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mSTORY OF mE

HACKER FAMILY 1880

BY

WIUJAMHACKER 1810 - 1891

SHELBYVILLE, INDIANA, USA

.n •• ..n • • _ ------_.._-_ .... 2

PREFACE

At the repeated request of many of my immediate relations, the following pages have been prepared in order to give a short sketch of the lives and characters of our ancestors, in which the line through which we have descended is traced as far back into remote ages as family tradition or history will justify.

In the sketches, as given, of the first five generations, the male line through which we have descended has alone been considered. While other lines of the family name, were their lives and transactions sought out and placed upon record also, might show a more honorable and elevated character than that of our own, yet I have not attempted to in­ qUire how that may be, but simply confining the present effort to the tracing out of the line of our own immediate descent.

What ;s found in the following pages in regard to the times prior to 1630 is taken mainly from family tradition; yet enough is found in the writings of other historians of those times to satisfy the mind that these family traditions are reliable. Subsequent to that period, his­ tory has generally been followed, family tradition being used to connect certain historical incidents, or fill up a space of time apparently left blank by other writers.

It is here but proper that I should state that these sketches have not been prepared with a view of publication. The matter is of too local a nature for that. And if a perusal of the manuscript thus prepared will afford my children and relatives any satisfaction in learning of their descent, my whole object will be attained.

William Hacker

Shelbyville, Indiana

January 14, 1880

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HISTORY OF THE HACKER FAMILY

Chapter 1

The family name, HACKER, originated in the year 1521 , and under the following circumstances: Near the close of the Fifteenth Century, there was residing in the Kingdom of Saxony a family by the name of HECKARDT, a large landed proprietor, wealthy and of great influ­ ence in the government of that province. In 1498 there was born to this family their first child -a son- and to whom the parents gave the name of "Wilhelm". That child became the founder of our family name, and from him has descended all of the name that I have as yet ever met with. Of course, as will be seen, the true cause for which will be found in the following circumstances:

The father of Wilhelm dying about 1519, brought the son into full possession of his fa­ ther's title and vast estate. And it will be remembered that this was about the time that Lu­ ther, the great reformer, of the Sixteenth Century, broke off from the Church of Rome, which, for the past ten centuries, had ruled the governments of the different nations of Europe with such terrible despotism, and keeping the masses of the people in such intel- ) lectual darkness and superstition.

Frederick, the reigning Duke, or Elector of Saxony, as it was then called, smarting under this species of despotism, which was at that time being imposed upon his people by the Emperor MAXIMILIAN, under the dictates of the Pope, and wishing for a change, as is well known, early espoused the cause of Luther and became his protector in many a fierce contest in which the great reformer found himself engaged with the opponents of civil and religious liberty. Many of the influential citizens also took sides with the reforma­ tion and among those were the young "HECKARDT, Wilhelm" who, as before stated, had just come into possession of his father's title and estate. Family tradition informs us that he at once entered into the contest with all the ardor of his young Saxon blood. This soon brought upon him the condemnation of the church. Hot persecution was instituted against him, as well as others, by the Emissaries of the Pope, and from which not even the powerful influence of Frederick was able to rescue him.

At the death of MAXIMILIAN, June 28, 1519, Charles /I of Spain, grand son of the de­ ceased emperor, succeeded him. Charles (known in history as Charles V of Germany), proved to be more bigoted and tyrannical than his predecessor, because perhaps he had more energy and greater endowments of mental capacity, and was, therefore, better able to carry out his tyrannical designs against the freedom of thought that was just at that -time~-as-jt-were;-burstjngiorth-a-startled-world:-He-;-therefore;-had-tathersammoned-to------­ appear before him at the city of Worms, April 17, 1521. At the conclusion of that council, under date of May 8,1521, he pronounced the condemnation of the Empire against him, which involved all his discij:lles, adherents and following in the same,--'c""o'-'-n'-"'d""e-'-'-m'-'-n'-"'a"'tj""'on'-".~ _

This fearful judgment caused young HECKARDT, under the advice of Frederick, to seek 4

an asylum in England, there, to await the charge of circumstances that would insure his safe return. This was, perhaps, what the Church party wanted, really. His fleeing to Eng­ land was taken as conclusive evidence against him. He was, therefore, without any form of trial, condemned as a heretic, his immense estates all seized, confiscated to the Church, disposed of and the proceeds at once sent on to Rome to aid in the erection of the great St. Peters which, at that time, the Pope had under way.

When HECKARDT arrived in London shortly after the close of the Diet of Worms in 1521, Henry VIII was in close communion with the Church of Rome, and was defending her dogmas against the writings of LUTHER and the Reformation; consequently, perse­ cution under his Prime Minister, Cardinal WOLSEY, run high in England as well as on the Continent. Many of the dissenters, and especially among the more wealthy, were seized, thrown into prison, condemned, all their property confiscated and helped to re­ plenish the King's treasury, or sent on to Rome to aid in the work then going on under the direction of the Pope.

Under these circumstances, HECKARDT, not yet knowing what course had been taken with his property in Saxony, and fearing that the Emissaries of the Church were still in pursuit of him, and as he had been well educated and could speak the English language fluently, he thought it best under the circumstances to anglicize his name and thus, if possible, mislead the agents of the Pope should they get on the track of him in London. ll He accordingly left off the IIdt • which are silent in the English language, and transposed

the lIell and lIa", thus rendering it in full English IIHACKER", as it is today. He further ll changed the name "Wilhelm" into IIWilliam , which is also the English pronunciation of that name. This was the true origin of the name and has ever since been so written by all his descendants so far as is now known. For surely there was nothing in the circum­ stances by which it was brought about to cause any of his descendants to be ashamed of it.

HACKER now learned what had been done with his estates left in Saxony, and realized that he had been suddenly reduced from affluence to the necessity of searching for daily employment by which to procure the means of subsistence. This, however, did not cause him to waver in faith or deter him in doing all in his power to aid in the great reformation that was then starting up among the nations of Europe. He consequently employed much of his leisure time in going from house to house in London and Essex, reading the Bible and distributing Luther's tracts among the poor of those cities, and occasionally preach­ ing to the people, as opportunity offered, the doctrines of the reformation "Justification by Faith". He was among the first, if not the very first, to preach the great reformation of the Sixteenth Century in and about London.

This energetic course of our venerated ancestor began to produce soon its legitimate fruits. Many converts were made to the new faith, and the common people began to real- ___. izeJ]9W fearfully they: had been mistaught and kept in ignorance ofthe truths as re­ vealed in the Bible by a corrupt and designing priesthood. 5

Among the more prominent who early came forward to aid in carrying on this good work thus so happily begun were FOXE, COVERDALE, TOPlEY, John and William PYKES, HARRIS. FORMAN, and many others who became energetic preachers of this new doc­ trine. These reformers growing numerous became more bold; did not confine themselves to the teaching of the poor and proclaiming the "glad tidings" in cottages and byways, but Bower Hall, the residence of the Squire of Bumpstead, was thrown open to them, and FOXE, TOPLEY, TYNDAl, with others, often read and expounded the Holy Scriptures in the great hall of the mansion, in the presence of the Master and all his household.

While matters were thus progressing, word was received from Rome that money must be had from Eng/and, or the work on the great cathedral at Rome must cease, and urging upon Cardinal WOLSEY to stir up his Bishops and Priests to renewed exertions in this behalf. "Get money, no matter how; but get and send on more money!" For some time the Bishops of London had watched the proceedings of these reformers with much uneasi­ ness, but having at length been notified of what was demanded of him at Rome, and hav­ ing received instructions in relation thereto from his Cardinal, he at once commenced operations. And knowing the extreme poverty of HACKER, that he had not the means of himself to procure the Bibles and tracts he was distributing among the poor, and that there must be associated with him in this work persons ofwealth, he therefore procured an order from Sir Thomas MORE, caused HACKER to be arrested and thrown into prison. He was next taken before the Bishop of London, examined and threatened that if he did not at once disclose the names of those who had shown him hospitality, and fur­ nished him with the means of support as well as the Bibles and tracts he had been dis­ tributing, he should be most fearfully tortured, and perhaps burned at the stake. All this, however, did not move him, and he absolutely refused to disclose a single name. He was again thrown into prison, put into the stocks and tormented in every conceivable way that human demons could devise. Under all this he remained firm and defied his tormen­ tors to do their worst; he would disclose nothing. They next placed him on the rack and tortured him until every joint in his whole body was literally torn out of place, and all with­ out accomplishing their object. When, as a last resort to extort from him the confession they desired, and while upon the rack suffering all the torture that instrument could inflict, they brought live coals of fire and held them along under the spine until the flesh became literally roasted and began to break and peel off. Under this horrible torture reason was dethroned, his mind wandered, and when they would ask him if such and such a person did not aid him in the course he had been pursuing, he would answer:"O,Yes! Yes!!" And so they went on until they had extorted from him the names of some forty wealthy in­ dividuals residing in and about London and Essex.

This occurrence took place in 1527, after he had for the past six years gone from house ...... -~to.house.inLondon.and.Essex,.reading.and.expounding-the.Bible.toJhe.poor,.and, _ teaching them the great plan of salvation "Justification by Faith". The good seed he had ) thus sown was not, however, to be crushed out by his own sufferings, or that of any num- ber of his coadjutors; as the histories ofthe times fully demonstrates. And although the ---w-o-rK on me great catnecral arRame was stimo go on tsy means tfius ootainea-;-tFi"e------6

greater work of the reformation was also destined to go on in a thousand fold greater ratio.

Having thus gained the object they sought for by torturing the unfortunate HACKER, they left him and proceeded at once to arrest the parties whose names they had thus extorted, and upon that evidence alone they were declared heretics, many of them burned at the stake and otherwise tortured out oftheir lives, their property confiscated, disposed of and the proceeds sent on to Rome and the Pope once more made happy.

The only one out of the whole number, which we have any account of, that escaped, was a rich merchant of London by the name of MONMOUTH who, on being examined before Sir Thomas MORE, readily admitted that he had been importing the Bible, and other works printed in the English language; "that they had been on his shelves for more than two years and he really could not see that they had ever hurt anyone."

To this MORE is said to have tauntingly replied: "It is hard matter to put a dry stick into the fire without it burning, or to nourish a snake in our bosom and not be stung by it."

MONMOUTH now foreseeing what was intended, and all he had to hope for from his judge, appealed in person to WOLSEY, well knowing that he alone could save him. In his appeal to the Cardinal Chancellor, he set forth the distress that must follow "to the poor workmen in London and the surrounding country by being thrown out of employment by his being retained in prison, and his business thus obstructed. Besides which, the com­ merce he had been carrying on with foreign countries would be stopped and the large revenue thereby brought into the King's Exchequer would be cut off and the Government much embarrassed."

WOLSEY, who was as much a statesman as a churchman, being on the eve of a strug­ gle with the Pope as well as with the Emperor, and fearing to do anything just at that time to cause the people to become discontented, or to endanger the revenues, ordered MONMOUTH released from prison, and through state policy he thus escaped the fearful tortures and death that so many of his neighbors and acquaintances had to endure.

After Henry VIII had finally broken with the Pope and degraded WOLSEY, MONMOUTH became an Alderman, and finally High Sheriff of London, and thus became the means by the influence he was enabled to exert of saving many a poor Protestant from persecution and torture that he must otherwise have had to suffer,

Having succeeded, in the manner as described, of extorting the names they desired from ------HACKER;-they-released-him-from-prison-and-gave-him-over-to-the-careaf-his-famiJy-and------­ friends, who nursed him with all the tender care possible, but of course he could never recover from the horrible condition in which they had left him, and after lingering for a few __-,-m-,-"o""lJ.thsJ..QLR.~.b1!R.~E....y:earIn the most intense suffering, he died. And it may now be asked: who were responsiblE!for this horrible speicies ottorturaTo whiCh trutnand the' histories of the times give the following answer: 7

The Pope had commenced erecting the great Cathedral at Rome called the Saint Peters. Money, of course, was wanted to carry on this work, and money must be had, no matter what means should be resorted to to procure it. "The end to be accomplished would jus­ tify the means". And so the money must come. The Bishop of London was instructed ac­ cordingly, and so made the immediate instrumentality of Sir Thomas MORE, a most willing tool for the Church the end was reached--so far at least as England was concerned--rn the manner as stated.

The great historian of the reformation, J. H. MERL d' AUBIQUE, in speaking of the effect produced by these early preachers of the reformation in and about London between the years 1521 and 1528, says: "For some time the Bishop of London watched this move­ ment with uneasiness. He caused HACKER to be arrested, who for six years past, had gone from house to house reading the Bible in London and Essex; examined and threat­ ened him, inquired carefully after the names of those who had shown him hospitality; and the poor man in alarm had given up about forty of his brethren".

This extract, while it confirms the family tradition, does not tell the whole truth. "He gave up the names of about forty of his brethren," truly, but it was under the circumstances of the most cruel torture, and when reason had been driven from its throne by intense suf­ fering, that it was done, and not until his mind had been completely thrown off its balance could they extort a word from him.

What immediate descendants William HACKER left at the time of his death, I do not know; neither history nor family tradition gives us but little information upon that point. All that we have to rely upon is that he left one son--perhaps his first born--named "Freder­ ick", after the Elector of Saxony, and born about the time its father was undergoing the cruel tortures before described, and so could only have been but an infant at the time of his father's death.

A space of time of about ninety years intervenes--that is from 1528 to 1615--in which his­ tory or family tradition gives us but little in regard to our ancestors that we can rely upon, only that the family line of which we of the present generation have descended, settled in the county of Leicester, diligently employing their time in striving to make an honest living as best they could, remaining firm and unswerving in the doctrines of the reformation, and using every available means of improving their mental and moral faculties.

From Frederick HACKER our line descends through his son John, born about 1570, and named for Duke John, the brother of Frederick the Elector of Saxony--another staunch friend of the reformation. It was he who so terribly outwitted the Roman Bishops with his ------Knights-of-Malta-intheir-rescuing-of-l:uther-from-their-intended-assassination--on-his-te-·------... ­ turn from the Diet of Worms. ) Here again_bJ_?!~_r.YJ~r:.n.1.~.b~~.!-!~_Q12tbLlJg_,.AO.9_1

cultivation, and thus still raising higher in the standard of moral virtue. How well this was accomplished, the next generation will show.

Chapter II

Francis HACKER, son of John, and the great grand-son of the original William HACKER, born about 1615, became the celebrated Colonel Francis HACKER, to whom was issued the warrant for the execution of Charles I of England, and who so handsomely done us that little job for the British Monarchy on the 30th day of January, 1649. He thus became a historical character, and family traditions are all lost in the histories of the stirring times in which he lived; or, rather, we sink family traditions and take history as we find it spread out in numerous works which have been consulted in the preparation of these pages.

One author says that--Uhe was a gentleman of commanding appearance, strong intellec­ tual developments, finely educated and of considerable means derived from his ances­ tors who lived in the county of Leicester.u

If this be true, it shows how successful had been the efforts of the past two generations in elevating the family name, and regaining for it what had been lost by the scenes of persecution and degradation through which it had been called to pass near a century be­ fore. It would seem that the family, by diligent labor and the careful cUltivation of the mind had gained back much, if not all, the prestige held before being driven into exile from its native Saxony.

As to the social position Francis HACKER occupied in community, we know but little, only that he was a strict and most zealous Presbyterian. History gives us only to see the political position he occupied; we can, therefore, only judge of other matters by what is found in the histories of these times. And in order to get a better understanding of the subject, I shall endeavor to select from history such incidents as may be sufficient to show to his numerous descendants of the present day the true merits we feel justly enti­ tled to claim for him.

His force of character, mental endowments and strict integrity must have been extraordi­ nary; and especially so when we take into consideration the poverty and degradation into which the family from which he sprang was driven by Popeish persecution near a century before. At the age of twenty, he is an influential officer in the British army_ At twenty-five, he has full command of a company, and before reaching the age of thirty, he is at the .. uheadand in command ofafullregiment in that division of the army which took sideswith .. the Parliament against the encroachments of the King, who was, at that time, endeavor­ ing to arbitrarily rule without a Parliament, and thus, if possible, bring back the entire Na- ______~(c:>_Q.Jc:>_~~.E:l_c:>I~ __ t:lE9~!_.<:lt~bi':l_g~ __~hi.~h __t'l_;.:!~_~~q __ e!!~~_!l?Jh~~l?I!1_I!1_I:l~~I:lI!1I:l~!~r!h~______reformation. 9

In order the better to understand this matter, as well as to show the part our illustrious an­ cestor took in this great struggle in which freedom and the fights of conscience was ar­ rayed in a death struggle against superstition, bigotry and intolerance, it will be to go back and take a view of the condition of affairs under the Government for a few years an­ terior to the time of which we write; and, in doing this, I shall quote from the annals of the times such well authenticated facts as I find therein recorded.

First, The long and brilliant reign of Elizabeth, the last of the TUDORS, reached a little beyond the Sixteenth century. The Seventeenth was the century of the STUARTS, as narrow-minded, heartless and tyrannical a set of rulers as ever disgraced a throne. Eng­ land and Scotland having been united by the accession of the STUARTS, who were he­ reditary monarchs of both kingdoms, the old-time border wars and forays between the kingdoms ceased, except as they sometimes took sides in the civil wars. This century was a stirring and momentous one in English history. Two great revolutions and civil wars sprung from the irrepressible conflicts betvveen Kingly despotism and popular lib­ erty. The general result of which was in favor of freedom, and the absolute tyranny of the STUARTS may therefore be counted to have done more for English liberty, than the more constitutional reigns of the TUDORS.

Second, On the death of Elizabeth, James VI of Scotland, son of the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots, succeeded to the throne as the next heir, and took the title of James I, 1603. He was the first of the House of Stuart who sat on the English throne. An awkward, pedantic and obstinate Scotchman, he was a devout believer in the Divine right of Kings, and his extravagant abuse of his royal prerogatives laid the foundation of the misfortunes of his children and country.

Third, It was during the reign of this tyrant, 1618 that the much lamented Sir Walter RAL­ EIGH, who had done so much in the early colonization of America, after suffering thirteen years imprisonment, was brought to a mock trial, condemned and beheaded. His fate was universally deplored as an act of meanness and weakness on the part of James.

Fourth, Charles I succeeded to the throne on the death of his father, 1625. He was a much abler and more excellent man than James, but entertained the same extravagant notions of his royal prerogatives. His reign was one long battle with his subjects, in which he finally suffered defeat and death.

Soon after his succession he completed his marriage engagement with Henrietta, daugh­ ter of Louis XIII, of France, a most bigoted Catholic princess, who succeeded, with the aid of the Jesuitical Priest she employed about her, in tincturing the mind of Charles as well

. umas that of. her sonS,with her own faith, Andinthisinodoubt,may-be founda key to all n Charles obnoxious proceedings towards the liberty of his people, and which finally cost him his head.

... .. ·--·---·------Fifffi-;····Tne--'sff"lJ-ggJe--6etwei"en-·CFia-rl'es-a-na-~Fi'is--par·I'iaiT ..enf-ri3"n-s·o--n-igFi-fnarJi-e--afTe-nglfi---a"r=···'·_------.------.-- rested several members and sent them to prison. This created an immense excitement. 10

He then dismissed his Parliament and attempted, for the next eleven years, to rule with­ out a Parliament, 1629. In this attempt he proceeded to levy ship-money, a tax for the support of the Navy. This tax levy created still greater excitement, and the celebrated John HAMPTON, for resisting its payment, was brought to trial and condemned, 1634.

Sixth, Archbishop LAUD, another tool of the King's tyranny, and a bigoted Jesuit in dis­ guise, 1637, a litLlrgy which he and his master attempted to force on the Scotch Presby­ terians, who, in the following year, 1638, formed and subscribed to a National Covenant, and raised riots which speedily grew into rebellion. These covenantors assembled in great force under their general, LESLIE; seized Edinburgh and other places, and ad­ vanced into England, 1639. Charles was compelled at length to call another parliament, after ruling eleven years without one.

Seventh, After calling, April 13, 1640, and dissolving, May 5, a Parliament, which he found determined to assert the liberties of the people, he was compelled, by the war in Scotland and the demands of his people, to assemble, November 3, the celebrated "Long Parliament", so called because of its long continuance.

Eighth, The "Long Parliament", which had from the outset exhibited its determination to resist the King, speedily ordered the arrest of LAUD and STAFFORD, the chief advisers of his tyranny, tried and convicted the latter of treason. Charles deserted his fallen Minis­ ter and STAFFORD was beheaded, 1641.

Ninth, The struggle between Charles and his Parliament at length resulted in the terrible civil war which overturned the throne, and finally sent the King himself to the block. The first regular battle of this war was fought at Edgehill, October 23,1642, and was soon fol­ lowed by many others.

Tenth, The battle of Marston Moor, won by the valor of Oliver CROMWELL and his regi­ ment of "Ironsides", on the 2nd day of July, 1644, gave a fatal blow to the cause of the King. The battle of Naseby, fought June 14, 1645, resulted in a complete and crushing defeat of the King's army.

Eleventh, Charles, defeated at every point, finally fled towards Scotland, and threw him­ self upon the protection of the Scotch army, 1646. The Scots, January, 1647, sold him to the Parliament for 400,000 pounds, which they claimed as arrears from England.

Twelfth, A period of strife between the Parliament, in which Presbyterians predominated, and the army in which the Independents had control, ensued. The Independents, who ... nmwerenRepublicans finalJytriumphed;and succeeded·in getting Gharles condemned:and· January 30, 1649, he was beheaded. 11

Chapter III

I have copied the foregoing extracts from the annals of those stirring times in order to show that the cause in which the people were engaged against their rulers was not a matter of but a few days excitement, but a continuous struggle for civil as well as relig­ ious liberty in which there could be no compromise or settlement of the matters in contro­ versy short of entire emancipation.

This fearful struggle commenced at the accession of James I to the throne of England, 1603, and continued until the last of the STUARTS was dethroned and driven into exile, 1688. This was not only a long but a bloody contest, in which, however, liberty and right at last prevailed and the last tyrant expelled from the kingdom.

As has been before stated, our ancestor, Francis HACKER, entered into this contest when quite a young man, and was soon put in command of a company which he had raised, and rapidly promoted from grade to grade until he was placed in command of a regiment of horse, which he also raised, and so meritorious was his conduct in the many hotly contested battles in which he was engaged that he was, with his regiment, soon at­ tached to CROMWELL's "Ironside" brigade, and often entrusted with the command, and led that famous brigade in some of the fiercest contests through which it was called to pass. The "Ironside Brigade", as it was called, seems to have been organized and drilled by CROMWELL as a kind of reserve to send into action on any desperate occasion with the distinct understanding with every man belonging to it that when the brigade was or­ dered into action not a man was to come out without bringing victory with him. "Victory or Death!" "Conquer or Die!" was the principle upon which it always went into action. And it is a remarkable fact in history, that while that brigade was commanded by CROMWELL in person, or by Colonel HACKER, it never suffered a defeat, but always brought victory with it out of every contest in which it was permitted to engage.

It is not the intention of the writer to follow Colonel HACKER through the brilliant career of his army operations, or to state in detail the many prodigies of valor he performed, as that would lead us far beyond the object of tile present undertaking, which is only to trace our genealogy and illustrate the character of each of our ancestors as we pass along. I must, therefore, leave these stirring events of bloody scenes and fierce battles and come down to other events in which HACKER was called to take an active part.

From the works of M. GUIZOTT and other authors in confirmation of family traditions, I present the following extracts as I find them recorded in those works, not at all doubting

- n their perfectreliability:-Afterthe crushing battle of Naseby (before referred to;}othervicto-·­ ries in favor of the Parliament followed:

"Charles thus defeated at every point, finally fled towards Scotland with a view of escap-

------Tng-oufoHhec-o-unir:y:-butwas-arresfecfandbro-ugEf5-a-cido--VVinso;-C-astie:-where:-fora------m __ time, he resided under close surveillance of a detachment of the army, under the 12 )

immediate command of Colonel HACKER. The King expressed himself delighted to re­ enter one of his own palaces, and be served with all the etiquette of course. He dined in public, in the Hall of State, under a canopy; the Chamberlain, esquire, became master of ceremonies, and Cup-barer waited upon him in the accustomed manner; the cup was presented to him kneeling, and all the ceremonial of kingly state was preserved. But the sky so clear and bright at Winsor, was covered with dark and angry clouds for him at London".

"After a long and desperate struggle, it was determined by the House of Commons to bring the King to trial on the charge of high treason, as the cause of all the blood which had been shed during the war. A high court of Justice for trying the sovereign was cre­ ated to consist of one hundred and thirty-five commissioners, with John BRADSHAW as Lord-President. The King was, accordingly summoned to appear before this court on the 20th of January, 1649. On the 19th he was transferred from Winsor, under a detachment of soldiers, commanded by Colonel HACKER, to S1. James palace in London. On the 20th about noon, in obedience to the summons, the King, borne in a close sedan-chair between two lines of soldiers, approached the court room; the doors opened, the King entered in the custody of thirty-two officers, preceded by Colonel HACKER in command. He advanced, cast a long and severe look upon the tribunal, and sat down without re­ ) moving his hat; then rising, he looked behind him at the guards placed upon the left and the crowd of spectators on the right of the hall, resumed his seat, looked again at the Judges and waited".

"The trial progressed from the 20th to the 24th inclusive, and on the 25th the sitting of the court closed, and the consideration of the sentence was commenced, which closed, after some discussion, on the 26th, and the King condemned to suffer death, as a tyrant, a traitor, a murderer and a public enemy. And SCOTT, MARTYN, HARRISON, LESLIE, SAY, TRETON and LOVE were charged to draw up the sentence."

"On the 27th, at mid-day, the sitting of the court was resumed, under a call of the house, when sixty-seven members responded to the call and took their seats." "The King was again brought before the court, the sentence read and judgment of death formally pro­ nounced upon him". "On the 29th, the verdict drawn up by the commission, above named, was formally signed by the Judges, and a warrant issued for his execution, to take place on the 30th."

That warrant reads as follows:

"To Colonel Francis HACKER, Colonel HUNCKS, and Lieutenant Colonel PHAYER and n--.to-every-of-them." .. ._.~ ._._._. ._.. . ~ nn__._

-'-'-'j "At the highcourt of Justice for the trying and judging Charles STUART, King of Eng­ land, 29th of January, 1648 (1649 N.S.) 13

Whereas, Charles STUART, King of England, is and standeth convicted, attained and condemned of high treason, and other high crimes; and sentence upon Saturday last was pronounced against him by this Court. To be put to death by severing of his head from his body; of which sentence execution yet remaineth to be done."

"These are, therefor, to will and require you to see the said sentence executed, in the open street before Whitehall, upon the morrow, being the Thirtieth day of this instant month of January, between the hours of ten in the morning and five in the afternoon, with full effect. And for so doing this shall be your warrant."

"And these are to require all officers and soldiers, and others the good people of this Na­ tion of England, to be assisting unto you in this service."

"Given under our hands and seals. "John BRADSHAW, "Thomas GREY, (Lord CROBY) "Oliver CROMWELL" (And fifty-six others.)

) It will be observed that it was the intention, by the language used in the warrant, that at least two regiments of troops should participate in the execution of the King; but, as will be seen further along, the "Colonel HUNCKS" named as one of the officers in command, failed to come on time, turned traitor to the cause, and in giving in his testimony at the trial of the regicides at a subsequent time made a bold attempt to swear himself clear of the whole matter. But as all this will come in more appropriately hereafter, , will pass it for the present.

Charles being now a condemned criminal, it was thought best to remove him from St. James palace to the prison at Whitehall. This was attended to at about ten o'clock on the morning of the 29th, after his death sentence had been signed by the Judges. "The King was at his prayers A light knock was heard at the door. It was Colonel HACKER. He said in a low tone of voice; "It is time to go to Whitehall; your Majesty will there have some fur­ ther time to rest." "I will come presently," said Charles. And after a moments meditation, he descended with Bishop Juxon, his spiritual advisor, between two lines of soldiers and was conducted by HACKER to the prison at Whitehall.

Arriving at the prison, HACKER posted two trusty soldiers to guard the door, and thus the unhappy King was left for the succeeding twenty-four hours to religious meditation. He received the communion from the hands of the Bishop, and everything possible was

.... done.to_prepare-the-King-for-theterrible-doom-that-awaitedhim-on-the-morrow-. ._nn _

---} "And so it was, early on the morning of the 30th, in a room at Whitehall, beside the bed from which TRETON and HARRISON had not yet risen, CROMWELL, HACKER, ..... ·····-rJtJNGKS:-AXTEcana-PRA'i'RE-fiaa assembled to draw up the order of execution. "Colonel HUNCKS," said CROMWELL, "it is for you who must write and sign it." 14

HUNCKS absolutely refused. "What a stubborn grumbler." said CROMWELL. "Colonel HUNCKS ," said AXTEL. "I am ashamed of you; the ship is now coming in the harbor, and will you strike sail before we come to anchor?" HUNCKS still persisted in his refusal.

CROMWELL then sat down, wrote the order himself and presented it to Colonel HACKER, who signed it without objection."

"At ten o'clock, HACKER knocked at the door, and announced to the King, the order for his execution. 'What! said the King, 'So early?' 'I have not yet finished my devotions; leave me alone for a while yet.' "

"At one o'clock, HACKER knocked at the door again; the King was led forth to the scaf­ fold erected in front of Whitehall, where, after a little speech delivered by the King. the sentence of condemnation was carried into full effect--his head fell at the first blow."

One author, in moralizing on this scene uses the following language, which I transcribe as expressing my own sentiments;

"We will not attempt to describe the death of the unhappy Charles. Whose heart would not be wrung by the contemplation of those mournful scenes? Our feelings revolt against the fanaticism which led a Prince to the scaffold; we burn with indignation against those feet swift to shed blood; we desire to arrest the deadly axe, and spurn away the fatal block. And yet we cannot be blind to the conviction that the divorce between England and the STUARTS was inevitable that it was the decree of God himself. Succeeding ages have branded the scaffold; but they have also ratified the solemn sentence.

Charles I was superior to his son; he was virtuous and sober, and would have desired to adopt (what is impossible) a certain middle course between Protestantism and Popery, rather than Popery itself. But there was no sincerity in him; and he was from long habit too docile to the fatal suggestions of the Bourbons. It is evident that if he had been victori­ ous in the contest, the liberty and religion of England would have been destroyed. His continued falsehoods had disgusted the greater number of his partisans. Incurable in his duplicity, because he held himself bound to no engagement with rebellious subjects, Charles meditated their ruin while he was imploring their aid. The full measure of his treason has subsequently been brought to light."

As a specimen of this I give the following extract;

"After the Restoration, the Earl of Glamorgan, the King's secret agent in Ireland, wrote a ... letter to be laid before Gharlesll;·inwhichhedisclosesthe.perfidiousdesigns"of Charles .. I. In this letter, pUblished by the Roman Catholic historian, LENGARD, Glamorgan says: "One army of ten thousand men was to have come out of Ireland, through North Wales; ...... __ .§D_~!~~~.~fliJs~.J:l.~_r:!l~~r.~!._':!!:I<:t.~rr:!ly_~~~!!l.~J:l~_~i.':'.~gJ~J~Lh~"!~_~.~P~~~~<:t..i!1y..!.~!~t':1_.~_§~_~~t.t:!_._ _..__. Wales, which Sir Henry GAGE was to have commanded. as Lieutenant General; and a third, should have consisted of a matter of six thousand men, two thousand of which were 15

to have been Liegois, commanded by Sir Francis EDMUNDS, two thousand Lawainers, to have been commanded by Colonel BROWNE, and two thousand of such French, English, Scotch and Irish as could be drawn out of Flander and Holland.

The maintenance of this army of foreigners was to have come from the Pope, and sllch Catholic Princes as he should have drawn into it, having engaged to afford and procure thirty thousand pounds a month; out of which the foreign army was first to be provided for, and the remainder to be divided among the other armies. And for this purpose I have power to treat with the Pope and other Catholic Princes, with particular advantages prom­ ised to Catholics for the quiet enjoying their religion, without the penalties which the Stat­ ues in force had power to inflict upon them. And my instructions for this purpose, and my powers to treat and conclude thereupon, were signed by the King under his pocket sig­ net, with blanks for me to put in the names of Pope or Prince, to the end the King might have a starting-hole to deny the having given me such commissions, if expected against by his own subjects; leaving me as it were a stake, was willing to undergo it, trusting to his word alone."

"Such, then, were the intrigues of Charles I," against the liberties of his own people. For the sum of thirty thousand pounds a month, and to be furnished by the Pope, he was to ) turn loose at least thirty thousand mercenaries, robbers and cutthroats to devour with fire and sword the inhabitants of England until they should consent to be tumed over to the tender mercies of the Church of Rome and the Holy Inquisition. The great wonder is not that they took his head off, but that they should have ever permitted another of his house to ascend the throne. But the magnanimity of this people was great. No sooner had the head of Charles fell into the basket under the scaffold than all animosity against him at once ceased. Parliament voted an income of a thousand pounds to each of his children that might continue to reside in England. "And more than this, the Commons who had condemned the King, ordered that the honors of a King should be accorded to him." His body to remain in state for a certain number of days for all to view it who chose and to then "be buried at Winsor Palace, in a vault in St. George's Chapel which contained the remains of HenrI VIII, and of his third Queen, Jane Seymour. His funeral was a great pageant. "Six horses, covered with black cloth, drew the hearse; other coaches followed, tIle Earls of Richmond, Southampton and Lindsey, the Marquis of Herford, Bishop Juxon, with a long retinue of the King's former attendance, and friends" joined the cavalcade and paid the last sad honors to their former master. On arriving at the Chapel Bishop Juxon-­ who was at heart as bigoted a Catholic as was Charles himself, and is believed to have been a Jesuit in disguise--had prepared a special ritual for the occasion which was al­ most exactly that of the Church of Rome, reference to the Pope and holy father being left out--which he commenced reading, when Colonel HACKER, who had the military com- the-objection~that-the--- __ mm maml-at-thefuneral,-true-to-his- Protestant-principles-interposed- , Liturgy decreed by the Parliament is obligatory for King as for all." WHICHCOTT, the ----J Governor of the Castle, was appealed to, who sustained HACKER in the enforcement of the decree of Parliament." The Bishop being thus restrained from his intended Popish burial of the King, witharew analFie coffin was 10wereaTnto {Fie vault wltfiOill any religi'-o-u-s-­ ceremony_ 16

Chapter IV

After the death of Charies the Parliament became fully established in authority and CROMWELL made Lord Protector it would seem that HACKER was removed from the Army and placed upon the Bench as judge of one of the High Courts--perhaps that of his own native County Leicester--I know not how that was as family tradition is silent on that subject and I have met with but one author who mentions the subject at all. But then it may have been so as there is nothing improbable in it. And if true it further confirms fam­ ily tradition of high and honorable position to which our Ancestry had once more attained not withstanding the terrible adverse circumstances through which it had been called to pass since landing on the shores of England.

As history has given us no account of his proceedings while on the Bench we conclude that rulings and judgments were in all things such as a high minded and honorable judge alone could make having due regard for the rights of all parties brought before him. Had his conduct while on the Bench partaken of the character of that of Sir Thomas MORE ) under Henry VIII, of LAUD and STRATFORD under Charles II or of JEFFREYS under James II. And had he administered the Law after their fashion how the world would have rung through history of his name and fame. But as such is not the case we conclude that the principle upon which he acted and that which governed in all his judicial proceedings was "True and exact Justice to all-Special favors to none."

But to return to our narrative. On the death of Charles the Catholics of Ireland urged on by their fanatical Priests and supported by the Pope broke out into open rebellion and an ineveitable number of the Protestant population--which some authors place as high as 200,OOO--were massacred--"This"--as one author puts it--was the Hibernian St. Bartholo­ mew" equal in atrocity to that of the French which had occurred 67 years before.

In this massacre the Irish. as in France, were urged on by the Jesuits supported by the influence of France and Spain as also that of the Pope. Their determination was to abol­ ish the reformed religion and either kill or drive every Protestant out of the country. Hence the massacre was most frightful. "On all sides the Protestants were attacked unawares, ejected from their homes, hunted down, slaughtered, exposed to ali the perils. all the tor­ tures that religions bigotry and hatred could invent. A half savage people passionately at­ tached to its barbarism, in a day with proud joy committed excesses of outrage, cruelty and misery, which struck their innocent and helpless victims with horror and dismay. ----~-":rhe-Gath0Iics-burnt-thehouses-of-Protestants,-turnedJhem_ouLnakedio_the_mid_s.tQL _ ------1 winter, and drove them like herds of swine, before them. If ashamed of their nudity, and / desirous of seeking shelter from the rigor of a remarkable severe season, these unhappy wretches took refuge in a barn, and concealed themselves under the straw; the rebels in------stantly set fire to it andournecrtfiem alive:-Afotner times-tlley,-Werefled-withnut-clothing-to------­ be drowned in rivers; and if, on the road, they did not move quick enough, they were 17

urged forward at the point of the pike. When they reached the river, or sed, they were precipitated into the water, in bands of several hundreds, at a time. And if the poor wretches rose to the surface, men were stationed along the brink to plunge them in again with the butts of their muskets, or to fire at and kill them. Husbands were cut to pieces in the presence of their wives; wives and virgins were abused in the sight of their nearest relations; and infants of seven or eight years were hung before the eyes of their parents. The Irish Catholics even went so far as to teach their children to strip and kill the children of Protestants, and dash out their brains with stones, hurled against them. Numbers of Protestants were burned alive in trenches, as many as seventy at a time in one trench. An Irish Jesuit Priest, named Macodeshan, having captured some fifty Protestants, per­ suaded them to adjure their religion, on promise of sparing their lives. After their abjura­ tion he asked them if they believed that Christ was bodily present in the host, and the Pope was the head of the Church? And on their replying in the affirmative, he said, "Now, then, you are in a very good faith," and, for fear they should relapse into heresy,"Cut all their throats."

This persecution and slaughter of the Protestants was not however a spontaneous and immediate uprising of a barbarous and frenZied people. Jt had in some measure been go­ ing on and even secretly encouraged by Charles for eight years previous. "Cruel fighting, desperate violence, and frightful misery, affected this unhappy land. Armies, a savage band rather, full of hatred, disobedience, and cruelty, met and fought. Murder, pillage, and conflagration wasted the most festal parts of Ireland."

"CROMWELL was however now destined to restore peace and order, and give to this unhappy country a prosperity it had not known for many years."

He was accordingly commissioned by the House of Commons "Lord Lieutenant of that province, with the supreme civil and military command.

August 1649 CROMWELL embarked with 12,000 troops for Ireland to endeavor to settle the affairs of that unhappy and distracted country. It does not appear that Colonel HACKER was attached to that army or that he took any part in the terrible conflict that en­ sued. It is more than likely, however, that he was engaged in his arduous duties on the Bench, adjudicating the many complicated difficulties which had sprung up among the people during the troublesome times through which the nation had just passed.

In nine months CROMWELL had accomplished his mission, brought order out of chaos, reduced the half civilized factions to obedience and taught the Priests that they, too, were subject to civil government and must obey the Laws of the land. And thus under his equi- .mtablenru lethe Call ntl-)'soon began to wear an olltwardappearanceofprosperityit hadnat . before done since the Norman Conquest. In CROMWELL's final order on this point he uses the following language:

. ············--·"FifSr·ffi·erero,:e;-rsh-iilfnorwliereTflave·power~ancnfieTorcns-pTeasecrfo··bTess··me;··suf:·_·_·- . fer the exercise of the mass, vI/here I can take notice of it. No, nor in any suffer you that '\8

are papists. where I can find you seducing the people. or by any overt act violating the laws established; but if you come into my hands, I shall come to be inflicted the punish­ ments appointed by the laws upon you; and shall try to reduce things to their former state on this behalf.

As for the people, what thoughts they have in matters of religion in their own breasts, I cannot reach; but shall think it my duty, if they walk honestly and peaceably, not to cause them in the least to suffer for the same. And shall endeavor to walk patiently and in love towards them, to see at any time it may please God to give them another and a better mind. And all men under the power of England, within this dominion, are hereby required and enjoined strictly and religiously to do the same."

Such then was the final order issued by CROMWELL in this important matter, "He ex­ cluded Popery, or at least the mass, from the privilege of religious liberty," In that he was wrong; which he himself soon after acknowledged, and revoked that part of the order.

But CROMWELL had other work to do. The Republican sentiments which pervaded the army as well as the House of Commons during the Civil War and which resulted in abol­ ishing the House of Lords as well as the throne proved equally odious to Catholic, Epis­ copalians and Scotch Covenantors and jointly they agreed to resist the onward march of those liberal principles. They accordingly commenced coquetting with Prince Charles, who was then in Holland, proposing that jf he would sign the Scotch Presbyterian Cove­ nant they would reestablish him on the Ancient throne of his ancestors.

This proposition took with the Prince. He returned to Edinburgh assumed the govern­ ment and again held the Royal Couli in Holyrood Palace. So far matters had progressed undisturbed while CROMWELL with the army was in Iraland.

"The Scots had begun the great movement whose object was at once to resist the tyr­ anny of the STUARTS and the tyranny of Rome, but now they retraced their steps, and put themselves in opposition to the Commonwealth of England. They wanted a leader." "Had Oliver CROMWELL been born a Scotchman, v/ith a Hero King and unanimous Hero Nation at his back, it might have been otherwise." "Or if Charles STUART had thought of ascending his native throne only, CROMWELL as well as England would no doubt have remained quiet. But he aimed at the recovery of the three Kingdoms, and the Scotch were disposed to aid him." Oliver immediately saw the magnitude of the danger which threatened the religion, the liberty, and the morals of England, and did not hesitate."

_____.By_tbeJv1onth_oLMay-1650_CROMWELL-had-finished-up-the-work-he-had-been-sentto------­ do in Ireland and had "returned to London where he was received by Parliament, and the -----) people, as a soldier who had gained more laurels, and done more wonders in nine ___ n~~nth~-,~~!:, _~!:~L~e_ or~ist~ry_co:'~'!..E.~rall~~~---.-- _ '19

"On the 26th of June 1650, he was appointed commander-in-chief of all the armies of the Commonwealth," and at once set about the work before him. But CROMWELL now well knew that he had a different foe to meet than what he had been contending against in Ireland.

The well disciplined Scotch Army was marching towards England commanded by vet­ eran officers who had long been in the service and handled their armies in many a well contested engagement.

And he at once realized the necessity of his former efficient "Ironside Brigade". He there­ fore turned to Colonel HACKER his former associate in that command.

HACKER who for the past year or over had been quietly pursuing his duties as Judge of his Court hearing the call of his old commander and fully realizing the emergency of the case promptly responded, accepted a commission and within the space of three weeks had his regiment organized well in hand and ready to march to the field under the Com­ mand of his old General.

And what must have been the ability as well as the popularity of this man with his troops. No sooner is the notes of his war trumpet heard in the land than hundreds and even thousands at once suspend all business and rally to his standard impatient to be led by him into the hottest of the contest.

He first hears the call of his old commander in the forepart of June and by the middle of July he is at the head of one division of the reorganized Ironside Brigade composed of several thousand men, and with his old chief across the Tweed in hot pursuit of the enemy.

On the 29th of July a week after CROMWELL had crossed the Tweed he had advanced to Edinburgh to which point Lord LESLEY the commander of Scotch army had retreated and concentrated his forces.

The Scotch Genera! had posted his troops to such advantage that CROMWELL found itnto use his own language--"They were not easily to be attempted." In consequence he ordered his command to fall back to Musselborough in order to refresh and revitalize his men after their long march.

In this retrograde movement we find an incident recorded which gives at this day an ad­ mirable insight into the character of the men forming the Ironside Brigade and immedi­ ately under the command of Colonel HACKER. That account was as follows:

"A smart skirmish took place, while his army was retrograding, in which Major-General LAMBERT was wounded, and taken prisoner. The attack was made by two bodies of Scottish horse, the one from Leith on the right the other from Canongate on the left. About eleven o'clock we wanted our bread and cheese, and drew off towards Mussel- 20

borough, and the van of our army marched to fast, as if we had been at great distance from the enemy; they took courage and came swar'ming out like bees, Horse and foot, fell upon our rear of horse, where they were sore put to it near Lichnagarie, cut and hewed Major-General LAMBERT, took him prisoner, and were carrying him away towards Edin­ burgh, but the valiant Lieutenant EMPSON, one of HACKER's officers, pursued with five or six of his soldiers and hewed him out, and brought him to his own regiment, where we procured him a pacing horse,"

In this account we have an admirable illustration of the daring education which Colonel HACKER had infused into the minds of the men under his command. When in this skir­ mish as related Major-General LAMBERT had been wounded and carried off a prisoner all the Colonel had to do to effect his rescue was to say to Lieutenant EMPSON, "Rescue your General, and return him to headquarters", and it was done. Just think of six men cutting their way into the very center of a full regiment of veteran soldiers rescuing their wounded and captured General and carrying him off in triumph and you have a good specimen of the desperate daring to which they had been educated.

In taking a careful view of the many important engagements fought by CROMWELL we find that this skirmishing with the enemy and falling back was not a necessity with him at this time but was a peculiar characteristic in all his campaigns. He never made an attack on the enemy at a disadvantage, On arriving before Edinburgh and finding the Scotch army had secured a favorable position he commenced his usual tactics -skirmishing and falling back- until "seizing the opportunity when they had acquired a favorable position, he made the attack in force" and always came out successful.

In this manner CROMWELL had drawn the enemy out until he had reached Dunbar on the 3rd of September when seeing the favorable opportunity he ordered the attack and as usual came out victorious, "This was one of CROMWELLs most important victories. It placed Scotland at his feet."

"'n the battle he was hard put to it, in some parts of the engagement." "The conflict which was begun with the horse was obstinate and bloody-a hot dispute at the point of the sword-The first division of the English foot, was overpowered and driven back, when CROMWELL ordered up his own regiment," (his body guard perhaps) "under Lieutenant Colonei GAFF, who made their way against all opposition, And at the point of the pike they did repel the stoutest regiment, the enemy then had, which proved a great amaze­ ment, to the residue of their foot. The Cavalry followed up this advantage, charged the in­ fantry, who were already out flanked, and deprived them of their usual support, and carried confusion into the whole line,"

This was a terrible battle and fought by CROMWELL against fearful odds. In writing to his son-in-law and whom he had left as "Deputy Lieutenant in Ireland" on the day after the battle CROMWELL says, "We were near engagements three or four times, but they lay upon advantage. A heavy flax fell upon our army; brought it very low, from fourteen to 21

eleven thousand: three thousand five hundred horse" (the Ironside Brigade) "and seven thousand five hundred foot, the enemy sixteen thousand foot, and six thousand horse."

It will thus be seen that the Scotch army was just double that of the English and yet the account of the engagement says; "They took ten thousand prisoners, besides officers." or about every man in CROMWELL's army-sick as they were-took a prisoner.

But a most lovely trait in the character of these stern warriors is beautifully set forth in the following proclamation issued on the field of battle on the day following the engagement and which I here introduce.

"Proclamation"

"Forasmuch, as I understand these are several soldiers of the enemy's army yet abiding in the field, who by reason of their wounds could not march from thence:

These are therefore to give notice to the inhabitants of this nation, that they may have, and hereby have, free liberty to repair to the field aforesaid; and with their carts or in any other peaceable way, to carry away the said soldiers to such places as they think fit; pro­ vided they meddle not with, or take away, any of the arms there. And all officers and sol­ diers are to take notice that the same is permitted."

Given under my hand, at Dunbar, 11th September 1650"

"Oliver CROMWELL"

By this crushing defeat at Dunbar Prince Charles saw that his chance in Scotland was ruined. He therefor mustered a fresh army and marched into England in the hope that all the royalist in the north would rise at his approach. But in this he was terribly deceived. CROMWELL immediately pursued and gained another and decisive victory over him at Worcester, September 3rd 1651, just one year from the defeat at Dunbar.

"The expedition being thus ended, Charles with much difficulty made his escape and fled to France, and then sought to forget his discomfiture in debauchery and dissipation."

I have collected these facts principally from histories of those trying times in order-as far as possible-to authenticate family tradition as well as to show the past our ancestors had to perform in the fearful struggle through which the nations of Europe had to pass during the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth Centuries in order to throw off and get free from that terrible intellectual darkness and moral depravity into which the entire world of man­ kind had been groping for the past ten centuries. It was a long and fearful struggle and most nobly do we find our ancestors standing up to the work. No shrinking from duty or backing out of the conflict in a single instance. 22

But then are "Ebings and Flowings" in the affairs of the nations of the earth as there are in the tides of the mighty ocean that rolls around it. But eleven years had passed from the execution of Charles I until reaction in the mind of the Nation came on. The Monarchy under Charles II and after him his brother James II was restored. And yet twelve years before the close of the seventeenth Century reaction returned and James driven from the throne to spend the remainder of his life a wanderer in a foreign land. And the Govern­ ment established under a constitution in which the great doctrines of the reformation­ "Civil and religious liberty" was fully recognized under which the British Nation rose to the proud eminence of being the mightiest Empire the world had ever seen.

Our heroic ancestor Francis HACKER continued his connection with the army under CROMWELL until near the close of his life but just in what capacity is not known. History gives but little and tradition nothing that we can rely upon. We however have abundant evidence that the stern old republican could not and did not approve all the high handed and arbitrary measures of "Lord Protector' in the administration of Civil affairs.

The battle of Worcester was the last great battle if not the very last conflict at arms-in which CROMWELL participated in person. Although he was still Commander-in-Chief and had the direction of the movements of the army. Yet the affairs of state now occupied so much of his time that he rarely if ever even visited the camp outside of the city of London.

Chapter V

"Thus far there had been, at least the semblance of harmony between the warriors, who had subjugated Ireland and Scotland, and the politicians who sat at Westminster; but the alliance which had been cemented by danger, was dissolved by victory." "The dispute was soon brought to a decisive issue. CROMWELL filled the house with armed men. The speaker pulled out of his chair, the mace taken from the table, the room cleaned, and the door of the house locked." "King, Lords and Commons had now, in turn, been van­ quished and destroyed, and CROMWELL seemed to be left the sole heir of the powers of all three. And yet there were certain limitations imposed on him, by the very army to which he owed his immense authority."

"That singular body of men was, for the most part, composed of zealous Republicans, whose object was to erect upon the ruins of a Monarchic and dispotical government a free and pious Commonwealth." "The sentiments of CROMWELL were widely different. He was not what he had been; nor would it be just to consider the change which his views had undergone, as the effect merely of selfish ambition." "He had, during the past thirteen years, gone through a political education of no common kind. He had been the chief actor in a succession of revolutions. He had commanded armies, won battles, negotiated treaties, subdued, pacified, and regulated Kingdom. It would have been strange indeed, if his views had still remained the same." But he had now one more

24

The Protector-notwithstanding his speech to Parliament-soon found it expedient to re­ duce the powers of these Major-General Bishops, and finally suppress them altogether.

"The army however continued subject to admiral moral discipline, which, with the piety that animated most of the officers and soldiers, concurred in keeping up a purity of man­ ners till then unknown, especially in the garrison and in the camp."

At this time as it would seem there were four military districts. FLEETWOOD who had married Bridget daughter of CROMWELL and widow of IRETON commanded as Lord Lieutenant in Ireland General MONK who had a short time previous been sent up into Scotland to quell an insurrection that had recently broken out in that Province was still in command of that department while General LAMBERT was stationed with his command in the north of England Lieutenant HARRISON seems to have held command in the south--to which of these divisions Colonel HACKER was attached is not known. History is silent on that point and as to family tradition there is none.

But the crisis was now approaching and the end near at hand. "On the 3rd of September 1658 CROMWELL died, and his son Richard was proclaimed Lord Protector, as his fa­ ther's successor."

"Richard CROMWELL was 6 good man, but not, by any menns, equal to the emergency of the times," The Republican portion of the army at that time on duty in and about Lon­ don refused him their support. They had not been fighting to pull down one dynasty to establish another "That the nation must be consulted, and the government set up by its own Consent."

The army became thus divided and Richard finding himself supported only by a portion of the army "on the 5th of May 1659, he voluntarily resigned his office, and retired to pri­ vate life."

This seemed to give no relief. Contentions in the army was on the increase. Officers who had for so long been at the head of great divisions now conspired to be at the head of the nation. "Among those most conspicuous in this effort, was General LAMBERT." "While the soldiers had remained united, all plots and risings of the malcontents, were ineffec­ tual and soon suppressed." "The army in Scotland however, was in the highest state of efficiency." There appears to have been less strife, and far more harmony, at this time among the troops stationed in Scotland, than in any other part of the army; and their gen­ eral, George MONK, was himself the very opposite of a z'ealot. He had, at the com­ mencement of the civil war, borne arms for the King, had been made prisoner, had then accepted a commission from the parliament, and with very slender pretensions to Saints life, had raised himself to high commands by his courage and professional skill. He had thus been a useful servant to both sides in this great contest; had quietly acquiesced, when the officers at Westminster pulled down Richard CROMWELL, and restored the Long Parliament, and would perhaps have acquiesced as quietly in the second expulsion 25

of the Long Parliament, if the provisional government had abstained from giving him cause of offense and apprehension. He seemed to have been impelled to attack the new rulers of the commonwealth, less by the hope that, if he overthrew them, he should be­ come great, than by the fear that, if he submitted to them, he should not even be secure. Whatever was his motives, he declared himself the champion of the oppressed civil power, refused to acknowledge the usurped authority of the provisional government, and, at the head of seven thousand veterans, marched into England."

"This step was the signal for a general explosion. The people every\,yhere refused to pay taxes. The soldiers, no longer under the control of one commanding mind, separated into factions. LAMBERT, who had hastened northward to encounter the army of Scotland was abandoned by his troops, and made prisoner. He subsequently escaped from his con­ finement, and called his comrades to arms, again the flame of civil war was rekindled, but by prompt and vigorous execution it was trodden out before it had time to spread; and this ILlckless imitator of CROMWELL was again a prisoner."

"The power of the soldiers was indeed still formidable, but had been greatly diminished by discord. They had no head. They had recently been, in many parts of the country, ar­ rayed against each other. On the very day MONK reached London, there was a fight in the strand between the cavalry and the infantry. A united army had long kept down a di­ vided nation; but the nation was now united, and the army was divided." "During a short time, the dissimulation or irresolution of MONK, kept all parties in a state of suspense. This general, cold blooded, taciturn, zealous for no polity and for no religion, maintained an impenetrable reselVe." He was a warrior by trade, caring nothing for what or for whom he was fighting, so he could but secure his own place."

"At length, fully realizing that the nation was now united, and clamoring for a free Parlia­ ment, he broke silence, and declared for a Free Parliament." I have made the foregoing extracts from other authors in order not only to show the distracted condition of the na­ tional affairs at this important period but further to delineate the true character of this General MONK, that the duplicity and treachery he subsequently manifested may be the better understood.

"Writs were accordingly issued for a general election. The result of the election was such as might have been expected from the temper of the nation. The new House of Com­ mons consisted, with few exceptions, of persons friendly to the royal family. That there wou!d be a restoration now seemed almost certain, but whether peaceab!e, or not was a matter of painful doubt." "Happily, the dangers of a conflict were averted. The new Parlia­ ment elected, met at Westminster. The Lords repaired to the halt from which they had during more than eleven years, been excluded by force. Both houses instantly invited Prince Charles to return to his country; and he was proclaimed King Charles II with pomp never before known. "Charles accordingly returned and mounted the throne of his ances­ tors. And now a fearful day of reckoning for those who in any way participated or had shown favor with the proceedings which had dethroned the first Charles commenced. Hundreds and thousands of the Republican Protestants fled to Holland or hid 26

themselves in the wilds of America, where for more than a quarter of a Century they were hunted down and destroyed like wild beasts of the forests and in fact it never ceased on land until the close of the Revolutionary War in 1783, nor on the sea until the close of the last War with England in 1815.

During all these troublesome times Colonel HACKER remained quietly "at the head of his regiment of horse, which he had raised on the occasion for the defense of his Coun­ try, and with which he had so distinguished himself in many a hard fought battle, and es­ pecially that of Worcester fought some eight years before. "He refused his assistance to support the usurpation of Mr. Richard CROMWELL, though he had forced a Knighthood as it was called, upon him, and had presented him with two swords." The stern old re­ publican was not to be bought with such fancies and gee-gaws. Refusing to obey the or­ ders of Richard CROMWELL, he joined with the Commonwealth party, and continued in the command of his regiment till taken in custody; having had assurance from MONK, that he should be fully indemnified, he repaired to London, and made a visit to MONK, and was received with all the appearance of friendship, and affection. But on the next day, after he had been thus caressed, he was by the connivance of this same General MONK, seized, examined, and sent to the Tower. There is no doubt but that Colonel HACKER, like hundreds of others, could have made his escape from the Country, had he thought proper to have done so. But feeling assured that those great principles of the ref­ ormation for which he and his ancestors had been so zealously contending for the past Century and more were eternal and although he might have to pass thru scenes of tor­ ture and death, yet these principles would as certainly prevail and be triumphantly estab­ lished throughout the land as that they now appeared to be enveloped in darkness and doubt. He therefore resolved to remain firm at his post and abide the consequences.

In all this as the sequel will show he was not at all mistaken. No sooner was Charles es­ tablished on the throne of his ancestors than the old forms of ecclesiastical government again restored under the influence of the Jesuitical Priests who had returned from France with him and Courts of Civil Justice as they were called established in accordance with their wishes. That is the "Holy Inquisition" which the Jesuits had established in Spain and other parts of the Continent was not really set up in London, but the infernal "Star Chamber" which was the same thing, or perhaps worse, but known by another name, was instituted and the victims of its diabolical hatred were seized, condemned and often times hurried off to torture and execution without even a form of trial, or knowing of what they were accused.

Of course the prisoners who were arrested about the same time with Colonel HACKER were speedily brought to trial their condemnation followed and they were hurried off to execution. How many perished in this manner is really not known. Some authors esti­ mate the number by thousands. i

No sooner had the new Parliament, in 1660, reinstated the house of STUART on the throne, than the house of Lords resolved, that one victim ought to expiate the death of each of the members of the upper house executed during the rebellion, and excluding 27

from a general pardon all those who had signed the sentence of Charles I. Adding to this fatal list, HACKER, VANE, LAMBERT, HASLERIG, AXTEL and PETERS. Twenty-nine of these who had been arrested were at once condemned and perished under the fearful tortures ordered to be inflicted upon them.

Of the many intrigues at home and abroad which preceded and accompanied the Resto­ ration of the house of STUART many particulars are related by the historians of these times and especially by CLARENDEN, LUDLOW, RUSSEL, GUIZOT, VAUGHN, CAR­ LYLE, D'AUUQUE and MACAULAY, all of which I have consulted. And there may be oth­ ers whose accounts are equally as full and interesting.

The trial of twenty-six of the regicides with those who had been refused exemption from a general pardon, commenced at the Old Bailey, as it was called, on the ninth day of Octo­ ber 1660. From the fifth volume of State Trials, I have extracted the following account of the trial, with the evidence, judgment and final execution of Colonel Francis HACKER, with others of his Republican associates. This account proceeds:

"Lord Chief BARRON, Sir Olander BRIDGMAN, these proceeded to give a lengthy charge to the Jury." "After his Lordship's speech was ended, indictments for High Trea­ son, were presented to the Gra.nd .Jury against 32 of the regicides." Number 12 on that list was the name of Colonel Francis HACKER. And among the names of 42 witnesses given to the Grand Jury to summon before them was that of Hercules HUNCKS. "The Jury returned the indictments "Billa Vera", and Court adjourned to the Old Bailey until the 1Oth of October."

The attentive reader will here begin to witness the operation of the"Jesuitical Star Cham­ ber" proceedings. The Court opened on the 9th. Thirty-two indictments for "High Trea­ son" already drawn up were presented to the Grand Jury with the names of forty-two witnesses for them to call and examine. How many minutes the Jury was in session we do not know, but before court adjourned for that day they had returned all the indictments "Billa Vera", or true bills. How many witnesses did they examine? NOT ONE may be freely asserted. The whole proceedings of the Court was a farce. The parties had all been tried, condemned and judgment of death passed upon them in the Secret Star Chamber without one of them being present or of having any knowledge of what they were accused.

"On the 10th of October Court assembled and the several parties thus indicted were called before the Bar of the Court to plead to their several indictments." So far as I can find however, Francis HACKER was not called upon to plead at all, although present in the Court room with the others. The trial of the eleven whose names stood on the list pre­ sented before that of HACKER \vere called up separately day after day until all were dis­ posed of and sentence of death passed upon them severally. "October 15th, 1660"--The Court ordered the Clerk of the Court to set Francis HACKER at the Bar which was done. The account as given in the "State Trials" then proceeds as follows: 28

Chapter VI

Trial of Francis HACKER October 15, 1660

Lord Chief Justice--"Clerk of the Crown, set Francis HACKER to the BaLli Clerkn"Francis HACKER, hold up thy hand. These men that were last called are to pass upon YOU_a. If you challenge all, or any of them, you must challenge them when they come to the Book, before they are sworn. L.C. BARRON--"You may challenge thirty-five peremptorily, but no more." HACKER--"My Lord, I shall challenge none."

