USA > West Virginia > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, West Virginia : from the early days of Northwestern Virginia to the present > Part 45
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50
Promoted from ranks Oct. 3, 1862. Promoted from Corporal Feb. 1, '64. Disabled by a fall June 5, '64. Pro. from Corporal. Wounded in arm at Rocky Gap Aug. 27, 1863. Promoted from ranks Feb. 1, 1864.
Taken prisoner at Springfield, Va. June 26, 1864.
Wounded in breast at Cross Keys June 28, 1862.
Taken prisoner on Salem raid Dec. 19, 1862.
Taken prisoner May 5, 1864 at Martinsburg, Va.
Taken prisoner at Springfield June 26, 1864. Wounded in hand at Bull Pasture Mountain May 8, 1862.
421
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
McDermott, Roger
Mooney, Geo. W.
Nicholas, James.
Pritchard, Charles C.
Shinn, Oliver W
Speer, Ernest
Steetler, Joseph N.
Wilson, John.
Lagger, John.
Wounded in hand Bull Pasture Mt. May 8, 1862. Capt'd Dec. 19, '63. Taken prisoner at Springfield June 25, 1864.
Wounded in hand at Rocky Gap Aug. 27, 1863. Captured at Salem, Va. Dec. 16, '63. Captured at Rocky Gap Aug. 27, 63.
Recruits. McAtee, James W.
Discharged.
Shuttleworth, N. A.
Capt.
Werniger, W. W Capt.
Bennett, Geo. W. .Serg't.
Green, Jerome W. . Corp'l.
Cheuveront, Jesse. Corp'l.
Bragg, William H. Private
Finnerty, Michael
Hitt, Cornelius
Janes, John T ..
Kearney, Patrick.
Lewis, David.
Mann, Patrick.
Matheny, John.
Nutter, Addison.
Ranniel, William
Werninger, A. 1st Ser.
Died.
Chittum, Wesley T.
Serg't.
Patterson, Razin A. Corp'l.
Shinn, Asa A.
Holman, Isaac. Private Keyser, William J.
Kerns, James D.
Maxwell, Nathaniel.
Morgan, Stephen H.
Roane, Gibson G.
Spangler, Daniel.
Swisher, Charles W
Sims, William B.
Res'd June 5, 1862.
Pro. from 1st Lt. to Capt. June 5, 1862. Resigned Nov. 9, 1862. . For dis. Jan. 26, 1863.
For dis. Oct. 9, '62.
For dis. Dec. 10, '62.
For dis. March 15, '62.
For dis. Nov. 10, '62.
For dis. April 3, 1863.
For dis. May 15, 1863. For dis. March 14, 1863.
For dis. July 28, 1862.
For dis. Feb. 5, 1862.
For dis. May 15, 1862.
For dis. Feb. 17, 1862.
Jan. 26, '64 upon promotion to Ser. Major.
Killed in action at Bull Run Aug. 29, 1862.
Mortally wounded at Rocky Gap Aug. 27, 1863. Died in hands of the enemy.
Of small pox, at Clarksburg, Feb. 2,'64.
Oct. 11, 1862 near Fairmont, W. Va. Sept. 29, '61. At Jane Lew, W. Va. Killed in action at Bull Run Aug. 29, '62.
Killed May 8, '62 at Bull Pasture Mt.
Mortally wounded at Bull Run Aug. 29, 1862. Date of death unknown. Committed suicide at Grafton by shooting, June 23, 1862.
Killed at Cross Keys June 8, 1862 Mortally wounded at Rocky Gap Aug. 27, 1863. Died in hands of enemy.
Killed in action at Droop Mt. Nov. 6, 1863.
422
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
Wilkinson, Wm. H. 4€
Absent.
Conners, Michael.
McKearnon, Patrick.
Shafer, John
Veterans. Jackson, James D. 1st Ser.
Hays, John W.
Lyons, James H. Corp'l.
