USA > West Virginia > Wetzel County > History of Wetzel County, West Virginia > Part 3
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HISTORY OF WETZEL COUNTY.
work, began to gain on him. The chances were very slim now for Morgan, and seeing this he threw his gun down, thinking that the Indian would be amazed at the idea, and pick up the gun, but the Indian did nothing of the kind and passed by it as though it had never been dropped. He then threw his shot pouch and coat in the way, but his schemes were in vain. They ran on until they reached the top of the hill. Here he stopped, and as though some one was on the other side of the hill, called out: "Come on, come on; here's one, make haste." The Indian, thinking that he was calling upon some one on the other side of the hill, immediately beat a hasty retreat. Mor- gan then exclaimed: "Shoot quick, or he will be out of reach." The Indian seemed to double the thought, and hastened his speed. Morgan then turned and went home, being pleased with his success, leaving his gun, shot pouch and coat to re- ward the savage for the deception practiced upon him.
At the treaty of Augliaxe he met the Indian who had given him such a chase, and he still had the gun that Morgan had thrown down. After talking over the circumstance, they de- cided to test the ownership of it by a friendly race. The In- dian being beaten, rubbed his hands and said: "Stiff, stiff; too old, too old." "Well," said Morgan, "you got the gun by out- running me then, and I should have it for outrunning you now," and accordingly took it.
In the year of 1790 Levi Morgan was made captain of a company of nineteen men who were stationed at the mouth of Big Fishing creek, where he had erected a fort. They built two sixty-foot canoes and descended downward on their way to the mouth of the Muskingum, where they were going to attack an Indian camp seven miles up the river. When they arrived at the desired point they hid their canoes in the bushes and sta- tioned two men to watch them until they returned, and if they did not return in three days to make their way as fast as possi- ble to the fort. Captain Morgan, with the remaining seven-
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teen men, struck cautiously through the woods westward and traveled several miles, until they struck a large cove at the head of a stream which ran into the Ohio. They heard a bell jingle at the head of the cove, on which Morgan exclaimed: "Boys, get your guns ready and see that your powder is handy." He had a boy in his company who was but sixteen years of age. His name was Hays (see the story of the two half Indians.) He put his men in two's taking the boy with him, and gave or- ders that when the first gun was fired that they were to run into the camp with a knife in one hand and a gun in another. One was to run around one way and one another, and run the Indians out of their wigwams, if possible, without their guns, and if not, to shoot the first Indian seen with a gun. Morgan and Hays were the first ones to see the Indians, who saw one salting some ponies. Morgan said to Hays: "I will split that Indian's nose, right between his eyes," on which he shot and killed the Indian. They then raised a yell and rushed into camp and found no one there but a few Indian squaws and some young men. There were about five hundred wigwams in the village and about six hundred bushels of corn. One of the old Indian squaws asked Morgan if they had killed a young In- dian, and he told her they had not, and she said there was one missing. They then knew that one had gotten away. After catching all the horses they needed, they burned the village and told the old Indian squaw that they wanted to go to the Muskingum river, and if she would take them there that they would not harm her, but if she didn't, they would kill all of them. She took them straight through, traveling both night and day, until they reached the place where they had hid their canoes. It was the fourth day, but the men were still there. They then tied the two canoes together and put the ponies into them, putting the hind feet in one and the front feet in the other. A couple of men rowed the boats to the mouth of the Muskingum, and after crossing over to the Virginia side they
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sank the boats and went by land to Pricket's Fort, in Monon- galia county. They kept the prisoners until Wayne's treaty, when they were given up, and it was at that place that the Drygoo boys were obtained. Morgan was at the defeat of St. Clair and shot at the white renegade, Simon Girty.
1281147 OUR EARLY SETTLER.
The earliest white settler along the Ohio river, in Wetzel county, was Edward Doolin, who came here about the year 1780, and made a settlement near Doolin's spring, one mile from the mouth of Fishing creek, on lands now owned by the heirs of Phillip Witten. He there built two cabins, one for himself and wife and the other for his negro slave. He owned a large survey of lands lying on both sides of the stream which still bears his name; lines of his survey are well established, and have been familiar to the courts of Wetzel in divers suits of ejectments.