Clerk--Tho. BIDE, Robert SHEPPARD, William DOD, Sir Tho. ALLEIN, Sir Hen WROTH, Tho. MORRIS, Ralph HALSAL, John GALLlARD, John NICHAL, Tho. UFMAN, Tho. NICHOL, Christopher ADBY, in all twelve, the Jury called and sworn. Clerk of the Crown--"Make proclamation. If any man can inform my Lords, the King's Justices etc., (as in the usual form).

Clerk--"Francis HACKER, hold up thy hand. Look upon the prisoner, you that are sworn of this Jury. You shall understand that Francis HACKER, prisoner at the Bar, stands in- ) dieted, etc. (as in the indictment).

Mr. Searjant KEELlNG--"My Lords, and Gentlemen of the Jury, Francis HACKER, the prisoner at the Bar stands indicted among others, for compassing and imagining the death of the late King Charles the First, of happy memory. The compassing and imagin­ ing is the treason itself; the other points, is conniving, assembling, meeting together, and the actual villainy that followed all these, are but evidences of that imagination. As to this person at the Bar, our evidence will be this; We shall make it appear to yOll that he was one of the persons that were upon the guard and keptthe King a prisoner, that he might be sure to be brought to that mock court of justice. Then it will appear to you that this prisoner at the Bar was highly trusted by all those miscreants that thirsted for the King's blood, by their bloody warrant directed to him and others to take the King's person into custody, and see execution done. This was the person that kept him till he brought him to the fatal stage. That this warrant was lately brought from his own house by his own wife, to the house of Lords. And then we shall show you that this person set his hand to the warrant to the executioner for execution. That he did not do it ignorantly, nor unwillingly for he heard the warrant read. We shall make it appear that he was upon the scaffold and had the axe in his hand."

Council-·"Crier, call Holland SIMPSON, Colonel TOMLINSON, Mr. NUNNELLY, Mr. NUTLY, Hercules HUNCKS, and Benj. FRANCIS; who all appeared and were sworn as witnesses.

Council--"Mr. SIMPSON, speak your knowledge of the employment of the prisoner, touching the trial and execution of the King." 29

HACKER--"My Lords, I will confess what f know in this case, to save your Lordships that trouble. I confess I was upon the guard, and had a warrant to keep the king for his execu­ tion (Here the warrant being shown to the prisoner, he confessed that to be the warrant.)

Council--"After you had that warrant brought to you, did you by virtue of that, direct an­ other warrant for the execution of the King? Did you not take the King (then a prisoner) from the custody of Colonel TOMLINSON?"

HACKER--"No, Sir."

Council--"We shall prove it, (here the warrant was read) my Lords, at the time that this warrant was signed, the person of the king was in the custody of Colonel TOMLINSON; Did not you take and demand from Colonel TOMLINSON the person of the King, as soon as you received that warrant."

HACKER--"No, Sir, I demanded him not."

Councilu"Colonel TOMLINSON, tell my Lords the manner of that business."

TOMLlNSONu"My Lords, and Gentlemen of the Jury, I shall, as my memory enables me, make a faithful narrative of this business. I had indeed to do with the guard that had to do with the person of the King, about St. James. Being then an officer of the army, a Colonel of Horse. When the King came to St. James, it was observed by some that there was too great an access of the people admitted to the King; and sitting a day or two after, there was a party of halberteers appointed for the stricter observing of the guard; they were commanded by three gentlemen, of whom this prisoner at the Bar was one, the orders every day for removing the person of the King were commonly directed to four persons, and those were myself Lieut. Col. CALBET, Captain MERRYMAN, and one more, but the guards that still went along were the halberteers. So that every day when the King did go to Westminster, he went to Sir Robert COTTONS home, and so far I went with him, and no farther; I never went with him, nor saw him at that pretended High Court of Justice. When he used to go to High Court of Justice, commonly (every time indeed) the Serjeant DENDY (as I remember his name was) he used to come and demand that the King should go to the High Court of Justice, and Colonel HACKER did ordinarily go with him with the halberteers. It was not my custom to stay in the room till he came back again; that order continued during the time of his trial.

After the sentence was given, on the day whereon the execution was to be done, it was order"ed (which order might be produced if significant) that the guards that were for the security of the person of the King should cease, when a warrant from the High Court of Justice should be procured. I would not omit anything that I wlll remember; and this I re­ member, that the night before the execution, the King called me into his chamber, and told me several things; I will take the occasion to trouble you with a short discourse of it. (Here the witness went off into a long detailed statement of what the King had told him, and how some of the guards had insulted him by taking his tobacco etc., but as all this 30

had nothing to do with the case before the Court it is omitted here). The witness then continued--"I do not well remember the time, whether it was twelve, one, or two o'clock, Colonel HACKER came in, and there was present with him two other gentlemen that were named in the Warrant, as I remember, I am sure Colonel HACKER, if my memory fail me not, did produce the Warrant. Myself and those gentlemen that were concerned in the former orders looked upon the warrant, by which the orders which we had were at an end. I must confess, I did not, nor none of those did tell him, that the orders for security of his person were at an end; but Colonel HACKER did go into him, and after a little while Colonel HACKER came to the door, and the King was coming forth, and he told me that the King desired I should go along with him; and indeed the night before, when the King told me that he had prepared something to speak, he desired I would not leave him. So Colonel HACKER led him forth, the Bishop of London followed him, and I followed the Bishop of London; the guards were prepared without, and they went on the scaffold. I went on the scaffold. I went so far as to the entrance on it, and had looked a little while about it, and was thinking to have spoken over, but he turned about to me, I cannot trou­ ble you with what the King said, for I cannot remember it; but Colonel HACKER was there in possession of the warrant, and upon that warrant our orders were at an end. I do aver."

Council--"You delivered him upon that warrant, did you?"

TOMLINSON--"He went and received the King upon that warrant; it was a chamber that was known then by the name of the Horn Chamber, and then the King was in the inner room; this is the substance of all."

Council--"We will trouble you with one or two witnesses more. Mr. TOMLINSON, did Mr. HACKER or his soldiers, take tobacco to the offence of the King?"

TOMLINSON--"1 do not say that any tobacco was taken there by Mr. HACKER, but the soldiers would be stepping in and take tobacco at his chamber in St. James, and committed other incivilities"

Council--"We have proved that the prisoner did demand and take the person of the King. Now we will prove to you that himself had the boldness to make a warrant in pursuance of the former, for the execution of the King."

Council--"Crier, call Mr. HUNCKS." (the witness was called and sworn).

HUNCKS--"My Lords, and gentlemen of the Jury, that day the King died, a little before the hour he died, I was in Treton's Chamber where TRETON and HARRISON were in bed together, there was CROMWELL, Colonel HACKER, Lt.Colonel PHAYRE, AXTEL and myself; standing at the door; this warrant for the execution was there produced, and you (looking upon Mr. HACKER at the Bar) were reading of it; but CROMWELL ad­ dressed himself to me, commanding me by virtue of that warrant, to draw up an order for the execution; I refused it, and upon refusing of it there happened some crass passages; 31

CROMWELL would have no delay. There was a little table that stood by the door and pen, ink, and paper being thereon, CROMWELL stepped and writ (I conceived he wrote that which he would have had me to write). As soon as he had done writing, he gave the pen over to HACKER; HACKER, he stooped and did write, (I cannot say what he writ) away goes CROMWELL, and then AXTEL; we all went out; afterwards they went into an­ other room."

Council-"What followed?"

HUNCKS-"Immediately the King came out, and was murdered."

Mr. Secretary MORRICE-"Mr. HUNCKS, you did tell us in the Tower, (when we were sent by his majesty's council to examine you and others there) that Colonel HACKER did then sign that warrant for nominating and appointing the executioner."

HUNCKS--"My Lords, CROMWELL comes to me, and bid me write a warrant for that purpose; I refused of it; CROMWELL writes himself and HACKER writing on the same paper, what should I conceive but that it was the warrant? (the King presently after com­ ing to the scaffold.)

Council-"Did CROMWELL give you no bad name because you would not write that or­ der? Did he not say you were a coward?"

HUNCKS-"He said I was a froward, peevish, fellow."

Council-"Did HACKER only write his name, or give directions in discussing up the order?"

HUNCKS-·"I conceive he only writ his name."

Council-·"My Lords, we have only that eye witness."

HUNCKS--"HACKER confessed to the gentlemen jailor of the Tower, that if he did do it, he did by order."

(There is a memorandum, that Secretary MORRICE and Mr. AUNESLEY, President of the Council were both on the commission for the trial of the prisoner and sat upon the bench, but there being occasion to make use of their testimony against HACKER, they both came off the bench and were sworn and gave evidence, and did not go up to the bench again during that man's trial. It being agreed by the Court that they were good wit­ nesses, though in commission and might be made use of.)

Council-"Mr. Secretary, we would desire you would be pleased to tell my Lords what Colonel HACKER the prisoner at the Bar did confess to you, and others touching this business." 32

Mr. Secretary-·"When Colonel HUNCKS (for that title he now assumes) was brought over out of Ireland and committed to the Tower of London, there was three of the Council by order of the board sent to examine him-Sir ANTHONY, Ashby COOPER, Mr. AUNESLEY and myself. In obedience to the order we repaired to the Tower, and had Colonel HUNCKS brought before us; we told him that he (being one of three which were appointed by the warrant from the suppositions High Court of Justice to carry on the exe­ cution ofthe King and see it done) must needs know who was the executioner. Where­ upon he answered, that he, for his part, did not know who was the executioner, for the warrant, whereby the executioner was nominated and appointed was refused to be signed by him, but Colonel HACKER must know. Accordingly upon our retum, we made our report to the board, and upon this, there was an order that Colonel HACKER should be sent for, taken in to custody and brought before the Lords of the Council. Accordingly, he was apprehended, and the same three Councilors were sent down to examine him. We took private rooms and examined him and told him, among other things, that he be­ ing a man that (as we were informed) did sign the warrant for the nominating and ap­ pointing the executioner, doubtless he must needs know who that man was. At first he said he did not sign the warrant. I told him I would have him well consider what he said, for if you deny it, it will be proved by such men, naming HUNCKS, and that you will do yourself a great prejudice if you deny that. Saith he," I do believe I did sign the warrant for the appointing the executioner. This is alii can say."

Lord AUNESLEy··"Gentiemen ofthe Jury, it is very true, as you have been told already, that I was among those that the Council sent to the Tower of London, first to examine Colonel HUNCKS and Mr. COOK, that hath been condemned. HULET and some other prisoners. We did examine Colonel HUNCK and he did by his examination acquit him­ self from signing the warrant. (Colonel HUNCKS refusing) and upon his refusing (as he said), CROMWELL, that urged him to it said he was a cowardly fellow or something to that purpose. When we examined him about the person in the frock, he said he knew nothing of that, but that Colonel HACKER signed the warrant of execution. This examina­ tion being reported to the Council, the Lords sent for HACKER. I think upon notice Colo· nel HACKER came; he had been in the army and continued til that time an officer. When he came thither, the Lords of the Council, having notice of it commanded the same per­ sons formally appointed, to go out and examine him. We had him into a little room be­ longing to the Clerks of the Council, and examined him to that point concerning the man that cut off the King's head, whether he knew anything of it. He did affirm pointedly he did not know. We told him that he was the man by testimony that signed a warrant for the execution of the King, and that certainly he must know- -(manuscript was torn here). Whereupon we asked him, whether he was the man that signed the warrant or no. Thereupon, as I remember, and as the examination, which was all written with my own hand doth help my memory, he did say he did believe he did sign such a warrant. There­ upon he was asked further, how could it be possible that he could forget the man if he signed the warrant. He knew who the man was that was appointed he said as for that, that he did believe the warrant was read to him and that therein the man's name might be, but he could not now remember his name. This was the effect of his examination and confession. 33

Council--"Mr. FRANCIS, did you see Colonel HACKER atthe time of the execution, upon the scaffold?"

FRANCIS--"Yes, I did see him as a principal commander there, I was coming out of Westminster into London, about half an hour before the King came upon the scaffold. As soon as I was engaged in the throng (when I had passed about eight or ten yards) I could not pass backwards nor forwards, I was forced to stand there. During that time I saw the scaffold, and the axe, and the block taken up by divers people; and principally, I saw a man that is not here-he is in custody--I saw him take it up and try it with his thumb, and lay it down. This was James BERRY--he came off and came not upon the scaffold again unless in disguise."

Council--"Did you see HACKER there? Did you see him upon the scaffold when the King came on?"

FRANCIS--"I did see him, he was there, his majesty came to the side of the scaffold next to St. James. He looked that way and smiled. After a while, the block and axe laying down about the middle of the scaffold, there was a black cloth, hung about the rails of the scaffold."

Council-"We have another evidence. The prisoner hath confessed enough, but we have proved that he had the King in custody. He confessed that he believed he did sign the warrant, and that he, at the time of the execution, was there to manage it. What do you say for yourself?"

HACKER--"Truly my Lords, I have no more to say for myself. But that I was a soldier and under command, and what I did, was by that command you read."

Lord Chief BARRON--"Can you deny anything that Mr. Secretary and Mr. AUNESLEY have declared?"

HACKER--"I cannot tell what I might then say, the gentlemen were very strict with me. Truly I have been no counselor nor advisor nor abettor of it, but in obedience to the com· mand over me, I did the act. My desire hath been ever for the welfare of my country, and that the Civil power might stand."

Lord Chief BARRON--"Have you yet resolved who gave the warrant for the execution?"

HACKER--"No my Lord, I delivered none."

Lord Chief BARRON--"But you know who it was directed to?"

HACKER--"No indeed my Lord, be pleased to ask HUNCKS whether I read this warrant, or no." 34

Lord Chief BARRON--"This is all you have to say for yourself."

HACKER--"Yes, my Lord."

Lord Chief BARRON--"Then Colonel HACKER, for that which you say for yourself, that you did by command, you must understand that no power on earth could authorize such a thing, no command in such a case can excuse you. There is a two-fold obediance--a passive obedience to suffer, rather than do things unlawful, and an active obedience to do that only which is lawful, and therefore, this will not excuse your obedience to the law­ ful command."

The Lord Chief BARRON, after having thus decided the case against the defendant, pro­ ceeded to charge the Jury, virtually directing them how they must decide the case which was valuable for nothing else. After his Lordship had ended his charge, the Jury went to­ gether and then after some little consultation, returned to their places.

Clerk of the Crown--"Gentlemen of the Jury, are you agreed on your verdict?"

Jury--"Yes."

Clerk--"Who shall say for you?"

Jury--"Foreman."

Clerk--"Francis HACKER, hold up thy hand. Gentlemen, look upon the prisoner at the Bar--how say you, is he guilty of high treason, whereof he stands indicted, and hath been arraigned, or not guilty?"

Foreman--"Guilty."

Clerk--"Look to him keeper." "What goods and chattels, etc.?"

Jury--"None that we know of." (It had all been confiscated.)

This closes the trial as it stands recorded in the fifth volume of "State Trials" referred to. Of course, sentence of death was pronounced against him, and he was then returned back to prison. Fortunately, history has preserved a copy of that sentence and in SUb­ stance it is as follows: "You shall be drawn on a huddle to the place of execution, and there you shall be hanged by the neck; and being alive, you shall be cut down and muti­ lated; your entrails shall be taken out of your body and (you living) the same to be burnt before your eyes; and your head to be cut off, and your body to be divided into four quar­ ters." In prison awaiting the execution of the sentence, he was kept in a eel! with Daniel AXTEL, his old and well tried friend and who had been condemned to suffer with him. During this short interval, they were visited by many persons who conversed with them in 35

regard to their faith, their hopes, etc. These persons have left upon record the following summary of their visits and the last expressions dropped from the lips of the condemned:

Colonel Francis HACKER was a man of few words, and had not the gift of oratory to de­ liver himself as others could; yet, was very sweetly bourn up under his sufferings, and had a very comfortable assurance that God had pardoned and accepted him in the blood of Christ. He had been a professor of religion many years in the Presbyterian way, and a good lover of Godly ministers, a man of just and honest conversation amongst men, and one that designed to walk blameless, in the sight of God. His fellow prisoner sooner did say he believed that Colonel HACKER had an interest in Jesus Christ. HACKER de­ clared to several of his own immediate friends a little before he SUffered, that the greatest trouble he had upon his spirit was that he had formally bourn too great a prejudice in his heart, towards the good people of God, that differed from him in judgment, and then broke forth into this admiration. 0, what am I, a poor vile worm, that God should count me worthy to suffer with such precious souls as these are, against whom I have been for­ mally so much prejudiced."

Such then is the character as given us by contemporary writers who were present and witness whereof they affirm--of this heroic person; his more than noble bearing, and the state and condition of his mind during the few hours he was awaiting the execution of his sentence. Truly he was possessed of no ordinary mind or character.

Chapter VII

Before proceeding to narrate the final scene at the execution of our venerable ancestor, which occurred the second day after his condemnation we might perhaps drop a few thoughts just here in regard to the organization of the Court before whom he stood his trial and from which he received his sentence. History informs us that in the year 1655 Spain, wealthy and arrogant, was domineering over the nations of Europe in a fearful manner. Her government at that time was entirely under the control of the Jesuitical Priests. The Holy Inquisition had been set up and was running night and day. Thou­ sands and thousands of the inhabitants who, from some cause had become obnoxious to the Church of Rome, were being seized, hurried off to the tortures made to confess, and then sent off to execution without any form of trial whatever or even knowing of what they were accused. And in this manner it was given out that the whole world was to be con­ verted to the Roman faith. At this particular period of time, war between Spain and France appeared eminent. As France was also a powerful nation, Spain sought an alli­ ance with England. CROMWELL, whose fame and power at the same time was also well known, proposed to accept the alliance with Spain upon two main conditions; namely, that the trade to the West Indies and South America should be thrown open to his flag, and the suppression of the inquisition, so that every man might read the Bible and wor­ ship God as he pleased. "When the Spanish ambassador heard these two strange re­ quests. he exclaimed: It is like asking for my master's two eyes." The demand of 36

CROMWELL was not accepted and England formed and alliance with France and then Spain got a most terrible thrashing. Lost a good portion of her West India possessions and had her Navy -at that time considered the most powerful that had ever been estab­ lished- annihilated and the Spanish government almost entirely driven from the seas. But the Inquisition was not abolished and within the space of five years thereafter that most infernal machine was set up and torturing and slaying its victims right in the very heart of London.

In 1660 on the return of Charles II the Jesuits came with him and under Lord CLEVEN­ DON a most bigoted catholic and the Bishop of London although a professed Episcopa­ lian but really a Jesuit in disguise -this "Star Chamber" which was nothing less than the "Holy Inquisition" under another name- was established and for the succeeding twenty· eight years it did its hellish work among the Republicans most fearfully.

That this "Star Chamber" commission was really the inquisition we but to look at the pro­ ceedings of these trials. The Star Chamber commission was organized and composed of persons who was known to be in sympathy with the government and would not hesitate to do the behest of the Bishop of London. Hundreds and hundreds were secretly arrested and hurried off to the Tower and there privately examined by a committee of Inquisition and without knowing of what they were accused their answers written down and upon such written statements as thus taken down -whether they were the true statements as made or not- the party was condemned and the public trial accorded them was the mer· est farce imaginable.

Take for example the trial as it is given in the histories of the times as I have copied it. The court was called with the Star Chamber commission as Judges- A Grand Jury em­ paneled. Thirty-two Indictments already drawn up handed to them with the names of forty-two witnesses for them to summon. They retire and within the space of a few min­ utes -perhaps not an hour- they return the whole batch of indictments "Billa Vera" -True Bills- and not a witness called or examined. The Jury knew before hand what they had been called to do and they of course done it all up in the shortest space oftime possible. And they could no doubt have returned five-hundred indictments had they been pre­ sented as these were-with equal facility and in the same space of time.

The Indictments being thus returned the prisoners are brought from the tower before the commission and each required to plead to the indictment against him. In this as the re­ cords show they are broW-beat and domineered over by the officers of court and even members of the commission join in these proceedings until the defendant became in­ sulted wearied and refuse to make any further response to questions put to them. They are then sent back to prison and each separately called before the commission for trial where the farce is re-enacted. The prisoner is allowed no council nor rebutting testimony but is again brow-beat by the officers of court the State council and members of the com­ mission and in many cases the "Lord Chief BARRON" or President of the commission -as in the case of HACKER- would pronounce the party guilty before submitting the case to the jury who had been impaneled to try the case. Of course this jury as with the Grand 37

Jury understood well what they were called to do so that when the case was finally sub­ mitted to them all they had to do was to retire for a minute or two then return and an­ ll nounce that the Defendant was "Guilty as charged • In the trial of Colonel HACKER in all the evidence given against him -and I copied it all- there was not one thing proven against him by any testimony that would to-day be admitted before the most illiterate Jus­ tice of the Peace in all the land except that he carefully let some of his halberteers while on guard lito offend the King by taking his tobacco". An unpardonable offense truly.

But leaving these reflections I must now relate the last sad scene in the life of this more than honorable person.

As before stated Colonel HACKER after his condemnation was confined in the same room with Daniel AXTEL who had also been a faithful officer in CROMWELL's army and as the sequel shows they were destined to suffer together.

The account from which I have copied goes on to say IIAnd thus these two gracious per­ sons -AXTEL and HACKER· having finished their course, and the time of their departure being at hand, were brought forth out of prison. The sledge being ready for them, they took leave of some friends that stood at the door, and AXTEL desired them to be at the place of execution. They both entered the sledge, they cast their eyes towards that God to whom they were coming, then with a cheerful countenance, setting themselves down, they were driven to Tyburn, the place of execution, where the cast was seat ready, into which they both ascended, their countenances not all changed, though now the King of terrors stared them in the face.

The ropes being put about their necks, and burning fire kindled, before their eyes, and being ready to receive the execution of their full sentence, which nature would have sunk under, if grace had not supported them. First AXTEL applied himself to the Sheriff, in the following words. 1I (This conversation is not necessary for me to repeat as it related to nothing in which HACKER was concerned.)

After AXTEL had finished his discourse, Colonel HACKER read a Paper, which he had in his hand, a copy where of followeth.

IIFriends and countrymen, all that have known me in my best estate, have not known me to be a man of oratory, and that God hath not given me the gift of utterance, as to others, therefore I have only this, briefly to say unto you that are spectators.

As the Parliament started the war, I did out of judgment, and conscience, join with them in the common cause, and have through grace been faithful to it, according to my meas­ ure. And as for that which now I am condemned for -I do freely forgive both judges and Jury- and witnesses, and all others, and I thank the Lord, to whom I am now going- at whose tribunal I must render an account, I have nothing lies upon my conscience as guilt, whereof I am now condemned, and do not doubt, but to have the sentence re­ versed. I do now apply myself unto God, by prayer and desire the hearty prayers of all 38

that fear God, that I may have a sweet passage from thy mortal life, to that immortal life, which God hath prepared for all that are in Christ Jesus." Francis HACKER

After reading this, he desired that Colonel AXTEL, would be mouth for both, to God in Prayer.

That Prayer -for its sublimity of sentiment for the fervency of its utterance for the tone of deep piety and forgiving temper that prevailed its every thought has never under like cir­ cumstances been equaled- is for those reasons here copied that all may see Grace that was vouchsafed to those two noble martyrs that was now about to pass through such fearful tortures by reason of the faith that was in them.

That Prayer thus offered is as follows:

Oh1 Blessed Lord, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who art the Great God of heaven and earth; Heaven is Thy Throne, and the earth thy footstool; Thou upholdest all things with and by the word of thy power. The issues of life and death are in thy hand, 0 God. Blessed Lord, we pray thee let us have communion with thyself and the Glory of thy face, let the shining rays of Christ shine continually upon our souls. Lord let there be no interposition between the brightness of thy glory and our souls, till we come into the full­ ness if the possession of it. Blessed Lord, we desire to make shame before thee and this multitude, for all our iniquities and transgressions; we were born and come great sinners into the world; the root of bitterness was in us, that flowed from the bitter fountain of Adam; but thou 0 Lord, hast been pleased to send the second Adam, that, as by the sin of one man death entered into the world, so by the obedience, and righteousness of one, Jesus Christ, many should be made righteous. Blessed Lord, thou knowest all our origi­ nal guilt, all upon our hearts, and upon our conscience, all our personal defilement's and transgressions; we pray thee; Lord, wash them all away in the blood of Jesus Christ. Lord, we have nothing of our own to rely upon but a Christ; for all our goodness and rightness is but as polluted rags, and monstrous cloths. Therefore, 0 Lord, thou has said, by the works of the Law no man shall be justified but by the righteousness of Christ Jesus. Therefore, 0 Lord, hold out the covenant of Grace to poor believers, and make Je­ sus Christ the mediator, to perform Gods Part to us, and our part towards God. 0 Lord, in thee are all our springs; thou are the fountain of all Grace; let us have mercy and pardon from thee. Lord it is by Grace that we are saved, Thou shouldest be a righteous God if thou shouldest not only suffer us to be under condemnation of men, but exclude us from heaven and Glory forever.

But, Lord, if thou shouldest be strict to mark iniquity, who should stand in thy presence? But there is mercy with thee, that thou mayest be feared, Lord, thou hast said, Who is a God like unto thee? Pardon iniquity, and pass by the transgressions of the remnant of thy people, for thy own names sake. Lord, it is thy covenant, that thou wilt put thy spirit into our hearts, and write thy law in our inward parts, and our sins and transgressions thou wilt remember no more. Blessed be the Lord for the Lord Jesus Christ; for had it not been 39

for Christ, we were undone forever. Blessed be our Lord, that hath written our names in heaven, and given us a portion of Christ, in whom we have believed and trusted. We humbly beg of thee the pardon of all our personal guilt; the sins of our public employ­ ment, which thou knowest we have not willingly committed, though it may be through in­ firmity and temptation, and the sins of our nature. Lord, we humbly pray thee let us see ourselves justified in the blood of our Lord Jesus, that we may say with the Apostles, who shall lay anything to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that justifieth us, it is Christ that died; yea, rather that he is risen that he may be our advocator, intercessor, and mediator. He is filled with all the fulness of the God-head, to distribute to us according to our need.

Thou hast promised by the Apostle, that God should supply all our wants, according to the riches of thy own God. Lord, thou wilt have the passover eaten with sour herbs, and Lord we are contended: but Lord, thou hast provided sweet wine for us; and hast thou not kept the best wine, and the best of thy divine comforts until now? Till now? To carry us over this bridge, and passage from earth to heaven? Sanctify this our passage; for it is best to have the cross with the crown; they go together, and are inseparable; therefore saith the Lord, They that suffer with me, shall also reign with me.

Dear Lord, we pray thee to give us a full evidence, and let thy Holy Spirit witness to our souls that we are the children of God, and reconciled to thee in the covenant; and that we shall through thy son be glorified with thee.

Strengthen our faith, that we may lay hold upon a naked Christ, that by his blood we may be purged, washed and cleansed; and for our justification, sanctification, and acceptance with the Father.

Glorious Lord, we desire to leave our requests with thee on the behalf of this poor people, as the last request we have to beg of thee of this side of Heaven; If there be any here not belonging to Christ, and not friends of him, Lord convert them, and show them their own undone and miserable estate, and give them the pardon of a dying savior (thy poor ser­ vant would not part with Christ for ten thousand worlds). Lord, make Christ precious to their immortal souls; Lord convince them of the evil of their sins, and the evil of their own ways, and break them off from them, and cause them to close with Jesus Christ, Thou hast promised that those that come unto him, thou wilt not cast off. Remember all thy people, and help them to persevere in thy grace and love, and make them able to hold fast the truth till thou come; and to quit themselves like men, to stand fast in the faith.

Blessed Lord, we humbly pray thee to have mercy upon that great city, the place from whence we come. When thou resolvedest to destroy Sodom, thy servant Abraham ex­ postulated with thee, and thou saidest, If there were but ten righteous thou wouldest save it, but Lord, there are many tens of righteous ones in that city. It hath been a place where many Godly ministers have been encouraged: 0 Lord, let it go well therefore with that great city, and let thy Gospel have free passage in the public works of it. Bless the right­ eous governors thereof, and make them instruments to thy glorious praise. We pray thee have respect to the chief magistrates that are come here by command to see execution 40

done: 0 Lord, we beg mercy for their souls. Oh that Christ would evidence himself more to their souls, and that we might meet in heaven together, and be embraced in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ. And him that shall be executioner, and must now wash his hands in blood, do thou wash his soul in the blood of Christ. 0 Lord, we pray thee that thou wQuidest have pity on his poor soul, and let him know what it is to be washed in the blood of Christ, that fountain set open for sin and uncleanness.

Blessed Lord, help us thy poor creatures with strength, for we have no strength of our own. Thy word saith, that death is the King of terrors; but blessed by thy name, thou hast taken the sting out of it, and the poison from it; and therefore, as saith the Apostle, Oh death then, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ, that hath given us the victory. Thou hast said by the Apostle, We have the sentence of death in ourselves, and therefore should not trust in ourselves. Lord, we will not trust in ourselves, but in the Living God-Oh my God, thou art the God of Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob, strengthen and support our poor souls. Stephen when he was stoned to death saw heaven opened, and the glory of the Father and of his Throne; shall we see the face of Jesus Christ beaming upon our hearts under all, and we shall go through. Thou hast promised that thou wilt never, never, never, leave us nor for­ sake us. Thou has said: Who can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus? Can life? Can death? or what can separate a believer from Jesus Christ? Let thy Angels come down: we are persuaded that the Angels are ready to receive our souls, and to convey them into thy Bosom, and into the company of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the blessed Apostles and Martyrs and Witnesses of Jesus Christ, and just men made perfect in thy kingdom. Blessed Lord, thou art our support and comfort, support us with the cor­ dials of thy love, 0 thou Father of mercies, and God of consolation. Bless Lord, before we make an end of praying, we beg one request for the chief magistrate of this nation; That thou wouldst give him a glorious Christ into his poor soul, and magnify thy grace towards him, that he may become a friend unto Christ, and a friend to the people of Christ; and reign in righteousness, and a praise to them that do well; that he may cast away iniquity with his eyes, and rule for God, before whom he and all others must render an account in the day of Judgment. Lord hear us for him. And blessed Lord, do the like for all that had any uncharitableness towards us; we would have none towards them, but beg their souls might live in thy presence; make them to see their sins, and let them receive their par­ don, that we might embrace one another one day in heaven. Dear Father, we pray thee for them as we would beg for ourselves.

We now desire to resign up ourselves into thy bosom as it is thy command; thou hast said, We are brought with a price, not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and we offer up our bodies and souls unto Christ, which is but a reason­ able service, that thou shouldst have all when thou callest for them, our estates and lives themselves. The earth is the Lords, and the fullness thereof, and we are his works; It is Gods sovereignty to command whatsoever he pleaseth. Blessed Lord, we desire with our Lord Jesus, when he offered up himself upon the cross he said unto thee. 0 Father into thy hands I command my spirit; and with Stephen when he was put to death, so say we, Lord Jesus receive our spirits; pity us, and accept us, in thy son upon whom we rest for 41

life and salvation. Lord let us know that death is a passage into glory; it is appointed for all men once to die, and after death to judgment. This is a decree and statute law of heaven, that all men must die; and this some comfort in our death, that from this time for­ ward, we shall sin no more, grieve Christ no more, dishonor God no more, nor offend any one else more. Set thy love upon our souls, and let our prayers be dissolved into praise, when we meet and embrace thee, and thou embrace us.

We humbly intreat thee, do more abundantly for us and all them we have prayed for, than we are able to ask or think, in the name, and for the sake of our Lord Jesus, who is the intercessor with the Father, who hath promised that he will pray the Father for us , he is the mediator ofthe new covenant, betwixt God and us; our fullness, our strength, our comfort, and our support, our all; in his name we make all our requests; to whom with thyself and thy holy spirit we desire to give all honor, and glory, and praise, forever. Amen

Chapter VIII

The account from which I have copied then goes on to say: "After he had ended his prayer he gave the sheriff thanks again for his civility and then turning to Colonel HACKER they saluted and embraced each other in their arms and said The Lord Sweeten our passage and give us a happy meeting in glory. Then pulling their caps over their eyes expecting -as is supposed- that the cart should be drawn away -with his hands lifted up- he uttered these words: Lord Jesus receive my Spirit. But the cart stayed a little longer, he lifted up his hands the second time and with the like and able loud voice said, Into thy hands 0 Father I command my spirit. And yet in regard there was no man found to put forward the horses to draw away the cart until the common hang-man came down out ofthe cart himself to do it. The Common Cart-man -as many witnessed affirm- saying he would lose his cart and horses before he would have a hand in hanging such men. By this means he had opportunity to lift up hands and utter the like words the third time also."

One other thing is remarkable as I find it recorded. "That when these prisoners were taken out ofthe sledge into the cart, the spectators being in great numbers, they behaved themselves very civilly, only two persons among them -as soon as the ropes were put about their necks- cried out very earnestly, hang them, hang them, rogues, traitors, mur­ derers, Hang-man, draw away the cart. Whereupon a man that stood by them, desired them to be civil, and said, Gentlemen, this is not civil, for the sheriff knoweth what he hath to do. And thereupon they were silent, and gave attention to Colonel AXTEL's speech and prayer.

But before he had done, those very persons, were so affected, that they could not refrain from pouring out many tears, upon the place, went aside to a place, a little more retired to 42

weep, and that man, that before desired them to be civil, went after them, and beheld them, to his great admiration as he himself hath narrated."

Let us now for a moment or two stop in our narrative and contemplate the sufferings these persons were condemned to undergo and for a more concise understanding of all its horrors let us take the penalty as pronounced by the count against them.

First "You shall be drawn on a huddle to the place of execution." This was the moral part of the penalty -as there was no physical suffering in ito. The huddle a conveyance of the most degraded character, such as was used to convey the putrid carcasses of dead ani­ mals and other filthy accumulations of the city to the cess-pools. This was supposed to be a terrible degradation for those who had been accustomed to ride in fine equipment to and from the house of Parliament and other public places. "Where is now your good old cause? said a bystander, as the prisoners were thus being taken to Charing Cross, on a huddle for execution. It is here exclaimed the old soldier, placing his hand on his heart, and I am going to seal it with my blood."

Second "And there you shall be hanged by the neck; and being alive, you shall be cut down." That is they be made to undergo all the pain and miserable sensation of being strangled by hanging by the neck. When sensation was gone but life not yet extinct they should be cut down and nature allowed to resume its normal functions, and then:

Third "And mutilated." That is castrated. Ears cut off and Nose split. This was not to be done in a skillful manner and proper instruments but in a rude manner and with course dull instruments so as to cause the most intense pain and for as long a time as possible. A butchers saw -as we learn from history- was commonly used to take off the ears and split the nose.

Fourth "Your entrails shall be taken out of your body, and (you living) the same to be burnt before your eyes;" This part of the penalty was done in the following manner. An opening was made in the abdomen in such a manner as to cause as much torture as possible then the executioner would seize hold of the bowels and gradually pull them out in a string so as to prolong the sufferings of the victim for as long a time as it would be possible for him to endure it. The bowels being thus drawn out and while still attached to the body at each end they were laid on the fire and consumed, and thus the sensation of the torture could be conveyed to the mind of the sUfferer through the sympathetic nerves of the bowels while thus consumed.

Fifth "Your head to be cut off."

After the victim had been made thus to suffer for hours and perhaps for the greater part of a whole day -then just before life should become extinct their heads were to be cut off in order to put them out of their misery as we may suppose. What a merciful act truly. But even after death the penalty did not end. 43

Sixth "Your body to be divided into four quarters."

Their head struck off was placed on a pike staff and the four quarters of the body sus­ pended on the gibbets over the city and in public places as objects of scoff and derision for the catholic rabble and buffoons throughout the country.

Such then was the terrible penalty inflicted not only upon these condemned persons but upon hundreds and thousands of those who refused to renounce their religious beliefs and submit to the theological dogmas put forth by the Jesuitical Bishops and Priests whom the restored Charlies had placed in authority over the consciences of his subjects.

Near a century has past since the celebrated Colonel William CRAWFORD was so cru­ elly tortured to death by the savages up near Sanduskey when led on by the notorious renegades BRANT and GIRTY. And to-day we can not read the account ofthat terrible affair without the thrill of horror permeating every fiber ofthe soul and yet his sufferings great and terrible as they were and no doubt the most sever and prolonged that the sav­ ages knew how to inflict was but a tithe of what thousands of our ancestors had each to endure from the hands of those who are usually termed by historians as enlightened and Christian people. Could demons from the infernal regions have invented tortures more debasing more prolonged and more intense than was here inflicted and all under the sanction of a professed Christian Bishop?

The historian informs us that "Charles, comtist, and indifferent, took no personal part in all this." Having called about him his spiritual advisers, and under their direction set up his inquisitorial "Star Chamber" court. "He left full play to individual passions which by degrees became more and more excited. The bodies of CROMWELL, IRETON, and BRADSHAW, were tom from their graves, then decapitated and hung up on gibbets, to the scoff and derision of the rabble. The Chapel of Henry VII, at Westminster, was vio­ lated, the tombs of the Mother, and daughter of CROMWELL, with those of PYM, and BLAKE, were opened, their coffins broken up, their bones dragged forth, and thrown out upon the Commons, and suffered to be tossed about, as foot balls for the rabble; and on all sides this popular vengeance -executed by the priests- exhibited the same hideous, and cowardly traits."

And where was Charles, while these scenes of sufferings were going on? Drinking wine, dandling, and fondling with his Misses, in the palace of St. James like one of old, "caring for none of these things".

Another author in describing these scenes uses the following language: "And what be­ came of the country, after the death of CROMWELL? The STUARTS returned, and when the rejoicing occasioned thereby were over, the illuminations extinct, then punishment followed. One hundred corpses were exhumed, among which were the great Oliver, his old and venerable mother, his dearly beloved daughter Bridget PYM, and the famous Ad­ miral BLAKE, their mouldering bodies were hung on the three corners of the gallows at Tyburn, and the cavaliers found a subject of merriment, and pleasantry in this revolting 44

exhibition. Ears were cut off, noses were split, and numbers lost their heads on the scaf­ fold. The sentence pronounced against them all, was the same in substance." Our author then goes on to say, "The STUARTS, as if this was not enough, filled the country with immorality; and an Illustrious Royalist if the present day, can find no other excuse for Charles, than by saying that, in propagating this comption of morals, it is probable that this prince merely followed the course of his own inclinations and the fickleness of his character. Two thousand Ministers were driven from their benefices; the churches were oppressed; the noblest hearts of the country were forced to seek a refuge in distant lands; vast colonies in America were peopled by them; and England would have become like Spain, and worse than Spain, had not William III, resumed the task so energetically begun by CROMWELL. If so long after the war, and after a pacificaI recall to their native land, the STUARTS committed such atrocities, what would they not have dared when mens passions and animosities were in full vigor?"

Well could these victims of Charles perfidy while on their way to torture and death, when taunted by the rabble of "where now is your good old cause" with their hand on their hearts, exclaim- "It is here, and we go to seal it with our blood, and that blood which we so freely shed this way, in that good cause shall continue to cry to High Heaven, for vengeance upon the authors of our present degradation, until the last tyrant, shall be driven from the throne of Old England, and that good old cause, for which we now go to suffer, shall be re-established throughout her entire dominions.

Was that declaration prophetic? Let us see.

High Heaven, to whom that appeal was made by our heroic ancestor while on his way to execution saw proper to bear with these proceedings of government for over four years and then sent that awful plague upon the city of London where these scenes were being enacted which in a few months swept off more than a hundred thousand of its inhabi­ tants. This produced no effect upon the licentious King or his murderous court. The horri· ble work still went on. Another year passes away and then comes a conflagration -the most terrible the world ever saw- in which more than three fourths of the entire city was laid in ashes. Next the Chancellor -the King prime Minister-. He who had been the princi­ pal cause of the shedding of so much blood fell in disgrace. The King took the seal from him; the commons impeached him; his head was not safe; he fled from the country; an act was passed which doomed him to perpetual exile; and those who had assailed him began to struggle for the fragments of this power." Reaction in the minds of the nation had already commenced to operate. The struggle went on. "The tide was again setting towards liberty." "1679 Parliament succeeded in passing the Habeas Corpus Act to de­ fend citizens against illegal imprisonment." This proved to be one of the grandest bul­ warks of British Liberty. Another Revolution was approaching and under the disgraceful conduct of the King and the tyranny of those he had placed in power nothing could stay it.

As before stated Charles having established his courts with instructions to deal with those entertaining liberal or Republican sentiments in the manner as before described 45

gave himself up to a life of voluptuousness and debauchery, dandling and fondling with the vile strumpets he had called about him and thus he continued on and on until life's scenes with him were finally brought to a close.

One author in describing these scenes of licentiousness in which the King was a daily participant says: "His palace seldom presented a gayer or a more scandalous appear­ ance than on the evening of Sunday, the first of February 1685 -but five days before his death- some grave persons who had gone thither, after the fashion of the age, to pay their duty to their sovereign, and who had expected that, on such a day, his court would wear a decent aspect, were struck with astonishment and horror. The great gallery of Whitehall was crowded with revelers and gamblers. The King sat there chatting and toy­ ing with the women. whose charms were the boast, and whose vices were the disgrace, of three nations. Barbara PALMER, Duchess of Cleveland, with all her voluptuous loveli­ ness, the Duchess of Portsmouth, with her soft infantine features lighted up with the vi­ vacity of France. Hortensia, Duchess of Mayarin, who had known and fondled with Charles, while in exile, and returned with him, and fixed her abode in England. While Charles thus flirted with his three Suttanas a party of twenty courtiers was seated at cards around a large table, on which gold was heaped in mountains."

Such then is the reported conduct of this prince while the horrible scenes of torture and death were going on in the land.

On the 6th day of February 1685 Charles is arrested by the hand of death and his brother James succeeded him on the throne.

"James was an avowed Catholic and proved to be the greatest tyrant that ever disgraced the throne of England. His reign was a succession of usurpation, and acts of tyranny." In less than three years from the time he ascended the throne the revolution was complete. liThe good old cause" arose, hurled the tyrant from his throne and drove him into exile where he ended his days in disgrace being continually lashed by a guilty conscience un­ til death put an end to his misery.

Under the united and peaceful reign of his daughter Mary and William, Prince of Orange, whom she had married -true friends of freedom, truth, justice, and rational liberty- wa­ tered by the blood of there patriot Martyrs arose from the earth and asserted their right­ eous sway over the minds of the English people, and has continued to hold supremacy to the present day. No tyrant has since been permitted to disgrace the throne of England and we may confidently predict that there never will be another.

But having these matters J must return to the further sketching the lives and characters of our own immediate ancestors, and so far as the life of Colonel HACKER is concerned there is but little more to add further than to solicit a comparison of his rulings and deci­ sions while occupying the Judicial Bench with those of Lord JEFFREY who succeeded him. In one we see the truly honest upright and incomptable Judge the gallant hero in many a hard fought battle in the cause of equal rights and a martyr to Justice and rational 46

Liberty. In the other we see the domineering cowardly tyrant the comptable Judge ready for any bribe offered and under whose administration more than a thousand innocent lives were sacrificed because they had not the means to purchase their freedom. He ar­ rested whom he pleased acquit whom he pleased and condemned whom he pleased whether there was any evidence against them or not and sent them off to prison to tor­ tures and to death.

It may be asked did Colonel HACKER and AXTEL really suffer the full penalty of the Law that had been pronounced against them. To which I can only reply that I am satisfied that they did, although I have found no historical statement direct on that point. General HAR­ RISON was the first one of the regicides upon whom the penalty was executed and the account as given in the records of his execution is much more complete than in that of the others. In his case the record goes on to state that he was cut down before life be­ came extinct then mutilated, his bowels taken out and burned before his eyes and all while he was alive as what he said while his bowels were on the fire is given in the re­ cord. In another case it is recorded that the executioner came near losing his one life by the rabble because he cut the prisoners head off before placing his bowels on the fire. For as they claimed he should see his bowels burned, etc.. Hence I infer that all suffered alike the full penalty pronounced against them.

And thus our noble heroic ancestor died. His title and estate confiscated and disposed of, not however on this occasion to replenish the treasures of the Pope as on the former oc­ casion but to finish the means for the licentious Charles to keep up his dandle and fondle with his miserable strumpets and their paramours of gamblers and debauchers with which he kept his court infested. The whole family is again reduced to poverty and one more driven into exile.

That HACKER was wholly innocent of any crime for which he could have been punished is a well established fact. It will be remembered that he acting under the then existing government and every act of his was done by order of those set over him and of course he could not be held accountable for any of them and every thing that was proven or at­ tempted on the trial was that he had drawn up and with his own hand signed the warrant appointing and naming the executioner of the King and that before the execution he had permitted some of the guards about the King to insult him by taking some of his tobacco. After the trial HACKER refused to say anything about what had been testified against him. Not so however with AXTEL. In his conversation with those who visited them in prison and in his speech to the people at the place of execution he repeatedly denounced Colonel HUNCKS and TOMLINSON that they had sworn falsely against HACKER.

That HUNCKS did draw up and sign the warrant himself appointing the executioner and his swearing that when requested to do so by CROMWELL that he refused and that HACKER then done it was absolutely false for HUNCKS did do it himself and HACKER as he had said before the court knew nothing about it or who had been appointed to exe­ cute the King. And that Colonel TOMLINSON was the officer in immediate command of the halberteers who had insulted the King by taking some of his tobacco and that 47

HACKER knew nothing about that and was too strict a disciplinarian to allow any im­ proper conduct by anyone placed under his command.

At another time in speaking to some of his friends who had come to visit them in prison he uses the following language: "The Lord forgive that poor wretch, Colonel HUNCKS, for he hath sworn falsely in that evidence; and now is that word made good, that brother shall betray brother to death. Colonel HUNCKS, he was the most uncivilist of all about the late King, and yet he comes in a witness against HACKER and me." And when in speaking of Colonel TOMLINSON he said: "Ah! he hath appeared five pounds lighter in every twenty, than that I thought him to be."

And thus these two guilty persons by corrupt perjury to save their own lives swear away the life of an innocent party. HACKER though innocent is made to suffer while the guilty escape mans judgment and thus are permitted to live.

Well might HACKER say as he did in the little speech he read to the people just before execution. "And as for that which now I am condemned, I do freely forgive both judges, and jury, and witnesses, and I thank the Lord to whom I am now going-at who's tribunal I must render an account I have nothing lies upon my conscience, as guilt where I am con­ demned, and do not doubt, but to have the sentence reversed."

HACKER suffers the most cruel tortures and death. HUNCKS and TOMLINSON lives on a few years more and then their souls all covered over black and putrid with perjury are called before the judgment seat of the Great Eternal and who now doubts but that the sentence pronounced by the Jesuitical court under Charles II was speedily reversed, ver­ ily there is none.

The execution ofthe Honorable Colonel Francis HACKER with Colonel Daniel AXTEL occurred at Tyburn, October 19th 1660.

Chapter IX

What family relations Judge HACKER had at the time of his execution is not known or how many more of them were made to suffer a like penalty. History is entirely silent on these matters and family tradition furnishes us nothing reliable.

We only know that he left one son born about 1640 and whom I shall have to designate by the name of Captain HACKER not having been able to learn what his name really was. From the best information I have been able to obtain when but a youth entered the navy as a cadet under the famous Admiral BLAKE and was with that gallant officer in his celebrated victory over the Spanish Navy near Santa Cruy in South America in 1656 which so effectually destroyed the power of the Spanish Navy and established the su­ premacy of that of England. 48

After the restoration of the British Monarchy the dastardly scenes then perpetrated upon the body of his dead Admiral as well as upon the life of his father convinced the Captain that he had no favors to hope for at the hands of those then in power. He therefore fled to Holland under an assumed name entered the naval service of that country in which he rendered additional service in the "Good old cause" for which he was compelled to flee his own native land. He subsequently became Master or Captain of an Emigrant Vessel and thus became the means of transporting hundreds of the unfortunate refugees to America. Family traditions say that under contract with William PENN he brought several ship loads of these unfortunate people from Holland to the Colony of Pennsylvania.

History however furnishes us no evidence of that fact nor can we expect any from that source. For it must be remembered that when he fled from England - by an act of Parlia­ ment his father had been attained for treason which was made to extend to him and to his posterity forever.

This act of attainder we find remained upon the Statute books of England until the reign of William IV perhaps about 1835 - when it was so far modified as to limit the conse­ quences of the attainder to the life time of the person attainted. It will thus be seen that by that act he became attainted upon the conviction of his father for treason and when he fled the country a price was set upon his head consequently when he reached Holland and entered her Navy it was under an assumed name which he continued to bear until death relieved him from all fear of being apprehended and taken back to England for trial and punishment.

And as he was never thereafter known by his true name - nor has even the name he as­ sumed and by which he was afterward known come down to us with any degree of cer­ tainty. We would therefore look in vain through history for anything in regard to him during the latter years of his life. The British government by the distribution of the Span­ ish and Dutch navies under Admiral BLAKE and thus gained the supremacy of the seas claimed the right as she now had the power to search every vessel on the seas for de­ serters and refugees and especially for those for whom rewards were offered. Conse­ quently so completely had he covered up all traces of his identity that nothing has come down to us in regard to him except through vague and somewhat uncertain family tradi­ tion. Nor do we know when or in what country he died, how much of a family he left or in what country he left them.

It is supposed by some that he brought his family to America and settled in one of the Colonies about the beginning of the Eighteenth century as we hear of a family of the name in Maine, another in Kentucky, and another in Illinois and again in Tennessee, while it appears that none of the present descendants of these families are able to trace ) their origin beyond their grandfathers.

Now all this is not strange nor is it improbable when we remember that the Captain never assumed his true name after he fled from England and none of his descendants either 49

until near the commencement of the American Revolution. Again history gives us an ac­ count of Ludwig HACKER to whom is assigned the institution of the first Sunday School ever organized and which are now so universally practiced and from which such wonder­ ful beneficial results are being realized by all Christian organizations throughout the world. This first Sunday school as it is said was organized by Ludwig HACKER at Ephrata in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1746 and was continued by him until some time in the year 1777 when at the Battle of Brandywine it is said to have been bro­ ken up. The truth however is the death of its founder occurred about that time when the school was discontinued.

Now the name Ludwig evidently shows its Dutch extraction. Again we find some authors writing the name HACKER while others has it HECKER while speaking of the same per­ son. Now all there is in this is that one is the English while the other is the Dutch orthog­ raphy of the same word. So when we take these facts into consideration and then remember that when the Captain left his native country he could not have been much be­ yond 20 years of age and having been almost from his childhood connected with the Navy and afloat on the seas the strong probability -nay we may safely say the certainty­ is that he was at that time a single man and no doubt but that in a few years after reach­ ing Holland he united himself to a Lady ofthat country. And if so then the name Ludwig in the family is easily accounted for William HACKER and Ludwig HACKER were broth­ ers and immediate descendants of Captain HACKER.

It has been recently suggested that the name assumed by Captain HACKER on reaching Holland was Ludwig HOECKER. Now if his name as given him by his parents was Lewis then the matter is easily explained. Ludwig HOECKER is but the Dutch pronunciation of Lewis HACKER. And the Ludwig HECKER of Ephrata Sunday School notoriety was a son of Captain HACKER and of course a brother of our Great Grandfather William HACKER.

We can not however say for a certainty how this was but we do know that our Great Grandfather William HACKER could speak the Dutch language fluently as I shall have occasion further along in these sketches to more fully demonstrate.

It is not necessary however to pursue this line of thought further at this time as it would only be but speculation at best. I will therefore only add that what we really do know is that Captain HACKER and his Dutch wife had a son to whom they gave the name of Wil­ liam -after Wilhelm HECKARDT the original founder of the name- and another who re­ ceived the name of Ludwig -most likely after some family name of his mother or as suggested above for his father.

Now this son William HACKER born about 1680 is the person through whom our line of the HACKER family has descended.

And here again we have in sketching his history to rely almost entirely upon family tradi­ tion. For although not born for perhaps 20 years after the act of attaintee was passed 50

against his Grandfather yet by that act he become attainted the moment he was born and liable to be arrested and punished for an act committed by his ancestor 30 years before he came into existence. Such was English Law and British Justice of those days. Hence William -to save himself from arrest- had also during his entire life to move in such a manner as to leave no trace of his decent by which those set upon his trail could hang any hopes of gaining the reward offered for the arrest of any or all bearing the outlawed name and detested character of a Regicide.

From these family traditions we learn that William almost from childhood followed a sea­ faring life with his father and became in every sense of the word a true sailor-boy.

How many voyages he made across the ocean with his father is not known nor to what position under his father's command he attained. But it is certainly known however that during some of the last shiploads of emigrants brought over from Holland for settlement in Penns colony that William being as before stated fluent in the Dutch as welf as English languages by appointment of Penn acted as interpreter for the vessels as they came over. These voyages were made perhaps in the years 1697 and 1698, he being at that time about 16 or 18 years of age.

How often the vessels in which he sailed with his father were overhauled and examined by the British men of war is not known but certain it is that under the name assumed the Naval Uniform of Holland which he wore and the fluent Dutch language his little boy could speak Captain HACKER was never detected. And although a large reward was of­ fered for his capture yet by these means he succeeded in eluding his pursuers and was permitted to live and die a natural death. But as before stated at what time or when is not known.

After the death of his father William continued to follow the sea for a livelihood. Having been brought up to it from childhood he knew nothing else. It is claimed by some that he had command of the vessel in general of the voyages which he made. This is more than likely as he had been brought up under the immediate instruction of his father who had been a student of the Great Admiral BLAKE there be no doubt but that he was competent to take charge of any vessel sailing across the ocean. The last voyage he made however I am inclined to believe that he came as a common sailor before the mast. Perhaps as he had intended that should be his last voyage he preferred sailing in that capacity so that upon landing he would be relieved from all responsibility in regard to the vessel or any­ thing that might be in it.

Be this as it may during that last voyage made in 1725 he made the acquaintance of a young Irish girl - herself a destitute refugee from Popish persecution and when on arriv­ ing at Philadelphia they were married.

William now being over forty years of age quit the ocean and with his young wife for whom he had formed a strong sincere attachment- and well he might for she was a brave noble woman -settled for a while in the city of Philadelphia. How long he remained there 51

we do not know but he subsequently moved out to Germantown or Ephrata where his brother Ludwig was perhaps by this time residing, or his brother may have come over while he was in Philadelphia and together they may have moved out to Ephrata where soon after Ludwig commenced his Sunday School enterprise.

Having thus traced the male line of our ancestors down to its final settlement in the United States it is but proper that some attention should be given to the Maternal side of our ancestors. This of course will have to be brief from the fact that but little is known of their antecedents.

The only historical reference that I have been able to discover in regard to any single one of them up to the time of arriving in the United States is what is found in the trial of Colo­ nel Francis HACKER where it is said that the Warrant for the Execution of the late King and then in court "was lately brought from his own home, by his own wife, to the home of Lords". And that is all.

Consequently every thing I can say in reference to any of them must be entirely taken from family traditions. And here again we are left almost as completely in the dark as we are by historical account. No family traditions is now known to exist in regard to the Ma­ ternal side of our ancestors prior to the latter part ofthe Seventeenth Century perhaps during the reign of James II of England.

This little incident as given above in regard to the wife of Colonel Francis HACKER is all we have in regard to her. Why she took the warrant named to the House of Lords as it is said she did do is not even hinted it and we can only infer that as Parliament was about to pass the degree of attainder against her husband she being in possession of the war­ rant issued by the court for the execution ofthe King took it to the House of Lords to show that her husband acted only by superior authority and could not therefore be guilty of treason. In this view of the case she was right and her position would to day be sustained by any and every civilized nation on earth. Again there is another unexplained circum­ stance connected with this matter. While the family and relatives of Colonel AXTEL fre­ quently visited him while in prison and his daughter -a sprightly intelligent girl well grown- was with him much of the time from his condemnation to final execution.

HACKER refused to call for or see any of his family or relatives. The reason for this must be left to conjecture. The only reason -as I have yet found- that he assigned was "that it

could do no good I and it is better to let it be as it is". The supposition is that as the bill of attainder had been past by Parliament which as before stated included not only himself but his family and posterity forever now should he send for any of his family to visit him before going to execution they might be betrayed as he himself had been by General MONK and thus more innocent blood be shed and as they were now hiding from the offi­ cers on their trail and endeavoring to escape out of the country, why "better let it be as it is" and make your escape if you can. This as before stated would be the rational conclu­ sion to draw from this circumstance. 52

As I have given in the sketch of Captain HACKER all that is known throughout history or tradition of the life and character of his wife. Of course I have nothing further that I can add in regard to her.

Chapter X

We next come to sketch the early life of my maternal Great Grandmother the wife of the sailor-boy and as there are those still living who knew her intimately long after the Revo­ lutionary War had past and it was safe to speak of former times I have been able to pro­ cure many facts in relation to the character and history of this more than noble woman.

Of her ancestors I give the following facts just -as I have been told- she often repeated them herself to those who inquired of her about them.

But in order to get a proper understanding of this part of the history of our ancestors it will be necessary to go back to the days of the latter half of the seventeenth century during the reigns of Charles II and of his brother James.

Charles though a professed Protestant was nevertheless at heart a most persecuting Catholic. "He had learned nothing by his exile. nor by his fathers fate. He caused the act of uniformity to be passed, requiring every Clergyman to be ordained by the Episcopal Bishops, and to assent to the book of common prayer. Upwards oftwo thousand minis­ ters were thus thrust out of their living, and great commotion excited thereby." This caused the tide once more to set in towards Liberty. "The good old cause" began to re­ vive. The Habeas Corpus Act was passed in spite of the King and his court. To mollify the effect of this act Judges were sent out to hold courts in various localities. The sus­ pected seized brought before these Judges tried condemned their property confiscated and the victims hurried of to execution before a writ under the Act of Parliament could be abstained by which to rescue them. By this means the secret dungeons of the Prisons were constantly kept full. The tortures at work. The Gallows at Tyburn and elsewhere throughout the country were never without a victim suspended from their cross beams. The Smithfield fires were never suffered to smolder or die out for want of some victim chained to the stake. But upon the liberty loving inhabitants of Scotland as it appears were the hottest part of this terrible calamity to fall.

In 1685 James II succeeded his brother Charles. He came to the throne an open and avowed Papist of the most bigoted kind. Hence under him matters grew worse. Sir George JEFFREYS was made Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench. A regiment of Horse assigned to accompany him to see that every order he should make and every sentence he should pronounce was speedily executed. And thus he proceeded from county to county throughout England and then up to Scotland where he caused the most cruel barbarities to be inflicted upon non-conformists. Of this Judge history gives us the following account: "He was a man of quick and vigorous parts, but constitutionally prone 53

to insolence and to angry passions. His daily conflicts with prostitutes, and thieves, called into lively exercise his power, so effectually that he became the most consummate bully ever known at the Bar, or on the Bench. Impudence and ferocity set upon his brow. The glare of his eyes, had a fascination for the unhappy victim, on whom they were fixed. There was a fiendish exultation, in the way in which he pronounced sentence, and or­ dered the prisoner off to execution. Thus, when he had passed sentence, he would ex­ claim; "Hangman, I charge you to pay particular attention to this Lady! Scourge her soundly man, scourge her until the blood runs down! It is Christmas; a cold time for madam to strip in! See then that you warm her shoulders thoroughly." "And then again impudent rogue! thou shalt have an easy, easy, easy punishment! One part of which was the pillory, in which the wretch almost lost his life from the brickbats hurled at him by the British rabble under the protection of this regiment of Horse that accompanied this infa­ mous court."

In consequence of these barbarous and inhuman proceedings on the part of the govern­ ment many of the best families of Scotland forsook their patrimonies and estates and fled the country -stopping for awhile in Ireland until they could succeed in making their es­ cape to America- preparing to brave the deadly rifle of the lurking savage on the borders of that far off wilderness rather than remain longer under a government that could employ such inhuman devils to harass and destroy the lives of the people.

Among those who thus fled from Scotland during these troublesome times there was a family by the name of TURNER - how many there were of them or what estates they left behind is not known. Certain it is however that they were refined, thrifty and energetic people. One of the young men of this TURNER family was married to an amiable and in­ telligent young lady just at the commencement of the Eighteenth Century. What this young lady's name was we do not know but certain it is that she was a true descendant from these Scottish refugees. And thus these two young persons through poor yet full of life and energy commenced the battle of life's struggle together with all the surrounding circumstances against them.

The fruits of this marriage was a girl born about 1707 and to whom the parent gave the name Ann as it was called in the Irish tongue - but Nancy in the Scotch dialect- that child in after times became my maternal Great Grandmother and she is the person from whom these reminiscences were obtained. But not however until after the Independence of the American Colonies had been obtained and there was no longer any danger of being ar­ rested and taken back to England to be tried for treason said to have been committed a half century before she was born.

The joyful life thus commenced by these two loving hearts was destined soon to be blasted. The father young and resolute commenced the struggle of life manfully. But it soon proved too much for him so that about the time Ann was born he was borne by a few sympathizing friends to an early grave thus leaving a young mother with her infant child to struggle on through life as best she could. Under these distressing circum­ stances the mother for a few years battled on and made the best living for herself and 54

child that was possible. But as in hundreds of instances -both before and since that time­ the tempter came and in the form of a burly Irishman a most bigoted Roman Catholic who under great protestations of love and regard sought the hand of the young widow and -as she hoped thereby to better her condition in Iife- she yielded to his importunities and became his wife. But alas how soon she became undeceived. The intolerant British character of this man became soon to manifest itself.

