USA > West Virginia > Prominent men of West Virginia: biographical sketches, the growth and advancement of the state, a compendium of returns of every election, a record of every state officer; > Part 31
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Having decided to become an engineer, he apprenticed him- self to Captain Robert Clark, who was at that time building a steamboat called the "Chief Justice Marshall." This boat was being built at Wheeling, and her engines were building by Mar-
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tin Phillips at Steubenville. She was to be the finest steamer upon the Ohio river. Her dimensions were as follows: Length 150 feet, with 24 foot beam and 7 foot hold. She had one single engine, cylinder 24 inches in diameter, with 6 foot stroke and five single flued boilers. She made her first appearance in April, 1832, and ran as long as there was sufficient water in the river. Her owners placed her below the falls in the summer of the same year, with Capt. John Russell in command and John Lamb, a brother of Hon. Daniel Lamb, as clerk. She ran to New Or- leans for some time, but finally proved a bad investment to her owners. During that summer Capt. Clark was having a smaller boat built at Pittsburgh. The work of building was superin- tended by Captain Thomas Lindford. When finished it was called the "Juniata." In the fall of the same year Mr. McLure was placed upon her as second engineer. He remained in that position until the following summer, when he decided to stop steamboating for awhile and go to Steubenville and learn the trade of engine building with a Mr. A. M. Phillips. He exe- cuted his intent and remained in that business ten years. This was at the time the cholera was prevailing along the Ohio river, and especially at Wheeling. The people were dying in large numbers daily. While Mr. McLure was at Steubenville, a com- pany was organized by Captain Jacob Dohrman, Peter A. and Arnold Dohrman to build a new steamboat. The work was completed and the boat was christened " Wacousta." She was successfully launched and Jacob Dohrman was captain, Arnold Dohrman was clerk and Peter A. Dohrman and James Bougher were pilots, Alex. Devinney was first engineer, Mr. McLure was second engineer. Young McLure remained on this boat quite a time.
In 1834 Captain William Cecil built a steamboat at Wheeling called the "Roanoke," of which Captain Sam. Mason was mas- ter and Captain Richard Crawford was clerk. The position of first engineer was tendered to Mr. McLure, which he promptly accepted. He remained in this position for a considerable period, and finally accepted the berth of first engineer on the steamer "Tremont," of which Captain Enos Lucas was master. This was in the year 1835. He remained on the " Tremont" one year. Captain Huey Caldwell about this time built a large and elegant steamer called the "Reporter," which was intended to be the
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fastest boat on the Upper Ohio. Upon her Mr. McLure was given the position of first Engineer. He remained in that posi- tion nearly up to the time the boat was abandoned. She how- ever proved an unprofitable investment for her owners on account of her poor capacity for carrying freight. In 1839 a new boat was built with parts of her machinery, which was called the " Naraganset." Huey Caldwell was captain. Mr. MeLure was made first engineer of this new steamer, and remained upon her about two years. About this time (1842) a boat was built by a Wheeling company, which was called the " Amazon." Mr. McLure was one of the stockholders in this enterprise. Capt. James H. Louderback started out in command of the "Amazon" and remained in charge for about one year. Captain John Fink, Hiram Martin and Mr. McLure purchased Capt. Louderback's interest, and Mr. McLure was placed in command of the boat. This was his first act as captain. By careful observation he had sufficiently learned the navigation of the Ohio river to obtain a license as a pilot. It was not uncommon therefore for him to fill at the same time the positions of captain and pilot. Captain McLure remained on the "Amazon" one year, and in 1843 her owners sold her to a new company. The Captain decided to build a complete low water light draught boat. Thomas C. Wilson, also of Wheeling, joined him in the enterprise. The boat was built at Wheeling in 1844 and the name given her was "Senate." She was run during the low water season of that year and the next and was quite successful. She was sold in the fall of 1845 for more than she cost her builders, which gave Capt. McLure a safe financial standing as a steamboat-man.
In 1846 Captain McLure built a new steamboat which he called "Senator." He made one trip with her to New Orleans, and on her return trip he carried a regiment of soldiers, that were returning from the Mexican war, up the Cumberland river to Nashville. He sold the "Senator" in the spring of 1847 to Captain Harris of Galena, who placed her in the upper Missis- sippi trade. He next built the steamer "Doctor Franklin," which proved quite profitable. His next boat was the "Doctor Franklin, No. 2," which he ran one season. She was a first class vessel in all her appointments. He was now largely en- gaged in boat-building at Wheeling under the firm name of McLure & Dunlevy. He took contracts for new boats on his
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own responsibility which he vigorously prosecuted, and out of which he made considerable money. For different parties he built the "St. Paul," the " Golden Era," the " G. W. Sparhawk," the "Lady Franklin," and the "Lady Pike."
