USA > West Virginia > Monongalia County > History of Monongalia County, West Virginia, from its first settlements to the present time; with numerous biographical and family sketches > Part 3
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Were the Eckarlys and Eckerlins one? If so, they, the first discoverers of Monongalia and the first settlers of Preston (then a part of Monongalia), were not Dunkards but Ephratians-a sect some of whose followers still reside in Lancester County, in the eastern part of Pennsylvania. 3
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HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
The next advance of civilization was the Decker Creek Colony. This is the first attempted settlement upon the soil of Monongalia County. Thomas Decker and his little colony came to, or just above, the site of Morgantown in the fall of 1758, when
"The first sharp frosts had fallen, Leaving all the woodlands gay With the hues of summer's rainbow, Or the meadow flowers of May."
This little band of bold adventurers were the first English settlers who dared to enter the region west of the Alleghany Mountains held by the French and Indians since Braddock's defeat-an act of daring that has never been fully appre- ciated. True, Forbe's army was marching on Ft. Duquesne ; but none could tell with what result. The capture of Ft. Duquesne did not ensure their safety, for in the early spring of 1759, ere the frosts of winter had fled the earth, the Red Warriors of the forest swooped down upon the daring little colony, and swept it from the face of the earth. The sad story of their fearful fate is eloquently referred to by Mr. John J. Brown in the following extract from his Centennial historical address, delivered at Morgantown, July 4, 1876 :
"Near the spot where we are now assembled, when the autumnal frosts had tinged with gold and crimson the matured foliage of the tall hickory and the wide-speading sugar trees, near six score years ago, while George II. sat upon the throne of Great Britain, a few adventurous pioneers penetrated the dense wilderness and erected their log cabins. Doubtless the giant oaks which then stood upon the hills around us were girdled or felled to make room for the hoped-for harvest of the coming year. - Whence they came we know not. History records only their sad fate; and the stream, near whose banks we now stand, alone perpetuates the memory of Thomas Decker. But one of their number escaped to tell of their sudden surprise and destruction ere the flowers had bloomed and the buds had opened in the following spring.".
Withers, in his "Chronicles," says: "In the fall of 1758,
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MONONGALIA UNDER AUGUSTA.
Thomas Decker and some others commenced a settle- ment on the Monongahela River, at the mouth of what is now Decker's Creek. In the ensuing Spring it was entirely broken up by a party of Delawares and Mingoes; and the greater part of its inhabitants murdered." The same authority further states that one of the Decker party who escaped went to Redstone Fort (now Brownsville, Pa.) and gave the news of the massacre, but the garrison was too weak to attempt a pursuit, and Capt. Paul sent a runner to Fort Pitt, whose commandant, Capt. John Gibson, set out with thirty men to intercept the Indians, but failed. How- ever, they came on to seven Mingoes (near the site of Steubenville, Ohio) just after daylight one morning, lying around a camp-fire. Three of the Indians were killed, the others escaping. Capt. Gibson, with a single sweep of his sword, cut off the head of the chief Kiskepila or Little Eagle. Prisoners restored under the treaty of 1763, told that the Indians who escaped came in and reported that Gibson cut the chief's head off with a long knife. Several white prisoners were then sacrificed, a war dance ensued, with bitter denunciations of the Big Knife Warrior. The Virginia militia was soon called by the Indians the "Big Knife Warriors," and were known by the North-western In- dians ever afterward as the Long Knives or. Big Knife Nation.
A diligent search and an extended correspondence have failed to find anything further of Thomas Decker or his comrades. No record of any land can be found on the land- books in his name nor in that of his heirs in after years. There was a Nicholas Decker who entered land on the Mo- nongahela River, on a settlement made eight years later, in 1766; but no account can be obtained even of him, nor of
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HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
Garret Decker, whose heir he was stated to be in another entry of land. Whether they were relatives of Thomas Decker we cannot tell.
This destruction of the Decker Creek Colony was the first blood-stained page of the dark chapter of Indian murders in Monongalia.
