USA > West Virginia > Ritchie County > History of Ritchie County, with biographical sketches of its pioneers and their ancestors, and with interesting reminiscences of revolutionary and Indian times > Part 7
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 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
The Cunninghams are of Irish lineage. Some time be- fore the Revolutionary war. Hugh Cunningham and his wife. Nancy, with their family of eight sons (Adam, Ephraim, Benjamin, Joseph, William, Walter, Edward and Thomas) came from Dublin, Ireland, and settled on the banks of the Potomac. in Fairfax county, Virginia ; and, shortly after the close of the Revolutionary war, Thomas, Adam, Edward, Walter, and, perhaps, more of the brothers, came to Harri- son county, where they entered and patented large tracts of land under the "tomahawk title." on Bingamon creek. Here they resided when our tragic story opened.
Thomas Cunningham and his wife. Phebe Tucker Cun- ningham, were born across the sea. He, in Ireland, and she, in England of Scottish parentage, in 1761. He had served as a Revolutionary soldier, before becoming distinguished by this "adventure among the Indians."
.
71
THOMAS AND PHEBE CUNNINGHAM
In 1807, as above stated, they came to this county, and settled on what is now the W. E. Hill and the Frederick homesteads. Here they continued to reside until the death of Mr. Cunningham, in 1826. He was the first Methodist Episcopal minister in this part of the county, and at his home the first class was organized. He was only a lay min- ister at this time, but he was licensed to preach, at Zanes- ville, Ohio, on September 5, 1817; and this license, which was written upon parchment, is now a cherished possession of his great-grandson, John C. Cunningham, of Eva.
On the Frederick homestead, not far from the present Frederick residence, he sleeps, in an almost nameless grave. Mrs. Cunningham spent the last years of her life in Calhoun county with her daughter, Mrs. Isaac Collins; and, here, 111 1845, she passed away in triumph. "The voice that shouted 'Glory to God' in the midst of the savages, shouted victory in death." On the Collins homestead, near Frecd, she is sleeping.
The late Rev. James L. Clarke delivered the memorial sermon at her funeral, and in dwelling on her triumphant death afterwards, he said, "I could not help thinking of the joyful meeting she had with her children in the presence of Him who had said, 'Suffer little children to come unto ine, for of such is the Kingdom of God.'"
The late children of these distinguished pioneers were as follows: Henry, Lydia, Walter, and Thomas, who were killed by the Indians ; and William-the first born after their reunion-who became a minister in 1810, and two years later took a transfer to the Ohio conference, where he finished his earthly career at Horner, in Licking county; John, of Spen- cer ; Mrs. Rachel (Isaac) Collins. Calhoun county ; Mrs. Leah (Benjamin) Hardman, Charleston, W. Va .; Mrs. Phebe (Jas.) Hardman, who sleeps at Hardman chapel ; Mrs. Barbara [Till, Eddyville, Iowa : and Benjamin, of Eva.
Among the late grandsons and granddaughters of these venerable people, who were the heads of well known families of this county, were: A. P., J. S., and Washington Hardman, Hardman chapel: Mrs. John Beall, Leatherbrake; Thomas Hardman, Auburn; Mrs. George Wells, Cornwallis; Mrs. 1.
HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
M. McWhorter, Buckhannon; Mrs. Hannah Smith, Smith- ville ; Mr. and Mrs. Wilson B. Cunningham ; and Eli R. Cun- ningham, of Eva. Among the surviving ones are: John R. Cunningham, Gilmer county; Mrs. Nancy Dilworth, Eaton ; and Mrs. Ira S. Goff, Walker station. Besides quite an army of great-grandchildren, who are well known citizens-Martin Smith, Mrs. Alfred Barr, Mrs. M. A. Avres, and Alvis Smith, of Smithville, Mrs. James Rexroad, of Den run, and the late Mrs. W. E. Hill, of Fonzo, are among them.
Mrs. Hill enjoyed the privilege of residing almost on the very spot where the cabin of her illustrious great-grand- parents stood for several years just before her death in 1910.
Edward Cunningham .- Edward Cunningham and his wife, Sarah Price Cunningham, whom he married in Fairfax county, Virginia, lived and died in Harrison county, where "they fought the redskins;" and here on their old homestead, they sleep; but some of their lineal descendants belong to the present citizenship of this county .- To their grandson. Perry J. Cunningham, of Pennsboro, we are indebted for this sketch.
