salt makers. Perhaps he, Col. Smith, expressed his opinion too freely on the subject of slavery, or on some political, or church question, for he never hes- itated to speak out, without using any tact or evasion, and as Mr. Noyes was from the North, such opinions on these questions did not offend him as easily as some others.

As to his political views, he was a Whig of the first water, as long as there were any such party. During the civil war, he was an ardent Union man, and was the U. S. Dist. Attorney for some time when he resigned. After the war was over, and the government policy went to such extremes towards the South-after the death of Mr. Lincoln-he changed his polit- ical views and was a candidate for governor of West Virginia in 1868 on the Democratic ticket, but it was in the days of proscription and too early for him or anyone but a decided Republican to be elected in the new State. The Colonel repudiated the Republican policy and ever afterwards voted with the Democrats in West Virginia.

In matters of church, he was in his faith a Methodist, so he always said, but he was not connected with any church and went with his wife and family who were all devoted Presby- terians, and when this church in Charleston di- vided, his family remained with the Northern Branch, while the large majority took the other, or Southern route. These matters will be ex- plained elsewhere. The Colonel was well dis- posed to all churches, when the left politics or business alone, and would aid in any good cause, but he had his own opinions on all sub-

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jects and never hesitated to express them when an expression was called for.

The Colonel was chiefly an attorney all his life, but he was often called on to run for an office. He was elected to the State Senate in 1833, and at two subsequent elections was re- elected to same office. In 1849, he was ap- pointed U. S. Attorney for the Western Dis- trict of Virginia and remained in office dur- ing the terms of Taylor and Filmore. In 1850 was elected to the Constitutional Convention of Virginia, and was also in the Convention which formed the State of West Virginia and was appointed U. S. Attorney by President Lin- coln and remained in this office for five years when he resigned. While the Colonel contin- ued at work, he turned over the principal part of his business to his son, Major Isaac Noyes Smith, and E. B. Knight who composed the law firm of Smith and Knight, and the Colonel aided them when it was thought they needed his assistance, and he gradually left the work to others. He died in 1887 at his home in Charleston, Kanawha County, aged 90 years. His grave is in the Cemetery at Charleston, with the rest of his family, and is marked by a handsome monument.

Colonel Benjamin H. Smith was all his life a hard worker and a great reader. In his young days, he said, he had no taste for books, but only for outdoor 'exercise, which gave to him a strong able body with a good constitution, and his mind was like his body, able and well trained for his business. He was an outspoken person and sometimes perhaps more so than was called for, and more than once involved himself in a personal encounter with some law- yer, when it might have been avoided, though he was ready and willing to maintain himself or his defence. There was no difficulty to get his ear and he was always ready to listen to any and every one. He was devoted to his wife and family. His manner was plain and unvarnished and he frequently ridiculed some things that he did not seem to appreciate, which the custom of the country called for.

Major Isaac Noyes Smith, was the only son of Col. B. H. Smith. Isaac Noyes Smith, with whose education and training as a lawyer the Colonel took such pains. He always stood well

at the bar, and was noted for the careful prepa- ration of his papers, and his cases.

The Civil War came on, and the young men of Charleston went with the State of Virginia, and Isaac went with them, greatly to the re- gret of his father. He returned with the title of Major. After the war, Isaac and Mr. E. B. Knight, opened their law office under the firm name of Smith and Knight, and they were doing a large and profitable business when death came suddenly to Major Smith.

He married Miss Caroline Quarrin, and left an interesting family which will be treated else- where.

Harrison Brooks Smith. Major Smith left a son, Harrison Brooks Smith, who became an attorney and practices in all the courts, in the firm of Price, Smith, Spillman and Clay. Mr. Smith also has other interests that occupy his attention, one of which is the Southern States Mutual Life Insurance Company, and still other interests too many to mention, coal, oil and gas interests, saying nothing of real estate gener- ally.

Harry is a married man, full of business, full of music as was his father and as are all others whose name is Noyes, and he, like his father takes quite an interest in his church affairs, and all other affairs that are for the good of the town and the people thereof. In consequence he is not a strict party man but holds himself free to act as he sees best without being bound by any party precepts or promises.

