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 58
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* Randolph County had two delegates in that famous convention, Colonel Benjamin Wilson and his brother, John. The other members from what is now West Virginia, were: Berkeley County, William Drake and Adam Stephen; Greenbrier, George Clen- denin and John Stuart; Hampshire, Alexander Wodrow and Ralph Humphreys; Harri- son, George Jackson and John Prunty; Hardy, Isaac Van Meter and Abel Seymour; Jef- ferson, Robert Breckenridge and Rice Bullock; Mercer. Thomas Allen and Alexander Robertson; Monongalia, John Evans and William McCleary; Ohio, Archibald Woods and Ebenezer Zane.
t As shown in the case of this record, slender is the thread by which many a valuable historical iteni is preserved. The dates of the births of William Wilson's children were found on a blank leaf of an old book-" Record of the Fifth Congress "-now in posses- sion of Lewis Wilson of Philippi, who supplied the information for this book. The dates of the deaths were furnished by Col. Benjamin Wilson of Clarksburg. No one knows when or by whom the record was written on the leaf of the old book, but it was thereby
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Benjamin Wilson, born Nov. 30, 1747, died Dec. 2, 1827. Archibald Wilson, born June 13, 1749, died March 27, 1814. David Wilson, born Sept. 8, 1751, died Aug. 12, 1805. William Wilson, born Feb. 8, 1754, died Jan. 1, 1851 .* John Wilson, born April 12, 1756, died April 12, 1827.+ Moses Wilson, born May 1, 1758, died Feb. 17, 1760. Moses Wilson, jr., born April 8, 1761, died April 7, 1784. James Wilson, born July 25, 1763, died Aug. 13, 1822. Solomon Wilson, born July 2, 1766, died Sept. 8, 1819. Elizabeth Wilson, born July 2, 1766, died May 12, 1849. Margaret Wilson, born April 7, 1769, died Sept. 19, 1826.
The records in the Virginia Land Office at Richmond show that William Wilson and his sons patented many tracts of land in what is now Hamp- shire, Hardy and Grant Counties. The old homestead was on Trout Run a few miles from Moorefield.
The eldest of the above-named children, Benjamin Wilson, appears not to have patented any land in the eastern part of the State. In his 23d year, that is, Sept, 4, 1770, he married Ann, daughter of Stephen and Mary Rud- dell of Hampshire County. # She was born Sept. 20, 1754, and was not six- teen at the time of her marriage. The young couple took up their residence at Cedar Creek, Shenandoah County, Va., where their first two children were born. They then removed to Tygart's Valley, now Randolph County, but then Augusta. The exact date of their coming to Randolph is uncer- tain, but it was after 1774 and before 1777.§ Benjamin Wilson was a lieu-
preserved, and numerous deseendants-perhaps hundreds-of William Wilson are there- by enabled to trace their family baek to the old country. These descendants are found throughout West Virginia, and in many States.
* For many years judge, or chairman of the Randolph County Court; he held other offices also, and was Randolph's first representative in the Virginia Legislature.
t He was the first County Clerk of Randolph, 1787; the first Circuit Clerk, 1809; first Justiee of the Peace, 1787; Sheriff, 1798; Assessor, 1788; Major of Virginia Militia, 1787.
į Mr. Ruddell subsequently removed to Kentucky and founded Ruddell Station. In June 1780 an army of 700 Indians and British, among them the three renegade brothers, Simon, George and James Girty, the whole under a British officer, invaded Kentucky with cannon, captured Ruddell's station with 300 men, women and children, murdered several after they surrendered, and destroyed all the property in the settlement. Capt. Ruddell and his family were among the prisoners. They regained their liberty some- time afterward, except one of the children, Stephen, who was held in captivity seventeen years.