Their children, William, Joseph, Thomas, Benjamin, and Mrs. Mary Moore sleep in Harrison county ; Mrs. Elizabeth Robinson at Fairfield, Ohio; Mrs. Keturah Hill. in Gilmer county ; and Enoch M. Cunningham, in Randolph county.
Joseph, better known as "Injun Joe," was captured by the Shawnee Indians, while hiding under the treadles in the loom house, when he was but a lad of eight summers, and was adopted by an Indian family, and remained among theu. for sixteen years, or until a short time after Gen. Wayne's treaty with the Indians. He became a great hunter while among them, and after his return home, he served as pilot for the pioneer surveyors of the large and original tracts of land in this and adjoining counties : and on one of these ex- peditions, with John Murphy, he experienced a dreadful hand to hand encounter1 with a huge black bear, which . he finally succeeded in killing with his knife; and then pried its jaws open to relieve his knee, which had been the victim of bruin's
The scene of this fight was on Bear run, a branch of Goose creek, in this county; hence the name of this stream: this hear weighed 600 pounds when dressed.
73
THOMAS AND PHEBE CUNNINGHAM
last stuggle, and which was lamed for the remainder of his life.
He afterwards married a Miss Ayres, and became the father of two daughters, and one son; viz., the late Mrs. Samuel Warne, of Parkersburg ; Mrs. George Sires. of Clarks- burg; and the late Dr. John Cunningham, of Illinois.
Enoch M. Cunningham was the only one of Edward's children that figured among the early settlers of this county. In 1820, he married Miss Jane Stuart, daughter of William Stuart, an early settler on Hughes river above Goff's, and from the Stuart homestead, in 1840, he moved to Smithville. He was the father of the following named children: Harrison B. Cunningham, an early merchant of Harrisville: Martha became Mrs. Barnes Smith, of Smithville; and her twin sis- ter. Sarah Salina, married Jonathan H. Haddox, of Smith - ville, later of Harrisville ; Amy married Hannibal C. Brannon, and Edna M., Williams Moats, of Harrisville.
Among his great-grandchildren, who are well known in this county, are the late C. E. Haddox, of Moundsville ; C. M. Haddox, of Charleston ; Mrs. Van A. Zevely, of Cairo; and Mrs. Joseph Foster, of Pennsboro.
CHAPTER V
The Westfalls and Whites
HE Westfalls were early settlers in the Fred- erick's mill vicinity, they having taken the place of some of the original settlers some time in the forties.
Joel J. Westfall, who is now spending the eventide of his long life with his only son, J. R. Westfall. at Smithville, was the first of the family to arrive. He came as early as 1843, and took the place of Jamies Malone, on the Kennedy farm, above the mouth of Lamb's run; and during the following winter he taught school in an old house on the Tingler-now the B. H. Wilson-farm, having for his pupils, "the Wasses," the Hardmans, the Elliotts, the Goffs and the Tinglers. After one year's residence on the Kennedy farm, he rented what is now Frederick's mill, and the W. E. Hill farm, and two years later his father, John W. Westfall, purchased both the mill and the farm, and moved his family here, where he spent the remainder of his life. He sold the mill in 1857, to the late Joseph Frederick, but the farm remained in the hands of his heirs until a few years since, when it passed into the hands of W. E. Hill, who sold it to Henry Barker, in 1909.
The Westfalls are of Irish lineage. They emigrated from New York to Beverly (West) Virginia ; and from there, Joel Westfall, senior, and his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth White West- fall, removed to near the present site of Buckhannon, where their son, John W. Westfall, was born, and where he was married to Miss Elizabeth Simon, a Dutch maiden, of Penn- sylvania, who was the mother of his six children, all of whom were born at Buckhannon, before the family came to Ritchie :
75
THE WESTFALLS AND WHITES
Joel was the eldest son; Jacob, and the late James, of Slab creek ; and Jasper N., who was laid on the Frederick home- stead in his youth; and the late Mrs. Margaret (John) Core, of Buckhannon ; and Mrs. Mary E. (Robert) Stuart, of Iris, were the other members of the family. The two alone sur- vive. Side by side Mr. and Mrs. Westfall sleep on the Fred- erick homestead. She survived him by a number of years. and with her daughter, Mrs. Stuart, spent her last hours, at Iris. (The other Westfalls in this and adjoining counties are descended from the same family.)