Other children were born of this marriage and the mother ·a fine sensitive nature- wea­ ried and worn down by the brutish treatment of the man who had vowed to cherish and protect her had thus more responsibility thrown upon her hands than she really had strength to endure. She could not therefore give the attention to her first born child so as to protect her from the rage of her cruel step-father. The child was treated by this man in a most inhuman manner more especially so after she had arrived at the years of discre­ tion and announced her determination to adhere to the faith of her father. Then it was that the step-father employed all his hellish arts to compel her to renounce her faith and be­ come a Roman Catholic like himself. She was terribly whipped by him time and again ­ driven to the fields and made to work like a slave, half starved and in a manner naked summer and winter and thus her life passed until she was 18 years of age. When she told her step-father that as she had now worked for him like a slave for so many years she thought he could afford to get her a pair of shoes like other girls of her age, some­ thing she had never had on her feet in all her life. To this reasonable request the brute only replied in abusive language and threats. That unless she renounced her faith and became a good Catholic he never would get anything for her she might go naked and he would make her work as he had done until he got the Devil out of her which he knew she had in her bigger than a calf. But if she would become a Catholic he would do a good part by her. Well she said if that was his determination she would strike out for herself and do the best she could. For to become a Roman Catholic she never would that was settled.

Putting on a little sun bonnet she had continued to make for herself out of some scraps of tow linen she had been able to pick up and barefooted as she was she started without any purpose or thought of where to go or what to do. Taking the wide, wide world before her she only felt that anything would be better than to longer endure the brutish tyranny of such a monster.

Taking the road leading through the neighborhood she traveled on for a few miles not knowing or caring wither she went until she found herself in a strange part of the country when her helpless and forlorn condition coming with sudden force upon her mind she could but bust into a paroxysm of tears. While under these emotions she reached a place where some emigrant families had stopped by the road side to rest and feed. And while they were thus enjoying their noon-day meal they noticed the young girl passing along the road weeping as if her heart would break. Sympathizing with her apparent forlorn condition they tenderly inquired the cause. Thus meeting with expressions of sympathy perhaps the first she had ever heard in her life she frankly and at once told her whole story with the brutal treatment she had received from her step-father because she would 55

not renounce the faith of her parents and turn a Roman Catholic. And now at the age of 18 she had left her home and was out upon the wide world with nothing before her but to escape from the further inhuman treatment she had always received at his hands.

These families told her that they too were refugees from Popish persecution and on their way to America where they hoped they might find an asylum free from intolerance and where they might live and enjoy the right to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience and advised her to cast in her lot and go along with them. This she ex­ pressed a willingness to do had she the means but having nothing but the single dress she had on and her little tow-linen bonnet it would be impossible for her to accept their kind proposition. They assured her that should make no difference but to come and go along with them and she should share alike with them as one of their own children.

Under these kind assurances all preliminary matters with her were soon settled and she found herself on the way to the land of freedom. Having now an object in view she soon became contented and cheerful.

Arriving at the Port where they intended to take passage, it so happened that the vessel upon which they entered was the one in which Captain HACKER -the sailor boy- was designedly making his last trip across the ocean.

Nancy or Ann TURNER from her intellectual yet forlorn appearance -having nothing in the world but her tow-linen dress and bonnet as before stated- yet with all a mild amiable deportment soon attracted the attention of the better portion of the sailors who on learning her history and the objects had in view in thus leaving the land of her nativity truly sym­ pathized with and were ready to aid the unfortunate one to the extent of their ability.

Many of these noble hearted sailors were from the higher walks in life and being com­ pelled to leave their own native lands and for similar reasons knew how to sympathize with this more than heroic child of misfortune in her helpless condition. Consequently and perhaps before the vessel had left the port on its long voyage across the ocean she had come to an understanding with these true hearted sailors to cook and do their wash­ ing for them on their way over and for which they were to arrange and settle her passage she taking her meals and sharing with them and in this manner was the mind of this child of misfortune early taught to rely upon her own efforts whereby to provide the necessar­ ies of life. This arrangement with the sailors was for her a most fortunate one and seemed almost providential as it thereby released her friends whom she first met and by whose advice she was now aboard this vessel from all further responsibility on her ac­ count as well as affording her the consolation of independence and thus infusing into her young life new energy to fight the great battle of life to the utmost of her power. And as she was of a willing mind naturally of mild and amiable deportment physically strong and well developed always to take hold on what ever seemed to offer as duty or advantage never so happy as when at work doing something either for herself or for the comfort and happiness of those around her - it is not at all surprising that she soon became a special favorite with those on board and of course treated with the greatest respect by all. And 56

especially was this the case with Captain William HACKER -though perhaps not at that time known on ship board by that name- who now in his 45th year and having previously determined that this should be his last voyage across the ocean quit a seafaring life and settle down in the new world to habits of domestic pursuits had for reasons of more than human sympathy been drawn towards this amiable refugee.

He therefore at leisure hours sought for opportunities of conversation with her, learned the story of her life from her own lips as she had nothing to conceal and no doubt gave her a good position of his own eventful life and the reasons for his being on ship-board in the capacity of a common sailor and under an assumed name. Through interviews of this kind their sympathies became mutual and soon opened into the purest love and affec­ tion. And thus the months they were on ship-board on their passage soon passed by and on arriving at the port of Philadelphia -whence the vessel was bound- and notwithstand­ ing the disparity in their ages they were married as truly a love match as was ever made between two souls on earth.

Having now entered into domestic relations for a time they remained in Philadelphia but for how long is not known. They subsequently moved for a while out to Germantown and from thence over to Ephrata in Lancaster County where his brother Ludwig was then re­ siding or more likely soon joined him at that place when as we are informed by history Ludwig HACKER instituted the first Sunday School that was ever established in the United States if not in the world.

At this point our ancestors remained for a few years -but for how many we do not know­ enjoying the pleasures of domestic happiness and thus this Ann or Nancy TURNER who had been so cruelly tyrannized over by a brutal step-father became the beloved and al­ most idolized companion for life of the noble generous hearted sailor boy William HACKER and the Maternal parent of our line of the HACKER family in the United States.

Having thus traced the Paternal as well as the Maternal line of our ancestors down to the time of final settlement in America and detailed such incidents in their lives as history and family tradition seemed to warrant in to set forth the true character and relation they severally maintained in life - in order now to complete the work before me I shall have to follow the same general plan on down until the time of the present generation is reached.

In doing this we shall have to look much into the history of the Colonial times of our coun­ try which with some family tradition brought in by the way of explanation or the localizing and connecting of certain events will furnish us with ample means for all it will be neces­ sary to write on this part of the subject.

) As I only propose to sketch such incidents as may be thought necessary to delineate the character of our ancestors and show the part they had to perform in these trying times.

How long the sailor boy with his young and devoted wife remained in Pennsylvania be­ fore moving over into Virginia is not known. From slight intimation collected from family 57

traditions we are lead to conclude that all their children were born in the latter state. But as their first child was not born until several years after their marriage it is probable that they may have continued to reside in Pennsylvania until near the birth of their first child. All this however is of but small importance.

What we really know about the matter is that within a few years after landing at Philadel­ phia they learned that several families -close relatives ofthe wife- had come over from Scotland and had located themselves on Lord FAIRFAX's estate over in the Shenandoah Valley. This determined them to move over there also which they did. And thus this long oppressed but now devoted lovely wife and soon to become a mother was united in so­ cial relation with her own blood relatives which was truly a source of much pleasure to all concerned.

This as will be observed was a fortunate move for them. The husband however devoted he might be to the partner he had selected for life yet as he had been afloat for almost his entire life on the great ocean he could of course know but little -if anything at all- about making a living on dry land. But here among these relatives of his wife he found not only all the required information but also all proper assistance. What time they reached the Shenandoah Valley is not known but from certain circumstances I have heard related it must have been as early as 1734 or 1735 within some 8 or 10 years from their first land­ ing at Philadelphia. Be this however as it may they settled down as above stated among the wife's relatives near Winchester, Virginia and entered with them upon agricultural pursuits.

Being industrious and economical they soon found plenty around them and thus with a comfortable home even tempers and loving hearts they begun to enjoy a good supply of temporal happiness. And the only drawback to this was the constant fear that William might be discovered by the emissaries of the government arrested and taken back to England. tried and punishment for the treason alleged to have been committed by his Grandfather more than ninety years before and at least a third of a century before he was born. For it must be remembered that the act of Parliament passed in 1660 attainting Colonel HACKER for treason extended to him and his posterity forever. Hence while now living again under the British government he was liable to arrest and trial under that act. Hence also his true name and ancestral line was known to but few until after the Declara­ tion of American Independence three years after his death. 58

Chapter XI

It must be remembered that long before the time of which I am now writing all that part of Virginia then known as the "Northern Neck" had been granted by the crown of England to Lord FAIRFAX as a Patrimonial Estate which in 1749 WASHINGTON surveyed and marked out for him. This grant to Lord FAIRFAX was so vast that upon actual survey it was found to include in its western portion quite, if not all, the territory drained by the Shenandoah River. This found to be the case all the settlers in the valley could be noth­ ing more than tenants of Lord FAJRFAX. And for that reason could not become the own­ ers of the soil they cultivated under this condition of affairs the laboring man by industry and frugality could seem a competency for present wants but nothing more.

Again they were far out on the border, of civilization and separated from the eastern set­ tlements by the Blue Ridge and were therefore necessarily compelled to be constantly on the watch for marauding bands of hostile savages who were ever prowling around the new settlements ready to pounce upon the unwary kill and destroy or carry off in to cap­ tivity any and everything that came into their way. And more especially was this the case for the fifteen years intervening between 1750 and 1766 ten years of this time was occu­ pied in the French and Indian War. During this war the inhabitants of this valley suffered all the horrors that French and Indian barbarities could invent. History records it that the entire valley -except in and around Winchester where WASHINGTON with a handful of militia had established a Fort for their protection- was almost entirely depopulated. More than twenty thousand of the defenseless inhabitants of the valley were either captured by the Indians - massacred or driven from their homes over the Blue Ridge to seek for that protection which seemed to be denied them in that part of the country where they located their homes.

Strange as it may appear yet history records it as true while WASHINGTON was as­ signed to the protection -during this war of the western frontiers of Virginia extending the whole breadth of the Colony- from the Potomac on the north to the Carolinas on the south -a line of defense of near four hundred miles he was furnished with but a handful of raw militia and who were allowed but eight pence a month for their services and two pence of that small amount was retained for equipment, etc..

Under these circumstances we need not wonder that desertions from the ranks were constantly going on and which the then acting Governor refused to punish.

Large bodies of savages, in the service of France, and led on by French officers, would enter the valley and spread desolation and murder over the whole country, west of the Blue Ridge. "The troops subject to constant desertion were inadequate and totally unreli­ able, for the protection of the inhabitants." "I exert every means, wrote WASHINGTON to the Lieutenant Governor DINWIDDIE, to protect a much distressed country; but it is a task too arduous. To think of defending a frontier of more than three hundred and fifty miles extent, as ours is, with only seven hundred men, -and even that small number- 59

being constantly diminishing by desertion and against which there appears to be no rem­ edy, is vain and idle; especially when that frontier lies more contagious to the enemy than any other."

While WASHINGTON was thus vainly calling for aid from the Government to assist him in the protection of this vast frontier settlement the Governor instead of promptly respond­ ing as he should have done seemed to have his time wholly taken up in listening to little petty complaints made to him by some envious persons against the character and con­ duct of WASHINGTON.

"It is evident, again wrote WASHINGTON to the Governor, from a variety of circum­ stances, and especially from the change of your honors conduct towards me, that some persons as well inclined to detract, but better skilled in the art of detraction than the author of the above stupid scandal, has made free with my character. For I cannot sup­ pose, that malice so abusive, so barefaced, so diametrically opposite to truth, to common policy, and in short, to every thing but villainy, as the above is, could impress you with so ill and opinion of my honor and honesty."

Such is a specimen of the language which WASHINGTON used to the Governor in order to defend his reputation from the vile slanders that was being sent up against him from all sides while thus periling his young life in the defense of the innocent and helpless. And here it is proper that I should say that if Lord FAIRFAX or his agent in this country ever raised a hand or contributed one dollar in the defense of his unprotected and help­ less tenants history has failed to record it except it is said he did make one effort of three months duration and succeeded in putting these soldiers in the field. But left them to the relentless mercy of the savage hordes by which they were surrounded.

Such then were some of the scenes of toils, privations and sufferings to which our ances­ tors were introduced almost immediately on landing upon the shores of a country to which they had fled in order -as they hoped- to obtain that freedom and immunity from oppression denied them in the land of their nativity.

Did they better their condition by coming? Would it not have been as well to have re­ mained and to have quietly submitted to the tyranny and oppression they were subject to in the old country than to have fled to the new there to become liable to be harassed, robbed, captured, tortured or shot down unawares by the merciless savages led on by their Catholic allies - the French? But their faith was strong their hopes buoyant and their courage great and unconquerable and thus they were willing to struggle on in full assur­ ance that the better times were just before them. Such willingness to do and such faith to urge them on to more sure hope could not meet with disappointment in the end.

This terrible devastating war which had commenced on the frontiers as early as 1753 was brought to a close as far as France was concerned in 1764 but not so with the Indi­ ans until the treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1768. By this treaty which closed this war with the Indian tribes of the northwest gave security to the inhabitants of the Shenandoah Valley 60

and the dispersed inhabitants begun to return and to renew their peaceful avocations of life. Emigration now begun to spread up the valley and from thence over the Allegheny Mountains on to the head waters of the Monongahela. The Revolutionary War next commenced.

This opened up the Border Warfare once more with the savage for all along the line from the Lakes to the Gulf. But nowhere with a more frightful aspect than in western Virginia and Pennsylvania.

The savages had now changed their French allies for the more energetic -and jf possi· ble- more cruel English. Besides which the country was full of Tories who would leave a neighborhood join with the savage bands and then lead them right into the settlements and thus aid the savages in shooting down, robbing, burning, and destroy their defense­ less neighbors and their property and carry off the helpless women and children into a captivity in most instances far worse and more to be dreaded than death itself. This predatory war which really commenced along the frontiers as early as 1774 never ceased until Waynes Treaty with the Indians at Fort Greenville in 1795 at which time many of the captives taken by the Indians on the frontiers of Virginia were delivered up by their cap· tors and restored to their families and friends. The War in that part of Virginia where our ancestors then lived had ended at the treaty made with England which closed the Revo­ lutionary War.

Our original American Ancestor William HACKER as before stated settled down among his wife's relatives from Scotland in the Shenandoah Valley near Winchester and en­ gaged in agriculture pursuits. Having secured a little homestead on the Patrimonial es­ tate of Lord FAIRFAX and thus he commenced·the cultivation of the soil with all the energy of his nature. But as before stated having been afloat on the ocean for nearly his entire life his skill in this present undertaking was greatly at fault. This was however more than made up by his heroic wife who as before stated had been made to labor in the fields under the lash of a brutal step-father now brought the knowledge she had thus at­ tained to the assistance of her husband. And thus the lack in the husband was fully sup­ plied by the wife. And so day after day we see this noble woman out in the fields during the growing seasons assisting and in some matters directing in the arduous duties be­ fore them.

Some short time after thus becoming settled to these pursuits in life children began com­ ing around their hearth stone which was an additional source of comfort as well as happi­ ness to the parents.

And now these parents true to their Protestant faith commenced instilling into the tender minds of their offspring a true reverence for the things that pertain to their eternal happi­ ness and welfare. Their children all became truly pious and exemplary members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and so lived and died. 61

The historian in speaking of the religious sentiment generally prevailing among the early settlers in this festal valley says:

"The greater part of those, who thus ventured on the untried being of a wilderness life, were Scottish, Presbyterian dissenters a class of religionists, of all others perhaps, the most remarkable for rigid morality. They brought with them their religious principles, and sectional prepossessions; and acting upon those principles acquired for their infant col­ ony a moral and devotional character rarely possessed by similar establishments. While these sectional prepossessions, imbibed by their descendants, gave to their religious persuasions an ascendency in that section of the country, which it still retains."

"They were also men of industry and enterprise. To improve their condition, by convert­ ing the woods into festal plains, and the wilderness into productive meadows, was their chief object. In the attainment of this, they were eminently successful. Their individual cir­ cumstances became prosperous, and the country flourishing."

Such then is the language of the Historian of the times in regard to the moral and relig­ ious influences prevailing in this part of the country in which our exiled ancestors found themselves located by the force of circumstances and by which they found themselves greatly aided in their efforts to bring up their children to habits of industry, morality and true religion. In which as above recorded "they were eminently successful."

As to the particular amount of education they were able to afford their children we do not know. Under the condition in which they themselves had been brought up it is presum­ able that they had received but little except what they were enabled to pick up by their own efforts farther along in this life.

But right here again they had the advantages arising from the associations around them. These early settlers as before stated being mostly Scottish Presbyterians of the better class and of course well educated for those times these devoted parents were enabled through this means of obtaining for their children a fair share of educational knowledge. This we know from the fact that they all grew up to be quite prominent in community and useful members of society both in church and state and were frequently called out to take the lead in the stirring events in the nation then going on.

After the close of the French and Indian War the settlers in the valley in and about Win­ chester but especially those who had not been able to procure comfortable homes with soil sufficient to cultivate "set the tide of emigration once more in motion and it com­ menced spreading not only up the valley but to roll on over the ridge of hills which sepa­ rates the valley of the Shenandoah from that of the southern branch of the Potomac. In this tide of emigration was included all the children of the sailor boy and his noble wife except one who by this time had all grown up and became heads of families themselves. In this valley of the South Branch was in a very short time assembled quite a population. The town of Morefield the County seat of Hardy County was laid out as a central trading point for the surrounding country. These first settlers in this valley were mostly ofthe 62

younger and more energetic population of the older settlements all of whom were well en­ ured to frontier life, manners and customs. "The most of them had gone thither to acquire land, in this many had failed entirely in their object, while others were obliged to occupy poor and broken situations off the river; the fertile bottoms having been previously lo­ cated. Add to this, the necessity for hunting, by which their meat was to be supplied, and the scarcity of game -in this narrow valley- for that purpose, and we need not be sur­ prised, that the tide of emigration did not stop here, but continued to roll on until it had crossed the Allegheny Mountains, and on to the head waters of the Monongahela.·

The first settlers on these streams of the upper Monongahela were as we learn from his­ tory the families of Samuel PRINGLE, John JACKSON, John and William HACKER, John BUSH, Alexander and Thomas SLEETH, Thomas and Jesse HUGHS, Jacob and William RADCLIFF, John and Benjamin CUTRIGHT. These with a few single persons who accompanied the entire emigration to these upper branches ofthe Monongahela prior to the close ofthe year 1770.

Those who had brought their families over with a view of making this their permanent place of residence proceeded at once to locate their claims under a grant from the Col­ ony of Virginia. That for each acre cleared up and planted in corn within a given time the emigrant should receive a clear title in fee for a hundred acres of this land. In this manner the more industrious of these early settlers soon became the owners in fee of quite an ex­ tensive body of land. In some instances to as much as from three to five hundred acres. But as the country was thinly settled for security as well as mutual assistance the emi­ grants saw the necessity of locating as near together as possible. Hence many of their claims did not much exceed from one to two hundred acres.

Having thus traced the family line down to the time when we find them once more located on their own homestead with brightening prospects opening up before them we must now go back and trace out in a more definite manner the progress and spread of the fam­ ily connection.

Chapter XII

The sailor boy William HACKER and his devoted wife had born to them the following named children: HACKER 1s1. William--named for the old original founder of the family named Wilhelm and subsequently known in family history as Uncle Bill. 2nd. Elizabeth--who subsequently became by marriage and designated in the family as Betsey FREEMAN. 3rd. John-who became my Grandfather and the line through which our side of the family has descended. 4th. Nancy--who by marriage first became Nancy KEITH-but later in life Nancy CLAYPOOL. 63

5th. Mary--usually called Polly. She married Captain John BUSH and is therefore known in family annals as Polly BUSH.

These five children given to them as the fruits of their wedded love they succeeded in raising to habits of industry, strict morality and embued with pure religious principles. The precise date of the births of any of them I have been unable to learn except that of the youngest son John who I learn from the date on his tombstone was born January 1st, 1743. Now as it would appear this devoted wife and mother did not have her children -as the common expression goes- close together but there must have been from three to five years between each. But say four then taking the birth of John as given above and then take years from that date and we have 1738 or 1739 for the birth of the second child and then again take four years from that and we have 1734 or 1735 for the time of the birth of the William their first born. This would leave some 8 or 10 years from their marriage be­ fore the birth of their first child and also bring it to a period subsequent to their settlement in the valley. This all corresponds very nearly with family traditions on that point.

But there may still be some uncertainty about it and as it is not material to my present purpose I shall leave it without further remarks and proceed on with my narrative.

This now old and venerable couple who at the time their children left them in the valley near Winchester and emigrated west to the South Branch of the Potomac and from thence over the Allegheny Mountains on to the head waters of the Monongahela were no doubt from advanced age becoming much enfeebled. Especially must this have been the case with the father who having been born as before stated about 1680 must at the time of which I am now writing have been 87 years of age at least. This was not however so much the case with the mother who not having been born until 1707 was therefore at this period of time but about 60 yet truly a venerable age however.

It is reported of her that she was remarkably well preserved for a person of her age, ac­ tive and vigorous. Physical nature with her seemed to have abated but little and all her mental powers were in full vigor as in her younger days. Hence she now became the principal reliance for the means of support and right well did she perform her allotted work.

After their children had got settled over the mountains whither they had gone and had se­ cured their land and had a little farm opened so as to supply the means of subsistence. Their youngest son John returned and brought his aged parents to his own home where they were bountifully supplied with the necessaries of life until called away by death.

About the time they were thus brought over the Indians on the frontier began again to be quite troublesome making frequent incursions into the settlement killing the defenseless inhabitants burning their dwellings and driving off their stock. This forced the settlers on the frontiers to assemble into closer communities, erect forts and blockhouses in which they could take shelter from the merciless attacks of the wily savages. John HACKER with many others of his neighborhood moved their families over a few miles east to what 64

was then called Bush's Station where his brother-in·law, Captain John BUSH had col­ lected a little company of soldiers and erected a Blockhouse for the protection of the in­ habitants. This station was afterwards enlarged into a forte and called Fort Buckhannon as it was situated on a stream of that name. While residing at this station or Fort in 1772 the venerable Sailor Boy William HACKER reached the close of his eventful life at the age of 92 years and his mortal remains were entombed in a little grave just near the Fort in which he died.

The venerable widow after the death of her husband continued to make her home with her son John. Sharing in all the hardships brought upon the frontier settlements by the long and bloody war of the Revolution and the frequent incursions of the savages urged on and frequently led on by the British emissaries sent among them for that purpose.

During the continuance of this long and relentless strife made doubly so on the frontiers by the attacks of the merciless savages, she witnessed the massacre of several of her children and grandchildren while many others were carried off into captivity, some never to return, being doubtless tomahawked and scalped by the Indians in revenge for some of their own number who may have been killed in their attack upon the white settlers.

During this long and terrible struggle. these dwellers in forts and blockhouses on the frontiers were necessarily compelled to keep a watch always on guard by night and by day for the lurking savage ever ready to pounce upon the unwary and defenseless where ever found.

Through out all these trying times this noble woman cheerfully bore her part; often and often when the blockhouse in which they were would be surrounded by the savage hordes thirsting for the blood of the inmates. The women would have to share in the bloody fray equal with the men. And here let it be recorded that in no one single instance was it ever known that a woman through cowardice or otherwise failed in the perform­ ance of any duty that circumstance would seem to require then. Those of them who were used to handling fire arms by a steady hand and sure aim would often bring down more of the savage assailants than the men, while others not so well skilled would occupy their time bringing water, ramming bullets, conveying ammunition and reloading rifles for the more expert marksmen. Through all these trying scenes and conflicts this heroic ances­ tor of ours was called to bear a conspicuous part.

In the eleventh year of her widowhood the war ended. England acknowledged the inde­ pendence of her American Colonies. Her savage allies were driven northwest of the Ohio. This transferred their savage proceedings to other sections of the country, and left the people of Northwestern Virginia free to return to their homes and once more resume their agricultural pursuits. And now we view this woman -one of the grandest characters that ever graced the annals of the world's history- at the age of three score and ten at last settled down to the peaceful enjoyment of that for which her entire life had been a con­ stant struggle. 65

From her very infancy up to the present time, a space of full seventy years, had she been doing battle for freedom. For right and for liberty of conscience and at last the "Good old cause" has prevailed and thus in the "Sere and yellow leaf' of life she is permitted to live on and enjoy the comforts and blessing arising from those glorious principles for which she had so long contended.

It is said of her that the latter years of her life were most serene and happy. Surrounded by her children that the cruel tomahawk and scalping knife had spared to her with numerous grand and great-grandchildren with a comfortable home with them all her natural wants supplied the remainder of her life glided sweetly and pleasantly away. She was most remarkable well preserved in all her mental and physical powers, even unto ex­ treme old age. She was naturally of a cheerful and even temperament and her delight was to have her grand and great-grandchildren about her at some one of their pleasant homes and there to amuse and instruct them, sing to them and make little speeches in the Celtic or original Irish tongue which she had learned in her early life. Sometimes to go out and run races with them for their enjoyment and thus was she a special favorite with all -when any of the families saw old Grandmother HACKER coming to pay them a visit, they always knew there was a pleasant and happy day before them. Such then was the character that has been handed down to us by those who knew her, of this more than he­ roic mother of the HACKER family in America.

And thus she lived on until 1803 when at the ripe old age of 96, she is called away to en­ joy the happy rewards of a well spent life in that land where the lash of a cruel step­ father, the torture of the Holy Inquisition, the anathema's of a corrupt priesthood, the bru­ tality of the Catholic rabble, the tomahawk and scalping knife of the merciless savages can never reach her.

For more than seventy years she had borne up under all the afflictions and oppressions that the authors ofthese scenes of brutality could invent. What faith, what courage born up by unyielding hopes she truly possessed, and then we see her at last permitted to reo alize all her fondest hopes in the fullness of fruition. And then the great mercy of heaven vouchsafed to her that she should be permitted to live on and enjoy these blessings for the space of a quarter of a century more.

The writer has had the privilege of conversing with several who were at her funeral and has heard from them a description of the scene that there occurred. The open vault was surrounded by her children then living with a vast number of grand. great-grand and even to the fourth generation of her descendants and others who had known and loved her for many years and as the body was being lowered into the cold earth, wept as though their last and only friend was being hidden from their eyes forever. Truly when a good person dies the people mourn.

Having thus followed this sainted mother until the scenes of life with her has closed, I must now go back to the earlier days of the Shenandoah Valley and bring down our an· cestralline until the time of the present generation is reached. And in doing this I shall in 66

order to make these sketches as comprehensible as possible take up for review each child left by these original American parents and endeavor to give such facts and inci­ dents in the life of each as will serve to delineate their true characters respectively and so on consecutively until my present undertaking be completed.

Chapter XIII

In pursuing the course here indicated I commence with William, the first born of the sailor boy and his amiable wife. This child was born as near as can now be determined about the year 1735 and but a short time after his parents had settled in the Shenandoah Val­ ley. He was named William perhaps by the mother for its Father and then by the father for the original founder of the HACKER family. This name appears to be peculiarly a fa­ vorite name for so far as my knowledge extends there has scarcely been a family of chil­ dren among the descendants of the founder of the HACKER name but what the name of William is found among them.

Of the early life of William but little is known except that he was a dutiful child to his par­ ents whose tender care over him was reciprocated by filial love and obedience. His de­ voted mother succeeded in properly instilling into his tender mind a sincere regard for truth, morality and true religion. He thus grew up to manhood and being the oldest of the children much depended upon him in aiding the parents in properly bringing up the younger ones of the family as they came into life.

The education he received was such as the settlement could afford and such as other children of the times received. Being of good mind and industrious habits and of a relig­ ious character, he soon became quite prominent in the community.

At the commencement of the French and Indian War in 1754, being then about nineteen or t\iventy years of age, he volunteered under WASHINGTON and was in the terrible de­ feat of BRADDOCK, July 9, 1755 and under WASHINGTON assisted in protecting the British retreat on that memorable occasion. Of course, he was often in the thickest of the fight, fearing for nothing, but to do his duty while thus fighting and falling back in order that the British might make their escape. He received a musket ball in the body which en­ tered two inches below the navel passing through, lodged in his hip near the surface. Of course, he had to be conveyed from the field by some of his comrades as he was sup­ posed to be mortally wounded. Such however, was not the case.

After being conveyed into camp, feeling the ball near the surface on the opposite side from where it entered, with the fortitude of an old veteran in the cause, he took out his knife, made an incision in the hip, extracted the ball with his own hands, preserved it and after recovering from his wounds, finding it to contain metal enough he run it over to suit his own rifle and thus made two balls out of it and with each of which as he often stated in after-life he killed an Indian. 67

Of the truth of which there is no reasonable doubt as J have frequently heard my father repeat the same story as well as the time and place where and when the Indians were killed. But all that has escaped my memory now and is however not material for my pre­ sent purposes.

After his recovery, he still remained with WASHINGTON's troops in and about Winches­ ter. But just in what capacity he was employed is not certainly known, but as he was fa­ miliar with all the surrounding country and one who had proved himself reliable it is supposed that he was mostly placed on picket of scout duty to keep a sharp lookout for the approach of savage bands and give notice thereof so the troops could be at once put upon their trail and the savages dispensed and driven back before doing any damage to the settlement. In the discharge of this duty, he was necessarily much of his time in the forests, ranging the hills and valleys of the surrounding country and along the trace by which the Indian marauding bands usually made their appearance. And while thus em­ ployed, he could give much attention to hunting game and thereby aid in supplying meat for the destitute families as well as for the soldiers in the fort.

This is all inferable from the fact that during this war, he had acquired such a fondness for hunting and outdoor life that he could never often wholly break away from it.

What his domestic relations were is equally shrouded in mystery to me. I have only learned that when with his brother John and two sisters he moved over the Allegheny Mountains he had a wife and two children. It might be reasonably supposed that when the heroic mother of this child of whom I am now writing had fled from the brutal tyranny of her Catholic step-father and gained a refuge in the wilds of America, she had certainly got beyond the reach of further harm from Irish Catholicism. This was 50 as regards her­ self personally, not so however, as regards those who were most near and dear to her.

In order to make this part of our narrative more plain and distinct it will be necessary to go back a few years and take a look at the origin of some matters that will as I think have an important bearing upon the life of William HACKER, hereafter to be considered.

About the year 1755 or near the commencement of this war, there came from Ireland and settled down in Pennsylvania a Catholic Irish family by the name of GIRTY, consisting of father, mother and four sons, Thomas, Simon, George and James. The father soon after coming to this land of liberty as he claimed; whereas is supposed, he felt free to indulge his beastly propensities to their fullest extent, soon degenerated into the basest licen­ tiousness. His hours were wasted in idleness and beastly intemperance. Nothing ranked higher in his estimation than a jug of whiskey. Grog was his song and grog he would have. His Scotishness turned his wife's affection. Ready for seduction, she yielded to a neighboring rustic, who to remove all obstacles to their wishes, knocked GIRTY in the head, and then bore off the woman in triumph. 68

The three younger sons as is said were captured by the Indians at some time during this war. But more than likely as I think -after the murder of their father as above stated, they went voluntary of themselves to the Indians, as their mode of life was more in conso­ nance with the desires of their own than that of civil life. Be this as it may, George was adopted among the Delawares, and remained with them until his death. He became a perfect savage -his manners being entirely Indian. In the latter years of his life, like his fa­ ther, he gave himself up to intemperance, and died drunk.

Simon was adopted by the Senacas, and became as expert a hunter as any of them. He sustained the reputation of an unrelenting barbarian; with his name was associated eve­ rything cruel and friend like. In the women and children in particular, nothing was more terrifying than the name of Simon GIRTY. He doubtless fled from justice, and sought ref­ uge among the Indians, determined to do his countrymen all the harm in his power. He too was a great lover of rum, and when intoxicated, in abuse he was indiscriminate, spar­ ing neither friends nor foes. It so happened that he was in the battle of the Thames, and was cut to pieces by Colonel JOHNSON's mounted men.

James was adopted by the Shawnees; he too adopted all the vices of depraved nature, and became dexterous in all the arts of savage life. His delight was in carnage. When un­ able to walk, in consequence of disease, with his hatchet, he would cleave the heads of captive women and children, all that came within his reach. He was the most cruel and bloodthirsty, of the three brothers, and to him no doubt may be attributed many of the cruelties charged upon his brother, Simon.

Such then is the characters as given by the historians of this family of Catholic Irish with which we have now to do in the further prosecution of the work before us.

Some time prior to Simon GIRTY's joining the Indians, he for a time resided in the Shenandoah Valley but just in what capacity is not known. Perhaps as a genera/loafer, and pest to the community. No woman could venture out unprotected when Simon GIRTY was aboLit and the children shunned him as a monster they dare not come in contact with.

William HACKER being as I have stated well brought up by his parents and imbued with proper sentiments of right and justice and being assigned by his commanding officer -perhaps WASHINGTON· to keep a sharp lookout not only for the approach of French and Indian marauding bands but also for any improper conduct upon the part of others. In the discharge of his duty, he felt called upon to expose come of Simon GIRTY'S vil­ lainy and for which the villain was about to be arrested and brought to justice gaining a knowledge by some means of what was about to occur he fled and joined himself to the Indians as has been stated. He was not captured as claimed by some outlaws but his joining the Indians was his own voluntary act and done too save himself from the penalty of the law in civil society he had so wantonly violated. Simon GIRTY in addition to the savage brutality of his nature possessed a good degree of low cunning but not one par­ ticular of true manly courage. While he may have possessed a certain amount of brutal 69

intrepidity so to speak he was but a blustering coward always boasting of his powers what he had done and what he was going to do yet the extent of all his doings was to sneak up unawares and with his hatchet cleave the skull of some defenseless one -a helpless woman or child perhaps- while continually boasting of his warlike spirit and urg­ ing others on yet he was never found at the post of danger himself and at the first intima­ tion of the approach of danger Simon could always manage to make good his escape except at the battle of the Thames where his miserable life was terminated and then the gallant Kentuckians were too quick for him or which is most likely he was too drunk to get out of their way and so they dispatched him. When he made good his escape from the Shenandoah Valley as before stated it is said that he sent word back to William HACKER that he might look out or he would have his revenge on him. And would most fearfully -as the sequel will show did he put that threat into execution.

At the time emigration commenced to cross the Allegheny Mountains into the north­ western portion of Virginia which as before stated was in the spring of 1769 the treaty of Fort Stanwix made with the Indians the year before had established peace between them and the Whites and it was hoped by the latter that all further trouble with the savages was now at an end.

On arriving at the place they had selected for a location William as it appears did not -like his brother John- select any particular location for himself but with a few others preferred occupying his time in hunting in order to procure meat for the settlers while others culti­ vated the soil to procure bread and in this manner was the necessaries of life provided. William therefore erected a little cabin on the land selected by his brother John and near to his residence and in the fall of 1770 returned with the other settlers and brought his family over -consisting of his wife and two children- to the little dwelling he had prepared for them. And in the manner above stated two years of quiet peaceful life with neighbor­ ing tribes of Indians passed away. The settlers begun to prosper their farms being opened and improved the comforts of life begun to accumulate around them. The Indians being exceedingly friendly would come into the settlement trade and traffic with the whites and often join with them in their hunting excursions and no apprehensions was felt of any further troUble with them.

In the summer of 1772 this fancied security was broken up. Simon GIRTY who no doubt had his spies secretly among those friendly Indians to report to him how matters were progressing and the situation and location of William HACKER and his family -at night and with a few chosen friends like himself suddenly burst in the door of William's cottage, struck down and scalped his entire family- William was not in the home just at that time as no doubt GIRTY had hoped to find him but had gone over perhaps to his brother John's for a few moments -hearing the noise and alarm made by the cry of his family he quickly ran to their assistance. The Indians having finished their bloody work in the house had just stepped to the door and saw William coming when at the moment as it is said GIRTY raised his gun and fired. As this was no doubt hastily done and not the aim intended the ball entered the hip of William and he held. Others of the neighbors was 70

now seen approaching properly armed the savages beat a hasty retreat. The revenge of this miserable wretch on William HACKER was now complete.

This cowardly act of revenge was the remote cause of that long and bloody war between the Indians and the frontier settlers which really commenced but a year thereafter and never ceased its carnival of blood until Waynes treaty at Greenville in the summer of 1795. For twenty-two long years the fearful strife went on. How many helpless women and children were killed or carried away into captivity by the merciless savages the Lord only knows but they were numbered by thousands and the massacre ofthis family in a spirit of revenge by this cowardly renegade Simon GIRTY was the prime moving cause of the whole of it.

It produced retaliation upon the Indians by those who had lost their families by the merci­ less tomahawk and scalping knife during the French and Indian War and thus it went on increasing for a year until open war with the savages on the frontier was fully brought on.

William was taken up from where he fell and conveyed to the home of his brother John where he was nursed with all the tender care of a devoted mother and sympathizing relatives.

The alarm was now sounded and not knowing how far the Indians had become hostile again it was thought best for the families of this neighborhood to take shelter in the near­ est Blockhouse. They accordingly hastily removed over to Bush's station where Captain John BUSH had erected a Blockhouse and had under his command a few troops as much perhaps to protect the settlers from the unruly white man as from the Indian.

Here whilst residing at this station and before the close of the year 1772 the Sailor Boy William HACKER died and as before stated was buried in a little graveyard near that pla~e. And here he closed his long and eventful life of 92 years. For his entire life he had been a special object of intolerance, bigotry and persecution a price upon his head an out-law from his own native land and for what was said to have been committed by his Grandfather many years before he was born. And as he closes his eyes in death he could but look upon the suffering countenance of his child -his first born- as he there lay by his bedside suffering and perhaps dying from the wound wantonly inflicted by the hands of a Catholic Irish renegade a brutal savage in human form.

To what extent William was injured by the ball of the savage or whether after the wound had healed it produced any permanent disability to him or no is not known. The supposi­ tion is that the ball in penetrating the hip may have come in contact with the bone and glanced off and although the bone may also have been injured but not to such an extent as to prevent healing and thus after his recovery he may have realized no permanent in­ jury from the wound. 71

.His recovery however was slow for while in the crowded Blockhouse and continually un­ der the alarm the proper attention could not be given to his care as it really required. A good constitution however at length prevailed and his final recovery made sure.

While confined and suffering from this wound being a person naturally of few words and rather uncommunicative his mind being thus thrown back upon itself must have under· gone a strange transformation. From a cheerful temperament found of association -though never but little to say- at his recovery it was observed that he appeared cold and distant avoiding all company as much as possible. In his hunting excursions instead of going out in company with others as formerly he now usually went alone and instead of returning to the settlement at the close of the first or second day with the game he had taken his return was now extended often to one or two weeks and sometimes he would be gone for a month at a time before making his appearance again in the settlement. And even then after relieving himself of the game he had taken he seemed totally unwilling to assign any reason why he had been absent so long. It was learned however that his ex­ cursions would frequently extend far beyond its usual limits or what was really necessary to secure the game he was in quest of.

All this however was accounted for by his friends from the fact that he had now no longer any home to return to or loving wife and children to greet him on his return. And so as it was thought after his days hunt was over instead of returning many weary miles back to the settlement he would lay himself down under the covering of some friendly tree and quietly rest his weary limbs for the night and thus he would be early upon the ground ready for the next days hunt.

In this manner matters continued with him until several years had passed when perhaps about 1780 -just one hundred years ago as I now write- he finally wandered off and never again returned to his friends and no one to this day knows what really did become of him. It was surmised for a time by many that as the Revolutionary War was now being fought out and the entire race of Indians having joined with the British in that war that in some of his hunting jaunts he had been discovered by some marauding party of Indians and murdered.

This supposition was however after a time abandoned from the fact that had such a cir­ cumstance occurred his body would have been discovered by some of the hunters and scouts who were continually scouring the country for game or on the lookout far and near for the approach of the savage band. And again had he been captured carried off and put to death some word of such a transaction would have reached the settlement in regard to it as it was the usual custom with the savages when they had inflicted a penalty upon any one to brag of it in such a manner as that it would be sure to reach the ears of the suffer­ ers friends. And as the Indians denied all knowledge ofwhat had become of him that the­ ory of his absence had to be abandoned also.

"The planting of Colonies, or the formation of settlements in new counties, is ever at­ tended with circumstances unpropitious to refinement. The force with which these 72

circumstances act, will be increased or diminished in proportion to the remoteness or proximity of these new settlements, to older societies, in which the arts and sciences are cultivated; and to the facility of communication between them. Man is much a creature of circumstances. When cut off from intercourse with his fellow man, and deprived of the conveniences of life, he is too ready to relapse into a state of nature. -Placed in contigUity with the barbarous and the vicious; his manners will become rude, his morals perverted. -Brought in collision with the sanguinary and revengeful; and his own conduct will even­ tually be distinguished, by blood and vindictive deeds."

Such then was the condition of this infant colony. The inhabitants shut out from all civil or religious influences the families of many wantonly massacred by the savages and the survivors being left to their own guidance without restraint of any kind it can not therefore be surprising to anyone that a spirit of revenge took possession of those who had been made to suffer.

"These early settlers, generally speaking, were from the humble walk of life, unable to purchase land in the neighborhood from whence they came, and being unwilling longer to remain tenants of others, they chose rather to emigrate, with the laudable ambition of acquiring homes for themselves, from which they would not be liable to be expelled, at the whim and caprice of some haughty landlord. Upon the attainment of this object, they were generally content; and made but feeble exertions to acquire more land, than that to which they obtained title, by virtue of their settlement."

Soon after the destruction of William HACKER's family as above described and while the family of the settlers were still huddled together in forts and Blockhouses not knowing how far the Indians may again have arisen against the whites reports begun to reach them of the murder of several Indians. That the law of retaliation ·the only law in force in the settlement- had really commenced its work. "These reports said that John RYAN had killed three himself -one on the Ohio, another down the Monongahela below the settle­ ment and still another over on the Cheat River. These reports as it is said caused Gover­ nor DUNMORE, to offer a reward for his apprehension, RYAN thereupon left the country."

Several Indians were also killed over on the South Branch of the Potomac while on a friendly visit to that part of the country. This deed was said to have been done by Henry JUDAH, Nicholas HARPOLD, and their associates; JUDAH was arrested for the offense, but so great was the excitement among those who had been made to suffer by savage cruelties that a band of more than two hundred men at once assembled, and rescued the prisoner from confinement.

"The Bald Eagle and Indian of notoriety, not only among his own nation, but also with the inhabitants of the northwestern frontier; with whom he was in habit of associating and hunting. In one of his visits among them, he was discovered alone, by Jacob SCOTT, William HACKER and Elijah RUNNER, who, reckless of the consequences, murdered him, solely to gratify a most wanton thirst for Indian blood. After the commission of this 73

most outrageous enormity, they seated him in the stern of a canoe, and with a piece of journey-cake thrust into his mouth, set him afloat down the Monongahela. The canoe floating near to the shore, below the mouth of George's Creek, was observed by a Mrs. PROVINCE, who had it brought to the bank, and the friendly, but unfortunate old Indian decently buried."

Not long after the murder of the Bald Eagle, another outrage of a similar nature was com­ mitted on a peaceable Indian, by William WHITE, and for which he was apprehended, and taken to Winchester for trial. But the fury of the populace did not suffer him to remain there awaiting that event. The prison doors were forced, the irons knocked off, and he again set at liberty.

"But there were still other and more atrocious acts said to have been committed soon af­ ter the destruction of the family of William HACKER in 1772, there is reason to believe that even women and children became victims of the exasperated feelings of the whites; and this too, while quietly enjoying the comforts of life in their own huts."

Again it is said by one author that five families of Indians residing in a place called BUIl­ town on the Little Kenhawa were all murdered in retaliation as was supposed for some fa­ vors shown by them to the murders of a German family residing over on Sanley River and that William WHITE and William HACKER had some hand in that wretched affair.

I have thus quoted enough to show this matter progressed from the time of the slaughter of William HACKER's family in 1772 on until finally open hostilities once more com­ menced between the Indians and frontier settlers until finally the whole nation was in­ volved in the terrible strife going on.

And yet the historian asserts that all this did not necessarily cause the war which broke out in 1774 so fearfully. But there were behind all this other and more weightier causes for that war as well as for its long continuance. He says: "It is well known, that from the first establishment of the French Colony in Canada, the Canadians obtained an influence over the natives, greater than the Anglo-Americans could ever acquire; and that influence was frequently exerted by them, to the great annoyance and manifest injury of the latter. When by the treaty of Paris, the French possessions in North America, were transferred to Great Britain, these feelings were not subdued. Their national prejudices were too great to be extinguished by a union under one prince. Under the influence of these preju­ dices, they exerted themselves to excite the Indians to war. The Jesuits from Canada and Louisiana, were justly chargeable with the commencement and continuation of this war on the part of the Indians, after it had terminated by the treaty with their allies in 1763."

Here then we have a key to the whole of it and the responsibility for all the blood that was shed in the 22 years of its continuance. 74

These infernal Jesuitical Priests in Canada and Louisiana were the authors and prime movers of it in the northwestern portion of Virginia by the destruction of William HACKER's family in 1772 and only ending in the summer of 1795.

How many Masses Pater Nostern Ave Marias? were said by these Priests for the special benefit of this savage Catholic Simon GIRTY or how much he paid them for an indul­ gence to authorize him to wreak out his vengeance on the innocent and helpless family of William HACKER will never be known perhaps but right there is the root and ground work of the whole of it and of the long continued war that followed.

A few reflections now in regard to this Grand Uncle of mine and I will have done alii have to say about him.

And first I will say that I do not believe nor can I admit for a moment that William HACKER brought up by religious parents and surrounded with all the moral influences as he was and who had manifested stern integrity to just principles as he did during the French and Indian War could have become so brutalized - so lost to all sense of human­ ity as to have participated in the indiscriminate slaughter of helpless women and children in that Bulltown massacre as he is charged with doing by the author from whose writing I have copied it. I have not found a particle of evidence to substantiate the charge or that William had even any knowledge of it whatever. He denied it and that should have been sufficient until at least some further evidence had been produced than mere suspicion.

I have not given the name of that writer and do not intend to. It is well known that at the time he wrote that a story there was existing in his mind extreme bitter feelings against one of the HACKER families upon which he himself had perpetrated a gross fraud he therefore seized upon this Sulltown tragedy - if it ever really did occur which is extremely doubtful as no other author as I can find ever mentions it and connected William HACKER's name with it for the sale purpose of relieving his own depraved mind of a little of the superabundance of bitterness it contained. And that is all that is or that ever was in that Sulltown myth so far as William HACKER was concerned.

That our Grand Uncle William HACKER did assist in killing the noted Bald Eagle Chief and setting him afloat down the river in the manner as described I have no doubt as I have heard my father and other relatives frequently speak of it and then William never denied it. But than it was not wantonly done as alleged by this writer but that he had good and sufficient reasons for doing what he did as we find no efforts were ever made by ei­ ther the whites or Indians to hold him responsible for the act William believed -and he as is well known had good grounds for the belief- that this same Bald Eagle Chief who while pretending great friendship for the white people in the western part of Virginia, hunting, trading and trafficking with them was the very person from whom GIRTY got the informa­ tion that led him to the place where the family of William resided which enabled the beastly wretch to wreak out his vengeance he had so long before threatened. It was even claimed by some that this Bald Eagle Chief was present at the time and no doubt had conducted GIRTY and his party to the spot as there was no civil law prevailing among 75

the white settlers at the time and by the law recognized among the Indians that dastardly act gave William the right to take the life of any of those who participated in it. And suffi­ cient evidence having come to the knowledge of William and others to satisfy them that the Bald Eagle had a hand in it his life therefore became forfeited to William and he with a few of his associates took it in the manner as described. And as a further evidence that they felt themselves fully justified in the act they set the body afloat down the river so that it might be received by the Indians and thus they could know what had become of their chief. The body was recovered the Indians did learn the fact and were satisfied. This I say is the true facts of the case. There was no interruption of the friendly relations that ex­ isted between the whites and Indians on account of it nor did any appear in that neigh­ borhood for near a year afterwards. The difficulty which brought on the war of 1774 originated in Kentucky and Ohio which soon extended to western Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York and then continued to rolf on with its awful tide of blood and carnage until the treaty of Greenville in 1795. But what really did become of our Grand Uncle William or as father usually expressed it "Uncle Bill" I have my theory in regard to it which has been adopted after long and patient investigation and which I will now give and others may adopt it or not as may appear to them just and right.

That when Simon GIRTY found it necessary to leave the settlement in the Shenandoah Valley in order to escape the sure vengeance of the people which he well knew awaited him for his brutish conduct towards the women and children of the neighborhood, he then resolved in his mind to wreak out his vengeance upon William HACKER in some way for the course he took in exposing his hellish conduct. That he kept this resolve con­ stantly in mind and had his spies secretly on the track of William in order to keep himself informed of his situation and whereabouts and that he did get a large proportion of that information through the Chief Bald Eagle I think no one can reasonably doubt.

And as the Civil law at that time furnished no adequate remedy by which these miscre­ ants could be arrested and brought to justice for the deed they had so wantonly commit­ ted William while awaiting his recovery from the wound he had received did resolve that he himself should he finally recover - would call the miserable wretches to account for what they had done to him and his family and to the execution of that resolve he devoted the best energies of his mind. That in his usual hunting excursions with the Indians after his recovery he got from them the information which satisfied him that the Bald Eagle was the principle medium through which GIRTY got the information which enabled him to so successfully carry out his long meditated designs upon William and in conse­ quence the Bald Eagle met the reward so justly his due for that act as we have it de­ scribed in history.

This part of his resolve being accomplished his next object was to meet GIRTY the author of the inhuman deed committed and for that purpose he spent more time in the woods and made longer trips through the deep forests hoping to find the object of his search. His object was not so much for the game in the forests as to rid the world of so notorious a wretch as Simon GIRTY. 76

I have made careful search through all the historical records for any evidence that Simon GIRTY ever again visited the upper waters of the Monongahela after the perpetration of that act nor does it appear that any other family or property was distructed even at that time but that of William HACKERs. Simon was too great a coward to ever venture back into that section of the country again well knowing in the act he had committed by the law of Indian warfare he had forfeited his life to William and that he would most assuredly take it should he ever set eyes upon him.

After he had thus spent some four or five years in his unsuccessful search for the object of his solicitude he learned of the operation of GIRTY down in Kentucky at Bryants Sta­ tion and elsewhere. This caused William to leave and make his way to that part of the country with the determination to find and meet the villain if possible and here is just where his friends in Virginia lost sight of him.

Whether he ever did meet the object of his search is doubtful or otherwise he would have found some means of bringing him down and making him atone for the unprovoked crime he had committed.

In order now to make my theory as intelligible as possible I must go forward a number of years.

In 1832 it was announced through the papers of that day that the President of the United States had appointed John S. HACKER Receiver of the Land Office at Springfield, Illinois and upon that announcement as I remember my father instituted some inquiry in regard to that person hoping thereby to trace out and learn something of his long lost Uncle Bil!. What discoveries he may then have made J do not know and as my father died in the fall of 1834 whatever information he had received all died with him. In perhaps 1859 or 1860 I received a communication from an officer in the United States Army then stationed at In­ dianola, Texas stating that he had seen my name in some of the Masonic Publications of that day and wished to know if I was his old chum William HACKER who was his class mate in the Military Academy at West Point and if so he sent me his compliments and desired a correspondence with me.

In my answer of course I had to inform him that I was not the man but with pleasure ac­ cepted his compliments all the same and had no objections of continuing the correspondence.

In the summer of 1863 I attended a session of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Illinois at Chi­ cago at which time I met one of the delegates a Dr. William A. HACKER and from whom I learned the following facts in regard to his history. That the Doctor was a son of this John S. HACKER above mentioned. That he had received his education in the Military Acad­ emy at West Point that being of a delicate constitution and fearing that he should never be able to stand the hardships of military life he had resigned his commission and ap­ plied himself to the Science of Medicine. That at the beginning of the rebellion he had entered the army as surgeon to one of the Illinois Regiments that after serving in this 77

capacity for a year or over his health had so entirely failed that he was compelled to re­ sign and return home. Dr. HACKER was in poor health when I saw him as above stated and as I learned through one of the Masonic publications of that day he died -perhaps a year afterward.

From Dr. William A. HACKER I learned the following facts in regard to his parentage. That as before stated he was the son of John S. HACKER but could give but little infor­ mation farther back. That all his father knew of his ancestors was that his fathers name was William. That he had come from one of the eastern states perhaps Virginia. That some where in Kentucky his parents had met and were married his father being much older than his mother. That his parents had subsequently come to Illinois and settled near the Mississippi opposite Cape Girardeau where his father William HACKER soon after died. John S. HACKER had no recollection himself of his father William and his mother knew but little more than as stated above only that he was a man of rather supe­ rior intellectual endowments which had been well cultivated in early life that he was of in­ dustrious habits good morals and in conversation chaste and pure no profane or vulgar word ever passing his lips that at some time in life he had been seriously wounded but just where or how she had never learned. And while he would freely converse with her upon almost any other subject upon his own early life and antecedents he ever main­ tained a strict reserve. That John was the only issue by the marriage with William HACKER.

On the 22nd of May 1878 r received from some person a newspaper published in Illinois from which I made the following extract, viz "Captain John S. HACKER died at Aund Un­ ion County Illinois May 18th 1878 aged 86 years. He was as member of the first Illinois Legislature in 1818. He was appointed by President JACKSON receiver of the Land Of­ fice at Springfield, Illinois in 1832 and served as such until the close of VAN BURENS administration."

Such then are the facts that have come to my knowledge in regard to the latter days of my Grand Uncle William HACKER. The chain of incidents seem to me to be complete and the evidence perfect. Yet I am free to admit that there is a possibility of a mistake and that I may be in error in the conclusions I have drawn from the chain of circumstances as they have been presented -I therefore leave the matter for others to pursue if they see proper. 78

Chapter XIV

In pursuing the course I have marked I next proceed to sketch the life of the second child Elizabeth or Betsey as she is usually known in the family. This child of the Sailor Boy was born about 1738 or 1739. Here I shall have to be very brief for want of proper mate­ rial to work upon. Alii have been able to learn of her is that she grew up a dutiful loving child receiving such education as the parents could afford. After reaching the age of womanhood she married John FREEMAN an industrious young farmer of the neighbor­ hood. After her marriage she continued to reside in the Shenandoah Valley about Win­ chester until peace was made with the Indians in 1768 when with many others they removed over into the South Branch of the Potomac perhaps not far from where More­ field was after located.

Perhaps in the spring of 1771 after the settlements had been commenced over the mountains on Buckhannon and Hackers Creek they also came over and joined their rela­ tives in that part of the country.

Just at what point they located I have been unable to learn but suppose however that as the Indians again became exceedingly troublesome soon after their emigration they really did not select any particular place of habitation but remained with the other settlers in Blockhouses and Forts until they were finally caught and massacred by the savages. That they fully shared in all the tribulations and deprivations of frontier life is a well known fact. FREEMAN himself while his wife with the other women and children ofthe neigh­ borhood were housed up in the Blockhouse or Fort was for perhaps the greater portion of his time away on scout duty - chasing and fighting some marauding band of Indians in order to release the captives and recover the property they had made off with.

The following extract I take from the historical records of these trying times, viz "About the middle of June 1778, three women went out from Wesfs Fort, to gather greens in a field adjoining; and while thus engaged were attacked by four Indians, lying in wait; one gun only was fired, and the ball from it, passed through the bonnet of Mrs. John HACKER, who screamed aloud and ran with the others towards the Fort. An Indian having in his hand a long staff, with a spear in one end, pursuing closely after them, thrust it at Mrs. FREEMAN with such violence that it, entering her back just below the shoulder, it came out at her left breast. With his tomahawk, he cleft the upper part of her head, and carried it off to save the scalp."

} Such then is the account as given by the historian of the tragical death of this excellent woman. The account as given is evidently true as I have frequently heard my father and others speak of it and about in the same language. What became of her husband, John FREEMAN - after her death I do not know. Aunt Margurette HACKER informs me that he too was killed by the Indians some time after the death of his wife but she could give me 79

no particulars account of the time, place or manner of his death. I have not found in his­ tory any reference to him after the tragical death of his wife. But that is not strange for of the thousands that were either killed or carried off into captivity by the Indians but few names of the whole of them were recorded in history.

Whether these unfortunate pair left any descendants or not I am not advised. My impres­ sion however is that they did not and when they gave up their lives in the defense of the Liberties of their country their line of descent became extinct.

Another theory in regard to John FREEMAN which I have heard is that he was killed in some engagement with the Indians over in the Shenandoah Valley prior to the close of the Indian war in 1768 and but a short time after his marriage with Betsey HACKER. If this theory be the true one, then the young widow remained with her parents until they were brought over the mountains by her brother John in 1772 at which time she also came over with them and made her home in her brothers family until her tragical end which as above stated occurred in June 1778. This seems probable as we never hear of John FREEMAN in West Virginia and there the above account copied from history shows that the wife -or perhaps widow- was an inmate of her brother Johns family at the time of her death. Of course then I take it there was no living issue by that marriage.

The next in line of descent from the Sailor Boy and his heroic wife was their second son John but as he is the line through which we have descended I shall pass him for the pre­ sent and consider the next in line of descent who received the name of Ann for her mother but is usually called Nancy that being the Scotch pronunciation of the name. This child was born about 1747 and like her sister Betsey grew up to womanhood under the fostering care of a tender and ever watchful mother with mind properly cultivated and im­ bued with sentiments of religious instructions. Nancy was peculiarly unfortunate in her first matrimonial engagements. The man who gained her first young and warm affections was an Englishman by the name of James KEITH. But unfortunately for the young wife he soon proved himself to be an idle worthless fellow who after remaining with her but for a few months left the country and whatever became of him no one that I have ever found has as yet been able to offer a suggestion. He turned out so worthless that no one ever thought it worthwhile to make any inquiries about him. Under these circumstances Nancy continued to make her home with her parents until they left the valley and emigrated over the mountains into western Virginia. After she had got released from KEITH and perhaps about 1768 she again contracted a marriage with a young officer in the British Army by the name of CLAPOOL at that time stationed with his command near Winchester. During the Revolutionary War it is said that Colonel CLAPOOL remained true to his king and fought valiantly for his government until the surrender of CORNWALLIS at Yorktown when he became a prisoner of war upon the terms of that surrender and upon obtaining from WASHINGTON his parole he returned to his wife near Winchester and at the close of the war he resigned his commission in the British Army and ever after remained a true subject to the American government. 80

How long they lived after the war closed no one seems to know but when visited by her son James the last time and just before he left for the West in 1828 they were then living at the old homestead near Winchester quite contented and happy in their old days.

Whether Nancy had any children by her marriage with CLAPOOL I can not learn but if she did none of them ever came over and made themselves known to their relatives in the West.

Nancy had one child by KEITH and to whom she gave the name of James for its father. This child was taken by its Grand Parents and carefully cared for and when they re­ moved over the mountains as above stated -notwithstanding the mother remained be­ hind- the child was brought along and made home with them at his Uncle John HACKERs. He found a good home with his Uncle John and Aunt Margarette who watched over him with parental care and solicitude. He grew up to be a smart excellent man and useful member of the community. For several years he filled the office of Justice of the Peace, Judge of the County Court, High Sheriff and collector of the County revenues.

He married a Miss Mary Ann ALKIRE a German emigrant who with her parents had but recently come from the fatherland. This loving couple raised quite a large family of chil­ dren all of whom they succeeded in bringing up to habits of industry, morality and religion.

In 1828 they left Virginia and came with the younger portion of their family to Shelby County Indiana and settled on a farm near the western line of the County where the re­ mainder of their lives were passed cultivating their farm and striving to make an honest living as best they could.

James KEITH died on his farm in Shelby county in 1853 at the age of 93 years having been born in 1760. His amiable wife died in 1846 fourteen years (seven years?) before him. They both repose side by side in a little grave yard near their last place of residence while living.

James KEITH was truly a pious good man simplicity of heart -honesty of purpose founded upon strict moral principles- free open hearted- sympathetic and candor were the peculiar traits in his character through life. The noble traits he succeeded in infusing into the minds of the children all whom that did not accompany him soon followed him to his home in Indiana where several died others went further west leaving at this time but one -his youngest child Jonathan- now living in Shelby County.

Truly when James KEITH died a good man was taken away from earth to share in the re­ wards of a better land.

The youngest of the family of children of the Sailor Boy received the name of Mary or as it was usually called Polly. This child was born about 1752 and like the others grew up 81

under the fostering care of her parents receiving such education as the country afforded. In her nature she possessed more of the virtue and true heroism of her mother than per­ haps any other of the family. At the age of about 20 she married Captain John BUSH and with him emigrated to the head waters of the Monongahela and settled on the Buckhan­ non River near the place where Fort Buckhannon was afterward erected. The place was first known by the name of Bush's Station from the fact that he fortified his dwelling into what was called a Blockhouse in which the people of the neighborhood could take shelter and fight the marauding band of Indians which were ever prowling around to commit some savage depredation upon the defenseless inhabitants.

