Jeff, +++ You wrote me on 10 Nov 98. Here are my respnses to your post. > I enjoyed your recent posting on the Dutch Colonies list. I am also a > descendent of Samuel Stalnaker, which means I connect with the Westfalls, > Kuykendall, etc lines. I too wonder whether Stalnaker was Dutch or German. > I have seen it listed both ways. Most say German, but below, in an aricle > sent to me by another researcher, he is referred to as "the old Dutchman". Was this Captian Samuel Stalnaker? > Of course this means very little as the German PA settlers were (and still > are) referred to as Pennsylvania Dutch. I believe there is definitly some > problems with distinguishing the two nationalities, especially in Colonial > times. +++ This I can believe. > My line eventually made it to Barbour and then Calhoun County WV. I will > send you the info I have on this line to me if you are interested. Not at the moment Jeff, but others may be interested. > Based on lack of information concerning the Stalnaker name in Colonial > America prior to the 1740s, it seems that Samuel was the first Stalnaker in > this country. > He was in Augusta County, VA before 1748 as proven in the Journal of Dr. > Walker who states that in April of 1748, he (Dr Walker) met Samuel Stalnaker > on his way to meet with the Cherokees (Filson Club Papers, No.13, p 42). +++ I had Samuel being born in 1746. But I have no source for that information. I did not know who his wife was. I also only had info on one son, Jacob Stalnaker Sr. I do not have a Birth date for Jacob, but he came to the Tygart Valley in 1772. His Will was proved in 1792. > Samuel was already an experienced trader and hunter, and is believed to > have told Walker of the Cumberland Gap at that time. He is believed to have > been the first White Man to discover the Cumberland Gap, years before Daniel > Boone. On March 23, 1750, Dr Walker and his associates, on their way to > Kentucky, again met Stalnaker on the Middle Fork of Holsten, and > helped him to build his house. This was then the last settlement of > Virginia to the westward. > On June 18, 1755, Samuel Stalnaker, "of Holsten" was captured by the > Shawnee, and his son Adam and Mrs. Stalnaker were killed by the same party. > According to several letters to Governor Dinwiddie, of various dates > between June and July 1756, it states that Stalnaker, an inhabitant of > Augusta Co., had been captured by teh Shawnese, but had escaped and had > reported on the number of French and Indians he had seen (Dinwiddie Papers, > II, 447, 448, 451). +++ I have these same notes > In September, 1756, the Governor wrote to Col. Clement Read, > County-Lieutenant of Lunenburg, directing him to give Stalnaker 100 Pounds > to qualify him to raise his company and to build a little fort at Draper's > Meadows (now Smithfield, Montgomery County). This settlement here was, at > the time, the first west of the Alleghany divide, and the first on Wood's > or New River. > The garrison was probably not long retained here, as Dinwiddie, > writing to Major Lewis, Dec 17, 1756, says that he does not think that > Stalnaker should complain at the reduction of teh number of forts, but > thinks it would be well to appoint him a lieutenant in a fort, "being well > acquainted with the woods, and a good Pilot or Guide upon occassion". > (Dinwiddie Papers, II, 567). > Stalnaker was present at a council of war held at Staunton, July 29, > 1756, to determine the location of forts to be built on the frontier > (Summer's History of Southwest Virginia, pp 66, 67). Mr. Summers thinks > that it was at his request that stockade forts were built at Dunkard's > Bottom, on New River, and at Davis' Bottom, on the head waters of the > Middle Fork of Holston. It was intended that Captain Stalnaker should take > part in an expedition against the Shawnese which was in preparation in the > beginning of 1757, but the campaign was abandoned. +++ An interesting fact is that Captain Samuel Stalnakers house was chosen as the meeting place for treating with the Indians by his Majesties Commissioners, at request of Chief of Cherokees held at Catawba Town and Broad River in March, 1756. > About 1768 or 1769, J. F. D. Smyth, the English traveller, visited > Southwest Virginia, and found Stalnaker living at his old house on the > Middle Fork of Holston. He says that after crossing that stream three > times during the day, "at night we came to Stalnaker's, where a few people, > indeed all the inhabitants, had erected a kind of wretched stockade fort > for protection against the Indians; but they had all left it a few days > before our arrival and returned to their respective homes. We remained for > two days at the old Dutchman's house, for rest and refreshment for > ourselves and our horses, and also to make inquiry concerning our future > route " to Kentucky. The old pioneer, still wise in all the learning of > the wilderness, was able to describe to Smyth, as he had many years before > to Walker, a new route to Kentucky, which had recently been discovered, and > which was a nearer way than that most commonly used. > Much of this information was from Virginia Historical Magazine, Volume > 13, p 252, 253. +++ Captain Stalnakers death is wrapped in as much mystery as his birth and marriage. We know he had three sons, perhaps more and that his wife and son, Adam, were killed in 1755. Another son, George, was appointed Constable on waters of Holston and New Rivers in 1755, Withers History of Southern West Virginia (Page 109-110) writes of George Stalnaker as later of Boltetourt? County in 1770. Of this branch of the family nothing is known. The third son would be Jacob Stalnaker Sr. that married Elizabeth Truby. Jay