Joel J. Westfall was born at Buckhannon, on August 24, 1819, and here in the wilds of the forest, he grew to man- hood, having every opportunity to indulge his love for hunt- ing and adventure ; and some of these boyish adventurers are scarcely less thrilling than those of "Robinson Crusoe," or Stanley in the jungles of Africa :
When he was but a small lad of seven summers, on July 26, 1826, he killed the largest rattle snake on record in West Virginia, while alone in the forest watching the horses for his father. This mammoth snake measured nine feet four inches, with rattles one one-half inches broad. At the age of eleven years, he kiiled three deer by moonlight in the forest near Buckhannon; and the following year three pan- thers fell as his victims, and at the age of fourteen, he slew a bear with his tomahawk. This was only the beginning of a hunting record, which, perhaps, can hardly be duplicated by another lad among the early settlers of the State. At one time he killed a bear and a panther, which had just taken the life of a deer. So famous did these early adventures make him, that he was known far and wide, as the "Boy Hunter." On one occasion when he came into possession of a new gun, as a reward for his skillful marksmanship, he was asked by his father what he wished to do with this gun. He replied that he wished to kill wild animals, but that he especially desired to find a bear cave that he had heard much about through his uncle. So with his father's consent, one fine morning he set out in quest of this cave, which he finally reached after a long and perilous search. It was in a large
HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
ledge of rocks, miles distant from his home, and, searching out the entrance, he at once started to explore the interior, but finding the darkness so dense, he was forced to retreat. However, securing a pine torch and taking his gun in hand, he again crawled inside, expecting to find the bear asleep. but by the time he had proceeded fifty or sixty feet, he real- ized the fallacy of this expectation. when he saw the giare of bruin's eye coming toward him. Stepping to one side, he prepared to fire, but for fear of being forced out of the cave, he slid into a crevice, and the animal dashed by him with force, and presently he heard him fall from the cliff outside. a distance of thirty feet, and he knew that he must be dead : and going outside. he joyfully claimed his prey and set out for home, which he reached after several days' absence to the relief of his mother, who had been greatly annoyed by his prolonged stay. In after life his hand did not "lose its cunning." for while a resident of California. he killed the largest bear on record in that State. It having weighed one thousand pounds.
At the age of seventeen years, he was made lieutenant of Co. D, 133rd Regiment of the Virginia Militia, an office which he held for seven years ; and he was Captain of the Mili- tia after he came to this county. On January 22, 1843, he was married to Miss Eliza B. Mills, daughter of W. R. Mills, of Pocahontas county, the marriage being solemnized at the home of her brother at Weston : and J. R. Westfall, of Smith- ville, was the one child of this union . and when he was still in "the frocks of babyhood" his young mother passed on, and on the Frederick homestead she sleeps.
On April 4, 1854, leaving his young son with his parents, Mr. Westfall started for California-lured there by the gold excitement-where he amassed quite a fortune, and where he rose to prominence in State affairs. At one time, while digging for gold, he unearthed a nugget that weighted nine. teen ounces, and was valued at one thousand dollars. He served as Deputy Sheriff at Mariposa for four years, at the end of which time he was elected Road Commissioner and Supervisor, an office which he held for sixteen consecutive years, and one that is higher in point of importance than that
77
THE WESTFALLS AND WHITES
of our sheriff. Politically he is a Democrat, and he enjoyed the honor of being a member of the committee that escorted William Jennings Bryan, and his distinguished party on their tour through the "Golden State," during Mr. Bryan's first compaign for the Presidency ; and he had the pleasure of eat- ing several lunches that were prepared by the hand of Mrs. Bryan. On October 6, 1906, he bade adieu to his adopted state and returned to Smithville, where he is quietly spend- ing the evening hours of his life with his son. He is now a nonagenarian, but his memory is a remarkable store-house of interesting reminiscences of pioneer days. Later, he died on October 30, 1910, and was laid away at Smithville, on the homestead of his son.
William White, whose heroic deeds "crown history's pages," was his great-grandsire, and few more valuable stories of early times have come under our notice than the ever interesting one of the life of this distinguished Indian fighter, which was told to Mr. Westfall by his great-grand- mother, Mrs. William White, when he was a child of seven years, and she, a venerable woman of one hundred two years. This is the only time that he remembers seeing this great-grandmother, but he has long treasured the story that she told him on that memorable day, which we here repro- duce in her own language, in part :
The Grandmother's Story .- She called him to her and said that she wished to tell him the story of the life and the cruel death of his great-grandfather, William White, and that she hoped that he would remember what she this day should tell him :
She said "I was a Wallace, a relative of Sir William Wallace, of Scotland, and I am the wife of William White, the great scout and Indian fighter." There were three of the White brothers that came from Scotland to America, William, David and Jonathan.
