USA > West Virginia > Myers' history of West Virginia (1915) Volume II > Part 28
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
John W. McCoy, Esq ..
Was born near Middlebourne. Tyler County. this State. Sep- tember 14. 1826; worked on his father's farm until he arrived
358
History of West Virginia
at the age of 21 during the summers and attended school in the winters ; commenced the practice of law at Middlebourne, where he resided until the spring of 1868, when he removed to Fairmont, at which place he remained until his death, January 26, 1902. He served as Prosecuting Attorney of Marion County from 1870 to 1878, having previously served in the same capacity two terms in Tyler County from 1858 to 1866. As a lawyer and counsel, Mr. McCoy had but few equals.
Hon. U. N. Arnett,
Son of Jonathan and Elizabeth Arnett, was born near Rives- ville, Marion County, March 7, 1820, and died January 14, 1880. Until he reached the age of 31, most of his life was spent upon the farm, where, previous to his arrival at the age of 21, he attended winter schools and assisted on the farm in summer. In 1851 he represented Marion County in the Vir- ginia Legislature, serving in that capacity for a period of six years. He served as Justice of the Peace, State Senator and various other public positions from time to time, and was highly respected by those who knew him. He was a Democrat.
The Glover and Myers Families.
About the year 1755 a young man by name of John Glover came over from England and settled at Wilmington, Dela- ware. Shortly after his arrival he married a New England girl. To this union were born several children, two of whom were named Amos and Nehemiah, respectively, the former being born in 1760 and the latter about 1772. Later on, about 1781, the brothers left Delaware and came to Western Penn- sylvania, Amos locating in Washington County and Nehemiah in Greene County. Shortly afterwards Nehemiah married Dorcas Koen, a sister of Isaac Koen, the father of Peter and James Koen, early pioneers who settled in Wetzel County, near Wileysville. Shortly after his marriage, young Glover brought his bride to the head of Dunkard Creek, in Monon- galia County, where they settled about two miles southeast of
359
History of West Virginia
Wadestown, on what is known as the Wilson Haught farm. To this union were born thirteen children, namely : John, Margaret, Barbara, Samuel, Ephraim, William, Nehemiah, Mary, Isaac, Lucy, Amos, and Leonard, one having died in infancy.
In 1797, Nehemiah Glover, Sr., took up a tract of un- broken forest land where Glover's Gap tunnel now is, on the Marion County side, where he erected a log cabin and moved his family. The country in that section at that time was a perfect wilderness; wild beasts roamed the forests; the Indian's war cry had scarcely ceased on Buffalo Creek; a rail- road had not been thought of in the United States; settle- ments were few and far between ; Wheeling. a mere village, was the nearest market for gunpowder and salt; there were no roads, except, perhaps, a bridle path between the Monon- gahela and Ohio Valleys, which had been more frequently used by the Indians than by the whites. Such were the con- ditions that surrounded the Glover family when they arrived at their new home at the "Low Gap", in 1797.
After clearing a large scope of land, and raising his family up to an age when the children were able to look after them- selves, Nehemiah died about the year 1845 and was buried on what is now called "Tunnell Hill", near his old cabin home. After the old man's death, the farm fell into the hands of his son, Leonard, who later sold the farm and moved to another near Silver Hill, in Center District, Wetzel County, and from there he later moved to Wood County, on the waters of Still- well. When Leonard left the Low Gap farm he took his mother with him. A few years later she died, but the writer has not been able to ascertain the date of her death or the place of her interment.
John Glover, Nehemiah's first son, married Catharine Bartrug. who died without issue. For his second wife, he married Sarah Pratt, and to them were born two sons and three daughters: Jerry. Leonard. Barbara, Lucy and Hetty. Ilis first wife was buried at Cottontown, in Wetzel County. while he and his last wife were interred on Low Gap Hill, along side of his father.
360
History of West Virginia
Margaret married John Six, of Greene County, Pa. They had five children: Nehemiah, Adam, Hannah, Jackson, and Abner. These are all dead.
Barbara married George Bartrug, and to them were born ten children: Peter, George, Moses, Samuel, Dorcas, Mar- garet, Mary, Elizabeth, Barbara, and Sarah. These are all dead except Moses, Samuel and Barbara. Those dead were buried at Cottontown, in Wetzel County.
