USA > West Virginia > West Virginia and its people, Volume II > Part 43
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Third Generation-Clinton Poffenbarger, a farmer, residing at Beech Hill in Mason county. He was born in Arbuckle district, September 15, 1832. He has been not only a successful farmer, but he and his family have been leading spirits in the Methodist Episcopal church in their com- munity. Mr. Poffenbarger, while in the prime of life, held many offices of trust in his district. He married Sarah Lewis, who was born April 6, 1832, died March 15, 1898, and is buried at Pine Grove, in Arbuckle dis- frict. Clinton Poffenbarger is the son of
Fourth Generation .- Paternal: Henry Poffenbarger, born in Washing- ton county, Maryland, near Hagerstown: was a soldier of the war of 1812, having enlisted in Augusta City, Virginia, in Captain Brisco G. Baldwin's company. In 1816 he emigrated to Ohio. He was three times married : 1. Margaret Von Ferson : 2. Lydia Gilliland ; 3. Margaret Ann Martin.
This line is traced from the marriage of Lydia Gilliland, who was born June 8, 1813, married, November 30, 1832, died November 26, 1849. Henry Poffenbarger, a member of the Methodist church, was not only a pillar of strength in his church and a leading citizen, but was one of the most enterprising men in the Kanawha Valley. He was not only a skilled blacksmith at a time when all farm implements were made by hand, but operated a grist mill, was a successful farmer, and bought the first thresh- ing machine ever brought to the Kanawha Valley.
Sarah Lewis, of the third generation, was the daughter of George Lewis, farmer, residing in Robinson district, Mason county, Virginia, married, January 27, 1831, Ann Pullin. George Lewis died March, 1862; Ann (Pullin) Lewis died June, 1869.
Fifth Generation-Paternal : John Poffenbarger, of Washington coun- ty. Maryland, was a prosperous man and skilled artisan. He operated
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such large blacksmith shops and their forges gave out such volumes of smoke, that the village built up around his works was called Smoke Town, which is yet extant. In his will he appointed his son Henry as one of the administrators of his estate. No marriage records being then re- corded in Maryland, we find by his will that his wife's name was Mary, maiden name unknown, as is disclosed in the previous records of the family where for three other generations the wife was Mary, surname before marriage unknown.
William Gilliland, born 1789, married Ann Edmunston, daughter of his step-mother, both of Pocahontas county, Virginia, who settled in Ma- son county in 1808, where all their children were born.
Maternal: John Lewis married Eliza Edwards, July 22, 1795, in Monroe county, Virginia, now West Virginia, and located near their par- ents later in Mason county.
Jonathan Pullin, son of James Peoples Pullin, married Sallie Callahan, in Bath county, Virginia, in 1810.
Sixth Generation-Paternal : Valentine Poffenbarger, of Washing- ton county, Maryland, married Mary -. First settlement of his estate following his death occurred January 2, 1779.
James Gilliland, born in Augusta county, Virginia, died February 14, 1844, aged ninety-nine years, in Greenbrier county, having been a revolu- tionary soldier, serving first as a private, promoted to a lieutenant, for which on February 5, 1834, he was granted a pension of $78.22 per an- num. His wife was Lydia Armstrong, a member of one of the best known families in Augusta county, Virginia.
James Edmiston, a revolutionary soldier, settled in Greenbrier coun- ty, Virginia, where he died October 7, 1817, married Jane Smith, emi- grant from Ireland, who after her husband's death became the second wife of James Gilliland above mentioned, whose son William had mar- ried her daughter Ann, and thus became the stepmother of her son-in-law and the stepmother-in-law of her own daughter, without violating any law of the state or nature.
Maternal: Benjamin Lewis was the progenitor of a large family in Mason county, Virginia, where with his wife Nancy he located in 1792, coming from Greenbrier, where with his brothers George and John and sister, Mrs. Van Orzel, he had located following the revolutionary war, he having served as a sergeant in Captain Spotswood's company, Ioth Virginia Regiment, commanded by, successively Colonel Edward Stevens, Major Samuel Howe and Colonel John Green. He enlisted November 29, 1776, discharged July 5, 1778.