Through this long and terrible scene of strife and bloodshed this heroic woman sustained an honorable part. In the many conflicts with the savages she did not hesitate to make use of such weapons of defense as circumstances might place within her reach and bear her full share of the conflict going on. Sometimes single handed and alone she would de­ fend her own household against fearful odds. To illustrate this point I give the following extract from history just as I find it.

"On the 24th of April 1791 , John BUSH at that time living on Freemans Creek, having very early sent two of his children to drive up the cattle, became alarmed by their screams, and taking down his gun, was proceeding to learn the cause of it, when he was met at the door by an Indian, who caught hold of the gun, forced it from his grasp, and shot him with it. BUSH fell across the threshold, and the savage drew his knife to scalp him. Mrs. BUSH ran to the assistance of her husband, and with an axe, aimed a blow at the Indian with such force that it fastened itself in his shoulder, and when he jumped back his exertion pulled the handle from her hand. She then drew her husband into the house and secured the door.

In this time other of the savages had come up, and after endeavoring in vain to force open the door, they commenced shooting through it. Fortunately Mrs. BUSH remained unhurt, although eleven bullets passed through her frock and some of them just grazing her skin. One of the savages observing an aperture between the logs, thrust the muzzle of his gun thru it. With another axe Mrs. BUSH struck on the barrel so as to make it ring, when the savage drawing it back, exclaimed "Oem You". Still they were endeavoring to force an entrance into the house until they heard what they believed to be a party of whites coming to its relief. It was Adam BUSH, who lived close by, and hearing the screams of the children and the firing of the guns, had set off to learn what had given rise to them, taking with him his dogs, the noise they made in crossing the creek alarmed the savages, and caused them to retreat, taking with them the two children as prisoners.

A company of men were soon collected and went in pursuit of the marauding band, but were unable to regain the prisoners they had taken. They however came so near upon them, that they were forced to fly precipitately, leaving the plunder and seven horses which they had taken from the settlement; these were retaken and brought back." 82

The manner of securing the door -as I have frequently heard my father and others de­ scribe it- was with her feet braced against some elevation in the puncheon floor with her back against the door and in this manner she successfully resisted all the efforts of the savages to force it open. And thus she stood alone defending from mutilation the body of her wounded husband until eleven balls from the guns of savages had passed through her dress and then she did not yield but was ready to fight the next savage with an axe that put himself in her way. And so she continued without the least wavering until relief came and the savages put to flight. Here was a display of fortitude and true heroism if ever excelled I have never met with an account of it. The foregoing however is but a specimen of many through which this woman as well as others ofthat section of our country had to pass in these early times in our countries history.

The two children above referred to were both girls and were taken off by the Indians who had captured them and were not heard from again until Waynes treaty at Greenville in 1795. When they were brought in with many others and delivered to their friends who had gone after them. The BUSH girls were brought back by their Uncle John HACKER and restored to their bereaved and almost heartbroken mother.

It is proper, however, that I should say that the oldest now about grown remained but a short time with her mother. In her over four years of captivity among the Indians she had met and formed an attachment for a young French trader and the supposition is that she had formed a marriage contract with him and when about to start with her Indian captors to be delivered up to her friends at Greenville she had promised him that she would reo turn and rejoin him in his wilderness home. However this may be over all the persuasive influences that her mother and other friends could bring against her designs she left the settlement of Virginia with the avowed object of returning to her lover among the Indians and that is the last her relatives ever heard of her. The reasonable supposition is that she reached her destination and joined her affianced and with him spent the remainder of her days trading with the Indians far out on the borders of the frontiers.

This left the mother with but two children that we know of. The youngest of the girls brought back from captivity and Adam who with his dogs had frightened off the Indians and thereby no doubt saved the life of his mother.

After the departure of her daughter as above stated the mother continued to reside on the farm on Hacker's Creek with her two remaining children and at quite an advanced age in life she died but at what particular time I have no knowledge. After the mothers death it is said that her son came west and settled at some point but where is not known nor have I ever heard of any other of her descendants. And more than likely her line of descent like that of Betsey FREEMANs is now extinct. 83

Chapter XV

We now come to consider the life and character of one in whom we all have more imme­ diate interest in than either of the four last named.

John the third child and youngest son of William the Sailor Boy and Ann TURNER his wife was born in Frederick County Virginia on the 1st day of January 1743. The father at that time being about 63 and the mother 36 years of age. The name John like that of Wil­ liam seems to be a favorite name among the HACKER families. Scarcely one has ever been known but what John was found among the children. I am unable to account for this except upon the theory as stated in the forepart of these sketches that it came from Duke John the brother of Frederick the Elector of Saxony the early associate of the original Wil­ helm HECKARDT a staunch friend of the reformation and who succeeded his brother Frederick in the Electorate of that province. At the birth of John the parents were residing on a little farm near Winchester as tenants of Lord FAIRFAX and where they most likely continued to reside until the close of the French and Indian war in 1764 and perhaps un­ til they were taken over the mountains by this same child in 1772 to the home he had prepared for them some two hundred miles farther west.

John like the rest of the children of this family was brought up by his parents to habits of industry and became a dutiful and obedient child and in all after life cherished a warm and affectionate regard for them. Their comfort and happiness was ever one of his chief regards possessing stronger intellectual powers than either of the other children he soon became the main stay and support of the whole family.

Being too young at the commencement of the French and Indian war to take any active part in that terrible strife -like his brother William- he remained principally at home assist­ ing his aged father in providing means for the returning wants of still and young and helpless family. That in all this he was a most dutiful and affectionate child is fully dem­ onstrated as we shall find all along as his life passes in review before us. That he re­ ceived a good solid education in early life we have every reason to know and that his mother succeeded in instilling into his young and tender mind a double portion of her in­ domitable will and true religious courage is so fully exemplified in the history of the man that not a doubt remains of all this. With a good share of caution in his composition we never find him helplessly running into danger and yet with a courage that knew no fear wherever duty called he was sure to be found and that too without any question as to per­ sonal consequences to himself.

In order to get a fair understanding of his true character we shall have to look much into the stirring times through which he passed including the French and Indian war on the frontiers that followed the close of the revolution covering a period of forty-two years. The history of those long and terrible years of war and courage is but a history of every man, 84

woman and child residing on the frontiers of our vast extensive country during that period of time.

While the French and Indian war was going on -as I have stated- John being too young to engage in the strife -like his brother William and brother-in-law John FREEMAN- of course remained at home giving his attention to the management of home matters. This brought out the exercises of the best powers of his mind and developing qualities which so well qualified him for the duties of after life.

We have no history and but little traditional account of his boyhood days only that he grew up a dutiful industrious child ever attentive to the wants and wishes of his parents and as age grew upon them John took the lead in all domestic affairs and thus at quite an early age in life he truly became the head of the family. It is said of him that while pos­ sessing mental powers more than ordinary which under the training of a pious mother had been well cultivated yet with all he was remarkably taciturn -never but little to say­ while he would patiently listen to the conversation and arguments of others and weight well all he heard and from these make up his judgment or mark out his line of action yet he rarely gave utterance to his own thoughts. Hence we find him never contentious or ex­ citable but always calm and reflective so that when his mind was thus made up he was as true to his convictions as the needle to the pull and as the granite hills nothing could swerve or turn him from his duty. In this he perhaps resembles more the heroic Colonel Francis HACKER than has any other of the name. He had a strong robust constitution of great muscular powers capable of wonderful endurance these combined with well culti­ vated mental powers united to place him at the age of but 22 at the head of the family.

Our venerable ancestor continued thus to reside with his parents taking the oversite of the family interests until he reached the age above stated when he was united in mar­ riage to a Miss Margarette SLEETH a young lady brought up in the immediate neighbor­ hood and with whom he had been well acquainted from early life. This union was truly a match between two loving hearts that bear in unison and sweetly mingled as one. No two persons ever had more regard for or exhibited greater attachments to each other than did these two congenial souls.

It is due the memory of this most excellent woman that J give a more extended outline of her genealogy and parentage. To do this I shall have to go back for a period of some eighty years to the time of James II of England.

It will be remembered that the Jesuitical Bishop of London under Charles 1/ and at his reo quest had drawn up a ritual service for all devotional exercises and the King had secured from his servile parliament the passage of the act of uniformity in which it was required under heavy penalties that every one should conform to and use that ritual in all their de­ votional exercises either public or private. This soon brought on a wonderful conflict be­ tween the government and the people and especially was this so in Scotland. Those stern old covenants could not be brought to yield obedience to this law of uniformity but 85

in spite of all efforts to the contrary they continued to maintain their own simple forms of worship.

For this many of the leaders and especially the ministers were arrested, thrown into prison. tortured. condemned. banished from the country or put to death.

To save the people from such calamities as this the Parliament extorted from the King the "Habeas Corpus Act" by which when a party should be arrested he could have his case brought before a court of his own choice and released from prison. This soon brought on a conflict between the King and his Parliament one demanding a repeal of the Habeas Corpus Act and the other only consenting upon the repeal of the Uniformity Act. And thus matters progressed daily growing more bitter until death relieved the nation of the licen­ tious Charles.

James II, brother of Charles, now ascended the throne and as is well known a most big­ oted Catholic.

James at once determined to enforce the act of Uniformity to its utmost extent and re­ quired every one to use this ritual prepared by the Bishop of London as aforesaid which in its form and teaching was intensely Roman Catholic and was intended to bring back the English nation to the bosom of that abominable and corrupt church. And in order to do this and nullify the act of "Habeas Corpus" he commissioned George JEFFREYS as Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench with directions to go from county to county throughout the realm open his court and without delay bring all to punishment Who in any manner refused to submit to the act of conformity either in their public or private devo­ tions. And in order to protect him in this high handed measure a Regiment of horse was placed at his command to at once execute every order he should make. In this manner this notorious wretch proceeded in his ministrations from town to town arresting all ac­ cused of a want of Conformity and having them at once brought before him where they were tantalized, broW-beaten, condemned and hurried off to execution while in most cases the party would not know of what or by whom they were accused. In many in­ stances the first knowledge their friends would have of their arrest would be when they saw them stripped, tied to the carts tail and whipped through the streets by the brutal sol­ diery. Thus delicate sensitive women for no other offense whatever than simply praying to God in their closets and with their families in their own simple language and manner would be arrested hurried before this brutish judge insulted. brow-beaten. tantalized in the most brutish manner condemned them made to strip before the vulgar rabble hurried out to the Court and lashed through the streets while the blood would spurt from the na­ ked back and shoulders in streams at every cut of the terrible lash. We of the present day under the protection of our civil government in our peaceful homes and around our pleasant firesides can hardly be made to realize that such scenes as these were enacted under warrant of law by a professed Christian people less than two hundred years ago. Nevertheless it is true every word of it and history more than fully confirms the fact. When this wretch the willing tool of Catholic despotism with his troop of horse reached Scot­ land to commence his hellish proceedings amongst those old staid inhabitants instead of 86

joining in an organized resistance against this Court many of them preferred to leave the country and seek an asylum from oppression in distant lands. Some made their way at once to the wilds of America others fled to Holland while others sought refuge for a time in Ireland when they could wait events until they might safely return or make their way to other parts of the world.

Among those who thus took refuge in Ireland were certain families of TURNERs and SLEETHs. These TURNER families so far as now known has been considered in the for­ mer part of these sketches and to whom we of the present generation are indebted for our Great Grandmother one of the grandest and most sublime characters that ever graced the annals ofthe worlds history. The SLEETH family which we are now to con­ sider as will be seen gave us another equally as grand a character in that of a heroic Grandmother. Now many of the SLEETH families that thus sought refuge in Ireland I do not know but it is well known that they were of the best and most refined families of the Scottish people. Large landed proprietors who could trace their lineal descent in an un­ broken line back to the famous Scottish Chieftain Sir William WALLACE. But this part of their genealogy I do not at this time propose to consider. Enough for my present purpose to know that like the TURNER families they were among the best most energetic and en­ terprising families of Scotland. Liberal free independent and chivalrous rather than sub­ mit to the dictates of a debauched and corrupt priesthood chose to forsake their native country and seek an asylum among strangers.

On arriving in Ireland they of course found themselves destitute reduced as it were sud­ denly from affluence to want. As the government of England as is well known was in great strait for money the estates these families were compelled to leave behind were at once confiscated sold and proceeds sent on to replenish the coffers of a licentious King.

How many of the families of the SLEETHs came over to America I do not know as I never heard of but one the head of which was Alexander.

To this family of Alexander SLEETH there was born a daughter to whom the parents gave the name of Margarette. Seven weeks after the birth of this child the parents em­ barked for America and after a tempestuous voyage of seven additional weeks they dis­ embarked on the 15th day of September 1747 and without making any stop came on at once to the Shenandoah Valley and settled down on some portion of the patrimonial es­ tate of Lord FAIRFAX as hundreds of families had done before them. And here as neigh­ bors to the HACKER and TURNER families they are once more settled in the busy pursuits of life.

Having thus traced the line of these three families down until we find them all located as neighbors we might turn aside for a moment and meditate upon the mysterious workings of the ways of Providence. The TURNER and SLEETH families mayor may not have been neighbors and acquaintances in their native land. They mayor may not have known each other while temporarily residing in Ireland. Yet so it was that by the force of the same surrounding circumstances they were to form a part of the same community in 87

the far off wilds of America and each to give a lovely daughter -Ah a grand heroine of which any family on earth might well be proud- to renew build up and perpetuate the name and line of the HACKER family which by the force of the same diabolical circum­ stances had almost become extinct.

How many children were born to this family of SLEETHs I do not know. I however know of four - two brothers Alexander and Thomas and two sisters Margarette and another who married Jessee HUGHS of whom we shall hear more of hereafter. Just in what part of the valley they made their home is also unknown to me being among the latter emigrants to the valley they had no doubt to rent and live around from place to place as circumstances would seem to indicate asthe best for them. Tradition says that for a time at least they re­ sided on the east side of the river in London County. This perhaps was during the French and Indian war when so many of the families in the valley were driven over east of the Blue Ridge in order to prevent being massacred by the marauding bands of French and Indians who got in their work on that line so fearfully while that war continued.

Be this as it may we find the family after the close of the war about 1766 higher up the valley above Winchester and at the final close ofthe war with the Indians in 1768 they are over the range of hills and on the South Branch of the Potomac somewhere near about where Morefield is now located.

Having thus traced the location of the family down to the date last above given I must now return for a few years and sketch out such facts and incidents as may be necessary to illustrate the characters of its several members.

Alii really know of the SLEETH family before it reached the water of the Monongahela is quite meager indeed. By the traditions of the family I know that like the other families of Scottish descent which settled in this valley of the Shenandoah in these early times they were of the higher and better class their children were all possessed of good minds and the parents succeeded in bringing them up to steady habits and securing for them such mental culture by way of proper education as the unsettled condition of the country would at all allow.

While the family home was east of the Blue Ridge there is little doubt but that the male members of the family were for the greater portion of their time with the army under WASHINGTON guarding the frontier settlements from the merciless tomahawk and scalping knife of the marauding bands of French and Indians who were so constantly prowling around. In 1765 John HACKER and Margarette SLEETH were united in mar­ riage he being then about 22 and she 18 years of age.

One tradition has it that this union took place in London County Virginia. This I think very likely as the SLEETH family as we have seen were probably among those who had re­ moved east of the Blue Ridge for the better protection from the murderous assault of the French and Indians. This young couple thus united became the line through which our side of the house have descended. 88

After their marriage they for a time resided near Winchester and in the neighborhood of the old home of the HACKER family. How long they continued to reside in and about the old homestead is not known perhaps some two or three years and until the treaty of peace with the Indians in 1768 at which time in company with other members of the HACKER and SLEETH families they are over the ridges and into the South Branch of the Potomac near Morefield looking out for a place where they might locate and become the possessors of little homesteads in their own right and be thereby released from the ca­ price of an oppressive landlord.

Not finding what they sought in this locality they next scale the mountains and are over on the head waters of the Monongahela where their long wished for desires are gratified and they settle down to the enjoyment of domestic happiness.

As this was a most important transaction in the life of this young couple it would seem proper that a more extended account be given to it. This I am enabled to do by turning to history and copying what rfind there recorded.

"Several attempts had been made to effect settlements in northwestern Virginia, prior to the close of the French and Indian war, but without any success. The capture of Fort du Quesne and the erection and garrisoning of Fort Pitt, although they gave to the English the ascending in that quarter, yet it did not so far check hostile eruptions of the Indians, as to render a residence in this portion of Virginia by any means secure. No further at­ tempts were therefore made until after definite treaty of peace had been concluded with the Indians at Fort Stanwix in 1768. It was during the continuance of this exemption from Indian oppression that several settlements were made on the Monongahela and its branches, and on the Ohio River. These were nearly contemporaneous; the first how­ ever, in order of time, was that made on the Buckhannon - a fork of the Tygants Valley River, and was induced by a flattering account of the country as given by two brothers; who had spent some years in various parts of it, under rather unpleasant circumstances."

The country on the upper Monongahela was first visited by these two brothers -John and Samuel PRINGLE who had deserted from the English Army stationed at Fort Pitt and in fear of being arrested and punished for deserting they kept on up the valley of the Monongahela until they came to a right-hand fork- now called Buckhannon- which they also ascended for several miles; and at the mouth of a small branch, now called Turkey Run, they took up their abode in the cavity of a large Sycamore tree, here they continued to reside for several years, hunting and trapping until the latter part of 1767 when they first learned of the treaty of peace between England and France. This induced them to leave their retirement in the wilderness and return to the settlement over on the South Branch. The tree, in whose hollow they had been so frequently sheltered from the storms and tempests, was regarded by them with so much reverence, that they resolved, so soon as they could prevail on a few others to accompany them, to again return to the asy­ lum of their exile. 89

In a population such as then composed the chief part of the South Branch settlement, this was no difficult matter. All of them were used to the frontier manner of living; the most of them had gone thither to acquire land; many had failed entirely in this object, while others were obliged to occupy poor and broken situations off the river; the fertile bottoms having been previously located. Add to this the passion for hunting -which was a neces­ sity for the procuring of meat- and the comparative scarcity of game in their neighbor­ hood, and it need not excite surprise that the proposition of the PRINGLEs, to form a settlement, in such a country as they represented that on the Buckhannon to be, was ea­ gerly embraced by many.

In the fall of the ensuing year -1768- Samuel PRINGLE, and several others who wished first to examine for themselves, visited the country which had been so long occupied by the PRINGLEs alone. Being pleased with it, they, in the following spring, with a few oth­ ers, repaired thither, with a view of cultivating as much corn, as would serve their families the first year after emigration. After selecting the most desirable situations; some of them proceeded to improve the place of their choice, John JACKSON with his two sons -George and Edward- settled at the mouth ofTurkey Run, John HACKER higher up the Buckhannon River, where Bush's Fort was afterwards established, Alexander and Tho­ mas SLEETH, near to JACKSONs. The other of the party -William HACKER, Thomas and Jessee HUGHS, John and William RADCLIFF and John BROWN- appear to have employed their time exclusively in hunting, neither of them making any improvement of land for their own benefit. Yet were they of very considerable service to the new settle­ ment. Those who had commenced clearing land, were supplied by them with abundance of meat, and while on their hunting excursions throughout the country, a much better knowledge of it was obtained, than could have been acquired, had they engaged in mak­ ing improvements for themselves. Soon after this, other emigrants arrived under the guidance of Samuel PRINGLE. Among them were, John and Benjamin CARTRIGHT, who settled on the Buckhannon and Henry Rule, who improved just above the mouth of Fink's Run.

Before the arrival of Samuel PRINGLE, John HACKER had begun to improve the spot which PRINGLE had chosen for himself. To prevent any unpleasant results, HACKER agreed that if PRINGLE would clear as much land, on acreek which had been recently discovered by the hunters, as he had on Buckhannon, they could then exchange places. Complying with this condition, PRINGLE took possession of the farm on Buckhannon, and HACKER of the land improved by PRINGLE on the creek, which from the fact that he was the first settler on that water course, it was from thence called Hacker's Creek.

John and William RADCLIFF, then likewise settled on this stream. William HACKER also erected a little cabin on the land selected by his brother John in which to locate his family when brought over and in the meantime -while not engaged in hunting- assisting his brother in improving his land - "These comprise all the improvements made on the upper branches of the Monongahela in the years 1769 and 1770." 90

At the close of the working season of 1769 some of these adventurers, returned to their families on the South Branch; and when they returned to gather their crops in the fall, found them entirely destroyed. In their absence the Buffaloes, no longer awed by the presence of man, had trespassed on their enclosures, and eaten their corn to the ground. This delayed the removal of their families till the winter of 1770.

Other settlers now came over and settlements were made on other branches of the upper Monongahela and but a few years had passed until this part of northwestern Virginia was quite well filled up with as industrious handy and enterprising class of pioneers as any other county could boast of.

In the winter of 1770 John HACKER having succeeded in raising a fair crop of corn and got it all harvested and secure from the buffaloes and other varmints and having a snug little cabin erected for their reception he returned to the South Branch and with many oth­ ers brought his family over to his new home he had thus provided for them in the wilder­ ness where they arrive in due time and are safely lodged in their own home. And although far out on the borders of civilization where they for many years to come must be deprived of most of the comforts and many of the necessaries of life yet the home into which they now entered is their own and they could but feel happy.

Just how the title to the land he occupied came I do not know. Other parts of Virginia had been settled under what was denominated "Corn Rights". That is the state would give in fee one hundred acres of land for every acre the emigrant would clear up and cultivate in corn within a given time. In this manner many of the early settlers had obtained desirable homesteads.

Again from history we learn that soon after the close of the French and Indian War, Vir­ ginia proposed to donate 600,000 acres of land in such part of Northwestern Virginia as a company formed for the purpose might survey and mark out on the simple condition that the company should within a given time have a certain number of families perma­ nently located thereon. As I can not find that the company ever completed their survey by reason of the hostility of the Indians this enterprise must therefore have failed and no ti­ tles were ever obtained through them.

Now the impression I have received through my father is that after this company had failed to complete their survey as above stated Virginia then offered to give in fee a cer­ tain amount of land to each individual family that would locate mark out and cultivate the same. As there was no maps or regular surveys of the country made this marking out each ones particular location was usually done in this way. Those who had selected to locate in a certain section of the country would agree upon a starting point -a peculiar shaped rock or hill- a certain tree at the bend in the creek or stream ofwater-then pro­ ceed to mark out each ones particular selection by passing around and blazing or noting certain trees in line every few rods so that the lines could be easily followed. A careful minute was kept of all this property authenticated and then sent on to government and soon thereafter the emigrant would receive a clear title to his land. How much land our 91

Grandfather thus obtained a title for I do not know but I am informed that it amounted to about one section or 620 acres. Enough however to make him quite a farm and give him a comfortable home.

This title he received was clear and indisputable no law suit or dispute over the title ever arose and a portion of the land he then obtained remains in the family today and is owned by a grandson just one hundred and ten years after its first location.

Our Noble Grand Sire having thus got his own family located on a homestead of his own his next thoughts were for his aged parents still over in the valley -the father by this time being ninety and the mother past three score- and of course somewhat helpless. He therefore proceeded to make the necessary arrangement for their reception and then started to bring them over to his own little home there to cherish and protect them until life with them should end.

For near forty years this now aged couple had toiled and bourn up under many privations as the best they could do for themselves and family on the little home they had secured as tenants of Lord FAIRFAX. But as the land they had cleared up and cultivated was not their own at best they had got but a precarious subsistence out of it. All the labor they had bestowed upon the land in these long years had gone to enrich a lordly Englishman. Consequently now in their extreme helpless old age they were as destitute of the com­ forts of life as the day they first came to this fertile valley so that then their beloved son John arrived with the information of the little home he had secured for them they were ready at once to accept the offer made. As they had but little they were soon ready to start for their new home in the wilderness with perhaps but few regrets to offer.

Just at what precise time he thus brought his parents over the mountains I do not know but as he moved his own family over in the winter of 1770 and would then have to make some preparation for the accommodation of his parents as well as raise another crop for bread to feed them I conclude it was in the fall of 1771 or spring of 1772. In the {>!!JI1mer of F72..at-the time theTamily of Will@l!t--ttAC~eR-was-slatfghteree-e~ his savage associates John had his parents living with him there and of course took them with him when they hastily fled to Fort Buckhannon for safety when about the close of that year the Sailor Boy died aged 96 years.

Having thus followed the line of our ancestors down until we find them once more located in their own home we might turn aside from our regular narrative and for a while take a retrospective view of the scenes ofthe past century through which we have followed them. 92

Chapter XVI

In taking this retrospective view we go back one hundred and thirty years to the com­ mencement of the civil war in England and we see our ancestors a wealthy influential people in high honor and occupying stations of great trust and responsibility performing prodigies of valor in the great struggle then going on. We see the revolution complete ­ the monarchy which had so terribly oppressed the people destroyed and every where the cause of civil and religious liberty appear triumphant. Twenty years roll by in this fearful struggle -reaction has set in- oppression and tyranny is once more established in power. Our ancestors estates are again all confiscated the grand old hero himself who had done and suffered so much for the cause of liberty and justice betrayed captured condemned by a mock trial and hurried off to execution his innocent family under a decree of Parlia­ ment - compelled for safety to seek a place of refuge in a foreign land with a price set upon their heads which was to extend to them and their posterity forever.

For sixty five years more we have followed them along as we have seen them tossed and rolling up and down on the briny deep sailing under an assumed name the better to cover all trace of their identity from the British hounds continually after them to secure the reward offered for their apprehension.

At length poor and weather scaled we see them located on land in a pleasant valley of rich and fertile soil but only as tenants on a lordly estate and with the condemnation for treason committed more than a quarter of a century before they were born and the re­ ward for their apprehension still hanging over them.

For forty years more they now toil on with no prospect and but little hopes of bettering their condition in life. In these years their children come and grow up around them until they themselves have become heads of families. In the meantime the French and Indian war has been rolling on most fearfully. Hundreds and hundreds of their neighbors and their families have been ruthlessly slaughtered by the tomahawk and scalping knife in the hands of a savage and brutal foe while thousands and thousands of others are com­ pelled to fly east of the mountains for protection helpless and destitute.

Ten years this bloody strife rolls on. France then concludes a treaty of peace and retires from the conflict. Not so however with the Indians who continue the war four years longer and then they too treat for peace and sell out all their claim to the lands laying south of the Ohio River and peace appears fully established.

And now as we look over these many long years of toil privation and strife we inquire what have our ancestors gained. Not a dollar in worldly wealth but they are not poor. They now enjoy in its fullest extent that rational liberty - the right to read Divine Relation for themselves and the right to worship God according to the judgment of their own I I

93

minds. For there they and their ancestors had now been contending for over two centu­ ries and a half. Here was pure and unalloyed wealth and in addition to all this they had the filial love and affection of fine dutiful children all grown up to manhood estate honored beloved and respected by all. Ah who can measure the mine of wealth they possessed in the filial affection of their youngest son John who ever mindful of their happiness and comfort now so grandly steps forward becomes the patriarch of the family takes them up tumbling and helpless in age as they are and tenderly bears them away to his own guest chamber there to nourish and cherish them by the strength of his own good right arm for the remainder of their days be they many or few. There was wealth that princes might covet but few ever enjoy.

October 15, 1660 the judgment of condemnation and the decree of confiscation against the life and estates of Colonel Francis HACKER was pronounced and at once carried into effect the family scattered and driven in penury and want over the face of the earth for more than a century it is peeled and baffled up and down the rough side of the world be­ ing constantly hunted down by those in authority like wild beasts with no where to abide or look for safety.

In the fall of 1770 far out on the frontiers of Virginia authority is given to locate a tract of land - the location is made the evidence sent forward and in due time the title therefore is received and John HACKER a great grandson of the heroic Francis HACKER is written down a freeholder just one hundred and ten years from the date of that cruel confiscation act. And now we find that just one hundred and ten additional years have past and that self same tract of land is still in the family. How mysterious is the pathway of Providence who can find it out.

Our Grandfather John HACKER with all the tender care of a loving child conducts his aged parents, his widowed sister Betsey FREEMAN, with the little boy James KEITH the son of his sister Nancy over that one hundred and fifty miles of trackless wilderness to his own home far out on the frontiers.

The precise route they traveled is not known but it is supposed that for a time they fol­ lowed the settlement up the Shenandoah Valley from thence passed over onto the South Branch of the Potomac by the way of Morefield where John had left his wife and child with their relations while he surveyed the land further west in search of a location. From this point they had now to scale the more rugged steeps of the Alleghenies. Yet on and on they traveled their faith, their hopes never for a moment faltering.

Of course their mode of travel could be none other than on foot while the stronger of the party would carry the necessary packages of provision they had perhaps a single pack horse to convey the camp fixtures. By the route they necessarily had to travel the dis­ tance must have been more than two hundred miles and the time occupied in performing the journey more than a full month perhaps two of them. And thus we see this venerable couple -the Sailor Boy and his heroic wife Ann- as with staff in hand as the patriarchs of old- journeying on from day to day while each day they gain a few mites nearer the land 94 J

of their inheritance. Toiling on they made the mountain streams, wind around the base of steep and rugged hills scale the mountains right until the highest peak of the Alleghenies is reached. And now standing on its summit our venerable ancestor ·the Sailor Boy· looks towards the east and contemplates the long journey of life or more than ninety years over which he has traveled calls to mind the many hair breadth escapes by storms on the oceans wave and by British Cruisers who were ever on his trail seeking to arrest him for a crime alleged to have been committed by his Grandfather many years before he was born. And now he remembers it all and then he turns his eyes -old and dim as they are· towards the west and he beholds -not a goodly land- a land of fruitful fields, of cattle and of vineyards, a land flowing with milk and honey - but only one vast unbroken wilder­ ness inhabited only by roving bands of savages and beasts of prey. But then it is a land of freedom where he can worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience and there through the efforts of his noble son he is a freeholder and owns in the right of that son the little tenement that shelters his aged and trembling frame. While he thus stands and contemplates the results of his long life of toil and deprivation through which he has passed he can but break forth in exultant strains of joyful utterance "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, rwill fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointed my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever".

Animated with these grateful sentiments, with renewed courage he gathers up his loins to descend the mountains western slope and thus together they journey on until they reach their little home far out in the wilderness where with all the surrounding inconveniences they can but feel happy for it is their own.

And now we see the family as they are united consisting of Willaim HACKER the Sailor Boy, his heroic wife Nancy TURNER, their youngest son John with his amiable wife Mar­ garette SLEETH and their two little ones, Betsey FREEMAN the widowed daughter and little James KEITH the son of Nancy the daughter left behind - these eight comprising their own immediate family while the family of William their first born is but a few rods away.

And thus we see a hail father, mother, children and grandchildren sound physically and mentally with wills as of steel looking out over their Eden home which in promise smiles its fruitful yields through the whirl of time in coming years. And as they assemble each morning and eve around their family hearthstone and with closed eyes we hear them say "The Lord is my shepherd; , shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake". Paying their vows and renewing their covenants with that God who by his tender mercies had safely brought them thus far on their life's jour­ ney and with confidence committing all for the future to his gracious keeping. 95

And thus our grand parents in their young marriage life settle down in their own little cabin to the stern duties before them. Their aged parents and helpless ones are with them and they can but feel happy. But having now a greater number in family to provide for more land must be cleared up and put under cultivation. This would require the best energies of all that were able to engage in outdoor work during the coming winter season. And so it was that by spring additional acres on the farm were cleared off the soil turned over the seed planted and during the growing season properly cultivated and at harvest time an abundant crop was the reward of their years toil and plenty smiled upon their household.

The manner of preparing the grain thus produced for food was most primitive indeed. Be­ ing now located more than eighty miles from any mills and a way over the mountains at that carrying their grain to mill to be manufactured in the usual manner was not to be thought of. Hence their own ingenuity was brought to the test. Their corn and wheat for bread was pounded in a wooden mortar formed in a proper size and shape in a block of wood set on end and with a common iron wedge used for splitting rails -fixed in a billet of wood suspended by a spring pole the grain was made as fine as possible- and then with a common hand sive -homemade at that and out of wooden splits and horse hair- the bran was separated from the meal and flour and thus their bread was made.

I have been thus particular in describing these things in order to show the terrible straits to which our ancestors -even of the last generation- were driven in order that they might get free from that degrading system of bigotry and intolerance against which the family had now been contending for more than two hundred and fifty years. Give me liberty or give me death seemed to be the cry that came welling up from the inmost center ofthe soul all along the time of these many years. Most gladly willi suffer all the ills depriva­ tions and inconveniences of life so that I may but enjoy the privilege of reading the great book of Divine Revelation for myself and worshipping God according to better convic­ tions of my own mind. These things I must have and these things above all others I will have. I will be a slave to no man and no man shall rule my conscience.

It might now reasonably be supposed that our ancestorialline had got so far west and so deep into the wilderness that surely they were now beyond the reach of their old enemies -the act of attainder of the British Parliament and the Catholic Priests- not so however, they were still subject of the British Crown and under that hellish enactment of the Eng­ lish Parliament and as to the further trouble from Catholic Priests we shall see as we pass along in our narrative.

For the present there seem to have been secured with the savage tribes a perpetual peace and plenty with its attending blessings seem smiling all around them. They had now a home of their own though far out in the wilderness. Yet with strong hands and will­ ing hearts they hoped soon to make it blossom as the Rose. With these prospects and these high hopes one year -one short happy year passed away- and then on the storm of blows and fury from their old enemy that suddenly burst upon their devoted heads. What a fearful tale of suffering and of twenty three years duration has now to be told would that 96

the whole ofthis terrible contest could be wiped out and made a blank. But as it is I must enter upon its narration as best I can.

It is true that from the time the Sailor Boy William HACKER settled in the Shenandoah Valley no further annoyance from the act of Attainder was anticipated. The last hope of the restoration of the House of Stuart had expired at the death of the Pretender George II of Hanover was on the throne of England and the kingdom really under the Great WAL­ POLE as Prime Minister and far more liberal sentiments prevailed under which the family felt safe in resuming its own legitimate name. Although the act itself remained upon the statute books unrepealed until 1835. The writer was twenty five years of age before re­ leased from that damnable act so far then all that matter has ended. But the cause of Ca­ tholicism we have still to deal with.

I have already given extracts from history to show how - after the close of the French War in 1763 the Catholic Priests in Canada and Louisiana exerted their influence over the In­ dians of the northwest to continue their war upon the defenseless inhabitants on the fron­ tier for four years longer. And in order now to make our further narrative as plain and easily understood as I can I must go back for a few years in time and quote another para­ graph or two from well authenticated history.

The authority from which I quote says:

"Nearly contemporaneous with the settlements on the Holstein and New Rivers -1 756­ was that at Gallipolis, on the northwest bank of the Ohio, at the mouth of the great Ka­ nawha. This was made by a party of French Jesuits, by whom the Indians were incited to make incursions, and commit the most barbarities on the frontiers. This place and the mouth of the great Sandy, were the chief points of rendezvous, of the Ohio Indians. From the former of these places they would ascend the Kanawha and Green Rivers, and from thence crossing the mountains enter into Augusta; or after having ascended the Ka­ nawha, go up New River, from which they would pass over to the James and Roanoke. From the mouth of the great Sandy they would ascend that river, and by the way of Blue­ stone pull over on the Roanoke and New Rivers. From these two points, expeditions were frequently made by the Indians, under the influence of these Jesuitical Priests, which brought desolation and death into the infant settlements of the southwest. In the spring of 1757 nearly the whole of Roanoke settlement was destroyed by a party of Shawnee who had made their way into it, under the instigation of these diabolical Priests."

I am aware that the author of "Western Annals" casts doubts upon this French settlement and says the French town of Gallipolis which the "Border Warfare" says was to have been destroyed by the Virginians did not exist till near forty years later. That is all true enough as far as the present town of Gallipolis is concerned which was not settled until 1788 and as all know is some five miles down the river below the mouth of the Kanawha but this French Post or town called Gallipolis was opposite the mouth ofthe Kanawha and was entirely a different location from the town of Gallipolis settled by the French emi­ grants under the Ohio Company in 1788. 97

During the continuance of the war -1755 to 1768- many depredations were committed by hostile Indians along the whole extent of the Virginia frontiers "Individuals leaving the forts on any occasion, scarcely ever returned, but were intercepted by the Indians, who were constantly prowling along the border settlements, for the purpose of surprise and murder". "The particulars of these occurrences, as well as many of the more important characters no longer exist in the memory of man; they died with those who were contem­ poraneous with the happening of them."

Nor do / now propose to call up the terrible scenes of devastation and blood further than to record a few of those in which my own immediate ancestors were called to pass through.

I have now brought my narrative down to the close of 1771 and find all the family with but one exception all on the west side of the Allegheny Mountains located once more on their own lands and with apparent comfort and happiness around them.

Chapter XVII

Early in 1772 there was a large accession to the settlements on the Buckhannon and Hackers Creek. So great was the increase of population in the latter neighborhood that the crops of that season did not afford more than one-third bread stuff for ordinary con­ sumption and such indeed was the state of suffering among the inhabitants that the year 1773 is called in the traditional legends of that day the Starving Year, and which would have been fatal to many a poor family but for the heroic exertions of a few noble spirits among those generous hearted pioneers.

The year 1772 with this wonderful influx of emigration to these new settlements passed away without any other matter of special note until after the wheat and small grain har­ vest when as has been before stated the Indians influenced by the Jesuitical Priests -at the mouth of the Kanawha and elsewhere- and led on by the notorious Simon GIRTY suddenly came upon the unsuspecting and defenseless inhabitants and massacred the family of William HACKER.

This sudden attack on the Hackers Creek settlement caused the inhabitants to hastily take shelter over in Fort Buckhannon where just at the close of this year the Sailor Boy William HACKER died at the ripe age of 94 years. What a life full of stirring events was his, what scenes of trials and triumphs he had to pass through with occasional rays of light as it were glimmering through the darkness of the future before him as if to encour­ age and keep hope alive in his breasts. He is taken away before the radiance of full light appears yet what a life was his. How grandly he acted his part and what an inheritance of noble efforts of heroic daring and manry virtues he has left to his posterity. 98

How long the inhabitants had fled to the Fort for protection remained before returning to their farms is not known but I have heard my father say that his parents were residing in the Fort at the time of his birth which occurred January 17, 1773.

This cowardly attack on the family of William HACKER produced in the minds of a num­ ber of these emigrants -whose families had been made to suffer by the Indians prior to the treaty of 1768- a spirit of revenge. As the Indians appeared unwilling to abide by the terms of any treaty stipulations. The only thing as it appeared to them was to fight it out to the end. Consequently many Indians were perhaps wantonly shot down whenever oppor­ tunity offered and thus a border war was inaugurated which has no parallel in barbarity and which took twenty three years to bring to a final conclusion. This war however did not become general until April 1774, some eighteen months after the destruction of William HACKER's family. During all these many years of strife and bloodshed it was the custom of the settlers in this part of Virginia during the growing seasons of the year to remove their families into a Fort or Blockhouse under the care of a few trusty well armed persons and then go out in bands well armed also and work on a farm for a day or two and then go to another and so on around the settlement until the summers work would all be done and the crop properly gathered in and secured while all the time thus at work pickets or guards would have to be stationed out at proper distances in order to detect the approach of the lurking savage and give the alarm. Yet notwithstanding all this precaution the Indi­ ans would sometimes steal a march upon them when many of the laborers would be shot down or a sudden foray made upon the Fort or Blockhouse where sufficient guard had not been left to protect the women and children when most horrible scenes of cruelty and bloodshed would be enacted.

These scenes of cruelty were of frequent occurrence not a season passing over without numerous murders being committed - whole families massacred or carried off into captiv­ ity a condition many times worse than death itself.

Sometimes these marauding bands would be pursued overtaken the captives rescued and with the plunder the Indians had taken brought back and restored to their friends but more frequently the savages would get away with all they had taken.

Sometimes again when the Indians would discover that they were being pursued many of the captives and especially the women and children would be tomahawked scalped and left weltering in their blood as this would stop pursuit and thus they would at least get away with the plunder they had taken. The Indians never ventured upon these expedi­ tions in the wintertime for in consequence of the snows their trail was too easily followed and they never succeeded in getting away in safety. This fact induced many of the set­ tlers to return with their families to their farms in order to clear up more land so as to raise a larger crop for the next season. Sometimes however they would remain thus at work a little too long in the spring making sugar before returning to the Fort when the Indians would be suddenly upon them and then terrible scenes of horror and massacre would follow. 99

In looking back and reviewing these awful scenes through which our ancestors were called to pass we can but wonder how it was possible that civilized men -women with their children could consent to thus live in a constant whirl of excitement- in a country where they were liable at any moment to be attacked by the savage hordes and to pass through such scenes of strife and bloodshed and for the length of time too that it contin­ ued -that is from 1755 to 1795- just forty years. And it would be incomprehensible were it not from the fact we can look back beyond the commencement of all this to the old coun­ tries from whence these emigrants originally came and call to mind the scenes of relig­ ious persecutions through which they with their ancestors had to pass for the two hundred and fifty years preceding the commencement of these hostilities and in this manner alone is the fortitude of these heroic frontiersmen to be accounted for. The lurk­ ing savages the deadly rifle the tomahawk and scalping knife were to them as but child's play when compared to the tortures of the Holy Inquisition. The unquenched fires of Smithfield the dungeon the rack and the horrid butcheries inflicted upon their neighbors relatives and families by professed Christian Priests and religious fanatics and all be­ cause they could not believe that the real body and blood of Christ was in the elements of the sacrament or that a drunken profane and licentious priest could forgive sins shut whom they pleased out of heaven and shut them up in hell forever. Here is where we can see the true motive for the otherwise unaccountable preference of these noble frontiers­ men and besides all this in this wilderness home they could worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences and fight the savages also while the Jesuitical Priests would occasionally get in a little of their hellish work but not now as formerly - by the instrumentality of the civil governments but only through the savages operating on the frontier settlements.

But I must now return to my narrative and in order that we may have as clear views of the terrible conflicts through which our ancestors had now to pass I shall call up for review the proceeding of each year as I pass along and thus endeavor to give dates as well as circumstances until the terrible tragedy is brought to a close.

I think that after the destruction of the family of William HACKER as before related the In­ dians showing no further hostility toward the white inhabitants of northwestern Virginia that those residing on Hackers Creek left the fort early in the spring of 1773 and returned to their farms in order to plant and raise their summer crop. But this may however been determined upon a little late in the season. Hence the small crop that was produced that year and the scarcity of provision of that year is in part accounted for. So far as we now know no combined attack of the Indians was made on the settlement during the year 1773 yet many of the whites being caught out alone were ruthlessly murdered by some strolling band of Indians scalped and their bodies left to feed the beasts of prey. These oft repeated murders of course brought on retaliation upon the part of the white people and many a strolling Indian was brought down by the hunters as opportunity offered. It is said that Elias HUGHS after his family had been massacred by the Indians spent most of his time in the woods looking out for Indians and that the number really killed by him could be counted by scores if not by hundreds. 100

The first attack made in this awful drama that we have an account of was made in the lat­ ter part of April 1774 upon a party of Land Adventurers near the mouth of Captina sixteen miles below Wheeling. A skirmish ensued in which the whites were over powered and fled from the field. And about the same time happened the affair opposite the mouth of the Yellow Creek near midway between Wheeling and Pittsburgh.

Apprised by these occurrences of their danger many of the inhabitants of northwestern Virginia retired into the interior before depredations were commenced. Some took refuge in Forts which had been previously built while others collected together at particular houses constructing them into temporary fortresses which answered well for the protec­ tion of those who sought shelter in them.

The home of John HACKER was thus fortified as well as that of Edmond WEST a few miles further down the creek. Some however relying upon the expectation that the first blow would be struck on the settlements on the Ohio River and that they would then have sufficient notice to prepare for their own security before real danger could reach them continued on their farms in the performance of their usual avocations.

Perhaps the first incursion made into northwestern Virginia after open war had really commenced was made by a party of eight Indians at the head of which was the cele­ brated Cayuga Chief Logan. This celebrated warrior had remained a friend of the whites during the whole time of the French and Indian war but his family having all been killed by some of the whites he took up the hatchet and resolved to be avenged for the das­ tardly act that had been committed upon him. He accordingly assembled a few resolute warriors about him traversed the country from the Ohio to the West Fork of the Mononga­ hela before an opportunity presented itself for achieving any mischief.

It was the 12th day July 1774 as William ROBINSON, Thomas HELLEN and Coleman BROWN were pulling flax in a field opposite the mouth of Simpson Creek that Logan and his party came up unexpectedly fired upon them when BROWN fell perforated by several balls while the other two were taken prisoners and carried off to the Indian towns where they were made to run the gauntlet and horribly beaten and tortured. Under the influence of Logan they were both saved from death by being adopted into the Indian families and were finally released under the treaty with Lord DUNMORE and shortly after returned to their homes.

This sudden and unexpected attack with several others made elsewhere and at about the same time convinced the government of Virginia that some more energetic means would have to be used in order to bring these hostile Indians to terms and compel them to let the frontier settlements alone.

Two expeditions were accordingly fitted out one commanded by Lord DUNMORE in per­ son and the other by General Andrew LEWIS. The latter it appears was intended if possi­ ble to break up the Jesui~ establishment at the mouth of the great Kanawha from whence 101

there was but little doubt but that most if not all the Indian depredations on the frontiers of Virginia were planned, fitted out and started on their murderous careers.

September 11, 1774 General LEWIS with his command broke camp and after nineteen days march arrived at Point Pleasant opposite the French post at Gallipolis. Here while waiting to hear from Lord DUNMORE on the 10th of October they were suddenly at­ tacked by a large body of Indians and a terrible battle ensued. By skillful maneuvering however the attack was successfully repulsed and the Indians beat a hasty retreat to their own side of the river.

The result of this engagement no doubt taught these French Jesuits that they had as well be getting away from there as we hear nothing from them from that point afterwards.

Upon the close of the campaign of 1774 there succeeded a short period of quiet along the borders of northwestern Virginia. The result of the battle on the 10th of October seemed to teach these implacable enemies of civilization that alone and unaided they were wholly unable to maintain a contest at arms against the superior power of Virginia when brought to bear against them.

During the year 1775 the Indians seemed to have been occupied in a contest with the settlements in Kentucky so that for that year the Virginia settlements were left free to pur­ sue their domestic vocations.

By this time it had become apparent that the colonies of America were about to engage in a struggle with England for independence and national existence and it is well known that the British emissaries were among the various tribes of Indians urging them to join with England against the inhabitants of the Colonies. Even Lord DUNMORE while in the campaign of 1774 against the Indians had the notorious Simon GIRTY and others of the hostile chiefs attached to his command and kept always near his person and through these influences he succeeded in patching up a treaty with the Indians of the northwest and attaching them to the interest of England. Consequently on reaching the camp of General LEWIS he ordered him with his command to return to their homes and disband. By reason of which no permanent benefit was realized to the frontier settlements from this campaign.

The war of the Revolution came on and while the infant colonies were engaged in this unequal contest they could not afford that protection to their frontier settlements that the exigencies of the time demanded. That a wealthy and powerful nation as Great Britain with all the lights of Christianity to illuminate her pathway and the science of moral phi­ losophy to point out the honorable course to pursue should have made allies of and Jet loose those horrible hell hounds of war upon their own countrymen in America endeared to them by every tie which could sanctify human nature was a most lamentable circum­ stance in its consequences blighting and desolating the fairest portions of the country and covering the face of its border settlements with the gloomy mantle of sorrow and woe. 102

Leagued with Great Britain the Indians were enabled more fully and effectually to glut their vengeance upon the defenseless settlements and to scatter death and desolation as it were broadcast over the land.

At the very commencement of the Revolution the settlers on the frontier became sensible that they would have to rely upon their individual resources for protection against savage inroads. They accordingly set about making preparations for the impending crisis which was evidently soon to fall upon them with all its fearful horrors.

The fortifications that had been selected for places of security in the war of 1776 were further fortified and other forts and blockhouses erected into which they could retire on the approach of danger nor was it long before that danger made its appearance with all its attending horrors.

I shall now proceed to relate a few of those terrible scenes which so soon after the Revo­ lutionary War commenced fell upon the settlements where our ancestors had now lo­ cated in order that we as their descendants may get an insight into the fearful struggle through which they had to pass while that war continued.

In June 1777 a party of Indians came to the home of Charles GADSBY on Rotting Creek in Harrison County plundered the house of everything they considered valuable took Mrs. GADSBY and her two children prisoners and departed. Mr. GADSBY returning home shortly after collected a party of his neighbors and went in pursuit. Following their trail for some six miles they found Mrs. GADSBY and her youngest child tomahawked and scalped. Mrs. GADSBY being near the hour of her confinement and the helpless condition of the child being a hindrance to their rapid flight and fearing pursuit the Indi­ ans had in this inhuman manner rid themselves of the incumbrance.

Shortly after this two Indians came to the West Fork and concealed themselves near to Coons Fort. The daughter of Mr. COON coming out to raise some hemp in a field near the fort was fired upon by one of the savages and she fell. The Indian then ran up se­ cured her scalp and then they made their escape.

In September of this year Leonard PETRO and William WHITE were captured while watching a path leading up the Little Kanawha. WHITE subsequently made his escape and returned to the settlement. PETRO was never heard of afterwards and it is supposed that after WHITE had escaped that PETRO was burned.

Generally the settlements enjoyed perfect quiet from the first appearance of winter until the return of spring. The Indians were usually deterred from penetrating the settlement because of their great exposure in consequence of the nakedness of the woods and the increased facility of pursuit by their trail left in the snow as well as the sufferings they themselves had to endure while laying in wait in their partially unclothed condition in sea­ sons of intense cold. Instances of their being troublesome during the winter season of the 103

year were rare indeed yet it did sometimes occur when if the settlers were found off their guard they paid dearly for their remissness as the following instance will illustrate.

On the 15th of December of this year a party of twenty Indians came to the upper end of the Tygart Valley made an attack on the house of Darby CONNALY killed him, his wife and several of the children and took three other prisoners. Proceeding to the next house they killed John STEWART, his wife and child and took Miss HAMILTON·a sister-in­ law- into captivity. With these and the plunder they had secured they started on their re­ turn. They were however pursued by a company quickly raised under the command of Captain Benjamin WILSON and although the pursuit was continued for five days through the cold and wet yet the Indians succeeded in making their escape.

This so far as we know was the last outrage committed by the savages in northwestern Virginia in the year 1777 and although there was not so much mischief effected by them in this year as has been in some others yet the year 1777 became memorable in the an­ nals of Border Warfare. The attack on Wheeling Fort the loss of lives and the destruction of property which took place the fatal ambuscade at Grand Creek Narrows all conspire to render this a period of much interest and to impress its incidents deeply on the minds of those who were actors in those scenes.

After the winter had become so severe as to prevent the Indians from committing further aggressions the inhabitants of these frontier settlements devoted much of their time in erecting new forts and strengthening those formerly established and making such other preparations as was deemed necessary to prevent a repetition of those distressing occurrences which had cost so much gloom and sorrow over the entire portion of north­ western Virginia.

Notwithstanding all that they had been made to suffer the past season as well as antici­ pations upon the return of spring yet there was a very large increase in population which aided materially in strengthening their ability to defend themselves against the encroach­ ments of the savages even when aided by British emissaries and led on by American Tories.

While this accession to their numbers was indeed considerable yet it was not sufficient to enable the inhabitants to engage in any offensive operation. They could therefore only as heretofore act on the defensive.

In the spring of 1778 General MCINTOSH with his command operating on the frontiers established and fortified a fort at the mouth of Big Beaver. This left the whole line from Wheeling to Point Pleasant a distance of one hundred and eighty miles entirely unpro­ tected and open to the Indian war parties by which they could enter and then pass over onto the upper Monongahela and its tributaries and perpetrate their cruel barbarities upon the defenseless inhabitants of those settlements and thus it will be seen that the establishment of the fort at the mouth of the Big Beaver only operated to throw the greater and more frequent bodies of savages into the northwestern portions of Virginia and as 104

these settlements were the last to feel the effects of savage enormities in 1777 so they were the first to feel the sacrifice of its terrible fury in the spring of 1778.

On the 3rd of March as some children were playing a short distance from Harberts Block­ house on the West Fork they espied a number of Indians coming towards them. They quickly fled to the house and gave the alarm. Before the door could be closed the Indians came up and three of them gained an entrance. And now a terrible battle ensued be­ tween the Indians who had thus entered the door and two white men and several women who happened to be in the house at the time. In this conflict Mrs. CUNNINGHAM proved to be the hero of the occasion. This noble woman laid about her so lustily with an axe se­ verely wounding the savages that they were but too anxious to beat a hasty retreat. Of the whites in the home one was killed and four wounded while seven or eight children in the yard were either killed or taken prisoners. One Indian was killed and two badly wounded by the axe in the hands of the heroic Mrs. CUNNINGHAM.

Of the 11th of April a raid was made on the Dunkard Bottom of Cheat River. Miss BLAIN, Mrs. MORGAN -her granddaughter- and Mrs. DILLON with her two children were killed and another Mrs. MORGAN with her child taken prisoner. Mrs. MORGAN however found means of making her escape and some days after made her way back to her home.

In the last of April another party of about twenty warriors came to the neighborhood on Hacker's Creek and the West Fork. At this time the inhabitants of those settlements had removed the Wests Fort on the creek and to Richards Fort in the river, leaving the women and children in the forts during the daytime under the protection of a few trusty and resolute men the others had gone out in companies to the farms in order to perform the usual labor necessary for the cultivation of the crop.

The first week in May while a company of men were thus engaged in a field on Hacker's Creek they were fired upon by this band of hostiles and Thomas HUGHES and Jonathan LOWTHER shot down. The others being without arms fled to the forts for safety.

On the same day Isaac WASHBURN who had been to mill on Hacker's Creek was shot from his horse tomahawked and scalped. The Indians then left the neighborhood without effecting anything more.

Not having been as successful in this raid as perhaps they had anticipated they next as­ sembled a large body passed up the Kanawha and over onto the Green Briar settlement. Here in the latter part of May they made a furious assault on Donnly Fort. But the men in the fort being reinforced by a company of some sixty under Captain STUART and Colo­ nel LEWIS the Indians were finally driven off with a rather heavy loss to them. While those in the fort lost but four in killed the Indians left seventeen dead so near the fort that they were unable to get them away. In this conflict the indians had over two hundred of their warriors engaged and how many of them were really killed was never known. It was a sad defeat however to them and must have taught them that an attack upon the white 105

people while within their fort and behind their fortifications was a more serious matter than what they had considered it.

Chapter XVIII

I have now to detail a circumstance of a different character in its result and one in which my own immediate ancestors were made to suffer most fearfully.

About the middle of June my Grandmother Margarette HACKER with her sister-in-law Betsey FREEMAN and another woman went out of Wests Fort into an adjoining field to gather greens and while thus engaged were attacked by four Indians lying in wait. One gun only was fired and the ball from it passed through the bonnet of Mrs. HACKER who screamed aloud and they all ran towards the Fort. An Indian having in his hand a long staff with a spear in one end pursuing closely after them thrust it at Mrs. FREEMAN with such violence that it entered her back just below the shoulder and came out at her left breast. Then with his tomahawk he cleft the upper part of her scalp and carried it off to save the scalp. The screaming of the women gave the alarm to the men in the fort who seizing their guns ran out just as Mrs. FREEMAN fell. Several shots were fired at the In­ dian while securing the scalp of the woman but without effect and he got away with his ghastly trophy. Some eight or ten of the men immediately started in pursuit of the Indi­ ans. Hearing one of them howl like a wolf he was answered by Jessee HUGHES and on running to the top of a hill and looking over they saw two of the Indians coming towards them from the other side. HUGHES immediately fired and one of them fell. The other be­ ing pursued by the whites took shelter in a thicket of brush and while they were making an effort to intercept him as he came out he turned and came out by the way he had en­ tered and so got off. While this was going on the Indian who had been shot by HUGHES managed to get away also.

On the 16th of June as Captain Jones BOOTH and Nathaniel COCHRAN were at work in the field they were fired at by the Indians, BOOTH killed and COCHRAN slightly wounded and taken prisoner carried to Detroit where he was exchanged by the British and made his way home. The loss of BOOTH was a great calamity to the inhabitants of that settlement as he was not only an active energetic man but of superior talents and was a great stay to the infant colonies.

But a few days after this as Benjamin SHINN, William GUNDY and Benjamin WASH­ BURN were returning from a trip on Booths Creek they were fired on by the Indians. WASHBURN and SHINN escaped unhurt but GUNDY was killed. He was a brother of ) Honorable Felix GUNDY of Tennessee.

This party of Indians continued for some days to prowl about the neighborhood seeking for other opportunities of committing murder upon the inhabitants with however but little 106

success. James OWENS a youth of sixteen years of age being the only one whom they succeeded in killing.

Seeing the whites in this neighborhood so well fortified in their forts and being too weak to make an open attack they left and passed over into other settlements and committed many depredations. Other and more numerous bodies of hostiles invaded settlements lower down the river and killed many of the inhabitants and destroyed or carried off im­ mense amount of property.

They next made their appearance again on Dunkards Creek. Here they lay in ambush on the road side awaiting the return of the men at work in the fields. As the men approached and were between the lines laying in ambush they were fired upon and several killed. The whites however returned the fire and for a time stood their ground but being greatly outnumbered and being between two fires they were compelled to beat a hasty retreat leaving eighteen of their number dead on the field.

After this another attack was made on the WASHBURN family over on the West Fork. Stephen WASHBURN was killed and James taken prisoner carried off to their towns and made to run the gauntlet several times most horribly tortured and finally scalped alive and then his head cut off and fixed upon a pole in the center of their village.

But two other depredations were after this committed by the savages on the upper coun­ try during this season.

In October two Indians approaching the house of Conrad RICHARDS and finding a little girl with an infant at play in the yard scalped the girl and then rushed to the door. RICH­ ARDS however with his gun wounded one of them severely the other then retreated help­ ing off his wounded associate. The girl in the yard who had been scalped then ran with the infant still in her arms and uninjured into the house a most heart rending spectacle of savage cruelty.

Soon after this David EDWARDS returning from Winchester with salt was shot thru tomahawked and scalped in which situation he lay for some time before being discov­ ered. He was the last one to fall a victim to savage vengeance in northwestern Virginia in the year 1778.

I have occupied more space in detailing the circumstances that transpired during this year than what was perhaps really necessary for the purposes of my present undertaking but there seemed no other way by which I could as clearly set forth the scenes through which our ancestors had to pass a hundred years ago in order to secure to them and their posterity the inestimable blessings life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness which we now 50 pre-eminently enjoy. The giving of these simple statements of the daily scenes transpiring arollnd them and in all of which some one or more of them were called to take a part seems to me to set forth in the most comprehensive manner that 107

could be adopted the work which they had to do in this struggle that was going on in the land.

But we have yet seventeen years of these scenes of suffering and distress before us to recount and each of these years as they come upon the stage before us seems to have been attended with a greater degree of ferocity cruelty and bloodshed than the one that preceded it before the scene changes and peace with all its happy influences is permit­ ted to bless the inhabitants, on the frontier of our now happy land. During some of these subsequent years however the incursions of the Indians were less frequent their opera­ tions being directed to other parts of the new settlements.

In sketching the operations of these years I shall endeavor to confine myself to those cir­ cumstances in which some of our ancestors bore a conspicuous part and were made to suffer more or less.

The frequent murders and great devastation committed by the Indians upon the frontier settlements during the summer of 1778 induced the government to fit out two expeditions into the Indian country and thus endeavor to give these marauding bands of savages a little taste of their own kind of warfare and at their own homes. One of these was destined to operate against the Indians on the Sandusky towns and along the lake regions and was under the command of General MCINTOSH. This expedition however proved a bad failure from causes not now necessary to inquire about.

The other was placed under command of the intrepid Colonel George Rogers CLARKE and was to operate against the Canadian settlement in Illinois and the lower Ohio River.

It was well known that the governor of these settlements was an indefatigable agent of British cruelty, stimulating their savage allies to deeds of most horrid cruelties farge pre­ miums and paying round prices for every scalp they could alike take from the heads of American citizens aged matrons and helpless infants.

The success of this expedition under Colonel CLARKE fully sustained his reputation for deeds of daring and suffice it for our present purpose to say that by the 24th of February 1779 he had taken the Indian towns of Illinois and the upper Mississippi and compelled the inhabitants of those regions to sue for peace. Next he turned his attention to Port Vin­ cennes on the Wabash. Here after a siege of some two days he captured the notorious governor HAMILTON with all his band of Indians and Tories he had just brought down from Detroit to let loose upon the defenseless inhabitants of the frontier settlements.

HAMILTON was a most blood thirsty instigator of savage barbarities as well as the great story and support of the Tories of the Revolution and when taken he held written instruc­ tions from the BritiSh Government to excite in every manner possible the Indian tribes to aggressions upon the frontier inhabitants and offer them large rewards for each bloody scalp torn from the heads of the innocent and defenseless they might present to him. 108

Having discovered this document on his person the intrepid CLARKE soon had him in irons and on his way to prison at the capital of Virginia.

