USA > West Virginia > Upshur County > The history of Upshur county, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time > Part 55
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After my marriage I rented the old Whiting place for the year 1849. I found it impossible to make more than a bare living. John W. Blue had a good tavern, which had been vacated by his brother William Blue, who had married my wife's oldest sister, and he desired a tenant. He offered us $100 to move in and do the house work and other chores for a year. We accepted. This $100 I invested in land on the Kanawha river, for a home and to it we moved after our years contract with Mr. Blue.
During the month of January, 1851, with the aid of three others, who had settled here one or two years previous, I built a cabin, on this land and on the Ist day of February, my wife and I began housekeeping at home.
A Baptist church had been organized by J. W. Alvis at a log school house, near where Rock Cave now is and the same house had been used by the Methodist with Robert Curry as leader. With 13 other persons, we organized a Baptist Church at Rock Cave in 1850, in April, 1851, I joined, and soon we united in a Union Sabbath school during the summer time. After Brother Alvis left, Rev. Brown, of Buckhannon, and Charles Parker supplied the Church for a time.
Then we secured services of Elder Aaron Barnet, who remained with us until the breaking out of the war. I well remember one of his meetings, in which 30 persons made profession and only three proved false.
After Rev. Barnet came J. W. Carter, who remained with us until the first two years of the Civil War.
In August, 1862, an order was published for the Upshur Militia to meet at Buckhannon, on a date I cannot remember. Colonel A. C. Moore, I think it was, drilled us there and some government officers, whose names I cannot recall made us a speech or two, after which we were dismissed with orders to go into camp at Rock Cave for daily drill. Our rations were sent to us for a while at Rock Cave daily and then we were required to break camp and board at home and meet for drill at regular stated times and thus kept under some authority till that
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Saturday, the 12th day of September, 1863, one of the stated drill times, when we were in line ready for drill and officers were designating pickets for the various roads and we found ourselves surrounded by a few hundred confederates, under Major Kesler. Militia suddenly began to break rank and ran for a gap, where no one was in sight. Confederate signal was given for charge and the first volley fired, shivered the knee of Mr. Samples my right hand man. Three more volleys were fired as they approached and our men hearing bullets whistling over head fell and thus only three men were wounded, the other two being John Vincent and George Armstrong, the former on the back of the shoulder and the other on the neck under his coat collar, both by spent minnie balls.
My wife having gone with me to do some trading at the store on that drill day and seeing the men all excited her so that it caused epilepsy, which resulted in her death six years later. Mine and my wife's horses were captured, but by the aid of some of her good lady friends, Major Kesler consented to give up her beast.
That evening and night we were marched out to where Cleveland postoffice now is, with guards holding to our coats, and there we encamped, and on Sunday our captors killed a beef and got roasting ears from a field of late corn and each of us had to prepare our meat and corn by our own camp fire, this was our a, b, c, of a prisoner's life.I have no recollection of any bread till Robert McCray met us, I think, near a Mr. Boffman's with a few cakes of wheat bread for a few old fel- low hunters of whom Jesse B. Nixon was one, and he got a good chunk for me. The next bread we got was at Big Springs, where a squad of W. L. Jackson's men came to our camp with a supply of rations. We were encamped here in a church and guarded for a few hours and then marched to the Court House at Warm Springs to spend the night. From here we were taken to the Milborough depot and put on a train for Staunton and next day landed at Old Castle Thunder. There we were put up in the walls of a large brick pen with no cover over it.
I with many others had thin summer clothing on and got terribly chilled, took a very severe cold and I soon got such a dreadful cough I got but little sleep day or night. Our food was the customery soups, bean and pea soup, occasion- ally some cabbage and bread, and once in a while a little piece of meat. We had a sawdust bed to lay on and it often contained inhabitants familiar to all soldier life.
A few days after our arrival in prison we found in the Richmond Enquirer an account of so many prisoners captured and brought out of Upshur County and a sorry set of fellows they were, which we bore as best we could. Three friends of mine seeing my name in the list came and had me called out to the reception room to get a reliable history of our captivity. They all pledged themselves to help us and to secure our release on parole if possible. These men were Hon. E. J. Armstrong, C. W. Newlon and Lawyer James Neson, all good men. Owing to the fact that some of our company had been bushwackers and as such had killed some of the confederate soldiers our good friends petition for a parole was denied. I then asked them to try for an exchange, but this failed, meanwhile I was grow- ing weaker and had concluded I could not live ten days longer. I would not con- sent to go to the hospital. Finally my friend advised me as a friend to allow him to get me out to be conscripted. I told him plainly I could not fight for slavery. I hated it from a boy. Nothing better I relented of this decision and acted upon his advice, in order to save my life and to return to the endearments of home. This friend gave me considerable money with which to supply the needs of myself and my suffering companions. A part of this money was returned to me and a
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part was never returned, as the great number died and their friends and relatives were never asked to make good.
