USA > West Virginia > Randolph County > The history of Randolph County, West Virginia. From its earliest settlement to the present, embracing records of all the leading families, reminiscences and traditions > Part 23
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It is probable that Indians followed him. At any rate a few days after he reached Tygart's Valley a party of twenty Indians approached within ten miles of the settlements. But a snow having fallen, they were afraid to venture nearer lest their tracks should betray them before they could murder anybody. They accordingly lay hid ten miles from the head of the Valley, until the snow was gone. On December 15, they attacked Darby Connolly's house, in the upper end of the Valley, killed him, his wife and several of his children, and took the others prisoner. They next appeared at the house of John Stewart and killed him, his wife and child, and carried away as a prisoner his sister-in-law, Miss Hamilton. They retreated loaded with plunder. John Haddan passed the house that evening and discovered the murder. He sent a message to Wilson's Fort, twenty-seven miles down the Valley, and the next morning Colonel Benjamin Wilson, who was then a commissioned officer in the Revolutionary army, was at the scene of the murder with thirty men, and followed the trail five days through rain and
*The Petro family (sometimes spelled Pedro) were said to be Spanish. They were dark of complexion and of spare build. When and how they came to Randolph has never * been certainly ascertained. They are frequently mentioned in the earliest county records, and their decendants are now numerous in Randolph and adjoining counties.
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snow, wading water at times to the waist, and at times their clothing hung with icicles. The savages could not be overtaken, and the men reluctantly returned to the Valley. That was the last mischief done by Indians in West Virginia that year. It had been a terrible year on the frontiers from Pittsburg to Kentucky, and is known as the "bloody year of three 7's."*
The Valley was not visited by Indians in 1778. The next year they came in October and shot Lieutenant John White who was riding along the road. He was a useful and popular man in the community and his death was viewed as a public calamity. Colonel.Benjamin Wilson raised a party of men and marched with all speed through the present counties of Upshur and Lewis, into Gilmer, hoping to cut the Indians off at a well known crossing of the Little Kanawha, at the mouth of Sand Fork. He remained concealed there for three days, but the Indians did not arrive. They had probably returned to Ohio by some other route. t
Up to 1780 the Indians who had visited Tygart's Valley had done so in the fall of the year. But in 1780 they came in March and set a dan- gerous ambuscade in the upper end of the Valley, above Haddan's Fort. Thomas Lackey observed the moccasin tracks in the path, and while exam- ining them he heard some one say in an undertone; "Let him alone. He will go and bring more." He went to Haddan's Fort and reported what he had seen and heard, but he was not believed. There were at that time several men from Greenbrier County staying all night in the fort, intend- ing to start home the next morning. When they set out a few of the men belonging in the fort accompanied them a short distance. Although warned of the danger they approached the spot carelessly and were fired upon by the Indians. The horsemen galloped safely by, but the footmen were surrrounded, and the only chance for escape they had was to cross the river and climb a hill on the opposite side. John McLain was killed thirty yards from the brow of the hill; James Ralston still nearer the top; James Crouch was wounded but reached the fort next day. John Nelson, after crossing the river, attempted to escape down the bank, but was met by an Indian and was killed after a desperate hand to hand battle, as was evi- denced by his shattered gunstock, the uptorn earth and the locks of Indian hair in his still clinched hands. į
*The grave of the Connolly family isstill pointed out on the present farm of Harmon Conrad, and about a third of a mile below the mouth of Connolly Run. One headstone marks the grave.
¡There was a general belief among the old citizens of Randolph that Lieutenant White was not killed by Indians but by two deserters from the Continental army, who were hiding in the mountains, and suspecting tliat White was trying to apprehend them they waylaid the road and shot him.
