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 37
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No list has ever been compiled of the Union soldiers from Randolph County. Many Federal soldiers now living in the county did not live here when they joined the army. Those well posted on the subject estimate that the number who went from Randolph to the Union army was from seventy-five to one hundred.
RANDOLPH IN THE SPANISH WAR.
When war against Spain was declared in April, 1898, no county in West Virginia responded more promptly to the call for volunteers than Ran- dolph. This always has been a county noted for its excellent fighting ma- terial. It commenced with the Revolution, with its full quota; did the same in the War of 1812; and in the Mexican War it was ready with its volun- teers, which were never needed; and in the Civil War its men went by the hundred, to the North or to the South. The mountains of West Virginia sent soldiers surpassed by none, and Randolph's were equal to the best in the State, whether they rode under the Stars and Stripes with Averell's cav- alry, or marched under the Virginia colors with Imboden, Early or Jack- son. In the Spanish War the same spirit was seen, and many more offered their services than were needed. Following is a list of those who went, mostly in Company E, First W. Va. Vol. Infantry, but a few in other com- panies: Zan F. Collett, Captain; James Hanley, jr., First Sergeant; John J. Nallen, Second Sergeant; H. B. O'Brien, Third Sergeant; C. D. Poling, W. C. Kennedy, T. J. Collett, T. J. Goddin, David F. Foy and J. E. Wees, Corporals; Frank A. Rowan, C. L. Weymouth and H. Platz. Musicians in the Regimental Band; G. W. Buckey, Wagoner; Privates, Bruce Phares, James R. Collier, C. L. Lewis, Cyrus J. Warner, John S. Garber, Leslie Harding, William Russell, C. Lloyd, J. Lloyd, K. Bennett, W. Welsch, S. Knox. Wm. W. Steffey, F. W. Orris, T. J. Smith, H. Crawford Scott, Brax- ton O. Meeks, Stewart Anthony, - Wamsley. Davis Elkins was on Gen. Copinger's staff. In addition to these, Randolph had three soldiers in the regular army at the battle of Santiago, Robert L. Hamilton, First Lieutenant; Walter Phillips, Hospital Steward, and Mr. Wolf, of the Twenty-second Infantry.
OLD LAND PATENTS.
All the land between the Alleghany Mountains and the Ohio River, in West Virginia, except a few grants by the King of England to companies or individuals, once belonged to the State of Virginia; and all land titles in that region are traced back, through all possessors, to the time when the land belonged to the State. There were several methods by which individ- uals could obtain titles to land from the State. One way was to settle on the land, raise a crop of corn, and receive a deed for 400 acres; another way was to pre-empt 1000 acres, paying a small sum for it; a third way was to buy it from the State in any desired quantity. It appears, from the read- ing of Hening's "Statutes at Large" (vol. 10, p. 35) that lands in the north- western part of Virginia were not sold by the State prior to May 3, 1779. On that date a law was passed providing for giving deeds to persons who had claims not later than January 1, 1778. It is well known that many well- improved farms were in Randolph prior to that time. Nearly all the good land in Tygart's Valley had been occupied as early as 1774. When the time came for Virginia to give deeds to her lands, she respected the claims of the first settlers. In fact, the State taxed the settlers on these lands long be-
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fore patents were issued. It is stated elsewhere in this book that in 1763 the King of England forbade settlers to occupy lands in West Virginia be- tween the Ohio River and the Alleghany Mountains, and the order had not been revoked when the Revolution began; consequently deeds to lands could not be given. During the first years of the Revolution, although England's authority over the land was not recognized, yet there was so much confu- sion and excitement that Virginia took no steps to sell the land until 1779. This explains why land titles in this part of the State cannot be traced be- yond that year. Up to that time the people had occupied their lands and had paid taxes, but had no deeds.
From 1779 until 1863 Virginia deeded waste lands, between the Alle- ghanies and the Ohio, to settlers and purchasers, and West Virginia has done so since the formation of the State in 1863. The territory now in Ran- dolph was a part of Augusta County up to 1776, and Virginia gave no deeds in the limits. From 1776 to 1784 Randolph was a part of Monongalia, and in 1782 lands now in Randolph began to be deeded. From 1782 to 1784, both inclusive, about 150 patents were issued for lands now in Randolph, but during that time they were in Monongalia. From 1784 to 1787 Ran- dolph's territory was in Harrison County, and in that time about 250 patents were issued by the State. Thus, up to the formation of Randolph, there had been issued within its limits not above 400 deeds by the State. From 1787 to 1863 the State of Virginia issued 2258 deeds in Randolph County; and from 1863 to 1884 West Virginia issued 39. By this process all, or nearly all, of the lands have passed from the ownership of the State to the ownership of individuals. In early years speculators patented large tracts, from 10,000 to 200,000 acres-sometimes overlapping scores of farms-but the speculators could not hold the land already occupied. In most cases those large tracts were sold for taxes, or in some other way were cut up and went to the people.