The next advance of civilization after the destruction of the Decker Creek Colony, was composed of a rebellious element of society, being four deserters from Fort Pitt, whose names were William Childers, Joseph Lindsey, John Pringle and Samuel Pringle. They deserted in 1761, and just missed the present territory of the county by leaving the Monongahela River at Fort Burd (now Brownsville, Pa.), crossing Chestnut Ridge by the old Braddock Road, and camping for a while near the site of Mount Carmel (in Pres- ton County) on territory once owned by Monongalia County.
The King of England on the 7th of October, 1763, issued a proclamation forbidding settlements to be made west of the Alleghanies until the land was bought from the Indians, and two years later ordered the Governors of Virginia and Pennsylvania to remove all settlers west of these mountains by force. Governor Fauquier, of Virginia, issued three proclamations, and troops were sent from Fort Pitt in 1766 and 1767 up the Monongahela, but all the settlers that left returned as soon as the soldiers were gone. We have no account of any person living on the present territory of Monongalia being disturbed by these soldiers. The Indians' title was purchased by Pennsylvania in 1768. Virginia never purchased any title from the Indians.
We come now to consider who were the first permanent settlers on the territory of the county. The "Chronicles of Border Warfare " states that, in 1768, a party of emigrants,
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MONONGALIA UNDER AUGUSTA.
one of whom was David Morgan, came to the site of Mor- gantown. The local tradition in the Morgan family is, that. David Morgan left the vicinity and went up the Mononga- hela, leaving Zackwell* Morgan in possession of his settlement right. While Withers gives 1768 as the time David Morgan came, yet Morgan never entered any land on settlement made in that year; nor neither did Zackwell Morgan, who, after 1781, received a certificate for 400 acres at the mouth of Decker's Creek, as assignee of Isaac Le- masters, who had made improvements on it in 1772. Morgan also, as assignee of James Stockwell, received 400 acres more. Zackwell Morgan took up no land in right of his own settlement that can be found on the land-book of the Commissioners appointed to adjust claims to unpatented lands. Yet Col. William Crawford says in. a deposition sworn to by him at Pittsburgh : "Zachel Morgan, James Chew and Jacob Prickett came out in that year [1766], and [he] was informed by them that they had settled up the Monongahela; that he has since seen Zachel Morgan's plan- tation which is on the south side of the line run by Mason and Dixon ; and that he believes that to be the first settle- ment made in this country." This deposition was given in volume one of the Calendar of Virginia State Papers, issued in 1875, by William Palmer, M. D., under authority of the Legislature of Virginia.
There is a traditionary account, that, about the year 1760, John Snider, then a boy, was captured by the Indians, and taken along Crooked Run; that he afterward came back and settled at an early date. 1
* Morgan's Christian name is spelled in different ways on old records :- Zuequil, Zacquill, Zacquillin and Zackwell. His own signature to a deed is "Zack.Il," which would authorize the spelling Zackwell, which is, perhaps, a corruption of Jacquelin.
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HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
Bruce Worley, grandfather of Squire John I. Worley, of near Blacksville, came in 1766, with his brother Nathan, who afterwards was killed by Indians.
The first Commissioners appointed to "adjust claims to unpatented lands in the counties of Monongalia, Youghio- gheny and Ohio," were Francis Peyton, Philip Pendleton and Joseph Holmes. Their clerk was James Chew. They met at Redstone Old Fort in 1779, and at Coxe's Fort in 1780, in what is now Fayette County, Penna. The next board of Commissioners were John P. Duval, James Neal and William Haymond; clerk, William McCleary. They met at Col. John Evans's in 1781; at Clarksburg in April, 1781, and at Samuel Lewellin's in October of the same year. The last meetings were at Col. John Evans's, as is shown by the certificates" issued, and also by the certificate book up to where its leaves are missing. Upon these certificates the patentst were issued.