Samuel married Elizabeth Bartrug. To this union were born seventeen children. Three died in infancy. The others were Mary, Dorcas, Peter, Nehemiah, Stephen, John, Isaac, Elizabeth, George, Samuel, William, Anthony, Lamech and A. Bennet. The mother died at the age of 67 years, and the father then married Christina Horner, and to them were born Norcissis, Lafayette and Ellen. Of the first family John, Anthony and Lamech and all of the last set are still living.
Ephraim married Rachel Six. To them were born : Mary Anne, Isabell, William, Lewis, Amos, Richard, Jackson, Dennis and James. The old people are buried near Earnshaw, Wetzel County. Lewis, Amos and Jackson are still living near where their parents are buried.
William Glover married Elizabeth Pyles. To them were born: Susannah, Isaac, John, William Riley, one child dying in infancy. Of these all are dead except Isaac, who is now living near Alva, Tyler County.
Nehemiah married Sarah Bartrug, and to this union were born: Samuel, Levi and Ebenezer. His first wife died and he married for his second a widow Ferguson. To them were born Harriet and Linda. His second wife having died, he again married, his third wife being Jane Koen. To this last union were born two sons and one or more daughters, whose names are unknown to the writer. Samuel, Ebenezer and their father are dead.
Isaac married Catharine Roberts. Their children were: Mary, Stephen, Dorcas, Henry, and Simon. The father and mother are dead. Mary, who is now dead, married George Bartrug. Stephen died while quite young. Henry is living at Wise, Monongalia County. Simon lives at Burton, in Wetzel County.
361
History of West Virginia
Mary married Samuel Byard. They had no children. Both are buried on the Glover's Gap tunnel hill, on the farm now owned by William J. Troy, being the same cemetery in which Mary's father, the first settler in that neighborhood, had been buried.
Lucy Glover married Presley Metz, and to them were born: William. Martha, Jane, and Dorcas. Martha married Lamech Metz, Jane married Jacob Furbee, and Dorcas mar- ried George Rice.
Amos Glover married Eva Hindgardner. Their children were: Ely, Reuben, Jessie, Delila, Rhoda and Sylvania. Most of them are buried in the family cemetery, on Rush Kun, near Hundred, in Wetzel County.
Leonard married Minerva Alton. To this union were born several children, whose names we are unable to give. As was previously stated, he removed from the old home place at Low Gap, in Marion County, to a point near Silver Hill, in Wetzel County, thence to a farm on the waters of Stillwell, near Parkersburg, in Wood County, West Virginia.
These comprise all the children of Nehemiah Glover, one of the first, if not the very first, settlers in the vicinity ci Glover's Gap.
William, a son of Nehemiah, of whom we have heretofore made mention, was born at the Low Gap, in Marion County, about 1810; married Elizabeth Pyles about 1831. To this union were born : Susannah, Isaac, John. William Riley, and one child who died in infancy.
Isaac married Mary, daughter of Tazwell and Delilah (Horner) Myers; they raised a large family and are still liv- ing near Alva, Tyler County.
John married
of West Union, Dodd- ridge County ; they had no children ; he died and was buried near his late home, three miles below West Union.
William Riley married Margaret Rice; they had four daughters, all living. Riley died a few years ago, and was buried near Glover's Gap tunnel.
Susannah, the eldest child of William and Elizabeth (Pyles) Glover, was born on Dunkard's Creek. Monongalia County. September 16, 1833: married Nelson Myers, in 1859;
362
History of West Virginia
died May 6, 1911, and was interred in Williams' Cemetery, near New Martinsville, W. Va. Her husband was a son of Tazwell and Delilah (Horner) Myers; he was born in Monongalia County, Va., April 18, 1839; died May 12, 1913, and was buried at Williams' Cemetery, along side of his wife. To this union were born one son and four daughters : Sylvester (the writer), born July 9, 1861; married Frances, daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Brumley) Carpenter, September 16, 1881, to which union were born eight children : Laura May, born August 14, 1882, at Colfax, W. Va., married A. Lee Rhodes, November 5, 1905, one child, Melvin.
Clyde, born July 11, 1884, and died at Littleton, W. Va., September 18, 1884, buried in Glover's Cemetery, near Glover's Gap, W. Va.
William Cleveland, born November 1, 1885, at Littleton ; married Lizzie, daughter of William Smith, November 5, 1905 ; two children, Carl and William.
Walter Michael, born March 10, 1888, at Pennsboro, W. Va. ; married Claudie, only daughter of Dr. J. R. and Amanda (Brown) Sole, August 24, 1912 ; one child, Nell.