In 1781, and in later years, commissioners were appointed by the State to settle conflicting claims and give patents to lands. The law of 1779 di not apply to lands north of the Ohio River which at that time were in Vir- ginia. That was not put on the market until later.
RIVER IMPROVEMENT.
On December 9, 1795, the Virginia Legislature passed an act for the improvement of Tygart's Valley River from the falls above Fairmont to the narrows below Elkins, to render it possible for fish to ascend. A commit- tee for securing and collecting subscriptions for prosecuting the work con- sisted of Robert Maxwell, Abraham Kittle, John Pancake, Abraham Spring- stone, Jacob Stalnaker, Benjamin Hornbeck, Simon Reeder, Hezekiah Rosencrantz and Jonas Friend. There is no evidence that anything was ever done by the committee; certain it is that few improvements, if any, in the river were made.
FIRST MILL AT MINGO.
According to John M. Woods, who is well informed on the early events of the upper end of the county, the first saw-mill in Mingo was built by Edward Woods and John Smiley at the Laurel Thicket, on H. C. Tolly's place, near Valley Head, in 1822. The wagon which hauled the irons for the mill was the first that crossed the mountain to Mingo. It was driven by Augustus Woods, who cut the road as he came. He drove two horses from Jackson's River. The first grist mill on the upper fifteen miles of the river was built by Peter Conrad, about 1820 or 1822, where
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Harmon Conrad now lives. According to Mr. Woods the four original settlers of Mingo were William Mace, where Captain J. W. Marshall now lives; Peter Harper, on Ralston Run; Henry Ritter, on Trough Spring Farm, and Ferdinand Stalnaker, above Mingo Church.
HUNTERS AND FARMERS.
Surprise lias often been expressed that early settlers with the whole country before them from which to choose, selected land by no means the best. This is explained by the fact that many of the pioneers were more hunters than farmers. They lived on the best hunting grounds. It is related that the best hunting ground in Randolph was not along the broad bottom lands, but rather near the head of the river and on tributary streams. Nearly the only money in circulation was derived from hunting. The skins were carried to eastern markets and sold. As late as 1841, three men in the upper part of the county entered into a partnership to hunt, to raise money to pay for their land. They were Mace, Harper and Stalnaker. They killed in one season, 169 deer and 49 bear, carried the meat to Clover Lick and sold it at three cents a pound.
INDIAN TOMAHAWK AND SCALPING KNIFE.
Samuel Conrad, who lives at Valley Head has what appears to be a genuine Indian scalping-knife and tomahawk, which he plowed up on his farm in the immediate vicinity of a well-known Indian trail. They are badly eaten by rust. Several fights with the Indians occurred in that neighbor- hood, and it is not improbable that a wounded Indian died where the knife and tomahawk were found. All iron implements in the hands of Indians were bought or stolen by them from white people. Their own manufac- tures consisted of stone, bone, shell, horn and wood. The upper part of Tygart's Valley abounds with Indian relics of many kinds, some belonging to a period prior to their intercourse with Europeans and some after.
GENERAL LEE AT ELKWATER.