* The certificate to one who did not transfer his right, read as follow : "We the undersigned commissioners for adjusting elaims to unpatented lands in the counties of Monongalla, Yohogania and Ohio, do hereby certify that Charles Martin is entitled to 400 acres of land in Monongalia County on the Monongalla River in right of residence to include his improvements made thereon in the year 1769. Given under our hands at .this .... day of ...... in the .... year of the Commonwealth.
Attest : Clerk. Com.
+ Virginia gave to every bona fide settler who built a log cabin and raised a crop of corn before 1778, a title to 400 acres of land and a pre-emption to 1000 acres more ad- joining. These commissioners were appointed to give certificates of these "settlement rights." The certificate with the surveyor's plat was sent to the land office at Rich- mond, and in six months lf no caveat was offered, the patent was issued, and the Atle was complete. There was previous to the settlement right a right, which was no right in law, called the "tomahawk right." A hunter would deaden a few trees about a spring and cut his name in the bark of others, and then claim the land in after years. Some land-owners paid them voluntarily a trifle to get rid of them ; others did not. The settlement-right to 400 acres was certified to and a certificate issued upon payment of ten shillings per one hundred acres. The cost of certificate was two shillings and six pence.
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MONONGALIA UNDER AUGUSTA.
This committee granted certificates for lands on which improvements were made by the following named persons, in the years named :
1766, Thomas Merrifield, Booth's Creek ; Richard Merrifield, Lost Run ; Nicholas Decker, "Monongalia" River.
1767, no entries of improvements.
1768, David McNeal, east side Cheat.
1769, Samuel Owens, Monongahela River; Ephraim Richardson, Cheat ; John Downs, Hillin's Run ; Daniel Harris, Mononghela River ; William Hannah, Forks of Cheat ; Jesse Hollingsworth, Crooked Run ; Charles Martin and Jonathan Wright, Monongahela; Richard Harrison, Crooked Run ; Thomas Day, Craft's Run ; John Collins, Cheat ; John Pierpont (near Easton).
1770, on the Monongahela River, William Robinson, Edward Dorsey, John Burris, David Veach ; on Decker's Creek, John Burk, Alexander Burris, Samuel Burk, Conrad Crouse, Alex. Parker, James Russel, Jonathan Cobun ; on Cheat River, Samuel Sutton, Francis Warman, Thomas Craft, Robert Chalmbers, Philemon Askins, John Scott, William Stewart; on Dunkard Creek, Jacob Hoover, George Hiley, David McMahon, John Statler, M. Core, Simon Troy, Jacob Farmer, Roger Barton, Jacob Statler ; on West's Run, Francis Tibbs, William Josephs, Lewis Rogers ; on Robinson's Run, John Pollock; on Indian Creek, William Martin, Edmund West, Alexander Smith ; on Ruble's Run, Robert Lowther, Moses Templin ; on Carter's Run, Owen Davis ; on Pedlar's Run, Zachariah Piles.
1771, on Robinson's Run, Augustus and William Smith, Moses Hill ; on West's Run, Benjamin Rogers ; on Crooked Run, Adam Shriver ; on Cheat River, Joseph Barnett and Samuel Lewellin ; on Scott's Run, Jacob Scott ; on Scott's Mill Run, Peter Popens.
1772, on the Monongahela, John Hoard, George Wilson, Samuel Kinkade ; on Cheat, William Stewart, Job Sims, Jonathan Reese, Jacob Clark, George Parker, Thomas Evans, William Norris ; on Dunkard, George and Nicholas Shinn, R. Hiley, George Snider, Phineas Killem ; on Decker's Creek, Isaac Lemasters, James Temp- lin, Michael Kerns ; on Cobun's Creek, Jacob Miller, John Wood- fin, Richard Fields ; on Crooked Run, Christopher Garlow ; on White
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HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
Day, Robinson Lucas ; on Laurel Run, Jere Tannahill ; on Indian Creek, George and William Robinson ; on Scott's Mill Run, David Scott and Caleb Carter, undesignated.