¿Haddan's Fort stood on the point of high ground, at the mouth of Elkwater, near the Indian mound, on the present farm of Randolph Crouch. The Indian ambuscade was set three miles above the. mouth of Elkwater, where H. C. Tolly now lives. The Indians lay concealed at the mouth of a ravine coming down from the west. The path followed the west bank of the river. When fired upon, the men ran across the river and climbed the cliffs which rise just above the new road which has lately been made along tlie base of the hill. James Crouch was wounded just as he reached the top of the cliff. Nelson was killed between the present road and the river. Jacob Warwick and Jacob Lemon were the names of the men on horseback. They lived at Clover Lick, in the present county of Pocahontas. Warwick's horse was wounded. It is related that War- wick promised his horse on that occasion, if he would carry him safely away, he need never work again. The horse did so, and Warwick kept his promise. At that time the path from Tygart's Valley to Greenbrier followed the river to Mingo, passed over Mingo
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Soon after this, Indians attacked John Gibson's family on a branch of the Valley River. Mrs. Gibson was tomahawked in the presence of her children, and the other members of the family were carried into captivity. About the same time, and probably by the same Indians, Bernard Sims was killed at his cabin on Cheat River, four miles above St. George. When they saw that he had smallpox, they fled without scalping him. The people along Cheat took refuge in the fort at St. George.
The most disastrous Indian visitation Randolph ever experienced took place in April, 1781. The savages passed through the settlement along the West Fork River without committing any murders, and were shaping their course for Cheat River, about St. George, when they fell in with five men from St. George, who were returning from Clarksburg where they had visited the land commissioners for Monongalia County to obtain deeds. The Indians killed Jolin Minear, David Cameron and Mr. Cooper. Two others, Miller and Goff, escaped, one returning to Clarks- burg, the other making his way to St. George. The Indians continued toward St. George till they encountered two men, James Brown and Stephen Radcliff, both of whom escaped. The Indians now believed that they could not surprise the people on Cheat River, so they turned their steps toward Leading Creek, in Randolph County. They nearly broke up the settlement. They killed Alexander Roney and took Mrs. Roney and her son prisoners. They killed Mrs. Daugherty and Mrs. Hornbeck and her children, Mrs. Buffington and her children, and many others whose names cannot now be ascertained. Jonathan Buffington and Benjamin Hornbeck escaped and carried the news to Wilson's and Friend's Forts. Colonel Wilson raised a company and pursued them; but the men became uneasy lest their own families should be murdered while unprotected, and they returned without having overtaken the savages. But the marauders were not to escape without severe chastisement. When the news reached Clarksburg that the land claimants were murdered on the Valley River, scouts were sent out to watch for the return of the Indians. Their trail was found soon after on West Fork River, near Isaac Creek, in the present County of Harrison. Colonel William Lowther, of Hacker's Creek, Lewis County, raised a company and went in pursuit. He overtook them on a branch of Hughes River in Ritchie County, late in the afternoon. He kept his men out of sight till the Indians were asleep, and then poured a volley into them, killing five. The others saved themselves by flight, leaving everything in camp but one gun. One of the prisoners, son of Alexander Roney, was killed by the fire of the attacking party, although every pre- caution had been taken to avoid such an occurrence. Another prisoner,
Daniel Daugherty, an Irishman, came near sharing the same fate. The Indians had tied him down and he was so numb with cold he could scarcely speak. As the white men rushed forward, after the first fire, Daugherty was mistaken for a wounded Indian, and not being able to speak he was about to receive the tomahawk when fear loosed his tongue and he exclaimed: "Lo-ord, Jesus! and am Oi to be killed by white paple at last!" " His life was saved. Mrs. Roney, another prisoner, was overcome
Flats and crossed the mountain west of the present Marlinton Pike. This was an old Indian trail. On top of Middle Mountain the trail divided, one part going to Old Field Fork, the other to Clover Lick.
*Wither's Border Warfare.
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with joy when deliverance came. She ran towards the men exclaiming, "I'm Ellick Roney's wife, of the Valley! I'm Ellick Roney's wife, of the Valley! and a pretty little woman, too, if I was well dressed." She did not know that her son had just been shot. Colonel Lowther returned, fully gratified that the savages had not escaped without punishment.
In the summer of 1782 between twenty and thirty Indians, led by a renegade Englishman named Timothy Dorman, who formerly lived on Buckhannon River, appeared in Tygart's Valley, after having driven the settlers from Upshur County, and burnt the fort near Buckhannon. Be- tween Westfall's and Wilson's Forts, a mile below Beverly, the savages met John Bush and his wife and Jacob Stalnaker and his son Adam. They shot the young man, who fell from his horse. John Bush and his wife mounted the horse and escaped. Jacob Stalnaker also escaped, although the Indians were so near as to try to catch his horse by the bridle .*
In the spring of 1789 Indians invaded the settlement about St. George on Cheat River, and murdered Jonathan Minear, son of John Minear, who was killed by Indians eight years earlier, near Phillipi. When Jonathan Minear was killed he was feeding his cattle. His leg was broken by a bullet, and being overtaken he endeavored to escape by running round a beech tree, bracing himself by one hand against the tree. An Indian in striking at him with a tomahawk struck the tree several times, and the marks of the tomahawk in the bark were to be seen a few years ago, and probably are still to be seen. Minear was killed and his brother-in-law, Philip Washburn, was taken prisoner. The Indians were pursued by a squad of men under David Minear, and were fired upon near the Valley River, in Barbour County. Three of the savages were wounded and Washburn was liberated.