Haymond, John G.
Armon, James R.
Bailey, William B. Bugler
Wood, William J. Farr'r
Lipscomb, Samuel. Blacksmith
Bumgardner, George Private
Bell, John.
Cottrill, Augustine J.
Cader, Sanford.
Childers, Enoch B.
Davis, Caleb P. ..
Duff, James N .. ..
Daugherty, Norval.
Frush, George W
Kirby, James.
King, Waitman
Leyman, William
McAtee, Samuel.
Morgan, Lyttleton T. ..
Shinn, Joshua M ..
Steorts, James W.
Simms, Benjamin L.
Snow, Allen .
Scott, Willis W. ..
Vance, Harvey. ..
Windom, William G.
Wymer, Leonard R.
Washburn, Cyrus.
Wood, John I .. .. Aggregate, 105 men.
Killed in action at Bull Run Aug. 29, 1862.
At Pittsburg, Pa., Sept. 29, 1862. At Brookville, Va., Sept. 10, '61. At Harrisonburg, Va., June 12, '62.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, '64. Prisoner
June 26, 1864.
Re-enlisted Feb. 20, '64. Re-enlisted Feb. 1, '64. Prisoner
June 26, '64. Re-enlisted Feb. 1, '64. Re-enlisted Feb. 1, '64. 26, 1864. Re-enlisted Feb. 1, '64.
Pris. June
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, '64. Re-enlisted Mar. 26, '64. June 26, 1864. Re-enlisted March 26, '64.
Prisoner
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, '64.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, '64.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864. prisoner June 26, 1864.
Taken
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
Re-enlisted March 26, 1864.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864. Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864. prisoner June 26, 1864.
Taken
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, '64. Re-enlisted Feb. 1, '64. oner June 26, 1864. Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
Taken Pris-
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864. Re-enlisted Feb. 1, '64. Taken Pris- oner June 26, 1864. Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
423
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
Record of Captain Rufus E. Fleming's Company "G" of the 6th. Regiment West Va. Cavalry Volunteers, late 3rd. West Va. Infantry, showing the changes in said Company from the date of organization to the date of muster-out, on the 12th. day of August, 1864, by Lieut. Henry C. Peck, 14th. U. S. Infantry. Compiled from the muster out rolls.
Names. Rank.
Fleming, Rufus E. Capt.
Link, Henry H 1st Lt.
Wicks, Benj. F. 2nd Lt.
Ash, Silas. Serg't.
Harden, John W.
Riblett, Daniel A. Corp'l. Smith, John W ..
Ash, Anderson H. Private
Ash, Peter.
Barnes, Ethelbert F.
Crouse, Jacob.
Dugan, Patrick.
Horan, Edward C ..
Hooper, James J. C.
Harvey, Pruett.
Harvey, John R ..
Martin, William H.
Maxwell, Richard.
Rider, James.
Robinson, Ithamar
Smith, Stephen
Smith, Jacob.
Shahan, Hiram
Recruits. Dawson, William H. Serg't.
Snider, Emory R .. . Sadl'r. Bacorn, George W. Private Coffman, Geo. W.
Dodson, Perry. .
McDonald, David.
Not mustered out.
Shahan, Richard ..
Stanley, Geo. W. C ..
.€
Showalter, Phillip
Williams, John E.
Discharged.
Dawson, Geo. T. Serg't.
Clayton, John A. Private
Pro. from Ser. to 2nd Lt. Aug. 1, '62. From 2nd Lt. to Capt. Sept. 23, '62.
Pro. from Ser. to 2nd Lt. Sept. 23, '62. To 1st Lt. Oct. 3, '62. Pro. from Ser. to 2nd Lt. Sept. 28, '63.
Pro. from Corporal to Serg't Sept. 23, '62.
Promoted from Corp'l to Serg't Oct. 5, '63.
Severely wounded through left lung at Rocky Gap, Aug. 26, '63.