Well, 20 of the compnay were taken out on the recommendation of friends for conscript, but when Major Berkley issued guns ten refused, and they were put in the guard house for a week. After a week we were all brought into line again and told that those who refused guns were to be sent back to prison and we were given our preference of giving up our guns or going back to prison. We decided to go back to prison, and then Major told us that four were exempt from military duties, two tanners, one blacksmith and one shoemaker. I asked to remain and work as a shoemaker and offered my boots as a testimonial of my work.
When Meade was crowding Lee at Fredericksburg, we were marched to Richmond, November 29, 1863, and there took train for Hanover Junction, 25 miles distant, where we waited for further orders. After getting three hours sleep I awoke with a strong impression that God had opened the way for us to go home. My plans were matured for the escape by daylight.
The following day we would draw three days' rations. I was cook for six men. On Tuesday, December Ist, we drew and cooked three days' rations, and at the moon rise, myself and four companions gave the camp a silent farewell. We put in the night faithfully traveling in the direction from whence we came. Guided by the stars, which were ever visible, except one cloudy night, we fared reasonably well. During this dark night we wandered from our course several degrees. One of our men gave way through exhaustion and we had to help him until we reached Cow Pasture River, where his uncle took him in and gave him prompt medical treatment. We reached home December 19, 1863, on Saturday night, rested Sunday and went to Buckhannon Monday to report the condition of our fellow prisoners. Out of 69 sent to prison, but 23 lived to get home. From the loss of horses, etc., it took me seven years to recover. My wife was raising six out of seven children, three boys, one A. Judson, now in California, the other two J. A. and S. B. are well known, one daughter married Albert Clark- son of Preston County, one died, single, at 26 years of age, and one is the wife of A. W. Tenney and the mother of eight children.
In 1871 I married for my second wife Mrs. Mary C. Wright, of Cleveland, Webster County, and to this union were born two children, a son and daughter. The son died of spinal fever in his tenth year. The daughter, Elizabeth Trythena, is the wife of Ithiel Neeley and lives at Carter, the mother of five children.
THOMAS GEORGE GIBSON, born March 9, 1858, in Baltimore County, Md.,son of Thomas Gibson and Mary A. Major, whose father was a native of Ireland.
The subject of this sketch came to Barbour County in 1898, as a railroad contractor and foreman. Was contractor of that branch of the B. & O. R. R. from Lemley Junction to Century, was also contractor on the Cincinnati and Ohio R. R. in Boone County, West Virginia. Foreman on the Electric road from Fair- mont to Clarksburg, just completed.
His first wife was Marcena Perell, of Maryland, daughter of Samuel Perell and their children are: Mary Margaret, born 1884, now a resident of Baltimore City ; Janie Elizabeth, born 1887, now a resident of Baltimore.
His first wife died in 1880 in Maryland. His second wife was Lucy Rohr, daughter of Henry M., Rohr and Jennie Lance of Upshur County, and their child- ren are : Charles Rex, born 1903; Beautis, born 1906.
A. A. GILLUM. Levi Thomas Gillum was a native of Albermarle County, Va. His wife was a native of Luray County, Va. To them were born ten
BENJAMIN GOULD.
ARTHUR GLASGOW KIDDY.
JOSEPH CARPER SMITH.
VERNON LEE BENNETT.
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children, John Wesley, Mary Margaret, Ellen, Indabo, Sylvanus Markwood, Mary Catherine and Jerome Osborne, George, James Thomas and the subject of this sketch.