Had the expedition under General MCINTOSH been equally as successful the war upon the frontiers would have been speedily brought to an end but such not being the case the aggressions upon the frontier settlements commenced early in the spring of 1779.

The frequent inroads of small parties of savages in 1778 led to greater precautions among the inhabitants on the upper Monongahela. Some of the settlements received considerable accession to their strength by emigrants coming amongst them. In some of the other neighborhoods their sufferings the preceding year and their inability of protect­ ing themselves from paucity of numbers led them to a total abandonment of their homes. The settlement on Hackers Creek was thus entirely broken up in the spring of 1779­ some of the inhabitants forsaking the country and retiring east of the mountains while others went to Fort Buckhannon and to Netters Fort near Clarksburg to aid in resisting the foe and in maintaining possession of the country. Consequently when the campaign opened in the spring of 1779 it found the whole frontier better prepared to protect itself from invasion and to shield its occupants from the wrath of the savage enemy than it had ever before been. There were forts within reach of every settlement into which the people could retire when danger threatened and which was capable of withstanding the assaults of the savages however furious they might be while having to depend for success upon the use of small arms only. It was however fortunate for the country that they could with confidence rely upon the use of this mode of defense for had their assailants brought against them a few shots even from small cannon these would have been sufficient to have demolished their fortifications and left them no hope but death or captivity.

In 1779 as the season fast approaching when the savages might be expected to com­ mence their depredations upon the settlements the inhabitants became careful to keep within their forts of nights while they prosecuted the business of their farms in large com­ panies in the daytime being careful to go to their work well armed and while at work al­ ways with pickets out to announce the approach of the savages.

Chapter XIX

Our relations on Hackers Creek were now all once more within the enclosure of Fort Buckhannon which was twelve miles distant from their farms and rendered their summer work exceedingly difficult and laborious as well as hazardous.

The first attack made by the Indians in northwestern Virginia in 1779 was made early in April and near to Pritchets Fort where David MORGAN a brother of the celebrated Gen­ eral Daniel MORGAN of Revolutionary fame and a man of about sixty years of age was on duty as guard to the women and children and thus became the hero of a most terrible encounter with two lusty savages in which he succeeded in killing both of his assailants 109

with no further damage to himself than the loss of a little finger by a stroke of the savage with his tomahawk.

The next attack of the Indians was made on three families residing in a blockhouse on Dunkards Creek. Here two men were in the house to protect the women and children. Early in April the Indians made a sudden rush into the house and a terrible hand to hand encounter with the men ensued. Mrs. BOGARTH however became the hero of this con­ flict. As one Indian sprang in and grappled with her husband Mrs. BOGARTH seizing an axe and with one blow let out his brains. At this instant another entered and shot one of the white men in the house when Mrs. BOGARTH turned on him and with a well directed blow of her weapon let out his bowels which caused him to howl lustily for help. This brought up several more of the savages who had been engaged with the children in the yard. The first who put his head in at the door had it cleft by the axe in the hands o(this courageous women and he fell lifeless to the ground. With the aid of one of the white men in the house who had been wounded by the first shot fired into the house she was now able to close the door and make it fast. They were thus enabled to successfully re­ sist the repeated attempts of the Indians to force an entrance until timely relief came from a party of men working in a field in the neighborhood.

The time occupied in this bloody affray from the first alarm of the children to the shutting of the door did not perhaps exceed three minutes yet in that short space of time Mrs. BOGARTH with infinite self possession cool intrepidity dispatched three stalwart sav­ ages. The children in the yard were all killed and scalped before the relief came up.

The next attack was made on the 11th ofthe same month. This occurred over on Snow Creek a branch of the Cheat River. Here two men were killed and two boys carried off into captivity.

Soon after this another party came into the Buckhannon settlement and made prisoner of Leonard SCHOOLCRAFT a youth of about sixteen. On reaching their towns he soon joined them in all their hellish work and after acted with them as guide and thus by his knowledge of the country aided the savages in many a successful raid upon the inhabi­ tants of this part of the country. We shall hear more of him a year or two further along.

In June of this year an attack was made by thirteen Indians on Martins Fort over on Crooked Run. Early in the morning while the women were engaged in milking the cows just outside the gate the Indians who had been laying in wait during the night came sud­ denly upon them. Ten of them were killed or taken prisoners. In the skirmish that ensued three white men were also killed and one man his wife and five children taken captives.

In the month of August as two daughters of Captain David SCOTT living at the mouth of Pike Run were conveying dinner to some men working in the field were killed and scalped by a party of Indians laying in wait near their pathway. 110

In September Nathaniel DAVISSON while hunting with his brother was fired upon by a party of Indians and killed.

During this year Tygarts Valley which had so singularly escaped the previous year was again visited and most fearful havoc committed upon the defenseless inhabitants.

Soon after this event the Buckhannon settlement was again visited. This time the stroke fell upon the family of John SCHOOLCRAFT. The wife and eight children killed and two little boys taken prisoners.

The last mischief done by the savages this year was perpetrated at the home of Samuel COTTRAIL near the town of Clarksburg in which COTTRAIL was severely wounded but with the assistance of those in the house he was enabled to successfully beat off the assailants.

The severity of the following winter put a stop for a time to the savage inroads and gave a little repose to the inhabitants on the frontiers which was so much desired by them after the dangers and confinements of the preceding season. Hostilities however were re­ sumed upon the first appearance of returning spring and with an apparent determination on the part of the savages to utterly exterminate the last inhabitant on the western frontiers.

To effect this object two expeditions were fitted out by the British and Chiefs of severalln­ dian tribes at Detroit. One of these was commanded by Colonel BYRD a British officer of note and was to operate against the settlements in Kentucky. The other division com­ posed mostly of Indians and Tory renegades were to operate against northwestern Vir­ ginia. In the equipment of these armies no means which could avail to ensure complete success were left unemployed. They were furnished with every implement of destruction from the war club of the savages to the cannon of their allies. By the use of the cannon they hoped to batter down the walls of the forts and thus making a breach give the sav­ ages the opportunity enter and literally massacre the entire inhabitants.

Fortunately however for the settlements on the upper Monongahela the want of roads prevented the transportation of cannon through the forests and the difficulty of propelling them up the Ohio River forbade any attempt in that way and so that enterprise failed.

But notwithstanding this failure the settlements in northwestern Virginia did not escape invasion from smaller bands of marauding savages during the year 1780. As early as March unmistakable signs of their presence was clearly discernible. The next day after these signs were discovered a party of men were ambushed near Haddens Fort when three men were killed and another seriously wounded.

Soon after this the family of John GIBSON were surprised while at their sugar camp on the valley river and all made prisoners. Mrs. GIBSON however being unable to bear the fatigue of a hasty flight was tomahawked and scalped in the presence of her children. 111

Wests Fort on Hackers Creek was again visited by the savages early in this year. The frequent incursions of the Indians into this settlement in 1779 caused the inhabitants to desert their homes early the next year and take shelter in places of greater security. Nor had they long to wait the appearance of the savage foe who soon made their appearance in considerable numbers and continued to invest the fort for several days. Being too few to sally out and give the Indians battle and not knowing how soon the expedition fitted out and started from Detroit under British officers to direct its operations might be upon them Jessee HUGHES who had married a sister of our Grandmother HACKER being athletic as well as resolute and fearless resolved at the hazard of his own life to try to obtain suffi­ cient assistance so as at least drive off the enemy.

Leaving the fort early in the night he broke past the Indian sentinel and ran with speed to Fort Buckhannon some twelve miles distant where he soon prevailed upon a party of resolute men to accompany him back to Wests Fort in order to relieve those who had been so long confined in the fort over there. Fortunately with great effort they were en­ abled to reach the fort before daylight pass the sentinels and entered the fort in safety.

After making an examination of the fortifications and the means of defense it was thought best to abandon this fort and remove to a place of greater safety. They accordingly made the necessary preparations for their defense on the way and then started for Fort Buck­ hannon. On their way over the Indians hung around them being now out numbered they dare not make an open attack but used every artifice in order to cause the whites to separate but without effect. The whites keeping well together were enabled to reach the fort in safety.

Two days after this as Jeremiah CURL, Henry FINK and Edmond WEST -who were old men- and Alexander WEST, Peter CUTRIGHT and Simon SCHOOLCRAFT were return­ ing to the fort with some of their neighbors property they were fired upon by the Indians who were still hovering around the settlement and CURL slightly wounded under the chin. At this instant a burly warrior drew his tomahawk and rushed towards him. CURL raised his gun but the powder in the pan having been dampened by the blood from his chin failed to take fire. Dropping his own and taking up WEST's gun which he had also been carrying he fired at his assailant and brought him to the ground. A terrible battle be­ tween the parties now ensued in which SCHOOLCRAFT was shot through the arm and the ball striking a steel tobacco box in his waistcoat pocket fortunately saved his life. Sev­ eral of the Indians were killed while others were badly wounded. Reinforcements for the whites now coming up the Indians beat a hasty retreat getting away as usual with their killed and wounded.

A company of men were soon raised and went in pursuit and came up with them on a fork of Hackers Creek recovered all the horses and other plunder the Indians had taken from the settlement and brought them back to the fort. In effecting this John CUTRIGHT was severely wounded but finally recovered. 112

The Indians now seemed for a time to have got enough from the Buckhannon and Hack­ ers Creek settlements. Their style of reception not being at all agreeable to the Indians hopes or expectations. They therefore gave over further operation against these settle­ ments for sometime. This caused some of those in the fort to commence removing out onto their farms. Austin SCHOOLCRAFT was one of these and while thus engaged with his niece in removing some property to his home they were fired on by some Indians concealed in a swamp near their path and SCHOOLCRAFT killed and his niece taken prisoner.

In June of this year as three men were going out to their cornfield on Booths Creek they were fired upon two of them killed the other made his escape. Another young man com­ ing up at this time riding one horse and leading another was also fired at but he suc­ ceeded in making his escape.

The settlements on Cheat River was also visited in 1780 and most fearful havoc commit­ ted upon the inhabitants.

The Green Brier settlements which had not been visited since the attack made on Don­ nelly Fort in May 1778 was again visited by the savages this year and a most terrible slaughter perpetrated on the defenseless inhabitants.

This was however the last outrage committed by the Indians in the Green Brier settle­ ments and although the war was carried on by them against other frontier settlements yet they never again made any attempt to penetrate there. Their term of probation was in­ deed of comparatively short duration to what others had to endure yet their suffering were many and great. The scenes of murder and blood through which they had to pass will not soon be effaced from the memories of the living nor can the lively interests excite in the bosoms of friends and relatives for the fate of these who were made to perish by treach­ ery every abate while tradition recounts the story of their unhappy fate.

This closes the operations in these fearful scenes for the year 1780 and we have yet be­ fore us fifteen long years more of such scenes of courage in recount.

But in a sketch like this why pursue these bloody scenes further. I have reflected long and ardently upon this point before determining to do so but seeing no other means now left within my reach of placing upon record the honorable part our ancestors had to per­ form in this fearful struggle for a nations life and for a nations liberties as also to show the character of the enemies which they had to contend against. That the British Government was directly responsible for all this havoc committed by these savages on helpless women and innocent children is a fact clearly established. The document found by Colo­ nel CLARKE in the possession of the notorious HAMILTON at the time of his capture at Vincennes was proof direct. And when we look at it even now in the operations of that government we still see it the same as it ever has been and for evidence of which we have but to cast our eyes over into the East Indies and to South Africa. But enough of all this for the present. 113

Chapter XX

The opening of 1781 finds our relatives in northwestern Virginia all cooped up in Fort Buckhannon patiently awaiting the changing of events they might safely return to their farms and resume their domestic pursuits.

The division of the Indian army fitted out the previous year that was to invade Virginia en­ tered the country in two parties of a hundred and fifty warriors each. One of which crossed the Ohio some distance below Wheeling while the other crossed at the mouth of Raccoon Creek some sixty miles higher up.

The party which crossed below Wheeling were soon discovered by scouts who were on the lookout for them and gave the alarm and the inhabitants immediately took shelter within fortified places. The Indians however proceeded on their course making prisoners of many families who had remained a little too long at their homes and thus became an easy prey to savage rapacity. ) From these prisoners they learned that the inhabitants further along had mostly gone to their forts and men were prepared to defend themselves against any attack the Indians might make. .

This intelligence caused the Indians to determine upon a retreat and becoming infuriated at being thus foiled in their hopes of blood and spoil they resolved to massacre every prisoner they had already captured. Preparations for carrying out this resolve was imme­ diately made. The unfortunate victims of savage wrath were one by one led out their hands pinioned behind them a rope passed around their neck and then bound to a tree so as to prevent any motion of the head. The tomahawks and scalping knives were next drawn and the horrid purposes of these preparations fully consummated until each in his turn had thus perished.

Imaginations utmost stretch can hardly fancy a more heart rending scene than was here exhibited. Parents in the bloom of life and glow of health mercilessly mangled to death in the presence of children whose sobbing cries only heightened the torments of the dying husbands cruelly lacerated by piece meal and thus deprived of life right in full view ofthe tender partners of their bosoms whose agonizing shrieks but increased the anguish of torture and sharpened the sting of death which they themselves were but waiting their turn. Such scenes of horrific barbarity is shocking to humanity and even at this day too ) appalling to contemplate.

Such scenes of cruelty as just narrated soon produced its legitimate fruits by way of re­ taliation. No sooner had these savage bands made good their retreat than preparations 114 )

were made for offensive operations against them. Expeditions were fitted out and soon on the move into the Indian country when a day of fearful reckoning was inflicted upon them.

Notwithstanding the victories obtained by these expeditions over the savages of the northwest yet it did not wholly check the depredations of small bands of Indians upon the settlements in northwestern Virg·inia.

On the 5th day of March a party came to the home of John THOMAS near Booths Creek and while with his wife and seven children he was offering his accustomed devotions be­ fore retiring for the night and while devoutly singing the first line of the hymn "So Wor­ ship at Emanuels Feet" a gun was fired and he fell dead. The Indians then forced an entrance into the home when the tomahawk and scalping knife soon done their work of death until the wife and mother with her six children lay weltering in their blood by the side of the husband and father. The life of one little boy alone was spared and he was carried off a captive.

In April Matthias, Simon and Michael SCHOOLCRAFT left Buckhannon Fort and went over onto Coal Creek for the purpose of catching pigeons. On their return they were fired upon by a party of Indians and Matthias killed the other two were taken prisoners.

These were the last of the SCHOOLCRAFT family - fifteen were either killed or taken prisoners within the space of a few years. Of those carried into captivity none ever re­ turned. It was reported by other captives who did return that at least three of the SCHOOLCRAFTs joined the savages like GIRTY, MCKEE and others and frequently ac­ companied war parties into the settlement and assisted in bringing terrible calamities upon their former neighbors and associates. A specimen ofwhich we shall have in all its bloody enormity a little further along in our narrative.

During the same month as several ofthe citizens were retuming from Clarksburg whither they had gone to adjust their titles to the lands they had located they encountered a large party of Indians and three of them killed. The others escaped. The savages then changed their course and passed over into Tygarts Valley where they succeeded in de­ stroying almost an entire settlement.

On return of the savages they were intercepted by a company under command of Colo­ nel LAWLER Who upon a concerted signal fired upon them and five of the savages fell dead. The others at once took to flight leaving their guns, ammunition, horses and all the plunder they had taken in possession of the whites. By this general fire as first made upon these Indians one of the prisoners was unfortunately killed also.

) But a short time after this John JACKSON and his son George while returning to Buck­ hannon Fort were fired at by some Indians but fortunately for them missed their aim.

At the usual period of leaving the fort in the fall the inhabitants withdrew from Buckhan­ non and returned to their homes. Soon after which a party of Indians unexpectedly came 115

to the home of Charles FURRENASH made prisoner of Mrs. FURRENASH and her four children and despoiled their dwelling. The mother being delicate and weakly woman un· able to endure the fatigue of travel was murdered on Hughes River. Three of the children was afterwards redeemed and came back the other was never heard of.

In a few days after this calamity had befallen his family the husband and father returned from Winchester where he had been for salt and instead of the welcome greeting he had expected to receive from an affectionate wife and loving children he was saluted with the melancholy tidings their fate. It was enough to induce him to curse the authors of the out­ rage and swear eternal enmity to the savage race. And thus closed these horrible scenes in northwestern Virginia for the year 1781.

The tragedy however opened early in the spring of 1782 and hurried the inhabitants off to their forts long before their crops were planted or even sugar making was over.

As early as the 8th of February as Henry FISK and his son John were sledding some rails on their farm in the Buckhannon settlement several guns were simultaneously dis­ charged at them. The son fell dead the father unhitched the horses from the sled mounted and got away in safety. ) Near the close of the same month a party of Indians appeared in the country above Wheeling and succeeded in killing a Mr. WALLACE his wife and five children and in tak­ ing John CARPENTER a prisoner.

The early period of the year in which these enormities were perpetrated convinced the in­ habitants along the frontiers that nothing short of a war of total extermination could at all secure peace and safety to the quiet enjoyment oftheir homes. Consequently troops were raised and sent into the Indian settlements and it is but proper here to record that the spirit of retaliation prevailed to a very great extent among those troops and the barba­ rous treatment of the Indians upon the white settlers were more than visited upon the savages where ever found. While this had a deterring influence upon larger parties it did not Wholly prevent smaller bodies of hostiles from penetrating the settlements and inflict­ ing many depredations upon the defenseless inhabitants.

I have said in a former part of this narrative that the British Government was directly re­ sponsible for these barbarities inflicted upon the inhabitants ofthe frontier settlements. We have seen how British agents among the Indians operated to prolong these horrid massacres and we have now to relate another mode in the operation of this terrible work which gave immense aid in perpetrating these enormities.

J Under British Law and the practice of her courts a person convicted of high crimes and .., -~- .. misdemeanors was shipped to America and then sold to some of the planters who would agree to pay the expense incurred on the trial as also his passage over. In this manner the colonies of America had become full of the most desperate characters the British Isle could produce. Of course the first opportunity that offered these villains all forsook 116

civilized life and joined the savages and during the war with the Indians were the leaders in many of the most barbarous acts that were committed upon the defenseless inhabitants.

Timothy DORMAN was one ofthese and Clt the time of which I am now writing was resid· ing with his wife in Buckhannon Fort and on the 8th day of March 1782 as he with his wife and William WHITE just outside of the fort several guns were fired at them WHITE killed and DORMAN and wife taken prisoners.

The killing ofWHITE one of their most active and vigilant spies and the capture of DOR· MAN so near the fort determined the inhabitants to abandon the fort and seek for better security elsewhere.

This apprehension arose mainly from the fact that DORMAN was known to be a most desperate character, a British convict and to gratify his revengeful disposition against certain parties he would not hesitate to join the Indians as others had done and thus from his knowledge of the situation ofthings in and about the fort he would be enabled to con­ duct a successful attack upon them and more than likely massacre all within the fort.

These apprehensions soon proved to be well founded for while some of the inhabitants of the fort were yet engaged in removing their property to a fort in Tygarts Valley and to Nut­ ters Fort near Clarksburg they were fired upon by a party of savages and two of the citi· zens were killed. The horse upon which Captain John BUSH was riding was shot through yet he succeeded in extracting himself from the falling animal and making his escape though hotly pursued by one of the savages. At the same time Edward TURNER a mere youth was taken prisoner and as he was being carried off to their towns met a party of near thirty savages headed by this Timothy DORMAN then on their way to attack Buckhannon Fort with a determination to massacre all within it.

Learning from TURNER that the inhabitants were moving from the fort to places of greater security they hurried on but did not arrive in time for the accomplishment of their bloody purpose. The settlement was deserted and the inhabitants safe within other and more secure fortresses.

A few days after the evacuation of the fort some of its former inmates went to Clarksburg for some grain they had left there. On coming in sight they beheld nothing but a heap of ashes where the fort had formerly stood. Disappointed in their hopes of involving the Buckhannon settlement in destruction DORMAN led on his savage band into the valley where between Westfalls and Wilsons Forts they came again upon Captain BUSH his wife Jacob STALNAKER and his son Adam ·the two later being on horseback and riding behind BUSH and his wife- the Indians fired and Adam fell. The old gentleman riding briskly on made his escape. The horse from which Adam STALNAKER had fallen was fortunately caught by BUSH as it attempted to pass him and with his wife they mounted and both got safely away. 117

Not realizing his hopes and still thirsting for blood DORMAN next led his band over the Allegheny Mountains and came to the house of Mr. GREGG -DORMANs former master­ and made an attack upon it. A daughter of that gentleman alone fell victim to his revenge­ ful temper. Being taken prisoner she absolutely refused to go with them well knowing what her fate would be in the hands of such a wretch as DORMAN. Upon her refusal to go DORMAN drew his tomahawk and sunk it into her head and then tore off her scalp. In this condition she lived several days and related all the circumstances as above stated.

In June of this year some Indians came into the neighborhood of Clarksburg -where most of our relatives were now in fort- not meeting with an opportunity of killing or making pris­ oner of any outside the town one of the savages more venturous than the others stealthily crept up so near as to shoot Charles WASHBURN while chopping wood near the door. He then ran quickly up and with his axe severed the skull of his victim scalped him and then made his escape. This was the fourth WASHBURN brother that had been killed by the savages.

In August as Arnold and Daniel RICHARDS were returning to the fort they were shot by some Indians from an adjoining cornfield. They both fell from their horses the Indians leaped the fence tomahawked and scalped them and although this was all done in full ) view of the fort yet the Indians succeeded in getting away safely.

Thus far during the year 1782 the settlements in which our relatives resided suffered only from occasional desultory warfare. No large bodies of Indians had crossed their bor­ ders - no powerful army of warriors had threatened destruction to their forts and places of security. But the scene was now to change.

In August there was a Grand Council convened in the town of Chilicothe in which were assembled the warriors and chiefs of most of the Indian tribes of the northwest in which was also the notorious GIRTY, MCKEE, SCHOOLCRAFTs, DORMAN and other rene­ gades and Tories -disgraces to humanity- to council and advise the savages in the best and most practical way to effect the total destruction of the white settlements.

The surrender of CORNWALLIS which had been studiously kept secret from the Indians was now well known to them and that the war between the United States and the English was evidently about to close. And in anticipation of this they had now assembled to delib­ erate upon and determine what course it would be best for them to pursue. Should they make peace also or continue the war alone and by their own unaided efforts.

GIRTY then addressed the council. He reminded them of the value oftheir hunting grounds that were now being taken and occupied by the white settlers. That there was ) great necessity for them to make renewed efforts to regain possession of them. That if they did not now combine their strength and drive the whites from their hunting grounds they would have no means left to procure rum to cheer their hearts or blankets to warm their bodies. 118

His advise was well received and they determined to continue the war.

The council adjourned and the warriors proceeded to put their determination into immediate execution. Two armies - one of six hundred and the other of three hundred and fifty braves were raised and were soon ready to march to the destruction of the fron­ tier settlements.

The larger of these armies was to operate against Kentucky while the other was to press upon the settlements of northwestern Virginia. Each of these armies was abundantly sup­ plied with the munitions of war from the British forts and accompanied by many of the renegades and Tories.

The army destined to operate against northwestern Virginia struck the Ohio at Wheeling and proceeded to lay siege to the fort at that place but this was so successfully defended by the little garrison under Colonel Ebenezer ZARSE that the Indians with all the aid they had received from the British and Tories found themselves unable to take, were repulsed and compelled to raise the siege and retire.

This repulse so successfully made by Colonel ZARSE and his little band of heroes oper­ ated to save the settlements on the upper Monongahela and ended the war In that part of the country for the year 1782.

Chapter XXI

The treaty of peace with England which terminated so gloriously for the American Colo­ nies did not as we have seen put a period to Indian hostilities on the border settlements. The aid they had received from the British and Tories during the war and by which they were enabled to gratify their implacable resentment against the border country being withdrawn they were however much less able to cope with the whites and were therefore in their operations far less a hindrance to the settlements and improvement of those sec­ tions which had been the theatre of their many outrages.

In northwestern Virginia although they continued to wage war against the inhabitants yet the war now assumed a different aspect. It became a war rather of plunder than of blood and although in their predatory incursions individuals sometimes fell a sacrifice to sav­ age passions yet this was of such rare occurrence that the inhabitants mostly left the fort and removed out onto their farms hoping that the Indian hostilities had finally come to a close and they could be permitted to pursue their domestic avocations in peace. ) The sanguinary repulse their large armies had received in Kentucky and at Wheeling in the fall of 1782 no doubt had a wonderful influence over the hostile tribes and must have convinced them that the war with England having ended left the white people free to con­ centrate their entire force against the Indians and were therefore not only able to 119

successfully resist every effort which might be made against them but could now send into their own county large armies that would literally overcome and destroy their people. Under this view ofthe case many of the tribes begun the manifest a desire to make peace with the whites also. While these negotiations were going on the year 1783 passed away without any attack being made on the inhabitants of the upper Mononga­ hela. Large accessions were made by emigration to these settlements and with industry and contentment happiness and plenty soon became manifest among the people.

The growing season of 1783 finds our relatives all on their farms and busy in making their crops and the opening of 1784 finds a vast amount of improvement in the appear­ ance of things around them. Yet realizing that peace with all the hostile tribes had not yet been secured and being fearful of attacks from marauding bands each settler as far as he possibly could do turned his family residence into a blockhouse and kept it so fortified that should an attack be made those who could succeed in reaching the house at all could defend themselves against any attack that might be made.

In 1784 the settlements towards the head of the West Fork suffered somewhat from sav­ age invasion. First a party of Indians came to the home of Henry FLESHER, then living where the town of Weston now stands, and fired at the old gentleman as he was return­ ) ing from his labors in the field. The ball took effect in his arm, and as he fled towards the door of his own home two of the savages rushed after him and just as he was about to enter one of the savages made a stroke at him with the butt qf his gun but it coming in contact with the facing of the door, the stroke he received seemed to throw him forward into the home. His wife immediately closing the door no attempt was made by the Indians to force it open. Still not feeling secure, as soon as the savages had withdrawn they left the house and sought security elsewhere. Most of the family lay in the woods during the night. One heroic young woman however succeeded in eluding the vigilance ofthe sav­ ages and made her way through the darkness to the Hackers Creek settlement from whence Thomas HUGHES immediately started to find the others of the family. This was effected early the next morning and all safely conducted to the settlement.

This event happened in September and in a few days thereafter as Daniel RADCLIFF was proceeding over towards the brushy fork of Elk River on a hunting expedition he was shot -probably by these same Indians- tomahawked, scalped and mutilated in a most shocking manner.

So far as I can now learn these two attacks were all that were made upon the Buckhan­ non and Hackers Creek settlements in the year 1784. There was however some consid­ erable mischief done over in the settlements on the head of Clinch River in which Mr. DAVISSON, his wife and James MOORE were killed and Mrs. MOORE with her seven children and a Miss Sally IVENS, a young lady visiting at MOORE's at the time, were made prisoners. 120

Fearing pursuit they immediately departed for the Ohios with their prisoners. And in order to expedite their retreat they dispatched four of the youngest of Mrs. MOORE's children and left their dead bodies by the wayside to be devoured by the beasts of prey.

Upon arriving at the Shawnee towns on the Sciota a council was held and it was resolved that two of the captives should be burnt alive to avenge the death of some of their warri­ ors who had been killed on the Kentucky River some time before.

This dreadful doom was allotted to Mrs. MOORE and her daughter Jane, an interesting girl of sixteen years of age. Preparations were accordingly made, they were brought out stripped naked and then tied to a post and tortured to death with burning splinters of pine wood stuck in the flesh over the body. And during all this terrible suffering the remaining members of the family were made to stand near by and witness it all.

After the death of his mother and sister James MOORE was sent to the Maumee towns where he remained until December, 1785. His sister Mary with Sally IVENS remained with the Shawnees until December 1786, when they were ransomed by their friends and returned to their homes.

.1 The first attack made on the settlements in northwestern Virginia in 1785 seems to have been made by six Indians upon the residence of Thomas and Edmond CUNNINGHAM. These two brothers were occupying adjoining houses situated on a branch of the West Fork. Thomas at this juncture was on a trading visit east of the mountains leaving his family under the care of his brother Edmond and his son.

In the conflict which ensued one of the Indians had his thigh shattered by a ball from the gun of Edmond. Finding themselves unable to dislodge Edmond and his son from their fortification they forced an entrance into the home of Thomas and made prisoners of his wife and children. First murdering one of the children they tore its scalp off and then threw its lifeless body into the back yard, and then ordered the mother with the other chil­ dren to follow, then set fire to the home in hopes to force Edmond CUNNINGHAM with his family to leave but in this they were disappointed as the family were enabled by throwing off the roof of their own dwelling to save it from the flames that consumed the other.

Dispensing of further havoc and being fearful of pursuit they prepared to retreat. The eld­ est son was first struck down and then scalped, next the fatal hatchet sunk into the head of the little daughter. Then took it by the legs and slinging it repeatedly against a tree dashed its brains out. During all this time Mrs. CUNNINGHAM stood motionless with grief expecting the next moment herself with the infant she held in her arms would share J the same fate. But in this however she was mistaken. She was reserved for something more awful than all this and with the babe in her arms she was then led away from this scene of horror. 121

A company of men was soon raised in the neighborhood and went in pursuit, but the in­ dians with their captives by taking shelter in a cave eluded pursuit and so got safely off.

On the way to the Indian towns Mrs. CUNNINGHAM's sufferings in body as well as mind were intense. Fatigue and hunger oppressed her sorely. The infant in her arms wanting the nourishment derived from the mother plied at the breast for milk in vain - blood came instead. An Indian perceiving this put a period to its sufferings with a stroke ofthe fatal tomahawk while it was clinging to its mother's bosom. The anguish of the mother thus deprived of the last of her children during the remainder of her journey to the Indian towns can only be estimated by a parent while her bodily sufferings may be inferred from the fact that for ten days her only sustenance consisted of the head ofa wild turkey and three papaws. From having frequently to wade water streams her feet became scalded so when she was permitted to remove her shoes and stockings, which was not until after they had reached the Delaware towns, the skin and toe nails of her feet came off with them.

She had not long to wait until being made sansable that she had been preserved for some painful torture. But fortunately a conference was soon to be held between the Indi­ ans and Whites preparatory to a treaty which the government was then trying to secure with the Indian tribes. Learning that the great Captain GIRTY had arrived she prevailed on him to intercede for her life and to spare her the tortures she had been made to under­ stand she had been condemned to undergo. Her importunities were made light of by him for a time but finally he consented, paid her ransom and had her conveyed to the com­ missaries who were then engaged in treating with the Indians for peace. And by them she was sent with some other released captives to Kentucky. From thence she made her way back to her home in Virginia.

On her final arrival at her home after the long and terrible hardships she had endured it was truly a happy meeting between husband and wife, saddened however by the recol­ lection of the fate of all their children. Time however assuaged the bitterness of these rec­ ollections and blessed them with other and more fortunate children.

During the remainder of this year, as also that of 1786, the operations of the savages seems to have been directed against the settlements on the Monongahela and once in Kentucky so that the settlements on the upper branches of the river seemed to have es­ caped their depredations. But in 1787 the terrible floodgates of destruction seemed to have been opened out upon these settlements with all the cruelty that savage minds could invent.

The first attack that we have an account of was made on Buffalo Creek some distance below Clarksburg, at which time John ICE and James SNODGRASS while out looking up some stray horses were discovered by some Indians and killed.

A few days after this as a Mrs. DRAGOO with her little son were in a cornfield gathering some beans for dinner they were surprised and captured by a party of savages laying in 122

wait. Supposing their detention would bring others out to look after them they waylaid the path leading to the home and according to their expectations two men soon came out to ascertain the cause, when as they approached the Indians fired from their covert and one of the men fell. The other took to flight but was soon overtaken and the fatal hatchet done its accustomed bloody work for him. Mrs. DRAGOO being infirm and unable to travel to their towns was murdered on the way. The son, a lad of seven, remained with the Indians upwards of twenty years, married a squaw by whom he had four children, two of whom he brought home with him when he forsook his Indian mode of life.

The Buffalo settlement was again visited this year but the invaders did not succeed in doing any damage except giving Levi MORGAN a wonderful close chase for his life. He however succeeded in killing one of his pursuers and then got safely away himself.

These frequent incursions into this settlement gave the alarm to the settlements higher up the river and put the inhabitants fully on their guard. Scouts were constantly kept on the lookout for the approach of marauding bands and at the first signs of their appear­ ance troops were called forth ready to meet and give them a warm reception.

In September a party of Indians were discovered on the West Fork above Clarksburg in the act of catching some horses when Cal LAWTHER having his rangers well in hand went immediately in pursuit. On the third night the Indians and Whites unknown to each other encamped not far apart when early next morning by the fires the Indians had lighted they were discovered when an engagement ensued. Two of the Indians were killed the others took to flight leaving the horses and plunder they had taken to be gath­ ered up and returned to their proper owners.

The party on their return had not however proceeded far when two guns were unexpect­ edly fired at them and John BONNET fell pierced through the body. He died before reaching home.

The Indians as they claimed could not believe the whites justifiable in thus flying to arms to punish them for acts of merely rapine. They felt authorized to levy contributions of this sort whenever an occasion offered, viewing property thus acquired as -to use their own expression- the only rent which they received for their lands and if when detected in se­ cretly exacting what they considered justly due them any of their party should be killed, they were sure to retaliate with tenfold fury on the first favorable opportunity.

The killing of those two Indians by the company under Cal LAWTHER was looked upon by them in this light and was soon followed by acts of cruel retribution which in its results brought a much heavier weight of calamity upon our relatives than perhaps anything they ) had heretofore experienced since the execution of Colonel Francis HACKER on the 19th day of October 1660.

The summer season of 1787 had passed and as winter set in the families who had been congregated together for safety fearing no further trouble from the hostiles until the 123

opening of spring should return had mostly moved their families onto their farm homes and many of the men had gone on hunting expeditions in order to lay in their supply of meat for the winters use,

Edmond WEST, Jr., and Mary Ann HACKER, oldest daughter of Grandfather John HACKER had got married during the season before and Edmond had built a snug little cabin on his father's farm some forty rods distant from the residence of the old folks into which he had brought his young bride and then with others had gone off on a hunting ex­ pedition to procure provisions for the coming season.

On the 5th of December a party of Indians with one white man -afterwards ascertained to be Leonard SCHOOLCRAFT- came into the settlement on Hackers Creek and meeting a daughter of Jessee HUGHES took her prisoner. Passing on they came upon Edmond WEST, Sr., carrying some fodder to the stable taking him likewise captive took him where HUGHES daughter had been left in charge of some of their party. Here the old gentleman expressed a fervent wish that they would not deal harshly with him when his petition was answered by a stroke from the tomahawk and he fell dead.

They then proceeded to the home of Edmond WEST, Jr., where were Mrs, WEST, her sister Margurette -one about eleven years- and a lad- a brother of Edmond WEST, Jr., of about twelve years of age. Forcing open the door SCHOOLCRAFT with two of the sav­ ages entered when one of them immediately tomahawked Mrs. WEST. The boy was just in the act of taking some corn from under the bed - he was drawn out by his feet and the tomahawk sunk twice in his forehead, once over each eye. Little Margurette HACKER was standing behind the door as it had swung open and was not observed for a time af­ ter the savages had entered. Finally one of them caught sight of her and aimed a blow at her head. She trying to evade it received the stroke on the side of her head. She fell and lay as of killed. Thinking their work of death accomplished here they took from a press some milk, butter and bread, placed it on the table and deliberately sat down to eat. Little Margurette by remaining quiet as she had fallen observed all that passed. When they had satisfied their hunger they arose from the table and proceeded to scalp Mrs. WEST and the boy and then plundered the home - emptying the feathers in order to carry off the ticking. In departing they took the little girl by the hair of her head and thus dragged her some forty or fifty yards from the house and threw her over the fence and then scalped her. As this was being done the child manifested some symptoms of life when SCHOOL­ CRAFT observing this called out "That is not enough". One of the savages immediately thrust his knife into her left breast. Fortunately the point of the knife coming in contact with a rib did not reach the vital part at which it was aimed, and in that condition they left her.

Old Mrs. WEST and her two daughters who were alone when the old gentleman was taken becoming uneasy on account of his not returning and fearing that he might have fallen into the hands of the savages, they left the house and went to Alexander WEST's who had also gone with his brother Edmond on their hunting expedition and told of the absence of the old man. As there was no man at this house they went on over to Jessee 124

HUGHES who was himself becoming quite uneasy at the absence of his daughter and learning that WEST too was missing did not doubt but that both had fallen into the hands of the Indians. And knowing of the absence from home of Edmond WEST, Jr., and his brother Alexander he thought it best to apprise their families of their danger and have them removed to his own house. For this purpose and accompanied by the two Mrs. WESTs he went to the house of young Edmond WEST. On entering the door the sad tale of destruction which had but just been wrought was soon told in part. Mrs. WEST and the lad, brother of the two young ladies who accompanied him, lay weltering in their blood but not yet dead. The sight so over powered the girls that HUGHES found it neces­ sary to carry them away.

Seeing that the savages had but just left and aware of the danger that would attend any attempt to go out and give the alarm during the night HUGHES guarded his own house until day and then spread the sorrowful intelligence. A company was soon collected to ascertain the extent of the mischief and to try to find those who were missing.

Young WEST was found standing in the creek a half mile from where he had been toma­ hawked, the brains oozing from the wounds in his head, yet he survived in extreme suf­ fering for three days thereafter. Old Mr. WEST was found in the field where he had been struck down by the blow of the savage. Mrs. WEST was in the house. She had not probably lived but a few minutes after HUGHES with her sisters-in-law had left the house the evening before.

The little girl Margurette HACKER was found in bed at the house of old Mr. WESTs when she related the history of the transactions at the home of Edmond WEST, Jr. She said that she went to sleep -fainted of course- when they threw her over the fence and was awakened by her scalp being torn off. After she had been scalped at the suggestion of SCHOOLCRAFT and left as they supposed dead, she tried to recross the fence and return to the house but on attempting to climb the fence she again went to sleep and fell back. After coming to the second time she made her way to the woods and sought shelter as welf as she could in the top of a fallen tree where she remained until the cocks began to crow in the morning.

Remembering that there was no one left alive at the home of her sister just after the cocks begun to crow she made her way as best she could to the house of old man WEST. Here she found no one at home and the fire nearly out. The hearth being still warm she lay down on it, but the heat producing a sickly feeling she got up and went to bed where she was found. And as astonishing as it may appear this little girl of eleven years thus so terribly hacked up lived, grew up, married, gave birth to ten children and then died of an affection of the head occasioned by the wound she received that night.

HUGHES daughter was ransomed by her father the next year and forty four years after­ wards was still living in sight of the theatre of these savage enormities as just related. 125

Thus far I have followed this fearful tragedy as I find it related in the histories of the times. But as thus related it falls far short of giving a correcl insight to the enormity of the trans­ action, for it must be remembered that this Leonard SCHOOLCRAFT who lead these In­ dians to the perpetration of this horrid deed had been taken prisoner from this settlement about eight years before. He at that time being about sixteen years of age and it does seem unaccountable what spirit of devilish malice could have prompted him to have thus selected the young wife of his former playmate Edmond WEST unprotected as she was as the proper object upon which to seek out his vengeance. It may be that before his cap­ tivity he had cherished in his own mind a fondness for the young and sprightly Mary Ann HACKER and upon learning that she had married Edmond WEST he determined upon her destruction. Hence his extreme anxiety that her sister Margurette, who happened to be staying with her sister at the time, should not be left alive to tell the story of her death and announce the name of her destroyer.

Chapter XXII

As the foregoing account of this awful tragedy which I have copied from history gives but little of the circumstances connected therewith I have thought it but proper that I should here place upon record the statement as made to me by Dr. Jacob HARDMAN who is still living at South Bend, Indiana, and is a son of this terribly mutilated child Margurette HACKER. He says as to that Indian tragedy in WEST's family, as you have it in the Book, it is correct as to date, the barbarous mutilation of the child, her recovery, marriage, be­ coming the mother of ten children and then dying by the effect of the wound in her head.

This is all correctly stated. Now as to the nature and extent of the wounds she received. I will endeavor to describe as laconically as I can. The Indians in the act of leaving the house, one of them as he was about to pass out as if by accident saw the child as she stood partially concealed behind the door. The child facing the Indian seeing the toma­ hawk coming, as if to save her face from mutilation, slightly turned to the right thus pre­ senting the left side of the head to the Indian and in that position received the stroke over the left ear two inches forward at the crown and two inches to the left of the top center of the head. The stroke of the savage was made with the fall of the hatchet and with such force as to knock the child senseless and while it broke or crushed the lining membrane of the skull· fortunately it did not fracture the skull bone itself. Now the concussion on the skull bone and fracture of the lining membrane even to the extent that the wound never healed over but continued a running sore exuding puss and in process of time the skull bone having lost its natural covering and wanted nourishment derived from the mem­ branes that had been removed when the scalp was torn off, begun to slough out to the extent of three and a half inches surface. Not however in a plate or single piece but by crumbling as dead bones usually do. This extent of crumbling out had been reached once a year before she died. The brain to the extent of skull removed with the arterial mo­ tion of the blood was plainly visible, while underneath and around the edge of the skull bone that remained there came up a spongy fungus substance tender and painful as 126

burning fire. This burning fungus substance caused a rupture in an artery in the brain which permitting a gush of blood through the rupture caused her death in a few minutes twenty eight years after the wound was first inflicted. On receiving the blow of the savage as before stated, of course she fell and for a time remained insensible and on coming to she found herself being dragged from the home by the hair of her head and on being thrown over the fence she lost consciousness again. The pain caused by the tearing of the scalp from her head restored sensibility when she found herself laying on her right side, the foot of the savage on her neck and he pulling at the scalp with both hands. The knife not having made the exact connection in its circuitous fetching around the head he took his knife and cut the scalp loose at which time she doubtless manifested some signs of life when the brutish renegade SCHOOLCRAFT observing this said in plain English "That is not enough". The Indian thereupon and with his foot still on the neck of the child plunged his knife into her left breast. Fortunately the knife but penetrated the left arm lay­ ing across her breast striking the bone it passed through the arm entered the breast just over the heart when it came in contact with a rib and passing towards the back along down the rib some three inches to the length of the knife. This no doubt gave to the sav­ age a sense that it had penetrated the child's heart and that her death was now assured. And in this condition they left her.

And now while contemplating these sad details just for a moment look at the providential preservation of the life of that child, then of but eleven years of age.

First - being struck with the poll and not the edge of the hatchet as the others were and on the angle or thick part of the skull by which it was not fractured. And then the plunge of the knife which was intended should reach her heart first coming in contact with the bone of the arm which turned its course, and then striking the rib sliding down it for three inches preventing the knife from penetrating the cavity of the body and from reaching the vitals as intended. Nor was this all. The preserving the child's life in the mangled condi­ tion in which she was in through all that long cold December night while the blood was continually flowing from the many wounds she had received. What terrible suffering and anguish she must have endured. Is there a mind even at this day that is capable of grasping it all. Truly there is none.

But as we who are her relatives and descendants may have as full a realization of the sufferings she endured through that long and terrible night, it is but proper that I should here record the child's own simple statement as she told it the next day to her mother and often repeated it to others.

She said, my brother-in-law Edmond WEST with others having gone out on a hunting expedition and not expecting to return that night, I with a younger brother of Edmond's had gone over to stay with sister Mary Ann until they did return. About an hour by sun not having eaten our suppers we concluded to parch some corn and young WEST had just crawled under the bed to get some flint corn that had been placed there for that purpose. At that moment thinking I heard a noise at the door I turned my eyes in that direction when I saw the hand of an Indian come through the hole between the logs take hold of 127

the pin that fastened the door and draw it out. As he was removing the pin I stepped into the corner so that when the door swung open I was behind it and partly hidden from view. Three of the savages immediately entered and one of them made towards sister Mary Ann with his tomahawk raised ready to strike, at which she threw up her hands and ex­ claimed "oh don't". At this the savage with a peculiar guttural grunt sunk the edge of his tomahawk deep into the center of her forehead. As she fell her head was so near in the fire that her hair blazed up. At this the Indian with the tomahawk in her head pulled it back out of the fire and with his hands extinguished the fire in her hair.

Young WEST being under the bed as the Indians came in was caught by another of them by the feet and pulled out. As this was done he turned on his back with his face to­ wards the Indians when he gave him two blows with his tomahawk, one above each eye, leaving his tomahawk also fast in his head. As they both lay in my full view I could see they were still breathing, while their brains were oozing out with the blood as it ran down on the floor, and they groaned so piteously.

The three savages now went to the shelves in the corner took down the bread, meat, milk and butter setting them out on the table and then sat down and ate what they wanted. While they were thus eating and conversing in a low tone f noticed that one of them had blue eyes and his hair differed from the others though he was painted as hideous and clothed like the others.

Having satisfied their hunger they got up from the table, removed the hatchets from the heads of sister Mary Ann and young WEST and scalped them. They then commenced plundering the house, rolling and packing up the bed clothes ripping open the feather and straw ticks, emptying them on the floor and then rolling them up with the other things they had selected.

All this time I had remained undiscovered. t was so scared I was all in a tremble and shook so lance came very near calling for mother to come to me, but I did not. Having collected what plunder they wanted they hastily started to leave and as the last one was passing out looked behind the door and for the first time saw me and I was so scared then. The savage instantly raised his tomahawk to strike and as he did so - perhaps re­ membering how the others had been struck in the forehead which disfigured their faces so much, I turned a little to the right so that the blow fell on the left side of my head over the left ear. Of course I fell and the next thing I knew he was dragging me through the yard by the hair of my head while the other Indians were following along carrying the plunder they had taken. When he got to the fence he took me up and threw me over and as I fell I went to sleep again. And when I woke up he had his foot on my neck and with both hands pulling my scalp off. As he was doing so my neck being limber my head was drawn up by the side of his leg and it was so hard for me to get my breath. As the scalp came off it made a wonderful tearing noise it came off so hard. When it was all off but a little strip on the lower side he took his knife and cut it loose. This hurt me so I presume it caused me to tremble or move in some way which the one with the blue eyes observing said "that is not enough", The Indian after tying my scalp to his belt by the hair drew his 128

knife and gave me the stab in my arm and breast. This made me go to sleep again and when I waked up they were all gone out of sight, yet I laid still fearing they might be watching me and if I should move they would cut my head clean off.

After a while I wanted a drink of water so bad and thinking they had gone off by this time I tried to climb back over the fence and go to the house to get me a drink; but in doing this I went to sleep again and so fell back on the same side of the fence. After awhile I woke up and being so cold and sleepy and not being able to get back over the fence I crawled off a little way into a tree top, it not being yet quite dark. Here I stayed until I heard the cocks begin to crow in the morning trying to shelter myself from the cold in the tree top. It was so cold I shivered all night. I covered my head where the scalp had been torn off as well as I could with my apron. And as I was barefooted I thought my feet would freeze, yet I drew them up under my frock as well as I could. When I would fall asleep the blood would run down from my head into my mouth and nearly strangle me. In this manner I spent the night and oh it was so long and cold I thought daylight never would come. When I heard the chickens begin to crow thinking it was almost day, I started to crawl on my hands and knees -for when I would attempt to raise up on my feet I would fall over and go to sleep- over to the home of old Mr. WEST. On reaching the house I found them all gone and the fire almost out. As the hearth was a little warm and I was so very cold' ) lay down on it for a while but the warmth soon made me turn so sick that I got up and crawled into the bed where they found me.

Such then is the simple story of that child's sufferings during that terrible night as related by the child herself to her mother on being brought home the next morning.

This terrible tragedy closed the operations of the Indians on the upper Monongahela for the year 1787

These continued depredations on the frontier settlements induced the Secretary of War to order detachments of troops to be stationed at different points for their protection. This afforded some immunity but not entirely so. Small bands of savages still kept up such an incessant war against the inhabitants on the borders that the General Government in or­ der to interpose more effectually for their protection dispatched bodies oftroops to oper­ ate against the hostiles in their own country.

This for a short time seemed to have its desired effect. The troops sent against them kept them so generally employed in defending their own homes that for the year 1788 no raid on the northwestern Virginia settlements seems to have been made.

The detachments of troops sent into the Indian country having so signally failed in their object and driven back out of the country by the savages that the war on the frontiers again commenced early in 1789, and if possible with a double degree of ferocity and hatred. 129

As early as March 1789 they commenced their depredations in a settlement a short dis­ tance above Wheeling. Here after robbing the home of a Mr. GLASS and killing a Negro boy they made prisoners of two women and three children. They were however pursued by a company of men from Wells Fort, overtaken, the prisoners rescued and brought back.

In August five Indians on their way to the settlements on the waters of the Monongahela met two men on Middle Island Creek and killed them both. Taking their horses they con­ tinued on their course until they came to the home of William JOHNSON on Ten Mile Creek. Here they made prisoners of Mrs. JOHNSON and several children, plundered the house, killed a part of the stock on the farm and taking one horse they started on their re­ turn towards the Ohios. A company of men from Clarksburg was quickly on their trail and then perhaps a mile or more from JOHNSON's house they came upon four of the chil­ dren tomahawked and scalped, their heads placed close together while their feet turned straight out so as to form a cross. The bodies of these unfortunate little ones were buried and the pursuit given over.

About the same time other Indians came to the house of John MACK on a branch of Hackers Creek. He being from home they killed and scalped all who were at the house ) then robbed and set fire to the house and consumed it. Mrs. MACK had been taken some distance from the house and there tomahawked, scalped and stripped naked and so left. She was yet alive when found the next morning. As the men in search of her approached a sense of her situation induced her to exert her feeble strength in drawing leaves about her so as to conceal her nakedness. The men delicately wrapped her in their hunting shirts and carried her to a neighboring home. She lived a few days, gave birth to a child and then died.

Some short time after the destruction of the MACK family John SIMS living on Gnatty Creek was visited by the savages but by artifice in calling out "Be watchful" as though there was a company with him in the house and being answered by his wife in a coarse male voice which she could assume "Never fear let them once show their yellow skins and we'll pepper them", he succeeded in frightening them away. Such then were the damage done and the scenes through which the upper settlements had to pass during the year 1789.

Early in the spring of 1790 the neighborhood of Clarksburg was again visited by the Indi­ ans in quest of plunder. Stole and carried away several valuable horses. They were how­ ever pursued across the Ohio into the Hocking Valley near the falls of that river where they were overtaken fired upon, one killed and the others put to flight, the horses recov­ ered and returned to their owners.

In April as Samuel HULL was ploughing in a field for Major Benjamin ROBISON he was shot, tomahawked and scalped by a party of Indians who had penetrated the settlement. 130

So far as we now know this closed the depredations committed on the settlements where our relatives were located for the year 1790.

Chapter XXIII

During the year 1790 considerable progress had been made in settling the country north of the Ohio River, especially along the Muskingum River and its tributaries.

A hundred thousand acres for fertile lands had been laid out into lots of a hundred acres each and gratuitously assigned to actual settlers. This encouraged emigration so that by the close of the year these settlements contained nearly five hundred men. One hundred and seven of whom had moved their families to their new homes. Other settlements had been commenced further down the Ohio and to protect these infantile settlements quite an army of men were placed under the command of General HANNER hoping thereby to give entire security to all the frontier settlements.

The disastrous defeat of this army only stimulated the savages to deeds of greater feroc­ ity. Flushed with the success that had crowned their efforts in repelling the army under HANNER and infuriated at the destruction of their crops and the burning of their villages they became more hostile and determined to exterminate every settlement that had been made on the western frontiers, so that on the 2nd day of January 1791 a party of Indians came to the big bottom settlement on the Muskingum and commenced an indiscriminate slaughter of all the inhabitants. Other settlements would have shared the same fate had they not been apprised of their danger in time to prepare for their defense.

The first attack on the northwestern Virginia settlements in 1791 made on the 24th day of April at the house of Captain John BUSH, then living on Freeman Branch, in which he was shot and terribly wounded and two of his children taken prisoners. The particulars of this tragedy have been fully related in the biographical sketch of the more than heroic ef­ forts of BUSH's wife in successfully protecting the prostrate body of her husband from further mutilation and in consequence it is not necessary to repeat it here.

In May following near the home of Uriah ASHCRAFT, John MCINTIRE with his wife were captured, taken a short distance tomahawked and scalped. But at the call of ASHCRAFT assistance coming up the savages made off with the plunder they had taken. They were however pursued, overtaken when a smart conflict ensued and after several had been wounded on each side the Indians were repulsed the plunder recovered and brought back. These Indians killed all the prisoners they had captured.

Towards the last of June another party of Indians invaded the Dunkard Creek settlement killed Mr. HANDSUCKER, his wife and child, took Mr. CLEGG and his two children pris­ oners - Mrs. CLEGG having made her escape by outrunning an Indian after a long chase. The Indians plundered and then set fire to the home caught the horses and then 131

made off with what they had taken. Mr. CLEGG got back after a while and at the close of the war with the Indians ransomed his two daughters.

In September Nicholas CARPENTER started with a drove of cattle with a view of dispos­ ing of them to the settlers in and around Marietta and when within a few miles of the Ohio encamped for the night. Early the next morning they were fired upon by a party of Indians -who had discovered their trail- and three of the party killed another wounded but was never heard of afterwards and was supposed to have been subsequently killed also. The remaining drover -Jessee HUGHES, a brother-in-law of Grandfather John HACKER­ succeeded by swiftness of foot made his escape. At one time the savage was so near as to hurl his tomahawk at him which just grazed his head yet he succeeded in getting away without receiving personal harm.

As will be remembered on the 1st of November of this year occurred the disastrous de­ feat of the army under General ST.CLAIR. This still emboldened the savages to further and more desperate inroads on the frontier settlements.

On the 24th of December 1791 a party of eight savages attacked the house of John MERRILL - he being alarmed by the barking of his dogs hastened to the door to learn the cause. On opening the door he was fired at by two Indians and his leg and arm both bro­ ken. The savages then ran forward to enter the house but before they could do so Mrs. MERRILL and her daughter had closed the door and secured it.

After a fruitless attempt to force it open they commenced hewing off a part of it with their tomahawks and when an aperture sufficient large to admit one was thus made one of the savages attempted to enter. The heroic wife and mother -in the midst of her affrighted children and the terrible sufferings of her wounded husband- seized an axe, gave the ruf­ fian a fatal blow and instantly drew him into the house.

Supposing that their aim was now nearly attained the others pressed forward to gain ad­ mittance also until four more of them were in like manner dispatched by this more than heroic woman. Discovering their mistake the remaining three retired for a short time and on returning two of them climbed to the house top with a view of descending the chimney while the other was exciting himself at the door. Being satisfied by the noise on the top of the house the object had by the Indians Mr. MERRILL directed his little son to rip open a bed tick and cast its contents on the fire. This produced the desired effect. The smoke and heat occasioned by the burning of the feathers brought the Indians down in rather an unpleasant condition when Mr. MERRILL being now a little recovered exerted his strength and with a billed of wood so belabored the half suffocated devils -as they sud­ denly came down- as to dispatch them. Mrs. MERRILL during all this time had been bus­ ily in defending the door against the efforts of the remaining savage whom at length she succeeded in wounding so severely with her formidable weapon -the axe· that he was but too glad to make a hasty retreat and get away with his life. 132

A prisoner who escaped from the Indians soon after the happening of this transaction re­ ported that the wounded savage was the only one of the eight who returned to their towns and when asked "What news" replied "bad news for poor Indian. Me loose a son, me loose a brother -the white squaws have all taken the breach - clout and fight worse than the longknives.

I have thus given the account ofthis terrible struggle in detail in order to set forth not only what the female portion of the early settlers on the frontiers had to do but also to show what they could and did as well as how they did defend their homes and families in hun­ dreds of fierce contacts with the ferocious savages during this long and devastating war. Just think of this wife and mother with her own hands killing five horrid looking savages and so wounding another that he was but too glad to make off with himself while her crip­ pled husband by a little strategy succeeded in killing the remaining two and we have a specimen of the heroism that pervaded the hearts of the wives and mothers of these early settlers on our frontiers.

The frequent commission of such outrages led the inhabitants of Kentucky -of them­ selves- to send an expedition against the Indians across the Ohio. A thousand mounted volunteers were accordingly raised and placed under command of General SCOTT who immediately marched for their town and gave them battle which he made short and deci­ sive. Two hundred of the savages were killed on the spot and the remainder utterly routed. The cannon and such of the stores captured at ST.CLAIRs defeat as was found in their possession were retaken and returned.

Neither the signal success of the expedition of General SCOTT nor the preparations which were being made by the General Government for the more rigorous prosecution of the war against them caused the Indians to relax their executions to harass the frontier inhabitants. The ease with which they had overcome the two armies under HARMER and ST.CLAIR inspired them with contempt for our troops and induced the belief of their own invincibility when properly on guard against a surprise. To the want ofthis vigilance they ascribed the success of General SCOTT over them. And deeming it necessary only to be more diligent in guarding the passes into their country parties of their warriors would go into the settlements and perpetrate their accustomed acts of aggressions upon the per­ sons and properties of the defenseless whites.

About the middle of June 1792 a party of these marauders came to a branch of Hackers Creek and late in the evening approached a clearing recently made by John WAG­ GONER and found him seated on a log resting himself after the labors of the day.

In this party of Indians was the since justly celebrated General TECUMSEH, who leaving his companions to make sure of those in the house placed his gun on the fence took de­ lineate aim at WAGGONER and fired. The leaden messenger of death however deliber­ ately sent failed in its errand, passing through the sleeve of his shirt, left WAGGONER uninjured to try his speed with the terrible savage. Taking a course opposite to the house 133

to avoid coming in contact with the savages who had gone there. Old and wearied with his hard days work as he was yet he outstripped his pursuer and got safely away.

In the meantime those who had gone to the home killed and scalped a small boy in the yard and made prisoners of Mrs. WAGGONER and her six children and then immedi­ ately departed fearing pursuit. A company of men were soon collected and followed the trail ofthe savages. When about a mile from the house one of the children was found with its brains beaten out with a club and then scalped. A little distance farther lay Mrs. WAGGONER and two others of the children - their lifeless bodies mangled in the most barbarous and shocking manner. The pursuit now became unavailing and was given over. The Indians reached their towns with the remaining prisoners -two girls and a boy­ the elder of the girls did not remain long with her captors but with an other female captive made her escape to the neighborhood of Detroit until the treaty of 1795. Her sister abided with her captors till the close of the Indian war and the boy until during the war of 1812 when he was discovered and recognized by some friendly Indians. He had married a squaw by whom he had two children -daughters- and so attached to his manner of life that for a time he resisted every importunity to withdraw himself from among the Indians. Even when his father visited him it was with difficulty that he could induce him to return to the haunts of his childhood. When however he did return and the kindly attentions of friends prevailed with him to remain and many a virtuous woman of his own race still with the natural feelings of a father his heart would yearn towards his children in the forest and would at times seem to lament that he ever left them.

In the summer of this year a parcel of horses were taken by the Indians from the West Fork. They were pursued by a company of scouts under Captain COLEMAN overtaken across the Ohio the horses recovered and brought back.

In the course of the ensuing fall as these men were ascending the Little Kanawha in a ca­ noe on a Buffalo hunt they were discovered by a party of Indians, two of them killed the other succeeded in making his escape by jumping into the river and swimming to the op­ posite shore.

During this year unsuccessful attempts were made by the general government to termi­ nate these Indians hostilities by negotiations. The savages were however too much elated with their resentments in a treaty of peace with the white people. They even went so far as to kill Major TRUMAN and Colonel HARDIN who had severally been sent to them with overtures of peace. It therefore became evident that further and energetic measures would have to be adopted and carried out before peace could at all be hoped for. General Anthony WAYNE was thereupon commissioned and put in command in or­ der if possible to effect that most desirable object.

While the preparations for the invasion of the Indian country under General WAYNE was going on early in the spring of 1793 a party of warriors proceeding towards the head wa­ ters of the Monongahela they discovered a marked way leading towards a new settle­ ment on Elk River that they were not aware of. Following this trace they came to the 134

house of Benjamin CARPENTER when finding him and his wife alone they killed and scalped both and then set the house on fire and consumed it.

The burning of this house gave warning to the other inhabitants of this settlement of their danger when they immediately fled to the mountains and took shelter in a cave. This for a time broke up that settlement as the inhabitants so soon as the Indians had departed caught their horses and moved their families back onto the West Fork. Among the inter­ esting events which occurred this year was the capture and remarkable escape of two brothers -John and Henry JOHNMAN thirteen and eleven years of age. After being cap­ tured they were taken about four miles where they encamped for the night. A fire was kin­ dled their supper prepared and eaten when they all lay down and were soon sound asleep except John who after a while quietly disengaged himself from the arms of the In­ dian that lay beside him, he then arose, got his brother Henry up. They then arranged so that while Henry would shoot one of the savages John would tomahawk the other. In this they were successful and killed both of their captors and then returned to their homes taking the only gun the Indians had with them.

Notwithstanding the preparations for an active campaign against the savages was fast ripening to their perfection and the troops already as far as the fatal battle field of ST.CLAIR's defeat and Fort Reconey erected yet they did not cease their accustomed in­ roads upon the settlements even after the winter of 1793.