In a former chapter of this book an account is given of General Lee's attack on Cheat Mountain and Elkwater in September, 1861. What is there said is mostly taken from reports of Federal and Confederate officers, and from White's Life of Lee. A few additional facts have been obtained. When Lee moved down on the Marlinton pike he sent a scouting party down the Dry Branch of Elk and up Valley Fork to the head of Elkwater. These encountered the Federal outposts near the "Brady · }Huttonsyl line Gate," and in the skirmish several men were killed or CTAde Fran wounded. In moving from near the mouth of Stewart's -Dia North For Run toward Cheat Moun- tain the Confederates fol- Laurel For sst Dry Fork of Cheat garts Valley River lowed an old Indian trail. North Lyel Crec.t. Alleghony Mountains The Federal paymaster, Dry Kun Branch of Potomac River Lock, with his wagon con- South South fork taining a million dollars, barely escaped capture at Cheat Pass. It took the Map Showing Indian Trails Across Cheat Mountain .-- See also page 179. wrong road, and the pay- master was two or three days hunting for it, while it was blundering around
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in the mountains, surrounded by squads of Confederates, who were un- aware that such a rich prize was in their vicinity .* After Lee had advanced within two miles of Elkwater, and there had been skirmishing for some- time, he called a council of war at the Adam See house, at which several officers were present, including General Loring. . This officer said he could capture the Federal position with the loss of sixty men. Lee answered that the capture of the place was not worth sixty men. + General Lee ex- plained that the retention of the country would be difficult, if captured, and that his force was being threatened from the Kanawha Valley. When they fell back they camped the first night at Mingo. In their advance they had encountered Federals near Harmon Conrad's, and ascertaining that other Federals were further up the valley and liable to attack in the rear, they began to entrench. Small earthworks are still seen there. . It was a false alarm.
ANDREW JACKSON'S FUNERAL.
Among the papers of David Blackman, at the time of his death, was found a circular dated Clarksburg, July 5, 1845, of which the following is a сору:
TO THE PUBLIC: The funeral ceremonies in honor of Major General Andrew Jack- son, ex-President of the United States, will be celebrated at Clarksburg, Va., on Satur- day the 12th of July inst., by a procession and sermon. The committee would respect- fully and cordially invite their fellow-citizens and the surrounding counties to partici- pate with them on this interesting and solemn occasion, in paying the last sad tribute to the departed patriot, hero and statesman.
G. A. D. CLARK, A. F. BARNES, BENJ. BASSELL, jr., BENJ. DOLBEARE, C. W. SMITH, JOHN DILWORTH, G. A. DAVISSON, Committee.
DIED AT FORT DELAWARE.
In the summer of 1863 when General W. L. Jackson attacked Beverly, a party of road makers, citizens of Randolph and Barbour, were taken prisoner and sent to Richmond. They were soon released and they came home. But before their return the Federals arrested thirteen citizens of Randolph and held them as hostages and sent them to Fort Delaware, near Philadelphia. The hostages were Lennox Camden, William Salsbury and his son, Pugh Chenoweth, Levi D. Ward, Allen Isner, Philip Isner, William Clemm, Smith Crouch, Thomas Crouch, John Caplinger, John Leary and Charles Russell. All but the last four died from drinking the vile water of Delaware Bay. Frank Phares went to Fort Delaware and secured the release of the survivors.
THE SWISS COLONY AT ALPINA. #
It was in April, 1879, that the main body of the Alpina Colony wended its weary way across the then almost impassable Shaver's Mountain. The warm April sun, glimmering amid the myriad branches of trees whose foli- age was just awakening from its winter's slumber, lending new enchant- ment to the great expanse of forest, so welcome to the European's eye, lightened somewhat the anxious hearts of the courageous fathers and mothers seeking to found new homes in a strange land amid a strange
* Eli H. Crouch, of Elkwater. is authority for this statement.
+Captain J. W. Marshall, of Mingo, who was with Lee as a guide, is authority for this statement.
¿ This account of the Swiss settlement at Alpina is from the pen of Prof. John G. Knutti, of the Fairmont Normal School.
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people, in order to give their growing families an opportunity for that ex- pansion and improvement impossible in the crowded countries of the East. Weary, indeed, were they from nearly a month's travel, full of hardships, dangers and anxieties. The jostling of cars, the tossing of the ship by wave and wind, and resultant seasickness, and finally, and not least, the tumbling and pitching of the heavy road wagon over the untried roads were enough to discourage the hearts of the most hopeful. Yet, as they gazed from the summit of this last great barrier that separated them from their goal, down over the vast expanse of forest before them, they felt that now they were at last to enter into that land of promise where milk and honey flowed in lavish abundance.
