The history of Barbour County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time, Part 30

Author: Maxwell, Hu, 1860-1927
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Morgantown, W. Va. : Acme Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 538


USA > West Virginia > Barbour County > The history of Barbour County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time > Part 30


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"On the evening of the 26th I crossed Middle Fork and encamped about midway between Philippi and Buckhannon, some twelve miles from each, sending all my cavalry forward to sieze and hold the bridge across the Buckhannon River near its mouth. Considerable cannonading was heard at this time in the direction of Philippi, which I supposed to proceed from the enemy we had driven from Beverly, in an endeavor to prevent Major Lang from going toward the railroad where I had expected him to find General Jones. But at 11 o'clock Colonel Imboden informed me that the Beverly force had passed up toward Buckhannon at sunrise that morning, and that there was a fresh brigade at Philippi, reported by the citizens to have arrived the night before from New Creek, under command of General Mulligan, and that the cars had been running all the night previous and that other troops were in the vicinity. He requested me to send two regiments of infantry and a section of artillery to the bridge that night, as he was apprehensive of attack. He also informed me that he had captured a courier from Buckhannon and that two others had escaped and gone back to that place. * *


* Knowing that General Mulligan was east of the Alleghanies when our expedition set out, and not hearing from General Jones, it was the opinion of all present that he had failed to reach or interrupt communication on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and that our position was exceedingly critical * * * and if we werc beaten, the enemy could cut off our retreat at Laurel Hill and at Buckhannon or Weston. I concurred in the opinion of [my colonel that in the face of this new information it woule be extremely imprudent to advance farther or remain where we were, with the danger of being overwhelmed and cut off in a few hours, and that the safety of the com- mand required that we should fall back to a position where escape would be possible if we were overpowered. Accordingly, we marched back to Roaring Creek on the 27th. The road was so bad that it took nine hours to accomplish two miles."


General Mulligan, after penetrating into Barbour,* learned that Gen-


*On this campaign General Mulligan wore green clothes. He was an Irishman, and his whole brigade was Irish, and had a reputation as fighters. Mrs. Mulligan accom- panied her husband on this expedition, as was her custom. She shared with him the


270


THE CIVIL WAR IN BARBOUR.


eral Jones was threatening Fairmont, and he hastened to fight him, but arrived too late to prevent the destruction of the bridge at that place. Mulligan then fell back to Grafton, and Jones proceeded to Philippi, and passed on to Buckhannon, and to Weston, joining General Imboden. Jones intended to destroy the bridge at Philippi, and his soldiers had straw piled on it ready for firing; but upon the urgent request of Southern citizens, chief of whom was Elder Joshua S. Corder, the bridge was spared. No doubt the Confederates were influenced in this by the argument that they might need the bridge themselves before many days while on a retreat. On May 2, General Jones, at Philippi, collected all the cattle and horses taken in Monongalia, Preston, Marion, Barbour and Tucker Counties, thousands in number, and sent them south by way of Beverly. General Jones paid for some of these in Confederate money, and some were stolen from the people. At Morgantown his men with swords galloped along the streets, cutting the halter-straps of horses found hitched, while other men corralled the animals and drove them off, offering to pay for nothing. Nearly the same course was pursued at Kingwood and Fairmont .*


The "cannonading heard in the direction of Philippi," spoken of by General Imboden, was done by General Mulligan during an encounter with Major Lang's detachment of Confederates. The men under Lang advanced down the pike to the large rock about a mile south of town, where they met some of Mulligan's men. The Federals fell back, and the Confederates did likewise.


In 1863 another levy was made in Barbour County to pay a bounty of fifteen dollars to all Federal soldiers who had enlisted before that date. The rate was twenty cents poll and sixteen per cent of the full rate of prop erty.


Federal Soldiers from Barbour.


No list has ever been compiled of the Union soldiers who went to the war from Barbour County. Many went to other counties, and some to


hardships of camp life. He was killed in the vicinity of Martinsburg near the elose of the war. A fortifieation built by him on the hill overlooking Petersburg, in Grant County, is still called Fort Mulligan.