In March 1794 a party crossed the Ohio and as they were advancing towards the settle­ ments on the upper branches of the Monongahela they unexpectedly met Joseph COX on his way to the Little Kanawha to dispose of a load of furs and skins. They made him prisoner and carried him off to their towns where he remained for some time but finally made his escape and returned to the settlement in safety.

On the 24th of July six Indians visited the West Fork River and at the mouth of Freemans Creek made prisoner of a daughter of John BUNYAN. Two of the party took her off some ten or twelve miles and then put her to death.

The four Indians who remained proceeded down the river a short distance below the mouth of Hackers Creek and made an attack on the home of William CARDER. But be­ ing discovered by Mr. CARDER in time to secure the door and by a little strategy he was enabled to repulse them with only the loss of a few of his cattle which the Indians killed.

Two days after this they came to the farm of Jacob COGAD on Hackers Creek made prisoners of three of his sons and tortured and killed another. They carried the three brothers off to their towns and kept them prisoners until the treaty of Greenville in 1795 when two of them were delivered up to their father who attended for that purpose, the third one was not heard of for some time afterwards but was at length found at Sandusk by his elder brother and brought home. 135

After WAYNES victory over the Indians and before the treaty of Greenville it was deter­ mined by the Indians to burn Jacob COGAD -one of the prisoners- in revenge for the loss sustained by the savages in that battle. Every preparation for this dreadful torture was quickly made the wood was piled about the stake and the victim told that he might take leave of such as he wished to before the torch should be applied to the faggots. In doing this a woman whose countenance beamed with benignity beckoned him to follow her. She took him unmolested to her own wigwam and amid some trunks and other house­ hold plunder hid him until the uproar on account of his disappearance had ceased two of his masters sons secretly conducted him to the old Delaware town where he remained until brought into Greenville at the conclusion of peace.

A short time after the happening of this event at Cozards Tygents Valley was again in­ vaded by the savages. They came unexpectedly upon the house of Joseph CANAAN when several of the neighbors had assembled. They shot and killed Mr. CANAAN. toma­ hawked and scalped three children and made Mrs. CANAAN prisoner - the others es­ caped only one of the Indians was wounded. On the close of the war Mrs. CANAAN was redeemed from captivity by a brother from BrLmswick, New Jersey and restored to her surviving friends.

The signed victory of General WAYNE over the Indians did not put a stop to their hostili­ ties to the whites but were kept up by them until sometime after acceding to the propos­ als for peace. In consequence of this their whole county was laid waste and forts erected in the heart of their settlements at once in order to starve and awe them into quiet and submission This at length produced the desired effect. Their crops being laid waste their villages burned. fortresses erected in various parts of their county and kept garrisoned, and a victorious army ready to bear down upon them at any instant there appeared no al­ ternative for them but to sue for peace. The Shawnees first made overtures to bury the "bloody hatchet". General WAYNE however refused to treat singly with them but de­ clared that all the tribes of the northwest should be parties to any treaty he would make. This required much time to collect up the different tribes as they had become scattered after their terrible defeat on the 20th of August 1794.

In this long interval there was but a solitary interruption by savage aggression to the gen­ eral repose and quiet of northwestern Virginia.

In the summer of 1795 the trail of a large party of Indians was discovered making towards the settlements on the heads ofthe West Fork. those on Buckhannon River in Tygarts Valley. For a time it remained quite uncertain upon which of these settlements the stroke would fall. It was however soon made to fall on the family of Captain John BOZARTH the particulars of which has been previously given in these narratives and so need not again be repeated here.

This war as it will be remembered commenced in northwestern Virginia on Hackers Creek at the destruction of grand Uncle William HACKERs family by the notorious Simon GIRTY and his band of desperadoes in the fall of 1772 and continued to roll on with all its 136

bloody ferocity until June 1795 when it is finally closed at the destruction of the BO­ ZARTH family residing on the Buckhannon River and not a dozen miles distant from the place where it was commenced twenty three years before. And it may be further re­ marked that in nearly every instance as related in the foregoing pages of this long and bloody strife more or less of my immediate relations had to share an honorable part and often as we have seen was made to suffer by the terrible stroke of the savages made to fall immediately upon them.

I have thus traced the principal events of this long an most bloody struggle -so far as my immediate ancestors were concerned- from its commencement at the destruction of the family of grand Uncle William HACKER in 1772 to its final close at the treaty of Green­ ville in 1795. For the long and continuous term of 23 years the strife had rolled on and during the whole time the blood of the innocent victims never ceased to flow in some part of the frontier settlements of our country.

We have seen as the events have passed in review before us many of our relations most cruelly tortured and put to death from the infant at its mothers breast to the gray haired fathers and mothers of the rising generation. In aliI have written I have not in any in· stance attempted to enlarge upon the terrible transactions but only to give a simple plain statement of facts as they really occurred. Leaving all reflections and speculations to be added by the readers - each for himself.

From this time forth my sketches will partake mostly of the common affairs of life and the peaceful pursuits of domestic labors.

Chapter XXIV

It will be remembered that I turned aside from a personal narrative of Grandfather HACKER to take a look over the succeeding 23 years of Indian warfare - just at the time when he had got his parents from the Shenandoah Valley over the mountains to his own home on Hackers Creek in western Virginia and having now finished up that review I must return and bring down the personal sketches which I started out to do and so close up the work \ have undertaken. This I hope to do without having to bring in any more side issues. My work has already extended far beyond what I had contemplated at the com­ mencement I shall therefore be compelled to curtail largely what might have been other­ wise written in regard to the lives and characters of our more recent relatives.

At the death of the Sailor Boy in 1772 his venerable widow was left ·as I have already stated- a member of the family of her son John where she continued to make her home for the remainder of her life which extended to eight years beyond the time of the treaty of Greenville which gave peace and quietude to all that section of the country. She thus in her widowhood passed through the whole of those 23 long years of savage warfare against the inhabitants residing on the borders of civilization. And then during this time 137

she witnessed -and was many times made to feel the effects- of the bloody tomahawk and scalping knife -not only upon her near neighbors but often as we have seen upon her children, her grandchildren and even her great grandchildren. And when at last peace is established and those bloody implements of torture and death are no longer feared she is permitted -though in extreme old age- to live on and enjoy eight full years of that unalloyed happiness and peace for which her whole life had been one continuous struggle. She died as before stated at the old home on Hackers Creek in 1803 at the ripe age of 96 years.

But what a life was hers. Though born in Ireland yet of pure Scotch descent she wit­ nessed her nation pass out of existence. After having withstood every assault made upon her existence as a nation from the days of Julius Caesar down until at last her sovereign signs a way her existence as a nation and Scotland becomes consolidated with Great Britain and is known no more as a nation among the nations of earth.

From the very infancy of our good old Grandmother she is subject to a species of cruelty as barbarious as was ever inflicted upon a living soul and by one who should have been her natural protector and guardian. And so unmercifully is this system of tyranny kept up that at the age of womanhood she is compelled to seek an asylum in the wilds of America when for a very few years she finds relief from the oppression she had been compelled to endure the whole of the first 18 years of her life.

And then comes on the savage war and for the 40 years the strife is kept up she is on the frontiers sharing in all the dangers and privations incident to that long and fearful strug­ gle. Freely giving of her time, her labor, her flesh and blood as a willing sacrifice to the cause of liberty and equal rights among mankind. In this time she has witnessed a few infantile colonies grow and ripen into vigorous manhood and then strike for independ­ ence and for the rights of a new born nation. In which she and hers take a noble part. And thus the contest goes on until the life of a new born nation is secured and every­ where America is acknowledged as a nation among the nations of the earth and liberty and peace secured to all the inhabitants of the land.

And then that Good Providence which had so mercifully watched over her through so many fierce trials -though far beyond the usual time allotted to human Iife- she is still per­ mitted to live on and enjoy eight years of unalloyed peace, happiness and comfort before she is called to close her eyes to the scenes of mortal life.

What joy and gratitude must have thrilled the bosom of that good old mother as about to take her departure from the scenes of time to be enabled to feel and realize that her now numerous offspring had such prospects of happiness secured to them. And thus she is permitted to close her long and eventful life of toil and privation most serene and happy.

But leaving these pleasing reflections, I return to sketch out the remainder of the life of my Grandfather John HACKER. The Indian War breaking out again at the massacre of his brother Williams family in 1772, he is necessarily compelled for the safety of his 0\1111"1 138

family to dodge from Port to Pillar for the next 23 years before he is permitted to settle down in peace and safety to the quiet pursuits of domestic life.

In the winter of 1772 he continued with the other settlers on Hackers Creek at Bush's Station on the Buckhannon River which was enlarged and erected into a fort of consider­ able strength and was from thence forth called Fort Buckhannon. The Indians however showing no further hostile demonstrations some time in the spring of 1773 those who had taken refuge in the fort moved back onto their farms when Grandfather HACKER's dwelling was fortified and constructed into a blockhouse for a post of defense to the set­ tlement should the Indians again appear in the Hackers Creek neighborhood.

In April 1774 the Indian hostilities breaking out again all along the line of the frontier set­ tlements Hackers blockhouse is further fortified and enlarged and the settlers in that neighborhood took shelter within its fortified enclosure where as it appears they contin­ ued to keep their families sheltered until the spring of 1777 at which time a more centra! point in the neighborhood was selected some four miles farther down the creek where a good substantial fort was erected and called West's Fort into which Grandfather with the rest of the neighbors moved their families. This place seems to have been occupied as a post of defense until the close of 1778. But the hostile demonstrations of the savages ap­ pearing so alarming that for the better security of his family he again removed them over to Fort Buckhannon where they remain during the year 1779.

In 1780 he is with his family once more in Wesfs Fort on Hackers Creek where as we have seen they were besieged by a large body of hostiles but were all fortunately res­ cued by the intrepidity of grand Uncle Jessee HUGHES and are safely conducted over to Fort Buckhannon again.

From the best as I can learn our Grandfather must have remained with his family at this fort for the remainder of 1780 and for the years 1781 and 1782. And until the Timothy DORMAN raid was about to burst upon them when a hasty removal to Netters Fort near Clarksburg is effected in safety, and old Fort Buckhannon left to be consumed by the torch of the miserable renegade, DORMAN and his band of hostiles. I presume the fort was never rebuilt as I can find no further reference to it either in history or tradition subsequently.

In 1783 England consented to acknowledge the independence of her American Colonies and withdrew her armies from the country. Thus leaving her savage allies to continue the war alone. This operated in some measure to check large parties of hostiles from pene­ trating so far into the settlements so that from this time forth I think Grandfather HACKER felt safe in continuing with his family on his own farm - having his residence so fortified and several of his own children and the orphans he had taken to raise being so grown as to be able to handle a gun with much dexterity and being also surrounded with good and trusty neighbors and there being several forts not far away he thus felt safe and able to defend himself against any small band of marauders that might come against him. Again scouts were continually kept out on gLlard duty so that no large or formidable body of 139

savages could approach without being discovered and the alarm given in time for the settlers to concentrate at some central point fully prepared to meet any emergency that might offer. How often he fled with his family to some neighboring fort for better safety in the succeeding ten years is not known. But be they many or few however when he felt this to be his duty it was but temporary. And so soon as they could thus get their families properly under shelter so as to concentrate their efforts against the marauders and drive them out of the county he would return with his family back into his own blockhouse pre­ pared to meet any smaller band of hostiles that might attempt to break in upon him. And but once in all this time did the savages get the start of him. And that was when the rene­ gade Lenwood SCHOOLCRAFT led in his band of assassins and murdered his oldest daughter Mary Ann WEST and so terribly mutilated the little Margurette as to cause her to endure untold agonies for the remainder of her life. But then all this as has been previ­ ously shown was in consequence of no neglect of his own but by reason of the families having left the protection of the blockhouse a little too early in the fall and many of the men having gone out on hunting excursions This may however have been thought nec­ essary in consequence of the scarcity of provisions in the neighborhood at the time.

That particular part of the duties which it appears was ordinarily assigned to Grandfather HACKER in all this long 23 years of border warfare seems to have been to take the over­ sight and protect the women and children while being cooped up in forts and block­ houses so that others could be at liberty to go out in bands to do the necessary work on the farms or chase the Indians out of the country when ever they should make their ap­ pearance. I can not find that he himself ever went out on scout duty but seems to have always been kept on guard duty in and about the forts and blockhouses wherever the families of the neighborhood might be congregated for the time.

And so vigilant was he in the performance of this duty that at no time during all these long years of strife did the savages make their appearance and find him off duty or un­ prepared to give them a warm reception. And so much does this vigilance upon his part appear that it became a proverb among the settlers that wherever John HACKER had command of the guards the women and children were safe. No band of hostiles would ever make their approach and find John HACKER unprepared to meet and successfully repulse them.

But the war with the northwestem tribes has finally ended and peace with them being fully established our grandparents settle down in peace to domestic duties. Having by this time quite a large family of children of their own several of whom are grown up, mar­ ried and settled around them on their own homestead and a few years now and prosper­ ity with plenty, with all their accompanying happiness are flourishing around them.

At the request of many who had lost portions of their families by being captured by the in­ dians Grandfather HACKER with Reverend Jacob COGAD attended the treaty at Green­ ville in order to receive from the Indians the captives that might still be alive and had been taken from this section of the country and safely brought all such back to their houses and relatives. 140

A person who was present and witnessed the return of the captives had described the scene as most affecting. He says, "There were fathers, husbands, brothers and sisters who recognized among the captives as they approached their wives, their sisters, their sons or daughters from whom they had been separated some for many weary years while others had been made captives at a more recent date. These were all soon in each others arms embracing while weeping and rejoicing by turns at their delivery and safe re­ turn from the terrible captivity they had been made to endure for many weary months and even years while others sought in vain among the returned captives for those whom they had lost and not even daring to make inquiry as to their fate, well knowing that as they had not been returned their fate had been sealed by the deadly tomahawk and scalping knife, the running of the gauntlet, or the more slow and cruel torture by fire, or by some other hellish made of torture which the savage mind when aided by British Tories and renegades from the colonies could invent. All these of course had to turn away in disap­ pointment and with expressions of grief that was truly pitiable to behold."

How many captives there were that was returned to these settlements in Virginia I have never been able to obtain even an estimate. The number brought in and delivered up at the treaty at Greenville however must have been very large, as General WAYNE abso­ lutely refused to hold a treaty with the savages of the northwest at all except upon two conditions.

First--That every tribe of the northwest should be present and join in the treaty.

Second--That every captive held by any of the tribes should be first brought in and deliv­ ered up to those of their friends who might be present to receive them. And thus while tribe after tribe was suing for peace the commander of the American army would enter­ tain no proposition for peace until both of these conditions were fully complied with. And not\lvithstanding tribe after tribe -first the Shawnees, then the Delawares, then the Mia­ mis, and so on one after another- would come in and propose to submit and make offers of peace, yet the stern old warrior remained inflexible and would make peace with them on no other terms.

The Indians were very reluctant to comply with the last of the terms proposed. They had become so attached to the captives they held - had admitted them into their families and adopted them as brothers, sisters and children that they were extremely reluctant to part with them. Hence negotiations for peace was put off from time to time until a year had passed from the time of the great victory over them before the last of the captives had been brought in and the treaty of peace finally concluded.

After the return with the captives from Greenville matters soon settled down and the peo­ ple went diligently to work improving their farms, laying out and building county roads and otherwise improving the country so that in a short time nature wore a quite a different aspect to what it had formally done. The people now felt themselves secure in the pos­ session of their lands and estates and of course a happy change in the appearance of 141

everything about them was soon made visible. Civil courts were established and the laws ofthe land enforced against evil doers. School houses and churches were the next in or· der and the inhabitants began to realize that freedom and protection in their civil and re­ ligious rights for which they had been for so long contending.

This contest as it will be remembered commenced with my ancestors in 1520 and never really ceased until the treaty of Greenville in 1795 a space oftime covering two hundred and seventy fIVe years ·a long contest truly- and at last that for which they had so jeal­ ously contended is secured to their posterity at least. and may we not hope it is to con­ tinue to bless the land while time shall last.

Our Grandfather John HACKER so far as we know never held or sought for any public position or office among his neighbors but having a large family of children of his own as also several orphan children whom he had taken to raise he went quietly to work on that lime feeling that he could better serve his day and generation by carefully bringing up those under his own immediate care leaving the honors and emoluments of office to be sought for and enjoyed by those whose time and tasks lead them in pursuit ofthem. He thus succeeded in bringing up all his children as well as those placed under his care to habits of industry and strict morality. Giving to each all the education that could be pro­ cured for them in that part ofthe country at the time. In which he was abundantly suc­ cessful as they all grew up to be men and women useful members of society and highly respected where ever known. Some of his children settled around him and to whom he gave portions of his own real estate while others imbibing the migratory spirit of the times sought homes in other and far distant parts ofthe country where the prospects seemed to them more favorable for the young and enterprising part of community.

And thus the lives of our grandparents glided evenly away. Their attention being given strictly to agricultural pursuits and bringing up their offspring in the manner as before stated. Nothing occurring with them out ofthe ordinary pursuits of life until 1803 at which time our Grandfather was called to mourn the loss of his mother. The now aged and ven­ erable Ann TURNER. And for whom he had cared during the time of her widowhood -be­ ing the space offull 31 years- and her remains he reverently deposited in a little graveyard on his own homestead where he had selected for the final resting place of his own mortal remains after life's scenes with him should also be brought to a close.

Time now passes on with the same even course with him until 1824 when he too is called away from the things of earth while his body is deposited - as he had requested by the side of his venerable mother where they still repose awaiting the final resurrection. His widow our venerable Grandmother Margarette SLEETH still lived on for eight years more when in May 1832 she too is called away and her mortal remains deposited by the side ofthe late partner of her joys and sorrows through life. Grandfather HACKER died at the age of 81 years and Grandmother at 85. Truly a venerable age at which to be called away from the scenes of time on earth. 142

In contemplating the lives ofthis venerable pair it is wonderful what scenes oftrials and triumphs they had to pass through in their long and eventful lives. The more than 40 years of Indian hostilities in all of which they were immediately engaged. Being on the frontiers and a large portion of the time cooped up in forts and blockhouses -especially dUring the growing seasons ofthe year- and this too while raising their large family of children- what scenes of afflictions, privations and want they necessarily had to endure is most astonishing to contemplate. As an illustration ofthis I will relate one or two incidents and let them suffice for the whole.

After Grandfather had got his family settled on Hackers Creek and his corn planted in the spring of 1772 he took a trip back over the mountains onto the South Branch ofthe Poto­ mac for some salt. This journey of some eighty miles and over the mountains had to be performed on foot and the salt conveyed back on his shoulders. And so destiMe of provi­ sions had the family been up to this time that on his return he found his two little children -all that he then had- sitting on the floor eating a piece ofjerky and drinking a little milk just taken from the cow at the door for their suppers while his wife with his aged father and mother and little James KEITH were waiting patiently for the little ones to finish that they might divide the remainder between them. Having had to carry his own provisions with him on his journey and having a few biscuits with him he handed each of the chil­ dren one supposing it would be such a treat for them to have a little bread to eat with their milk. But to his surprise -they not knowing what bread was and supposing their fa­ ther had brought them something to play with- laid their biscuit upon the jam of the fire­ place and then went back and finished their suppers of jerky meat and milk.

Again Alexander SLEETH -a brother of Grandmother HACKER and who came with my father to the Mad-river settlement in Ohio in 1805· in relating these scenes of destruction which often had to be endured by the settlers in northwestern Virginia says that often on his return to the fort from a hard days work on some neighboring farm or from some long scout duty chasing the hostiles out of the country and endeavoring to recover what they had stolen from the settlement he had found his family so destitute of provisions and es­ pecially that of bread that for his own supper he would drink a half pint or more of whis­ key then wrap himself in his blanket and lay down on the floor to rest for the night and thus leave the little -if any- they did have for the children's breakfast in the morning.

But then these things have now long since passed away. And in these plentiful times in which we now live it seems almost impossible for us to realize that even such times of deprivation and want did really ever exist in this now plentiful country a hundred years ago. Yet it is all true and a thousand times more might be said were it necessary to state all the facts as they did really occur in all that long and terrible 40 years of contention with the Indian tribes of the northwest for the possession of the lands occupied by the frontier settlements.

But enough ofthis now for my present purpose. Those old pioneer fathers labored and we their descendants have entered into their rest. They done a noble and glorious work. Peace to their memories. 143

As to the personal appearance of my grandparents I have this from those who were per­ sonally acquainted with them.

John HACKER, my Grandfather, was a person of 5ft, 9 inches in height, a perfect man physically, stood square on his feet, average weight 190 pounds, not over corpulent -or pussy- but muscular and solid and over the average as to straightness. Hence he had a good figure, complexion fair, with black hair, a full round face, large forehead, medium sized nose, rather full in the center, chin broad, lips rather thin and fully covering the teeth, eyes inclined to dark gray and small for a man of his size; heavy and prominent eye brows; and with all a pleasant countenance to look upon.

Of course the foregoing would indicate sociability with good conversational powers which it is said he possessed in an eminent degree. Though he was never known to be noisy or obtrusive, but rather the contrary, yet when he did speak his language was plain and em­ phatic and direct to the point; stood square up with the head straight over the spinal col­ umn and then to see the flash of that little eye, the earnestness of the face, the easy wave of the hand, the emphatic nod or toss of the head all indicating the natural orator. And then when done with what he had to say the calm folding of the arms with the letting down of the countenance to its natural repose awaiting a reply or some question offur­ ther inquiry upon the matter under consideration. And then to see the face light up again when about to reply and the gestures so natural with him to move off again as above de­ scribed was said to be so interesting and entertaining as to always command the closest attention.

It is further said of him that he was never known to utter a foolish remark and although sometimes thought to be a little extravagant yet he was never so at the expense oftruth.

In his person he was neat and cleanly and so had everything about him so far as possi­ ble. Neverfoppish or over exacting but rather on the Quaker style ofthings. In all these matters many of his children followed closely in his footsteps yet he raised no child that excelled him in having a place for everything and everything in its place.

Such then was the make-up of our Grandfather John HACKER a perfect man far above mediocrity, physically, normally and mentally. And as we have seen such was the cause he took of himself - as well as of everything around him, that his days were long in the land and his death triumphant and happy.

As to the personal appearance of Grandmother Margarette HACKER I am informed that she was quite as tall as Grandfather, straight and well proportioned, average weight 145 Ib.., good head, full suit of dark wavy hair, dark hazel eyes, well proportioned nose, rather aquiline and straight on the face, two moles, one on the temple and the other on the up­ per lip near the corner ofthe mouth a very pleasant countenance with usually a pleasant smile playing over it, very acute in hearing, slow in utterance, while the sound of her voice was said to be music itself. Hence she was a beautiful singer and when in 144

company was usually seen with a cluster of friends around her. Her conversational pow­ ers were also rather extraordinary but when speaking it was always in a slow deliberative manner, though never hesitating and without any gestures whatever except what would be noticed in the eye and countenance. And when a little warmed up in her subject the spirit and animation she would then exhibit through these organs was not only wonderful, but in their effect convincing in her sincerity. She was dignified and graceful in all move­ ments and actions. Truly most venerable and beloved by all when she was called to pass to that bourn from whence no traveler returns.

Such then was the character and personal appearance of my grandparents as it has been related to me by those who were long and personally intimate with them.

But I must now pass on to notice the children they had born to them and as far as may be deemed necessary give a sketch of the character of each and so finish up the work I have undertaken.

Chapter XXV

My grandparents John and Margarette HACKER had born to them eleven children all of whom they succeeded in bringing up to mature life. The time of the birth of each as near as I can now ascertain was as follows: HACKER First Mary Ann born 1768 Second WilliamE born 1770, December Third John born 1773, January 17 Fourth Sarah born 1775, April 24 Fifth Margarette born 1776, December 17 Sixth Jonathan born 1779, January 10 Seventh Alexander born 1781 Eighth Elizabeth born 1784 Ninth Absalem born 1787, December 9 Tenth Thomas Sleeth born 1790, March 18 Eleventh MaryAnn born 1793, July 18

At least nine of these children were born either in a fort or blockhouse while their parents were continually on the look-out not knowing how soon the hostile savages might make their appearance to rob, kill and slay as was their custom. And at this late day as well as the peaceful times in which we live, it is impossible for us to even imagine the fearful forebodings and anxiety of mind a mother must have had to pass through while having her offspring cooped up in forts and blockhouses not knowing at what moment a furious assault might be made upon them by the horrid savages and yet this heroic mother with a fortitude and courage more than human bore all of her eleven children without any 145

serious accident occurring to either mother or child and then raised them all to full man­ hoods estate.

In order to make my sketches as plain and comprehensive as possible I shall now take up for review the character and lives of each child by turn as presented above and in as short manner as possible state what is known by me of each as I pass along.

Commencing then with the eldest the first one to consider is:

Mary Ann HACKER

This child given as the first fruits of the marriage of the parents as above stated was born sometime in the year 1768 and while the parents were still residing in the Shenandoah Valley near Winchester perhaps at the old homestead.

The treaty of Fort Stanwix having been concluded it was hoped that a permanent peace with the savage tribes of the northwest had been secured. With this view the parents as we have already seen not being able to procure a home for themselves on the patrimony of Lord FAIRFAX and learning of greater inducements held out by Virginia further west decided to emigrate over on to the South Branch of the Potomac near to where the town of Moorefield was afterwards located where as before stated the SLEETH families had al­ ready gone. But not finding such land subject to location in this valley as they desired the mother and child during the spring and summer of 1769 remained with the families of relatives while the father in company with other hardy pioneers came over the mountains some 90 or 100 miles farther west in search of a satisfactory location. Having reached the waters of the upper Monongahela a place was selected as we have seen on the Buckhannon River near where Bush's station was subsequently erected. Here the father spent the summer of that year cleaning up the ground and cultivating a little crop of grain, which as before noted the Buffaloes totally destroyed. But not being discouraged by this mishap he returned in the spring of 1770, cleared off more ground, planted an­ other crop which he took good care of to gather in and secure before returning for his wife and child in the fall of that year.

In the winter of 1770 the parents with little Mary Ann came over to their new home lo­ cated on the Buckhannon where they remained until sometime in 1771 when Samuel PRINGLE coming over claimed the land HACKER had cultivated the two previous years as his own. This caused him to select another location some twelve miles farther west on a creek subsequently called Hackers Creek where the family found a permanent location. Of the life of this most unfortunate child Mary Ann but little is now known except that she grew up to womanhood a most lovely and dutiful child. sharing in all the dangers and deprivations of those troublesome times. Taking shelter in forts and blockhouses from savage aggression as safety demanded during the whole term of her short life.

What amount of education she really got or how she got what she did is not known but of course it could not have been beyond the common rudiments of the English language 146

and no doubt all imparted to her by her parents as schools in those early times in that part of Virginia was simply impossible. Be all this as it may little Mary Ann as she grew up being of a vigorous robust constitution sprightly nervous temperament and with all a mind of superior mold what ever of knowledge or information there was among the in­ habitants on the frontiers she got her share of it there is no doubt of that.

In the summer of 1787 at about 19 or 20 years of age she was married to a Mr. Edmund WEST, Jr. a young man ofthe neighborhood with whom she had been acquainted from childhood and between them a warm attachment had existed for some length of time. It being truly a love match and made with the free consent ofthe parents on both sides the young couple entered upon their connubial life with bright prospects for the Mure.

During the fall of 1787 young WEST had erected a comfortable little cabin near the homestead of his parents into which on the 1st of December he brought his young bride with all the ardor of his young sanguine temperament.

The winter having now fully set in and the fear offurther savage inroads upon the settle­ ment for the season having passed away from the minds of the people. And in conse­ quence of having been kept for the past eight months constantly cooped up in forts and blockhouses and always on the lookout for the approach ofthe savages the stock of pro­ vision had become so near exhausted that the whole settlement became threatened with famine. Hence the hunters had to be out at an unusually early period of the season in or­ der to lay in their meat for winters use.

Among those who thus set out early on their hunting expeditions were the brothers Alex­ ander and Edmund WEST who being thus away and leaving their families unprotected on the 5th of December 1787 perhaps about an hour before sundown and while the young wife of Edmund WEST was preparing supper for herself, her little sister and young WEST a savage band led on by a renegade named Leonard SCHOOLCRAFT suddenly burst in the door and in an instant the tomahawk ofthe savage was sunk to the handle in the forehead ofthe helpless young wife, her little sister and brother-in-law also horribly mutilated and left for dead. These circumstances has however all been given in full in the preceding pages and it is not therefore necessary that they should be repeated here again.

In the early part of the night the scene ofthis terrible tragedy was visited by grand Uncle Jessee HUGHES in search of his own daughter who was missing -having been captured by the same party of Indians- when the story of the terrible work that had just been wrought was made manifest to him. The wife Mary Ann with the young boy WEST there Jay wiltering in their blood but neither of them yet dead of course -as had been more fully set out in the preceding pages- Uncle HUGHES first duty was to guard his own family from further depredation until daylight and then spread the sorrowful tidings among the families ofthe settlers. 147

Aunt Mary Ann is supposed to have died sometime during the night and most likely soon after HUGHES had made the discovery of what had been done. The knowledge of the sad catastrophe spread early the next morning when the neighbors collected and con­ veyed the mangled body of the lovely innocent woman to the residence of her parents -to that home from which she had but five days previous left with such fond hopes of future happiness- where blood was washed from the face and body was prepared for the grave -truly a most sad and mournful time for that pleasant household- being their first born she thus became their first dead. This young but unfortunate wife was buried the next day in the graveyard on the Hacker farm where the mortal remains of her parents now also repose.

The young husband returned from his hunting expedition in time for the funeral of his fa­ ther, brother and young wife. But poor man, the terrible shock was too great for him. His mind wandered and no doubt but that the lest part of it went down with the body of his beloved wife into that cold and to him dark grave -from that hour no pleasant smile- no cheerful expression was ever observed to light up his countenance for a moment. But everything with him appeared sad and gloomy and often accompanied with weeping, es­ pecially so when he would visit the HACKER family. Then his grief would so get the mas­ tery of his that he could do but little else than weep and lament until he would take his departure again.

After wandering around in the neighborhood in this manner listlessly for a few years he finally left the neighborhood and wandered off no one knowing whither nor has any knowledge of him ever reached his friends since. And of course I must stop in my narra­ tive right where all sight is lost of him as mere speculation over the matter could do no good or render a knowledge of his fate anymore definite or certain.

William E. HACKER

The second child born to my grandparents was named William for its Grandfather as also for the original Wilhelm. This child was born in the winter of 1770 a few weeks -per­ haps not a month· after the parents had reached their new home on the Buckhannon River in western Virginia and was the first white child born in Virginia west of the Alle­ gheny Mountains.

William's childhood was spent with his parents principally in forts and blockhouses dur­ ing the spring, summer and fall months of the year and the winters on the farm aiding his parents to clear up their land and make a living as best they could during those trouble­ sometimes.

As before stated while the families of the neighborhood were cooped up in forts and blockhouses for protection against marauding bands of Indians who were constantly prowling around ready to pounce upon and massacre any unprotected person or family they might discover, that schools for the education of the children were organized and conducted to the best advantage possible. I do not know how this really was during the 148

youthful days of Uncle William, but a few years later on in life it is well known that he was himself much employed while off of scout duty in teaching school while the children were thus congregated together for safety.

Where or how he got his own education I do not know but certain it is that early in life he became quite a good scholar not only in the common branches of an English education but also in the higher branches of polite literature. Being possessed of a vigorous mind with a good memory as well as being fluent in speech he became quite a noted local preacher in the Methodist denomination and so continued -while health permitted- to aid in disseminating the truths of Christianity for the remainder of his life.

After peace with the savage tribes had been established and civil government fully estab­ lished in that section of the country he was employed for many years in stations of high trust and honor.

First as public surveyor in marking out and running the lines between the various loca­ tions of land in the county. In all this he gave good satisfaction to those whose lands he had thus marked out. This gave him such a general knowledge of the relative value of the property in the county that he was next employed as county assessor. Here again his knowledge and ability was displayed to the full satisfaction of all. Next he was county clerk and finally one of the justices of the peace which had jurisdiction of all civil cases arising in the county. As this office was for life or until he became the oldest justice on the bench, when he would succeed to the office of high sheriff and collector of the revenues, the highest and most lucrative office in the county and as he never reached that post it is presumed that from failing health as we shall hereafter see he was compelled to resign and retire from further official duties. He however continued to preach as opportunity of­ fered with much effect and usefulness until he became so infirm from affliction as to ren­ der such labors with him impossible.

William like his Uncle William delighted much in the chase. His preference for hunting the game was much greater than for agricultural pursuits, Hence a goodly portion of his leisure time was spent in the wood leaving the other members of the family to cultivate the soil and produce the bread while with his trusty rifle he would pursue the game and bring in the meat. Being of a stout robust constitution. strong and muscular and as fear­ less as the wind from early life until after the treaty of Greenville he was much employed on scout duty which no doubt gave him his superabundant taste for "life in the woods" consequently we find him on many an occasion giving the alarm to the settlers of the ap­ proach of hostile bands of savages. And many a hard tussle he has had with them while assisting to chase them out ofthe country or when caught out alone by them in being chased in turn. In these frequent races with the Indians while quite young he became ex­ ceedingly swift of foot and it is said that he could stand it to run on the lope and carry his gun from morning till night. Nothing seemed to afford him greater pleasure than when he had wounded his game to spend no more powder on it but to literally run it down and dis­ patch it with his knife. 149

These continued extreme physical exertions finally brought on him that which brought him to a premature grave.

In one of these hunting excursions having wounded his game -a fine large buck- perhaps only broke its leg as usual he gave chase in which -as the game was valuable- he so over exerted himself as to produce a peculiar kind of paralysis commencing in his feet and gradually progressing on up until it reached his vitals and killed him at the early age of fifty six. This gradually giving way ofthe nervous system in its progress continued for rieaflWer1ty years. At first however causing him but little inconvenience yet for the last year or more of his life it rendered him entirely helpless.

In the latter years of his life after he had become unable to be about much his mind being unaffected and in full vigor - he collected up the material and wrote out the book after­ wards published under the title of "Chronicles of Border Warfare" and had the work very nearly completed at the time of his death.

This manuscript was obtained from his executor by Alexander S. WITHERS a lawyer of Clarksburg under a promise to prepare it for publication for the benefit ofthe estate. But like all other sharpers who manage to live off the labors of others instead of doing as he had verbally agreed to do he took the manuscript added some fifty pages copied from Jefferson's and Doddridge's notes and struck out all ofwhat William had prepared relat­ ing to the history ofthe Hacker family and the part they had taken in the French and In­ dian War, the Revolutionary War and subsequent Indian War and then made up that scurrilous story about Grandfather William HACKER having been connected with the massacre of those Indian families at Bull Town falsifying history in many particulars and having done all this he then got a Jew a wholly irresponsible person -and no doubt a man of straw- to pUblish it. And thus defrauded the estate of Uncle William not only out of the profits of its publication as well as of the credit of having produced the authentic facts contained in it - claiming the entire work as his own when in truth he never wrote a word of it except perhaps that miserable slander on grand Uncle William in regard to that Bull Town affair. And in this manner the production of Uncle Williams mind in the latter years of his life went out to the world falsely pretending to be the production of another and so mutilated and changed from what it was as prepared by William that as a history of the transactions ofwhich it treats it is wholly unreliable and is so treated by most if not all modem authors.

And another remarkable circumstance connected with this nefarious transaction is that Williams name is wholly omitted and does not appear anywhere in the entire work as it was finally given to the public. I very much doubt if a more contemptible fraud was ever practiced upon any family since the fall of our first parents.

I am more confirmed in this from what I find in the production of other authors written since and before the publication ofthat book. To see how he falsified history to make the work appear his own when had he published it as it had been prepared by the real author it would have been reliable and freely quoted by others instead of as it now is denounced 150

as unreliable. But then in that case it would have been the production of another and the double fraud upon the estate of Uncle William as well as upon the public would not have been perpetrated. But then let all that pass now. He got his reward in dollars and cents in the fraudulent pUblication of the book and his memory is being doubly rewarded by the character history is giving to his work and we are content.

The latter years of Williams life had of course to be spent at home with his family being unable from the affliction that was upon him from following the chase or engaging in do­ mestic pursuits, yet he was not idle as we have seen. For in addition to the performance of his duties as Justice of the Peace he prepared the historical manuscript above referred to and then would go out as often as occasion would offer and preach to the people and thus his life up to the very last year was rendered useful.

At about the age of 21 or 22 Uncle William was married to a Miss Ada WEST a cousin of Edmund WEST who had married his sister Mary Ann.

By her he had seven children, four ofwhom subsequently came west, John his oldest son came with his family to Hamilton County, Indiana perhaps in about 1825, and died in Westfield a few years since. His children as they grew up all went farther west but to what part I do not know. Edmund, Uncle Williams second son married Miss Catherine KEITH and then came to Shelby County, Indiana in 1828 and settled on a piece of land near to where his father~jn~lawJames KEITH had located out the west side of the county where he died in March 1875. Their children having all emigrated to Illinois perhaps about a year since the mother in her widowhood sold out her property and followed them to their homes in that state.

A third son Jonathan came with his brother Edmund to Shelby County and was married to a young woman by the name of Seney - subsequently perhaps in 1838 they removed to Missouri where a few years later the wife died, Jonathan then went to Califomia where he soon after died and I have no further knowledge of him.

In addition to these three brothers that came west there was a sister named Mary Ann who married George RAINES and then came to Hamilton County, Indiana perhaps in 1830 and settled near her brother John where RAINES soon after died. The widow then removed her little family to Shelby County near to her brother Edmund where in 1837 she married John KEITH a brother of Edmunds wife. KEITH died in 1844. The widow again inter~married with one Jacob HENSON a widower ofthe neighborhood. This last marriage like most marriages in old age proved rather an unhappy one. Mary Ann died in 1863 or 1864 and her remains lay buried in the little family graveyard near the remains of her husband John KEITH. Her children are either all dead or have gone to the far west and I am unable to trace their locations if any yet living.

As to the other three children of Uncle William HACKER I know nothing Whatever. He died with the disease as before described at the old farm on Hackers Creek about the same time or a little after his fathers death in 1826. His widow -Aunt Ada~ lived a year or 151

two longer and then died also. And they both lay buried in the family burying ground on the old farm.

Uncle William in his general character was grave and confiding and through all his con­ versation and transactions there runs rich a spirit of candor that all were at once im­ pressed with his sincerity and truthfulness. No equivocation or duplicity found a lodgment with him at any time. With these beautiful traits of character there was mani­ fested in him such a degree of cheerfulness as to enable him through all his long afflic­ tion to feel perfectly resigned to his lot. Hence his last days on earth were passed without a murmur or complaint. When William HACKER closed his earthly pilgrimage a truly good man passed away from the society of men on earth.

The second son and third child of my grandparents received the name of John. But as he was my father I will pass him for the present and proceed to consider the next in line and named:

Sarah HACKER

This child as near as I can now learn was born in the blockhouse on the old Hacker farm April 24th, 1775 or more probably as has been suggested by some -as Indian hostilities had again convened all along the line of frontier settlements and was now raging in all its relentless fury and Fort Nutter over near where Clarksburg now stands had been erected and it being well fortified and the strongest post in all that country- that Grandfather had moved his family down to that fortified place for protection. And if so then Aunt Sarah was born in Nutters Fort at the time mentioned above. But all this is of no special importance to my present undertaking.

Of the life of this child I know but little. Less perhaps than that of any other of grandfa­ thers children. Although her descendants are still living on the old homestead farm on Hackers Creek right where the entire life of Aunt Sarah was passed and no doubt could give -if they would- a full detail ofthe life of their mother yet after repeated applications to them for the information J have failed to elicit any response whatever.

Sarah like the other children grew up to womanhood a dutiful loving child sharing in all the hardships and deprivations of the times. Dodging from fort to blockhouse and from blockhouse to fort back and forth as the necessities of the case seemed to require during all that long continued savage warfare until it was finally brought to a close at the treaty of peace at Greenville. Of course like the others her opportunities for an education and the better cultivation of the mind were limited indeed yet we find her later on in life with mind quite well improved. Whether she had the opportunity of attending school for even one hour I do not know the supposition however is that whatever of school privileges there were attainable at the time she got her share of it. Again there is little doubt but she at­ tended the schools taught by her brother William in the forts and shared in the advan­ tages offered thereby. She however had a good mind and from the instructions thus 152

imparted by her brother as well as from those received from her parents she grew up quite an intelligent woman.

On the 29th day of March 1796 a few days before reaching her 21 st birthday she was married to Captain David SMITH a brother of my mother and at the same time and place with my own parents.

After their marriage they settled down on a portion of the land owned by Grandfather HACKER and subsequently they became the owners ofthe old homestead farm. Here they continued to reside cultivating the soil for the remainder of their lives. What number of children they had I have not ascertained I have only heard oftwo sons and three daughters.

Their youngest son named David Hacker SMITH is still living and residing on the old homestead farm and he is the person to whom frequent letters have been written making inquiries after the history of his parents but to all of which I regret to say he has failed to retum any satisfactory answer. I have only learned that perhaps they had but five chil· dren -two sons- John and David H. and three daughters named respectively Margarette, Nancy and Lydia. That the youngest -Lydia- married a man by the name of WOLF and subsequently moved to some part of Missouri. All the others married and remained in Virginia and I presume are now all dead. As to what families they may have had or where they are I have not been able to learn.

At what time Aunt Sarah died I have been unable to learn for the reasons as above stated. She however lived to a good old age perhaps near or past four score.

Her husband David SMITH was born as I learn in October 1773 nine months after the birth of my own father and as before stated married Aunt Sarah at the same time and place that my father was married to his sister Susannah SMITH. And I have recently learned that he died in November 1865 at the ripe age of 92 years and lays buried by the side of his loving wife Sarah in the graveyard on the old farm where so many of the old relatives of the family now repose.

Aunt Sarah with her husband David SMITH were both pious good people, members of church, firm believers in the doctrines of Christianity. And during their lives done what they could to further the cause of pure religious principles among the people where they resided. Having thus lived a holy life their deaths could but be triumphant and happy.

Their youngest son named David Hacker in 1827 married a Miss Telitha MCWHERTER. Her parents were quite respectable people. Her brother represented the county in the legislature for many years. By this marriage cousin David had seven children all girls. Five of whom were married but to whom or what families they may have raised I have no knowledge. 153

Cousin David with his five sons-in-law remained true to the union cause during the rebel­ lion. At the first call for volunteers -through near three score years of age- assisted in raising a company - was elected and commissioned Captain. But soon after promoted to Drum Major of a brigade and in that capacity assisted in the storming of Philippi by the union troops - led his brigade at the battle of Conicks Ford and at the famous battle of Rich Mountain. To show that a little ofthe old Patriotic fire, the love of liberty and of a free government which inspired our ancestors from the Diet of Worms to the Treaty of Green­ ville still remained fresh and vigorous in at least some portion of their descendants even at the present day I here give an extract from a letter received from cousin David H. SMITH under date of June 21 st, 1865. He says, "My dear Cousin - Being now at home and having an honorable discharge from the Army ofthe U.S. I have both time and dis­ position to write in answer to your kind letters I have from you.

To attempt a description ofthe horror of war out of which I have just come would be as useless as it would be to attempt by force of language to make the borrowed light of the Moon outshine the brilliant rays ofthe noon-day sun.

"From wars we pray, relieve Oh! God. Chastise us, by some other Rod."

Yet we say a word ofthe Shenandoah Valley -Known by the cognomen of the valley of Virginia- Her broad spread plains chequered into convenient fields interspersed with magnificent Domacils all beautified to taste. Pastures bespotted with tens ofthousands of lowing and bleeting herds, dairies and meat-houses crowded with the luxuries of life, the groves made vocal by the serial songsters while the song of praise burst forth from the worshipping congregations through the windows of Magnificent buildings erected for the worship of God. Thus she stood in 61, But what of her now!! - Houses, barns, horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, fences with the ornamental fixtures and implements of husbandry all swept away by the ravages ofwar, 10 she is now one vast graveyard. A few wandering citizens are to be seen with sad countenances gazing at the stately chimneys yet stand­ ing as monuments over the charred remains oftheir once stately buildings and happy homes- "Oh! my Country, my Country to what infamy thou art fallen". After the roar of cannon, din of musketry and clash of arms the valley is hushed into a death like silence and our whole country cheered with the glad sounds of Peace - not a peace by compro­ mise, but a Glorious Peace by conquering Rebellion. Also the sound of Freedom, such as our country never before enjoyed, the shackles having been knocked off the bond man by the wisdom of our President and the valor of our soldiers, our Flag that is again unfurled over all the states of the union has come out ofthe struggle without the loss of a star while every star and strip shines with more resplendent beauty having been baptized in Blood, now the Goddess of Liberty may find a resting place on the top of our flag-staff, fold her golden wings and sing a requiem of peace on Earth, Goodwill and Freedom to man that shall be as endurable as the Everlasting Hills, and all mankind whose hearts are properly attuned will sing Praise to God for our great deliverance," 154

I have enclosed some leaves and flowers as momentoes of certain spots that our minds often dwell upon with painful interest - 1st a clover taken from the grave of our Aunt who was murdered by the Indians; 2nd a ferren leaf and clover with wild flower taken from the plat of ground where your (now sainted) mother was left when the scalp was torn from her tender head; 3rd Laurel leaf and blossom from near the same place and off of the Rock where the Indian chief Tecumseh lay with his warriors the day before he took and made prisoners of the WAGGONER family. All these places are in plain view from the window by which I am now writing -except Aunts grave which is hid by a small rise in the ground- and about four hundred yards distant."

"My age is 60 years the 6th day of May 1865, am in but feeble health, though improving since my return from the army. With deep solicitude for your present and future happi­ ness, Dear Cousin God Bress you Adieu

Major D. H. SMITH

To Dr. Jacob HARDMAN, South Bend, Indiana

Margarette HACKER

The fifth child and third daughter was named Margarette after its mother. This child was born in the blockhouse on the Hacker farm December 27th. 1776 a few months after the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War had commenced.

This child like her sister Mary Ann was in her life peculiarly unfortunate in that she had to share a double portion of the calamities that was at that time being visited upon the peo­ ple in that part of the country.

Little Margarette grew up through infancy and childhood sharing in all the hardships and deprivations incident to those troublesome times with the other children and what amount of knowledge or education there was to be had she got her share of it and thus became a sprightly intelligent child.

On the 5th of December 1787 being then near eleven years of age she went over to stay with her sister Mary Ann whose husband Edmund WEST with his brother Alexander had gone on their annual hunting expedition in order to procure their winters meat. And while here on that terrible afternoon about one hour by sun that awful tragedy occurred -as has been previously related in these sketches- in which her sister and a younger brother of WEST, were killed and herself terribly hacked up and mutilated and left for dead by that band of Indians led on by the notorious renegade Leonard SCHOOLCRAFT, a young man who had been raised in that neighborhood until about 16 years of age when he was captured and taken away by the Indians in 1779 soon after turned Indian himself and now leads a band of his savage associates to perpetrate this hellish deed. 155

The question right here has frequently been asked "How was it known that the blue eyed savage was Leonard SCHOOLCRAFT and what could have induced him to manifest such extreme desire for the destruction of both the daughters of John HACKER when the same parties had captured a daughter of Jessee HUGHES and treated her with as much consideration as the savage heart is capable of?" The answer to the first is that while held in captivity Miss HUGHES learned all about the parties and who it was. This she re­ lated on her return a year afterwards. But the reason as stated above she could never learn from SCHOOLCRAFT himself nor from any of the Indians by whom she was held as a prisoner. And I think that the only reasonable hypothesis that can be offered is -that like Simon GIRTY in the case of grand Uncle William HACKER- he had been detected and exposed in some dirty trick by Grandfather HACKER and had no doubt been re­ proved for it. And like GIRTY he had resolved on revenge. The absence of Edmund WEST leaving his family unprotected offered the opportunity he had no doubt long sought for and he had his revenge.

It is suggested in a former part ofthese sketches that SCHOOLCRAFT before being cap­ tured by the Indians himself he had formed an attachment for the lovely Mary Ann and learning that she had been given to another resolved upon her destruction -such things are offrequent occurrence even in this day- this while it might satisfactorily account for the horrid butchery of the married daughter it does not at all account for his extreme de­ sire for the death ofthe others.

What really became of SCHOOLCRAFT after this I do not know I have no tradition on the sUbject nor do I find his name subsequently alluded to by any author whose writings I have had the privilege of consulting. There is but little doubt however that he soon after miserably perished in a drunken row which was offrequent occurrence among the sav­ age tribes ofthose days -as they are yet- or that he was slain in some of the fierce battles fought with the whites soon thereafter. Be all this as it may he disappears and I can find no other account of him.

After the savages had departed and darkness settled down upon the surroundings little Margarette from the loss of blood from her many wounds becoming exceedingly thirsty and not being able to get back over the fence dragged herself off as best she could into a tree top a few rods away for the purpose of shelter during the night. Here as has been previously described that long cold and to her terrible night was spent until the first cock crowing in the morning. The blood continually flowing from the wounds she had received. At the crowing of the cock for morning as she subsequently stated she groped her way over to the home of old Mr. WEST where she was found the next morning. Her son Ja­ cob HARDMAN now of South Bend. Indiana who in 1826 was on the ground and made a full survey of the premises over which she had to drag herself from the place where the scalp was torn from her head to the home of Mr. WEST writes me of it, "Now as to the situation of the two houses -that is Edmund WESTs where the awful tragedy was perpe­ trated and old Mr. WESTs where the child was found the next morning- were distant from each other at least 45 rods. And in going from where she was in the tree top over night to the house she had to descend a rocky precipice -a difficult undertaking even by daylight- 156

a depth of some 30 feet to a brook the crossing of which was also difficult by reason of the uncertain depth of the water where the bloodstains showed that she had went in and come out on the opposite side. And then she had to ascend out of the ravine in a devious way over large boulders and bench rocks and then when over all this she was more than 40 rods from the home. I can not now recollect the description they gave me when I was there as to the nature of the ground from the crossing ofthe brook to the house where she went but think they told me it was a cornfield. When I was there in 1826 and viewed the place where the awful tragedy was perpetrated and the ground over which she crawled that cold terrible night the whole surroundings had become a perfect desolation as though the Angel of death had passed over and left his blighting curse upon it all. Both houses had been totally abandoned and tom away and I was only shown where they had stood as well as the course she had traveled as was indicated by the bloody trail she had left on the ground as she passed along."

Now when we remember that this child of tender years had been knocked senseless by the stroke of the brutal savage on the head. then dragged out ofthe house and through the yard by the hair ofthe head and thrown over the fence. her scalp tom off in a most brutal manner, and then -when directed by the fiend SCHOOLCRAFT-plunging his knife through the large muscle of her arm and down into her side making a wound of more than three inches in length down along the rib right over the heart, the spending the hours of that long cold night -from five in the evening until say five the next morning a space of full twelve hours duration- with no other covering but her ordinary clothing while the blood ran trickling down continually from more than a hundred lacerated veins and blood vessels, her terrible sufferings for want of water all those long dreary hours, grop­ ing her way down the rugged ravine for water, crossing the cold stream -perhaps more than waist deep- in the cold shivering condition she was then in, ascending the opposite bank and crawling more than forty rods through that stockfield glittering with frost to the house and all this before it was yet light we can only imagine the terrible sufferings she endured and the patient heroic fortitude she exhibited for one of such tender years.

When brought home the next morning and asked by her mother why she left the tree top in the dark and run the risk of groping her way down the ravine, wading through the cold water and going so far over to the house of old Mr. WEST. Her reply was "Oh I was so cold and wanted a drink so bad. And I thought I had better go before daylight. I was so afraid that Ingen with the blue eyes was still watching for me and would come and cut my head clean off. I also remembered that they had carried away all the beds and clothing from Mary Ann's house while they had left sister and young WEST groaning so awfully I could not think of going in there so when I heard the chickens begin to crow for daylight I thought I would try to make my way over to old man WESTs where I hoped to find some one at home that would dress my wounds and take care of me." Now when we take into consideration all these terrible sufferings that child had to endure those twelve terrible hours with the courage fortitude and firmness of mind she displayed we can but conclude that the preservation of her life could have been nothing short of Providential. Nor did her sufferings cease on being brought home and folded in the arms of her loving mother for whose tender care she had mourned all that long dreary night. Under proper care and 157

tender nursing the wounds inflicted by the knife of the savage in her arm and side soon healed over and gave her but little trouble thereafter. Not so however with the wound in her head and especially the place where the poll ofthe hatchet had fallen. That particular place never healed and for 28 weary years more she suffered on until it finally caused her death. All this has however been accurately described in a former part of these sketches and need not be again repeated.

Just ten years from the date ofthis terrible scene December 5th, 1797, Aunt Margarette was joined in marriage to Peter HARDMAN a young gentleman of German decent who with his parents had some seven years previous emigrated from Hardy County over on the South Branch of the Potomac and settled within three miles of the old homestead on Hackers Creek.

This marriage although made contrary to the wishes of her father was to her an agree­ able as well as fruitful one having had born to her ten children -five of each sex- in a little over fifteen years. All of whom lived and grew up to mature age, married and become heads offamilies of their own. Uncle Peter HARDMAN being an industrious, thrifty per­ son soon began to accumulate property around him. And after residing in Virginia near the old homestead for eleven years from marriage he determined to follow the tide of emi­ gration to the far west. So disposing of the property he had accumulated they loaded their household goods including children in a four horse wagon which was driven by a hired man. Aunt riding another horse carrying in her arms her then youngest child while Uncle walked and drove two or three milch cows they had concluded to take with them. In this manner they journeyed on for near three weeks towards the setting sun. On the 17th day oftheir journeying they reached what was then called Tatmans Prairie in the north­ west part of Greene County, Ohio and a short distance east of Mad River. Here they made a halt and determined to locate. This journey was made in October 1808. Securing a little cabin in the vicinity of several settlers who had preceded them they spent the win­ ter and in the spring of 1809 becoming satisfied with the country Uncle purchased from Andrew READ. Esq. as administrator of the estate of Colonel Jonathan MERCER, Sr. a tract of land he had secured a title to laying a short distance -two miles perhaps- north of the little village of Fairfield where they settled down and spent the remainder oftheir days.

Here as in Virginia the same industry and thrift attended their labors until very soon they were not only in fuJI possession of the necessaries of life but also many ofthe luxuries in abundance.

As has been before stated the wound on Aunt Margarette's head where the scalp had been torn off -especially that part of the naked skull on which the stroke of the savage had fallen- never healed but continued a running sore having to be dressed and cleaned usually twice a day until finally the skull bone that had received the stroke crumbled out and left the brains naked and exposed. I have heard my father frequently when describ­ ing the circumstance say that the only remedy they could procure that seemed to afford any relief to the suffering child was a preparation at that time known as "British Oil". This 158

when applied caused the head to heal over where the scalp had been removed with a kind of glossy covering except the place where the poll of the hatchet had struck. This could never be made to heal over but continued to inflame and emit puss. When the oil would be applied to the inflamed part it would seem to allay the inflammation and stop the discharge but then it would immediately brake out in the same place. And thus she was made to suffer on for the term of 28 years.

In the first fifteen years of her married life as above stated she brought forth ten children. Her first being twins -this of itself would have been enough to have sent most ofwomen to a premature grave- yet with a remarkably robust constitution and with all a cheerful happy temperament -never complaining but always contended- she was enabled to un­ dergo it all and perform her household duties.

But notwithstanding all this that noble constitution of that more than patient woman was gradually being undermined. In January 1814 then came a dull throbbing pain in the head near the region of the unhealed wound indicating that the malady had reached the nerves of the brains. And although her appetite and mind remained unaffected yet her nervous system began gradually to give way so that at times she would have to be helped on and off the bed. She thus continued to gradually sink until the 20th day of July 1815 at about the hour of eleven AM while sitting in a chair in the shade under an arbor in the front yard a few feet from the door of the house she suddenly exclaimed "Oh Peter" -as calling to her husband who fortunately was near by- she fell into his arms and was then laid in a reclining posture on a pallet where she had been sitting. An artery in the head had ruptured - the blood spurted in a fearful stream through the opening in the skull and in but a few minutes more the stroke of the savage given 28 years before had done its terrible work. With an occasional deep moan her face lit up with a pleasant smile and when all was over though that face -from the loss of blood- was now white as the purest marble that beautiful placid smile was still there Dear Aunt Margarette was at rest.

At that time I was several months less than five years of age yet I distinctly recollect see­ ing my mother with her sister -Aunt Nancy SLEETH- and Sarah MCNOBLE carrying Aunt Margarette into the house and commence preparing her for the grave. This is all the recollection I have myself of my dear, long suffering -yet never complaining- Aunt Marga­ rette HARDMAN.

She was buried the next day in what is known as the Tatman Cemetery located perhaps a half mile northeast of the village of Fairfield in Greene County, Ohio.

The personal appearance of Aunt Margarette as I am informed was about as follows: height 5ft. 6 or 7 inches, weight 135 pounds, straight in her makeup, a graceful short step in walking, intelligent, good sized head, round face. forehead high. quick piercing gray eyes like her father. a well formed nose, thin lips, pleasant mouth, lovely counte­ nance, never looked sour or sad even in time of deepest grief, would weep with quivering lips while a pleasant smile would appear on her face, a devoted wife and a kind affec­ tionate mother. Her voice was sweet and musical like that of her mother. Hence she was 159

a beautiful singer and after she had become a church member at about the age of 12 or 13 years she soon became a leader in that part of public worship. She was also able in prayer and was often called upon to lead in social religious meetings. Of course she was possessed of good social qualities and was for that reason a special favorite among her acquaintances.

I might here sketch the lives and characters of her several children as also that of her husband Peter HARDMAN but as all this will come in more appropriately in connection with the history ofthe HARDMAN family - the material for which is now being collected I will therefore pass it for the present and proceed with the history of the HACKER family.

Jonathan HACKER

The sixth child and third son was named Jonathan but for whom I do not know as I do not find the name in the family register among any of the relations prior to him. This child was born in the blockhouse on the old farm as I am informed on the 10th day of January 1779.

The mother after the birth of this child had but barely got upon her feet until the hostile demonstrations caused a retreat of the family into the fort for safety as the historian re­ cords it the settlements on Hackers Creek were entirely broken up and "many of the in­ habitants retiring east of the mountains; while the others went to the fort on Buckhannon, and to Nutter's Fort near Clarksburg". Such was the condition of matters in that part of the country at the time this Uncle of mine was brought into the world.

Another author puts it in this wise: He says, "The winter of 1779-80 was long remem­ bered in the west, as the hard winter. The freezing weather set in by the middle of No­ vember, and continued without a thaw until the latter part of February. The ground was covered with snow and ice. Thousands of animals perished in the forests; and deer and buffalo, tamed by cold and hunger came up into the yards along with the domestic cattle. The settlers themselves were reduced almost to starvation, a single johnnycake being di­ vided among a whole family as a days allowance. Spring came early; but with it also came the Indians, who must have suffered terrible during that awful winter, and who now renewed their hostilities with a fury never before known. They seemed resolved by one desperate and persevering effort to wrest their beloved hunting grounds from the Long Knives".

Of the life of Uncle Jonathan I know but little. Although he has a son still living in western Virginia yet I have almost entirely failed in my efforts to obtain information in regard to his career through life. I have however obtained the following facts in regard to him which I proceed to give as the best I can do.

That he grew up to manhood sharing in all the hardships ofthe times with the other chil­ dren of the family. And so soon as he was able shouldered his trusty rifle and partici­ pated in the Indian War until it was finally brought to a close. The education he received 160

in his boyhood days was such as could be obtained at that time. And no doubt most of the schooling he got was in his brother Williams school as taught by him while residing in forts and blockhouses.

In appearance Jonathan was much like his father though not quite so tall or muscular. In his make-up however he was well formed and stood square on his feet. On his arriving at full age - manifesting much taste for mechanism and machinery his father deeded him a portion of his estate laying a short distance down the creek from the home farm upon which he soon had a mill erected and grinding out bread stuff for the surrounding settlement.

This enterprise however not being as profitable as he had anticipated or desired he sold out these possessions and removed to the town of Weston the county seat of Lewis County and commenced the cabinet making business which as I am informed he contin­ ued for the remainder of his life.

Uncle Jonathan had perhaps an over amount of sanguine temperament and was in con­ sequence somewhat given to "castle building" - and some way got it into his head that he could start "the perpetual motion" and for several years devoted much of his time to that fanciful chimera.

I remember that perhaps in 1822 my father getting a letter from him stating that he had his machine about finished and that in a short time he expected to be in Ohio among his friends and have with him liThe wonder of the world and the glory of Columbia". But like all visionary schemes of the kind when he got his machine started the motive power that was expected to keep it in perpetual motion soon found its balance and there it stopped. By the foregoing it will be readily understood that while he possessed some inventive powers of mind he was never much of a success in anything.