About this time (1851 and '52) river men were greatly excited over the near completion of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to the Ohio river. It was expected that business on the Ohio in both freight and passengers would be speedily increased. A stock company was organized for the purpose of building a line of new, fast steamboats to ply between Wheeling and Lou- isville. The first two steamers that were built by this company were called the "Thomas Swan" and "Baltimore." The boats were of the same size with dimensions as follows: length, 305 feet; beams 34 feet, and 6 feet holds; engines 30 inches in diame- ter with 9 feet stroke; boilers 44 inches in diameter, 30 feet long, 5 flues in each. These boats were fine and fast and afforded elegant accommodations for passengers.
The steamer "Alvin Adams" was built at Pittsburgh princi- pally by the Adams Express Company. About the same time, a Wheeling company built the steamer " Virginia " at Pittsburgh, and the "Falls City" at Louisville, Kentucky. The steamer " David White" was built by Captain Wm. McClain at Madison, Indiana. She was owned principally by David White. who was at that time a large pork packer at Madison. These steamers were all about the same size and power and each cost not less than $50,000. All of them made their appearance in the spring of 1853, and were placed in what was called " The Grand Union Line."
It was found that one more vessel was needed to complete the daily line to Louisville. Accordingly Capt. McLure got up a company and purchased the large, light draught steamer "City of Wheeling" to supply the vacancy. She was the fastest boat of the line. In answer to the question, "Did these fine boats pay?" Captain McLure said, "I regret to say they did not. They were all built too large, cost too much money, and were too expensive to run. Besides, we were disappointed in the amount of business we expected from the railroad. We were compelled to send our boats to St. Louis, New Orleans and other points for paying trades, where they were sold at a sacrifice. The entire stock was sunk." The Captain also remarked, "Out
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of the list of seven captains of these elegant steamers, I am the only one now living; and out of the the list of Wheeling stock- holders in these boats, all are dead except Col. Thomas Sweeney, Hon. Daniel Lamb and myself. I will also state that none of the contractors who built these vessels are now living except Clark Haynes and myself. Just think how frail man is, and how soon forgotten !"
When the Grand Union Line failed, Captain McLure contin- ued in the boat-building business at Wheeling until 1858, but being desirous to get on the river again, sold out his interest to his partners, W. P. Wilson and Anthony Dunlevy, and returned again to steamboating. He and his devoted friend Capt. John List purchased the steamer "Eunice," which with Captain List's boat, called the "J. B. Ford," was run in the Louisville and Wheeling trade until the breaking out of the civil war. The day Virginia seceded, Captain McLure left Louisville in command® of the "Eunice." There was great excitement all along the river. When he reached Cincinnati, he procured a score or more of large American flags and hoisted them from stem to stern of his boat. Friends at Cincinnati begged him not to do so rash a thing as that, but he declared he was a Union man, and would die by the old flag. At every town along the river large crowds gathered as the "Eunice" plowed her way up the Ohio. When he landed at Guyandotte, Virginia, a great crowd of secession- ists came upon the boat and ordered him to pull down his flags. Captain McLure said "No, boat and crew and flags will all go down together." He rang his bell, the multitude of people jumped ashore, the boat pulled out and reached Wheeling in safety, "with the flags still there." This incident showed the un- swerving nature of Captain McLure, and accounts for his suc- cess in life. The war of course put a stop to steamboating on the Ohio for a time.