*When it was learned that Confederates were approaching Philippi, Spencer Dayton hurriedly secured the most valuable of the county records, filled a coffee sack with them and carried them to Joshua Glascock's house, in Pleasant Distriet, where Mr. Glascock assisted in concealing them. West Virginia at that time was just sueeecding in achiev- ing its Statehood, having separated from Virginia; and the Confederates were partic- ularly anxious to destroy records and worry officers of the Re-organized Government. Before Imboden set ont upon this raid, as early as January 20, 1863, General Lee wrote to him as to his conduct in West Virginia, instructing him to "render the position of Sheriff as dangerous as possible." The Confederates, when raiding in this State, never lost an opportunity to carry away the records and worry the officers of this State. The Sheriff in Randolph, J. F. Phares, was shot, and in Barbour the Sheriff, James Trahern, was carried as a prisoner to Richmond,


271


THE CIVIL WAR IN BARBOUR.


other states, and enlisted. In March, 1864, the county court voted a bounty of $200 for each volunteer credited to Barbour, and negotiations were en- tered into by the Board of Supervisors to borrow money from the Bank of Clarksburg to pay the bounty. In case the money could not be obtained at Clarksburg, the agent appointed for the purpose was authorized to go to Wheeling for it. No record is found in the court house here by which it is shown whether any money was obtained; but probably none was procured at that time, for on May 31, 1864, the court ordered that two notes, of $100 each, payable in nine and twenty-one months, with interest, be given to soldiers as their bounty. Following is a list of the soldiers entitled to the notes.


John Chips


Calvin Courtney Samuel Randall


John D. Reese


Bernard W. Fisher


Preston Campbell


Lloyd Wright


John Yates


Francis Loman


Noah J. Sipe


John Anderson


Henry H. Clutter


Joseph H. Satterfield


Henry H. Guseman


Thomas F. Wilson


A. F. Wilson John Crits


William M. Duffield


Allen C. Marsh


Philip Coonts


Rolley Wright John Millan


Andrew J. Wilmoth


Joseph H. Clayton


John R. George


Joseph E. Hill


Wesley Bolton


Adam Minear


David H. Cox


Francis B. McDermott


James F. Harvey


David D. Riley


J. M. C. Harris


Henry Fortney


James W. McAtee


William E. Walker


In June, 1864, an additional list of soldiers is found who were ordered to be paid the bounty. The names are given below:


William W. Cain


Remembrance L. Fer- guson


John Hoge


Robinson Hostuttle


Abraham Hostuttle


Joseph B. Johnson


Noah J. Meriner


Alfred McMaster


William B. Martin


Daniel White


William O. Hennen


Vernon M. Clary


Henry S. White


Stephen Stiles


Thomas J. Ashley


George W. Ashley


John Boller Elias N. Cornwell


George H. Bistell Silas Cornwell Samuel Riggs


Emory B. Clary


Sabeus Main Rezin W. Reger


Thomas H. Neal


Euric Strasnider


Stephen Shrisler


John L. Scritchfield


Henry Taylor


Armor Strasnider William Van Horn Lewis B, Workman


William T. White


Hamilton Wise


Abraham Johnson


J. F. Cumberledge


Braly Gump


Joseph S. Durrah Hiram Gump


Ozias T. Richardson


Francis M. Stansberry


David W. Heatherly William Howell


Samuel W. Boyles


George H. Richardson


Otha Moore


272


THE CIVIL WAR IN BARBOUR.


The Union soldiers from Barbour were exempt from poll tax. In Sep- tember, 1864, the bounty was raised to $300, payable in three installments in four, eight and twelve months. At the same time a bounty was pro- vided of $10, to go to the recruiting officer for each volunteer whom he might induce to enlist. The volunteer was required to be a citizen of Barbour. This measure was deemed necessary to prevent volunteers from other counties coming to Barbour to get the bounty. All counties did not offer the same bounty, and men who contemplated volunteering would go to the county which paid the highest bounty. Preston County, which was very liberal with bounties, paid them to many a volunteer from other coun- ties. Additional soldiers from Barbour who were paid bounties, were Sam- uel Shanabarger, L. A. Egan, John Minear, Nehemiah Howell, C. G. Walsh, J. F. Wilson, A. Harris and Isaac Husk.