He had hardly broken the solitude of the vast wilderness, when he was visited by a tribe of Delaware Indians, who came at night and took away his negro slave into captivity, and re- turning at daybreak, and finding Doolin in his front door yard, shot and scalped him. His wife, who was still in the cabin lying abed with a newborn babe beside her, was not molested. Mrs. Doolin was a woman of remarkable beauty, and the sav- ages, fearing it might prove fatal to compel her to accompany them while in her delicate state of health, urged her to remain there for a few days, until she entirely recovered, promising to rturn and take her with them to be the wife of their great chief. This alluring prospect, however, did not seem to have charmed the white beauty into lingering there.
At that time a blockhouse stood near the present residence of Mrs. Eliza Martin, in the limits of the present town of New Martinsville. Its solitary inmate, when these occurrences took place, was a man named Martin, who heard the report of the firing in the early morning, in the direction of Doolin's clear- ing. He made a reconnaissance and found the body of Doolin
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HISTORY OF WETZEL COUNTY.
lying in front of his cabin. Entering the house he wrapped Mrs. Doolin in blankets and, taking the infant in his arms, as- sisted her to the blockhouse, where he placed the widow and orphan in a canoe and transported them up the Ohio to the mouth of Captina creek. He then returned with comrades, and they buried the body of Doolin in the spot known as Wit- ten's garden, where his grave is still to be seen. And every spring the Easter flowers bloomed over the dust of Edward Doolin-the first white settler of Wetzel, and one of the few white men killed by the Indians within her borders.
Mrs. Doolin lived near the settlement until her daughter had grown to be a girl of ten. She then married and went to Ken- tucky, where her daughter, after she had grown to be a voung lady, married one Daniel Boone, a descendant of the noted In- dian scout, Daniel Boone. Mrs. Doolin sold this land to the Martins, McEldowneys and Wittens, and from her or her an- cestors have never been heard of since.
MORGAN MORGAN.
Morgan Morgan was commonly known as Spymod. It was to distinguish him from his cousin, Morgan Morgan, who was known as Paddymod. The former came to what is now Pine Grove in 1805, and erected a mill on the ground now occupied by Hennen's livery barn; he also owned land where Reader now stands.
We give here the following incidents in the life of Morgan: While he was at Morgantown, or what is now known as that place, he went on a spying expedition, and it was from that hc got the nickname of Spymod. The expedition wandered into what is now known as the "Jug," on Middle Island creek, and above the first run Morgan shot a turkey. They then left a man at the mouth of the first run as a guard, and told him not to shoot unless it was at an Indian. The other members of the crowd, including Morgan, went up the run a short distance to cook the turkey Morgan had just shot, and just as they got the turkey ready to cook they heard a shot in the direction one of their men was stationed, on which they dropped the turkey, picked up their guns and made in the direction of the firing. On reaching there they found that he had shot a wolf, which was done by compulsion. The wolf had come toward him and he had tried to scare it away, but in vain. The wolf kept com- ing toward him and was six inches from the muzzle of his gun when he shot.
The creek makes a small bend above the "Jug," and while talking the matter over about the killing of the wolf they saw two Indians dart out from behind trees and run down the creek. Morgan took after them, but was stopped by two of his. companions who told him that there was liable to be a band.
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somewhere near that neighborhood, and they supposed the In- dians were sent out to see what the first firing was. They then followed the Indian trail to the "Jug," which was but a short distance, and it was found that the two Indians had gone around the "Jug," on which it was decided that it would be best for them to go through the "Jug." On arriving at the head of it, they found that a band of Indians had been there but a short time previous. It was then decided to make for the fort, which was situated at New Martinsville and owned by Morgan's brother, Levi Morgan.
Another incident in his life worthy of mention is one of his narrow escapes on one of his spying expeditions. Himself and another man were appointed to spy around the old Indian trail from Morgantown to the mouth of Big Fishing creek, to see if there were Indians about. On one occasion his pardner was sick and it was prevailed on him to go alone. He started one rainy day and before he stopped he had reached what is now Pine Grove. It was still raining, the rain pouring down in tor- rents, and wishing to strike a dry spot, crawled into a hollow sycamore tree, which was known by him and his pardner on their expeditons as a resting place. It was getting about dusk; he had been there but a few minutes when an Indian came running to the tree and looked inside. Morgan seeing this, drew his butcher knife ready for action, but he did not use it, the hole being so dark the Indian could see nothing, and turned and darted onward at the same speed he had come up. This aroused Morgan's suspicion, and he immediately began to hunt for new quarters, going direct to the mouth of Big Fishing creek.