About the age of 22 or 23 years -as men usually do- Uncle Jonathan selected for his partner through life a sprightly young lady of the neighborhood by the name of Hannah BENNETT with whom he spent more than three score years of happy wedded life. I have no definite information as to Aunt Hannah's parentage. They had nine children - five boys and four girls. All perhaps at this writing are still living - one daughter is dead. None of them came west as I am informed but one daughter who is living in Cincinnati, Ohio. One son, John T. HACKER, the oldest perhaps whom some correspondence has recently been had was living when last heard from in perhaps Ripley Jackson County, West Vir­ ginia and was engaged in his life work that of an Itinerant Methodist Minister. But at what point he is now located I have no knowledge.

Uncle Jonathan HACKER being but 16 years of age at the close of the Indian War it is presumable that he had but little personal share in it except perhaps to assist his father and others in keeping guard in and about the forts and occasionally chasing a band of hostiles out of the country. He died at Weston -as I am informed- July 7th, 1865 being a little past 87 years of age. And that Aunt Hannah survived him nearly two years. She died 161

March 19th, 1867 and both lay buried in the family graveyard on the Hacker farm by the side of his parents.

Alexander HACKER

The seventh child and fourth son was named Alexander for his Uncle Alexander SLEETH as also for his Grandfather on his mothers side. This child was born some time in 1781 and most likely while the parents were in Fort Buckhannan or Nutters Fort near Clarksburg and with the other children grew up to mans estate sharing in all the trials and tribulations of the times. Being possessed of a good mind as were all grandfathers children he got such an education as could be obtained for him by his parents. Being at the close of Indian hostilities perhaps less than 14 years of age the probability is that he had but little share in the struggle going on except to assist in guarding the fort and blockhouse where the family for the time being might be located. It is well known that in these exercises every one that could handle a gun had to participate and even at times the women had to assist in standing guard and often take part in the hottest of the fight.

After Uncle Alexander had grown up to manhood he married a Miss Elizabeth MCNAMARA and settled down to agricultural pursuits which he continued to follow for the remainder of his life.

This Uncle of mine was another of the peculiarly unfortunate ones of grandfathers children.

The woman he married I have but little knowledge of only that she was a kind and affec­ tionate wife. But from some peculiar nervous derangement in some way after she had born several children she unfortunately lost her mind and gradually became insane. There being no hospitals at that time for the treatment of such cases Uncle Alex had to take the best care of her as he could himself. And thus she lingered along for some 10 or 12 years and died without regaining her mind.

When this unfortunate calamity commenced coming on the children being small and needing the care of a mother of which they were now deprived they became scattered over the country where ever they could find homes among the neighbors.

How many children there were of them I do not know I never heard of but three or four, and all boys, one named Jonathan -perhaps the oldest- learned the blacksmith trade and perhaps as early as 1828 emigrated to Indianapolis and established himself in that busi· ness, married and had several children. I was at his house in the summer of 1834 which was the only time I ever saw him. He appeared at that time to be doing well some few years later, perhaps in 1838, he died with the malarial deseases ofthe country. But what has become of his widow and children I do not know.

Another son was named Philip who with a younger brother when quite boys made their way to the Ohio River and engaged work on boating crafts down the river. Philip being of 162

a good mind industrious and enterprising soon made himself so familiar with the river as to command good wages as a pilot and was sought for to take that position on steam boats then running between Louisville and New Orleans. In this capacity he spent the greater portion of his remaining life. He married and settled in Louisville and being of steady habits he soon acquired a competency so that the evening of his days were passed in ease and refinement. But in all his abundance if he ever made any inquiry in regard to his poor struggling father or ever made any offer to assist him I can only say' never heard of it and do not believe that he ever did. He died as llearn five or six years since at his home at Louisville but what family he may have left I know not.

Another son -the youngest perhaps- was named Thomas Sleeth· being but a mere child when the affliction came upon his mother he was taken by Grandfather HACKER and cared for until his death in 1824 and was then taken by his Uncle David SMITH and brought up with his own children until of age, subsequently Thomas S. came to Ohio and as t am informed is now living at Letart Falls in Meigs County, Ohio. A son of his named William Granville HACKER visited me two years since and is now residing at Wichita, Kansas engaged in quite extensive merchantile business.

After the death of his wife -his children all being scattered abroad- Uncle Alex left Virginia and came west in perhaps 1825 or 1826 stopping for a short time with relatives in Ohio and then came on to his brother Absolems in Hamilton County, Indiana and settled near Strawtown where he spent the remainder of his days.

Some short time after reaching this place of his last residence he married for a second wife a sister-in·law of Absolem HACKER. By her he had some two or three children but of their history I know nothing.

Uncle Alexander was the smallest in size of any of Grandfather HACKER's sons being not over 5ft. Gin. in height, though rather heavy set for a man of his height with a round full face much after the stile of his father though much smaller generally. He died in Ham­ ilton County perhaps some twenty years since but just at what time I am not advised nor do I know anything about his second wife whether she survived him or died before he did.

Elizabeth HACKER

The eighth child and fourth daughter born in Nutters Fort near Clarksburg sometime in the year 1784 or 1785 and received the name of Elizabeth for its Aunt Betsey FREEMAN who was so brutally murdered by the Indians in June 1778 as has been previously nar­ rated in these sketches.

Aunt Elizabeth was perhaps the most delicate child born to our grandparents and was another ofthe peculiarly unfortunately ones of the family. 163

1am in possession of no special account of her life previous to her marriage only that she grew up to womanhood a dutiful loving child sharing in the hardships of the times with the other members of the family. The education and cultivation of mind she received was such as could be procured in that part ofthe country.

In 1807 being at that time about 22 years of age she was married to Henry HARDMAN a brother of Peter HARDMAN who had married her sister Margarette some ten years previ­ ous. In October 1808 they started in company with Peter HARDMAN for the new settle­ ment on Mad River in Ohio. It is stated that all the property they were in possession of at that time was one horse a side-saddle and a feather bed. The saddle and bed were placed upon the horse with Aunt Elizabeth mounted upon top and thus they started to seek a home more than three hundred miles away in the then far west while Uncle Henry HARDMAN took it a foot assisting his brother Peter in driving the stock he was taking with him. In this manner they journeyed west until they reached the hill country west of the Sciota Valley. When just as they were about halting for the purpose of camping for the night the horse which Aunt was riding from some unaccountable cause became sud· denly quite ungovernable and in frisking around as horses will do some times the saddle turned and Aunt of course came down and under the heels of the horse and was finally extricated from her perilous situation with a broken thigh bone and otherwise bruised up. No surgeon being in reach Uncle Peter had to reduce the fracture and dress the wound as best he could.

This terrible accident of course stopped Aunts further progress towards the west for that season. She was however conveyed on for some distance until they reached the cabin of a settler where they obtained a place at which Aunt could remain until she might recover of course Uncle Henry remaining with her while his brother Peter went on to his destination.

Early in the spring Aunt having so far recovered as to risk the further pursuit of their jour­ ney they started on and in due time reached the home where his brother Peter had lo­ cated. In this settlementthey continued to reside making the best efforts possible for an honest living until the fall of 1811 when Aunt gave birth to her first child -a lovely little girl­ but from the labor and prostration of which the mother never rallied and within two short hours from the birth of the child the mother died. And I presume was buried in the same little graveyard where Aunt Margarette a few years later was also quietly laid away.

Her little helpless offspring was taken by its Aunt Margarette and cared for as one of her own. It was named Charlotte by Uncle Peter HARDMAN for his own mother. A few months after the death of Aunt Elizabeth, Uncle Henry gathered up his little means and returned to his former home in Virginia where he subsequently married again and com­ menced life anew and raised quite a family of children by this second marriage.

On the failure of Aunt Margarette's health in 1814 ·as has been previously narrated- an opportunity offering little Charlotte was sent by Uncle Peter to her father in Virginia. 164

In 1826 when the old home was visited by Uncle Peter and his son Jacob -now living at South Bend, Indiana- Charlotte was a fine intellectual young woman with quite a get up about her. And she has no doubt made her way through the world in a respectable man­ ner. What has been her condition or circumstances since the time above referred to I have no knowledge whatever and she may still be living for aught I know.

Absolem HACKER

The ninth child and fifth son was named Absolem - but why or for whom I do not know. Like that of Jonathan I do not find the name -Absolem- in the annals of the HACKER, SLEETH or TURNER families before this one. But so it was he received that name from his parents and bore it through life. And I might further say that I have not met with the name among the family connections since. This Uncle seems to be the last as well as the first that has born the name.

Uncle Absolem was born in the old blockhouse on Hackers Creek near the close of 1787, 8th or 9th of December. His birth was what is usually called a "Premature Birth" and was rather an unfortunate circumstance to his mother and came near causing her death.

It will be remembered that on the morning of the 6th of December 1787 was the time when grandmothers two daughters -Mary Ann and Margarette· were brought home to her so terrible hacked up and mutilated by the notorious Leonard SCHOOLCRAFT and his band of brutal savages, one already dead and the other apparently past hopes of recov­ ery. Their horrid mangled up forms and bloody appearance so wrought upon the mothers mind as to bring in premature labor and Absolem was ushered into the world a small specimen of humanity truly -so small as I have heard my father frequently relate the women in attendance placed him in a quart cup and did 'not fill it- yet small as he was at his birth nevertheless he was healthy, lived, grew up and became at maturity the largest one of the whole family of children. Some over six feet in height large bone with enough flesh to make him straight as an arrow a good head, a short quick dignified step and had quite a portly appearance.

This Uncle of mine like the other children of the family grew up to manhood, receiving such an education as was common for the times. When at about 8 years of age the strife with the Indians was happily brought to a close by the treaty of Greenville consequently the great portion of his early life was passed in much more peaceable times than were those ofthe older members ofthe family.

In the fall of 1811 during a visit which Uncle Peter and Aunt Margarette HARDMAN made to their parents in Virginia Absolem decided to come home with them where he remained until March 1812 when he was married to Miss Elizabeth KIRKENDALL a daughter of Mr. George KIRKENDALL who had come with his family in 1805 direct from the South Branch of the Potomac to the Mad River settlement. 165

After his marriage Uncle Absolem lived around in that neighborhood until perhaps some­ time in 1815 when he returned with his family to Virginia where he remained until per­ haps 1819, when he again came west and for a time resided near my father in Montgomery County, Ohio.

About 1823 or 1824 he came to Indiana and settled on a farm in Hamilton County near the old Indian village called Strawtown on White River. Here he remained pursuing the business of agriculture until perhaps about 1856 when his children having all grown up and sought homes for themselves farther west the parents determined to follow them. And the last I ever heard of them was that Uncle Absolem HACKER with his wife, Aunt Elizabeth, both at that time being past their three score and ten had started on foot to reach the residence of one or more of their children over in Illinois. And whether they ever did reach their proposed journeys end in safety I know not as no other information what­ ever in regard to them has ever reached me.

Whilst Uncle Absolem resided near my father in Ohio as above stated I became quite in­ timate with three or four of his oldest children, associated with them more or less every week but on their removing to Indiana I never met anyone of them afterwards and of course as I was young myself they soon passed out of my mind and I have now no fur­ ther knowledge of them.

Uncle Absolem with his excellent wife being of a very religious turn of mind with steady industrious habits - always busy doing something yet from some cause they never suc­ ceeded any great amount of property around them I doubt if they were ever the owners of 300 dollars of property at anyone time in their whole lives. Consequently when they left Indiana for the residence of their children in Illinois they had no other means to go upon but to take it a foot which as I understand they did.

As a child I had -while they lived in Ohio- quite an intimate acquaintance with Aunt Eliza­ beth and as I remember her she was a kind hearted woman and affectionate loving wife and a tender careful mother to her offspring. And no doubt Uncle and Aunt have both long since been laid away in some quiet place to await the final resurrection.

Thomas Sleeth HACKER

This name was given to the 10th child of my grandparents for his Uncle Thomas Sleeth a brother of Grandmother HACKER. He was born in the old blockhouse on Hackers Creek March 18th 1790. And of course was but 5 years of age at the close of Indian hostilities and had no share in the troubles of those times only as he was protected and bourn from place to place for safety in his mothers arms.

Thomas grew up to manhood working with his father on the farm. And being the young­ est son it was understood that he was to remain with and take care of the old people while they lived and for which he was to receive the home farm at their death. This condi­ tion he faithfully performed. 166

At the death of his father in 1824 Uncle took charge of the farm - at that time comprising about 160 acres. The remainder of the original location having been divided off among two or three of the other children and as before continued faithfully to administer to the returning wants of his now aged mother. In the fall of 1831 believing he could better his condition in life by coming west -whither his wife's father James KEITH had already emi­ grated- he made arrangements with his brother-in-law David SMITH to fulfill his place in caring for the mother while she might still live. This arrangement being satisfactory to the old lady he then sold his interest in the old farm to Uncle David SMITH and came with his family to Shelby County. Indiana and settled on a tract of land adjoining that of his father­ in-law James KEITH. The whole tract being in the woods he proceeded to erect a little cabin into which he placed his young family and then set about clearing up his land in or­ der to make an honest living for them as best he could. In this laborious occupation the remainder of his life was spent until disease had so fastened upon his physical system that he became totally helpless and incapable of any further efforts whatever.

In perhaps 1852 there came gradually upon him a malignant spinal infection which baf­ fled all the medical skill that could be obtained and it continued to run its course without the least abatement until his fife disappeared. He died at his home in Shelby County, In­ diana September 28th, 1858 being at the time in the 69th year of his age.

Uncle Thomas in his prime was a large portly person full six feet in height well formed and muscular. A good sized round head and face, dark hair and eyes and much like my father robust and healthy. Perhaps never at anytime so sick as to confine him to the house until the fatal malady which terminated his life.

In the summer of 1814 Uncle Thomas volunteered with his brother Absolem and many others of the young men of that section ofthe country in the defense of the country along the Chesapeake Bay and especially Baltimore and Washington and for which services his widow drew a pension from the government several years prior to her death. The war being closed he received an honorable discharge and returned to his home again to en­ gage in agriculture pursuits.

December 17th, 1817 he was joined in marriage with his second cousin Margarette KEITH and immediately took her to his home with his parents. Here the young wife at once entered upon the new duties now devolving upon her in not only attending to the necessaries of her own offspring which in due time began to come up around her but also in ministering to the wants of the aged parents of her husband. In all ofthese mat­ ters she proved herself a most dutiful daughter a careful loving mother and an affection­ ate wife.

After the death of Uncle Thomas she remained on the farm caring for her children until they had all grown up married and gone off to do for themselves. The care of her children being now off her hands and age with its enfeebling depression beginning to tell upon her she gave up the cultivation ofthe farm to her youngest son and found a comfortable 167

home with her children -principally with her daughter Elizabeth- where her latter days of life passed in comfort and serene enjoyment she died January 4th, 1880 at the advanced age of 86 years.

The mortal remains of these devoted loving couple now repose side by side in the little family graveyard near the farm home where they had passed so many years of wedded life.

Aunt Margarette HACKER like Aunt Margarette HARDMAN was a "fruitful vine" having in the first twenty years of her married life born the following children: HACKER 1st James Keith born 1818, August 1st named for his mothers father. died 1821, October 15th about 3 years of age. 2nd John Conley born 1819, November 11th-named for his Grandfather on the other side of the house. This child came with his parents to Indiana in 1831 grew up a studious industrious young man ever dutiful and kind to his parents. And especially to his mother John was dutiful and affectionate child. But his life was cut short by the hand of death. He died of the prevailing malarial disease of the country. died 1843, June 26th about the age of 24 years. 3rd Catharine Alkire born 1821, May 15th named for the Grandmother on the mothers side of the house. This child grew up to womanhood, married her brother-in-law John KING - moved to Montgomery County, Illinois where she is still residing and enjoying life with most of its comforts and blessings. 4th Louisa Jane born 1823, February 14th Grew up, married a Mr. Barney KNIGHT, subsequently moved west and is I learn residing at some point in the state of Missouri. But I have no further knowledge of her. 5th Emily Malvina born 1824, March 29th Grew up came with her parents to Indiana and married Edmund CALLINS. died 1856, May 2nd 6th Asby Pool born 1826, January 30th Grew up an enterprising business man married and subsequently located in Indianapolis where he is still living in good health and prospering. 7th Mary Ann born 1828, March 10th named for the unfortunate Aunt Mary Ann WEST. Grew up and married John KING, moved to Illinois where she died 1856, September 29th. 8th Thomas Perry Green-born 1829, December 10th-Why this child received all the name he did I do not know. The name Thomas however has become quite common in the HACKER family since its connection with the SLEETH family. Thomas grew up an industrious boy, learned the carpenters trade, married and settled down in life at Rushville, Indiana where he is still residing busily engaged in his legitimate calling. 168

9th William Keith born 1831, April 14th named for his mothers brother as also for the Sailor Boy as well as for the original Wilhelm. William grew up to manhood, married and is still living on the old home farm in this county. Unfortunately for him he has just been called to bury his wife - the mother of his six bereaved children. This sad calamity came upon him September, 1880.

These 9 children were born to Uncle Thomas S. HACKER and his dutiful wife Aunt Mar­ garette KEITH while living on the old homestead on Hackers Creek, Virginia and with the exception of the first -which died in infancy- were all brought with them to this county in the fall of 1831 as has been before stated.

10th Elizabeth Margarette-born 1834, June 29th both these names as will be observed are very common on both sides of the house and it would be rather difficult at this time to define for which of them she was named - more than likely however for all of them. This child like the others grew up a dutiful child to her parents. Married Jessie MALVY and is still living on their farm some three miles southwest of Shelbyville with quite a family about them and prospering. During the latter 8 or 10 years of the life of her mother Elizabeth furnished a comfortable home for her and most affectionately cared for her aged parent in her declining years with all the tender care of a loving daughter. 11th Sarah Kerzia born 1837, September 13 named in part at least for Aunt Sarah SMITH. Grew up and married Ezra MALVY -a brother of Jessie MALVY's- but did not survive her marriage many years, she died leaving 8 little helpless children to mourn for the care of a ten der hearted loving mother. died 1869, March

These were the several children born to Uncle Thomas and Aunt Margarette. All of whom -except the first- they succeeded in bringing in respectability to adult age. Four of whom have since passed away leaving at this writing -October 15th, 1880- six out of the eleven born still living an industrious respectable people.

Mary Ann HACKER

This was the youngest of the children born to my grandparents and was so named for their first born so cruelly murdered by Leonard SCHOOLCRAFT and his band of sav­ ages six years before this little Mary Ann made its appearance into the world. This child as I learn was born in the old blockhouse July 18th, 1793.

It will thus be seen that the nine youngest children of the family were all born either ;n a fort or blockhouse while the parents had to be continually on the watch-out for marauding bands of hostile savages and it must be left for imagination to draw a picture of the 169

terrible anxiety of mind a mother must have to endure when about to bring forth a child under the continual alarm of approaching bands of savages sounding in her ears. And no doubt but hundreds of children were thus born in forts and other places of refuge while the horrid yells and the chack of the savages rifles were surging on the assault and the fierce conflict on all sides around them. What scenes of terror and affliction our Grand­ mother had to endure under such circumstances no person can describe nor do I believe it possible for our minds at these times in which we live to conceive even a tithe of terror and fear that must have pervaded the mind of an affectionate mother under such circum­ stances. But so it was that nine of the eleven Aunts and Uncles of mine were thus brought into the world and by one of the most heroic devoted mothers that any family of children was ever blessed with.

Aunt Mary Ann being the youngest of the children naturally became the pet of the family she was a lovely even tempered child full of life and animation and having good intellec­ tual endowments she soon became a source of much comfort and pleasure to her parents.

When she was but two years of age the strife with the savages was happily brought to a close consequently she could have no recollection ofthe terrible scenes through which the country had been passing for so many of the previous years.

Aunt Mary Ann grew up to womanhood and although she had no share in the bloody strife which was so soon after her birth brought to a close yet she had to endure many privations incident to frontier life that we of this day know nothing about.

In 1811, being at the age of about 18 years she was joined in marriage to a Mr. John HELMICK -a young farmer of the neighborhood- with whom she lived a happy and con­ tented life of 54 years. Uncle John HELMICK as I am informed died in 1865. Having never moved his family out of Lewis County, Virginia I can but suppose that his remains lay deposited somewhere near the old homestead on Hackers Creek. As to his life and early history I know nothing further than is here stated.

How many children Aunt had by her marriage I do not know, I never heard of but three Jacob - perhaps the youngest child the last time I heard from him was in 1868 he was then living with his family over on Elk River in Braxton County, West Virginia and had his mother at that time living with him.

In 1864 and 1865 I had some quite interesting correspondence with Dr. A. S. HELMICK at that time living down in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. The Doctor claimed to be a son of Aunt Mary Ann HELMICK and from the account he seemed to give of himself I gath­ ered that he had left his parents when quite young - wandered off and had lost sight of his blood relatives entirely and he made many inquiries of me in regard to them. After several letters had passed between us and in the most friendly manner we had ex­ changed photographs he SUddenly stopped and I have been wholly unable to learn 170

anything from him since. My supposition is that at about the time his letters ceased com­ ing he died.

As above stated when last heard from Aunt Mary Ann was still living and with her son Ja­ cob -this was in 1868- and for ought I know to the contrary she may yet be living. But if so she must at this writing be past 87 years of age and is the last surviving child of my grandparents on my fathers side. And it is not at all improbable that she may yet be alive as both of her parents lived to be of near that age and her grandparents as we have seen both lived to several years beyond that age of life.

A communication from Ira G. HELMICK under date of June 2nd, 1881 gives me the fol­ lowing additional information. He says:

My father John HELMICK was born in Pendleton County, Virginia May 6th, 1779; mar­ ried for his first wife a Miss Joanna RYON, had by her two children Daniel born 1805 and James born 1807. The mother then died. James is dead also. Daniel is still living and is a Protestant Methodist Preacher. John HELMICK then married for his second wife Mary Ann HACKER in 1811 lived for a while in Randolph County, Virginia but finally came to Harrison (now Lewis) County where all their children 13 in number were born. Four of these died when small, the others are all living in West Virginia - except Alexander S. who is now residing in Washita City, Louisiana and Hannah who married a man by the name of John SIMMONS moved to Missouri and is thought to have been killed by the In­ dians as no account of her has ever reached their friends in Virginia. Uncle John HELMICK's life business was that of farming. He died on his farm in Lewis County, West Virginia in 1862 at the age of 83 years.

Cousin Ira further informs me that his mother -Aunt Mary Ann- died January 28th, 1880 at her home in Braxton County, West Virginia and was buried in a graveyard near where she died.

Aunt was near 87 years of age at the time of her death. This old couple were life long members of the M.E. Church and both died a peaceful and happy death.

Chapter XXVI

In this chapter I must turn back to the third child and second son of my grandparents. Born as the family records show January 17th, 1773 and received the name of John so named no doubt for Duke John brother of Frederick the Elector of Saxony at the begin­ ning of the sixteenth century. Both of whom were such firm friends of the reformation of that century. And here I may be permitted to mention rather a remarkable circumstance which I have found running through the entire HACKER families from the origin ofthe name in 1520 down to the present time. And that is I have scarcely found a family of the name in the long line of 360 years through which I have traced it but what the name of 171

William and John has been found among the names given to the children of the family. And this peculiar circumstance let me say has been a wonderful aid to me in tracing out through the dim light of history and tradition the true line of family decent as set forth in the foregoing sketches.

What particular service the Noble Duke rendered the family in those perilous times that his name should be thus held in such grateful remembrance by succeeding generations through the long line of centuries as it has come down to us has been lost in the mist and confusion of revolving time. But it must have been something that had a tendency to in­ spire the noblest sentiments ofthe human heart. And although the nature of the particu­ lar circumstance -through the whirl of time- may be lost yet the sentiment of gratitude it inspired in the great heart ofthe family has not yet ceased to vibrate and thrill that heart with grateful emotions even to the present generation.

It will be remembered that in the fall of 1772 -in the time when the notorious Simon GIRTY led his savage band to the successful massacres of Grand Uncle William HACKER's family as has been detailed in the former part of these sketches. At that time the settlers on Hackers Creek were but few and wholly unable to defend themselves against any considerable company of hostile Indians. In consequence of this and not knowing how far the Indians might again have become hostile towards the white people a hasty retreat to Bush's Station on the Buckhannon -subsequently called Fort Buckhan­ non- was effected with as little delay as possible. Here in this station or fort the families from Hackers Creek remained during that winter and until late in the spring of 1773 be­ fore they could feel assured that the Indian had not really commenced hostilities against the whites and that there was no further danger to be apprehended from them. It was while my grandparents were thus residing at this station or blockhouse that my father John HACKER was born at the time as above stated.

I have frequent heard him say that he was born in a blockhouse, lived and grew up in a fort or blockhouse until he was 23 years of age, married and commenced domestic life in a blockhouse. It will thus be seen that the entire infancy, childhood, youth and up to man­ hood life of my father was passed in forts and blockhouses while surrounded with all the dangers of a predatory savage warfare continually going on and stoking terror in the minds of the helpless. How many narrow risks he ran in meeting the fate of so many of his early associates must be left to conjecture. It is extremely doubtful if even he himself was ever aware of a tithe of them. However in looking over the history of those 23 years of cruelty and bloodshed as we have it spread out before us some faint idea may be formed ofthe immensity ofthe dangers as well as difficulties that had to be met and over­ come by the residents on the frontiers during whose long years of strife with the savage hordes of the northwest.

Under these circumstances then my father grew up to mans estate sharing in all the hardships as well as tribulations of the times. During the 12 or 15 last years of this war he with the other young men of the settlement had to shoulder his trusty rifle and share his turn on guard or scout duty and often in chasing the hostiles out of the settlement. 172

I have often set and heard my father relate scenes that occurred with the Indians while this bloody strife was going on. That while out on scout duty watching out for the ap­ proach of Indians so as to give timely alarm to the settlement the savages being on the sharp lookout also would sometimes discover the scout as soon as they would be discov­ ered by him. And then the race would commence - the white man to escape the Indians rifle, reach the settlement and give the alarm; the Indians equally intent on securing the scalp of the white man and prevent the alarm being given to the settlement. And thus the race would continue sometimes for miles the swiftest ofthe Indians leading the others in the chase but all intent on the two great objects -to secure the scalp of the white man and prevent the alarm- occasionally the summit of a ridge would be scaled or a sharp angle in a hillside turned by which for a moment the pursued would be out ofthe sight of his pur­ suers when such opportunities would always be seized to spring behind some friendly tree and with his trusty rifle raised await the appearance ofthe foremost savage when the quick crack of the rifle would stop his further progress. And then like a startled deer bound off again while reloading his trusty rifle until another such opportunity would offer when another ofthe savages would suddenly cease his pursuit and so on until the vicin­ ity of the fort would be reached or the band of hostiles be brought to realize the unprofita­ bleness ofthe pursuit and so give it over - change their course and make their way back out of the country as speedily as possible.

All these things grew out of the necessities ofthe times. Every young man and often times women too, so soon as able to handle a gun with any dexterity, were regularly en­ rolled and put upon guard duty, and thus stand their share of the terrible conflict going on.

Just how my father got his education I do not know but this I do know that for the times he was considered quite a good scholar. Whether he ever went to school an hour in his life is doubtful. But whether this was so or not he being of a sedate reflective mind with strong mental endowments he would have but little difficulty as he grew up in gaining a good share of all the knowledge and information that was to be had in that part of the country. And aside from this he had in his mother one fully competent to take the position of school-master to any and all of her children and right royally did that more than noble woman perform that responsible duty to her offspring. Not a child of the eleven she brought forth by her marriage relation but what received a good fair education which ren­ dered them useful members of society and enabled them ever to maintain a reputable standing in community.

March 29th. 1796 my father was joined in marriage to Miss Susannah SMITH. This as it will be remembered was but a few months after the return of Grandfather HACKER from the treaty at Fort Greenville with the liberated Indian captives.

My parents after marriage settled on a portion of grandfathers estate and commenced the business of agriculture for a living. They remained at this place for about nine years when circumstances so came about that determined them to leave and seek a location in 173

other parts ofthe great west. These circumstances as I have heard my father relate them were about as follows:

During the political contest between John ADAMS and Thomas JEFFERSON my father took sides with JEFFERSON while his brother William sided with ADAMS. Uncle William being of a nervous temperament with an active vigorous mind was rather aggressive and disposed to domineer in sentiment over the younger members ofthe family. This peculiar disposition may have been somewhat acquired while having charge oftheir education and if so then he seemed inclined to exercise the same authority over them even after they had grown up and gone out into the world to do for themselves. My father being rather of a different temperament unaggressive yet with a mind equally as active and vig­ orous as that of Williams and with a will behind all that to back him up could not quietly submit to the continued dictation's of his elder brother. This opposition in sentiment brought on frequent disputes between them on the subject of politics, William attacking the democrat sentiments of JEFFERSON and my father defending.

During the last contest between ADAMS and JEFFERSON the contest between the brothers became so hot that Grandfather had sometimes to interfere to still the dispute between them so far however as I ever heard their contests were always carried on in ap­ parent good humor yet it was exceedingly annoying to my father. William would always attack him on his favorite hobby at every opportunity he could find. After the duel be­ twean BURR and HAMILTON William became much more bitter in his attacks than ever before. This for the sake of peace in the family determined my father to separate himself and seek for a home elsewhere.

It would seem that Grandfather HACKER in locating the amount of land as he did in the first place did it with a view that each of his children as they grew up should have a share and thus he would have all his children settled around him somewhat on the old Patriar­ chal stile. This view however it seems he was now endeavoring to carry out so when it was announced that John had determined to emigrate his father strenuously opposed it and openly announced that if he did he would disinherit him at the outcome and leave him no part of his estate. But as before stated John had a will of his own and when he had made up his mind to do a thing he was not to be deterred by threats of being disin­ herited. True to his promise be it recorded that Grandfather in making his will left all his property to his other children while he left to his son John one dollar which was then nec­ essary under the laws of Virginia to render the will valid. That dollar as I remember my fa­ ther donated to assist in erecting a monument over the grave of his father.

At the time of which I am writing there was a company forming in the neighborhood ofthe Hackers Creek settlement with a view of emigrating and forming a settlement in some part of Ohio and after mature deliberation my parents determined to cast in their lots and go with the company.

Among this company of emigrants there were the families of mothers father - David SMITH, Grandmother HACKER's brother Alexander SLEETH with his several sons 174

grown to manhood and two or three married and with families of their own, Jacob BUT­ LER' Jacob and his brother Adam COZAD with their several sons grown up as also sev­ eral other families whose names are not now recollected. Thus forming quite a respectable company. In the fall of 1805 this company of emigrants left the settlement in Virginia and turned their faces towards the great west. As there were no roads in those early times by which a wagon or other carriage could be brought into use in conveying goods from the settlement into any parts of the then great west their only mode of travel was necessarily confined to the pack horse and afoot. My mother rode one horse and carried her fourth child in her arms the other three children riding another horse or walk­ ing along with father as they felt like it, while pack horses were used in conveying all nec­ essary household goods that was brought along. In this manner the whole journey of more than 300 miles were performed.

Crossing the Ohio River at Marietta they took the old trace by the way of Chillicothe. From thence bearing a little to the north in due time they arrived at what was then known as Tatmans Prairie in the northwest portion of Greene County, Ohio. Here they made a halt and determined to locate.

How long they had been on the way r never heard but considering the mode oftravel the meandering of the route they necessarily had to pursue with the difficulties and delays had in crossing the several water courses in their way the time it must necessarily have taken them to perform the journey must have extended to over a full month. But the diffi­ culties and delays were all finally overcome and all finally arrived in safety at their destination.

My father located his family for a time on a tract of land owned by Andrew REID, Esq. an early settler in that part of the country. This land was situated some two or three miles east of the little village of Fairfield in Greene County, Ohio, while the others ofthe party settled around in the neighborhood. Those who had the means purchased land for them­ selves while the others being without the means had to content themselves by renting such lands as they could cultivate. My father being among the latter of course had to cul­ tivate land owned by others.

After remaining in this neighborhood for some four years and seeing no prospect of bet­ tering his condition my father with David SLEETH, Jacob BUTLER and perhaps a few other families moved up further north into what was then called the barrens or Big Darby plains where on a stream called the Big Darby Creek they determined to locate. Made their selections of lands and commenced improvements. In these efforts they made good progress and had fine prospects of success before them. But right here the Indian trou­ bles came in again.

As is well known the years 1810 and 1811 is the time when the celebrated Chieftain Te­ cumseh was making his herculean efforts to unite all the savage tribes in one mighty ef­ fort to recover from the white people their hunting grounds and drive them back over the mountains. While these efforts were being made the Indians on the northwest frontiers 175

became greatly excited so much so as to show evident signs of hostilities towards aU new settlements of whites. This danger appearing 50 eminent in the spring of 1811 the set­ tlers in the Big Darby plains thought it best to return back to the settlement in Greene County.

My father now secured a location on what was then called the school section where we soon had erected a little cabin into which he placed his family now increased to nine in number and once more commenced the business of life anew.

August 16th, 1812 General HULL having surrendered Detroit with all the northwest por­ tions of the country to the English, volunteers were called for by the United States Gov­ ernment when my father with a number of others from that neighborhood promptly enlisted and marched to the field of conflict and rendered good service to the government until the time of their enlistment had expired. On their return a draft having been called for my father being one of the fortunate ones that drew a prize in that lottery the second day after he reached his home he was again marching to the field of strife.

The battle of the Thames finishing the war in the northwest and the time of fathers enlist­ ment having expired he received an honorable discharge from the commanding officer and returned to his home once more.

Having by this time accumulated a little means he repaired to the land office at Cincinnati and made purchase of a quarter section of land laying some two miles north of Mad River and near the north line of Montgomery County. Having again erected a little cabin and during the winter cleared off a few acres of land and in the spring of 1815 he moved his family into his own home no doubt feeling as proud and independent as would any lordly land holder with his numerous tenants around him.

But right here another terrible misfortune came upon him. During the two years my father was serving in the army the care and superintendance of family matters rested entirely with my mother. This of course with eight small children around her to provide for taxed her physical powers to their utmost extent. And then without sufficient time to recuperate her energies after my fathers return their removing again into the woods as it were to commence life anew with all its hardships and deprivations was more than the delicate condition ofthe devoted wife and mother could bear up under.

On the 16th day of February 1816 she was delivered of her ninth child. But so great were the discomforts she had undergone during the forepart ofthat cold winter her physical system had so run down and exhausted that from that child-bed she never rallied and five days from the birth of her child she quietly sunk into the embrace of death.

This was a terrible calamity upon my father indeed. It left him with not only the helpless infant on his hands to care for but with nine children to provide for several of whom were almost as helpless and needed as much the watchful care of a tender loving mother as did the new born babe while none were of such an age as to go forward and take charge 176

of household affairs without the presence of father to superintend and direct in all matters.

My mother on the next day after she died was quietly laid away in a grave made near the southwest corner of the land purchased by father and as I remember she was the only person ever buried on that tract of land of course her grave is lonely but her precious dust rests nonetheless securely awaiting the final resurrection.

My father now returned to his desolate home and struggled along in his bereavement as best he could for some two years when he married again. The woman he selected by his second wife was a Miss Susan CORGELL a sister-in-law of Andrew READ, Esq. on whose land he had found lodgment on his first coming to Ohio.

This woman done her part as a dutiful wife no doubt as well perhaps as could have been expected but unfortunately she did not possess the strength of mind to qualify her for the position of mother to the family of children into which she had now entered. Another great misfortune with her was that she was predisposed to hereditary insanity. This defect in her mind begun to show itself some six or eight years after marriage and of course was another source of great affliction to the whole family she however lived on and survived my father some three years being properly cared for and made comfortable by his chil­ dren -she not having had any of her own- while she did live and when dead her remains were deposited by the side of that offathers to await with him the event of all things.

My father continued to reside on his farm in Montgomery County, Ohio until the fall of 1833 when he sold out these premises and came to Shelby County, Indiana. Purchased a farm with Mill property on Blue River some two miles north of the village of Marion. Here on the 15th day of October 1834 -just one year after coming into the state- he died at the age of not quite 62 years. The immediate cause of his death was the malarial dis­ eases which followed the first appearance of the Asiatic Cholera in 1832 and so exten­ sively prevailed over the entire western country for several years after that dread malady had disappeared from the country. I think however that he was himself somewhat impru­ dent if not reckless in his working about the Mill and in the water repairing the dam, etc. especially at his age of life and a business he had never been used to. He had however been such a remarkable stout healthy man all his life time - even during the time he was in the Army and exposed to all the changes of the seasons often out in the most pitiless storms without shelter of any kind from all of which he came out without an hours sick­ ness. Hence he knew nothing about taking special care of himself. And a remarkable cir­ cumstance in his care was that the first sickness he ever had that confined him for a day to the house as well as the first dose of medicine he ever took was at the commencement of the malarial attack that in three short weeks terminated his life. The strong man under that fell disease was compelled to bow himself and yield to the victor.

My fathers occupation through all his life was that of a farmer. In his domestic relations quiet and orderly. Never in his younger days -as did his brother William- indulge to any great extent in hunting but was usually found about his home attending to his farm 177

matters and such other domestic duties as required his attention. His whole life was thus one of quiet peaceful domestic enjoyment.

In his general make-up he was of rather a bilious sanguine temperament with slightly nervous, consequently he never exhibited a spirit of restlessness or discontent but al­ ways hopeful and cheerful taking the world as it came without complaining. And I am quite sure that I never saw him exhibit a spirit of anger in my life on any occasion such a well balanced mind did he possess and such entire control did he maintain over his pas­ sions and appetites. He stood 5ft. 10 inches in height square built solid and muscular. In his prime average weight 180 to 190 pounds with powers strong and healthy capable of enduring almost any amount of fatigue. Full round chest, head and face, dark hair, dark hazel eyes, prominent forehead with heavy eye brows. In mind always calm and deliber­ ate. His movements soft and quick though never impulsive. In his entire make-up I pre­ sume he was more thoroughly like his father than any other one of Grandfather's children.

Such then was my father John HACKER and had he remained on his farm in Ohio where so many years of his life had been passed in health and domestic enjoyment I have no doubt but that full twenty years more would have been added to his natural life. But like many other parents a great desire to aid his children in getting a start in life induced him to sell out those possessions and remove with his means to a place where valuable homesteads could be obtained at a cheaper rate. This was the fatal error he made and it proved so with him in the outcome. At his death his body was deposited in the little cemetery near the town of Marion where it has quietly reposed to the present time, while willing hands and affectionate hearts have erected over his grave a little monument to mark his resting place.

I have said that my mothers maiden name was Susannah SMITH and that is about aliI know of her. As singular as it may appear I really know less of my own mother than al­ most any other relative that I ever saw. She died as I have stated early in the year 1816 when I was but five years of age so that my personal recollection of her could at most be but of the smallest imaginable.

All that is retained in my memory in regard to her is that I distinctly recollect seeing my father with the older children standing around her bed weeping. The next day several of the neighbors, men and women, came in with a long box took mother up from where she was laying placed her in the box, nailed it up, placed it on a sled standing in the yard and then drove off with it - the snow on the ground at the time being more than a foot deep.

I was too young at that time to comprehend anything perhaps of what such proceedings meant. And I really never knew what they had done with mother until several years after­ wards when on passing through the woods on one corner of fathers land with an older brother he pointed out to me mothers grave. I then understood it all. And that is the extent of all I can now recollect of her. Although my recollection of her be even so small and at this date there is no one living that I know of that ever saw her to whom I can apply with 178

any hopes of further information in regard to her. Nevertheless she must have been a woman of marked individuality and weight of character. This is inferable from the rever­ ence and high regard I have always entertained for her memory, which she must have in­ stilled into my mind young and tender as it was at the time and before her death. And here let me record it that that veneration and childlike love has never left me for a mo­ ment, even to the present day.

Often and often -as I yet remember- in my boyhood days when about to engage in some mischief - ifthe recollection of my mother would but flash upon my mind it would never fail to cause me to stop short. turn about and seek some retired place where unobserved r could take a hearty cry over my forgetfulness. The very thought that I was about to en­ gage in something that I felt my mother -if Iiving- could not approve and would cause her pain would always produce such an affection on my mind as to cause sad tears to flow in copious effusion. And it mattered not how many of my associates might be engaged with me let the memory of my mother but cross my mind and at once I would stop, turn about and leave them. And no amount of urging geering or tantalizing for cowardice could ever induce me to go one step farther with them. The only angry tussle I remember of ever having with any of my boyhood associates was in consequence of refusing to go on with them in their mischief after the thought of mother had come over my mind. I remember once of getting a considerable of a thrashing from a stout bully of a fellow because I would not thus go on with them. But it mattered not with me I would have died in my tracks before going another step in what I felt my mother -if living- could not approve. If there is such a thing as Guardian Angels keeping watch over us in this life then has the spirit of my dear mother been to me that Guardian Angel. Dear, Dear Precious Mother sixty five long years ago you left your little tottering boy on that cold blistering winters day in that little log cabin situated far out on the confines of civilization and went away on that sled through the deep cold snow never to return to him again. And now at the age of three score years and ten that little prattling child calls to mind and cherishes above all things on earth the little remembrance he has of thee. Would that I had some information in regard to the history of thy life -or knew where it could be obtained- how gladly would I search it out and write it down as some slight token of the love and veneration for thee which has been so indelibly impressed upon my heart. But as this is now impossible the next best thing therefore that I can do is to make this record of the undying sentiments of esteem which still burns brightly upon the Alter of my memory. What then must have been a mother force of character that could thus instill such sentiments of love and affec­ tion upon a young and tender mind and make them so permanent and lasting.

I never saw any historical record of my mother except the record in the old family Bible in my fathers own hand write simply giving the dates of her birth, her marriage and her death. I recollect however of seeing her name recorded in one other place. It was in a class paper of the M.E. Church. The paper contained a list of names of the members of that class: - 1st John HACKER-Leader; 2nd Susannah HACKER and so on giving the names in numerical order -as I now remember- of sixteen. Following the name of my mother there was subsequently entered in the handwriting of Rev. John STRANGE this memorandum - "Died and gone to Heaven". That class paper remained in possession of 179

my father until his death in 1834; what became of it subsequently I never knew -But what an epitaph- "Died and gone to Heaven".

Though deprived of the mournful privilege of understanding what it all meant as I with others stood weeping around her dying pillow - though too young to comprehend the in­ tent and meaning of the last blessing that quivered from her lips upon my young and in­ nocent head. Though I recognized not what meant that slow moving procession nor once permitted to gaze down into that cold silent lonely grave where they laid her -yet my heaving bosom still plainly tells me, even now -upon whom the withering hand of the de­ stroyer then fell- mother received that fatal blow.

Scenes of childhood still rise before me. Mothers gentle hands smoothes the pillow for my young head - I feel her warm fingers resting softly on my brow while her gentle voice whispers, "Guardian Angels, keep watch over my darling child this nighf'.

A few short hours only did she battle with fierce disease with many pains and most se­ vere -upon her cheek the burning fever flashed but for a moment, as it were- and then gave place to the paleness of the tomb. Her sinking form and withering hands now rise before me -I hear her hollow cough, the death rattle and the half smothered sigh. Toil worn and weary she sought rest and angels came and whispered, "It is enough". Come home and restforever.

But now the scene changes. As I look over onto the opposite side of the cold stream I be­ hold with tearless eyes and cheerful countenance -with firm step a lone pilgrim as she ascends Jordans distant shore- a flowing robe of righteousness floats from her shoulders and rustles in the breezes of Paradise. But, Hark she shouts, my labors are done, my warfare is ended, my sufferings are past, my tears are shed, Heaven is gained, home at last.

But again the scene changes -I am now old and soon my change must come also. And as I stand and look once more over the cold stream I behold -with but one exception- an unbroken family circle -Mother, Father, Sisters and Brothers all- all are there in one grand circle of light too bright to mingle with the shadows of earth. There they stand amidst glo­ ries that come not down to the misty fields of time to watch for the coming of the yet ab­ sent one of that family circle - 0 it is but sorrow on earth. But it is all joy - joy unspeakable in Heaven. Loved ones I miss you, oh it is so lonely without you. No more in this life will you share in my joys or my sorrows. But on your own blissful shore -in your own blood­ washed sinless haven where friends never part and tears never flow there await me -I too will soon be with you-at home.

From the family records kept by my father I learn that my mother was born September 18, 1778 making her some five years and eight months younger than my father. And as has been before stated they were married March 29, 1796. My father being a little past 23 and my mother not yet 18 years of age. 181

From history we learn that the colony of New Jersey was first settled by the Danes in 1618. The territory subsequently passed under control of the Swedes. From them to the Dutch and finally into the hands of the English Government.

In 1664 Charles II granted to his brother James -the then Duke ofYork- all the territory now comprising New York, New Jersey and Delaware. In the same year the Duke con­ veyed all the lands between the Delaware and Hudson Rivers to Lord BERKLEY and Sir George CARTERET. These possessions were then called New Jersey in honor of CAR­ TERET who had been governor of the Island of Jersey and held it for Charles I in his contest with the parliament.

These new proprietors formed a constitution for the colony, just and liberal in its provi­ sions, securing equal privileges and liberty of conscience to all; and appointed Philip CARTERET Governor, who arrived in 1665 and established his seat of government at Elizabethtown.

Here was just what thousands of those persecuted -for conscience sake- in the old coun­ tries so much desired. And a government so just and liberal in its principles could not fail to attract very great attention in those days of political and religious intolerance. Accord­ ingly we find vessels freighted with settlers and stores, to reinforce the numbers and sup­ ply the wants of the colony were continually arriving. And thus the province of New Jersey increased in settlements and continued to grow and prosper.

There is one striking circumstance in the early history of New Jersey that should never be passed over in silence, and that is, that no violence was committed on the unoffend­ ing natives. Governor CARTERET on his arrival and assuming his government thought prudent to purchase their rights to the possession to the soil, and the result of so equita­ ble a measure was highly favorable to the prosperity of the colony. In parting with the lands to their own satisfaction, they became, instead of enemies, friends and serviceable neighbors, and there is no instance on record of unprovoked violence being committed by them on the English settlers of New Jersey.

To this land of freedom from persecution and where they could worship God according to their own simple forms came my maternal ancestors and settled principally in what was then called East Jersey. Now known as Morris and Essex Counties of New Jersey.

On arriving in America these refugees from intolerance in the old country found them­ selves poor and in many instances entirely destitute as in leaving their native country they had to forsake all and get away from the prevailing systems of intolerance as best they could. Of course then their principal dependence for support for many years was their daily labor in subduing the dense forests and tiling the soil. These were their daily labors almost constantly from sun-up to sun-down. And then until way in the night and on inclement days they would be found in their shops making or mending some implement of agriculture, making shoes for the family or in arranging and putting up something of better convenience and comfort in and around their dwellings while the female portion of 181

From history we learn that the colony of New Jersey was first settled by the Danes in 1618. The territory subsequently passed under control of the Swedes. From them to the Dutch and finally into the hands of the English Government.

In 1664 Charles II granted to his brother James -the then Duke ofYork- all the territory now comprising New York, New Jersey and Delaware. In the same year the Duke con­ veyed all the lands between the Delaware and Hudson Rivers to Lord BERKLEY and Sir George CARTERET. These possessions were then called New Jersey in honor of CAR­ TERET who had been governor of the Island of Jersey and held it for Charles I in his contest with the parliament.

These new proprietors formed a constitution for the colony, just and liberal in its provi­ sions, securing equal privileges and liberty of conscience to all; and appointed Philip CARTERET Governor, who arrived in 1665 and established his seat of government at Elizabethtown.

Here was just what thousands of those persecuted -for conscience sake- in the old coun­ tries so much desired. And a government so just and liberal in its principles could not fail to attract very great attention in those days of political and religious intolerance. Accord­ ingly we find vessels freighted with settlers and stores, to reinforce the numbers and sup­ ply the wants of the colony were continually arriving. And thus the province of New Jersey increased in settlements and continued to grow and prosper.

There is one striking circumstance in the early history of New Jersey that should never be passed over in silence, and that is, that no violence was committed on the unoffend­ ing natives. Governor CARTERET on his arrival and assuming his government thought prudent to purchase their rights to the possession to the soil, and the result of so equita­ ble a measure was highly favorable to the prosperity of the colony. In parting with the lands to their own satisfaction, they became, instead of enemies, friends and serviceable neighbors, and there is no instance on record of unprovoked violence being committed by them on the English settlers of New Jersey.

To this land of freedom from persecution and where they could worship God according to their own simple forms came my maternal ancestors and settled principally in what was then called East Jersey. Now known as Morris and Essex Counties of New Jersey.

On arriving in America these refugees from intolerance in the old country found them­ selves poor and in many instances entirely destitute as in leaving their native country they had to forsake all and get away from the prevailing systems of intolerance as best they could. Of course then their principal dependence for support for many years was their daily labor in subduing the dense forests and tiling the soil. These were their daily labors almost constantly from sun-up to sun-down. And then until way in the night and on inclement days they would be found in their shops making or mending some implement of agriculture, making shoes for the family or in arranging and putting up something of better convenience and comfort in and around their dwellings while the female portion of 182

the families would all be busily engaged in household duties spinning, weaving and making up proper clothing for the family and occasionally assisting in the labors on the farm as necessity would require. And thus all had to be constantly employed which with the liberty of conscience they now enjoyed they soon began to prosper and they could but feel contented and happy.

And here another remarkable feature in the character of these devoted people is seen. The education and proper training of the rising generation was in no wise neglected, con­ sequently every child as it grew up to maturity received an education to the utmost extent that it was possible to obtain for them and thus was early implanted in their tender minds the elements ofMure usefulness and success.

As above stated the immediate ancestors of my mother on arriving in America settled in Morris and Essex Counties, New Jersey which as will be noted lays immediately on the opposite side of the Hudson River from New York. The decent of the family connection I have been unable to trace out fully from the fact that the family name -unlike those of HACKER and SLEETH- is so very common among almost every nation of people that in the attempt J soon became lost and confused and so had to give it up.

My maternal Grandfather David SMITH -as he himself has stated- was born in Essex County, New Jersey on the 23rd day of February 1743. By his parents he was brought up to habits of industry and received such an education from them as could be obtained at the time.

After arriving at manhood the business in which he principally employed his time during the winter seasons and in times when not necessarily engaged at work on the farm was that of shoe making in which he became quite expert and thus was of additional benefit to the community in which he lived. As there were no general boot and shoe manufacto­ ries then -as now- all these necessary articles of domestic use had to be made by hand and mostly by one or more persons in the immediate neighborhood as the demands would seem to call for it.

At the commencement of the troubles between Great Britain and her American Colonies ­ remembering the cruel wrongs his immediate ancestors had received at the hands of the English Government Grandfather SMITH jealously espoused the cause of the Colonies and stood a true and firm patriot to his country during her long and terrible struggle for freedom and independence.

In this latter period of her colonial history it will be seen that New Jersey more than com­ pensated for the immunity she had previously enjoyed by becoming the theater of hostile operations during the most dark and distressing period ofthe war. In these perilous times her patriotism was put to the severest test and was ever found to be ofthe true temper, daring and enduring all things with heroic self sacrifice. 183

In the defense of Boston and Massachusetts, New Jersey furnished her full quota of brave volunteers and rendered efficient service in the campaign of 1775. Grandfather SMITH numbering one among that host of patriotic heroes.

At the opening of the campaign of 1776 the American Army with WASHINGTON at their head was principally in and about the harbor of New York whither the British command­ ers after their repulse from Boston were evidently directing their course. New Jersey in consequence became the battle field and had to stand the brunt of the war for the next two years. During the disastrous retreat ofthe American forces from Long Island and down through the Jerseys the inhabitants suffered the most inhuman treatment from the British soldiery. These mercenary soldiers behaved towards the inhabitants with such a spirit of wantonness and cruelty that every where the people armed themselves to re­ venge the insults and as well as the useless destruction of their property they were made to suffer.

Without enlisting or joining the regular army under WASHINGTON the insulted and justly offended inhabitants of New Jersey formed themselves into bands under proper leaders ready at any moment to surprise a straggling party or cut off an unwary detach­ ment offoragers. And so successful were they in this skirmishing kind of warfare that the British dare not venture out for forage except in very strong parties. And even then these irregular bands of Jersey Militia never hesitated to attack them and very often drove for­ aging parties of over two thousand in number back to their fortifications leaving many prisoners as well as their dead in the hands ofthe Americans. East as well as West Jer­ sey thus became full of these irregular bands of militia and the British soldiery became as much panic struck at the name of WASHINGTON and his brave band of Jersey Blues as the American militia had been at the approach of the British troops a year before. The enemies foraging parties being thus so successfully cut off by the intrepid Jersey Blues the British officers were compelled to relinquish all their conquests in the Jerseys except Amby and New Brunswick. And thus terminated the eventful campaign of 1776.

In the campaign of 1777 these bands of Jersey Militia kept up their organizations and be­ ing emboldened by the success of WASHINGTON the previous year and having gained great confidence and respect for themselves continued in their persevering efforts until the British before the close of this eventful year was driven out of New Jersey and forced to take shelter on Staten Island under the protection ofthe guns of their war vessels.

In their retreat out of the Jerseys the British burned every house and wantonly laid waste every farm on their way. The church buildings in which these people assembled at stated periods to worship God according to their simple forms became the special objects of de­ struction of these brutish English soldiers and not a church building was left standing by them.

The cruelties practiced upon the inoffensive inhabitants were most horrid and inexpressi­ ble. They ruined and defaced every public edifice and made the whole country over 184

which they pass a perfect desolation. And thus the matter stood with the inhabitants of eastern New Jersey at the close of this ever memorable year.

In all these terrible efforts to repel the ruthless invader from their soil Grandfather SMITH with his two brother-in-Iaws Gabriel WRIGHT and Christopher R. PERRY took an honor­ able part SMITH and WRIGHT - First in the Boston and Massachusetts campaign in 1775 and then during the years of 1776 and 1777 in those irregular band of Jersey Blues which so successfully aided WASHINGTON with his regular troops in driving back the British hordes and relieving the inhabitants of New Jersey of their lawless ruffenism. While PERRY with his little war sloop on the seas was no less successful in cutting out vessels laden with supplies for the enemy. And thus important supplies, ammunition, clothing and other necessaries for American Army were often obtained.

In the opening of the Campaign of 1778 so great was the distress among the inhabitants of East Jersey that as early as March of that year they forwarded a strong petition to Gov­ ernor LIVINGSTON in which they set forth the terrible distress in which they were then involved and the fearful calamities that were then being inflicted upon them by the British foraging parties. "In shorf', they say. "our situation is beyond description deplorable. The powers civil and military are daily relaxing and disaffection prevailing. We can neither stay at our houses, go out, nor come in with safety. We can neither plough, plant, sow, reap nor gather. We are fast falling into poverty, distress, and into the hands of the en­ emy. That unless there can be sent to our relief and assistance a sufficient body of standing troops, we must be under the disagreeable necessity of leaving the country to the enemy, and removing ourselves and families to a distant place for safety. And that there are the sentiments not only of us the subscribers, but of all the rest of the officers civil and military, and other the good subjects of this state in these counties."

In addition to this humble petition we find General WASHINGTON from his headquarters at Valley Forge also writing to the Governor urging upon him "to immediately order out the militia to join Colonel SHREVE whose regiment he had detached into Jersey to re­ lieve the distressed inhabitants". "But the Legislature having neglected to make the nec­ essary provision for paying them the Governor could not bring them into the field".

Grandfather SMITH with his immediate neighbors and relatives in East Jersey having stood the brunt of this most devastating war for three years finding their personal effects and dwellings all destroyed and the tenure by which they held their real estates appear­ ing so precarious and uncertain and no prospects of succor or relief appearing -as stated in their petition to the Governor-determined many ofthe inhabitants of the eastern coun­ ties to leave the state and seek for safety elsewhere. Accordingly early in the spring of 1778 Grandfather SMITH with his brother-in-law, Gabriel WRIGHT with their families and perhaps many others of their neighbors with families set out on their western journey as destitute of worldly means as were their grandparents when they first located in the col­ ony a hundred years before. 185

It is not known whether they had any particular location in view when they first set out on their journey - more than likely they had not. Their object seemed to be to get as far re­ moved from British cruelty and despotism as possible. At least Grandfather traveled on until he reached the settlement on Hackers Creek in West Virginia. But why he made for that particular point before making a halt is not known unless it was that this was the far­ thest known settlement of civilized man on the continent and thus he hoped to be beyond the reach of British aggression from which they and their ancestors and suffered so much in the past two centuries. But in this he was terribly disappointed. For even here he found the British far in advance of him along the lake shores, at Detroit at Vincennes on the Wabash and many points in Illinois they had their agents among the savage tribes of the northwest offering them large rewards for human scalps and otherwise exerting and influence over those wild tribes to wage an unrelenting and indiscriminate warfare upon the inhabitants of the frontier settlements. And we have seen in a former part of these sketches how successfully this horrid business was carried out.

Grandfather SMITH with those who accompanied him to this new location having been engaged in the contest with the British troops for the past three years brought with them a considerable knowledge of how to meet and overcome hostile bands successfully. In this were they of very great benefrt to the settlement and most heartily did they enter into the contest then going on with the savage tribes ofthe northwest. Just what particular business Grandfather engaged in for a livelihood t am not informed but having become quite expert in the art of shoe making and there being a very great demand among these frontiers men for that most necessary article of domestic utility he no doubt put in much of his time in making and mending shoes for the people of the neighborhood. Having as before stated received a good education he occupied much of his time also in teaching school and especially so while the families were dwelling together for safety in forts and blockhouses. Here again he was of very great use to the families among whom he had settled. A goodly number ofthe young settlers on Hackers Creek got much oftheir schooling from old David SMITH. My father got most if not all his education from him who subsequently became his father-in-law.

David SMITH having lost all his property by British aggression before leaving New Jer­ sey and thus reduced to extreme poverty and on his settlement in Virginia having still to assist in the war and fight the battles of the country for seventeen years longer and hav­ ing quite a family now to provide for he could have but little opportunity of accumulating much property around him. I do not know that he ever became the owner of real estate after arriving in Virginia. And with all the disadvantages with which he had to contend for the remainder of his life I presume he never succeeded in accumulating sufficient means as to enable him to procure the title to a little homestead in his own right.

At the close of the Indian war in 1795 Grandfather being well advanced in years -though he lived over forty years afterwards- the remainder of his life was an uneventful one. He continued faithfully to labor in his calling farming, shoemaking and occasionally teaching school and thus he managed to secure the means of a comfortable living for himself and quite a family depending upon him for support. 186

In 1805 he was one of the company that emigrated with my father to Greene County, Ohio. Being at the time poor as were most of those composing the company he had of course to rent and cultivate such tracts of land as he could obtain. He took a lease for a while on the school section cleared off and cultivated a little farm on that tract of land, still however giving more qr less attention to shoemaking and occasionally teaching school.

But now misfortune of another kind overtook him. Their children had all grown up and gone out into the world to do for themselves and perhaps sometime in 1810 or 1811 a malignant disease took hold upon the wife and mother which in a very short time devel­ oped into a kind of consumption which run its course in some three or four years when the aged patriarch now past his three score and ten was called to lay the partner of his . joys and sorrows away to await the final resurrection.

This was a heavy stroke upon him. In his efforts to arrest the disease that had fastened upon the vitals of his aged companion he had exhausted all his little means and when the grave closed over her remains he found himself alone in the world and about as des­ titute of worldly means as the hour he was born.

After living alone until some time in 1817 the old man contracted another marriage ­ which perhaps would have been better for him to have left unconsummated as it sepa­ rated him from his own children several of whom were now in a condition to have fur­ nished him a good home where he could have passed the latter days of his life in comparative ease and comfort.

In perhaps 1820 he moved up into Miami County near Troy and for several years resided among his present wife's people. From whence in perhaps in 1825 or 1826 he came with them to Shelby County, Indiana. Here he became again associated with his daughter Nancy SLEETH's family and made his home for the remainder of his life. In 1831 being then past 87 years of age and becoming so afflicted with rheumatism as at times to be al­ most helpless he decided to give up housekeeping and while the old lady went to reside with her people up in the north part of the county Grandfather found a home among the SLEETH and HACKER families in the centre portion of the county. Here spending a few months at a time in one family and thus going from house to house among the children of his oldest daughter Nancy SLEETH and former son-in-law John HACKER he found pleasant homes and was comfortably provided for. And thus the remainder of his life se­ renely glided away.

In the month of December 1835 while making his home with my brother David HACKER at the old mill property two miles above Marion and in the same room where my father died 16 months before at the age of nearly ninety-three years he quietly passed away. It does not appear that any particular disease had taken hold upon him at the time. But rather that his life gradually ebbed away for the want of sufficient vital power to longer re­ tain it. 187

If I have been correctly informed Grandfather David SMITH was not above 5 ft. 7 inches in height. rather spare, never weighing perhaps much over 140 lb.. in his life, light com­ plexion, square built and straight in his general make-up, of a nervous sanguine tem­ perament, slightly bilious, hence he was found always employed in some useful business pursuits and with his sanguine temperament he could bear up manfully under all his terrible misfortunes through life. He was never known to become discouraged or despondent but always hopeful in the final outcome in the earlier years of his life -per­ haps during the first half- he was much subject to bilious attacks and in consequence suffered at times greatly from nervous initiation but in the latter part of his life this seems to have passed away and left him quite free from these disagreeable attacks.