¿ Colonel Wilson's first visit to Tygart's Valley was in the late fall or early winter of 1774, probably in the latter part of November. At the conclusion of the Dunmore war the Virginia troops were sent baek by different routes. Some went up the Kenawha and through Greenbrier County; others returned through the northern part of West Virginia, and others by other ways. Colonel Wilson and several soldiers, but how many is not known, passed through what is now Randolph County, and went on to the South Branch over the Senaea Indian Trail which led them into the present county of Pendle- ton, and thence into Hardy, where Colonel Wilson's father-in-law resided. Colonel Wilson stopped in Tygart's Valley long enough to examine the land. A tract on bothi sides of the river, some four miles below Beverly, pleased him, but it was already oe- cupied by two squatters, who claimed possession as their right. Such rights were always
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tenant in Lord Dunmore's army in the war of 1774 and marched against the Indians on the Scioto River, in Ohio. He was present at the Treaty of Camp Charlotte, and from him Withers obtained much of the data for his graphic description of the Shawnee chief, Cornstalk, in the Border Warfare.
Monongalia County was formed from West Augusta in 1776 and Benja- min Wilson was elected to represent it in the Virginia Legislature, Monon- galia included the present territory of Randolph. In 1784 Harrison County was formed from Monongalia, and he became its first Clerk, and in 1787 re- moved to the vicinity of Clarksburg. The old Wilson homestead in Ran- dolph lies at the mouth of Wilson's Creek, four miles north of Beverly. He became an extensive landholder in Randolph. In 1777 he built Wilson's fort on his own farm, as a place of refuge from the Indians, during the long and bloody war which began that year. The settlers, in time of danger, fled to that fort. It was never attacked by Indiaus, but a number of persons were murdered by them within a few miles. Colonel Wilson's activity, as an In-
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The old Wilson Homestead at Present-Winter Scene.
dian fighter, and protector of the settlement, is mentioned elsewhere in this book. At that time he was an officer in the Revolutionary army, and he was assigned the duty of defending the settlers of Tygart's Valley. He was furnished with no regular soldiers for that duty, but depended upon volun- teers from the surrounding settlements, and one summer he had part of one company of Hampshire County militia. The volunteers were usually suffi- cient, but once, at the time of the Leading Creek massacre in 1781, they re- fused to follow the Indians who were retreating with their prisoners toward the Ohio River .* The militia thus called out usually served without pay, and perhaps none of them thought of pay at that time. But, many years
respected in early times, although in law they probably would not have held. Colonel Wilson found the squatters willing to sell, and he bought them out. That was, so far as can be ascertained, the beginning of Colonel Wilson's possessions west of the Alleghanies. At that time Westfall's and Currence's forts had just been built, the former four miles above Wilson's land, and the latter fourteen miles above.
*See pages 185 and 418.
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afterwards, when pensions became common, some of the survivors asked for pay, as is shown by the court records of Randolph.
None of Colonel Wilson's family ever fell victim to the savages, but on more than one occasion their escape was narrow. Mrs. Wilson was a brave and heroic woman whose courage and presence of mind once saved herown life and the lives of her three children. The event occurred late in the fall of 1777. Indians had broken into the settlement about Valley Head and had murdered the Connollys. Colonel Wilson hurried in pursuit of them with thirty men. It was so late in the season that no incursion by Indians was expected, and the settlers had been taken by surprise. They were busy in their fields shucking their corn. Colonel Wilson owned a farm west of the river, in what is now the Caplinger Settlement, as well as the farm east of the river, on Wilson's Creek, where his fort stood; and at the time of the Indian raid his family were living in a cabin west of the river, about two miles distant, temporarily while the crop was being gathered. When he went up the river in pursuit of the Indians, he left his wife and three chil- dren at the cabin, with a slave named Rose, a Guinea negress whom he had bought. She was born in Africa and had been brought over on a slaveship. The three children were, Mary, aged six, William B., aged four and Stephen, aged two.
