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 39
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MILITARY HISTORY. 527
the courts were held at his house on his farm. He had the clerk's office in a building near his residence. The office after some years was burned, together with the records of the county. The court after this required him to have his office at the court-house. Rather than leave his farm and come to town to live, he resigned the office, and his son, Nimrod Evans, was appointed to fill his place. The house in which Col. John Evans lived at the time spoken of is still standing, and is said to be the first shingle-roof house in the county. The original floors and doors, made of pitch pine, are in a good state of preservation. While the clerk's office was kept there, General Washington came there for the purpose of examining the land records of the county, and remained and was the guest of Col. Evans during the night. Owing to these facts, this house has been kept in repair by Col. James Evans, to whom his father, Capt. Jack Evans, in his will gave the "Walnut Hill" homestead, it having been conveyed by Col. John to Capt. Jack by deed.
Of Col. John Evans it may be truly said, that as a public servant his integrity was never questioned, as a private citi- zen his character was always above suspicion. On the 18th of May, 1834, aged ninety-six years five months and nine days, he sank peacefully to rest. His wife preceded him only a few years, dying in her ninetieth year.
COL. JAMES EVANS, the fifth son of John Evans, Jr., (generally known as Captain Jack Evans,) and grandson of Col. John Evans, was born at " Walnut Hill," the old home- stead. He represented the County of Monongalia as a dele- gate to the General Assembly of Virginia in the session of 1839-40, and held a commission for many years as a justice of the peace, and was a member of the county court. He was a member of the Wheeling Convention which restored
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HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
the government of Virginia in June, 1861. In July follow- ing, Francis H. Pierpont, governor of Virginia, urged Col. Evans to consent to raise a regiment to aid in putting down the rebellion, to which end the governor gave him a colo- nel's commission. Col. Evans went actively to work and by October following had raised and organized the Seventh Vir- ginia Volunteer Regiment, whose conduct on many a well- contested field afterwards, gave it a character for valor and thorough discipline second to no other Virginia or West Virgina regiment in the service. The Regiment was organ- ized at Grafton-Gen. Kelley's headquarters-in November, 1861, and formed a part of Gen. Kelly's corps, which drove the Confederate forces back and took possession of Romney during that month. The Seventh Virginia remained in win- ter quarters at Romney, and in the spring of 1862 formed part of Gen. Shields's force which captured Winchester. In the latter part of the summer of 1862, Col. Evans became so broken in health that he was unable to discharge the ac- tive duties of the field, and resigned his command. The regiment then became a part of the Army of the Potomac.
In September, 1863, Col. Evans's health having somewhat improved, he was commissioned by President Lincoln pro- vost marshal of the Second Congressional District of West Virginia, with headquarters at Grafton; the duties of which office he faithfully discharged until the close of the war and to the entire satisfaction of the Government and the people of the district. The business of the office was closed up, and he was mustered out of the service in Sep- tember, 1865.
. On March 21, 1843, Col. Evans married Delia, eldest daughter of the late Thomas P. Ray. Their children were Lucy Strother, Harvey Anna (deceased), Thomas Ray,
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Gilly C., John G. and Delia Belle (the last two both de- ceased). Col. James Evans, his son Thomas Ray Evans, and his grandson, James Evans (son of Thomas R.), are the only male descendants of Col. John Evans, bearing the family name, now living in Monongalia County.
Col. Evans is known and recognized as among our most intelligent and useful citizens. In early life he acquired a practical and accurate knowledge of land surveying; and from this knowledge, as the mutual friend of, or arbiter for, his fellow-citizens, he has settled peaceably and without litigation many disputed land titles, and was very frequently named in the orders of the courts a commissioner in suits involving the assignment of dower and the partition of real estate. As a farmer, during his more active life, he was regarded by his neighbors as worthy of imitation in pro- gressive methods and successful management. He has acquired a very considerable fortune, and is spending his declining years in the society of a devoted wife and loving children. The writer of this sketch desires to record of his friend, Col. Evans, that, without which all wordly ambitions and honors are but vanity, and the most successful lives are without true inspiration and hope-he is an humble and sincere disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, and has been for more than forty years past a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
COL. FRANCIS W. THOMPSON was born in Morgantown, January 7, 1828. He went West in 1850, and crossed the plains in 1852, when there was not a house between the Missouri River and the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. In the Yakama and other wars, he was captain of Company A, First Battalion of Oregon Mounted Volunteers. Col. Thomp- 34
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HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
son learned several Indian languages while on the plains, and can yet speak some of them quite fluently. In 1861, he raised the first company in the county for the Federal ser- vice, which was probably the first three years' men in the service from West Virginia. He was commissioned cap- tain, June 5, 1861, (was commissioned 1st lieutenant in the Seventy-sixth Militia, May 28, 1860,) was promoted and commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the Third Regiment Virginia Volunteers, July 20, 1861, and was promoted and commissioned colonel of the Sixth Cavalry, April 21, 1864.