1773, on Scott's Mill Run, George Gillaspie, John Murphy, Abram Hardin, James Piles, Dennis Neville ; on Scott's Meadow Run, now Dent's Run, John Cochran, Jacob Barker ; on Dunkard, Bruce Worley, Alexander Clegg, John Merrical, Anthony Hornback ; on Indian Creek, William Stewart, Hezekiah Stout ; on White Day, George Wilson, Andrew Ice ; on Flag Meadow Run, Thomas Pin- dall ; on Ruble's Run, Samuel Ruble ; on Tub Run, John Sulsor ; on Camp Run, John John ; on Crooked Run, Peter Crouse ; on Robinson's Run, Thomas Russel.
1774, on the Monongahela, James Stockwell, D. Rogers, Elijah Burris, Arthur Trader, jr., on Scott's Run, David Frazee, Thomas Chinath, jr., John Hardin, Philip Shively : on Decker's Creek, Peter Parker, John Large, Josiah Veach, Jacob Youngman, Thomas Hurbert, William Haymond ; on Indian Creek, James Denny, Thomas Cunningham, Daniel Burchfield, William Hill ; on Dunkard, Warman Wade, Daniel Barton: on Cobun's Creek, James Alison ; on Robinson's Run, Benjamin Archer ; on Cheat, Robert Curry, Jacob Rogers.
These settlements were nearly all made on 400-acre tracts ; some few on less. In over one-half the cases, they were transferred to other parties, who received the certificates for them with pre-emption-right to 1000 acres adjoining from 1781 to 1783. A portion of the certificate-book is gone, and some names with dates of settlement, are lost. No date is given of the transfer of these tracts to the buyers who re- ceived the certificates from 1779 to 1785.
The settlement at Morgantown in 1768 was made one year before the settlement at Wheeling. Col. John Evans was here in 1774; and in that year most probably he purchased the 1400 acres of Samuel Owens, settled in 1769, or else the 400 acres of Daniel Veach, settled in 1770, as between 1774 and 1781 he became owner of both tracts. The settlers
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MONONGALIA UNDER AUGUSTA.
were mostly from eastern Virginia. Col. Zackwell Morgan, Col. Charles Martin, Col. William Haymond, John Pierpont, Thomas Pindall, David Scott, Richard Harrison, Jonathan Cobun, William Stewart, John Statler and Michael Kerns were among the leading men of the infant settlements in the year 1774.
William Haymond, Jr., a son of Maj. William Haymond, in a letter dated February 18th, 1843, makes the following statement about Monongalia in 1773:
"In the year 1773, my father moved to this country. It is strongly impressed upon my mind that we stopped in the Forks of Cheat River at or near Roger's Fort (probably Dinwiddie). We may have stayed here a year.or two. The next I recollect, our family was living in the Monongalia Glades, near Decker's Creek. It seems very strange that any person should have settled there at that time when the whole country was almost vacant. I have no recollection how long we lived there, but I presume not long. As soon as war broke out we had to leave the place and the whole family went to Kern's Fort, opposite where Morgantown now stands. My father then had eight negroes. We planted and tended in corn the ground where Morgantown now stands. This was a stockaded fort. At one time I think there was a company of solders there."
About 1773 or '74 occurred the murder of Bald Eagle, an Indian friendly to the white men. The account in the "Border Warfare " says that he was killed by Jacob Scott, William Hacker and Elijah Runner, and set afloat in a canoe in the Monongahela, with a piece of Johnny-cake thrust into his mouth. The canoe floated down the river, and in Pennsylvania Mrs. Sarah Provins observed the canoe and had it brought to the shore, and the old Indian decently buried. Some accounts place this occurrence in 1773. The "Border Warfare " places it in 1774. Tradition says Bald
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HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
Eagle was a frequent and welcome visitor at Kern's Fort. This, if true, rather strengthens the claim that he was killed in 1774.