Arthur Edwards, born in Augusta county, Virginia, August 16, 1744, married, January 15, 1775, Jane Withrow, born at Germantown, Penn- sylvania, 1751, thence to Lick Run, Virginia, North Branch of the Shen- andoah, and in 1785 removed to Greenbrier county, Virginia, on Indian creek, now Monroe county, thence in 1801 to lands in Mason county, Virginia, eight miles above Point Pleasant, on the Ohio. He died in 1820, his wife in 1830, and are buried in the Barnett cemetery on Kana- wha Three Mile. Arthur Edwards was a revolutionary soldier.
Seventh Generation-Paternal : George Poffenbarger, emigrant, Sep- tember 29, 1733, from Germany in ship "Pink Mary," brought his wife and four children, and other children were born in America. They landed at Philadelphia and became founders of families in that state, and their descendants are now numerous throughout the states. This line is traced through their son, Valentine, who settled in Washington county, Mary- land.
Nathan Gilliland, of Augusta county, Virginia, married
Matthew Edmiston, emigrant from Scotland to Chester county, Penn-
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sylvania, thence to Augusta county, Virginia, about 1740. He was the father of six sons-Robert, Andrew, John, James, William and Samuel ; and of two grandsons who were revolutionary soldiers and distinguished themselves at Kings Mountain. This line is traced from James Edmis- ton. The family traces back to Sir David Edmiston, cupbearer to King James I. and to Sir James Edmiston, standard bearer of the Royal colors at the battle of Sheriffmuir. The family in the two Virginias have been eminent. Among them was Judge Matthew Edmiston, member of both houses of the Virginia General Assembly, member of West Virginia Con- stitutional Convention, 1872; and in 1866 was appointed member of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, dying June 29, 1887.
Maternal : Hugh Edwards, born in Wales, emigrated to Pennsylvania early in life, married - -, and reared a large family before settling in Augusta county. Virginia, where he died in 1752, survived by one daugh- ter and seven sons.
Eighth Generation-Paternal : Samuel Gilliland, emigrant (Scotch- Irish) to America, married in Pennsylvania before locating in Virginia in 1740, Elizabeth Smith.
The family is traced back to Scotland, where in the sixteenth century they were prominent in the Highland wars. The name was then spelled Mac Gillyshallon. Fairbriens Crests also gives the name as Gillon, Gilli- land, Gillisclond ; and, in Northumberland, Gillisland.
Mrs. Livia Simpson-Poffenbarger, wife of Judge Poffenbarger, is not only the most widely known of any woman in West Virginia, but en- joys an acquaintance with eminent men and women that is nation wide.
She has been connected with newspaper work for many years, having since December, 1888, been the publisher of the State Gazette, a Republi- can newspaper at Point Pleasant. The paper has at all times been recog- nized as one of the forceful papers of the state. Mrs. Poffenbarger has been active in politics and is an adviser in the eminent councils of her party. Among the monuments to her energy in her home town is a splendid federal building for which the government appropriated $112, 500, the largest appropriation ever allowed for any town of the size in the United States. Through her efforts the Congress of the United States officially recognized the battle of Point Pleasant as the first battle of the American Revolution, and appropriated $10,000 to aid in the erection of the monument now marking the historic spot. She was the founder of the Col. Charles Lewis Chapter, D. A. R., the largest chapter of that or- ganization in West Virginia. That chapter, on its tenth anniversary, con- ferred upon her the office of honorary life regent. She organized the Point Pleasant Development Company, founders of North Point Pleasant, a suburb of Point Pleasant. She has aided in organizing substantial bus- iness firms and civic organizations. She secured appropriations from her state totaling $10,000, and secured an additional $8,000 for Tu Endie Wei Park, and made the dedicatory speech on October 10, 1901, when 10,000 people assembled to honor the heroes of the battle of Point Pleasant. She was the organizing force behind the 30,000 people assembled when the Battle Monument was unveiled on October 9. 1909. Aside from her duties as wife and mother and publisher, she is the author of a number of family histories, and of "The Battle of Point Pleasant, the First Bat- tle of the American Revolution," whose history is recognized by the patriotic societies as the most complete of that battle extant, and the facts and argument contained in that volume were those upon which Con- gress and the legislature of West Virginia based recognition of the claims for that historic epoch. Mrs. Poffenbarger is a member of the Presbyterian church, National Historical Society. National Geographical Society. Woman's National Press Association, the vice-president for
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West Virginia Republican Editorial Association, organizing general of the Sons and Daughters of Pilgrims, member National Genealogical So- ciety, National Woman's Rivers and Harbors Congress, Ohio Valley His- torical Society, Ohio Archeological and Historical Society, besides hold- ing membership in a number of family associations of the East.