The three above-mentioned attorneys and business men, may be called three of Charles- ton's builders, and who have done and are do- ing much to make their city and county one of the best in their state, devoting their time and talent and taxes for this purpose and with this intention, and this has been the case since 1822 and may it continue, on ad finitum.

GENERAL DANIEL SMITH

When we write of the big men of Kanawha. we must tell of General Smith, who died about 1855. He was a brother of Col. Benj. H. Smith. He was a general of the Virginia mili- tia and he was also a celebrated physician, and a most extraordinary man in popular estima- tion. He was unusually large, near three feet

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across his breast and in proportion otherwise- a fine, large, hearty, good looking man-and was a general commanding a brigade of mili- tia, a physician, which enabled him to become acquainted with the suffering humanity and to relieve them, or to bury them; it was no won- der that he was popular and whenever he de- sired it, he was sent to the General Assembly.

He married the widow of John Harriman, who was a son of Shadrick Harriman, who was one of the first settlers and the last white man killed by the Indians in Kanawha, (so said), and she was Nancy Morris of Cabell County, in Teays Valley. He lived at East Bank, and practiced medicine, and one season along in the upper part of the county there was (about 1845), an epidemic of typhoid fever, and about one half of those that took it died. He was sent for and he went and it is said that there were but few of his patients that died and those were such as disregarded his instructions while recovering.

Luke Wilcox was born in New York in 1795, and came to Kanawha in 1816. His wife was Miss Pinkston Kenner. He was a salt maker. He died in 1854 and his residence was on his farm near Brownstown. His reputation for integrity and firmness of character in all busi- ness transactions was above question. His daughter Amelia was the wife of Major W. A. Bradford, both of whom have passed away, but leaving descendants. Dr. John Wilcox also is a descendant. Mr. Luke Wilcox was a prom- inent business man and respected by the en- tire community. It is stated that he contributed more largely to the erection of the Virginia Street M. E. Church than any other person. This was in 1834 and he presented to said church in 1836 a silver communion service ; and when he died, he paid through his execu- tor, to the Rev. Mr. Bruce, a methodist clergy- man, $1,000 for his services and his sermon at his funeral.

DOCTOR SPICER PATRICK

He was born in the state of New York, in 1791. He was the son of Jacob Patrick who was born in 1761, and Sarah Spicer Patrick born in 1765, who were married in 1786, the father being of Scotch descent and the mother of English descent. He came to Kanawha as

a practicing physician in 1816, and seems to have met with a welcome from the very day of his arrival. During his entire life he held the respect of the community and his association was with honest and reliable people of the best class. As a physician he ranked among the best and gave his utmost care and attention to his patients. He went when called, especially to what might be called, bad cases. He was obliged to go long distances from home, and it was generally considered a desperate case when Dr. Patrick said that the patient had but little chance of recovery. His reputation among the other physicians was of the highest order, for his skill was recognized and his character as a gentleman was equally as good. He was interested in the welfare of his county and his adopted state, and was frequently sent to the Legislature and to State Conventions, in both of which he took a prominent and interested part.

When he first came to Kanawha he resided in Charleston and in 1822 he married Miss Lavinia V. M. Bream, a daughter of Major James Bream, and in 1848, he removed his residence to his farm, which had been a part of the Bream estate, near to the Two-mile creek, below Elk on the river-where he spent the remainder of his days. He generally drove daily to the town, and could usually be found at the drug store of Dr. J. H. Rogers. The Lovell and Bream families and their kindred were all related to him and he was called and consulted by them on all occasions. His first wife was Lavinia Bream and their children were May, the wife of R. C. M. Lovell; Sally, the wife of Col. H. D. Ruffner; Lavinia, the wife of Major William Gramm, U. S. A., and Dr. Alfred S., James B. and John Patrick. His second wife, whom he married in 1844, was the widow of Col. Robert M. Steele, and they had no children. In 1852, he married in Richmond, Miss Virginia Harris, a grand- daughter of Chief Justice Marshall, and to them were born one daughter, Miss Susie, and Harie, William and George Patrick.

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 38

Author: Laidley, William Sydney, 1839-1917. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co Number of Pages: 1066

Author: Laidley, William Sydney, 1839-1917. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1066