From: "Faith Keahey" <keahey@cyberhighway.net> To: LONGHUNTERS-L@rootsweb.com Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1999 10:00:56 -0600 Subject: Capt Spencer Records #15 [Message-ID: <002701beb8da$a32bf1a0$8c32a1d1@keahey> Return-path: <LONGHUNTERS-L-request@rootsweb.com> Received: from mx5.boston.juno.com (mx5.boston.juno.com [207.205.100.54]) by x11.boston.juno.com with SMTP id AAA5YUHUSAS4QBLS for <hermfagley@juno.com> (sender <LONGHUNTERS-L-request@rootsweb.com>); Thu, 17 Jun 1999 12:12:00 -0400 (EST) Received: from bl-11.rootsweb.com (bl-11.rootsweb.com [204.212.38.27]) by mx5.boston.juno.com with SMTP id AAA5YUHURA7PWHQJ (sender <LONGHUNTERS-L-request@rootsweb.com>); Thu, 17 Jun 1999 12:11:59 -0400 (EST) Received: (from slist@localhost) by bl-11.rootsweb.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) id JAA22603; Thu, 17 Jun 1999 09:09:36 -0700 (PDT) Resent-From: LONGHUNTERS-L@rootsweb.com Resent-Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1999 09:09:36 -0700 (PDT) Resent-Sender: LONGHUNTERS-L-request@rootsweb.com Resent-Message-ID: <oCV3.A.ChF._2Ra3@bl-11.rootsweb.com> X-Status: Replied X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.1 X-Juno-Att: 0 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit [NOTE-CAPT RECORDS MEMORIES ARE ARCHIVIED AT ROOTSWEB.COM ARCHIVES FOR LONGHUNTERS-L@rootsweb.com . As are some others like WETZEL AND fAITH'S EDGLINGTON The 1st of June 1792, KY becoming a state, all commissions from the Government of VA became null. Sometime in November, I was elected Captain again, and recieved my commission from the Governor of KY, and on the 9th of Jan 1793, I was sworn into office by John Wilson, a Justice of the Peace. Sometime in the summer of this year, my brother Laban and myself were appointed to view a road from Germantown to Licking River, opposite the mouth of Beaver Creek, to intercect a road from that place to Georgetown. Also to measure it, amd mark the mile trees. We found it 19 1/2, at that time all the way through the woods. We found a good way for a road, which was some time after cut out, and it has been for a long time a public road. About this time, as near as I can recollect, William McGinnis, who lived half a mile from Washington, was shot down by the Indians, as he was standing in his yard between sunset and dark, but they did not venture to scalp him . Sometime in the fall of this year, Tobias Woods, Henry Woods, Absolom Craig, and Fielding Fagan set out to hunt on Locust creek. On their return home, they came to a fine spring that broke out at the foot of a bluff about 10' high. They encamped there, and set out to take an evening hunt. When they came in at night, one of them said laban Records was in the woods, for he had heard him laugh. But as none of them knew of his being out, Tobias was somewhat alarmed, thinking there might be Indians about. About two hours before day, he said, as he had no horse with him, he would set off and hunt home. At day-light, Fagan went to his horse, and began to unhobble him, and Henry went to the spring. The Indians, who appeared had fell on their trail, and followed them to their camp, laying in ambush behind a log on the bluff, where they had slipped up to after night, at this conjuncture fired on them, killing Henry at the spring and wounding Craig in the hip. Fagan made his escape and ran home. I raised 5 or 6 men and went with Fagan to the place. Woods lay at the spring, shot and scalped. Craig likewise lay at the camp, tomahawked and scalped. As Fagan said that he saw him running, about 50 yds from the camp, but, being shot in the hip, not being able to escape, we knew that he was overtaken, brought back to camp, and there slain. We saw where the Indians had lain behind the log, and left a deer skin - we cut a blue-ash sapling and split it. Of this we made shovels, digging a grave sufficient to keep the wolves from them. In this we laid the bodies, spread a blanket over them, and covered them up. These were the last persons slain by Indians in our part of the country. I have mentioned a number of times that the Indians stole horse, and perhaps there were a number that I have no recollection of at this time, as it was so long ago. In the year 1795 peace was made with the Indians, when I resigned my commission. In August, I set off for PA in a canoe, in company with my brother Laban, William Blackmore, and David Fink. At the mouth of the Great Kenhawa, we left our canoe and travelled by land. From the mouth of the Great Kenhawa to Belville, the Ohio River is