In November, 1864, the supervisors ordered the sheriff to nail up all the doors and windows of the court house, except the front door, which was to be kept locked. Soldiers and the public generally had disfigured and de- faced the building, and it was the purpose to keep trespassers out. After the war closed the supervisors employed Edwin Frey and W. G. L. Totten, of Buckhannon, as the attorneys of Barbour County in its claim against the Government for damage done the court house and jail by United States troops. Their fee was to be fifteen per cent of all they could collect off the Government. There is no record that any money was ever collected.


Captain Haller's Home Guards.


After the formation of West Virginia, and toward the close of the Civil War, thirty two companies called Home Guards were equipped in this State under as many captains. Their duty was to protect their counties from Confederate raids and from the depredation of thieves and mauraders. The company intended for the defense of Barbour was at first cavalry, with George Yeager as Captain: but for economic reasons the company was dis- mounted and became infantry, and Michael T. Haller was elected Captain, and he remained in command until he was killed in an ambush set by a Con- federate scouting party led by a man named Moore. Captain Haller and two of his men, William Martin and Andrew Nestor, were taken prisoners, and being sentenced to die, they were granted the privilege of praying. While kneeling, they were shot. Captain McNeill then took charge of the Home Guards. The roll of the company, as made out by those still living was as follows:


Michael T. Haller, captain; Andrew Nestor, orderly; William Wagner, 2d sargeant; William H. Weaver, 3d sargeant; William G. Nestor, 4th sar- geant; George H. Nestor, Coleman Boyles, Melker Boyles, William Mar- tin, Stingley Hoffman, Jonas Nestor, James L. B. Kelley, John England,


RESIDENCE OF GRANVILLE E. TAFT.


275


THE CIVIL WAR IN BARBOUR.


Elias Haller, James Kirby, David Vance, Abraham House, Philip Coontz, Isaac Smith, James Harris, William Cox, James Fry, Henry Myers, Stog- don Compton, Marshall Boyles, George Johnson, Abraham Nestor, Cornel- ius Bowman, William Jaynes, Sanford H. Nestor, James Osburn, Sanford H. Moats, Marion Nestor, Samuel Harsh, Hezekiah Mitchell, John Coontz, John England, sr., Augustus J. Cline, John Vance, Henry Vance, John Knavenshoe, Andrew Martin, Marion Weaver, George Lohr, Dr. William Coffman, Robert Coffman, Jesse Ritsman, William Jenkins, Matthew Edmonds.


CHAPTER XXI.


MISCELLANIES.


Booth's Ferry (now Philippi) was an important place nearly half a cen- tury before the formation of Barbour County. It was named from Daniel Booth, who owned it about the year 1800. Prior to that time the locality was called Anglin's Ford. Daniel Booth lived there or in that vicinity as early 1787, as is learned from the records in Randolph County, where it is ordered that a road be surveyed from Beverly to Sandy Creek, passing by Daniel Booth's. Two years later, 1789, a road was ordered surveyed from Jonas Friend's, the present town of Elkins, to Anglin's Ford over the Valley River. It would appear from this that there was a ford at Philippi as early as 1789; and it was probably named from William Anglin, who settled there at a very early day and who was the original owner of the land on which Philippi stands. No record has been found of William An- glin earlier than 1789, but it is by no means improbable that he lived where Philippi now stands as early as 1783 or 1784, but not as early as 1780, as some have claimed. Although the river was fordable at ordinary stages at Philippi, yet the old ford was two miles below. That old ford and the trails which led to it are spoken of elsewhere in this book. When the river was unfordable, travelers from the east, or visa versa, would patronize the ferry, and proceed over the trail to Clarksburg or elsewhere. About the time the ferry was established, that is, about 1800, the road from Clarks- burg to the Valley River was widened for wagons, and the work of opening the road toward Beverly by way of Sugar Creek was pushed. After that road was opened, the old ford two miles below Philippi was not much used, and Booth's Ferry became the most important crossing between Beverly and the Monongalia line.