I was born in Highland County, Va. September 12, 1844. Came to Upshur with father in 1858, learned the blacksmith trade and worked at it, until May 1861. On June 22, 1861, I enlisted as a private in Company E, 3d W. Va., Vols., under Captain S. B. Phillips, to serve three years or during the war. In 1862, I received a disability and was sent to the hospital at David's Island, N. Y., and remained there till January 7, 1863, when W. B. Smallridge and I were discharged ( Small- ridge is the man that was shot in the heart and carried the ball for thirty-seven years, until the doctor found it by a post mortem examination). Ater returning home I was compelled to hide in the woods and under rocks and drag out a life that was obliged to force me back into the army. So I enlistted under a man by the name of Metheney and was ordered to Grafton to be examined. I was rejected on account of disability I received between Culpepper and Bull Run. Returning to Buckhannon, Company M was being organized and I gave my name to this company, was screened by the recruiting officer, who just before examina- tion day gave me a pass home and when I returned to Company M, the exami- nation of recruits had been completed and I was allowed to enlist. I served in Company M, 3d West Virginia Cavalry under Captain J. W. Heavner and was present and carried off the field of batttle, Major Hurst, when he was wounded. was at the Battle of Winchester, where my horse fell down, threw me off and ran away. Soon I saw an infantryman with my horse. I dismounted him and started to hunt my company, but was captured by one of Mosby's men in disguise. We reached Richmond as prisoners of war, after various vicissitudes, on the 2Ist of September and placed in Libby Prison, where we were searched, money and knives and fire-arms were taken away; before we were searched, I was allowed to go up stairs and while there I rolled up part of my money and put it in my mouth. The officer saw that my jaw was too full and made me cough it up. I was moved from Libby Prison in a few weeks to Bell Island where a small tent had been provided for every eight prisoners. While on Bell Island the weather began to get cold and scarcity of clothes compelled us to take our tents and manufacture them into pantaloons, and for this act we were starved until we informed upon the person or soldier who committed this act. That soldier was unmercifully punished. Finally I was taken to Akens Landing and was there paroled and sent to Annapolis, Maryland. At this place I was given a fur- lough for thirty days to return home and visit my family. After this time I re- turned, joined my company and remained with it until I was discharged at Wheeling on June 30, 1865. I was made a corporal of my company. After the war closed I returned to my wife and companion and to us were born four children, three boys and one girl, Arodius Ervin, married Ida Williamson for his first wife and Virginia Carpenter for his second wife. Ulysses Grant married Jane Ogden, Sarah Armitta, married John E. Simmons, and James Emmitt.
I am a member of the United Brethren Church, having joined it when a small boy in Highland County, Va., when I first came to Upshur there was no church of my denomination convenient to my home, therefore, I allied myself with the M. E. Church at Bethlehem on the Holly Grove charge. I am a Republican in politics.
GLENN GILLUM, son of Markwood S. Gillum and Elizabeth Potts, daugh- ter of Major Potts, was born May 11, 1879. Was raised on a farm, has a saw mill and is now an employe of the B. & O. Railroad Company. His wife was Alma
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E. Kettle, daughter of Carl Kettle, whom he married September 2, 1900, and their children are, Violet, Vera and Staunton.
ANDREW JACKSON GLADWELL, born June 30, 1843, in Hardy County, Va. Son of James Gladwell and Eliza Bean, a daughter of Andrew Bean of Hampshire County.
His father settled on the waters of Indian Camp in 1860. He was a soldier in the Mexican War and a pensioner for many years prior to his death. His family numbered eleven, of which the subject of this sketch is the second.
Andrew Jackson Gladwell was raised on a farm and in 1862 enlisted in Company E, 3d West Virginia Infantry and after eighteen months service therein was discharged with a disability. He re-enlisted in Company B, Ioth West Vir- ginia Infantry under Captain J. L. Gould and with this company till the close of the war. He was wounded at Winchester, September 19, 1864, by receiving a shot passing through both thighs. He now draws a pension of $17 a month, and has a brother, E. C. Gladwell of Kansas, a member of Company B, who also draws a pension.
In 1868 he married Amanda C. Huffman, a daughter of Peter and Margaret (Brooks) Huffman, of Barbour County.
To this union have been born thirteen children, of which nine are living: Mary Jane, wife of J. N. Duke; Nola, wife of Littleton Zickefoose; Eva, wife of Sobiscay Cutright ; Lela, wife of Ott Morgan; Pearl, wife of James Smallridge; Alice, wife of Frank Eckard; Annie, wife of Thomas Wilson; Artie and Herbert, at home.
Mr. Gladwell has had two children killed by accidents one by a falling tree and one by a railroad train.
The town of Alton was founded by Mr. Gladwell and to him is due the credit of interesting A. C. Pringle in building the first mill and keeping the first store, in getting G. W. Simon, first resident physician, in building the first church, U. B., in opening the first hotel by Serena Wolfe.
He has been and is the postmaster at Alton, the only others being G. W. Simon, A. D. T. Pringle and Frank Weekley.
He has held other political offices, has been Justice of the Peace eight years, which position he now holds and Notary Public. He owns 600 acres of land, on which he raises live stock and cultivates orchards.
ANDREW GOULD, is a farmer and saw mill man of Meade District, was born September 12, 1863, the son of Joseph and Lois (Hows) Gould and the grandson of Nathan Gould, Jr. He was educated in the common schools of Upshur County, and began working on a sawmill about the time the Buckhannon River boom and lumber company began its operation. He was promoted from one position to another until he became head sawyer of the Stockert Saw Mill, which position he has held since.