very crooked, making it 60 miles by water. We steered through the woods, being directed by Col Lewis, and arrived at Belville at night, and on the next, at the mouth of the Little Kenhawa. Next morning we took the road to Clarksburg on the west fork of Monongahela, upon the east bank of the river. This is the seat of justice for Harrison Co, VA. 40 miles lower down stands Morgantown, the county seat on Monongahela Co. On the east side, 8 miles below Morgantown, Cheat River unites with the Monogahela by a mouth, 200 yds broad. This river has its source in the Greenbrier mountains, and runs north through a part of Randolph and Pocahontas Counties. Having decended the river to Brownsville, we returned home down the Ohio in a boat. The following August, I set off for PA again, in company with Robert Ellrod. We kept up the Ohio by land, and found some difficulty in travelling, having very often to ride up creeks some distance, in order to get above back water. At the mouth of Big Sandy, I was near getting drowned, by attempting to ford at its mouth. The depth of the water was about 3', but the depth of the quicksand we could not tell, as we found no bottom. We got about half way over it, but there was no chance of crossing it, as it still got worse. With much difficulty, we got out at the side we went in at, and proceeded up the river about two miles, where we found a good ford with a rocky bottom, and crossed over in safety. We arrived in PA about the last of the month. Some time in October. Zanes who had been employed by the United States to view and cut out a bridle path from Wheeling to Chillicothe, being at work thereon, we, in company with two other men, took that road, and came up with them about 10 miles from Chillicothe. We then steered through the woods to that place, and reached home, after an absence of 60 days. We were the first persons that ever travelled that road. In 1800, June 23rd. I sold my plantation in KY, and in August myself and wife set off for PA. We followed Zane's road and arrived there about the 1st of Sep. Shortly after our arrival, we both took fever and ague, and both had hard shakes every day. Not being able to ride home, we took passage in a boat laden with apples and cider, bound to Limestone. The river was so low that we were 60 days on it, and each of us had a hard shake every day. When we landed we were hardly able to ride home, and had ague almost the whole winter. I had more than 100 hard shakes, without missing a day, and ,many afterwards. In March 1801, I moved to the State of Ohio, and settled in Ross Co, on Sunfish creek, where I previously bought land. I there built a grist and saw mills. 1803. I was appointed with two other men to view a road from Newmarket to the Scioto salt works. 40 miles of it, was at the time through the woods. The other men, not being woodsmen, fell on me to lead. We found a good way for the road, which was some time after cut out and became a public road. 1804. I was solicited to be candidate for Captain, to which I objected; however, as I did not attend the election, I was run in, and recieved my commission from the Governor of OH, which I returned to Gen Mossie, letting him know, that it did not suit me to serve. 1805. I bought land on the wet fork of Brush creek, in Adams Co, now Brown, and in April moved and settled on it, and there built a grist mill. In the year 1821, I sold my plantation in Ohio, and moved to the State of Indiana, where I settled in Bartholomew Co, 6 miles north of Columbus. Here we suffered a great deal from sickness, and lost four of our children. 1833 was the last year, I was able tofarm my plantation. I then rented it for three years. The rent was sufficient to support us, but we were neither of us able to do the work which was required to be done; and as our children were all married, and left us, they advised us to break up house-keeping and live with some of them. This I was reluctant to do, but there seemed to be no alternative, about the last of Nov 1836, we went to live with our son-in-law Tunis Quick, and our daughter Susannah, with whom [1842] we still reside. We have had 13 living children, and one still born. We have had 87 grandchildren, but 21 have departed this life. We have had 7 great grand-children, 2 of whom have departed this life. Faith note: This is not the end of Capt Records - there arre still several pages of interesting appendix, and then follows the short recollections of Stephen Burkam, and then a few more appendix. ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.