USA > West Virginia > Upshur County > The history of Upshur county, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time > Part 70
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ISAAC L. RUBLE, born January 28, 1841, in Leweston, Pa. Son of John Ruble and grandson of Michael of Pennsylvania. Raised a farmer, educated in the common schools and Rock River Seminary, Illinois, from which institution he graduated. He entered in the employ of T. R. R., as an operator, then became fireman and was promoted to Engineer July 10, 1860. Was with this railroad until 1872 he became an employe of the B. & O. Railroad thereafter, and has been engineer on the Parkersburg, Wheeling and Monongah divisions. He was the first regular engineer to bring a passenger train into Buckhannon, has been on this division almost ever since.
In his capacity as engineer his engine has capsized four times and he has had three head on collisions and yet has never lost a life in his whole service. Has been passenger engineer for thirty-five years.
May 8, 1861, he married Mary H. Kerlin of Pennsylvania, daughter of
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David Kerlin. They had one child, Adessa, wife of F. P. Hardy, a lawyer of Paris, Ill.
His second wife was Eva Kerlin, the daughter of Robert Kerlin of Jeannette, Pennsylvania.
MARGARET ELIZABETH RUCKER, daughter of Christian and Amelia C. Halterman. Born August 15, 1845, in Hardy County, Va. Her parents were of French descent, she married Abram Rucker, a soldier in Company B, roth Virginia, with J. L. Gould as Captain, he lost a leg at the Cedar Creek battle and died on his farm near Mt.Nebo, Union District, September 18, 1893.
Children : Gazelle Elizabeth, Charles Monroe, Seneth Ann, Laura Amelia, Luther Alexander, Azyl Jane, Mary Adeline, Grace, Abram, Clarence and Vir- ginia.
ADAM PATRICK RUSMISELL, was a native of Virginia, and the son of Adam Rusmisell, whose father, Adam Rusmisell, was son of Adam Rusmisell, whose father, Adam, emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania prior to the Rev- olutionary War, and was a soldier in that war for his country. Adam P. Rusmi- sell was a physician and emigrated from Augusta County to Frenchton about the year 1844, settling on the farm now owned by his son, John D. Rusmisell. His wife was Ann Eagle of Highland County, Va., and their children were: George W., died in Civil War, as a member of Upshur Battery Light Artillery ;Dr. Samuel Cooper, Ann Eliza, dead. John D., and Emma, wife of Isaac Jones, deceased. He practiced medicine about fifty years, and lived to a ripe old age.
JOHN DAVID RUSMISELL, born January 5, 1851, at Frenchton, being the youngest son, it fell to his lot to stay at home and take care of his parents and therefore he completed his education in the public schools of the neighborhood. He married Amanda Hull, December 31, 1874. daughter of James T. Hull and Mahala Armstrong. Mr. and Mrs. Hull lived together as man and wife sixty- six years and for many years prior to their death, Mr. Rusmisell had to take care of them as well as his own family. He is a farmer, owning two hundred, twenty- seven and one half acres of land. In politics a Republican, was deputy sheriff under A. M. Tenny, Jr., and in religion a Methodist Episcopal.
His children are: Flora E., Dr. Charles Cooper, Dr. James Adam, Wilda, wife of Oscar Duncan, Fred Hull, John Edward and Gay Don.
His two sons who are physicians graduated from the Maryland Medical College at Baltimore, Md., and are now located at Gassaway, W. Va.
SAMUEL COOPER RUSMISELL, M. D., was born March 18, 1846, at Frenchton, W. Va., then Va., son of Adam P. Rusmisell and Aun Eagle. Adam P. was a son of Adam, who was the son of Adam, who was the son of Adam, an emigrant from Germany, at the age of 18, to serve in defense of the colonies, in Washington's regiment. At the close of the Revolutionary War, this Adam married a Miss Shumaker, the daughter of a Mrs. Shumaker, who came from Germany near three hundred years ago, and brought with her a noodle box, now in the possession of the subject of this sketch. The box was used to carry the concentrated dough from which noodle soup was made. In 1862, he entered Company E, 4th West Virginia Cavalry, and served therein until the regiment was discharged.
He returned home and became a student at the French Creek Academy. He then took up the study of medicine at Ann Arbor University, and graduated from the Medical College of Ohio at Cincinnati, in 1876. He has practiced medicine in Barbour and Upshur Counties ever since. He lived at Burnersville, Barbour County, 16 years and has lived at Buckhannon 15 years.