He married Naoma Loudin, daughter of James L. and Mariah (Tilman) Loudin.
Children : Londa May, Lonie Grey, Lula Maud, Lewis G. and James A.
BENJAMIN GOULD, born March 10, 1822, and died December 19, 1901. Was a son of Captain Gilbert Gould and Mehitable (Taylor) Gould. Captain Gould was a soldier in the War of 1812. His wife was Eliza (Dustin) Morgan, daughter of Ezra and Rhoda (Bryant) Morgan, to whom he was married October 26, 1843. Her death occurred February 23, 1889.
Children : Charles Henrico, born August 4, 1844, was a soldier in Company
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M, Third West Virginia Cavalry, and died with fever June 5, 1865, at Alexandria, Va. His remains are now interred in the French Creek Cemetery.
Rhoda Ellen, born May 26, 1847, was a teacher in the Public Schools of County till January 12, 1882, when she married Henry J. Hefner, and their child- ren were : Bessie, Laura, and Henry Stanley. She died January 3, 1894.
Arthur Morgan, born January 26, 1853, married Louisa Sexton, daughter of Freeman E., and Virginia M. (Graig) Sexton, November 21, 1889.
Albert Granville, born January 13, 1857, married Sarah E. Britton, of Illinois, November 26, 1885. Children : Blanche Lillian, William Roscoe and Agnes. Percy married Ina Cooper, of Lewis County.
FREEMAN GOULD, second son of Nathan was born near Charlemonts on Deerfield River, Mass., April 7, 1810.
Dorcas Ward was born in Cold Rain Township, on Deerfield River, February 13, 1808.
Freeman immigrated to Meade Township, Upshur County, W. Va., in his 6th year, and his w .. e t , Beverly, Randolph County, in her 16th year. They were married February 21, 1832.
Calvin Curtis Gould, their oldest son, was born November 28, 1832, near Altson, Edwards County, Ill., and was raised on a farm.
At 23 he graduated from Hillsborough Academy, Pocahontas County, W. Va., and at 27 from Washington College, Lexington, Va., standing third in his class, A. B. After one year at the Western Theological Seminary at Allegheny, Pa., he went to Beverly, Randolph County, W. Va., to teach during vacation. The Confederate Army came between him and home, arrested him six times and tried him four times as a spy.
August 27, 1861, he married Elina Cynthia Reid, aged 22 years, near Browns- burg, Rockbridge County, Va., and took her out of the S. C. A. via Nashville, Tenn., to his childhood home in Illinois.
After teaching three months to replenish their pockets, they went back to Allegheny, where he graduated with his class of 1863, and where on January I, his son W. P. Gould was born.
He took charge of Wayne and Chester Churches, May, 1863, having been licensed by the Presbytery of Pittsburg, August 27, 1862, he was ordained by the date he has held the following charges form one to seven years each, viz: Ship- pewa, Canal Fulton, Wadsworth and Marshallville till October 1872.
His wife dying that year and his nervous system giving way, his physicians ordered him to get out of the study and out of that climate for five years. Immigrating to Upshur County, he settled on the river, eight miles above Buck- hannon, where he engaged in building and running mills, preaching all the while.
From 1873 to 1886 he held the following charges from one to seven years each, viz: French Creek, Lebanon, Walkersville, Gnatty Creek, Glenville, Burns- ville and Sutton. At Sutton he owned and edited the Mountaineer for three years by which the licensed liquor traffic was driven out of the County for 26 years.
Immigrating to Cottageville, Ky., he had charge of Ebeneza, Murphysville and Valley churches for three years.
Returning to Ohio he spent a year in the Presbytery of St. Clairsville as Evangelist, and then became pastor of Rendville and Oakfield churches for four years, in the Presbytery of Athens.
Removing to Amesville, Athens County, Ohio, he had charge from 1891 to 1897.
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From 1898 to 1905 he ran a boarding house and market garden, preaching only occasionally, having received from his Presbytery the degree of H. R.
In August, 1905, he returned to Buckhannon, W. Va., to educate his three unmarried children, where he published his pamphlet, "Who were the Mound- builders?" His only other published work is the tract No. 241 of The Presbyter- ian Board of Publication, "John's Baptism Not Christian Baptism," printed while he was in the junior class at college.
In the mountains of Braxton County, W. Va., he turned over to the Federal Courts three clans of "Moonshiners," and in Lewis County, Ky., two "blind tigers." At the muzzle of his revolver in the latter county, he arrested a heavily armed desperado, fighting in church, and as attorney attended his trial, with five others in the Squire's court, securing fines of from $20 to $35 from each.