In June, 1861, General George B. McClellan was placed in charge of all the Federal troops in this department. His plan was to charter a sufficient number of steamers necessary to carry supplies for his forces in a contemplated attack upon General Henry A. Wise, who was in charge of the Confederate forces in the Great Kanawha Valley. Captain William J. Kountz was appointed commander of the fleet. Captains MeLure and List tendered their steamboats to General McClellan upon the
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terms that if the war for the Union was a failure they would ask no pay. Captain MeLure, in June, 1861, was in command of the "Eunice," which was made the flag ship of the fleet, of twelve steamers laden with soldiers and supplies for a raid on the rebels in the Kanawha Valley. The fleet met with no inter- ruptions until it reached the mouth of Scary creek, sixteen miles below Charleston. There a brisk battle was fought between General Cox's forces on the Federal side and General Wise in command of the Confederates. The Federals won the day, and the fleet went on to Charleston. Captain McLure remained in Government service at Charleston in command of the "Eunice" until the following September, when he was promoted to the position of Commodore of the fleet and remained in charge of the Kanawha river steamers until the summer of, 1862, when he was ordered to Tennessee. He took with him three of his light draught steamers to convert them into convoy gunboats to escort Federal troops up and down the Cumberland river. In the summer of 1863, Commodore McLure was transferred to the Tennessee river to protect the transports of soldiers on their way to join General Thomas in his contemplated march through Georgia. After performing this responsible and dangerous duty, Commodore McLure returned to Nashville with his fleet, and soon afterward tendered his resignation to General Rose- crans, which was by him reluctantly accepted. The Commodore returned to his Wheeling home, and again engaged in steam- boating on the Ohio river, until a few years after the close of the war, when he quit the river altogether.
For several years past Capt. McLure has engaged in no busi- ness except looking after his property, which he accumulated by industry and frugal living through a long and active life. He is a man of high personal character, and for nearly a-half cen- tury has been regarded one of the most honorable and success- ful business men of Wheeling.
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RUFUS EDWARD FLEMING.
R P UFUS E. FLEMING, late Colonel of the Sixth West Vir- ginia Cavalry Volunteers, brevet Brigadier General United States Volunteers, was born August 14, 1840, on a farm near Fairmont, Virginia.
At the breaking out of the civil war he was in Indiana, where he had gone to engage in business, but the news of the firing on Fort Sumpter, brought him back to Virginia, where he en- listed May 1, 1861, in Company G, Third Regiment Virginia Infantry, United States Volunteers. He passed through the various promotions to the position of Colonel of his regiment. He took part in many hard fought battles, and was twice wounded in the second battle of Bull Run, August 29, 1862.
At the close of the civil war he was sent, in May, 1865, in command of his regiment, to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and there commanded the post until ordered to the plains to assist in subduing there hostile Indians. Several severe battles with the red-skins were then added to his war record. Detachments of the regiment wintered in Colorado and Wyoming, and in May, 1866, they returned to Fort Leavenworth, where the regiment was mustered out, May 22. General Fleming was finally mus- tered out of the United States military service at Wheeling, West Virginia, June 1, 1866, having been continuously in the army one month over five years. His scars, wounds and suffer- ings, continued to this day, are a part of the sacred price paid for the perpetuity of our Union.
Since the war he has resided on the paternal homestead, near Fairmont, engaged in farming.
On February 28, 1883, he married Miss Margaret L. Dickey, daughter of ex-Congressman Jesse C. Dickey, of Chester county, Pennsylvania. Their little daughter, Kathrine, aged five, is the best antidote our soldier has ever found for all pains of battle scars.
In politics General Fleming is a stalwart Republican. His first vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln, in 1864, and he pro- poses to follow that line to the end.
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HON. JAMES MONROE JACKSON.
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JAMES MONROE JACKSON.
HE Jackson family is perhaps the most noted of any other family in West Virginia. Scattered through several of the northwestern counties, they stand out conspicuously among their fellow citizens as representative men who have left their impress upon the times in which they lived. General John Jay Jack- son, the father of the subject of this sketch, was in his day the most distinguished citizen the county of Wood ever produced. His elder brother, John Jay Jackson, for more than a quarter of a century a distinguished Judge of the United States District Court; and his youngest brother, Jacob B. Jackson, an ex- Governor of the Commonwealth-saying nothing about the long line of their relatives, the most noted of whom was " Stone- wall" Jackson, perhaps the greatest General the South ever produced. For ability, integrity and force of character the sub- ject of this sketch stands in the front rank of this noted family.