Her lines of descent are from the most eminent, tracing largely back to founders of New England, thence to Continental Europe through well established unbroken lines back to 986.
Lina Simpson Poffenbarger was born at Pomeroy, Ohio, March I, 1862, daughter of George Perry Simpson and Phebe Almeda Kennedy, his wife, a granddaughter of Judge Norton Simpson and wife Lina Nye, and of James Kennedy and Marie Marguerite Von Schriltz. Judge Nor- ton Simpson descended from Andrew Simpson, Boston, 1727, and of Jo- siah Simpson, revolutionary soldier. James Kennedy descended from Robert Kennedy, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1733.
The Pilgrim News Letter, official publication of the Sons and Daugh- ters of Pilgrims, under date of June, 1911, says of her lineage :
"She is also a member of the Sons and Daughters of Pilgrims, holding the banner record for eligibility to the society, through sixty-one emigrant ancestors prior to 1650, and forty-five native ancestors prior to 1692; a total of one hundred and six ancestors on each of whom she can claim membership with the Society. The list of these ancestors is as follows, namely: Ensign John Nye, married Oc- tober 25, 1710: Sarah Cook; Ichabod Hinckley, born August 8, 1680; Caleb Nye took oath of Fidelity 1678; Elizabeth Atwood 16 : George Cook 16 -: Sarah Place 16 -; Ensign John Hinckley, born May 26, 1644: Bethia Lothrop, born July 25, 1649; William Bassett, born 1679; Abigail Bourne, born July 22, 1684; Thomas Sawyer, emigrant 1646; Marie Prescott 16 -: Thomas Gardiner, 16 -; Mary Por- ter, 16 -; Daniel Howland; Mary Sampson; Zoeth Howland; Henry Howland, emigrant 1633: Mary Howland, died 1674; Josiah Grant. born November 19, 1668; Rebecca Miner, born September 1672; Ebenezer Williams, born December 6, 1666; Mary Wheeler, born November 22, 1668; John Breed, born June 18, 1663; Mercy Palmer, born 1668; Samuel Prentice, born 1680; Esther Hammond 16 -; Benja- min Nye, born May 4, 1620, emigrant 1635: Katherine Tupper, born 16-, emigrant 1635; John Atwood, emigrant 1636; Sarah Masterson. emigrant 1636; Fran- cis Cook, 16 -; (?) or Thomas Cook, 16 -. (?); Enoch Place, emi- grant 1631; Sarah Place, emigrant, 1631; Samuel Hinckley, emigrant 1635; Sarah Hinckley, emigrant, 1635: Thomas Lothrop, born 1621; Sarah (Larned) Ewer, emigrant 1634: Colonel William Bassett, born 1656; Elisha Bourne, born 1641 ; Patience Skiff, born March 25. 1652: John Prescott, emigrant 1646; Thomas Gardiner, 16 -; Margaret Frier 16 -: John Porter 16 -: Thomas Sampson 16 -; Samuel Grant, born 1631. Mary Porter, born 1638: Ephraim Miner, baptized May I. 1642; Hannah Avery, born 1644: Samuel Williams, born 1632: Theodore (Hol- grove) Park, married March 2, 1654: Allen Breed, born 1626, emigrant 1630; Mary Breed, born - 1630; Gershom Palmer, born -, emigrant 1628; Ann Dennison, born May 20, 1649; Thomas Prentice, born June 22, 1650: Sarah Stan- ton, born 1675; Nathaniel Hammond, 16 -: Captain Thomas Tupper, emigrant 1635; Ann Tupper, emigrant 1635: Richard Masterson, emigrant 16 -: Rev. John Lothrop, emigrant 1635; William Larned, emigrant 1630; Goodith Larned, emi- grant 1630; William Bassett, born 1624; Mary Burt, born 16 -; Richard Bourne, emigrant 1636: Bathsheba Hallet. emigrant 1636; James Skiff, emigrant 16 -: Henry Howland, emigrant 1633: Mary Howland, emigrant 1633: Matthew Grant, emigrant 1630; Priscilla Grant, emigrant 1630; Thomas Miner, born in England, 1608, emigrant 1628: Grace Palmer, born in England 1608, emigrant 1628; Cap- tain James Avery, born 1620, emigrant 1642: Joanna Grennslade, born 1622: Ben- jamin Hammond, emigrant 1643: Robert Williams, born in England 1598, emi- grant 1635: Elizabeth Stalham, emigrant 1635: Thomas Park, emigrant November 29, 1630; Dorothy Thompson, born July 5. 