USA > West Virginia > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, West Virginia : from the early days of Northwestern Virginia to the present > Part 40
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Jackson proceeded on and the first house he got to was Henry or William Runyon's where he stayed that night. A company of Indians came I presume to where we left Jackson perhaps the same day or a day or two after, followed him to Runyon's and stole from him six horses. A company of men followed them. The Indians had considerable start. Our men took the road to Marietta got in canoes and went down the river un- til they came to where the Indians had crossed, took the trail followed 30 or 40 miles, came up to them where they had camped. There were but
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two Indians. The whites fired, killed one Indian and wounded the other and retook four horses. It was thought that two Indians had perhaps the previous night gone on with the other horses to a hunting camp. Brother John Haymond was with this company. I was sorry that I was out of the way and had not an opportunity to be with them.
Respectfully,
WM. HAYMOND.
Letter No. 8.
PALATINE HILL, VA., 10th. June 1842.
Mr. Luther Haymond,
SIR :- I wrote a letter some time ago to Levi Morgan enquiring whether he knew anything of my father during the Revolutionary War I have not received any answer from him yet. If he writes I will send it to you.
I see by the enclosed paper that said Morgan was married by my father. This had entirely escaped my memory until I saw the within. In those days there were but few preachers and the Justices of the Peace married, my father among the rest he being a Justice.
My last letter to you brought up the sketch of the early times to 1793. My father had taken up 1000 acres before mentioned adjoining the tract of 400 acres before mentioned. A part of which land he sold to Alex. McClelland. I presume you have heard of a wild goose chase my brother John took. He was a Senator from the Harrison District. While there, or on his way, he bought about 2000 dollars worth of goods, started a store, stayed about twenty months from home. Then he went to Wash- ington city where he met said McClelland, who furnished him with a horse, and money to bring him home. This cost was paid by my father out of the proceeds of this land, and your Uncle John came home with but little but the Bulltown land where he soon went. About this time my father bought the land where Palatine now is, about 137 acres. He also, about the same time, sold the tract in the Monongahela Glades where he first settled about twenty years previous. As I have heretofore told you that tract contained about 400 acres, he sold it for one dollar per acre. I was by said land twenty years ago, I believe no person lived on it then and I do not know that any person lives on it yet. I suppose it would not bring more now. A part of that money paid for a part of the Palatine tract, which was bought for 140 dollars and is now worth 50 dollars per acre.
In the year 1793 Jacob Polesley who married your Aunt Margaret, moved on the Palatine tract. In 1794 I moved to where [ now live. I have gone so far I do not think of anything further worth writing. My father died in 1821. Edward Jackson was then in Congress and John G. Jackson wrote a piece on his death and sent it to his brother at Washing- ton. It was published in the Intelligencer. I would like to send it to you if I could find the paper, but I have not preserved it. My father, if I know anything of his temper, think it was good, though when raised, not. He was a very indulgent parent and I think he was as much of a
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Republican as I ever knew. He cared but little for riches but always tried I think, to do what was right between man and man.
While we were living below Morgantown, as I do not see it in the Border Warfare, I will give you an account of Col. Scott who lived on the west side of the river two miles from us, he had two of his daughters killed. This is recorded in the Border Warfare. Not long after this, his son James, who now lives near Morgantown, was riding alone near his father's, the Indians shot at him and shot through his hat and cut the skin on the back of his head. He rode off and cleared himself. Brother John and a man by the name of Lough with some others, followed the In- dians probably on Indian Creek above Morgantown, lost the trail. They returned home except Lough or Low, who went further in seach of a horse he had lost. Some time after, while on his horse, he saw an Indian on horseback riding toward him. He raised his gun and presented it, an- other Indian shot at him and passed a ball through his arm, between the wrist and elbow, and through the arm between the elbow and shoulder and into the side. The bullet lodged in the skin back of the side, making five holes. Lough dropped his gun, wheeled his horse and got safe home with the loss of a considerable quantity of blood.
He recovered. One of the Indians followed him, perhaps two or three miles, as was afterwards discovered.
Very Respectfully,
WM. HAYMOND.
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Sketches of Pioneers.
William Davis.
William Davis is supposed to have been born in New Jersey, and came to Harrison County some time after the war of the Revolution.