At last the place that was to be the temporary rendezvous of the " Im- migrants" was reached and many a heart sickened at sight of the rude log shanties enclosing a quadrangular court, built for their reception. The larger rooms were about twelve by twelve feet, and here large families were supposed to live, eat and sleep. But their hearts were by this time pre- pared for the worst, and they crowded into the little cabins as best they could, the smaller families often inviting some of the children of the larger ones to sleep in their cabins. In this way they found at least a place to lay their heads. Here then, in a place not exceeding one hundred feet square, were congregated not less than a score of families, together with many single adventurers. But bad as was this state of affairs, it was soon plainly evident to the newcomers that lack of sufficient "standing room " was by no means the greatest hardship to encounter, for now many were already drawing heavily upon their purses, lightened by the large expenditures in- cident to so long a journey. The problem of living- of working out a liv- ing-was now facing them and demanding immediate solution, and now dawned upon those whose means were scant the utter helplessness of their condition. Strangers in a strange land, unable to speak the language of the natives, without visible means of support (there being no demand for work of any kind), they were indeed in a pitiable condition. There was no cleared land for the raising of crops. The crops themselves were new to the foreigners, and they knew not when to plant, how to care for and when to harvest them: and who could tell them? for the would-be agents were as unacquainted with these facts as were themselves. The few that did have the good fortune to secure a cleared spot large enough to warrant tilling knew so little about raising corn that the general modus operandi was about as follows: A large sod was pried up with the hoe, corn (often to the quan- tity of a handful) dropped under it and the sod carefully placed back. Its subsequent care partook largely of this general excellency of procedure, and the resultant crop was, of course, something astonishing! With pota- toes they fared better, for they knew a little about their cultivation.
The whole outlook, however, was so discouraging that at the approach of winter many became disheartened, shook the dust off their feet, pro- nounced a last benediction upon the agents who had so artfully decoyed . them into this wilderness of woe, and departed for regions unknown, con- tent, after this brief experience, to desist from the pursuit of the goddess of Fame, and to implore the more humble goddess of Food.
But nothing daunted, that portion of the brave little band of settlers that have become the founders of this colony bought up the land that could be obtained and set about to clear places large enough for the erection of houses. A thrilling experience this! They who had been taught from their
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youth up to practice the strictest economy in regard to wood were now ac- tually to cut down the largest forest trees and burn them to ashes! Ah, none but a European can know the significance of this fact. It proved too much for many of the economic foresters, and instead of rolling the logs in heaps, as they afterward found necessary to do, they sawed them with great care into lengths suitable for lumber, in the vain hope of placing this so valuable product-spruce pine-upon the market, and of thus early realiz- ing a small fortune from their wild investments! Poor, deluded people! Nearly twenty years have passed over their heads since then, and many sleep beneath the green sod made by so much pain and labor to take the place of the sturdy hemlock, and still those everlasting hemlock stumps resist alike the plowman's share and all the ordinary agents of decom- position!
The work of clearing was a very tedious one indeed, and had -to be learned by them as any wholly new work would have to be learned by any workman: But they worked on. Now winter was at hand, and since they had not yet completed their houses they prepared to meet the grim foe as best they could in their shanties. The large cracks were daubed with mud; and by huddling close together, as they necessarily did around the cooking stove, they managed to remain alive, but oft times waking in the morning they found their beds covered to a depth of one or two inches with snow. Food was none too plentiful and commanded a high price; for it will be re- membered that Webster was then the nearest railroad point, and that wag- oning over those scarcely traceable mountain paths was by no means a par- adisial occupation, marked by lively competition. But the winter passed and with the coming of spring the hopes and aspirations of the colonists were roused from their dormancy, and with renewed zeal they entered upon their humble tasks. Amid their many cares it is to be remarked that they did not entirely forget education and religion, for their children were sent to school the first winter, though the school house was one and a half miles distant; and at the end of the first year they had made fair headway toward the erection of a church-the one that now crowns the beautiful eminence overlooking the village. But how sadly were their numbers reduced! From a colony of a hundred persons or more only a half dozen families re- main, who, by the severest wrestling with forest and brier, have managed to eke out an existence and remain to tell the tale.
THE LAST ELK.
Without doubt Randolph County can justly claim that the last elk in West Virginia was killed within its borders, although probably the exact spot is now in the territory of Tucker County. The assertion, so long per- mitted to go undisputed, that the last elk met its death in the Kanawha Valley above Charleston, in 1815," is far from correct. Years after that elk was killed, the wife of Thomas B. Summerfield shot one at a deer lick near the Sinks of Gandy. The exact date of this cannot be ascertained, but it was probably as late as 1830. However, that was not the last one, by several. About 1835, Abraham Mullenix killed an elk at the Sinks of Gandy, and Captain J. H. Lambert, who now lives on Dry Fork, and is 71 years old, remembers the occurrence, and also remembers that he ate a piece of the elk. He was then about eight years old. In 1840, or about
* See Hales's "Trans-Alleghany Pioneers." He says the last buffalo was killed on the Kenawha in 1820. Randolph claims a later one.