In 1861, he commanded an expedition into the Kanawha Valley, and defeating the Confederates at Big Bend, cleared them out of the valley. He commanded Averill's Brigade at the battle of Moorefield, and commanded a detachment of three regiments at Droop Mountain. During this latter engagement a charge was made by Colonel Thompson's command which deserves to be placed among historic strug- gles. His soldiers had fought their way to within a short distance of the Confederate fortifications, and could do nothing further except to stand and be shot down or charge the enemy's works. Col. Thompson signaled the command- ing general for permission to charge. When it was given, he asked that the artillery be directed to fire a few rounds at the fortifications in front of his men, and signal him as they ceased. The shots were fired and the signal came. Immediately the order to charge was given, and the men sprang forward with a wild huzza! Colonel Thompson was in the front, and before the dust had cleared or the enemy comprehended their intent, his men were pouring over the walls with clubbed guns, and beating back their foes in a hand-to-hand fight as determined and heroic as any con- test of the war. The resistance was stubborn, but nothing
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MILITARY HISTORY.
could avail against the impetuous onslaught of the Colonel's gallant boys, and their victory was signal and complete.
Col. Thompson since 1873 has been engaged in the mill- ing business at Morgantown.
COL. JOSEPH SNIDER was born in Monongalia County, on the 14th day of February, 1827, and is the son of Elisha Snider, who was the son of the John Snider who was cap- tured by Indians and kept a prisoner for nine years (p. 37). Col. Snider was raised on the farm, and was given what was then considered a fair education.
On coming to his majority, he was a Democrat in politics. At the presidential election of 1860, he voted for Douglass. When the war broke out, he took a decided stand against secession. He was a member of the first mass convention held in Wheeling, and also of that which passed the ordi- nance for the formation of the State of West Virginia. Col. Snider was a member of the Legislature of the Reorganized Government of Virginia, which sat at Wheeling at the same time the convention was in session which framed the first constitution of West Virginia. . This legislature had to appropriate money to pay the members of the convention. As the constitution made by that body continued slavery in the proposed new State, Col. Snider, of all the members of the legislature, alone voted no upon the passage of the bill making the appropriation. He has always considered this one of the proudest acts of his life. And he did not con- tent himself with merely voting, but made a ringing speech against the propriety of the legislature indorsing even in- directly the continuance of "the sum of all villainies" in the new State.
Col. Snider was the gallant colonel of the gallant Seventh West Virginia Infantry ; and as such commander, was in the
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HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
battle of South Mountain and of Antietam. In the latter battle, he had his horse killed under him, the animal having five bullets in its body. In the hard-fought battle of Fred- ericksburg, Col. Snider's regiment opened the fight on that ever memorable 13th of December. While leading his reg- iment against the fortifications of the enemy, which was done under a most terrific fire from the Confederates, Col. Snider received a bullet wound in the head. Col. Snider was in the battle of Chancellorsville, where, said the Colo- nel, " My regiment did as good fighting as ever was done on earth." He was also in numerous other engagements and skirmishes.
The regiment having become almost depleted, it was con- solidated into four companies in September, 1863; Col. Sni- der, with other supernumerary officers, was mustered out. He was then commissioned colonel of the Fourth West Vir- ginia Cavalry, which was a six months' regiment. The term of enlistment of the men expired April 14th, 1864, and Col. Snider was out of the service.
Col. Snider was elected a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1871, and was elected to the Legislature of 1872-3, and to the Legislature of 1875. As a member of these bodies he was an active and influential participant. Of excellent sense, fine judgment, rigidly adhering to princi- ple, and watchful and diligent, he served his people ably and with rare conscientiousness. Col. Snider is now serv- ing a second term as president of the Board of Education of Union District, Monongalia County.
The portrait of Col. Snider, on another page of this book, is a good likeness of him as he appeared in 1862-3. Always true to his convictions of right, and of an energetic nature, Col. Snider has lived an active and useful life. He is well
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MILITARY HISTORY.
known, and highly esteemed. A record of his acts and of the speeches he has delivered since the breaking out of the war in 1861, would fill many pages of this book.