From 1764 to 1774 there had been unbroken peace along the frontier between the white men and the Indians, but in April, 1774, it was rumored that the Indians had stolen sev- eral horses from white men on the Ohio and Kanawha rivers. This report, whether true or not, afforded some rash men a pretext to kill two Indians on the Ohio River, and a party crossed the river and destroyed an Indian encamp- ment at the mouth of Yellow Creek. These unprovoked murders roused the Indians to war, which is known in his- tory as Dunmore's War, Lord Dunmore then being Governor of the Colony of Virginia. Logan, the great Cayuga chief, "the friend of the white man," whose family had been murdered in cold blood, penetrated to the upper branches of the Monongahela, marking his way with desolation and death. Peace was concluded in November, 1774. We have no account of any Monongalians in the campaign made by Dunmore's forces in this war.
We have account of stockade forts and block-houses in Monongalia during this year. Most likely this war caused their erection, as we can find no mention of them previous to this date. Kern's stockade fort stood on Decker's Creek, opposite the site of Morgantown. Burris' Fort was about two miles from Morgantown on the east side of the Monon- gahela. Cobun's Fort was on Cobun's Creek, two or three miles from Kern's. Pierpont's Fort was on John Pierpont's land, some three or four miles west of Kern's Fort, and Ft. Dinwiddie was near Stewarttown. Crossing the Mononga- hela River to the west side, (which in those days was called
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MONONGALIA UNDER AUGUSTA.
the "Indian Side," as the river when high presented a barrier to the Indians,) Martin's Fort stood on Crooked Run, and on the head-waters of this stream was Harrison's Fort. On Dunkard Creek was Statler's Fort, and on the site of Blacksville was Baldwin's Block-house. About two miles from the site of Georgetown was Stewart's Block-house.
Roads were now beginning to be cut out. They were carried along as much as possible on the tops of the ridges, to avoid Indian ambushes in the hollows. This practice was continued for years, and accounts for so many of the old roads running along the ridges.
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CHAPTER V. MONONGALIA IN WEST AUGUSTA.
1774-1776.
Struggle of Virginia and Pennsylvania for the Northern portion of its territory-Outbreak of the Revolution-West Augusta Recognized-Names of Settlers in 1775 and 1776-Boundaries of West Augusta Declared.
FROM the year 1763, settlements rapidly increased west of the mountains in the territory claimed by Augusta County. This territory embraced the larger part of south-western Pennsylvania, including Fort Pitt. Virginians spoke of all the territory of Augusta west of the mountains as West Augusta, or the District of West Augusta. In 1773, Penn- sylvania established courts at Hanna's-Town (near Greens- burgh), and sought to exercise jurisdiction over the valley of the south Monongahela. Virginia inaugurated measures to resist this occupation on the part of her Quaker neighbor. Lord Dunmore, then Governor of Virginia, commissioned Dr. John Connolly as a captain and sent him to Fort Pitt. Connolly called on the militia to meet and embody them- selves as Virginia militia, which many of them did on the 25th of January, 1774.
The Pennsylvania authorities arrested Connolly, but re- leased him. After his release he gathered a force, took pos- session of Fort Pitt, in the name of Virginia, and called it Fort Dunmore. On the 6th of December, 1774, Dunmore issued a new commission of the peace, and. adjourned the courts of Augusta County from Staunton to Fort Dunmore. The Justices appointed were forty-two in number, among which were George Croghan, John Campbell, Dr. John Con-
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MONONGALIA IN WEST AUGUSTA.
nolly, Edward Ward, Thomas Smallman, Dorsey Pentecost, John Gibson, William Crawford, John Stephenson, John Mccullough, John Cannon, George Vallandigham (a lineal ancestor of the late Clement L. Vallandigham, of Ohio), Silas Hedge, David Shepherd and William Goe. The first court held at Fort Dunmore was on February 21, 1775. Its first act was the admission of George Brent and George Roots as attorneys. On the next day, Simon Girty qualified as lieutenant of the militia of Pittsburgh and its depend- encies. A ducking-stool was ordered to be made.