THE STORY OF CROW'S RUN.
In the early spring of 1782, a squad of men started out from Fort Henry on a hunting expedition. Among them was a man by the name of Crow, of whom our story relates. They trav- eled onward until they reached the mouth of what is now Big Fishing creek, which empties into the Ohio at New Martins- ville. They followed the creek until they reached the mouth of a run putting into Big Fishing creek, twelve miles from New Martinsville. Here they camped on the east side of the creek on the ground now owned by John Lantz. After camping for the night, the next day they went in search of game, which was then plentiful in that neighborhood, with three men in one company and two in another, Crow being in the company of two. After hunting all day, at sunset the two came toward camp carrying the game they had shot, and on reaching the camp Crow's companion started out to get some wood to build a fire to cook a part of the game they had shot, and was hardly gone when a band of Indians surrounded the camp, and Crow, realizing that he was menaced by a terrible danger, started to run, on which a volley of shots were poured upon him, and one hit him in the head and killed him instantly. His companion, on hearing the shots, started toward camp, and seeing the In- dians began to run as Crow did, but was not so unfortunate, though shot in the hip, which did not hinder him from running on until he reached the company of three, who were running toward the camp in full speed, having heard the shots that were fired at Crow, and suspicioned that which was correct. The Indians, on the other hand, thinking that a superior force of men were somewhere in the neighborhood, immediately re- treated. The remaining members of the company returned to
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HISTORY OF WETZEL COUNTY.
camp, and found Crow lying dead near the creek, with his head partially in the water. They picked him up and placed him in a hollow sycamore tree and covered him up to keep the wolves from carrying the body off until they returned to the fort to se- cure reinforcements, and bury him. They went to Wheeling and secured the reinforcements and returned in four days and buried him under a sycamore tree, using walnut logs for his coffin, and inscribed on the tree, "J. J. Crow, 1782." The tree stood until about the year of 1875, when it was blown down by the wind, and it was from this unfortunate being that the name of Crow's run was obtained.
THE DRYGOOS, OR THE TWO HALF INDIANS.
John Hays came to what is known as Lot in the year of 1805, and with him he brought his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Hays, who was born the same day as her husband, which was in the year of 1748, in Pricket's Fort, Monongalia county. They were but eleven years old when the latter's mother, Mrs. Drygoo, was killed by the Indians.
The following is an incident which fell from the lips of Mrs. Hays, told to her daughter, Mrs. Malinda Anderson: It was in a fort situated on Clinton's run, Monongalia county, known as Prickett's fort. The Drygoo family were some of its occu- pants. There was a garden about half a mile from the fort, and Mrs. Drygoo and her son, Charles, who was but four years of age, went to the garden to pick beans, when the Indians came upon them unawares and made them prisoners before giving them time to call for help. They tied Mrs. Drygoo to a tree near the fort, but not in sight, and returned to the garden to see if they could catch some more in the same way. In a little while Mrs. Hays and her sister came out of the fort and started toward the garden to help their mother (Mrs. Drygoo) pick beans, and as they neared the garden started to call for their mother, but she did not answer. Fortunately they got scared at something (not the Indians) and started toward the fort at full speed, and on reaching it informed the occupants that their mother, Mrs. Drygoo, and their brother, Charles Dry- goo, started out in the garden some time ago to pick beans and that they were not in the garden now. The men immediately suspicioned that which was correct and soon raised a company
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HISTORY OF WETZEL COUNTY.