1624: Thomas Wheeler, emigrant 1635; Mary Wheeler, married 1645; Allen Breed, emigrant 1630; Walter Palmer, born 1585, emigrant 1538; 2. Rebecca Short: Captain George Dennison, emigrant 1631 ; Ann Boreodell, emigrant 1645: Captain Thomas Prentice, born 1621. emigrant 1650; General Thomas Stanton, emigrant 1635: Ann Lord. died 1688. emigrant 1635: Abraham Sampson, emigrant 1629; William Bassett, emigrant 1621: Eliza- beth Tilden, 162 -: High Burt 16 -: Andrew Hallett, emigrant 1637: Christopher Avery, born 1590, emigrant 1646: Robert Park, emigrant June 12, 1630; Martha Chapen, 1630; Alice Thompson (widow) 164 -: William Dennison, born 1603; Margaret (Chandler) Monk. Number of emigrant ancestors. prior to 1650, sixty-
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one; number of native ancestors, prior to 1692, forty-five. Total number of eligible ancestors for membership in Sons and Daughters of Pilgrims, one hundred and six."
Since which time a search of the records have added to this remarka- ble list of ancestors the names of John Porter (1) and Anna White, his wife ; Robert White and wife, Bridget Alger, and Thomas Tilden, 1623, a total of emigrant ancestors of sixty-six, and ancestors in America prior to 1692, III.
Crossing the waters, the line is extended to Thomas Nye, married, 1583, Margaret Mrynge, of London : William Hammond, of England, married Elizabeth, sister of William Penn, London.
The Miner Line being Thomas Miner, emigrant born 1608, married Grace Palmer ; Clement Miner, married Sarah Pope; Thomas Miner, married Bridget Herne ; Lodowick Miner, married Anna Dyer ; Willian Miner, died 1359, making an unbroken line for eighteen generations in a period of over five hundred years. The Nyes trace back to the Bishop of Roskelde, Denmark, 1316, thence to Herold Blontoud, died 985, whose daughter married Styribion, son of Olaf, King of Sweden; through Charles the Bold, the Bassetts trace a direct line to Thurston de Bassett, Justice of all England, and are direct descendants of Henry I. and King Charles the Bold, 880.
RUCKER The great body of Dutch immigrants into what is now the United States settled in and near the present states of New York and New Jersey, and came to these shores in the spirit of military adventure and with the purpose of founding a great colony. In the present family we have, however, the instance of a later Dutch immigrant, submitting not by force to the greater might of Britain, but willingly settling within the territory of the English colonial empire of the day.
(I) Ambrose Rucker, the founder of this family, was born in Hol- land, March 1, 1679, and died in Goochland county, Virginia, June 19, 1756. He was a great-grandson of the distinguished Admiral DeRuyter, who was noted for bravery, learning, and courtesy. Ambrose Rucker landed in America at the age of twenty-two. He was shipwrecked on the voyage, and clung to the timbers for three days before he was picked 11p. As might be inferred from this, he was a man of great strength. His height was six feet six inches, but he was well and proportionately built. He married, July 21. 1708, Dorcas Sorrel Waller (whose mother's name was Sorrel). Child: Reuben, of whom further.