For nine Years following 1782 Indians did not invade Tygart's Valley. The people believed themselves safe and did not live in forts during the summer, as formerly; but, as a measure of protection, several families usu- ally lived at one house. On May 11, 1791, Indians came for the last time. Two or three families were at the house of Joseph Kinnan, which stood on the west side of the river a mile above the mouth of Elkwater, on the Adam See farm, less than a mile from Haddan's Fort. The Indians approached the house awhile after dark, and finding the door open, the foremost walked in. Mr. Kinnan was sitting on the bed, and the savage extending his hand in a friendly manner said, "How d' do, how d' do." Mr. Kinnan extended his hand, but at the instant was shot and killed by an Indian in the yard. A young man named Ralston, who had been working with a draw- ing knife in the room, struck an Indian with it and cut off his nose. An- other savage fired at Ralston, but missed, and the young man escaped. The savages killed three of Kinnan's children; but two others, Lewis and Joseph, were saved by Mrs. Ward, who ran into another room with them and escaped through a window. Mrs. Kinnan's brother, Mr. Lewis, was asleep in an adjoining room, and being awakened by the firing, he also escaped. Taking Mrs. Kinnan prisoner, the savages fled. When they reached the head of the Buckhannon River the Indian who had been struck with the drawing knife was unable to proceed, and they lay in concealment
+A settler followed these Indians across the river and shot one of them who was drinking at a spring on the side of Rich Mountain. The Indian ran a short distance in the woods and fell dead.
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several weeks until he recovered. Mrs. Kinnan remained in captivity three years and four months, and was released after General Wayne conquered the Indians at the battle of Fallen Timbers .*
*Withers is mistaken both as to date and name in his account of this occurrence in the "Border Warfare." He gives the name Canaan and the date the latter part of the summer of 1794. An inventory of his estate was placed on record in Randolph, June 21, 1793, with Edward Hart administrator. Exclusive of the land the appraisement was $517 (See Will Book No. 1, pp. 11, 12, 13, 23 and 24.) In his settlement, made in 1796, Ed- ward Hart charged for five gallons of whiskey, which he had "used in settling the estate." Nevertheless the estate had not been settled as late as 1829. The date of the death of Kinnan is fixed by two letters written in 1829 by Lewis Kinnan, one of the boys who was carried out of the house and saved by Mrs. Ward. He and his brother were then (1829) living in Scnaca County, New York, and their mother was then living in New Jersey. These letters are now in possession of Attorney L. D. Strader, of Beverly. Thc Indians evidently did not rob the house after the murder, as shown by the many articles left there, named in the appraisement. This list is valuable as showing what constituted the possessions of a family of that day. It is as follows: "9 horses, wheat and rye, bed curtains, 2 pairs pillows and cases, 1 towel, 1 fine shirt, 1 lawn apron, 1 black apron, 1 cambrick apron, fine trumpery, 1 silk-gause apron, 2 handkerchiefs, children's clothing, 1 coat, 1 jacket, 5 long gowns, 1 pair of shoes and silver buckles, 3 petty-coats, 2 check aprons, 4 short gowns, 2 beds and bed-clothing, 1 pair of pockets, 4 platters, 6 basins, 2 plates, 2 kegs, 1 pail, 1 pot tramble, 1 iron kettle, 2 scythes, 1 set of hangings, 1 gun, 1 pan, 2 bridles, 36 hogs, 16 cattle, 3 sheep, 1 grubbing hoe, two pairs of plow irons and clevices, 2 pots, 1 jug, 1 candlestick, 2 flat irons, 1 pair of shears, 9 spoons, steelyards, 1 brush, 2 collars, 1 ax."
Grave of the Connolly Family.
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CHAPTER XIX,
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COURT NOTES OF A CENTURY.