Late in the afternoon while Mrs. Wilson and Rose were milking the cows, the young horse came dashing up from the range with wild excite- ment and with peculiar movements. Mrs. Wilson cried to Rose: "There are Indians near! The horse has seen them. That's the way he acts when he sees Indians! Catch him quick-we must fly to the fort or we will be massacred!" While the negress was catching the horse, Mrs. Wilson, with wonderful coolness and presence of mind, worthy the daughter of Captain Ruddell, took one of her strong petticoats, tied both ends, put the two older children in it as a sack, with their heads out, threw the sack over the horse's back, one child on each side. Then with the baby in her arms, she mounted the young horse bareback, and told Rose to run for her life and to cross the river on the footlog. Then she gave the rein to the young horse, which was snorting and prancing as though it could see or smell the Indians. The horse was apparently as eager to escape the savages as she was, and went at full speed toward the fort. The river was past riding on account of rain and melting snow; but it was a matter of life and death, and Mrs Wilson, with her precious burden, did not halt, but plunged in and swam the horse for the other side. When in midstream she discovered that the child on the up-stream side, Mary, had struggled from the sack and was bobbing up and down against the horse's side, held there by the strong current Mrs. Wilson caught her by the clothes and brought her safe to shore. Then re-adjust- ing the children in the sack, she rode with them to the fort. The alarm by this time had been given and several families were arriving at the fort.
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The Indians plundered the settlement west of the river. It is probable that Mrs. Wilson and her children would have been murdered in a few minutes had she not made her escape when she did.
It is proper to state that Rose, the faithful slave, also escaped. A few minutes after Mrs. Wilson reached the fort, Rose put in an appear- ance, carrying a churn of cream on her head, and remarking: "I did not mean that the Redskins should have this cream!"
Ten years later, July 3, 1787, when she was yet not quite sixteen years old, Mary Wilson, who so narrowly escaped both from the Indians and from drowning, became the wife of Colonel John Haymond, of Harrison County, a noted Indian fighter as well as a prominent business man, who served in both the Assembly and the Senate of Virginia .* The marriage of John Haymond and Mary Wilson was a notable event in the early social affairs of Randolph. The groom came from Clarksburg, accompanied by a caval- cade of young people of both sexes. The first night out from Clarksburg, there being no houses along the way, the company camped under a cliff of rocks a short distance .east of where Philippi now stands.
There were several inter-marriages between children of Colonel Wilson and the Haymonds, but they belong, for the most part, to other portions of the State, rather than to Randolph, and a list of the marriages will suffice. John Haymond married Mary Wilson, July 3, 1787. Hiram Haymond mar- ried Elizabeth Wilson. Calder Haymond married Martha Wilson. Lewis Haymond married Rachel Wilson. Rowena Haymond married James P. Wilson. Of these, Rachel is the only one living. She resides at Quiet Dell, Harrison County. Hon. Benjamin Wilson, who now resides at Clarksburg, and who was several terms a member of Congress from that district, is a grandson of Colonel Wilson and a son of Josiah D. Wilson. Hon. B. Wilson Smith, of Indiana, is also a grandson of Colonel Wilson, his mother being Deborah Wilson, and his father Abel T. Smith, who was a son of Joshua Smith and Mary Wamsley Smith. Mary Wamsley belonged to the Randolph County family of Wamsleys, and Joshua Smith was from the South Branch. The history of the descendants of Colonel Wilson might be extended indef- initely, not only in Randolph but in other counties of the State, and also in other States. They are numbered by hundreds. At the time of his death he had living 24 children, 73 grand children, 32 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild, making in all 130.
In 1787, as is believed, Colonel Wilson left Randolph and made his home in Harrison County, where he entered largely into business. In 1795
* On one occasion it is related of Colonel Haymond that he was at the head of a squad of men pursuing Indians, and fell into an ambuscade. An Indian bullet went through a handkerchief which was tied round his head, and dazed him. He described the pecu- liar sensation thus: "I believed I had been killed, and I waited to see myself fall; but when I did not fall I came to the conclusion that I was not dead, and that I ought to get behind a tree, which I did." ITe raised a family of fourteen children, and died at Bulltown, Braxton County, September 5, 1838, and his wife died the year before.