Jonathan went South and was never heard of again, it being supposed that he was killed by the Indians; and William and David settled near Winchester, Virginia.
78
HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
While out hunting here one day, William came upon some Indians, and thinking that they were seeking his life, killed three of them; but among the number was a squaw, and as he could not think of taking her life, he let her go, feeling confident that she would not know him. But she did recognize him, however: and as it was in time of peace and was a grave violation of the terms of the treaty, he was ar- rested and put in prison : but his people raised such a storm about his confinement, and gathered around the jail and beat it down, and let him out the next day. He and a man by the name of Pringle then escaped to Buckhannon, and made their home in a hollow sycamore tree, near the mouth of Turkey run, on the Buckhannon river, near three miles below the present site of Buckhannon. She added, "Joel, you will doubtless see this tree. Your Grandmother Westfali is gone too early for you to remember her. Your father, your uncles, and your aunts are all living, but I, your great-grand- inother, must soon pass over." I am now one hundred two years old. Among my children, grandchildren and great- grandchildren, I see none that resembles your great-grand- father. but I see him in the blare of your eye, the shape of your head, and in your movement. and my little grandson, I hope that you will be able to remember what your great- grandmother says to you today, and that you will be able to punish the foul perpetrator and his allies for the cowardly murder of your great-grandfather, 'Billy White,' my hus- band.
"Your Uncle Hemy is next in resemblance to 'Billy.' Your father and uncles have all treated me kindly, and - I might have been living with them today, but I wished to live and die in the home that 'Billy' and I had improved. here on Hickory flat, with my son. I shall not be here long. Try and remember the words of your great-grandmother. Eliza- beth Wallace White, my little sonny. I traveled alone front Winchester, Virginia, to Buckhannon to join my husband in his tree house-over hills, deep rivers, and through ione forests. carrying my fire rolled up in a wet cloth, on horse- back, by day, that I might have it to kindle at night, in some secluded place, where I could roast my meat and drink the
79
THE WESTFALLS AND WHITES
pure water that gurgled there. Your great-grandfather and I lived many days here. I was many times alone in the fort or out on our little farm tending my garden, beans and cori, while Billy would be out on some scout, or fighting the In- dians back from the settlement. Your grandmother West- fall and I have spent many lonely days while our husbands were away, some times for months at a time, that they could not be at home.
"About five weeks after I joined Billy in his 'tree house,' two or three of the Cutrights, two Pringles, and another per- son came and stopped, and a week or so later seven or eight more came, and they all took up farms and went to building stout log houses, in which they would retreat when the In- dians would come near us, as there were always scouts out looking for the Indians. Billy had to be out most of his time. but would come in and bring his furs and pelts, and sell them so as to keep me plenty to eat and wear ; and I could raise plenty of corn, beans and potatoes for the scouts when they would come in. Billy and his brother, David, the Pringles and the Cutrights generally kept in touch with one another so as to give the alarm in case of danger. Some of them would run in and give us warning, so we had easier times." It was the duty of the scouts to warn any post in danger
"Billy was taken prisoner by the Indians, but soon made his escape, and things went along this way for some time, when the Indians began gathering and concentrating their forces around Cincinnati. Governor Dunmore and General Andrew Lewis had command of the Government forces, and they were called out to meet the Indians, who were said to be gathered in great numbers. Billy, David, and most of the other men went, leaving us women with a few old and crippled men to occupy the cabins and care for the stock, but we knew that the scouts would look after us, so the troops were preparing for a big contest-"
Here a childish voice interrupted with. "Now, grandma. I want you to tell me all about the Battle of the Point." The grandma replied, "Well, do you think you can remember what I tell you? as you are not more than five? However, I will try. Well, you see, my little sonny, but I will tell you
80
HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
what Pringle and Cutright told me on the morning of the Battle of the Point :
"'General Lewis had detailed Billy White and John Cutright to go out and hunt, so as to procure meat for the troops. After being out a short time, they heard firing at the camp, and White said, 'John, there's a battle on. let's go in,' and immediately they started, but when they got inside of the lines, word reached White that his brother, David. had been shot, and that he was lying under a certain trec. They went at once to the tree and found him begging for a drink of water, and having no canteens, White and three other men went and carried water to the dying man in their hats. They had to go between the lines-the two fires as they termed it, and the pawpaw bushes fell thick all around them, but they got back in safety. White, taking the cleanest looking hat in his hand said, 'Here, brother, is water, but when you drink you will die.' He then took him in his arms, and held him until he was dead, and laying him down gently. took up his gun as calmly as if going to do a day's work. and said, 'Come. John, let us go.' Cutright said he was a little at a loss to know which way to go, as the Indians had already began to retreat across the creek, but he followed. somewhat cautiously. 'White was watching to get a shot at the Indians, and I (Cutright) had just heard him fire, and had sent one shot across the creek myself, when I noticed three Indians that were attempting to cross the creek. White fired and one fell, then another shot from his gun brought the last one down, and the three went floating down the creek into the broad Ohio. He turned to me and said. 'I have had bad luck, John ; I've lost three scalps, so let us gr for more.' And that evening he showed me seventeen scalps that he had taken with his own hand with my knowledge."