The act of the Virginia Assembly, passed in October, 1786, forming Randolph County, provided that the first court should "be held at the house of Benjamin Wilson in Tygart's Valley."# Accordingly, the first county court was held May 28, 1787, and the following gentlemen were Justices of the Peace, and under the laws of that time they constituted the Court: Jacob Westfall, Salathiel Goff, Patrick Hamilton, John Wilson, Cornelius Westfall, Edward Jackson, Robert Maxwell, Peter Cassity, Cornelius Bogard, John Jackson, George Westfall, Henry Runyan, John Haddan and Jonathan Parsons. Randolph County then included half of Barbour, half of Upshur, a large part of Webster, all of Tucker, and the Justices came from different parts of that large territory. Salathiel Goff was chosen
President of the court. He lived in what is now Tucker County, at St. George. When the Justices assembled they organized the court by Patrick Hamilton administering the oath of office to Salathiel Goff, and Goff swear- ing in the others. Jacob Westfall produced a commission from the Governor of Virginia appointing him Sheriff, and he was sworn in. His commission was dated April 17, 1787. His bondsmen were Salathiel Goff and Edward Jackson. John Wilson was elected by the Justices as their clerk and gave as his bondsmen Jacob Westfall and another whose name is unreadable on the old record. William McCleary was admitted to practice law, the first in the county, and "he paid the tax prescribed by law." He was appointed Prosecuting Attorney for one year, at a salary of $13.33} "should the court think proper to continue him for that term." Edward Jackson and John Haymond were placed in nomination for County Surveyor. Jackson re- ceived seven votes, Haymond four. Jackson was therefore recommended to the Governor as the proper person for County Surveyor. + Cornelius Bogard and Salathiel Goff were recommended to the Governor by the court for County Coroner. Goff was subsequently appointed. Jacob Westfall was recommended to the Governor for County Lieutenant; Patrick Hamilton for Colonel of the County, Cornelius Bogard for Lieutenant-Colonel and John Wilson for Major. There were several military offices at that time filled by ap- pointments by the Governor upon the recommendation of the county court. It can be seen that the Justices of that day believed in keeping all the offices among themselves, for they recommended nobody outside of their own
*Hening's Statutes, Vol. 12, p. 384.
tBy reference to the chapter on the Virginia Constitutions, in Part I, of this book, it will be seen that the people voted directly only for members of the Legislature and Overseers of the Poor. Other offiees were filled by appointment, some made by the Gov- ernor, some by the Legislature, and some by the courts.
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body. They appointed John Haddan, John Jackson and Cornelius Bogard "Commissioners of Taxable Property," offices answering nearly to that of Assessor at present.
This court was held about three miles below the present town of Bever- ly, at the residence of Colonel Benjamin Wilson. That was the first county seat. On the first day of court steps were taken for moving the county seat and building a court house, as the following entry in the record shows: "Ordered :- That the public buildings be erected on the lands of James Westfall, in that space of ground bounded by James Westfall's fence in the lower end of his plantation, and the river, by a line drawn from the river at right angles, passing by the old 'scool-house' on said Westfall's land, and by the county road, on any spot within the tract by this order delineated that Jacob Westfall and Cornelius Bogard may appoint, who are hereby appointed to view and lay off a certain tract, not exceeding one acre, the said Westfall giving and granting the said tract of one acre, together with timber for said public buildings."
This ended the proceedings for the first day of the first court of Ran- dolph County. Much business was done that day. County offices were filled or provided for; salaries were fixed; a county seat was selected; ground and timber for a Court-House were provided for; and it is stated in tradition, although not of record, that a county seat contest was also settled on that day. According to the tradition, the people of Leading Creek wan- ted the Court-House, but neglected to offer anything except the land, while the people about Beverly offered timber for building purposes, and thus secured the county seat. The ground chosen for the Court-House was the site of the Court-House still standing. The place was then or shortly afterwards, called Edmondton, but in a few years the name was changed to Beverly.
The court met again the next day, May 29, 1787, and appointed Consta- bles and provided for roads, and then changed the place of holding court from Benjamin Wilson's to the house of James Westfall, on the site of Bev- erly. That was Randolph's second Court-House in two days.