The old ferry was situated at the bend of the river, at the mouth o Anglin Run, and the western landing was at the foot of the sharp ridge which breaks abruptly down to the river at that point, and is called " No- business Hill." Traces of the old road leading upward and around its side can yet be seen. At that time the western bank of the river was in Harrison County and the eastern bank in Ran- NOBUSINESS HILL. dolph. In 1825, at Booth's Ferry, a murder was committed which made a profound impression in the community. Samuel Anglin


277


MISCELLANIES.


shot and killed Jonas Grimes who was crossing the river in a canoe. There had been trouble between them. Grimes had married Alsay Wilson, sister of William F. Wilson, and at his death left two small children, Wilson and Harvey. After the murder, Anglin ran into the woods, hid his gun a short distance from the scene of the tragedy and disappeared so completely that no trace of him could be found for years. It was reported and currently believed that he had joined the Indians among the Rocky Mountains. After a few years his family left the country and no one knew their destination. It is now known that Anglin did not join the Indians, and that he came back some years after in disguise and removed his family to the vicinity of Cahokia, Illinois, opposite St. Louis, where he died some time in the for- ties. Lewis Wilson, who was traveling through that country in 1839, dis- covered him on the bank of the Mississippi and talked with him.


4


Ferries across the river were established from time to time at different places; but the most important below Philippi was the McDaniel Ferry, near the present station of Cecil. The Booth Ferry changed hands and was sometimes called the Hite Ferry. At the time Barbour County was formed it belonged to William F. Wilson and William Shaw. They entered into an agreement with the county court to ferry all citizens of Barbour County, during court days, across free of charge, but the county agreed to pay them two dollars a day for the service. The building of the bridge, which was completed in 1852, was the end of the old ferry.


The Philippi Bridge.


The Valley River at Philippi is crossed by a double bridge, of two spans, each span supported by four wooden arches, rising from either bank and resting on a span in the middle of the river. The structure is 312 feet long, and is of wood throughout. It is a fine specimen of architecture of a peculiar order and of an old fashion. Bridges of that kind are no longer common in West Virginia. Iron or steel is now almost exclusively used in


THE PHILIPPI BRIDGE


278


MISCELLANIES.


thier construction. The few that remain in this part of West Virginia are venerable curiosities, for the most part dating back before the Civil War when the building of pikes was more common than now. Among the old patterns that remain may be named; that across Cheat River five miles above Rowlesburg; that across Shaver's Fork in Randolph County; at Bev- erly in Randolph; across the Greenbrier River, seven miles from Hunters- ville; and at Philippi. A number of these old wooden structures were de- troyed during the Civil War; and the two longest yet remaining, that above Rowlesburg and that at Philippi, narrowly escaped burning at the time of the Jones raid in 1863. Orders were issued for burning both of them by General Jones, but he retreated from the Cheat Bridge in such a hurry that he could not set it on fire; and the Philippi bridge was spared through the intercession of citizens with Southern sympathies, chief among whom was Elder Joshua S. Corder.


The Philippi bridge was built in 1852, the stone work by Emmett J. O'Brien, and the wood work by Lemuel Chenoweth of Beverly. Mr. O'Brien was then a citizen of Barbour, but afterwards of Lewis County. Mr. Chen- oweth was a bridge architect by profession, and his designs were original with him, and every principle was worked out with mathematical accuracy. He knew before hand the shape and size of every piece of timber used in the frame work of his bridges. Nearly half a century has shown that his work was of a superior order. He was born in 1811, son of John I. and Mary (Skidmore) Chenoweth, of Beverly. He took an active part in politics, and was a man in many ways superior to ordinary men, both in education and natural endowments.