CAPT. JOHN EVANS HOFFMAN, son of John H. Hoffman, was born October 7, 1842. He went out in Company C, Third Cavalry, as first lieutenant, in 1863. He refused a commission as major of the regiment. At Fredericksburg, being outside the pickets and entering a house for a drink,. three guerrillas surrounded the house. He killed their leader, and by a call for his men (who were not near) fright- ened the other two back till he escaped. On the 24th of November, 1863, twenty of the Third W. Va. Cavalry, who were on, a scout, were attacked and thirteen captured. Lieut. Hoffman headed the seven who came into camp, and supported by seventy-five men of a New York cavalry regi- ment, made a daring attack to recover the thirteen men. The New York men did not support him in the attack, and he and two of the seven men were killed On the day of his death a captain's commission was made out in Wheeling for him by Gov. Pierpont. Young and brave and daring, his loss was severely felt.
CAPT. JAMES R. UTT was born on Decker's Creek. He enlisted in Company C, Third W. Va. Cavalry, and was promoted to captain, and was killed while bravely fighting at Piedmont Station, on the 16th of May, 1863.
CAPT. NIMROD NELSON HOFFMAN, one of the editors of the Post, was born in 1827. He served in the Mexican war. On the breaking out of the late civil war, he enlisted in Company A, 1st West Virginia Cavalry, as a private, and was promoted to second and to first lieutenant, and commissioned captain in 1864, and served until January 1, 1865. He was wounded, April 15, 1863, on the Greenbrier
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River. On August 21, 1862, he had his horse shot, and was taken prisoner at Kelley's Ford, but escaping, carried infor- mation (obtained while but a few minutes a prisoner) to Gen. Buford, that his Brigade was in extreme danger of capture by Longstreet.
CAPT. HENRY BAYARD LAZIER, M.D., was born January 26, 1831; attended Monongalia ,Academy; graduated at the Jefferson Medical College. He raised Company E, Seventh W. Va. Infantry. His company fought at Malvern Hill, and at Antietam. In the latter battle, Capt. Lazier com- manded the left wing of the regiment, and was severely wounded. He resigned his commission in February, 1863, was commissioned the next day assistant surgeon in the Sixteenth Army Corps, and served until the end of the war.
Lieutenant Commander FRENCH ENZOR CHADWICK is the first and oldest officer in the naval service of the United States from the State of West Virginia. Lieutenant Chad- wick is the son of Daniel Clark and Margaret Chadwick, and was born February 29, 1844. He was educated at Monongalia Academy until 1861, when he was appointed (September 28th) a cadet from West Virginia to the Naval Academy, by the Hon. Williamn G. Brown. He graduated in November, 1864, and was attached to the Flagship Susquehanna, and served in this ship on the South Atlantic (Brazil) station from May, 1865, till the spring of 1866, when he was transferred to the Juniata, of the same squadron. He was promoted to ensign and master in the latter part of 1866. In June, 1867, he returned to the United States, and in October was promoted to lieutenant and ordered to the training ship Sabina (used for training boys). In April, 1868, he was ordered to the Tuscarora, fitting at Mare Island navy yard, California. Lieut. Chadwick served in this
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vessel on the west coast of South America, and on March 26, 1869, was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. In June, 1869, the Tuscarora was ordered to the West Indies, and he served on this station until February, 1870, when he was ordered home, and in March was sent to the torpedo station at Newport, R. I., where he remained until Septem- ber, and was then sent to the Guerriere, fitting for the European station. He served on this station until March, 1872, and was detached, in April, 1872, from this ship, after its arrival at New York, and was ordered to report in October as assistant instructor in mathematics at the Naval Academy. In this position he served until April, 1875, when he was ordered as executive of the Powhatan on special service. It afterward became the flagship of the North Atlantic (West Indian) squadron. On November 15, 1878, he was detached from this ship on a special duty in Europe, with reference to foreign systems of training sea- men. In December, 1879, he was ordered to the New York navy yard, and in July, 1880, was made assistant light-house inspector of the 3d District. He was ordered on July 13, 1882, to England on special service, and was appointed October 30, 1882, naval attache to the United States Legation at London, which position he is now holding.
Lieut. Chadwick was married November 20, 1878, to Miss Cornelia J. Miller, of New York. He is the author of several works on naval subjects. A report on Naval Train- ing, by him, was published by the government. It is favorably spoken of by those competent to judge of the subject. Several small pamphlets, from time to time, have come from his pen.