Wounded in the thigh at McDowell May 8, 1863.
Pris. capt'd at Covington, Va., Dec. 8,'63.
Severely wounded through abdomen at McDowell, Va., May 8, 1862.
Severely wounded in thigh at Mc- Dowell, May 8, 1862.
Pro. from private to serg't Feb 1. 1864. Not mustered out.
Not mustered out.
Not mustered out.
Not mustered out.
Not mustered out.
Not mustered out.
Not mustered out.
Not mustered out.
Not mustered out.
June 27, 1862, at Mt. Jackson for disability.
Jan. 23, '63 at Bulltown, Va., for disability.
424
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
Cox, John W ..
Dent, Marmaduke.
Rice, Henry M ..
Sandy, Newton B.
Shields, John W
Twigg, Andrew S.
Moore, Alexander C. . Capt.
Hursey, William L. 1st Lt.
Hewes, David . 1st Lt.
Goff, Nathan. 2nd Lt.
Bryson, William E .. 2nd Lt.
Barnes, Zenis L. Private
Cole, Martin V ..
Evans, William
Fittro, William F.
Hansford, Walter E ..
.€
Malloney, William.
Mahaney, Joseph E.
Robinson, John N.
Shaw, Solomon F.
Shaw, John R.
Tracy, William S.
Tracy, John S.
Corp'l.
Cowen, Michael. Corp'l.
April 17, '63 at Grafton, disability. April 17, '63 at Grafton, disability. On account of wounds received at McDowell May 8, 1862. For wounds received at Bull Run Aug. 30, 1862. At Parktersburg for disability, date unknown.
June 30, '62, at Mt. Jackson, Va. for disability. For promotion Sept. 23, '62. Res'd July 30, 1862. Res'd Oct. 3, 1862. Promoted to Ad'jt Aug. 1, 1862. Pro. from serg't to 2nd Lt. Oct. 2, '62. Res'd April 23, 1863.
Killed at Rocky Gap, Aug. 26, 1863. April 21, '61, at Allegheny Mt., Va. In Harrison County, W. Va., Aug. 25,'61.
At Petersburg, W. Va., uJne 1, '62. At Petersburg, W. Va., July '62. Sept. '63, at Washington, D. C. In Taylor Co., W. Va., March 4, '63. In Harrison Co., W. Va., Oct. 15, '61.
In Harrison Co., W. Va., Sept. 24, '61.
In Harrison Co., W. Va., Oct. '62 In Harrison Co., W. Va., June 17, '63.
Sept. 1862 in New York. April 2, 1862, of wounds rec'd near Philippi, W. Va.
Absent. Clark, Owen Private While on veteran furlough March, '64
Veterans.
Kidwell, John W. 1st Serg't.
Dawson, Elijah C .. . Serg't. Wells, Arthur E ..
Hickman, Alex. W
Hoover, John W. Cop'1. Kidd, James H.
Moore, Jeptha M.
Holder, Thomas G .. Wagʼr.
Allen, John B .. Farr'r.
Davidson, Franklin M. Blksmh. Ash, Amos .. Private Bogard, Abraham
Barwell, Samuel R.
Brown, George W ..
Cunningham, A. A.
Cunningham, Perry
Coffman, Geo. W.
Clayton, John L ..
Re-enlisted March 10, '64. Re-enlisted March 10, '64. Re-enlisted March 27, '64. Re-enlisted Feb'y 1, '64. Re-enlisted Feb'y 1, '64. Re-enlisted Jan'y 22, '64. Re-enlisted Feb'y 1, '64. Re-enlisted Feb'y 1, '64. Re-enlisted Feb'y 1, '64.
Re-enlisted March 11, '64. Re-enlisted March 10, '64. Re-enlisted Feb'y 1, '64. Re-enlisted Feb'y 1, '64. Re-enlisted Feb'y 1, '64. Re-enlisted Jan'y 25, '64. Re-enlisted Jan'y 22, '64. Re-enlisted Jan'y 25, '64. Re-enlisted Jan'y 22, '64.