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he built a mill on Simpson Creek, and subsequently enlarged it to do spin- ning, weaving, coloring and cloth-dressing. On June 18, 1795, occurred the death of Mrs. Wilson, who had become the mother of twelve children. On December 15, 1795, Colonel Wilson married Phoebe Davisson, of Har- rison County, then in her nineteenth year, and she became the mother of seventeen children. She died June 24, 1849. The names of Colonel Wil- son's children, with the date of the birth of each, are as follows:
Mary B. Wilson, born July 9, 1771.
William B. Wilson, born January 23, 1773 Stephen Wilson, born October 21, 1775.
Benjamin Wilson, born January 13, 1778. Sarah Wilson, born September 11, 1780. Elizabeth Wilson, born August 17, 1782. Ann Wilson, born January 17, 1786. John Wilson, born July 5, 1788. Archibald B. Wilson, born July 25, 1790. Two children died without names. Josiah D. Wilson, born October 12, 1796. David Wilson, born February 18, 1798. Edith Wilson, born November 9, 1799. Elizabeth Wilson, born October 15, 1801. Thomas W. Wilson, born May 12, 1803. Margaret Wilson, born March 26, 1805. Deborah Wilson, born October 17, 1806. James P. Wilson, born June 9, 1808. Daniel D. Wilson, born July 30, 1810.
Phoebe D. Wilson, born August 29, 1811.
Martha M. Wilson, born January 23, 1813. Philip D. Wilson, born June 29, 1814. Noah L. Wilson, born March 9, 1816. Julia Ann Wilson, born September 28, 1817. Harriet B. Wilson, born November 13, 1818.
Rachel Wilson, born July 20, 1820. One infant died without a name.
WILLIAM B. WILSON, son of Benjamin, was born in 1773, and spent his whole life in Randolph; married Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel Davisson, of Clarksburg. She was born February 12, 1779. Their children were, Pru- dence, who married Judge Edwin S. Duncan; Patsy, who married Lenox Camden, brother of Judge G. D, Camden; Ann, who married Abraham Hut- ton; Elizabeth, who married Adam D. Caplinger; Alexander, Frederick, Daniel and Edwin Draper, who married Martha Wees. William B., popu- larly called "Billy B.," was widely known in this and adjoining counties. When he was nine years old he had a narrow escape from Indians. It was
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at the time of the raid under Timothy Dorman, in 1782, when Adam Staln- aker was killed. Colonel Wilson, father of William B., had a stillhouse west of the river in the Caplinger Settlement; and after the killing of Staln- aker the Indians crossed the river and broke into the stillhouse; and while they were carrying on at a high rate, William B. Wilson, on horseback, rode up almost to the building before he discovered them. He wheeled his horse and rode at top speed to the fort and gave the alarm.
EDWIN D. WILSON, son of William B., was born August 11, 1821, and in 1841 he married Martha Wees who was born in 1822. Their children were, Florida D., James Duncan, Rosa Ann and Isabella.
JAMES DUNCAN WILSON, son of Edwin D., married Delia Crawford in 1866; Children, Jessie May, wife of Lee J. Sandridge, and Lottie Lee. Mr. Wilson was elected Clerk of the county court in 1872 and he held the office eighteen years. He died in 1895,
DOCTOR FRANKLIN WILSON, born 1858 in Lee County, Va., son of Wil- liam and Polly (Jones) Wilson; English descent; was married in 1883 to Eliza F., daughter of Joshua and Sarah Harman; children, Elizabeth, William D., Rosetta, Bessie, Jamie and Gracie. Heis a miller at Whitmer where he owns a house and lot.