The contract were let at Richmond for the bridges which Virginia was then building in the western part of the State, and had been extensively advertised. Bidders were present in large numbers from the East and the North, with all sorts of models and plans, including iron structures, wire cables, cantilevers, stone arches, and wooden bridges of many kinds. Mr. Chenoweth was there with his model made of hickory wood, as strong as it could possibly be made, not to exceed the required size. So far as appear- ances went, some of the New England Yankees had models of perfect form and beauty, painted and enameled in the highest art. On the appointed day the bidders all assembled before the Board of Public Works, and eaclı showed his model, and set forth his claims of what weight his bridge would sustain. Mr. Chenoweth was one of the last called forward to show what he had. His plain wooden model did not attract much attention; but he created consternation among the other bidders when he placed his model on two chairs, one end resting on cach, and then stood on his little bridge, and called on the other architects to put theirs to the test by doing the same. Not one would do it, for they knew their models would be crushed. If the Philippi bridge were as strong in proportion to its size as Mr. Chenoweth's


.


279


MISCELLANIES.


model, it would sustain the weight of a man six hundred feet high. The test decided the contest, and Mr. Chenoweth was given the contract for the bridges. He built one at Beverly, at Middle Fork, at Buckhannon, at Weston, at Philippi; and many smaller ones. The one at Philippi, and a small one across Stone Coal Creek near Weston are believed to be the only ones built by him before the war that are still standing.


The county seat of Barbour was located at the place where Philippi now stands before there was a town and before the place was named. It was then a farm belonging to William F. Wilson, and the locality had long been known as Booth's Ferry. The land was first the property of William An- glin, and in succession was owned by John Wilson, Daniel Booth, Ely Butcher, Elmore Hart, Thomas H. Hite and William F. Wilson, who divided it into lots and disposed of the most of it within a few years after the estab- lishing of the county seat. The county was named after Philip Pendleton Barbour, and it was the intention of the county court when it selected a name for the town to honor the given name of Mr. Barbour; giving it the feminine form, however, in conformity with the Latin language. The fem- inine of Philip is Philippa, and it was meant that such should be the name of the town. But because of misspellings and a misunderstanding of the origin of the name (confounding it with Philippi, an ancient city) the name finally took the form which it now has. On April 5, 1843, the third day of the first county court, it is "ordered that the county seat of this county be known and called PHILLIPPA." Except that the name had too many "1's " the form was proper, according to what was originally intended. Later the name became Philippi, but even then it was oftener misspelled than spelled correctly.


Before the town was given legal existence by act of the legislature it was laid out in lots of one-fourth acre each, and a number of them had been sold. The following list comprises all, or nearly all, of the lots sold before the town had been created by act of the legislature. All of them were sold by William F. Wilson.


Purchaser.


No. of Lot. Price


Purchaser. John Overfield et al.


No. of Lot 39


23


Thomas M. Hite


56 and 57


$210


Thomas A. Hoffman


26 20 50


John Bennett 36


40


Martin B. Sinsel


Part of 6 & 7 100


Edwin D. Wilson


54 and 55


165


William Pickens


4 90


Solomon Jarvis -52


116


J. R. Williamson John Curry


21 50


Anthony Wells


100


John S. Carlile


1 Thomas B. Curtis


Part of 50 Part of 50


1


Elisha Finley


40


William Woodford


17


40


Samuel S. Mont- gomery


29


20


Eli Hudkins


19


33


Randolph Cheno- weth


53


71 Miner Cleavenger


33


50


William Shaw


58 and 59


87


Thomas Thompson


27 and 29


45


Ludwick Day


71


25


Lewis Wilson mill and lot


1


Harrison Hagans, et al.


12 and 13


242


Hugh Collett


70


30


Price


The County (a gift)


1} acres, 16 poles


Part of 6 & 7 100


Isaiah W. Reeves 26


22


25


Elam D. Talbott


51 85


280


MISCELLANIES.