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On the 18th day of May, 1876, he married Margaret Virginia Hinkle, the daughter of Job Hinkle and Margaret Hadden Jackson (the granddaughter of Jonas Hinkle and Catherine Cooper), whose children were : Mary E., Judson B., Cyrus, Foster, Minter J., John S., Margaret V., Job W., Prudence S., and Cath- erine R.
Margaret Hadden Jackson, was a daughter of Edward H. Jackson and Rebecca Love, the granddaughter of John Jackson and a Miss Hadden, the daugh- ter of David Hadden, and the great granddaughter of John Jackson, who was the son of John Jackson and Elizabeth Cummins, English immigrants to America.
The subject of this sketch has succeeded in the practice of medicine and has for his reward a sufficiency of earthly goods to take care of him and his.
His children are both daughters and the names are: Annie Maud, student at Peabody Institute, Baltimore, Md., and Carrie Virginia.
CHARLES WARREN SCOTT, born in Virginia, December 12, 1839, and married Eliza McCray, May 16, 1877, she was born June 27, 1840.
Children : Margaret Catherine, Lucy Jane, Edward Randolph, William Hut- chison, Charles Luther, Robert Amos, Hettie Alletha, Ernest Clawson, Eva Caro- line, Ford Huff.
Charles Luther was a soldier in the U. S. Army and died in service November 8, 1902.
Mrs. Scott was a daughter of Robert McCray, who was the son of James Mc- Cray an emigrant from Scotland to Pendleton County about the year 1812. Her mother was Margaret Bennett, the daughter of William Bennett, who was the father of eleven children, whose names are: Sarah Jane, James, William, Hannah, Robert, Rebecca, Evan, Joseph, Jonathan, Mary, Eliza and Charles.
The subject of this sketch was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Rock Cave and has been a loyal worker and supporter of his denomination for many years prior to his death, May 30, 1906.
GEORGE WHITE SCOTT, son of William and Susan (Channel) Scott, was born January 17, 1854, in Randolph County, and the grandson of Benjamin Ericson Scott, who was born in 1788, on North Fork of the Potomac river, and the great grandson of John and Mary Scott of Ireland. His grandfather married Jane Currence, daughter of William and Polly Currence of Randolph County.
The subject of this sketch, October 15, 1881, married Lucy Carpenter, daughter of Daniel and Elmira (Weaver) Carpenter and a granddaughter of Coonrod Carpenter of Barbour County, who was of German descent. Their children are : Celia Catherine, Amelia, Stella, Daniel Freeman and Iris.
Mr. Scott is a farmer of Washington District. Is a Methodist in religion and a Democrat in politics.
DAVID EDGAR SCOTT, born near Tallmansville, May 22, 1881, son of Frank Pierce Scott and Prudence Shipman, daughter of John B. Shipman.
David E. Scott was educated in the public school at Buckhannon and at West Virginia Conference Seminary. In 1901 he quit school to accept a lucrative posi- tion with the Randolph Grocery Company, just newly organized, with its place of business at Elkins, W. Va. After one year's service with this company he resigned to accept the tellership in the Traders' National Bank at Buckhannon, which place he held until December 31, 1905. At the City Election of January, 1905, he was chosen recorder, which duties, along with his bank work he per- formed until he removed to California in 1906.
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WILLIAM HUTCHISON SCOTT, born in Upshur County, son of Charles Warren Scott and Mary Eliza McCray. He follows teaming and keeps one or more good teams always on hand and constantly in use, hauling large loads of lumber and goods to and from Buckhannon. He claims to have hauted with one team, weighing 2700 pounds, the largest load of goods hauled from Buckhannon to Rock Cave. The load weighed 4,654 pounds, plus his own weight of 165 pounds.
He is temperate and reverent. A Free Mason, a Junior and a Republican. ADAM SEE and MICHAEL SEE, two brothers, came from somewhere east of the mountains of the Old Dominion (the writer is not informed as to the exact place), and settled in Tygart's Valley, at or near the town of Hut- tonsville, Randolph County, during the latter part of the 18th century. Adam was a lawyer, being admitted to the Randolph County Bar in 1793, and was the third prosecuting attorney of Randolph County, being elected to that office in the year 1798. He died about the year 1840, leaving a large estate, and is buried in the old Brick Church Cemetery near the town of Huttonsville. . .