Thurman Hugh, born at Littleton, Wetzel County, W. Va., November 16, 1890 ; married Olive E. Ward, of Cameron, Ohio, May 28, 1910; two children, Deward and Marshall.
Bessie Vera, born at Pennsboro, W. Va., May 18, 1893 ; Edward Nelson, born at Smithfield, W. Va., December 31, 1895 ; Olive Cora, born at St. Marys, W. Va., April 16, 1898.
As some of the readers of this book may not object to a short autobiographical sketch of the writer, he will presume on their patience enough to give the following:
Sylvester Myers, the subject of this sketch, received a common (VERY common as you have perhaps already noted) school education in his native county of Marion, and at the age of sixteen was employed as clerk in a store at Glover's Gap, which position he held about one year. Leaving the store, he served a fifteen months' apprenticeship in the rail- road station in his native town, under Jesse L. Courtright, after which he was given a position as night telegraph operator at Littleton, West Virginia, that very important epoch in the writer's history occurring December 19, 1880. While there
303
History of West Virginia
he heard the news flashed over the wires announcing the shooting of President Garfield by Gittau. Shortly following this event, the subject of this sketch was transferred to Colfax, Marion County, as station agent and operator, and while there, on September 16, 1881, was united in marriage to Frances Carpenter, for whom he had formed an attachment while stationed at Littleton. Afterward he was promoted to the agency at Littleton, where he remained for several years. Later on he served as station agent and operator at Fleming- ton, Belington, Pennsboro, St. Marys, and Smithfield. Ile also acted as relief agent and operator for a time, and while so engaged worked at practically all stations between Grafton and the Ohio River, on both Parkersburg and Wheeling divis- ions of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
In November, 1902, he resigned his position as station agent at Smithfield, on the West Virginia Short Line, to ac- cept the deputy clerkship under Capt. I. D. Morgan, clerk of the County Court of Wetzel County, and served in that capacity the full term of six years, from January Ist. 1903. In the summer of 1908 he entered the race for the nomination of County Clerk on the Democratic ticket. He won out, as did he also in the following general election, and is now serv- ing the last year of his present term. He is an old member of the I. O. O. F., having joined that order more than twenty years ago. He does not make much pretense of being a Christian, but his name is being carried on the membership roll of the Christian Church, although formerly allied with the Baptists.
When the subject of this sketch left the telegraph service, he was regarded as one of the pioneer telegraphers, having, as previously stated, entered in active service in 1880, when "registers" or "paper mills" were still in use by a number of operators. In fact, he learned on one of those machines. He never used one. however, after serving his apprenticeship. These "paper mills" have long since been relegated to the scrap heap or curiosity shop, and it is very doubtful if one telegrapher in ten of the present day has ever worked one of them, or, indeed, ever saw one in actual operation ; for the
364
History of West Virginia
great majority of the "old timers" have either .passed away or found other occupations.
With this diversion, we will now go back to the Glover family.
We stated that when Amos and Nehemiah Glover left Delaware, they came to western Pennsylvania, Nehemiah settling in Greene County and Amos in Washington County. We have traced Nehemiah's descendants through to the pres- ent day. We shall not undertake to give an extended history of Amos' family, as we have but little knowledge concerning him and his descendants. From a letter in my possession, it seems that Amos was married shortly after arriving in Wash- ington County, and became the father of five sons and two daughters: David, James, Thomas, Crawford and Samuel, Sarah and Nancy. In 1814, he removed to Belmont County, Ohio, and when more than 80 years old, moved to Iowa with his youngest daughter and her family. Samuel died in 1863, while a son of his-John J .- was serving in the Union army. The latter, after his discharge, was given a position in the pension department at Washington, D. C., in which capacity he was still serving a few months ago.
-
CHAPTER XXXVII.
STORY OF BLENNERHASSETT ISLAND.
POEM, ENTITLED GRAFTON NATIONAL CEME- TERY.
POEM, DEDICATED TO MISS DECIMA CAMPBELL (NOW BARCLAY) BY GEORGE D. PRENTISS.
POEM, IN MEMORY OF BETTY ZANE, THE HEROINE OF FORT HENRY.
WEST VIRGINIA'S NEW SONG, AND A SIDE-SPLIT- TING PARODY ON SAME.
LIST OF MEMBERS OF CONSTITUTIONAL CONVEN- TION 1872.
A LETTER FROM GENERAL WASHINGTON TO HIS WIFE.