There was court every month. The second term began June 25, 1787. There was not only usually a new President of the court elected every term, but often every day. The Justices divided honors and appropriated offices among themselves with a liberality seldom seen in modern times; but no outsider need apply. The first step of the ambitious politician of those days was to get himself appointed Justice of the Peace. Then, and not till then, were the doors to promotion open for him. The Justices re- ceived no pay, and it was natural that they should consider themselves entitled to appointment to offices which had salaries or fees. The Sheriff's place was always in view. The Governor always appointed to that position the Justice with the oldest commission. A Sheriff could succeed himself. In fact it was usual for him to be appointed twice in succession. After that he took his place on the bench with the Justices again, and if he lived long enough he would be appointed Sheriff again, when his turn came. One Justice, Samuel Bonnifield, was appointed Sheriff of Randolph County four times, the last being when he was eighty-eight year old.
The first case tried in the Randolph court was between William Peter- son as plaintiff and James Leeky, defendant. Judgment was for Peterson in the sum of $11.65. William Kozer claimed pay as a witness, riding forty- five miles and returning. The first deed ordered to be placed on record was 13
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made by Ebenezer Petty and Elizabeth, his wife, to Gabriel Friend, for 200 acres. At this term of court the county was laid off into three assessor districts, as follows:
John Haddan's District :- " From Simeon Harris' and Aaron Richard- son's up the Tygart River and with a straight line from Richardson's to Roaring Creek, up Roaring Creek to the head, thence to the Middle Fork to the head, thence to the Greenbrier line, 'the neardest direction;' from Harris' to the Rockingham line, 'the neardest direction:'"
John Jackson's District :- " From John Haddan's line on Roaring Creek, down said creek to the Valley River,* thence in a straight line to where the road leading to Clarksburg crosses Laurel Run- the old pack road, called 'Pringle's road'-thence with said road to the head of Clover Run, thence with the meanders of Laurel Hill to the county line."
Cornelius Bogard's District :- "All of Randolph County not included in Haddan's and Jackson's districts."
Matthew Whitman was the first deputy sheriff. He was appointed by the court at the request of the Sheriff.
At the June term 1787, the earliest mention is found in the court records of the laying off of the town which is now Beverly. No name for the pro- posed town was given at that time, but the court " permitted " James West- fall to "lay out lots for the purpose of a town, between the fence or lower end of his plantation, the river on the west, Benjamin Wilson's line on the north, and the county road on the east." The lots were to be ready for sale at the August court, 1787. That was three and a half years before the Act of the Assembly was passed for the incorporation of the town of Beverly.
The court records for July, 1787, contain this item: "Ordered, that Charles Parsons be exempted from paying taxes on three head of horse creatures that have been taken from him by the Indians since the 9th of March last past." It was also stated that Henry Fink had lost five horses and John Warwick "several horses." The year 1787 was not one of special hostility on the part of the Indians. The Revolutionary War had closed and the British were no longer employing Indians, and the war of 1790 had not commenced. The Randolph Court Record shows, however, that if the Indians were not killing many people they at least were busy stealing horses. Indians usually did not care for domestic animals, but they made an exception of the horse, because they could ride him while he lived and eat him when he died. At that court occurred the first mention of a tramp. Nathan Nelson was committed to jail as a vagabond and was ordered to give bond for his good behavior. On the same day John Alford came into court and swore that he was afraid Joseph Parsons would do him a private injury. Thereupon Parsons was put under bond "to keep the peace of the world and especially John Alford." Jacob Westfall was "admitted to retail liquor till the November court, and no longer, without taking out license." That was the first liquor license in Randolph, but after a few years such licenses were issued by the score. The court fixed the price of all kinds of liquors ordinarly served over bars, and the shop-keepers who charged more were indicted.
*The Monongahela River, like the Kanawha, has no common name from head to mouth. It should be called the Monongahela from Pittsburg to Mingo; but it has three names. From Pittsburg to the mouth of the West Fork it is Monongahela; from the mouth of West Fork to the gap in Laurel Hill below Elkins, it is the Valley River; from Laurel Hill to the source it is Tygart's River, or Tygart's Valley River.
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At the July court, 1787, provision was made for the first election in Randolph. The overseers of the poor were to be elected, and nothing else. The county was laid off into four districts.
District 1, west of Rich Mountain, down to the Valley River, down the west side of the river to the county line. The territory between that line and Harrison county was the district, and John Jackson was appointed to conduct the election.
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