under Captain David Morgan and went in pursuit. The In- dians, seeing that they had been discovered, beat a hasty re- treat. They untied Mrs. Drygoo and put her on a pony, which was very wild, and made off with great speed. After traveling for about ten miles the pony she was on jumped a run. The calf of one of her legs was torn open, having caught on a sharp limb of a tree. They stopped and bandaged the wound up the best way they could, after which they continued their journey, but the bandage did no good, and she became very weak from loss of blood. The Indians, seeing that it was delaying their journey, decided to kill her. When they began to untie her from the pony Charles began to cry and a big Indian picked him up and said "Don't cry," that they wouldn't kill his mo- ther, but she couldn't travel and that he could be his boy after this. They killed and scalped her near the place known as Betsy's run, which was named from her, and made off with Charles into Ohio, where he lived with them until he was twen- ty-seven years old. While with them he was one of them, and when very young married an Indian squaw, and from her had four children, two boys and two girls. At the Morgan treaty at the mouth of the Little Muskingum, James Hays was one of the men under Levi Morgan, and inquired of the Indians as to the whereabouts of his brother, Charles Drygoo, on which he was informed that he was dead, but that he had some children. He asked for them and he was given the two boys. He brought them to where the town of Lot stands, where they lived and died in the cabin built by James Hays in 1805. There are a number of people in Wetzel county who are proud to say that the blood of Charles Drygoo and his Indian squaw floats in their veins.
MASSACRE OF THE HANDSUCKER FAMILY.
In the latter part of June, 1790, a party of Indians invaded a settlement on Dunkards creek, in Monongalia county, early in the morning. Mr. Clegg and Mr. Handsucker and his two sons were engaged at work near a house, when a band of Indians, concealed in bushes, shot at them and wounded Handsucker severely, and he was soon overtaken. Clegg and Handsucker's two sons began to run toward the house and Clegg entered it and defended it for a while. But confident that he would soon be driven out by fire he surrendered on condition that they would spare his life and that of his little daughter with him. The boys passed the house, but were overtaken by some of the savages, who were concealed in the direction they ran, and who had just taken Mrs. Handsucker and her infant captive. They then burnt the house, caught all the horses they needed, and made off with the prisoners, leaving one of their company as usual to watch after their retreat. When Mrs. Clegg heard the firing of a gun in the corn field, she was some distance from the house, and on hearing the shot immediately went to- ward the creek and concealed herself among the bushes and stayed until everything became quiet. She then crept out, and perceiving the Indian, began to run; he having seen her at the same time, took after her, but had to give up in despair. He shot at her, knowing that he would never catch her, but did not hit her, and she kept on running until she got safely off. Mr. Handsucker and his wife and child were killed on what is now known as Handsucker Knob, Wetzel county, at the forks of Dunkard and Fish creeks. Mr. Clegg, after remaining a cap- tive among the Indians for some time, was released, on which he ransomed his two daughters.
HARMAN BLENNERHASSETT.
Harman Blennerhassett, whose connection with the ill-fated project of Aaron Burr, has given his name a wide notoriety, passed down the Ohio river, in Wetzel county, on his way to Marietta, in 1796. About the year of 1798 he commenced his improvements on the beautiful island since known by his name, embosomed on the Ohio near the end of Washington county, Ohio, and resided upon it for a number of years, surrounded with all that made life dear, when the tempter entered this Eden and forever blighted his earthly prospects. After years of wandering he finally died in 1822, on the island of Guernsey. His beautiful and accomplished wife subsequently returned to this country and preferred charges against the United States and asked for claims, but without success. She died in New York in 1842. She was possessed of a rare ingenuity in the literary line and wrote that beautiful poem, "The Deserted Isle." The island will ever remain a memento of the fate of this unfortunate family, around whose melancholy fortunes the genius of Wirt his weaved a tribute of eloquence alike im- perishable.
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VOLNEY'S TRAVELS IN WETZEL.
In the latter part of the eighteenth century the celebrated French traveler, Volney, traveled through Virginia and crossed the river into Monroe county, Ohio, near New Martinsville. He was under the guidance of two Virginia bear hunters through the wilderness. The weather was very cold and severe in crossing the dry ridge on the Virginia side. The learned in- fidel became weak from cold and fatigue. He was in the midst of an almost boundless wilderness, deep snow under his feet, and both rain and snow were falling upon his head. He fre- quently insisted on giving up the enterprise and dying where he was, but his comrades, more accustomed to the backwoods fare, urged him on until he at length gave out, exclaiming: "Oh, wretched and foolish man that I am, to leave my comfort- able home and fireside, and come to this unfrequented place, where the lion and tiger refuse to dwell and the rain hurries off. Go on, my friends; better that one man should perish than three." Then they stopped and struck a fire, built a camp of bark az d limbs, snot a buck, broiled the ham, which, with the salt bread and other necessaries they had, made a good sup- per, and everything being soon comfortable and cheery, the learned Frenchman was dilatinfg largely and eloquently upon the ingenuity of man.