WILLIAM HALL WILSON, son of John Q., and Harriet S. (Wood) Wilson, was born at Mingo in 1840; Scotch-Irish ancestry; was married in 1866 to Rachel, daughter of Abram and Catherine Crouch; children, George Nelson and Magnora. John Wilson, the great-great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, lived on Jackson River, and is believed to have belonged to the Wilson family which suffered so severely from Indians in 1763. His son was William H. whose children were John Q., Jane, Mary, Samuel, Nancy, William, Sarah, David, Elizabeth, Brown and James., He moved to Ran- dolph in 1829, and his son, John Q., opened the first store at Mingo. The subject of this sketch was in the Confederate army during the entire war and was in many hard battles, and was several times wounded. In 1884 he was elected Clerk of the circuit court of Randolph, and has since held the office. It is highly probable that this family is related to the family to which Colonel Benjamin Wilson belonged; but the actual connecting link has not been found. The common ancestry was very early in the history of Augusta Country, if at all. Both are Scotch-Irish, and the oft-repeated family names are similar.
GEORGE NELSON WILSON, son of W. H. Wilson, was born in 1871 and was married in 1894 to Myra, daughter of Dr. John I. Weymouth, and her mother's maiden name was Mary Chenoweth; children, Margaret R. and Reginald Weymouth. He graduated at the Wheeling Business College, and is deputy clerk under his father.
W. H. WILSON, son of Archibald and Jane (Corley) Wilson. In 1861 he
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married Anzina Scott; children, Linnie, Annie, Dollie, Dora E. and May; he lives in Roaring Creek District.
JOHN CRAWFORD WILSON, son of Archibald, was born in 1848 and in 1868, in Barbour County, he married Bertha, daughter of David Rosen- burger; children, Flora Ellen, Rosa Anna, Willie A., David H. and George. He is a farmer, owning 200 acres near Harding underlaid with coal. His father owned 3100 acres in that vicinity and in . 1846 established what has since been known as the Wilson Settlement.
ALLEN LEWIS WILSON, born 1851, son of Archibald; was married in 1871, in Barbour County, to Emma Jane, daughter of Archibald and Christ- ina Coberly. Children, Lura Jane, Winfield Scott, James Archibald, Lloyd L., and Benjamin Harrison. He is a farmer near Harding and a member of the Republican County Committee.
SAMUEL KINCAID WILSON, born near Circleville, 1836; son of Elijah J. and Hannah (Nelson) Wilson; Scotch; at Buckhannon, 1866, he married Elizabeth, daughter of William W. and Roanna (Cooper) King. Children, Roanna E., William Ulysses, Martin H., Minnie M., John E., Isaac, Warren Vernon; was in Confederate army under Stonewall Jackson and afterward under Imboden; was in the following battles; Alleghany Mountain, Mc- Dowell, Antietam, Gettysburg, Williamsport, Fredericksburg, Cross Keys, Beverly, the Seven Days Battle. At Gettysburg a man was killed on each side of him, but he was not hurt. Mr. Wilson says the first settler on Gandy was Joseph Summerfield in 1780, and that the first school in that vicinity was taught in 1856 by Gabriel Rains. Mr. Wilson is a farmer and owns 160 acres, 75 improved.