425
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
Cox, David H.
Re-enlisted Feb'y 1, '64.
Flowers, Lawson I.
Re-enlisted Jan'y 22, '64.
Gabert, Geo. C ..
Re-enlisted March 11, 1864.
Gabert, James N.
Re-enlisted March 11, 1864.
Hustead, A. (
Re-enlisted Jan'y 22, 1864.
Harbert, John A.
.€
Re-enlisted March 11, 1864.
Kester, Saul B.
Re-enlisted Jan'y 22, 1864.
Linville, Joseph
Re-enlisted Feb'y 1, 1864.
Looman, John.
Re-enlisted March 11, 1864.
Moore, Lewis.
Re-enlisted Jan'y 22, 1864.
Maulsby, George J.
Re-enlisted Jan'y 22, 1864.
Munday, Hiram L ..
Re-enlisted March 11, 1864.
Mason, Thomas M.
Re-enlisted Jan'y 22, 1864.
Robinson, Burgess
Re-enlisted Jan'y 22, 1864.
Robey, Thomas I.
Re-enlisted March 10, 1864.
Rollins, Nesley
Re-enlisted March 10, 1864.
Rollins, Hiram.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
Southworth, benj. C ..
Re-enlisted Jan. 22, 1864.
Sturms, Napoleon I ..
Re-enlisted Mar. 11, 1864.
Swigger, George W.
Re-enlisted Jan. 25, 1864.
Scoville, William J.
Re-enlisted Jan. 22, 1864.
Tucker, Uriah.
Re-enlisted Jan. 22, 1864.
Wright, Major F.
Re-enlisted Jan. 22, 1864.
Wright, Jonathan.
Re-enlisted Feb. 1, 1864.
Wildman, Thos. M ..
Re-enlisted Jan. 22, 1864.
Aggregate, 103 men.
426
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
Miscellaneous.
The West Virginia Central Agricultural and Mechanical Society was organized in 1867 and held its first fair in the fall of that year.
It purchased that part of the original Stealey farm, in the bend of the River, known as the old "Fort Field" from its having been used for generations as a camping ground of the Indians, and has held its annual expositions without an intermission up to 1909.
This Society has accomplished great good to the people of the County by the improvement of live stock, methods of farming, the introduction of new seeds, farming machinery, has caused the people to become acquainted and advances the social relations of the people by having a reunion each year.
Fort Pitt.
The settlers along the upper Ohio and the Allegheny and Monon- gahela Rivers, depended upon the military at Fort Pitt for protection. This Fort had been partially demolished by the British in 1772.
After the commencement of the war of the Revolution it was garris- oned by a company of militia commanded by Captain John Neville in 1775. He was relieved by Captain Robert Campbell.
In 1777 Brigadier General Edward Hand of the Continental Army assumed command of the Military District with head quarters at Fort Pitt.
Brigadier General Lachlan McIntosh relieved General Hand in 1778.
Colonel Daniel Brodhead 9th. Penna. relieved General McIntosh in 1779.
General William Irvine relieved Colonel Brodhead in 1781, who in 1783 turned over the command of the Fort to a small force of continental troops. The treaty of peace with Great Britain was signed at Paris on September 3, 1783.
Fort Henry at Wheeling was built in 1774 and Fort Randolph at Point Pleasant in 1775.
427
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
Streams Flowing Into West Fork River in Harrison County.
East Side.
West Side.
Hacker's Creek
Kincheloe Creek
Duck Creek
Two Lick
Lost Creek
Isaac's Creek
Brown's Creek
Buffalo Creek
Reed's Run
Sycamore Creek
Arnold's Run
Coburn's Creek, Formerly "Bent of the River Creek."