His other children by his first wife are : Ida Belle, born December 16, 1869; Rosa Lee, born September 15, 1871.
Lydia, daughter of Henry Fred Taylor was born in Upshur County, W. Va., July 17, 1853. Calvin C. and Lydia were married June 11, 1874. To them were born, Ethel L., and Frank S., at Boulder, Upshur County, W. Va .. Almira D. and Addie G. at Sutton, Braxton County W. Va., and Freeman E. and Mary P., twins, in Lewis County, Ky., July 16, 1888.
CHANDLER D. GOULD, son of Gilbert T. and Elizabeth (Loomis) Gould, born May 9, 1840, Black Lick on the waters of French Creek. Was educated in the common schools.
At the outbreak of the war, June 27, 1861. he enlisted in Company E, 3d West Virginia Infantry, and re-enlisted in the same company on January 29, 1864, was mustered out May 22, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and was given his dis- charge June 1, 1866, at Wheeling. Was wounded at the Second Bull Run Battle and never went into a battle without an invitation. He operates and manages the only broom factory in the town of Buckhannon.
JAMES BARTLETT GOULD, born May 16, 1849. son of Aaron Gould, Jr., and Calysta Bartlett, and grand son of Aaron Gould, Sr., and Lyddie Gray, emigrants from Massachusetts in 1810, and builders of the first grist mill in Meade Township. Was raised on a farm and as a farmer and did farm until 1905, when he moved to Buckhannon and became General Manager of the Anchor Mills. His only sister, Nancy V. Gould married Henry J. Heavner.
Married Emily M. Talbot, daughter of George and Sarah (Wilson) Talbot, August 22, 1871.
Children : Alta C., Verna L., Lunda D., and Jessie Malissa.
GILBERT T. GOULD, born 1814 and died in 1888, was the son of Gilbert and Mehitable (Taylor) Gould.
Children : Loomis J., Chandler D., Amy S .. Arminta M., Mary E., Almira E., Lucebia A., Lotten D., and Clara A.
JAMES FRANCESCO GOULD was born January 28, 1853, and was the child of William Oliver Gould and Rebecca Smith. His brothers and sisters are: Dexter, George Dallas. John W., Mary and Fidella. On May 6, 1874, he married Emma Lewis, daughter of Teter Lewis and Betsy Abbott, and to them were born Ada, wife of Robert Sumers and Madge.
Mr. Gould for twenty-five years owned a farm on the waters of Stone Coal, but now lives on Brushy Fork in the John J. Reger homestead.
MARSHALL GOULD. is a native of Upshur County and the son of Nathan Gould, by his second wife, Samantha ( Phillips) Burr, the widow of Martin Burr, Sr. Is the oldest of a family of eight children, was raised on a farm and left
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the farm to engage in the milling business on the waters of French Creek, at the postoffice now bearing his name. In 1861 he enlisted in Company E, 3d West Virginia Infantry under Captain S. B. Phillips, was made Second Lieutenant of that Company, served during the war, was honorably discharged, now drawing a pension.
His first wife was Celesta Perry, daughter of Elias and Deliah (Phillips) Perry. Their children were : Bertha, wife of James Brady ; Delia, wife of Samuel Cutright ; Albert L., married Ella Loudin.
His second wife was Celia Abbott, daughter of John and Ruth (Brady) Abbott.
PERCY BENJAMIN GOULD, born February 7, 1867, and married October 4, 1900, to Ivy Dell Cooper, daughter of William Martin and Amanda Elizabeth (Summers) Cooper. He is the youngest son and youngest child.
Child, Arthur Benjamin, born November 7, 1901.
SCHUYLER HART GOULD, son of Daniel Gould, grandson of Aaron, Jr., the great grandson of Aaron, Sr., who came to French Creek from New Eng- land in 1808. His mother was Louisa Smith. He married Ann V. Hall, daughter of Ezra Hall and Martha Anderson and their children are: Rosetta L., wife of Henry J. Crites, Otho, who married Malissa Lanham, and Martha Bulah, at home. He is a farmer of Buckhannon District, located on the Buckhannon plateau, near the Reger's mill. He is a Methodist in religion and a Republican in politics.
SILAS GOODEN, born March 27, 1864. The son of James and Elizabeth (Huffman) Gooden. He married Rebecca Buckey of Randolph County, to which union were born ten children, whose names are: Nola May, James Coleman. Frank, Nancy Jane, Virgie Dove, Leva Ann, Viola Columbia, Polly, Mollie and Dorthy.
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