5
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that time, an elk was killed in Randolph, near the mouth of Red Creek; and about three years later three Elks were killed in Canaan Valley, near where the town of Davis in Tucker County, now stands, by the Flanagans and Joab Carr, who were in the habit of going there to hunt. Thus the last elk to fall before the hunter's rifle in Randolph was about 1843. During the war, three scouts on Cheat Mountain claimed they saw an elk, but they did not kill it, and they may have been mistaken; however, there was nothing improbable in their claim. The last wolf killed in Randolph was in 1897; the last buffalo about 1825, although the date is uncertain. A buffalo cow and her calf were discovered at a lick in Webster County, and the people with dogs gave chase. They killed the calf on Valley Fork of Elk and the dogs run the cow to Valley Head, 25 miles south of Beverly, and there she was shot. It is believed that no buffalo was killed in the State after that.
LAST INDIAN RAID ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS.
Only one time, after the close of the Indian troubles, from 1754 to 1764, did the Indians cross the Alleghanies on a raid. During the war which began in 1777 and closed in 1794, they crossed that mountain only once. That was in the summer of 1782, when 30 savages, led by an outlawed Englishman named Timothy Dorman, burnt the fort at Buckhannon, broke up the settle- ment there, killed Adam Stalnaker near Beverly, and then followed the old Shawnee trail across to Dry Fork, and reached the top of the Alleghany Mountains at the head of Horse Camp, and passed down the eastern side into what is now Pendelton County, A short distance from the top of the mountain, on the waters of Senaca Creek, lived the Gregg family, with whom Dorman had formerly made his home. The local tradition is that he wanted to marry one of Gregg's daughters, and that after he had taken her prisoner, he offered to spare her life if she would consent to marry him. She refused and he killed her. The settlers pursued the Indians, and over- took them at the "Shrader Spring," on top of the Alleghany, where Jacob C. Harper now lives. but there were too many Indians, and no attack was made.
FIRST STEAM SAW MILL.
The first steam saw-mill in the county, as is claimed by those who are posted, was brought to Dry Fork from Virginia in 1878.
DRAGGED BY A DEER.
Isaac Vincent was a slave, bought in Richmond and raised near Hut- tonsville. He remained with his master during the Civil War, and died sometime after 1865, On one occasion he discovered a very large buck swimming in the river near his home, and he swam in and caught it by the horns. As long as he could touch bottom, and it could not, he could man- age it, but when it came to the shore it caught him on its horns and ran with him. He was unable to extricate himself, and was dragged half a mile. All his clothing was torn off and he was covered with blood when rescued by Charles See.
SUBSCRIPTIONS TO TIIE STAUNTON AND PARKERSBURG TURNPIKE.
Below will be found copies of original subscription lists found among the papers of the late David Blackman:
"We, the undersigned, agree and bind ourselves severally, each for himself alone, to pay to the Board of Public Works, or such person as said
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Board may designate, for the purpose of making that part of the Staunton and Parkersburg road that runs south of Beverly, provided Beverly be made a point and the money be laid out for making the road commencing at Beverly, the sums severally annexed to our names, when required by the said road for the purpose of paying for the construction of the said road. Witness our hands and seals October 5, 1840:
W. C. Haymond $200 00
George W. Caplinger $ 20 00
J. Hart.
125 00
J. W. Crawford 100 00
G. D. Camden 25 00
Jacob Myers. 200 00
Squire Bosworth . 50 00
Lemuel Chenoweth 100 00
B. W. Kittle. 20 00
Adam Crawford. 35 00
Franklin Leonard. 25 00
Geore M. Hart. 25 00
Thomas O. Williams 25 00
George H. Lee 25 00
Hamen Scott. 25 00
Gabriel Chenoweth
10 00
Adam D. Caplinger
10 00
John Taylor
10 00
Elijah Kittle ..
25 00
Jehu Chenoweth.
, 00
William Wamsley
5 00
Hoy McLean
20 00
W. Taylor. 10 00
B. W. Shurtliff
100 00
D. Blackman 200 00
Ely Butcher 100 00
A. Hinkle. 30 00
John Stalnaker 50 00
Wm. Rowan.
50 00
Isaac F. Hays. 10 00
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