Elk Creek Fall Run
Davison's Run
Jack Run
Turkey Penn Run
Limestone Creek
Crooked Run
Lambert's Run
Wolf Penn Run Ten Mile
Robinson's Run
Pigott's Run
Brown's Run
Bingamon Creek.
Household Articles.
To show the household articles in use, and the personal property belonging to a well to do pioneer, the following is taken from the ap- praisement of the estate of Levi Douglass, who died in 1787:
2 horses, 1 colt, 2 steers, 2 heifers, 1 cow, 1 calf, 17 shoats, 1 plow, 1 negro boy, 1 rifle gun, shot pouch and powder horn, 1 woman's saddle, 2 bridles, 1 man's saddle, drawing knife, stillyards, pot and hooks, hackle- bell, pans, spinning wheel, wooden ware, knives and forks, pewter ware, beds and bedding, flax seed, wheat, hemp seed, beehives and hominy block.
In contrast to the above, below is given the appraisement of the prop- erty of Mathias Schoolcraft, who was a hunter and trapper, and like many others on the frontier led a roving life, and refused to establish a perma- nent home. He was killed by Indians in April 1781 :
3 pewter plates, 4 spoons, 1 axe, 1 blanket, 1 bedtick, 3 pounds of feathers, 1 knife, 1 branding iron all valued at 15 shillings and 9 pence. It is presumed that the Indians got his gun and equipments.
Slack Water on the West Fork.
The Legislature on January 19, 1817, passed an act incorporating a company for the improvement of the navigation of the West Fork and Monongahela Rivers to be called the Monongahela Navigation Company. The object of the Company was to make a channel navigable for flat boats, rafts and lumber at all seasons from the mouth of Stone Coal Creek on the West Fork River down that stream and the Monongahela to the Pennsylvania State line, and were authorized to construct locks, slopes and dams for that purpose.
Authority was also given the Company to cut a canal and divert the
Simpson's Creek Shinn's Run Mud Lick Run
Laurel Run
428
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
waters of the Buckhannon River to the waters of the West Fork River, for the purpose of procuring an additional supply of water.
The following persons were authorized to open books in Clarksburg to receive subscriptions for stock to aid the enterprise. The shares were for $100.00 each and the amount limited to $150.000.
John G. Jackson, Benjamin Wilson, Jr., James Pindall, George I. Davisson, William Williams and David Hewes, John Stealey, Ralph Berk- shire, Felix Scott, Thomas Wilson, John Rogers and George S. Darling were authorized to receive subscriptions.
Additional acts were subsequently passed enlarging the powers of the Company and a survey was made from Weston down to the Pennsyl- vania State line, and the distance was found to be 107 miles and the fall 223 feet.
The work was commenced on the West Fork in Harrison County and several dams were constructed.
The sum of a fraction less than $21,000 was expended in this work, one fifth of which had been contributed by the State of Virginia, which was a large sum for that day.
Shortly after these dams were constructed and others about to be commenced there came one of Noah's floods, which did so much damage to the property that the enterprise was abandoned.
In 1829 proceedings were instituted in the Circuit Court by the Board of Public Works to declare the rights and franchises of the Company forfeited and vested in the said Board.
The dams constructed by the Company were declared common nuis- ances and the sheriff was ordered to abate them. These dams are described as located one at the mouth of Jack Run, one at or near Lambert's Run, one at the Falls above the mouth of Ten Mile Creek, one near Benjamin Reader's and one at the White rocks.
Judge John G. Jackson was the principal mover in this undertaking, and together with other stock holders was a large loser in its failure.
Judge Jackson was a man of unbounded energy, and ever forward in establishing enterprises for the interest of the people, and the failure of this one of his favorite schemes must have been a bitter disappointment to him.
A List of Justices of the Peace prior to the Year 1800.