NOTE .- Sketches of Captains Jolliffe, MeVicker and Garrison will be found in following chapters.
CHAPTER XXVI.
MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY.
Roads-Rivers, Ferries and Steamboats-Servitude-Early Taverns -Postal History-Flour Inspectors-First Notary Public- Early Coroners-Overseers of the Poor-Secret Organizations- Literary Societies-Monongalia Inventions-Insurance History -Telegraph History-Building Associations-Wealth, Debt and Taxation-County Areas-Geographical Center-Center of Population-County Divisions : Constabulary, District and Township.
THE first roads in the county were little more than mere bridle paths. All record of the early roads up to 1796 is lost, and tradition offere but little to supply its loss. The first road, it is said, was up Decker's Creek, from the site of Morgantown to Rock Forge, and then ran with the location of the present road, known as the old Kingwood road, past the Dripping Spring. It was cut out, perhaps, between 1772 and 1776, and ran by the site of Kingwood (Preston County), crossed Cheat River at the Dunkard Bottom, and ran to the site of Westernport (Md.), and then to Winches- ter. Over this road the early settlers of the county brought all their salt and iron from Winchester. It was a pack-horse road. After the Revolutionary war, it became an emigrant road to the West, and on the 10th of December, 1791, an act of Assembly was passed for opening a road from the State road to the mouth of Fishing Creek (New Martinsville). This old road was a part of the proposed road which, from Morgantown, ran with the present Fair-
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MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY.
mont turnpike to the "Red Bridge. From where the "Red Bridge " now stands, it turned off and ran by the site of McCurdysville, thence beyond the county to Basnettsville and on to the mouth of Fishing Creek. It now became a wagon road. On December 23, 1795, William McCleery, Nicholas Cassey, Michael Kerns, and Edward McCarty were appointed to repair that portion of it from Westernport to Morgantown, which was designated as "a wagon road from the mouth of Savage River to Morgantown." A lot- tery was authorized on December 2, 1796, to raise money to repair this road from Morgantown to Winchester. The lottery scheme, however, was never carried out. December 18, 1800, an Alleghany Turnpike Company was projected to improve that part of the road from the mouth of Savage River to the head of western navigation. But the company was never organized. January 2, 1806, Morgan Morgan, William Haymond, Thomas Barnes, Stephen Morgan and Augusta Ballah were authorized to raise two thousand dollars by lottery to improve that part of the road from the " Monongalia Glades" (in Preston) to the mouth of Fishing Creek. Neither was this lottery scheme carried out. The road was now called the old State road or the old Winches- ter road. In later years, after Kingwood was founded, that part from Morgantown to Kingwood was called the King- wood road, and to-day is known as the "old Kingwood road."
The next road was the Monongalia Glades road in 1812, which ran from the Monongalia Glades by the way of Smithtown to Clarksburg.
The Brandonville and Fishing Creek Turnpike was agita- ted in 1830, and was projected in 1832, as the Maryland and Ohio Turnpike. In 1836, it received the first mentioned
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HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
name. It ran from the Maryland line, past Brandonville (Preston County), to Ice's Ferry, thence on the location of the present road from the ferry to Morgantown ; thence on the location of the Fairmont Pike, on the west side of the river, to Fairmont, and on to the Ohio River at the mouth of Fishing Creek. It was built between 1836 and 1839. In 1850, it was extensively repaired by Wm. J. Willey, instead of built, as stated, from wrong information, on page 125 of this work.
The next projected highway was the Morgantown and Clarksburg Turnpike, located by Col. James Evans, from Clarksburg, on the east side of the river, past Smithtown, to Morgantown, and then using the Brandonville and Fish- ing Creek Turnpike to Ice's Ferry ; thence to the Pennsylva- nia State line. Nothing was done beyond the location. In 1849, the Morgantown and Bridgeport Turnpike was au- thorized by the General Assembly, and it was built in Mon- ongalia on the location of the Morgantown and Clarksburg road from Smithtown, by Morgantown, to the Pennsylvania State line beyond Ice's Ferry, using a part of the road from Morgantown to Ice's Ferry.
The Pennsylvania, Beverly and Morgantown Turnpike was incorporated in 1837; was revived in 1853, and was constructed from the State line, near Fort Martin church ; crossed the Monongahela at Collins's Ferry, came by Mor- gantown, crossing the Morgantown and Bridgeport Pike, and ran to Evansville, Preston County, and on to Beverly. From Morgantown to Evansville this road is now generally called the Evansville Pike.