(II) Reuben, son of Ambrose and Dorcas Sorrel ( Waller) Rucker, was born at Norfolk, Virginia, April 3, 1715, and died in Goochland county, February 17, 1783. He was a wealthy farmer and tobacco raiser. He married, May 25, 1750, Mary Clifton Hedly ( whose mother was a Garland). Child : Ambrose, of whom further.
(III) Ambrose, son of Reuben and Mary Clifton ( Hedley) Rucker, was born at Norfolk, November 9, 1755, and died in Amherst county, Vir- ginia, December 14, 1806. His home was in Amherst county. In the revolutionary war he held the rank of colonel. He married, July 4, 1773. Margaret, daughter of Colonel John and Mary Jane (Dawson ) McDaniel, whose father and maternal grandfather were revolutionary officers. Child : Ambrose (2), of whom further.
(IV) Ambrose (2), son of Ambrose (I) and Margaret (McDaniel) Rucker, was horn in Amherst county, September 2. 1777. and died in Am- herst county, February 23. 1839. In that county he made his home. He was a wealthy farmer therein. He served as chief justice of the county
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court. In the war of 1812 he was captured. He married, August 1, 1799, Elizabeth, daughter of Captain William and Mary Ann (Gaines) Parks. From another daugliter of Captain William Parks, the wife of William Parks Rucker (see paragraph (VI), this sketch) was descended. A warm and intimate friendship always existed between the Parks and Washington families, and this was strengthened by the marriage of An- drew, youngest brother of Captain William Parks, to George Washing- ton's niece and protegée. The Ruckers of the present day are also of blood kin with General Washington through the Lewises. Child of Am- brose (2) and Elizabeth (Parks) Rucker: Clifton Hedly, of whom further.
(V) Clifton Hedley, son of Ambrose (2) and Elizabeth (Parks) Rucker, was born in Amherst county, January 31, 1807, and died in Am- herst county, March 20. 1838. He was finely educated. He made his home at Lynchburg, Virginia, where he was a wealthy merchant and to- bacconist, one of the leading business men of that place. He married, January 13, 1831, Mary Jane Starke, daughter of Captain James Staples, of Stone Wall, Appomattox county, Virginia. She was a descendant of the Bradfords, Spottswoods, and Starkes; General John Starke, of the revolution, and Governor Spottswood, the first colonial governor of Vir- ginia, were her great-uncles. Child : William Parks, of whom further.
(VI) William Parks, son of Clifton Hedly and Mary Jane Starke (Staples) Rucker, was born at Lynchburg, November 9, 1831, and died at Lewisburg, West Virginia, January 3, 1905. He was educated at Laurel Hill Academy, Amherst county, Virginia ; Valley Union Seminary, Bote- tourt county, Virginia ; the University of Virginia, and Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. He practiced medicine for a time at Alvon, Green- brier county, Virginia, and afterward, from 1855 to 1862, at Covington, Alleghany county, Virginia. At Covington he became well-known and popular as a physician throughout that part of the state, and in his exten- sive practice he traveled over all its roads. He also was interested in pub- lic improvements and became president of the Covington & Lexington Turnpike Company. Although he was a large slave owner he was a staunch Unionist, believing neither in secession nor in revolution. His Unionism, before and in the early days of the civil war, brought him into many controversies and difficulties with his fellow townsmen. He had always been a Whig; in the election of 1860 he made many speeches for the Bell and Everett ticket, and was one of the "assistant electors" selected by the central executive committee of the state. In the spring of 1861, with Hon. John Minor Botts and General John J. Jackson, he ad- dressed the people of the state, boldly advocating Unionism while the Richmond convention was debating secession. This incurred for them the special political antagonism of Governor Letcher and his adherents. Shortly after this he left Covington in an effort to reach the Union lines, and came as far as Nicholas county ; but, finding no Union troops in that section, and fearing that he would be killed by bushwhackers, he returned safely to Covington. In the following July, he received through Post- master General Montgomery Blair and his old friend, John Minor Botts. appointment as postmaster of Covington, and was to send in the names of all disloyal postmasters in that section that these might be removed. For various reasons he could not accept this appointment, and he wrote a letter to Mr. Botts explaining the situation ; but the postmaster refused to forward the letter, and it never reached its destination.