He settled in the Bottom land between Salem and Bristol. Was a large owner of lands, removed to Ohio and died there some time in the thirties.
He always signed his name William Davis "Bottom" to distinguish him from two or three other William Davis' who lived in the neigh- borhood.
Tradition says that he had been a sailor and that during the Revolu- tion he was loyal to the King and that he piloted the British fleet through the Hell Gate Channel, under the command of Lord Howe, at the time New York was captured in 1776, and for his services on that occasion he received a large bag of gold.
After the close of the war and upon his return home, he found it a little unpleasant for persons of his political opinions, and emigrated to the western country as it was then called, where some of his relatives had come before. Deeds executed by him show that he livd in this county as late as 1825.
His father resided near the Battlefield of Brandy Wine, and rode out from home, on a white horse, to see the battle, and the color of his horse attracting attention, he was fired on and killed.
Major William Haymond.
William Haymond, son of John, who came from England prior to 1734, was born in the colony of Maryland, January 4, 1740 (OS) and died at his residence near Quiet Dell, November 12, 1821.
According to family tradition he accompanied the army of General Edward Braddock on its march to capture Fort Duquesne, now Pitts- burg, from the French, and which met with a disastrous defeat on the Monongahela River on the 9th. of July, 1755.
At this time he was only fifteen years of age, and it is not known in what capacity he was employed but likely in the quarter-master's de- partment.
In the year 1758 he was a soldier in the expedition commanded by General Forbes against the same position, which was successful and the name was changed to Fort Pitt after the English Prime Minister.
In February, 1759, he enlisted in the Virginia Regiment commanded
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by Col. George Washington, which had been detailed to garrison the country captured from the French. He served along the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers and as far north as "Presque Isle," now Erie, on the lake of that name. When the regiment was withdrawn from the West it was marched up the Shenandoah Valley and on to the Holstein river to suppress an outbreak among the Cherokee Indians.
When the Cherokees were quieted the regiment returned to the valley and was discharged. William's discharge is dated at Fort Lewis, near Staunton, Va., Feb. 24th. 1762, and states that he has "Duly served three years and behaved as a good soldier and faithful subject."
After he returned home from the wars, he, in the following year, April 19th. 1763, was married to Cassandra Clelland and settled down to the life of a planter.
In May, 1773, he sold his farm near Rockville, Maryland, to James Sutter for the sum of two hundred and twelve pounds and ten shillings current money of the province, and moved with his family, consisting of his wife, four children and a number of negroes, to the District of West Augusta, Virginia, and located on the Monongahela river near where Morgantown now stands.
The country was a howling wilderness. but thinly settled and the few inhabitants for twenty years were destined to endure not only the privations incident to a frontier life, but the horrors of a savage war- fare.
Upon the formation of Monongalia County in 1776, he served in various important positions, such as justice of the Peace, Deputy Surveyor, Coroner and Sheriff.
At the commencement of the Revolution he at once warmly advo- cated the cause of the colonies and was appointed a captain of Militia, and was frequently in active service against the hostile Indians.
In 1777 he was in command of Prickett's Fort with a detachment at Scott's Mills. In 1781 he was promoted to Major and performed the duties of an officer of Militia during the whole of the Revolutionary War.
He was making preparations to go east of the mountains and join the army there when news of peace was received.
He was one of the officials selected to administer the oath of allegiance to the Commonwealth of Virginia, to all male inhabitants over the age of sixteen years and requiring them to renounce and refuse all allegiance to George the Third, King of Great Britain.
He was one of the commissioners appointed for adjusting the claims to unpatented lands in the counties of Monongalia, Yohogania and Ohio.
Upon the creation of Harrison County in 1784 Major Haymond was appointed the principal surveyor of the new County. He traveled on horseback across the mountains to Williamsburg in order to be exam- ined by the professors of William and Mary's college as to his qualifica- tion for the position. He passed a successful examination and was duly commissioned Surveyor by the Governor of Virginia.
This appointment required another change of residence to Clarksburg about forty miles west of Morgantown. So in the fall of that year he moved to that place, purchased a few acres of land near town, built an
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office and entered upon the discharge of his duties. At that time Harri- son County extended from the Allegheny mountains to the Ohio and the duties of the office were of a most important character, affecting the titles to the homes of the settlers who came pouring in rapidly after the close of the war of the Revolution.