NOTES ON THE DEATH OF LOGAN'S FAMILY.
The following is taken from Jefferson's "Notes on Virginia:"
In April, 1774, a number of people being engaged in looking out for settlements on the Ohio, information was spread among them that the Indians had robbed some of the land jobbers, as those adventurers were then called. Alarmed for their safety, they collected together at Wheeling creek. Hearing that there were two Indians and some traders a little above Wheeling, Captain Michael Cresap, one of the party, proposed to way-lay and kill them. The proposition, though opposed, was adopted. A party went up the river with Cresap at their head, and killed the two Indians. The same afternoon it was reported that there was a party of Indians on the Ohio, a litle below Wheel- ing. Cresap and his party immediately proceeded down the river and encamped on the bank. The Indians passed them peaceably, and encamped at the mouth of Grave creek, a little below. Cresap and his party attacked them and killed several. The Indians returned the fire and wounded one of Cresap's men. Among the slain of the Indians were some of Logan's. family. Zane expressed a doubt of it, but Smith, one of the murderers, said they were known and acknowledged that Lo- gan's friends and the party themselves generally said so, and boasted of it in the presence of Captain Cresap, and pretended no provocation, and expressed their expectations that Logan would probably avenge their death. Pursuing these examples, Daniel Greathouse and one Tomlinson, who lived on the oppo- site side of the river from the Indians, and were in the habit of friendship with them, collected at the house of Polke, on Cross.
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run, about sixteen miles fromBaker's fort bottom, a party of thirty-two men. Their object was to reach a hunting camp of the Indians, consisting of men, women and children, at the mouth of Yellow creek, some distance above Wheeling. They proceeded, and when they arrived at Baker's station they con- cealed themselves among the bushes, and Greathouse crossed the river to the Indian camp. Baker tells us, being among them as a friend, he counted them and found them too strong for an open attack with his force. While here he was cautioned by one of the women not to stay, for the Indian men were drinking, and having heard of Cresap's murder of their relations at Grave creek, were angry and she pressed him in a friendly manner to go home, whereupon, after inviting them to come over and drink, he returned to Baker's inn, and desired that whenever any of them should come to his house he would give them as much rum as they would drink. When his plot was ripe, and a sufficient number were gathered at Baker's and intoxicated, he and his party fell upon them and massa- cred the whole, except one little girl, whom they preserved as a prisoner. Among these was the very woman who saved his life by urging him to retire from the drunken wrath of her friends, when he was spying their camp at Yellow creek. Ei- ther she or some other murdered woman was the sister of Lo- gan. The party on the other side of the river, alarmed for their friends at Baker's, on hearing the report of the guns, made two canoes and sent them over. They were received as they appeared on the shore by a well-directed fire from Great- house's party, which killed some and wounded others and obliged the rest to retreat. Baker tells us there were twelve killed and eight wounded. It was after this that Logan made his famous speech, which is as follows:
"I appeal to any white man to say if ever he entered Logan's cabin hungry, and I gave him not meat; it he came cold or naked, and I clothed him not. During the course of the iast
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long and bloody war Logan remained in his cabin, an advocate of peace. I had such affection for the white people that I was pointed at by the rest of my nation. I should have ever lived with them had it not been for Col. Cresap, who last year cut off in cold blood all the relations of Logan, not sparing my women and children. There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins of any living creature. This called upon me for ven- geance. . I have sought it. I have killed many and fully glut- ted my revenge. I am glad there is a prospect of peace on account of the nation, but I beg you will not entertain a thought that anything I have said proceeds from fear. Logan disdains the thought. He will not turn on his heel to save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan? Not one." Lo- gan gave all the blame to Colonel Cresap. Whether he was all to blame or not, it was one of the most inhuman massacres that ever occurred in the border life. Greathouse was after- wards killed by the Indians, but he deserved a greater punish- ment than that.
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