James Monroe Jackson was born in Parkersburg, Virginia, December 3, 1825. He had a careful preparation for college, and in early life entered that celebrated institution of learn- ing, Princeton College, from which he graduated in his twenti- eth year. Like his father and elder brother, he chose the pro- fession of the law, and after two years study, under the direction of his father, was admitted to the Wood county Bar in 1847. By his natural talents and constant application, he rose rapidly to an enviable position in his profession. In May, 1856, he was elected prosecuting attorney of Wood county, and was re-elected at the close of his term. He was elected to and served as a member of the House of Delegates of West Virginia in 1870, in the proceedings of which body he took an active and a lead- ing part. He was re-elected, and served in the legislative ses- sion of 1871, after the removal of the State Capital to Charles- ton. He was a member of the Convention that sat at Charles- ton in 1872 and framed the second Constitution for the State of West Virginia. Being an able lawyer, he was a valuable mem- ber of that distinguished assembly. In October, 1872, he was elected to the office of Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit, in which he resided, for the term of eight years, and was re-elected to the same position in 1880. His careful legal training, coupled with his strong common sense, fitted him for the judicial office, and it was not long after his first election until he made for him-
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self the reputation of being among the very best judges in the State, and accordingly gave satisfaction to all with whom he had official dealings.
Though not per se a politician, yet at times he took a lively interest in public affairs. On many occasions he was urged to become a candidate for political preferment, notably for Con- gress ; and in 1888 he was nominated by the Democratic party -with which he had acted since the death of the old Whig organization-for a seat in the Fifty-first Congress. The cam- paign of that year was a spirited one, and the result in all four of the Districts of the State was so close that it took the official vote to decide who had been victorious. Judge Jackson, how- ever was awarded the certificate of election, and will according- ly take his seat in that Congress. His competitor, the Hon. Charles B. Smith, has filed notice of contest, and the Congress itself will be called upon to decide who will permanently be awarded the seat.
Judge Jackson is a man of scholarly attainments, positive character, fixed principles and strong convictions. He is a sound lawyer, a ready debater, is thoroughly versed in the history and politics of the country, a close student of the provisions of the Constitution ; all of which, supplemented by a large experience with men and affairs, equip him for public position and power.
By inheritance, as well as by the convictions of his own clear judgment, he was an earnest adherent of that wonderful old party, which, under the leadership of Henry Clay, attained such enviable distinction for its probity, its purity and its patriotism as will in all time provoke the emulation of all political organ- izations ; a party which, if not always fortunate in the presen- tation of its schemes of statecraft and the election of its candi- dates, ever maintained as its cardinal doctrine that the interests of the whole country were to be held superior to the gratifica- tion of individual ambition, and the prosperity of the people more to be valued than the triumph of the politician. These principles found in Judge Jackson a steadfast and uncompro- mising adherent.
The Judge has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Helen S. Seely, of Trumbull county, Ohio, whom he wedded October 5, 1851. She died in 1861, leaving four children, of whom three survive. In February, 1864, he again married, this
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time Miss Lucy Kincheloe, of Wood county. Since his retire- ment from the Bench, Judge Jackson has been engaged in the active practice of his profession in the city of Parkersburg, where he has passed his entire life.
ISAAC HARDIN DUVAL.
T HE editors of this volume, as must the public, regret that the modesty of this able General and Legislator prevents our facing this sketch with a hadsome portrait. Just why so brave a soldier thus remains in the dark, we cannot conjecture. He was born September 1, 1824, in Wellsburg, Virginia ; received a common school education ; spent fourteen years of early life in the Rocky Mountains and in Texas; collected Indians, in 1847, for the Government to hold treaties with, as private secretary of the Commissioner for that purpose; commanded the first regiment that crossed the plains into California after the discovery of gold; was Major of the First West Virginia In- fantry Regiment three months ; then Colonel of the Ninth West Virginia Regiment Volunteer Infantry. He served through the war; was promoted for merit and valor from time to time up to Major General by brevet; commanded the Second Division of the Army of West Virginia; was in charge of the Sub-Division of Wheeling. Department after the close of the war, and was mus- tered out of service January 15, 1866. He was in thirty-six battles and skirmishes during the war; had eleven horses killed and wounded under him, and was himself twice severely wound- ed; was State Senator, sessions of 1866-7; Adjutant General of West Virginia from March 4, 1867, to March, 4, 1869; member of Congress from the First District from March 4, 1869, to March 3, 1871; then United States Assessor of Internal Revenue for two years, and Collector for the next twelve. He was elected to the House of Delegates from Brooke county, session of 1887, and re-elected to the pending one of 1889, in which he serves upon Committees of Federal Relations, Military Affairs, Edu- cation, Rules, and Arts and Sciences, and General Improve- ments.
To the Washington Inauguration Centennial, at New York, April 29, 1889, he was one of the Commissioners from West Virginia. General Duval enjoys great personal popularity, and no one ever speaks of him except in words of highest. praise. 31
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Levytype fat
COL. JOHN S. CUNNINGHAM.