Michael See was a farmer owning a fine farm of more than 500 acres in the Tygart's Valley, between the town of Huttonsville and the present site of the town of Mill Creek. On this farm he erected a brick residence probably the first brick structure ever erected in Randolph County, the main part of which is still standing near the Parkersburg and Staunton Turn Pike. This farm he sold in the year 1828 to Charles C. See (a son of Adam See) and taking his family with him, he emigrated to Missouri, locating in Montgomery County in that State. His family, so far as the writer is informed, consisted of John, Jacob, Noah and Anthony B. See. Noah and Jacob became men of wealth and prominence in their country and their posterity have held many positions of honor and trust in the State of Missouri. Thomas Jefferson Jackson See, son of Noah, is one of the noted astronomers of this country, having written a number of books on that sub- ject, and at the present time is the chief of the Government Astronomical Obser- vatory at Washington, D. C. Missouri counts him among her greatest men.
Anthony B. See, having contracted the ague in the new country, came back to his native State of Virginia, and in the year -, married Julia Leonard, a member of a New England family that came from the State of Massachusetts about the year 1824, and settled at French Creek, in Upshur County. Julia was the oldest of the Leonard family, having been born in 1812, and was 12 years old at the time the family moved to French Creek ; she died in 1902, being 90 years old at the time of her death. Anthony B. See was by occupation a farmer and cattle raiser. He was one of the contractors under the state of Virginia, for the con- struction of the Parkersburg and Staunton turnpike, and built many miles of that famous thoroughfare through Upshur and Randolph Counties. He was also engaged in the mercantile business and hotel business in Buckhannon. He is said to have been a man of large physique, great physical strength and endurance, indomitable will, and hasty temper. He is said by those who knew him to have been honest in his business dealings, true to his friends and lavish in the bestowal of favors on those whom he liked, but an implacable foe of those who incurred his enmity. He died in the year 1859, being at the time of his death still in the prime of life.
His family consisted of the following sons and daughters viz : Claudius B., Randolph, George W. and Seymore, Louisa, Jane, Martha, Adelia, Virginia and Catherine.
Claudius B. See was a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War. He
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was commissioned First Lieutenant of Company E of the 3d Virginia Infantry, being the first company organized at French Creek in the spring of 1861. He was later transferred to the cavalry service and served until the close of the war. He was a young man of fine physique, great physical strength and endurance, but the exposures and hardships of the soldier life wrecked his fine constitution and he returned to his home broken in health and shortly after the close of the war died with consumption. He was at the time of his death a young man still in the spring time of life. He is said by all his old comrades to have been a brave and gallant sold'er, daring and fearless in the rischarge of his duties, and to perpetuate his memory the G. A. R. Post and the Sons of Veterans Camp at French Creek are named for him, being designated as the C. B. See G. A. R. Post and the C. B. See S. V. Camp.
Randolph See is a farmer now living at Frenchton. He was also a Union soldier in the Civil War holding the rank of Second Lieutenant, in the same company of which his brother Clodius B. See was First Lieutenant and S. B. Phillips was Captain. He served as a soldier until about the year 1863, taking part in many engagements of the early years of the war, then resigned his com- mission and went to the State of Illinois where he engaged in farming for several years, then by reason of ill health, brought on by climatic conditions existing in a new country, he returned to his native state, where he has since resided.
George W. See was also a soldier fighting on the side of the Union. He served his country as a soldier until the close of the war, taking part in many of the great engagements and was wounded at the Second Battle of Bull Run. The war being over, he emigrated to the State of Missouri, locating in Montgom- ery County, where he engaged in business and succeeded in accumulating an ample estate. He died in 1902.
Seymore See is a farmer and merchant living at French Creek. Louisa mar- ried Martin Burr, and still lives near French. Creek, in Upshur County.
Jane (now deceased) married William Townsend, who was captured with the Militia in 1863, and died in Andersonville prison.
Adelia married Alva Brooks and resides at French Creek.
Martha (now deceased) married R. P. McAvoy, who still resides at French Creek.
Virginia married John Randolph Crouch and lives in the Tygart's Valley, in Randolph County.
Catherine married J. L. Talbot and resides in Harrison County, West Vir- ginia.
FLOYD PEEBLES SEXTON, merchant and insurance agent. Was born December, 1856, at French Creek. Was oldest child and the only son of Wor- thington Lafayette and Jane ( Wingrove) Sexton. His sisters were Amy Walker, Celina Asper, Ada Beer. His grandparents were Augustus Sexton and Annie (Young) Sexton. He was educated in the public schools, French Creek Academy and Parkersburg Business College. He founded the business department of the Normal and Classical Academy in Buckhannon in 1885, and was its principal for five years. He served the educational interests of Upshur County many years as teacher in the common schools and crowned his work in this line two terms as County Superintendent of Public Schools from 1886 to 1890. In the last named year he began the Insurance Business and complemented it with the mercantile- business, both of which he still pursues.
He married Amy Adelia MacAvoy, July 20, 1887.
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Children : Edith W., born May 28, 1888; Genevieve, born February 22, 1892; Augustus M., born November 22, 1895.