He was a member of the commission to build two courthouses in Harrison County in 1787 and 1812, and as a surveyor assisted in mark- ing out a state road from the Valley River to the Ohio, near Marietta and was always prominent in public affairs.
In 1791 he purchased a tract of land containing 19412 acres on Elk Creek, six miles from Clarksburg, and moved on it in the Fall of that year. The house in which he lived and built is still standing and is still used as a residence. The farm is now (1909) owned by Sidney Haymond the grandson of William, and has descended from father to son by will, no deed having been made for it since its purchase as above stated.
He was a skilled mechanic, a mathematician of rare ability, a thoroughly competent surveyor and was widely respected for his sterling integrity.
Major Haymond held the position of principal surveyor for thirty- seven years and died at his home on November 12th. 1821 and was buried in the Haymond graveyard in sight of his former residence.
Daniel Davisson.
Daniel Davisson was born in 1748 and died in 1819. He married Prudence Izard.
His settlement right made in 1773 included the principal part of Clarksburg between Elk Creek and the West Fork River and contained 400 acres. His cabin it is supposed was located on Chestnut Street be- tween Pike and Main.
He afterwards built a large stone building on the North West corner of Second and Main Streets where he lived for many years. He for a long time kept an ordinary or tavern.
He was a major of Militia and Sheriff of the County.
From being the first settler he was known as the Proprietor of Clarksburg.
He donated the Davisson Grave Yard to the Hopewell Baptist con- gregation in 1790, upon which the first church was built in Clarksburg, and was buried in it in 1819.
In 1782 his family numbered seven. Many of his descendants live in this portion of the State.
William Martin.
Colonel William Martin was born in New Jersey October 10, 1763, and came to Clarksburg at a very early date, where he was engaged in the mercantile business.
He was Sheriff of the County and long a Justice of the Peace and
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at all times prominent in public affairs, and always had the respect and confidence of the people. He owned land near Romine's Mills and made that his home until his death August 25, 1851.
He served in the war of the Revolution enlisting at Lebannon, New Jersey in 1779 and served in the Commissary Department under Captains McKnight, James Johnston and John Bray, at Pittstown and Raritan's Landing and was present at the storming of Stony Point.
Thomas Nutter.
Thomas Nutter entered his homestead of 400 acres about two miles from Clarksburg on the West Side of Elk Creek and on the road to Buckhannon in 1775 and preempted one thousand acres adjoining.
On this tract was built the famous Nutter's Fort, which was a har- bor of refuge for the neighborhood during the Indian wars.
The census of 1782 shows that he had a family of eight in that year.
The date of his birth and death are not known.
Some of his original settlement right is still owned by his descen- dants.
Thomas Pindall.
Thomas Pindall was an early settler in Monongalia County having entered his homestead of 400 acres on the Flaggy Meadow Run, his wife formerly Elizabeth Harrison was killed by Indians in 1781 almost in sight of Harrison's Fort on Crooked Run now in Cass District.
His second wife was Julia Scott, who was the mother of the cele- brated lawyer James Pindall of Clarksburg and of the three sisters who passed their married lives in Clarksburg, Jemima. who married George I. Davisson, Elizabeth, who married Forbes Britton and Rachel, who married Thomas P. Moore.
Mrs. Britton died at Baton Rouge, Louisiana of the yellow fever while on a visit to her son, Captain Forbes Britton, 7th. Infantry U. S. Army.
The descendants of these three sisters had a marked influence on the social and political life of Harrison County and filled positions of honor and trust both in civil and military life.
John Hacker.
John Hacker was born in the Valley of Virginia and came to the Buckhannon settlement in 1768 or 1769. He located permanently in 1773 on Hacker's Creek, which was named for him. He held the office of Jus- tice of the Peace and bore a prominent part in the Indian wars of his neighborhood. It is said that he had served with General Clark's Vin- cennes Campaign. He died in 1821 aged 81 years.
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Benjamin Coplin.
Benjamin Coplin or Copeland as it was frequently spelled, was born in Rockingham County, Virginia in 1750 and died in this County in 1834 and was buried in the Old Grave Yard at Bridgeport His wife was Deborah Shinn.