RAPHAEL WARTHEN was one of the early settlers of Randolph County. He lived just north of King's Run, a short distance west of the present Bev- erly and Elkins road. He died about February 1, 1798, leaving a widow and two minor children, Elizabeth and Chlotilda, the latter born in 1795. In 1800 the widow with her children removed to Kentucky. Chlotilda grew to womanhood and married a Mr. Montgomery, of a Maryland family. The offspring of this union includes some very distinguished names. One son, Hon. Zach Montgomery, migrated to California in 1849, and from an early date has been one of the most distinguished citizens of that State, his articles and books on the public school question having attracted widespread atten- tion, and have been discussed and quoted by many of the most prominent and learned writers and scholars, not only of this country, but of Europe, and have elicited from them frequent complimentary notices. In the presi- dential campaign of 1896, a pamphlet written and published by him in sup- port of bi metalism, entitled Bondage or Blood, was recognized by many as the most clear and concise argument made in favor of free coinage. In fact, he never writes anything that is not interesting, all being the product of
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deep, intelligent thought. Mr. Montgomery was assistant Attorney Gen- eral under President Cleveland's first administration, and made a marked and distinguished record while in discharge of official duties. He now lives in Los Angeles, California, engaged in the practice of his profession, and bearing a name synonymous with rectitude and integrity. A grandson of this same Chlotilda is the Right Rev. George Montgomery, Catholic Bishop of Southern California, a gentleman admired greatly by all who know him, and of very distinguished ability. From the records of the county we find that on August 2, 1796, John Wilson married Mary Warthen, daughter of John Warthen, and that on April 15, 1811, John Busse married Susanna Warthen, daughter of John Warthen. It is presumed that he was the father of Raphael Warthen. John Wilson is named as an executor of the will of Raphael Warthen, being mentioned as his "trusty friend." John Wilson was a brother of Col. Benjamin Wilson.
W. S. WOODFORD, born 1852 at Philippi, son of J. Harvey Woodford, English parentage. In 1875 at Huttonsville he married Mozella, daughter of Moses and Polly (Haigler) Hutton. Child, Howe H. He is a farmer and stockraiser; came to Randolph in 1884 and was postmaster at Cheat Bridge, where he kept hotel. In 1896 he was elected Justice of the Peace.
J. E. WISE, born 1858 in Rockbridge County, son of John A. and De- lila (Dinkle) Wise; Scotch-Irish ancestry. He commenced teaching when 17 years of age, and entered the University of Virginia in 1874. He has taught four summer normal schools, and is one of the leading educators of Randolph County.
JOB WESTFALL, born 1840, son of Jacob and Ivy (Marteney) Westfall; German parentage; was married in 1865 to Nancy V., daughter of Jesse and Diana (Woolwine) Stalnaker. Children, Judson, Jesse and Dora.
HARRISON J. WILLIAMSON, born 1861, of English parentage, son of Capt. James W. Williamson. was married in 1888 to Kate W., daughter of Fountain and Elmira (Reeder) Butcher. Children, Clifford, Wilford and Mona May. His grandfather was a pilot on the Mississippi. Mr. William- son deals in timber, bark and horses, of which he owns several blooded; is a sportsman and hunter, having killed several bear and scores of deer, and is the champion rifle shot of the State; and promoter of the Beverly fair grounds, and its manager; owns a fine residence and other property in Beverly.
JOHN HARVIE WEYMOUTH, D. D.S., born 1843, at Richmond, Va., son of John L. and Henrietta D. (Jenkins) Weymouth; English ancestry; was married in 1873 to Mary, daughter of Lemuel and Nancy A. Chenoweth. Children, Myra May, Charles Lee, Nannie Chenoweth and Henrietta Blanche. The name is derived from the mouth of the river Wey, England. The first house built in Richmond belongs to this family; they also own
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a prayer book with Washington's autograph. Dr. Weymouth attended the Richmond Military Academy, and the Pennsylvania Dental College, and was captain of a morter battery in the Confederate army. He is a dentist at Elkins.
WILLIAM GRANT WILSON, son of Isaac and Harriet Wilson, was born in Marion County in 1864. After receiving an education which fitted him for his work, he chose the law for his profession and Elkins as his home. He was one of the first to see the promising future for that city, and he has been one of the leaders in managing the municipal affairs. Three times he was elected Mayor, and to his official acts was largely due the excellent gov- ernment which the city has enjoyed. From the first he enjoyed a large and lucrative law practice, and he also took an active interest in politics, being one of the leaders of the Republican party in Randolph. In 1898 he ac- cepted a position in the Internal Revenue service, and divided his time between his new duties and his profession.
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