FREEMAN FAREFIELD SEXTON, born August 14, 1827. Son of Augustus and Anna L. (Young) Sexton and grandson of Noah and Martha Sexton, natives of Massachusetts, who emigrated from that State about 1815.
Mr. Sexton is a farmer of Meade District. In his young manhood took up this reliable vocation and now owns 150 acres of well improved land with a good home and out buildings thereon, near the Postoffice of French Creek.
On December 23, 1851, he married Mildred Virginia Craig, who was the daughter of William and Emily (Brown) Craig. Her father emigrated from Albermarle County, Va., in 1845, settling in Lewis County and lived there till his death, which occurred at the ripe age of 100 years, 5 months and one day.
Mr. Craig was a Southern Methodist in religion, and a tobacco farmer during the most of his life.
Children are: Emma M., wife of Seymore See; Louisa M., wife of Arthur Gould ; Lucy E., wife of A. M. Linger ; Martha T., dead ; Eliza A., wife of W. B. Linger; William W., dead; Ida M., wife of L. P. Shinn; French A., married Harriet Dix ; Ettie E., milliner at Buckhannon.
Mr. Sexton's father was widely known as a school teacher in this and adjoining counties for the forty years he worked at this profession.
The subject of this sketch is a Presbyterian, an Elder in the Church for many years. Lives on his farm near French Creek.
GEORGE ASBURY SEXTON, born June 4, 1840. The son of William Sexton and Sarah Jackson and grandson of Noah Sexton of Worthington, Mass., who emigrated to the valley of the Buckhannon River in the year 1814, first settling on Middlefork, then at French Creek and lastly on the waters of Brushy Fork. He was one of nine children, his brothers and sisters being: Daniel, Wil- liam Jackson, Edward Jason, Rebacca Jane, Margaret E., Sarah, Clinton, Amy and David S.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was attached to Rosecrans and McClellan's command, being detailed by General Westfall to escort that command from Parkersburg to Buckhannon. General Rosecrans selected him to do secret service work and in this capacity he served his superiors so well that the General recommended him for promotion and asked that he be made a Second Lieutenant. The honor was unhesitatingly conferred upon him. On June 24, 1863, he married Virginia L. McNulty, daughter of Clark and Catherine ( Hyer) McNulty.
Children : Jason W., married Eula Huff ; Greta, married J. E. Martin ; Lorena Bird, married Homer Heavner; Annie, single.
REV. WILLIAM J. SHARPES was born in Harrison County, Va., now Taylor County, W. Va., January 17, 1836. He was the son of George Sharpes, who married Priscilla Zinn and to this union were born fifteen children, nine sons and six daughters, all of whom grew to be men and women, W. J. being the fourth one of the number. His grandfather married Sarah Neptune, a Welch lady, and to this union were born three sons and one daughter. His great grandfather came from South Wales to this country in 1774, became an earnest advocate of Independence, joined the Army as a soldier, but was detailed as blacksmith, ax-maker and helped to forge two chains to stretch across the Potomac River to keep the English war vessels from coming to Washington. He married a Welch lady soon after the Revolution and settled on Savage River above Western Port, Md., the farm is still known as the Sharpes farm. To this union
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were born fifteen children. After many years he sold his farm and moved to his son Jesse's, the grandfather of this sketch, where he and his wife died at a good old age. The farm was sold for $4,500, and the subject of this sketch remembers how difficult it was to hide so much money of that kind as there were no banks. W. J. obtained as good an education as his county could then give him and taught several schools, but he preferred farming to any other occupation. But in May 1861, at the call of the Governor of Virginia for troops to resist the troops from Ohio and Indiana he joined the guards at Fetterman, W. Va., and continued with the Confederate Army, was present at the Battle of Philippi. After the surrender of Col. Peagram at Rich Mountain, and the retreat of Gen. Garnett from Laurel Hill, he joined Generals Loving and Lee on Valley Mountain. But his grief because of the war became so great that it overcome his physical strength and he left the army for several months. Then in November, joined the army again at Camp Barto on the Greenbrier River, under Gen. Ed. Johnson and was detailed for work in the commissary and remained in that capacity during Gen. Stonewall Jackson's campaign in the valley and before Richmond, thence to meet Gen. Pope's army at Manassas Junction. But when the heavy drafts were made for men to recruit the Confederate army he joined Robinson's company of the 25th Virginia, and was detailed for special duty on Gen. Ed. Johnson's Staff and re- mained there until the 12th day of May, 1864, when Johnson was captured by Gen. Hancock at the bloody angle near Spottsylvania Court House. Then for his ga lantry in meeting and defeating the victors under