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JOHN SHARPE CUNNINGHAM.
C OL. JOHN S. CUNNINGHAM was born at North Or- ange, Essex county, New Jersey, January 15, 1827, and graduated at Orange Academy in 1844, having made his study a specialty in surveying and civil engineering. He was, for a few years, engaged as Assistant Superintendent at the Andover forges, in Sussex county, New Jersey, in the manufacture of wrought bar iron from the ore. In 1848 he was employed by the Morris and Essex Railroad Company as Assistant Engineer in making the preliminary surveys from Morristown, New Jer. sey, via Dover, Stanhope and Newton, to the Delaware Water Gap, in Pennsylvania; also was on the construction of the Pat- erson and Ramapo Railroad to Safferns, in New York. In 1849 he was employed as a Sub-assistant Engineer on the construc- tion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, with headquarters at Old Town, in Maryland. In 1851 he returned to the construc- tion of the Morris and Essex Railroad and superintended the location and construction of the road from Schooley's Mountain, Summit of the Musconetcong range of mountains, to Hacketts- town, New Jersey. He also made the preliminary surveys from Hackettstown via Mees Gap and Vanness Gap (now Oxford Furnace) of the Pohatcong range of mountains through to Del- aware Water Gap. After finishing this work he was employed by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company in the years 1853-4-5-6 in their system of improvements in Penn- sylvania. He was particularly engaged in the location and con- struction of the Lackawanna and Bloomsburg Railroad from Scranton to Berwick, Pennsylvania. In 1856 he married Helen M. Benedict, youngest daughter of Samuel Benedict, Esq., at Pittston, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania. In 1857 he perma- nently settled at Coalsmouth, Virginia, where he now resides.
At the commencement of the great rebellion he supported the Federal Government.
He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Eleventh In- fantry and promoted to Adjutant of the Thirteenth Infantry Virginia Volunteers; was commissioned Captain and promo- ted to Lieutenant Colonel in the Eightieth Regiment Virginia Militia and participated in the following engagements during the Rebellion, as is evidenced on the reports in the Adjutant General's office in Washington City.
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The engagements in 1862 with the West Virginia Cavalry were: At Barboursville, Virginia, September 8; at Guyandotte, Virginia, September 8; at Charles Creek, Virginia, September 11; at Hurricane Bridge, Virginia, September 11; at Charles- ton, Virginia, September 13.
The engagements in 1863 with the Thirteenth Infantry were: At Fayetteville, Virginia, May 20 and 21; at Raleigh C. H., Virginia, May 23; at Pomeroy, Ohio, July 18; at Buffington Island, Ohio, July 19.
The engagements in 1864 were : At Lexington, Virginia, June 12; at Lynchburg, Virginia, June 17 and 18; also, Buford's Gap; at Duffield's, West Virginia, July 15; at Cabletown (near Snicker's Ferry), July 18; at Winchester, Virginia, July 23 and 24; at Martinsburg, West Virginia, July 25; at Charlestown, West Virginia, August 21; at Halltown, West Virginia, August 24 and 26; at Berryville, Virginia, September 3; at Winchester, Virginia, September 19; at Fisher's Hill, Virginia, September 22; at Round Top Mountain, Virginia, October 9; at Cedar Creek, Virginia, October 13 and 19.
From thence he was sent to the Field Hospital at Winches- ter; thence to the Field Hospital at Martinsburg, and from thence to the Officers Hospital at Annapolis, Maryland.
After leaving the Federal service in 1865, he devoted his at- tention to private affairs, as his little fortune was somewhat im- paired, owing to the fact that both contending armies had alter- nately occupied his home.
In the restoration of affairs he was appointed the first Super- intendent of Free Schools for Kanawha county under the Con- stitution and Acts of 1863. He was also appointed Supervisor. In 1867 the Legislature of West Virginia appointed him one of the Commissioners to represent the West Virginia interest in the Covington and Ohio Railroad Company, with a view to form a new company to complete the railroad from Covington, Vir- ginia, to the Kentucky line at the mouth of the Big Sandy river. The following year the Commission was successful in forming a new company, and so reported to the Legislature of West Vir- ginia. That work was completed in 1872. He was also em- ployed by the Board of Public Works of West Virginia as Di- rector and President of the Kanawha Board for the Improve- ment of the Great Kanawha River by a system of sluice naviga-
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