" "The Indians, being scattered a little, we went around to where we heard some firing, I stopped to get a shot at one, but he dodged me, and hearing White fire several shots. I went toward him. He, seeing nie, said, 'Come here, and let me show you how to kill Indians.' There close by a log he lay upon his back loading his gun. He said, 'Lie down, or they'll shoot you.' He lay there for some time popping
81
THE WESTFALLS AND WHITES
1
one over now and then, that chanced to stick his head above the log; and cautioning me to beware, that there were stil! more in ambush. Finally the enemy began shooting under the log, and finding the bullets coming too close, he moved farther away, but lying flat on the ground all the while, until he felt confident that the last one was dead. When the In- dians were all scalped, he declared his intention to investi- gate the firing of a large gun, that he said he believed an In- dian was behind. So, off he went, and soon I heard no more of the big gun, but heard several shots in that direction, and in about an hour I saw him coming with two guns and two scalps. I said, 'Well, Bill, did you get the gun?' and he replied, 'Yes, and the hair, too,' holding up the scalps. He then asked me (John Cutright) what my success had been, and remarked that they were getting scarce here, only one here and there that had been detained by a wounded Indian. We then counted our scalps, and he had seventeen, as before stated, and three got away. By that time the signals were calling the troops together, and-'"
Here again the little grandson, who had been an inter- ested listener, interrupted, saying, "Now, grandma, I have heard the story of the Battle of the Point (Point Pleasant), now please tell me of the cowardiy murder of my great- grandfather, William White, that you asked me to avenge ; and, grandma, if you'll tell me the story I'll promise you if such a chance ever comes, I'll be there."
"Well," the grandmother resumed, "I will give you a short history of it: "After White had built the fort at Buck- hannon, and had been in command of it and the troops for several years, a man by the name of Potros came into the fort and said that he had just come from near the mouth of the Little Kanawha river, and that he had seen signs of Indians crossing and coming toward the settlement; that he felt sure they were lurking about in ambush; and that he wanted to have his family and household goods removed to the fort on the next day. White replied that he wouki send a company of men and wagons to bring them, but the man said, 'Oh! I couldn't trust my family out without your pres-
82
HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
ence.' White said, 'Well, be ready, we'll be there in the morning.'
"When they were fixing to start, I said, 'Billy, don't you go out today, send others. If you do you will be killed. I dreamed last night that I saw Indians pointing red hot guns at you. If you do go, Billy, you'll never get back alive.' But he replied, 'Well, Betty, if I don't go they will say that I am a coward,' and he thought it only a dream, and he went. When they reached their destination, all was right, there were no Indians to be seen. But he, going into the yard, discovered signs of the enemy there, and mentioned it to the rest. He said, 'They have been grinding their knives and tomahawks on the grindstone, and here is the fray of an In- dian blanket. Let us load up and get away.' After every- thing was loaded, and the wagons started, the trader or ren- egade, said. 'White, you and I and the girls will ride over the trail to the fort. It will not be much more than a mile. and we'll get there before the wagons.'" Just as the four reached the top of the hill, the Indians fired on them, and White was shot through just above the hips ; but did not fall from his horse, but as he turned down the hill they fired again, striking him in the back. His horse taking fright, started to run, and its foot, becoming entangled in the limb of a fallen tree. it fell throwing the rider, who was noted for being able to remount. But the Indians ran down the hill. and scalped him, and were off before any defense could be made.
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.