WASHINGTON'S MAP.
The Story of Blennerhasett's Island.
Harman Blennerhassett was born in Hampshire, England. of Irish parentage. He attended school at Westminster, and graduated at Trinity College. Dublin. He subsequently served an apprenticeship in the study of law, and at the age of 25 years was admitted to the bar. In England he married Adeline Agnew, a granddaughter of General Agnew, who was with Wolfe at Quebec. Shortly after his marriage he decided
366
History of West Virginia
to try his fortunes in the New World. After converting his property in Ireland into ready money he and his young bride sailed for America, arriving at New York August 1, 1796. The year following, the couple went to Philadelphia where they resided about one year, and then removed to Marietta, Ohio. While at that place Mr. Blennerhassett began to look about for a tract of land on which to establish a permanent home. His eyes soon feel upon an island in the Ohio River, about two miles below where Parkersburg now stands, which struck his fancy. This land was a part of a 200,000 acre tract, lying between the Little Kanawha and Big Sandy Rivers, dedicated in 1769 to George Washington and other soldiers who had taken part in the French and Indian wars of 1754 and 1765, the survey of which tract was made by General Washington himself. But it does not appear that Washington or his co-patriots ever actually came into possession of this land, as Patrick Henry, governor of Virginia, in 1786, con- veyed it to Alexander Nelson, of Richmond, Va., who in turn conveyed it to James Herron, who, in 1787, transferred it to Elijah Backers, a member of the famous Ohio Company, from whom Mr. Blennerhassett, for a consideration of $4.500, pur- chased 170 acres off the upper part of the island which has ever since been known as Blennerhassett's Island. He at once commenced the improvement of the property, and at an expense of about $30,000, erected a mansion house and office buildings, a picture of which is here given.
These were in the form of a crescent, and stood near the upper end in the center of the island, upon a knoll, gradually rising on every side from the river, and with the front facing up stream. The center, or main building. was 42 feet long, 32 feet wide and two stories high. Porticos forty feet in length stretched out wing-shaped from either side. The whole structure was painted white, with green trimmings. In front was a large, fine circular, or fan-shaped lawn, inclosed by a hedge of ornamental shrubbery-the whole surrounded by a broad, smooth, gravelled drive-way. Vegetable gardens and fine orchards of fruit trees were planted in the rear of the mansion-the whole presenting an appearance that looked very much out of place in that, then, wild country.
1
367
History of West Virginia
During the building of the mansion, Mr. Blennerhassett, his wife and child occupied a large block house, that had been erected on the island by Captain James and used as a retreat during the Indian wars.
Mr. and Mrs. Blennerhassett were people of high literary attainments and possessed of refined tastes and maurers. Their library was well supplied with choice and valuable works. Having ample means with which to gratify their wants so far as their somewhat isolated situation would per- mit, Mr. Blennerhassett and his wife succeeded in making their island home as lordly an estate as the limited area of their land would allow. Laborers to perform and experts to over- see the work of the farm, gardens, lawns, etc., were employed. He also possessed himself of ten slaves to act as valets, host- lers and rowers of his boats. The interior fresco work of the mansion was elaborate and in keeping with the external sur- roundings, and the walls were tastefully adorned with paint- ings, some of the pictures being of great value ; but, it is said, few of the pictures were more skilfully executed than some of those drawn by the hand of Mrs. Blennerhassett, to whose tastes for the beautiful were mainly due the artistic designs that made their island home a sort of fairyland. She is also said to have been an accomplished musician, and often enter- tained their guests with both vocal and instrumental music.
The Blennerhassetts, though observing the formalities usually practiced in an aristocratic home, were not unbending in their nature: They were distinguished without being os- tentatious, and familiar without being vulgar and absurd. They were, on the whole, a sociable, kind hearted people, who entertained for the mutual pleasure of themselves and their guests. They soon formed acquaintances with the settlers at the mouth of the Muskingum and Little Kanawha Rivers, and exchange of friendly calls was made with the growing demo- cratic simplicity that naturally follows an existence in the wil- derness. Thus lived a happy, contented family, until the year 1805, when a traitor to his country and the murderer of Alex- ander Hamilton, in the person of Aaron Burr, appeared upon the scene, which proved to be the beginning of the end of a happy home.