On February 14, 1844, the Virginia Legislature passed the act forming Philippi, and named the first trustees as follows: Lair D. Morrall, James L. Bunbridge, William Shaw, John R. Williamson and William F. Wilson.


The law fixing the county seat stipulated that if the grounds for the court house should be acquired by gift, the quantity should not exceed two acres. Accordingly, when William F. Wilson gave the land the square contained one acre and ninety-six poles. After the establishing of the county seat, the first house built in Philippi stood where the passenger de- pot is now located and was built by William F. Wilson. The next, located nearly on the ground now occupied by the Commercial hotel, was built by Lair D. Morrall. John S. Carlile built the next, and Edwin D. Wilson the next. None of these is now standing. There were farm houses on the site of Philippi long before there was a town. William Anglin probably built the first house on the site of Philippi, and Moses Kinkaid the next, although this matter is not of record, depending only on traditions handed down. The families residing in Philippi in 1850 were those of:


- Lair D. Morrall Robert Tutt


Noah Corley


Lewis Wilson


Henry Barron


James Prim


--- William F. Wilson Daniel Capito


Rev. Josiah Reeves -


Spencer Dayton


Mrs. Elizabeth Jarvis


William Shaw


John P. Thompson


Isaac H. Strickler


A. G. Reger


Samuel Woods


William Simpson


John S. Carlile-


Edwin Tutt


Dr. Haymond


Stephen B. Holt


Martin Myers


Charles S. Hall


D. M. Myers


Daniel M. Auvil


Henry Thompson


A. P. Wilson


The town of Philippi was incorporated by act of the Legislature Feb- ruary 1, 1871. After the town government was organized, the first ordi- nance passed ordered that all hogs and horses running at large should be "arrested." Four years later a similar ordinance was passed concerning geese. Following are lists of the town officers, no mention being made of the second or succeeding term of the same man, the first only being given.


Mayors.


C. P. Thompson. 1871


W. Chenoweth. 1885


John P. Thompson


1873


Samuel V. Woods. 1886


Albert G. Wilson 1874


D. W. Gall 1889


Andrew Simon 1875


Granville Peck 1891


A. P. Wilson 1876


Charles F. Teter 1893


J. P. Newlon .. 1877


L. D. Robinson 1896


Harrison Mason 1879


J. N. B. Crim 1897


C. C. Hovatter.


1881


William A. Mason 1898


Granville F. Grant 1882


Fred O. Blue 1899


Treasurers,


Isaac H. Strickler


1871-


W. Chenoweth 1891


L. D. Morrall.


1873


G. E. Grant 1893


Melville Peck 1885


281


MISCELLANIES.


Recorders,


Lewis Wilson 1871


Luther C. Elliott. 1877


J. S. Cornwell 1881


L. D. Morrall 1883


D. W. Gall. . 1885


Lloyd D. Robinson 1888


John W. Poling 1890


Charles L. Steel . 1892


J. H. Knapp.


1893


N. I. Hall.


1896


-A. D. W. Strickler


1899


Assessors,


William P. Keyes . 1871


W. D. F. Jarvis 1876


C. C. Hovatter 1877


L. D. Morrall . 1883


A. D. W. Strickler :1887


Melville Peck. 1889


J. H. Daniels .1892


A. S. Poling 1893


L. D. Robinson


1897


Sergeants,


Stingley Shaffer 1871


C. C. Hovatter 1874


Solomon R. Jarvis 1875


William T. Hulderman 1887


A. L. Taylor 1887


G. C. Bennett 1889


A. Holden . 1891


W. L. Chrislip. 1892


John H. Daniels 1892


James P. Robinson


1896


E. Holsberry.


1894


Councilmen.


Job H. Glascock 1871


James A. Grant


1871


Simon Buckingham 1871


T. P. R. Brown. 1871


John P. Thompson 1872


William T. Ice. 1873


A. G. Reger 1873


D. F. Byrer 1873


D. W. Gall. 1874


L. D. Morrall 1874




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