The Beverly and Fairmont Turnpike, in 1838, was partly located by Col. James Evans. He located a road from a point three or four miles east of Fetterman, by Fairmont,
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to West Warren, and on towards Wheeling. His chain- carriers were "Buffalo" Jim Morgan and "Big" John Cona- way ; staff-bearer, ex-Gov. F. H. Pierpont, and Augustus Haymond (present Circuit Clerk) was stakeman. In 1835, this road was commenced from Fairmont to West Warren as an extension of the Beverly and Fairmont Turnpike.
The Kingwood, Morgantown and West Union Turnpike was incorporated in 1848. It was located by a Mr. Kuy- kendall, and partly re-located by Col. James Evans. Its extension from Kingwood to Morgantown was authorized in 1851, and when completed it was, as it is now, the best road in the county.
The Dunkard Creek Turnpike was projected in 1839 ; and revived in 1847. It was located by Col. James Evans from Morgantown to Blacksville. A Dunkard Valley Turnpike Company was projected in 1871, to operate this road, which commences one mile west of Morgantown, and passes by Granville, Randall, Cassville, Brown's Mills, New Browns- ville, Blacksville and on to Burton, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
The Masontown and Independence Turnpike, called the Ice's Ferry and Tunnelton Turnpike, was incorporated in 1856, and was built from a point on the road one mile west of Ice's Ferry, running to Masontown ; thence to Tunnelton, Preston County.
We find accounts of the following projected roads : The Smithtown Turnpike, incorporated in 1853; The Blacks- ville and Worthington Turnpike, incorporated the same year; and the Rivesville and New Brownsville Turnpike, incorporated in 1854.
RIVERS.
By an act of the General Assembly of Virginia, passed
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HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
January 20, 1800, the Monongahela River was made a pub- lic highway. On March 3, 1870, Cheat River and its branches were declared public highways by the legislature of West Virginia.
EARLY FERRIES.
The first ferry established by law within the county, so far as known, was one across Cheat River at Andrew Ice's, and was authorized by an act passed in 1785. It is still in existence, and for nearly a century has been widely known as Ice's Ferry. On December 9, 1791, four ferries were established across the Monongahela, within the bounds of the county, as follows: One at David Scott's, at the mouth of Scott's mill run (Randall); another "from the lands of Dudley Evans to the lands of Reese Bullock "; the third from lands of George Hollinbaugh to those of Asa Hall, and the fourth from John Collins's, at the mouth of Rob- inson's run, to lands of Jesse Martin. It was enacted that the charge at all these ferries should be three pence each for man or horse.
In 1792, four ferries were authorized across the Monon- gahela, viz .: At Thomas Evans's, mouth of Decker's creek ; from Jesse Martin's lands to James Hoard's; from Jesse Martin's lards to lands of David Scott, and from Samuel Anglin's to William Anglin's. In the same year, a ferry across Cheat was established, at James Clelland's. In 1796, one was authorized on the Monongahela, between lands of Alexander McIntyre and Coleby Chew; in 1804, from James Collins's to Zackwell Morgan's, and the rate at Thomas Evans's ferry, mouth of Decker's creek, was in- creased from four to six and one-fourth cents. January 2, 1805, a ferry was established across Cheat, between lands of Charles Stewart and James Stafford ; on January 18th, of
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the next year, between Charles Magill's and the forge of Samuel Jackson; and on January 6; 1807, across the Monongahela, below Morgantown, between Henry Dering's mill and lands of Noah Ridgway and William Tingle." This was the last ferry ever authorized in the county by the General Assembly. On the 17th of January, 1807, an act was passed relegating the subject to the county courts. This court established a ferry, in 1810, across the Monon- gahela, from lands of William Tingle to lands of H. Dering. June 24, 1817, it established Thorn's ferry, across the same river, from the mouth of Indian creek to the mouth of White Day creek, and fixed rates as follows : man or horse, 6₺ cents; cattle, each 6} cents ; hogs or sheep, each 1} cents. The last ferry established in the county was across the Monongahela, at the mouth of Crooked run, in Sep- tember, 1883. It was granted on the petition of Lewis Stone, and the charges were fixed as follows: man or horse, 5 cents ; horse and buggy, 15 cents; two-horse buggy, 20 cents; two-horse wagon, 25 cents ; each additional horse, 5 cents ; cattle, 3 cents, and sheep or hogs, 1 cent each.
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