While this court* was exercising civil and criminal juris- diction over the Monongahela Valley, a like jurisdiction was exercised over it by a Pennsylvania court at Hanna's-Town. Over the settlers were two governments, different in princi-
* The first Virginia court held at Fort Dunmore, was on February 21, 1775. The rec- ords, which are now before me, show that they continued to be held at that place, at any rate up to April 18, 1776. On June 29, 1776, the Convention at Richmond established the new Constitution. Then was passed an ordinance, 9 Hening, 126, " to enable the present magistrates and officers to continue the administration of justice, &c.'," and it was provided that the Justices in the District of West Augusta should have power to hold a court in said district, the third Tuesday of every month "at such place as they may appoint," &c. Then after April 18, 1776, no court was held for West Augusta till in August, when the name of Fort Dunmore was dropped, the record reading, "At a court held at Pittsburgh, for the District of West Augusta, the twentieth day of Au- gust, 1776, present, &c." The court was then reorganized by a new qualification of the Justices under the new order of things ; after which the first thing done was
" David Shepherd and Jolin Cannon, gent., are appointed to Contract with some per- son or persons to build a house 24 by 14 with a Petition in the middle to be used for & goal at Catfishes Camp Augusta Town."
Observe, over the words "Catfishes Camp" in the original record is drawn a black line, indicating that "Augusta Town " had been substituted. The record follows with several items of business and a list of persons recommended to be added to the com- mission of the peace, and finally
"Ord that the court be adjourned until the third Tuesday in September next, to Catfishes Camp Augusta Town."
Again is a line drawn over " Catfishes Camp," indicating that "Augusta Town " was the second thought for the name of the new place of holding the court.
Then the records show that the Court for the District of West Augusta was hield September 17, 1776, and November 19, 1776, at AUGUSTA TOWN.
On May 16, 1775, the first grand-jury was charged, consisting of the following persons : George Mccullough, foreman; Oliver Miller, Bazil Brown, Richard Waller, Jacob Van- metre, Abraham Teagarden, John Swan, Jesse Pigman, William Colvin, Josiah Wallace, Moses Williamson, John Decker, Richard McMahon, Richard Mclaughlin and Daniel Cannon .- Boyd Crumrine.
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HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
ple, with two sets of laws, and two sets of magistrates to enforce them. In the struggle for power scenes of civil strife were of daily occurrence. The Pennsylvania authori- ties seized and imprisoned the Virginia magistrates, who, in turn, seized the officers of the Pennsylvania government. So far as we can find, none of the inhabitants on the present territory of Monongalia were engaged in this struggle, which every day was drawing nearer to their few and feeble settle- ments.
The Revolutionary War put an end to this bitter struggle for a time. The partizans of both State governments were Whigs and patriots, and entered the Continental army in large numbers. On May 16, 1775, a meeting was held at Fort Pitt, and West Augusta pledged men and arms to the Continental army. On the same day the Pennsylvanians met at Hanna's-Town and made similar pledges.
The Virginia Convention in July, 1775, recognized the District of West Augusta as politically separate from Augusta County (but did not define its boundaries), in the following language: "The land-holders of the District of West Augusta shall be considered as a distinct county, and have the liberty of sending two delegates to represent them in general convention."*
During the years 1775 and 1776, the following named persons made improvements on settlement-rights : In the year 1775-On Scott's Run (now Dent's Run), John Dent, James Wells, George Weaver, Josiah Haskins, Thomas Cunningham and Benjamin Wilson; on Scott's Mill Run, David Rankins, James Sterling, John Ramsey, the lesser, and David Watkins; on Indian Creek, David Burchill,
* 9th Hening, p. 51.
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MONONGALIA IN WEST AUGUSTA.
Joseph Barker and Levi Carter; on Dunkard, Thomas Wade, George Wade, Sen. and Valentine Cooper; on Monongahela River, Jacob Hall (opposite the falls) and Philip Pindall; on Cobun's Creek, Henry Haines and N. Harris; on West's Run, Jonathan Newland; on Flag Meadow Run, John Dawson and James Walker; on Decker's Creek, William Houghland; on Robinson's Run, Abram Hendricks. In the year 1776-On Cheat River, John McFarland and Charles Donaldson; on Scott's Mill Run, William Watkins ; on the Monongahela River, John Burris.
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