Gen. Hancock, Gen. John B. Gordon was appointed to take Johnson's place as commander of the Jackson Corps and he was a courier on Gordon's Staff, and some time after was appointed Sergeant of Couriers and held that place until the surrender at Appomatox Court House and was paroled as such. After the surrender he came with Gen. Gordon to Petersburg, where the General joined his wife and son, who had been born a few days before the retreat. There he parted from the General receiving as a keepsake a very fine razor, which he still has in fine trim and prizes it very highly for the sake of the one that is now no more. He took the boat at City Point and came to Washington, got there the morning after President Lincoln was killed, was detained a prisoner for three weeks, until Gen. Grant came from the field and told the war department his paroles must be honored, so was released and sent home. He was in the following ba'tles: Winchester, Gettysburg, battle of Manassas, Payne's farm, Mine Run, the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Hatchers Run. Petersburg, and in the rear with Gordon, who covered the retreat to Appomatox; there, Gen. Gordon was ordered to the front to charge the enemy and see what forces were in the front, made the charge and found a large body of infantry and cavalry, who fell back at the approach of the Confeder- ates not wishing to be killed so late in the war, when Gen. Gordon found so large a force in front and on his flank he turned and said: "Sharpes you go and tell Gen, Evans," who commanded the charging column, "to stop and move by his left flank back to the Court House." In discharge of this duty he heard the last bullet whistle, which only seemed to miss his nose two or three inches, saw the sur- render. Had been five days without anything to eat and Gen. Grant's men gave the Confederates two days' of their rations and did without themselves. In 1866 he married the oldest daughter of Thomas and Sarah Rexroad of Upshur County, W. Va. To this union were born four children. The oldest, a daughter, still lives, the other three are dead, Lillie S., married E. O. Ridenoun of Aurora, Pres- ton County, W. Va., to this un'on were born four children, one of whom dier re- cently, and they moved to Buckhannon, where they expect to live.
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He was converted at seventeen and joined the Baptist Church, but feeling it his indispensable duty to preach the gospel and being hindered by complications caused by the war, in that church, he joined the M. E. Church, and for thirty eight years served as a minister, but now superannuated and settled down with his faithful and loving wife, to spend the rest of their days. He sometimes boasts that his war record was as strictly honest and religious as any part of his life.
JASPER N. SHAW, born November 10, 1861, son of Thomas Shaw and Martha Martin, the daughter of Geo. W. Martin. His father's children are: Luther W., Joseph K .,Prudence A., Elva J., David L., and Jasper N. His paternal ancestor served his country four years in the Civil War, as private in Company B, Ioth Virginia Volunteer Infantry. The subject of this sketch was a teacher for four years, was elected assessor of the Second District of Upshur County, in 1900, and when his term of office expired, went into business at Gaines and Canaan, as merchant. He owns teams of horses. He married Martha D. Rexroad, daughter . . Thomas Rexroad, June 22, 1887. Children : Robert D., born June I, I& G ; Ernest T., born March 10, 1891 ; Clarence C., dead ; Earl Cranston, born April, 1894; Elva Pearl, born December, 1896; Gtty Roose- velta, born September 20, 1904.
THOMAS A. SHAW, son of Luther W. and Virginia (Bunner) Shaw, born August 15, 1885, in Randolph County. Married Maud F. Jones, daughter of Albert Jones, August 15, 1905, and moved to Buckhannon in 1906, to run a restaurant and hotel.
JACOB B. SHOCKEY, born August 16, 1870, near Philippi, Barbour County, son of Ira Shockey and Malissa J. Newlon, and the grandson of Jacob Shockey, Sr., and Minerva Kemp, both of whom came from near Lake Erie and settled in Barbour County about 1855. His mother was a daughter of Burr Newlon and Sally Lake and the granddaughter on her mother's side of Harrison Lake, who was the son of William Lake, a soldier in the Revolutionary Army and who, with his father, named Stephen Lake, and his brothers, Richard, Red- man and John, emigrated from England to this country just prior to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. Stephen Lake settled in Fauquier County, Va., and his two sons, William and John, remained with him, while Richard and Redman went back to England and never returned.
EMMA SHREVE, daughter of Baxter and Malinda (Dean) Bennett. born September 23, 1871, and wife of Ira T. Shreve, carpenter, the son of N. G. and Martha (Harper) Shreve. Marriage occurred November 8, 1893.
Children : Howard Russel, born April 4, 1895; Vida Pearl, born January 13, 1897; Leslie Ray, born September 2, 1900; Clinton Paul, born April 29, 1903.
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