John P. Duval, Benjamin Wilson, William Lowther, James Anderson, Henry Delay, Nicholas Carpenter, William Robinson, John Powers, Thomas Cheny, Jacob Westfall, Salathial Goff, Patrick Hamilton, George Jackson, John Wilson, John Sleeth, John Goodwin, John Prunty. Robert Maxwell, Jonathan Coburn, Hezekiah Davisson, Thomas Reed, John Hacker. John Hall, Watson Clark, Thomas Webb, William Haymond. John Haymond, Benjamin Coplin, William Martin, George Arnold, Jos- eph Davisson, John Radcliff, James Neal, John Bartlett, John Davis, Robert Lowther, John Righter, James Tanner, Edward Anglin, Hedgman Triplett, Richard Bond, Benjamin Webb, William Powers, John McCally, Benj. Robinson, Cornelius Westfall, Edward Jackson.
429
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
First Wagon Built in the County.
Michael Criss came to Clarksburg according to his son George, from Monongalia County in 1804 and made the first four horse wagon ever made in Harrison County. He was the son of a German and married a Ferguson from Hampshire County.
Mr. John Cain stated that Paulson Butcher brought a thirty gallon still on a pack horse from below Richmond and made the first peach brandy distilled West of the Mountains. He located two miles below Weston on the West Side of the river.
Henry Flesher settled where Weston now stands.
Tradition has it that John G. Jackson when at Marietta heard that a party of Indians had crossed the Ohio River below Blennerhassetts Island to make a raid on the settlements on the West Fork River. He started on foot early in the morning and reached Clarksburg before sun-set and gave the alarm to the settlers.
Early Clarksburg Merchants.
William Martin, who had been a soldier in the Revolution, clerkcd in a store in a building which stood on the South Side of Main Street near Clay Street between 1784 and 1788 which is the first location known of a store in Clarksburg, although there were no doubt others prior to that time.
This building was afterwards used as a Saddlers shop by George Hurry.
A considerable portion of the town at that time was on the East side of the creek. Edward Jackson and William Robinson are known to have been merchants in 1786.
Elias Hickman remembers a company of soldiers he thinks command- ed by Captain George I. Davisson in the war of 1812 that were encamped for a time near the intersection of Main and Pike Streets and that they marched in February to the East with knapsacks but without arms.
He thinks that the old Sehon house which now (1909) stands on the North side of Main Street West of Fourth is the oldest brick house in town.
Post Masters.
The first Post Master of Clarksburg of whom there is any knowledge held the office in 1798.
It is possible there may have been others before that time but the local office keeps no record, and the General Office at Washington is too busy to make examinations.
430
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
Below is given a partial list of the incumbants of the office :
John Webster-1798.
Richard Fowkes.
Joseph Newelle-1808.
John H. Shuttleworth
William Williams-1815.
William F. Richards.
John W. Williams-1820.
Lloyd Reed
William Williams-1828.
Daniel W. Boughner.
Lee H. Vance.
Hamilton G. Johnson-1839. Elias Bruen.
Lloyd Reed.
Benjamin F. Griffin.
Stuart F. Reed.
Cyrus Vance
Sherman C. Denman-1909
Mail.
The first mail carrier of whom we have any note was Asa Davis, who carried the mail on horseback betwen Romney and Clarksburg.
On one trip he had long over-staid his time, which created some uneasiness as to his fate, but one day he was sighted coming down the Jackson hill with the mail sack on his shoulder.
He explained the delay by reporting that his horse had met with an accident, was abandoned on the road and he came in on foot.
Sub contracts made between Joel Elliott, General Mail Contractor of Washington, with Nathan Davis and John Davis of Harrison County March 12, 1807.
To carry the U. S. Mail from Gandy's by Clarksburg, Salem, Webster, Marietta, Athens and Hewitts to Chillicothe and back by the same route to Gandy's once a week for $387.50 for every quarter of a year.
Gandy's was in Preston County near Gladesville.
Money.
Thomas Jefferson in his "Notes on Virginia" says, "Our weights and measures are the same as fixed by the Act of Parliament in England. How it has happened that in this as well as other American States the nominal value of coin was made to differ from what it was in the country we had left, and to differ among ourselves too, I am not able to say with certainty."
