Michelle and Stan, From: G. P. Goode Manuscript in Reference Book of Wyoming County History; Sometime in 1862/1863, John Lester and Edley Whitt, with their wives and children were traveling from the upper end of Wyoming County to some point in Kanawha County. On the road near the mouth of Toneyfork, they met Capt. Andrew Gunnoe and a squad of his home guards, who, knowing the men were Union sympathizers, took them prisoner and road away with them leaving their terrified women and children in the road to care for themselves. At the point just below the Sanders farm, Capt. Gunnoe, Charles S. Canterbury and Adoniram J. Lust continued on the road toward Elk Lick on horseback, the foot soldiers taking the prisoners over a path across the hill, a shorter way to Elk Lick. At the top of the hill the guards shot the prisoners and left them for dead, they continued on their way to join the officers at the Meeting house Branch where they all ate dinner. Soon after the shooting, passerby's found the prisoners. Lester was dead, Whitt, mortally wounded, was still living and had crawled to water. Lester was buried at the scene. Whitt was taken to Oceana where he was policed on a makeshift bed in the clerk's small brick office with the permission of James Cook, clerk. Here he lingered & suffered 20 days before death relieved him. During this time, his wife was permitted to be with him and helped take care of him. A religious woman, she not only cared for him physically but comforted him by singing and reading or quoting passages from the Bible. Other people were permitted to visit and talk with him, and he made statements about the shooting as he lay on his death bed. One of his visitors was Mattie, the wife of James cook, the clerk. His statements were not reduced to writing, but in 1865, when James Gunnoe was tried for his part in the affair, Whitt's statements were accepted as dying testimony with the result that Gunnoe was convicted. He was one of the men detailed to guard the prisoners. Edley Whitt's wife was Hannah Sarah Smith, d/o Isaiah Smith and Betsy Elizabeth Fletcher. I have Edley and Hannah as parents of 6 children. Plus 2 children born after Edley's death. I don't have but rumors as to the father of them. I would love to find connection of this family from that time on down to today. Thanks Virginia Smith ************************************** See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004)

Thank you so much for the information. I just found this information out this past week. As you mention, Hannah has 2 children after Edley Whitt death, that is were I am suck right now on this line, who was the father to Garrett Parsol Whitt, my gggrandfather. Garrett daughter Fallie Mae was my ggrandmother who married Joe Simpson. Did Hannah remarry? I do not any information at all, if anyone can help fill in the blanks that would be so great. But I would like to go where he was shot in Elk Lick too. Thank you so very much. :] Michelle Cox McGuire > From: [email protected]> Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:38:57 -0500> To: [email protected]> Subject: Re: [WVWYOMIN] The Old Swinging Bridge- Part 2> > Michelle and Stan,> From: G. P. Goode Manuscript in Reference Book of Wyoming County History; > Sometime in 1862/1863, John Lester and Edley Whitt, with their wives and > children were traveling from the upper end of Wyoming County to some point in > Kanawha County. On the road near the mouth of Toneyfork, they met Capt. Andrew > Gunnoe and a squad of his home guards, who, knowing the men were Union > sympathizers, took them prisoner and road away with them leaving their terrified women > and children in the road to care for themselves. > At the point just below the Sanders farm, Capt. Gunnoe, Charles S. Canterbury > and Adoniram J. Lust continued on the road toward Elk Lick on horseback, the > foot soldiers taking the prisoners over a path across the hill, a shorter way > to Elk Lick. At the top of the hill the guards shot the prisoners and left > them for dead, they continued on their way to join the officers at the Meeting > house Branch where they all ate dinner. > Soon after the shooting, passerby's found the prisoners. Lester was dead, > Whitt, mortally wounded, was still living and had crawled to water. Lester was > buried at the scene. Whitt was taken to Oceana where he was policed on a > makeshift bed in the clerk's small brick office with the permission of James Cook, > clerk. Here he lingered & suffered 20 days before death relieved him. > During this time, his wife was permitted to be with him and helped take care of > him. A religious woman, she not only cared for him physically but comforted > him by singing and reading or quoting passages from the Bible. Other people > were permitted to visit and talk with him, and he made statements about the > shooting as he lay on his death bed. One of his visitors was Mattie, the wife of > James cook, the clerk. His statements were not reduced to writing, but in > 1865, when James Gunnoe was tried for his part in the affair, Whitt's statements > were accepted as dying testimony with the result that Gunnoe was convicted. > He was one of the men detailed to guard the prisoners. > Edley Whitt's wife was Hannah Sarah Smith, d/o Isaiah Smith and Betsy > Elizabeth Fletcher. I have Edley and Hannah as parents of 6 children. Plus 2 > children born after Edley's death. I don't have but rumors as to the father of > them. > I would love to find connection of this family from that time on down to > today. > Thanks > Virginia Smith> > > **************************************> See AOL's top rated > recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004)> > -------------------------------> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message _________________________________________________________________ Get the power of Windows + Web with the new Windows Live. http://www.windowslive.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_powerofwindows_122007