He was an active energetic man of affairs, held various county offices including that of Sheriff and took a prominent part in the troublesome affairs of the frontiers during the Indian Wars and was the pioneer of his family west of the mountains.
He assisted in building Nutter's Fort near Clarksburg.
He located his homestead of 400 acres on the Brushy Fork of Elk Creek with a preemption of 1000 acres adjoining in the year 1773. Levi Douglas' lands joined those of Coplin's.
The census of 1782 shows that his family numbered five at that date. Many of his descendants still reside in the County.
Thomas Harbert.
Thomas Harbert according to the land records located on Decker's Creek now Monongalia County in 1774. He subsequently removed to Jones' Run now in Eagle District, Harrison County.
Samuel Harbert in 1775 located a homestead of 400 acres on the West Fork River adjoining lands of Levi Shinn. In 1785 by the Harrison County Census he had six in his family.
He is again referred to as inheriting 400 acres from Thomas Harbert on Jones' Run by the commissioners of unpatented lands in 1781.
In the attack on Harbert's Block House on Jones' Run in 1778 one of the Harbert's was killed while having a desperate hand to hand struggle with an Indian by a shot fired from without the house. His first name is not given in the Border Warfare but it is supposed to have been Thomas, whether the father or brother of Samuel is not known but he was a near relative as the latter inherited the estate.
John Harbert took an active part in the skirmish with the Indians on the Waters of Middle Island now in Doddridge County in 1791.
The family still live in Harrison County.
John Jackson.
John Jackson, the pioneer of the Jackson family in West Virginia was born in Londonderry, Ireland, about the year 1719, his father removed to London when John was quite young and there he learned the builders trade.
In 1748 he emigrated to Cecil County in the colony of Maryland and there married Elizabeth Cummins an English woman who according to tradition was a large, strong minded, energetic, courageous woman of great strength of character, which traits were inherited by her descendants.
This couple were the progenitors of a long line of able enterprising
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men, who were distinguished in military and civil life and left their im- press on the times in which they lived.
Several years after their marriage the young couple moved West and after several temporary locations, in 1769, crossed the mountains and located on the Buckhannon River at the mouth of Turkey Run. Jackson had under the guidance of Samuel Pringle explored the country in the year previous, 1768.
John Jackson did his share of pioneer work and took an active part in the Indian wars of the period.
He was the father of George, who was distinguished above his broth- ers, the grandfather of John G. the able United States Judge and Con- gressman, and the Great Grandfather of Thomas J. (Stonewall) whose fame as a soldier is world wide.
He died at Clarksburg in 1804, aged 85 years. His wife, Elizabeth also died in Clarksburg in 1825 at the age of 101 years.
Benjamin Harrison.
Benjamin Harrison was born at Berkeley on the James in Virginia about the year 1740. He was educated at William & Mary College and took an early and prominent part in public affairs.
He was a member of the House of Burgesses of Virginia in 1764 and again a member and speaker in 1777.
Was a member of the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1777 and in that capacity in 1776 voted for and signed the Declaration of Indepen- dence.
Was Governor of Virginia from November 1781 to November 1784 and was chosen Governor in 1791 but died before his term of service commenced.
Two of his descendants have been Presidents of the United States. Harrison County was named in his honor.
General George Rogers Clark.
George Rogers Clark was born November 19, 1752 near Monticello Albermarle County, Virginia.
He was surveyor by occupation in early life and his duties as such carried him to the upper Ohio region west of the mountains. In 1774 he was a Captain in Lord Dunmore's campaign against the Indians West of the Ohio.
In 1775 he went as a surveyor to Kentucky and in 1776 was chosen a delegate to the Virginia Assembly to urge upon the State authorities to give aid and protection to the Kentucky frontier as that region was under the jurisdiction of Virginia.
In 1777 he was a major of Kentucky Militia and engaged in the repel- ling of the attacks of the Indians on the settlements.
In 1778 he was appointed Lieut. Colonel and authorized to raise a force to capture the British Posts in the Illinois Country.
He collected recruits and organized his expedition at the Falls of the
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Ohio, now Louisville, and after incredible hardships was successful in cap- turing Kaskaskia and Vincennes, and with the latter Fort Lieut. Gov. Hamilton of Canada known among the frontiersmen as the "hair buyer."