In 1645 the General Assembly forbid dealing by barter for tobacco and established the Spanish piece of eight at six shillings.
The Assembly from time to time authorized the issue of Treasury notes of the denomination of one shilling three pence, two shillings six pence, five shillings, two pounds, three pounds and five pounds.
The Virginia pound differed from the English pound and was valued $3.331/3, the shilling at 1623 cents. and the penny at one and seven-eigh- teenth cents (1 7-18).
The value of the Spanish silver dollar being fixed at six shillings, which caused the shilling to be valued at 162/3 cents and the English pound being twenty shillings the same computation made the Virginia pound valued as above stated.
For many years in Virginia and particularly in West Virginia the
431
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
Spanish silver coin circulated largely and often to the exclusion of all other forms of money. This was owing to the trading with the Spanish possessions. It was in denominations of one dollar, fifty cents, twenty- five cents, twelve and one half cents, called "nine-pence" and six and one fourth cents, called "fips."
The United States commenced the coinage of gold and silver in 1793. The people were a long time learning the decimal system of coinage and for years the trading continued to be in pounds, shillings and pence.
The dollars was rated at six shillings, the half dollar at three shillings, the quarter dollar at one shilling six pence, the 121/2 cent piece at nine pence and the 61/4 cent piece at 41/2 pence.
Letter of Isaac Williams.
The writer of the following letter was the first settler at what is now Williamstown, on the Ohio River, opposite Marietta, now in Wood but originally Harrison County, and was written from that place.
The enclosure referred to is a petition to the County Court asking to be excused from attending the May term of the Court as a witness in the case of Duval vs. Sergeant.
Mr. Williams in his petition states that his health is bad, that he did not want to leave his family in these dangerous times, that there were only nine men in the settlement, and besides there was a risk of his being killed on the road to attend Court at Clarksburg.
FORT LIBERTY, April 29th, 1792.
Wm. Haymond, Elk Creek.
SIR :- We are all well at present but myself, as you see in the en- closed, and should be glad to hear of your welfare and family. Times is very precarious, the Indians are said to be thick on both sides of the river. This day two weeks some tracks were discovered at the mouth of Duck Creek where they took away some things from the cabin there. A party went after them and came up with four Indians at a fire about eight miles up the Little Muskingum. The party killed one and three made their escape.
Am sorry to inform you also that Mr. Neals, son and William Tipet were killed up the Kanawha on Friday was a week. So I shall be glad to know if you think it is likely we are to get payment for cutting the road. I shall be glad to receive a few lines from you, and that you would be so kind as to present the enclosed to the Court and in so doing will very much oblige.
Sir, Your humble servant,
ISAAC WILLIAMS.
432
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
GENERAL KELLEY. An Incident of Decoration Day.
In the advance on Grafton, Colonel Benj. F. Kelly, 1st. Va. Infantry, disembarked his troops at Fetterman and marched into Grafton over the North Western Turnpike.
The whole town and surrounding country turned out, and were strung out along the road and greeted the troops bearing the stars and stripes with the most enthusiastic welcome and demonstration of great joy.
Among those present to greet the soldiers was quite a company of little school girls commanded by their teacher, dressed in the national colors with aprons of red, white and blue, waving flags and singing patriotic songs. They were received by soldiers and citizens alike with cheers and expressions of delight.
Many years after when General Kelly was delivering an address on Decoration day at the Grafton National Cemetery, he alluded feelingly to the welcome his command received from these little girls.
A lady in the audience handed the General a package containing one of the aprons or dresses worn by her on that occasion. The old soldier was completely overcome by the incident and many in that vast assembly were moved to tears by the touching episode.
The gentlemen who had charge of the little girls upon that historic event was present on the Decoration Day referred to, and was most cor- dially greeted by the General.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.