368
History of West Virginia
At that time Mexico was trying to throw off the yoke of Spanish rule, and a war was also imminent between Spain and the United States; and Burr, who was an ambitious but un- scrupulous scoundrel, conceived the idea of organizing and assembling a large force of armed men on the Wichita for the purpose of colonizing that region, with the ultimate object of conquering Mexico and establishing himself king or emperor, and then annexing to that usurped country all of the territory west of the Alleghanies! This was certainly a gigantic under taking, as foolish as it was bold. But that was not all: After having accomplished this much, it was then his purpose to march upon the capital of the United States, into the halls of congress, overthrow the American republic over which he nad recently served as vice president, and install himself as the central head of a great empire, extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf. But in order to carry out his designs, it was necessary to secure financial assistance. He knew that Blen- nerhassett was a person of considerable means, and decided to visit him. On his arrival at the island, Mr. Blennerhassett was absent, but Mrs. Blennerhassett, with her characteristic hospitality, entertained their (to them then) distinguished guest and his companions of the voyage until her husband's return a few hours later. During his three days' stay on the island, Burr, through misrepresentations, succeeded in pro- curing from his unsuspecting friend a letter which, later on, proved the latter's undoing. Having effected this preliminary movement, Burr departed, only to return again in the fall of 1806.
This designing schemer knew that Mr. Blennerhassett was a person of considerable prestige, a gentleman of opulence and ease, of superior scientific attainments. who would prove a powerful aid in any purpose in which he might engage. Burr, himself, had been vice president of the United States- a position which would naturally carry with it the supposition that its bearer was a person to be trusted and whose good intentions could not be questioned. He represented to his host that he was merely carrying out the views and intentions of the United States government. He indicated the desir-
.
360
History of West Virginia
ability of colonizing the Spanish border with armed Americans who would be in a position to defend their country's interest and in return earn for themselves liberal concessions from the home government ; and that in event America should take over Mexico through their active co-operation, political honors awaited them in that country. This all seemed very plausible and quite natural to Mr. Blennerhassett. President Jefferson had, only three years before, purchased the whole of Louisiana, for fifteen millions of dollars, by which act he obtained the very heart of the American continent, reaching from the Miss- issippi to the Rocky Mountains and more than doubling the arca of the United States. This, of course, opened up for American colonization an immense area of country, rich in soil and minerals. Therefore, without any hopes or expecta- tion of political gain in Mexico, the inducements offered in the south were extremely attractive. Yet there is no doubt that had Mr. Blennerhassett and his wife not been led into the belief that he was on the way to a high political position by casting their fortune at the feet of one whom they believed to be a real friend, they would have spent their full allotment of years at their island home. However, such a contingency was not anticipated by Mr. Blennerhassett and he advanced large sums of money to Burr, who gave as his security his son-in-law, Joseph Alston, afterward governor of South Caro- lina.
For the remainder of this story, we will quote from Lewis' History of West Virginia :
"The scheme progressed, and in the meantime, Blenner- hassett had a flotilla of small boats, about twenty in number, built at Marietta, destined for use in the southern expedition. The peculiar form of the boats excited apprehension, but there was no interference and on a December evening in 1806, with supplies and thirty men on board, the fleet began the descent of the river. On the same day Colonel Hugh Phelps, com- mandant of the Wood County militia, received orders to arrest Blennerhassett and his associates. Late at night, with a body of militia, he proceeded to the island. but it was too late. Colonel Phelps at once began an overland journey to Point Pleasant, hoping to intercept the boats at that place, but they
370
History of West Virginia
had passed when he arrived. The troops were met by Mrs. Biennerhassett, who forbade them touching any not named in the warrant. But the mob spirit ran riot; the well stored cellars were assailed, the mansion sacked, balls fired into rich gilded ceilings, fences pulled down to light the sentinel fires, and the shrubbery trampled underfoot. By the aid of friends Mrs. Blennerhassett was enabled a few days later to embark on a flat boat with her two children and black servants, and finally joined her husband at Louisville. Well might they look with grief, in after years, to the fair Eden from which they had been driven by their own indiscretion and the de- ception of Aaron Burr.
"In 1812 the mansion was destroyed by fire ; the garden with its beautiful shrubbery and rare plants was converted into a corn field ; the graveled avenue leading to the river was turned by the plowshare, and since that time nothing remains of the once beautiful home of Harman Blennerhassett save the name. After the lapse of over a century since the once happy occupants left it, still the thousands of travelers who annually pass it by rail and river, eagerly inquire after and gaze with pathetic interest upon the island.
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.