Dr. Rucker's outspoken denunciations of the secessionists finally re- sulted in his being attacked by a mob, but he defied them with a bowie- knife and pistol and indulged in some fiery speaking. February 27, 1862, he left Covington, and went to the camp of Colonel Crook, of the 36th
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Ohio Infantry : he engaged with the army as chief of the secret service of the Mountain Department, and was afterwards appointed provost-mar- shal of Crook's brigade. His duties were important and confidential, and his knowledge of the country was of great value. He was a daring scout and raider. His most notable achievement in this line was the burning, under orders of General Fremont, of the Cow Pasture bridge ; with sev- enty-five men under his leadership this was successfully accomplished. and the loss of the bridge seriously crippled the movements of the Con- federates and cut off their supplies. His fame went through the Confed- eracy as a bridge-burner, horse-stealer, corn-stealer, etc. July 25, 1862, he and several other Union officers were surprised and captured at Sum- mersville, Nicholas county. Dr. Rucker was taken to the headquarters of General McCausland, at Salt Sulphur Springs. Here he was surrounded by a guard of seven men with loaded muskets and fixed bayonets ; a spec- ial forging was made for his security, an iron bar extended between his wrists, around which were welded and riveted strong iron bands, which were hammered on the anvil after being put on him. He was kept under the strictest surveillance, not to be spoken to, nor allowed any privileges. Lieutenant Duffy, who has since the war been auditor of West Virginia, being on one occasion officer of the day, broke the order to the extent of giving him some clean clothing, though with hardly a word. Several phy- sicians from Covington and other places and Hon. Allen T. Caperton, in- terceded for him. General McCausland began to think that Dr. Rucker was not so bad a man as he had thought, and revoked his harsh orders, also parted from him kindly when Dr. Rucker was taken away, but he was still under strict guard. He was committed as a prisoner of war, but Governor Letcher and his adherents demanded that he be held for treason and taken to Covington for trial, before the circuit court of Alle- ghany county. There were ten indictments against him, one of these be- ing for murder; but he had already been tried and acquited on this charge, and the court held that he could not be tried again. On the other counts, which inchided treason, his effort to secure a prompt trial was unsuccessful and the case was continued indefinitely. By direction of Lincoln and Stanton, General Milroy made a special effort to release him ; afterward, General Crook made a similar attempt. To avoid his release, the Confederates changed him from prison to prison : in all, he was in ten prisons. Retaliation for his harsh treatment was practiced on a Dr. Green. Helped by unknown friends, Dr. Rucker finally escaped from Pitt- sylvania county jail, near the North Carolina line, October 18, 1863. Wear- ing a Confederate lieutenant's uniform, and having a pretended authoriza- tion under an assumed name for special duty, he was carried by a waitng buggy to Lynchburg; in Lynchburg, he was presented with a fine horse. Governor Letcher offered a reward of $5,000 for his capture, alive or dead. At Covington he was recognized and nearly captured, but escaped afoot by a ruse. When he was almost in safety a very bitter secessionist recog - nized him ; but, from old friendship. he not only did not disclose his pres- ence but lent him a horse and sent his brother-in-law to accompany and assist him on his way. the Confederates being then in close pursuit. Fin- ally November 7th, twenty days after his escape, Dr. Rucker reached the Union lines. He was completely disabled, suffering with rheumatism and nervously broken down, and was carried in an ambulance to Charleston. Thence, when he was in better health, he went to Parkersburg, intending to visit his wife and family at Marietta, Ohio, where they had been cared for by the government. Stanton, however, summoned him from Parkers- burg peremptorily to Washington, as information, which only he could give, was much needed. Soon he was in the field again with Crook, and he was made major of the Thirteenth West Virginia Infantry. He was
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