Clark was promoted to Brig. General and was prominent on the fron- tier in the Indian troubles, and all that rich domain North West of the Ohio was secured to the Republic at the peace with Great Britain in 1783 in consequence of his energy, capacity and prowess.
His later years were spent in poverty and seclusion and unfortunately his social habits were none of the best.
He died February 18, 1818 at Locust Grove near Louisville and was buried at Cave Hill in the suburbs of that City. The town of Clarksburg was named in his honor.
Lord Dunmore.
John Murray, the Earl of Dunmore was the last Royal Governor of the colony of Virginia. He was born in 1732, appointed Governor of New York in 1770 and of Virginia in 1771 and arrived in Williamsburg early in 1772.
It was his misfortune to succeed Lord Bottletourt as Governor, who was very popular with the colonists and who at his death named a county after him and erected a statue to his memory in front of William and Mary College.
Dunmore was abrupt in manner, intensely loyal to his King and determined to crush out any spirit of Independence exhibited by the Col- onists and as a ruler was exceedingly unpopular.
On the contrary the Countess of Dunmore and her family were re- ceived with every mark of courtesy and respect upon their arrival in Wil- liamsburg, the town being illuminated in their honor and the House of Burgesses giving a ball at the capitol to welcome them to Virginia.
Dunmore in 1774 organized an expedition against the Western Indians in the Ohio Country, one column under General Andrew Lewis moved down the Big Kanawha and fought the battle of Point Pleasants with the Indians under Cornstalk.
The other column under the Governor moved by way of Pittsburgh down the Ohio and thence to the Shawnee towns on the Sciota near the present town of Chillicothe. He made a Treaty of Peace with the Indians and returned to Williamsburg. This war in history is known as Dun- more's war.
The dissatisfaction of the colonies was now rapidly ripening into revolution and to carry out a systematic plan to disarm the people Dun- more on the morning of April 20, 1775, caused the powder in the public magazine at Williamsburg to be removed to a British man of War lying in James River. This created great excitement and the country rose in arms and marched on the capitol. The Governor's family were hurried on board a war ship, the "Fowey," to be followed by the Governor early in June.
He burned Norfolk and committed other depredations along the coast
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and sailed away to England. He was appointed Governor of the Bermuda Islands in 1786 and died in England in 1809.
In 1772 the Assembly named a County Dunmore which in 1777 was changed to Shenandoah.
Elias Hughes.
Elias Hughes was born on the South Branch of the Potomac, his birth occuring sometime before Braddock's defeat in 1755.
He first appears on the public stage as a soldier participating in the battle of Point Pleasant in 1774, in which he took an active part. He was the last survivor of that conflict and lived seventy years after it was fought.
He next appears in Harrison County where for many years he was engaged as a scout, watching the Indian war parties and giving notices of their approach to the settlers of the Monongahela Valley, and in this capacity he was of great service to the frontier by his activity and knowl- edge of Indian war-fare.
He pre-empted 400 acres of land in 1770 on the West Fork River near the mouth of Hacker's Creek.
Hughes' father, and others of his kindred, and a young lady to whom he was much attached were murdered by the Indians. These acts of bar- barity made him ever after an unrelenting and merciless enemy of the Indian race and he never spared one of them when opportunity occurred.
The Indian troubles having ceased by the treaty at Greenville in 1795, Hughes' services not being longer required, he entered into the employ- ment as a hunter for a party of surveyors in Ohio, probably under the direction of John G. Jackson, Deputy Surveyor under Rufus Putnam, Surveyor for the United States Government.
Hughes was attracted by the fine appearance of the land on Licking River and concluded to locate on it, so in 1797 with his wife and twelve children, his nephew John Ratcliff with his wife and four children on foot and pack horses started west and settled on what is called the Bowling Green on the banks of the Licking four miles East of the present City of Newark. This colony of twenty one souls was the first permanent white settlement in the present County of Licking, State of Ohio.
In 1801 four horses were stolen by two Indians from Hughes and his neighbors. They were followed and overtaken and though his com- panions endeavored to pursuade Hughes to spare their lives he strenuously objected, his old hatred for the race was too great to be overcome and the horse thieves paid the penalty.
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