His mental organism as we have seen was good and had been well cultivated in his early life and he was thus fitted to have adorned any station in community he might have at­ tained had he seen proper to have sought for them, but being a person of quiet deport­ ment and unassuming his highest ambition was to so bring up his children as to render them useful members of society. This he made his fife work and in the performance of which he was abundantly successful. And notwithstanding his serious afflictions and many misfortunes in the early portion of his life he lived to greatly beyond the average life time of people in general. At his death he was buried in the graveyard near Marion in this county where so many of his descendants and relatives lay buried many of whom had passed on before him and many more have gone on since.

At the age of about 22 years Grandfather SMITH was joined in marriage with a Miss Ly­ dia BALL of about his own age -a noble hearted lovely woman· who thus became my ma­ ternal Grandmother.

Of her parentage I know but little except that her ancestors were among those dissenters who refused to submit to the act of conformity of Charles II and who on the promulgation of the constitution granted by Lord BERKLEY and Sir George CARTERET -guaranteeing full liberty of conscience to all who would come over and settle in their colonies in Amer­ ica- cheerfully accepted the offered favor came over and settled in what is now called Morris and Essex Counties in New Jersey.

The exact period of the birth of Lydia BALL is unknown to me but as it is known that she was of about the same age of David SMITH the man she married she must have been born about the year 1744 or 1745. So far as I have been able to learn she had but one full sister and perhaps one half sister. If she had any brothers I have never heard of them. Her own sister Deborah BALL married Mr. Gabriel WRIGHT who as we have seen came with Grandfather SMITH to Virginia in the spring of 1778 settled in Rockingham County where he made his home for a few years. Then moved to Nekon County, Kentucky and in 1792 he came with his family to Ross County, Ohio and settled near the village of Frankfort where in 1811 he died and was buried in the graveyard at Frankfort. His widow died in 1817 and was buried by his side. Two of their sons -Job and Caleb- came over to Greene County where Caleb married Mary Ann SLEETH a daughter of Aunt Nancy 188

SLEETH. They subsequently moved up into Logan County, Ohio. From this pair have descended the WRIGHT families of Logan County, Ohio and Shelby County, Indiana.

After the birth of their second daughter it is supposed that great Grandfather BALL died or most likely was killed in one of the battles in the French and Indian War. The widow subsequently married a Mr. ALEXANDER by whom she had at least one other daughter named Sarah born about 1763. This child grew up and in 1784 married Christopher Raymond PERRY a celebrated naval officer in the Revolution and during the war with the barbary states -Tripoli and Morocco- and from her descended that large family of Na­ val Hero's Commodore Oliver Haggard PERRY being her first born. I have recently seen it stated that -the rather notorious Confederate Chieftain- General BUTLER now a Sena­ tor in Congress of the United States from South Carolina is a grandson of this same Sarah Alexander PERRY. How true that may be I do not know and do not care to inquire as I feel no desire to claim relationship with him - however remote it may be.

Grandmother BALL SMITH was born in Morris County. East Jersey the precise date of which as before stated is not known nor is the time of her marriage with David SMITH certainly known. But as her first child was born October 22,1764 their marriage must have taken place as early as the latter part of the preceding year. From this it would ap­ pear that she was married at about 20 or 21 years of age. Be all this as it may they had born to them the following named children: SMITH 1st Anna or Nancy from the Scotch dialect - born 1764 October 22 2nd Jonas - born early in 1768 3rd Caleb - born 1771 July 26 4th David - born in 1775 5th Susannah - born 1778 September 18 6th Abigail - born in 1781 7th Comfort - born in 1783 or 1784

These were the several children born to my maternal grandparents and perhaps I can do no better than to give a short sketch right here of the after life and character of each of them.

Nancy was born at their home in New Jersey October 22, 1764 and of course was not 14 years of age when her parents removed to Virginia in 1778. In 1782 at about 18 years of age she married Alexander SLEETH a brother of my Grandmother Margarette HACKER he was thus the Uncle of my father and subsequently by marriage became his brother-in-law.

Aunt Nancy SLEETH by her marriage with Alexander SLEETH became the mother of quite a numerous offspring and the progenitor of the many SLEETH families of Shelby County, Indiana. 189

Uncle Alex SLEETH's family was one of those who came with my father to the Mad River settlement in Greene County, Ohio in 1805 where they remained until after the close of the last war with England when perhaps in 1815 they came to Indiana and settled on the west fork of Whitewater in Fayette County near where the village of Waterloo is now lo­ cated. Here on the 14th day of May 1820 Uncle Alexander died and was buried in a little country graveyard six miles south of Centerville in Wayne County. The next year Aunt Nancy came with her children -several of whom were now married- to Shelby County and settled on Blue River not far from where the town of Marion now stands where several of them had purchased lands from the government and thus secured homes for them­ selves. Here Aunt Nancy continued to reside with her children until November 25th, 1834 when at the home of her daughter Susannah SENEY she died and was buried in the graveyard near the town of Marion where the mortal remains of her father was laid one year later. The immediate cause of Aunts death was a cancer in the left breast with which she had been afflicted for several years.

The names time of birth and death of her several children are as follows: SLEETH 1st David born 1783 August 29 died in Fayette County, Indiana 1820 Apri116 a month and four days before his father. The immediate cause of his death was what was then called the white swelling with which he suffered terribly for some years before his death. His family was one of those who went with my father up into the Darby Plains in 1809 with a view of making their homes in that section of the country but was driven back some two years later by the Indians. David SLEETH was buried in the County graveyard some six miles south of Centerville in Wayne County, Indiana. Andrew R. SLEETH. Esq. of this county is his youngest child and is the only remaining child of David SLEETH now living. I must here record that Andrew R. SLEETH died May 5,1881 and so all David SLEETH's children have now passed away. 2nd Alexander born 1785 August 18 died in Shelby County, Indiana 1831 August 6. Alexander SLEETH married Christea KEITH a daughter of James KEITH and did not come west until the fall of 1826 when my father went for him and brought his family over to Greene County, Ohio. From whence they came on the same fall to Shelby County, Indiana and settled among his relations near Marion where he died as above stated and was buried in the graveyard near that place. After his death his family scattered and as is now supposed are all dead but one son named Emanuel and now living in Morristown in this county. 3rd Thomas born 1787 August 15 died near Brookston, White County, Indiana some time in 1870. Thomas SLEETH married Rachel CORGELL a sister of my step-mother. They never moved to this county but remained in Greene County, Ohio until late in life when he purchased land in White County and moved on to it as 190

above stated. One of his sons is said to be living some six miles north of Munae in Delaware County. Whether there is any other of the family now living I am not informed - perhaps his youngest son Alum is still living on the farm in White County. 4th Jonas born 1787 July 9 died in Fountain County on the Wabash in 1849 one of his daughters -Mrs. Sarah BADGER- is said to be living in Indianapolis with two of her sons her husband having been dead for several years. Another daughter May Ann CHAPMAN is living in Marion and a son Ralph is said to be in Denver, Colorado. 5th James born 1790 July 9 died in Clark County, Ohio in 1861 of the family of children he raised I know nothing and they may all be dead for ought I know. 6th Mary Ann born 1793 July 16 died in Logan County, Ohio in 1873. She married Mr. Caleb WRIGHT a son of Grandmother SMITH's sister as before stated and was thus the mother of the WRIGHT families of Logan County, Ohio and Shelby County, Indiana. Several of her children are still living. 7th William Hacker-born 1795 August 15 died at his farmhouse two miles above Marion in this county 1846 November 13. William H. SLEETH filled many important stations in life. He held the office of County Reader for some 14 years and at the time of his death he was in his second term of Probate Judge of the county. But two daughters and one son are now living. His remains lie buried in the graveyard near Marion by the side of his mother and her father. 8th Robert Porter -born 1798 April 20 died in Cincinnati, Ohio about 1854. Robert came to this county with his mother in 1821 . About the time of her death he moved with his family to Cincinnati where he died as above stated. His children all went west somewhere about St. Louis. How many of them are living I do not know. His widow subsequently married Cousin David H. SMITH and is still living near Butteville, Warren County, Ohio. 9th Caleb born 1800 May 1 died at his home a short distance east of Marion 1879 August 16 and was buried in the graveyard in his own land and near his late residence. His children have become very much scattered. But one son so far as I know is living in this county. 10th Nancy born 1802 August 14 died 1830 August 11. She married a Mr. Able SUMMERS and after her death he moved to some one of the new counties up north and what has become of him or his family I am not advised. Nancy of course was also buried in the Marion graveyard. 11th Albert born 1804 November. Perhaps in 1837 some two years after the death of his mother he removed with his family to Macon County, Missouri when in 1847 he died. Of the family he left or what became of them I have no knowledge. These eleven children were born to 191

Aunt Nancy by her marriage with Alexander SLEETH on Hackers Creek in Virginia before the family came west. After reaching the Mad River settlement in Greene County, Ohio her last child was brought into existence. 12th Susannah born 1808 Apri/16. She of course came with her parents to Fayette County, Indiana and subsequently with her mother to Shelby County where she reached her maturity and married a Mr. Ira SENEY. They removed with her brother Albert to Macon County, Missouri where as I am informed she is still living of her family of children she may have had I know nothing.

It is perhaps proper that I should here say that Aunt Nancy was Alexander SLEETH's second wife. His first wife was a Mrs. MONTGOMERY a widow with three children and by whom he had two children. SLEETH 1st John born 1774 December 7 2nd Molly born 1779 November 13 When the mother died. Molly the youngest child died 1797 May 7.

John came west with his father· first to Ohio then to Fayette and subsequently with his step-mother and her family to Shelby County, Indiana where he died in September 1851.

In the early settlement of this county John SLEETH was quite a prominent person. He was one of the proprietors of the town of Marion and made great exertions to have the county seat located at that place. But it being to far north of the center of the county he failed in that.

He was elected and served one term of seven years each, each as Associate Judge of the Circuit Court of the county. He also served one or more terms on the Board of County Commissioners, one of his sons is still living an industrious thriving farmer in this county.

One of the MONTGOMERY girls and raised by Albert SLEETH married the Rev. Moses HINKLE who a few years later followed her father to Ohio and for some years traveled the circuits and preached acceptably for the M. E. Church. He subsequently located and per­ haps in 1828 he joined the Radical Methodist Church and was sent as the Preacher in charge to Louisville, Kentucky where he remained until the organization of the M. E. Church south in 1844. When he changed his relations to that church and was then sent to Nashville, Tennessee as editor of one of their magazine publications where he died but at what date I do not know. Of the other two children of Mrs. MONTGOMERY before her marriage with SLEETH I know nothing whatever.

The second child of my maternal grandparents was named Jonas· born in 1768. He married a Mill Neomi MCNEAL - some time after the close of the Indian War they left Vir­ ginia and settled in Jackson County, Ohio where he died perhaps as early as 1825. Their children as it is supposed are all dead. 192

The third child was named Caleb. Born July 26, 1771. May 7, 1792 he married Miss Elizabeth HARDMAN, a sister of Uncle Peter HARDMAN.

They came to Ohio in 1807 and after residing in Fayette County near Frankfort some two years moved over into Greene County and settled among the other relatives near Fair­ field. In 1818 they moved down onto Todds Fork of the little Miami in Warren County where he died August 13, 1851. Aunt Elizabeth died January 6, 1861. They had eleven children born to them. These are now all dead but two - David H. and Susannah. These are both living near Butlerville, Warren County, Ohio in the neighborhood where their parents died as above stated. Cousin David is now living with his third wife having buried his two former wives. His present wife as before stated was the widow of Robert SLEETH. Susannah married Michael TULLIS and had by him one child -a daughter- he died about 1835. Since which time she has remained a widow and is living with her daughter near Butlerville.

The fourth child of my maternal grandparents was named David - born in 1775. He mar­ ried my father's sister Sarah and in the blockhouse at the same time my father married his sister.

They had seven children - 4 sons and 3 daughters. None of them ever came west so far as I know and are supposed all to be dead. David Hacker SMITH their youngest son died on the old Hacker farm in Virginia May 5, 1879.

These four children were born in New Jersey before the parents removed to Virginia and after they had settled on Hackers Creek the fifth child was born and named Susannah. She was born according to my father's record September 18, 1778. This as it will be noted was some 5 or 6 months after the parents had reached their present location and while they were residing in Wests Fort for security from the attacks of the hostile Indians.

Susannah SMITH became my mother, a short sketch of her life has been given in previ­ ous pages. And a sketch of her children will be given hereafter.

The sixth child was named Abigail. Born in 1781 she married George COLLINS, came west and settled in Warren County, Ohio where she died about 1830. The widow with her family then moved up into Miami County near Troy where she died a few years later. The children all went off farther west perhaps into Illinois and are now all supposed to be dead.

The seventh child was named Comfort. Born in 1783, she married Absolom MCNEAL came to Jackson County, Ohio with her brother Jonas SMITH and settled in the same neighborhood where in about 1835 MCNEAL died. She died May 14, 1869 aged about 86 years. They had 9 children born to them - one son and two daughters went off farther west and it is not known to me what became of them, one son and two daughters are 193

known to be dead. The remaining son and two daughters are at this time living at the old home in Jackson County, Ohio.

My mother Susannah SMITH as has been before stated was born September 18, 1778. This was perhaps within five or six months after her parents had reached the Hackers Creek settlement in Virginia. In June of that year was the time that Aunt Betsey FREE­ MAN was so horribly murdered by the Indians and a bullet from one of their guns sent crashing through the bonnet of Grandmother HACKER.

At that time -as it will be remembered- the settlers on Hackers Creek were all in Wests Fort a few miles down the creek below the Hacker farm and of course mothers parents being among them she was born in the fort and while the Indians were raiding the coun­ try and scattering death on every hand.

Chapter XXVIII

There is little doubt but that my parents were brought up together from early childhood and were in each others company more or less almost every day; attended school to­ gether while in forts and blockhouses and received a good portion of their education from her father. In this manner a warm attachment in quite early life grew up between them. It is quite certain that father waited some two or three years for her as he was past 23 and she not yet 18 when they were married. Be this however as it may it is certain that their married life was a most happy and agreeable one. They had 9 children born to them as the fruits of their married life. All of whom grew up to mature age and all survived them.

The first child was named David for his Grandfather David SMITH. Born July 24, 1797.

The second was named Anna -or Nancy as it was called in the Scotch dialect- for Aunt Nancy SLEETH as also for Anna TURNER the heroic wife of the Sailor Boy - Born No­ vember 12,1799.

The third was named Jonathan for Uncle Jonathan HACKER, born March 6, 1802.

The fourth child was named John for his father as also for his Grandfather John HACKER. That having been a special favorite name in the family for more than 350 years. This child was born January 12,1804.

These four children were born while the parents were residing on the old farm in Virginia.

The first child born on reaching Greene County, Ohio was named Jonas for its Uncle Jonas SMITH, born April 20, 1806. 194

The sixth child was named Elizabeth for grand Aunt Betsey FREEMAN the unfortunate sister of Grandfather HACKER before mentioned sister Elizabeth was born April 24, 1808.

These two last named were born while the family were residing on Andrew REIDs farm some two miles east of the village of Fairfield in Greene County, Ohio.

The seventh child was myself and named William for the original founder of the name, for the Sailor Boy, for Grandfather HACKERs lost brother and for my fathers brother Wil­ liam. As will be seen this is another favorite name among the HACKER families the rea­ son for which have been fully set forth in these previous sketches. My birth according to my fathers record occurred December 5, 1810.

The eighth child was named Thomas for fathers Uncle Thomas SLEETH, born on the school section near Fairfield, Greene County, Ohio October 21, 1813.

The ninth and last child was named Sarah for fathers sister Sarah who had married mother's brother David SMITH. This child was born on February 16, 1816.

These children are now all dead but myself. And I might here go on and give a much more extended biographical sketch of each. But as that would be foreign to my present undertaking -as I only started out to sketch the lives of my ancestors- I will therefore only add the following to what I have already said simply for the better information of my own children.

David HACKER

The first child as we have seen was named David, born at the old farm on Hackers Creek July 24, 1797 and was of course a little past 8 years of age when the family moved from Virginia and came to Ohio in the fall of 1805. During the two years father was in the Army -1812/1813- David was old enough to be of very considerable help to mother in taking care of and providing for the returning want of the family.

He grew up to be quite a stout rugged man full six feet in height, heavy set, well propor­ tioned, dark complexion and of a very lymphatic temperament. He could sleep more hours out of every twenty four and feel good over it than any person I was ever ac­ quainted with yet notwithstanding his apparent sluggishness when aroused he was a perfect lion. Hence his domineering propensities over us youngsters was beautiful in the extreme. As 1remember we always entertained greater fear of David than we did of father.

Brother David had a good strong mind and a well balanced organism. He took the best education perhaps of any of fathers children - especially so in arithmetic and music. He was a good mechanic and of course wrote a beautiful hand. He learned the cabinet mak­ ing and house carpentering business and became quite expert in his profession. On his 195

marriage he opened a little farm on fathers land in Ohio. Perhaps in 1829 he removed to Fountain County, Indiana and in the summer of 1834 he came to Shelby County to assist father in improving the Mill property he had then purchased. But the death of father in October of that year put a stop to all that. After the death of our step-mother perhaps in the fall of 1837, he removed to Lebanon in Boone County where he continued to reside until 1860 when his wife being dead and his children grown up and gone farther west he sold out his property in Lebanon and with his youngest son went to some point in Iowa. Perhaps in 1862 at the organization of what was called the "Gray-Beard" regiment David volunteered being then near 65 years of age. After some six months service in chasing the Rebel Giullies -or Bushwhackers- and keeping them south of the Missouri River his health began to fail. He was therefore transferred to the hospital at St. Louis to assist in nursing the sick and wounded soldiers at that place. But his six months campaign had been too severe for him at his age of life he never regained his usual hearth and after an­ other six months duty in hospital service he too was placed on the disabled Jist and soon after died and was buried in the soldiers burying ground near St. Louis. His children that are still living so far as I know are mostly located in and around Brownville, Nebraska.

Nancy HACKER

The second child received the name of Anna -Nancy as it was usually called- born on the old farm in Virginia November 12. 1799 and was therefore near six years old when the family removed to Ohio.

Nancy was of the ordinary size of women resembling in some particulars both parents. She was of a very unassuming disposition and of consequence easily over persuaded at times when off her guard. She was particularly unfortunate in her marriage engagement, having accepted the offer and married a man that was absolutely too lazy for any use in this life. She had therefore not only to labor for and supply the means for the support of herself and children but for the miserable lout she had married as well.

Some short time after marriage they moved out onto the Wabash where his people had gone and in the summer of 1835 after the death of father they came to this county. where they remained for some 9 or 10 years. They then removed to Jasper County, Iowa where sister Nancy died in perhaps February 1874. As I understand she had but one child that survived her at the time of her death.

At the time of mothers death in 1816 Nancy was but a little past 16 years of age and at that tender age and inexperience she was thus brought not only to the head household affairs but to take charge of and raise an infant sister of but 5 days old. But from the train­ ing she had received from a most devoted mother she proved herself in every way com­ petent for the responsible duties that had been thus suddenly thrust upon her.

Sister Nancy was truly a tender hearted sympathizing sister and fulfilled a mothers part to the younger portion of the family most nobly. She always appeared nearer to me than any other of mothers children. And Oh, how I remember my heart bled for her when 196

informed that she was about to marry the man she did. I was not living at home at the time and although receiving from her a pressing invitation to be present I had absolutely to decline. During the time she resided in this county I managed her affairs for her, after supplying her with means of sUbsistence. And when she removed to Iowa I aided her in procuring a little home in her own right when she spent the remainder of her days mak­ ing a precarious living as best she could while her lout of a husband lolled around the neighborhood doing nothing. Notwithstanding the hardships as well as deprivations through which she was called to pass during her entire married life yet she lived to be the oldest of any of mothers children that has passed away and was at the time of her death near four years older than I am now.

Jonathan HACKER

As the third child was named was born at the old homestead in Virginia on March 6, 1802 and was but about three years of age when his parents left Virginia and some 14 at the death of his mother.

In 1818 father having brought home a new wife the boys of the family had to begin to scatter. Jonathan was the first to go. At the age of.17 years he went to Dayton and served an apprenticeship to the tanning business with Mr. Nathaniel WILSON of that place. At the close of his apprenticeship he purchased a tan yard with a few acres of ground on the Eaton road a few miles west of Eaton. Ohio. Here he resided with his family working at his trade for some years. He subsequently traded off these possessions for some land up in Huntington County. Indiana. To this new home he brought his family in the summer of 1840. Here he set energetically about starting a tan yard and opening up a farm. But death had marked him for an early victim.

About the time he was out of his apprenticeship in some way he received a severe injury in his breast but just how I never knew. This injury continued to afflict him at times se­ verely some time after removing to Huntington County it ulcerated and then soon run its course. He died January 30, 1845. And was the first of mothers children to be taken away.

At the time of his death he left 6 children living, four sons and two daughters; one son is now living in Champaign County, Illinois, one son is on the home farm in Huntington County. another is living nearby. one daughter is in Miami County, Ohio; the other chil­ dren are now all dead. The mother died on the home farm April 13, 1879.

Jonathan was the smallest of any of mothers sons, had dark hair, blue eyes and had much the appearance of mother. He was of a nervous sanguine temperament, of a calm reflective mind, never but little to say, yet like father he had energy and a will of his own to push him ahead. He was perhaps the most strictly conscientious child father raised and had he been permitted to live until reasonable old age, with his energy strict integrity and close application to business he would no doubt have accumulated quite an estate 197

about him. But for the cause above named his life was cut short. He died at about 44 years of age.

John HACKER

This was the name given to the fourth child born also on Hackers Creek in Virginia Janu­ ary 12, 1804 and was the youngest of the family at the time they removed to Ohio and was but 8 or 9 years of age while father was in the army and of course could do but little towards aiding mother in supporting the family, yet John was always industriously in­ clined and no doubt done all he could during that trying time.

At about 17 years of age he left home and served an apprenticeship to the blacksmithing business and became an expert workman. At the end of his apprenticeship he married and for a time worked at his trade on a corner of fathers farm in Ohio.

His wife's people having settled in Boone County, Indiana -afterfathers death- he located himself in that section of the country. Here he died November 25, 1850. The immediate cause of his death was a severe cold which he contracted while engaged in burning a coal pit some few miles south of Lebanon. He was thus the second one of mothers chil­ dren to be taken away by death.

So far as I know brother John had but two children and but one survived him at the time of his death. And I do not know what became of that one. His widow some years after­ wards married a Dr. THOMPSON and some 5 or 6 years since they went farther west but to what point I do not know.

Brother John in his general make-up was much in form and size of father though not quite so fleshy, yet of a strong robust constitution. He was of a bilious sanguine tempera­ ment, rather reckless in regard to wordly matters. If he had a sufficiency for today he was contented and happy and could let tomorrow look out for itself. Consequently at the time of his death he had accumulated but little. Perhaps 40 acres of land, his household goods and shop, tools were all. And had he lived many years longer he would perhaps have saved but little more. Good health a comfortable home and enough provision for to­ day seemed to be all he cared for in this life. These he would strive for manfully and when secured he was satisfied, contented and happy.

Jonas HACKER

Was the name given to the fifth child of my parents and it is the first time I have found the name in the annals of the HACKER family nor do I know of another HACKER that has re­ ceived the name since. Of course it came into fathers family from the SMITH line of decent.

Jonas was born on the REID farm a few miles east of Fairfield in Greene County, Ohio, April 20, 1806. This would be about six months after the family had reached their then 198

place of residence and of course he was too young to be of any service in assisting mother during the trying ordeal through which she had to pass during fathers absence in the army.

In height Jonas was about the same as his father (5 ft. 10 in.) though spare, built more like Grandfather SMITH, he was of a nervous sanguine temperament slightly bilious. Had a good well balanced mind quick in motion though sedate and resolute.

He too went off at about 17 years of age and learned the blacksmith trade. After reaching his majority he married and for a few years worked at his trade in Troy, Ohio. From there he moved to Warsaw, Kosciusko County, Indiana. But here the disease which finally car­ ried him off began to develop, consequently he had to give up his trade and occupy his time in less laborious pursuits. He held the office of sheriff for two terms and then County Treasurer for the same length of time. In all of these duties he gave good satisfaction and came out of each honorably. So far as I know Jonas raised but two children that grew up to adult age. And on the passage of the famous Kansas Nebraska bill through congress his children went to Nemaha County, Nebraska. Jonas and his wife soon after followed them and settled in Brownville. Here he again served several years as County Treasurer.

In July 1870 I visited him at his home in Brownville and found him sorely afflicted with some malignant kidney disease. The succeeding fall he returned my visit in hopes of gaining some relief from his terrible torments. But finding his efforts all in vain he re­ turned to his home in Nebraska where a few months later he died.

A few years after he had removed to Nebraska he buried his first wife. He subsequently married another kind affectionate woman who accompanied him on his eastern trip for the benefit of his health and on their return to their home she carefully nursed him until death took him away.

Jonas was prudent and careful of his earnings consequently at the time of his death he had accumulated some considerable means to leave to his family. He died January 3, 1871.

His son Theodore is Postmaster at Brownville, Nebraska and his son-in-law is the pro­ prietor of the principal newspaper office in that county.

Elizabeth HACKER

The 6th child of my parents received the name of Elizabeth. Born on the REID farm in Greene County, Ohio, April 24, 1808. And as will be noticed she was but 4 years of age during the war and of course had to be looked after by mother during fathers absence in the army. Sister Elizabeth grew up a strong and well developed child with good mental powers. In appearance much like her mother but larger and more muscular. She was very quiet in her general deportment. Nevertheless she had will and energy of her own that usually carried her through all difficulties. 199

In 1829 being then 21 years of age she came to Indiana with her brother David where she soon after married and for a time settled on a farm in Boone County subsequently they removed to Jasper County, Iowa where they purchased a farm and settled down to the busy pursuits of life.

I do not know how many children they raised. But about the time they had all passed the age of youth the seeds of consumption began to develop in the constitution of her hus­ band which, as is usual with that disease, run its course and in a very few years and car­ ried him to his grave.

Jacob GILL was one of the excellent men of the times. Kind hearted and affectionate and most lovingly did he fulfill the duties of husband and father. Sister Elizabeth was truly blessed in the choice she made in a partner for life.

By the time or shortly after the death of the father most of their children having grown up and removed to the southeastern portion of the then territory of Nebraska, our sister sold out her possessions in Iowa and followed them to their new home. Here she purchased land and also took a homestead from government and proceeded to open up and culti­ vate a new farm - while most of their children were settled on lands around her.

By her energy and good management she soon accumulated a sufficiency for a comfort­ able support for the remainder of her life and left quite an estate for her children. She died as I am informed March 22,1874 at about 66 years of age. The children she left are principally -if not all- living in Johnson and Nemaha Counties, Nebraska and making comfortable livings.

William HACKER

As has been before stated, in the fall of 1809 our parents with several of the neighboring families -not being able to procure home of their own where they then resided- deter­ mined to remove further up north into a less thickly settled country where land could be had at a much cheaper rate. They accordingly moved up into what was then called the Big Darby Plains. Here on Big Darby Creek they made their location and commenced opening up farms for themselves. Just how they expected to obtain titles to the lands they were cultivating I do not know. But so it was that while our parents were thus residing in this section of country on December 5, 1810 their seventh child was born and received the familiar family name of William. Just why it was deferred until the 5th son came to re­ ceive that fortunate name is not known to me unless it was in consequence of the unfor­ tunate relations that had existed between father and his brother William which had caused him in opposition to his father's wishes to leave the settlement in Virginia and emigrate to the west. Be this as it may upon my humble self was bestowed that highly honored and long revered family name. 200

All that part of the country in which my parents were then living was an unorganized terri· tory and was all claimed by the Indians as peculiarly their own and they looked with much disfavor upon the settlements being made by the white people upon what they claimed as exclusively their own.

It is not now certainly known just where my parents were residing at the time of my birth. But it was somewhere in the Darby Plains on Big Darby Creek and is supposed to be now included in either Madison or Champlain Counties, Ohio.

In the summer of 1811 shortly before the Battle of Tippecanoe the Indian tribes of the northwest manifesting such marked hostility towards those families who as they claimed were trespassing upon their hunting grounds induced those few settlers in the Darby Plains to feel so insecure that they thought it most expedient for safety to return to the more thickly settled parts of the country. My parents therefore returned to the settlement in Greene County where with Grandfather SMITH they secured a location and proceeded to cultivate a portion of the school section laying a few miles northeast of the village of Fairfield. Hence they remained until the close of the war when father having purchased the land over in Montgomery County and erected a little cabin they removed into it and although in a dense forest they no doubt felt happy and greatly rejoiced in the success they had made thus far in life. Of course I was the infant of the family during the war with England and needed the special care of mother during fathers absence. And it is here perhaps where my mother by her tender care for me succeeded in instilling into young and tender mind those sentiments of Reverence and Love for her which are today as warm and are glowing as brightly in my remembrance of her as they were the day I first learned to recognize her as mother.

After the death of mother and the older boys having left with a younger brother I remained with father working on the farm until 17 years of age, when I too was sent away to learn a mechanical art. And here I may be permitted to say - that from that time down to the pre­ sent I have ·as it were- fought the world single handed and alone, not a meals victuals or a nights lodging have I since enjoyed that was not procured by my own unaided efforts.

It was my lot while at home to receive much less schooling than any other one of the fam­ i1y. except perhaps my oldest sister Nancy, who for reasons which have before been stated was deprived of any great amount of school privileges. This was caused in my case by reason of the older boys being sent away to learn trades while myself and a younger brother had to work the farm with father and could not therefore be spared the time necessary in gaining an education so that when the time came for me to leave home also I had but barely a knowledge of a few of the rudiments of the English language. And these I had mostly obtained by my own unaided efforts at home at nights and on rainy days when the farm work for the time was necessarily suspended. And what additional knowledge or learning I may ever now to be in possession of was acquired by my own personal efforts after leaving home at 17 years of age. No additional schooling was after that received by me. 201

But notwithstanding these defects in my opportunities for an early education I was fortu­ nately possessed of a nervous mind and a retentive memory which lead me on to seek diligently for higher and still more useful attainments knowledge. At first my little surplus income was all appropriated in the purchase of standard works on the different branches of science and education. Then I obtained the loan of such others as I could obtain on fa­ vorable terms. These were not only read but fully studied until the subjects they em­ braced were comprehended and mastered. And thus were all my leisure hours devoted to the cultivation and improvement of my mind. And here I may remark as I pass along that r never purchased a novel -and have read but few- in all my life. My aim was always far above all matters of mere fiction. And to sum up my attainments in general knowledge let me not be set down as an egotist while I here record it that a few years since unex­ pectedly to me a regularly incorporated university conferred upon me the honorary title of L.L.D.. This as above was unexpected and wholly unsolicited upon my part. The first inti­ mation J had of it was when the diploma was handed to me with the request from the Board of Trustees ofthe University that I would accept it. And although from personal modesty perhaps, I have never made use of the honorable title yet the diploma remains in my possession unrevoked.

Of myself personally however I feel it is not for me to speak further perhaps than to say that in October 1833 I came with father to this county, purchased a lot in Shelbyville which has ever since been my home. In October 1836 I went down into the state of Mis­ sissippi - having been recommended to do so for the benefit of my health. In June 18381 returned not having attained that for which I sought.

In my personal make up I stand full six feet in height, a full round chest, broad shoulders and as straight as an arrow. Am of a very bilious nervous temperament consequently have never had a superabundance of flesh, average weight 150 lb. and never weighed over 1561b. in my life. I have thus been an exact counterpart of Grandfather SMITH al­ though my height and weight has been a little above him. But like him during the first years of my manhood I suffered most intensely from biliary derangement and nervous prostation. Take thirty years of my life -that is from the time I was 20 years of age until I was about 50- fully one-third of my time was passed under the doctors hands and on a bed of affliction.

At the age of about 50 years a change in these scenes of affliction seems to have oc­ curred. And here again like Grandfather SMITH the latter years of my life has passed with comparatively but little sickness so that now at the age of 70 I am clear of all organic disease that threatens my life and enjoying better general health than ever before. And right here I may drop another thought in regard to the peculiar circumstances in my case. Among all the children of my mother I am the only one but what possessed unusual health and vigor. Never one of them hardly sick an hour in their whole lives until the last fatal attack came which took them off while I was nearly always under the doctors hands sorely afflicted with some biliary derangement and nervous prostration yet I have sur­ vived them all now for more than 7 years. And not one of them reached by six years the age I have now attained except my oldest sister. From the foregoing it would rather 202

appear that it is not always robust health in early life that brings one to extreme old age nor an abundance of sickness in early life that cuts it short.

In consequence of the terrible scenes of affliction through which I had to pass in my young manhood days I was not married until past 28 years of age. My wife being 6 years my junior. Her maiden name was Mary Ann SARGENT, daughter of Rev. Thomas W. SARGENT, born in Clemont County, Ohio March 19, 1817 being the second child of her parents.

We were joined in marriage January 20, 1839 and have had born to us 10 children seven daughters and three sons. Two daughters and one son died with the scarlet fever in early childhood - two on one day and the other on the next day. The remaining 7 we raised to adult age giving to each as they grew up around us all the education they would take. One of our children however has since died, leaving at this writing 6 still living. They have however all grown up and gone into the world to do for themselves so that now in our old days we are again alone in family associations as we were when we first started out together 42 years ago. What I may have done or how I have served my day or generation it does not become me to speak. All that matters I must leave for others to tell. I have no fears however but that posterity will award me all the credit my merits demand.

Thomas HACKER

This was the name given to the eighth child of our parents born on the school section farm near Fairfield in Greene County, Ohio October 21, 1813. This will be noted as about the close of fathers enlistment in the army. Thomas was therefore but an infant when the family moved over into their own home in Montgomery County.

On this farm Thomas grew up to manhood assisting on the farm as best he could. It was his luck to get from his parents the greatest amourtt of schooling of any of their children.

In October 1833 when father removed to Indiana Thomas being about 20 years of age came with him and assisted in cultivating the farm father had purchased until the family was broken up at the death of father in 1834.

In perhaps 1837 Thomas was married and then settled down on an 80 acre lot of land belonging to his wife laying perhaps a mile north of where the village of Fairfield is now located. Some three years or four after marriage his wife in some way accidentally re­ ceived an injury, which soon after terminated her life.

Thomas in due time married again and continued to reside on and cultivate his farm until the fall of 1865 when his second wife being dead -she died November 25, 1862- and several of his children now grown up he sold out these premises and went to Nebraska and there invested his means in lands and also located homesteads for himself and for each of his children that had reached the proper age for that purpose. Intending the next spring to remove them all out to the new purchase he had made. 203

During the winter of 1865 -as had been his custom in winter seasons before- he engaged in school teaching. And at some time during that winter he contracted a severe cold -at­ tended no doubt with more or less biliary derangement of the system generally- which eventually took hold on his lungs and before the succeeding spring season had far ad­ vanced he was carried to his grave. He died March 20, 1866 being but five months past 52 years of age.

The children he left being now without a home and parents to manage for them thought it best to go to the lands purchased for them in the west and do the best they could for themselves. They accordingly left Indiana and went to their new homes in Nebraska where as I understand they are all settled down to the busy pursuits of life and generally prospering.

Brother Thomas in appearance was much like father though not so tall or heavy. He had quite an even temper, never but little to say in company yet firm and resolute in his con­ victions and never fearing to enter where duty called. During the rebellion his two oldest sons -David and William- volunteered and was with General SHERMAN in his famous march from Chattanooga to Atlanta. In the terrible battle of Peach Tree Creek William was killed. The other son went on with SHERMAN to Savannah and then back to Wash­ ington where at the close of the war he received his discharge.

Brother Thomas always maintained a respectable standing in community where he lived.

Sarah HACKER

The ninth and last child born to our parents was named Sarah. Born on the home farm in Montgomery County, Ohio February 16, 1816. Five days after her birth mother sunk into the arms of death, consequently little Sarah had to be brought up by hand. This duty of course fell to the lot of sister Nancy then but about 16 years of age yet so well did she perform this duty that Sarah grew up a vigorous healthy child and at her maturity was about the same height as the other sisters though not quite so fleshy or muscular. In this respect she was more like her mother.

Sarah was not yet 18 years of age when father brought his family to Indiana and of course she came with him. Our step-mother at this time and for several years previous was sorely afflicted in her mind consequently upon Sarah devolved the principal care of household matters. These duties young as she was she discharged faithfully and was thus a source of great comfort to father in his terrible affliction in consequence of the mental condition of his wife. When the family was broken up at the death of father, Sarah found a home with her cousin William H. SLEETH whose wife had died and left an infant in about the same condition that Sarah was at the death of her mother. This child Sarah took and carefully as a mother could do attended to its wants. This child grew up to wom­ anhood and is yet living at Morristown in this county. 204

After the death of Mr. SLEETH in 1846 she married in the family taking the lead in household affairs for a year or two and then came to my house where she made her home principally for the remainder of her life. She died with an attack of the flux -which was rather extensively prevailing in community at that time- September 28, 1852 being at the time a few months past 36 years of age. And I laid her away by the side of my own in­ fant children in the Shelbyville graveyard.

Sarah was a kind hearted and affectionate sister as ever a brother was blessed with. Al­ though I had left home and thus became separated from her when both were quite young yet when we again became united in family relations in the latter years of her life she made herself extremely precious to me by the sisterly care she bestowed upon me through several scenes of severe affliction through which I had to pass during the time she made her home with me.

Sister Sarah never married her mind never seemed to run in that way. But she always appeared the most happy and contended when administering to the necessities of oth­ ers. And Oh, I remember how my heart bled in grief when I was compelled to lay her away among the silent dead.

Sarah was prudent and careful of her means so that when she died, with what she had earned when added to what she received from fathers estate she had what would have made her comfortable for many years had she lived.

I have now brought my sketch of characters down so as to include the present generation.

This is more than was contemplated at the beginning. At that time I had no thought of pursuing the matter farther than to include the generation of my parents. But on reaching that point my parents children having all passed away -but myself- and the history of their lives being closed I felt that a short sketch of each was due from me and that I could do so without being considered egotistical. And so the work is therefore accomplished. .; ~ ..' ~ I J :" .';:/....

Chapter XXIX

It will be observed that in the sketches I have given almost every incident made use of in the delineation of characters grew directly out of Religious controversies. And yet I have said but little upon the religious views and opinions of any ofthem. That subject fre­ quently arose in my mind as I progressed in the work and caused me much thought.

Finding however that in giving the religious views and church affiliation of one would in almost every instance be equally applicable to all. Therefore to avoid as far as possible what might be considered unnecessary repetition I determined so far as possible to leave 205

that whole matter to be considered and given in a general chapter at the conclusion of the work.

Commencing then with Wilhelm HECKARDT -the original founder of the house- I have but to say in regard to him that his religious character and views are well defined. His early espousing the cause of the reformation. The zeal he manifested in teaching the truths as he found them in the word of God after having taken refuge in London. The for­ titude he displayed under the terrible tortures to which he was subjected by order of the Bishop of London are all evidences conclusive on that point. And yet there does not ap­ pear any evidence that he attached himself to or became a member of any ecclesiastical organization after quitting that of Rome. The whole efforts of his after life seems to have been directed to the teaching the truth against the errors, false doctrines and despotism of the Roman Church. And all this too outside of any ecclesiastical organization. Nor does it appear that Luther himself ever contemplated the setting up of a separate church from that of Rome. But only to expose and denounce the assumptions of the Pope and enlighten the minds of the people upon the terrible corruption both in doctrines and prac­ tice that had gradually been introduced into the system of Theology as well as that of church government. Our heroic progenitor therefore without becoming a member of any particular church organization or engaging in any enterprise looking to the establishment of a separate ecclesiastical organization contended himself in preaching to the people and teaching such doctrines as he found contained in the Holy Scriptures. Believing as he did that these contained all that was essential to the salvation of the human family. And for this he was made to suffer martyrdom and to seal his faith with his blood.

The holy life he lived -though cut short by a martyrs fate- with the pure Christian charac­ ter he ever maintained sets his true religious character at rest and leaves not even a doubt to call it in question.

As to the religious views and principles of the next two generations we know but little. History being almost entirely silent. And as to family traditions there is none except that they remained intensely Protestant - not only against the assumptions and dogmas of the Roman Hierarchy but also against the despotism in all matters of civil as well as religious form of government in the ecclesiastical organization set up by Henry VIII after his quarrel with the Pope of Rome. Finding that the Bishops of the English church thus established by the king was equally intolerant with those of Rome and their moral characters but little if any more pure the general belief is that they joined in with the Presbyterian or Congre­ gational form of church government. And thus renouncing and rejecting Prelacy in the Christian church organization entirely.

And there is really no wonder that they did so. For when we read of the awful tortures and death that was inflicted upon the people by the Bishops under Henry and Mary and Elizabeth and James -under whose reigns these two generations of our ancestors lived and flourished- we can see at a glance that the difference between the ecclesiastical gov­ ernments of the English and Roman churches was but small indeed. They were equally intolerant and a protest against the one was equally a protest against the other. 206

All this however is rendered quite certain by what history informs us of the religious senti­ ments of Colonel Francis HACKER· the martyr under Charles II. History is very clear in regard to him and by inference we then get a little light on the religious character of the previous generation.

History informs us that Colonel Francis HACKER was brought up in the Protestant faith by his parents who were strict Presbyterians and that he was himself a zealous member of that church. That would seem to settle the question beyond all doubt and I think it does. Nor can any doubt remain as to his religious character at the time of his execution ­ a full description of which has been copied into these sketches from the historical records of those times. The prayer offered by his fellow sufferer -Axtel- and at his request. The pure christian spirit manifested by both of the sufferers throughout their terrible pro­ longed sufferings has no brighter example since the crucifixion of the savior himself.

That the whole HACKER family connection at that time was imbued with the same faith, partakers of the same spirit and enjoyed the same church relations there is abundant evi­ dence to establish all that. But now that damnable act of attainder comes in and not only condemns the entire family connection for the alleged misdeeds of one -for there was nothing whatever proved against him- but fastens the attainder upon their posterity for­ ever. There was a Christian act worthy of the Bishops of the English Church. Conse­ quently without being guilty or even accused of any offense whatever they are once more fugitives from their native land, a price upon their heads, hunted down like ravenous hearts of prey and in foreign lands seeking an asylum from the minions of despotism where they could five and from time to time meet and enjoy their own simple faiths and forms of worship as to them might seem most in accordance with the Book of Divine Revelation.

That they remained discanters from the dogmas of the Church of Rome as well as from the act of Uniformity of the British Parliament there is abundant evidence to fully estab­ lish. But just what church relation they maintained after they were driven out of England by the act of attainder is not known. They may have remained faithful to their Presbyte­ rian form of church government or what is very probable in some of the countries into which they were scattered there being no Presbyterian Church organization they gradu­ ally -for the next generation- went into some other liberal Protestant church, some of them at least we know did as we find Ludwig HOECKER -or Lewis HACKER as it would be pronounced in English- a bishop in the Moravian church at Ephrata in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where as history informs us he was so energetically employed in his sunday school enterprise from 1740 up to the time of his death in 1777. There is therefore no question remaining as to his religious faith or church relations.

I am not aware that our immediate ancestor William HACKER -the Sailor Boy- ever at· tached himself to any particular church organization. The strong probability is that he did not. For as we have before seen a sailor boy from early childhood until past 40 years of age. Constantly on the ocean sailing from port to port never located at anyone place a 207

sufficient length of time to give him an opportunity of attaching himself to any church or­ ganization -as the manner then was- however much he might have desired to have done so. On his marriage with the heroic Ann TURNER however the whole tenure of his life seems to have undergone a perfect transformation. From a roving jolly sailor boy he now settles down to the sober stern realities of domestic life. That more than noble woman of but 18 years of age took the roving sailor boy of 45 and as it were remodeled and made of him a most dutiful loving husband and father with no desire for further roving or seafar­ ing life so that for the remaining 50 years of his life he manifested entire contentment and was happy in his domestic relations.

While residing for the few years he did with his brother or near relative, Ludwig at Ephrata the religious influence ofthe good bishop accompanied as it was by the warm solicitude of his young and devoted wife were so brought to bear upon him that the train­ ing of a pious mother the short time she had the case of him in his childhood days was aroused into healthy exercise so much so that his after life was one of quiet peaceful do­ mestic enjoyment. But whether he ever really attached himself to any church as a mem­ ber ·as before stated- I have no warrant for saying. The strong probabilities however are that after they had settled in the Shenandoah Valley among his wife's relatives from Scot­ land and being thus brought into close relations with such strict religious Presbyterian families as the TURNERs, SLEETHs, HUGHES, FREEMANs and in fact almost every family then settled in the valley in and about Winchester that he went with his wife into that church - at least nominally so and so lived and died.

As to my Great Grandmother the heroic Ann or Nancy TURNER the fortitude and firm­ ness she maintained in her religious convictions under the most barbarous and cruel treatment of a brutal Catholic step-father is sufficient to establish her genuine religious sentiments and character so that when settled among her relatives in the Shenandoah Valley and the church organization of her early education and choice being open to her of course the privilege offered was most gladly embraced and her name enrolled upon the Presbyterian Church records as a member. The strict moral and religious character of all her children conclusively shows how her duties as a loving mother were performed towards them in that regard. In all this however as we learn she had the assistance and hearty cooperation of her husband. In every effort to bring up their offspring to habits of industry, economy and strict religious principles they worked harmoniously together. And most grandly did they succeed in all this.

After the family had crossed the mountains and the settlements on the Buckhannon and Hackers Creek having become somewhat enlarged -perhaps about the commencement of the Revolutionary War- that part of our frontier settlements was visited by the Apostolic ASBURY -at that time one of Wesleys Preachers in America- who called those hardy pio­ neers around him and to whom he preached with such fervency and acceptability that on his second visit -perhaps a year later- he formed them into societies, sent them ministers who visited each neighborhood at stated periods. And in this manner was most if not all of those rugged pioneers of western Virginia organized into religious societies and regu­ larly incorporated into what eventually became the Methodist Episcopal Church. 208

The reason which induced those old sturdy Presbyterians to leave the church in which they with their foreparents had been for so long attached and join in the formation of an­ other church organization is no doubt to be found in the fact that from the time they had entered this wilderness country they had been entirely cut off from all church privileges, no minister of their own denomination being found with courage sufficient to penetrate the deep dark forests, scale the rugged mountains and preach the Gospel among the settlers in this wilderness country. And the inhabitants now finding themselves with fami­ lies of young and interesting children growing up around them realized the necessity of bringing them up under proper religious influences. Hence when ASBURY came among them and proposed to organize them into church fellowship and supply them with regular preaching they were but too glad to fall in with the proposition. In this manner was the church relations of the whole family connection who at that time were residing in western Virginia changed from their former church relations to that ofthe Methodist Episcopal Church - except perhaps Grandfather and Grandmother SMITH who as I am informed re­ tained their connection with the Baptist Church. But whether there was a church of that denomination ever organized in that part of the country while they continued to reside there I do not know. But presume there was none. My mothers parents therefore while worshipping with the Methodist remained steadfast in their attachments to the church or­ ganization of their ancestors and so lived and died in full fellowship with that church.

On ASBURYs first visit to the settlement Grandfather HACKER opened his house -then a blockhouse- for preaching. The first Gospel sermon preached in western Virginia was by Francis ASBURY at Grandfather's house. The first religious society formed and the first church organized in that part of the country was also at Grandfathers house. And the same house was continued as the regular place of preaching and other religious services on up to the time of his death in 1824 a period of near half a century.

How often ASBURY visited and preached to the people in that section of the country in his fervent Apostolic manner I do not know. But in 1788 he visited and held quite a series of meetings with them at which time as it is related of him his efforts were wonderfully blessed to the conversion of almost the entire settlement so that for many years thereafter this memorable event was referred to by the old settlers as the time when ASBURY came among us and got us out of them old notions about religious worship which caused us to lay aside our formal Prayer and Psalm Books.

But there was a little of the old dogmatism in church government still lurking in the minds even of some of ASBURYs preachers and to show how these matters would occasionally come up and had at times to be managed I will here relate the following incident just as I have had it several times repeated to me by those who were conversant with the fact.

At the time Aunt Margarette HACKER and Peter HARDMAN were married he was not a member of any church, though Aunt herself had been for several years. But shortly after their marriage the preacher in charge of the circuit came around and after preaching -as was customary at the time- he met the class. And on coming to Aunt Margarette he said 209

he had a few questions to ask her and then proceed to inquire if she had repented of her sin in marrying a wicked man and being thus unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Aunt replied that she had been married by the Presiding Elder of the District and if it was wrong for her to have done so the Elder should have informed her of it. But as he did not but cheerfully proceeded with the ceremony and legally married her to Peter HARDMAN who was not a member of any church though by no means a wicked man she was well satisfied with the choice she had made and had therefore nothing to repent of. Then said the preacher I know what my duty is. I have charge of this circuit and it is my duty to keep the membership pure and clear from all ungodly associations I therefore expel you from the church. And although several of the members remonstrated with him and requested him to wait until the Elder could be consulted. To this he absolutely refused and with much warmth in his manner he took up a pen and blotted her name from the church re­ cords beyond recognition.

Some short time after this the quarterly meeting occasion came on and was held at Grandfather's house -the usual place for preaching. The presiding elder was there on time and of course put in possession of all the facts in regard to the preachers conduct towards Aunt Margarette.

The Elder called for the church record and without saying a word deliberately wrote Aunt's name down again as a full member and then requested that nothing further be said about it - especially in the quarterly conference.

The meeting progressed and at a suitable time in his last public discourse taking up the church record book and turning to the preacher the Elder quietly remarked, "See here my brother do you see the name of sister Margarette HARDMAN as it here stands recorded a full member of this church". The preacher replied, "Yes of course I do". "Well then", said the Elder, "hereafter when you have occasion to look at that name as it there stands recorded just remember that your superior put it there and never do you again attempt to interfere with it in this one man power as you have done. And I now notify you before this congregation to prepare yourself to answer for your mal-administration in this case to the annual conference of the church as I shall most assuredly bring it up before them for their decision".

It is said that when the matter came up before the conference Bishop ASBURY admon­ ished the gentleman sharply that he should always bear in mind, in his ministerial char­ acter he was not acting for the Pope of Rome, the Bishop of London, Lord Chief Justice JEFFREY or for James II but for the Methodist Episcopal Church in Free Republican America where every one in all matters of difference was entitled to a full trial by his peers.

The name of that preacher jf I have been correctly informed was John SYMMS and the name of the Presiding Elder was SHACKLEFORD the Grandfather of our General James M. SHACKLEFORD of Evansville. Indiana. 210

As I understand my father and perhaps mother also joined the church at one of AS­ BURY's visits when both were quite young and were among the first to enroll their names as church members in western Virginia.

My father having a pleasant voice and quite a taste for music in his young days soon be­ came a leader in their devotional exercises. At the age of 16 -as I have often heard him relate- he was appointed class leader, which position he continued to fill acceptable until he left Virginia for the western settlements in Ohio. Of course then he was the leader and in charge of the class at the time of the arbitrary and illegal proceeding of the preacher as above narrated. And it thus became his duty -and no doubt but that he performed it- to present to the Presiding Elder the conduct of the preacher in Aunt Margarettes case which resulted as we have just seen.

On reaching the Mad River settlement in Ohio the residence of Mr. Andrew REID -upon whose land father resided for some four years- being the place of pUblic worship for the neighborhood and the congregation being of the Methodist persuasion my parents cast in their lot with them and father was soon selected for the position of class leader again.

On removing up into the Darby Plains in 1809.he of course vacated this position and I have no information that he again held it until after the close of the war. He however filled the office of circuit steward and had also license to exhort. After he had removed his fam­ ily onto the land he had purchased on the west side of Mad River finding a little church organization holding their meeting at the house of Mr. John SLAGLE a mile north offa­ thers residence he removed his membership to this place and was almost immediately assigned to the duties of class leader again. This position he surrendered in perhaps 1820 and took those of steward and trustee - as the congregation were then about to erect a meeting house and it was thought he could be more useful to the church in those positions than where he was.

The duties of these stations he continued to discharge until he removed to Shelby County, Indiana in the fall of 1833.

Here finding a little Methodist Church organization in the neighborhood where he settled and among its members several who had belonged to his class in Virginia he was at once solicited to take the leadership of that class which he consented to and continued to hold that position in the church up to the time of his death.

As has been previously stated Uncle William HACKER -fathers oldest brother- became quite a noted preacher of the M. E. Church and continued to exercise his gifts in that ca­ pacity very acceptably until the disease of which he died had so far run its course as to render it impossible for him to discharge those duties anymore.

It is said that for several years after he had lost the use of his lower limbs as to be wholly unable to walk or stand alone -yet with his mind as clear and brilliant as ever- the neigh­ bors who loved to hear him preach would collect of a Sabbath morning and carefully 211

convey him to the place of meeting when seated in a chafr or reclinfng on a bed he would preach some powerful sermons to the people to their edification and thus much good was accomplished among those hardy frontiersmen in that way. And so Uncle William HACKER lived and labored until he passed away.

As I have stated at the time Uncle Peter HARDMAN was married to Aunt Margarette HACKER he was not a member of any church yet we find that but a few years of his mar­ ried life had passed away until under the gentle Christian influences of his noble wife -aided no doubt by the patient cheerfulness and fortitude with which she was enabled to bear up under the terrible pain and affliction he was compelled to endure from the wounds received at the hands ofthe notorious renegade Leonard SCHOOLCRAFT and his band of savages- he was induced to give his name to the church and his heart to God. And ever after lived a devoted Christian and a zealous church member.

For several years he held a license from the church to exhort in public congregations and very frequently exercised his gifts in that capacity. And often in the absence of the regular preacher he would be called upon to fill his place and delivered many a good sermon ac­ ceptably to the people. I however do not know that he was ever licensed by the church as a preacher and perhaps only officiated in that way when requested by the preacher in charge of the circuit. His brother John however was a regular licensed preacher and lived a most useful and successful minister of the church until death called him away.

, have thus in as brief manner as possible given a sketch of the religious character and church fellowship of my ancestors and other relatives up to the time of the death of Grandfather HACKER in 1824. And so far as is known we find them all at that time zeal­ ous influential Christians and with but two exceptions -Grandfather and mother SMITH­ are all members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. And while all are zealously engaged in the good work of propagating Christianity over the land many are official members of the church while others are useful and successful ministers of that better covenant.

We now come to a period of time when a little deflection from the M. E. Church was per­ haps unfortunately brought about.

In 1816 Bishop ASBURY died while on his way to the General Conference which met in Baltimore that year. This left but one general superintendent -Bishop MCKENDRIC· for the whole church in the United States and he in very poor health. This rendered it neces­ sary that additional general superintendents should be supplied by the General Conference.

Consequently an election was held during this session of the conference and Enoch GEORGE and Robert R. ROBERTS elected and set about to that office in the church.

This selection seemed to give offense to some of the delegates who had been looking forward to that position for themselves. Being thus disappointed in their anticipations they 212

commenced stirring up opposition to the government of the church denouncing it as prelatical and a despotism.

Among those most energetic in this movement was the Rev. Nicholas SNETHEN a West Virginian and a preacher of some note who had traveled with Bishop ASBURY in some of the last years of his life and assisted him in holding his conferences and for that reason thinking he should have been selected as ASBURY's successor became very bitter against the government of the church and denounced it in unmeasured terms. Other preachers soon followed in the same course until quite a falling off among the member­ ship as well as preachers soon occurred.

Among the preachers most prominently engaged in this unnecessary crusade against the government of the church in western Virginia we find the names of Asa SHINN, Alex­ ander MCCAIN, Joseph A. SHACKELFORD, Asby POOL with others who from time to time were sent to the circuit on Hackers Creek. The influence these dissatisfied preach­ ers were thus enabled to bring to bear upon the church caused quit a split in the mem­ bership so that by 1828 it is said that over 60 had withdrawn from the church on Hackers Creek and went into what was then called the Radical organization out of which has grown what is now known as the Protestant Methodist Church in the United States.

With all this however I have been unable to learn that any of my immediate relatives of the past generation left the church and went into the new organization but Uncle Thomas S. HACKER and his wife. There were however a goodly number of the younger genera­ tion who attached themselves to that church organization from the first some of whom be­ came quite influential preachers of that organization. Among those I find the names of Daniel HELMICK a step-son of Aunt Mary Ann HELMICK and John T. HACKER a son of Uncle Jonathan HACKER who are still in the regular work of the ministry in the P. M. Church. The former in Virginia and latter in Kansas.

As to whether these dissatisfied preachers were justifiable in the course they saw proper to take I have nothing to say doubtless a majority of them acted from conscientious mo­ tives and the membership who followed them were sincere yet I think that now all will ad­ mit that their separate organization was unnecessary and has measurably proved a failure. And that vastly more good would have been accomplished -even by them- had they remained contented and labored on in the old organization.

My own brothers and sisters were all members of the M. E. Church some filling important official stations such as class leader, steward and trustee and so lived and died.

As for myself I may say that I have been an Episcopal Methodist all my life. Have filled many important stations in the church. From 1838 to 1864 I was an officer in the Sabbath school and for 18 years of that time I was superintendent. From 1842 to 1868 I held the office of steward. From 1849 to 1876 I was a trustee ofthe church. And for some ten years I represented the Indianapolis District in the Annual Conference as the lay steward of the district. In all these several relations to the church I can only say that I endeavored 213

faithfully to discharge the duties devolving upon me to the best of my ability. How weill may have succeeded I must leave for others to record. I will however add that from the loss of hearing I was compelled to resign all these several stations at the dates as above given. I will endeavor to make the best use ofwhat I have got and so finish up the work.

It is but proper that I should here state that with but one exception the entire facts in re­ gard to this interesting family have been furnished by Dr. Jacob HARDMAN of South Bend, Indiana - a son of Aunt Margarette. Cousin David H. SMITH of Warren County, Ohio furnishing me with a short sketch of his own mother - but nothing more.

To commence the sketch from such material as has been obtained we shall have to go back to the beginning of the 18th century. At which time there was residing in the city of Frankfort - on the main an enterprising gentleman by the name of Nicholas HARDMAN who at the time our history commences was carrying on rather extensively the business of dressing skins for ladies furs, gloves, etc. as also the manufacturing of Morocco leather of different colors. The art for which had but recently been brought from Morocco - hence the name Morocco leather. In this business pursuit he was quite successful and secured considerable property and means. In perhaps about 1725 he closed out this business sold his possessions here and moved up into the Province of Baden near the falls of the Rhine. Here in a fertile densely populated -termed a village and called Cin­ thanne- he purchased property, commenced farming, planting extensive vineyards for the manufacture of wine. He also erected a tannery for the manufacture of all kinds of leather which he also carried on extensively. Thus showing himself to be a man exten­ sive enterprise and enlarged business qualifications. He continued in these business pursuits for perhaps the remainder of his life. And from family traditions we learn that he was quite successful and amassed a large fortune in these business pursuits.

What family connection he formed by marriage is not certainly known. It is known how­ ever that he raised quite a family of children, how many or what their names were is not known but certain it is that the youngest son received the name of Peter, born March 10, 1745.

The condition and circumstances of the parents were such as to give to each of their chil­ dren a good education such as the laws of the country at that time required. The young­ est son Peter became quite a scholar in both the German and French languages and was thus prepared to take a high position in the community in which he resided. But des­ tiny had a different work for him to perform as we shall see.

About the time he had reached the age of 19 years and just finished his education Ger­ many became involved in war with some of the surrounding nations and being hard pressed a call for conscripts was made. Under this call single -or married- men were to be preferred. And it so happened that the lot in this instance fell upon Peter and he was at once enrolled as a conscript for the war. The wages paid by government at that time for common soldiers being but five dollars a month not striking Peter very favorable he formed in his mind a determination to desert and make his way out of the country. And 214

thus if possible avoid the dangers and privations incident to long weary marches, fierce battles and other casualties inseparably connected with war measures.

Having read in the publication of those times glowing descriptions of the western conti­ nent discovered by COLUMBUS - that after long wars with Spain and France it now be­ longed to the English government and that peace now reigned supreme in that far off country he determined to make his way there or die in the attempt.

In carrying out this determination he was necessarily compelled to keep his own council. For should he let his intentions be known to anyone ·even father, mother, brother or sis­ ter- the moment his absence was known a rigid investigation under oath would at once be instituted by the officers of government and should anyone be found who had knowl­ edge of his intentions or in any manner aided in his escape he would be severely pun­ ished if not to suffer death.

Our young educated kinsman being a person of strong resolves thus determined and by his own unaided efforts -rather than be made to serve in a foreign war the objects or ne­ cessity for which he could not approve- determined to reach the far off land of America or die in the attempt.

The nearest seaport where he could reasonably hope to get aboard a vessel bound for the distant shores of America was at the mouth ofthe Rhine a distance of 975 miles away. This whole distance would have to be traveled in the night - hiding by day in order to prevent being detected and arrested as a deserter. Many long weary days hiding and dark nights travel it took him to accomplish the journey. His substance while on the jour­ ney he had to steal or pick-up as best he could as he passed along as he dare not even ask anyone for provision or other assistance for fear of being questioned and might thus be detected. And perhaps a more difficult or hazardous feat was ever undertaken or ac­ complished by man. But so it was with proper caution and native tack he reached the port near the mouth of the Rhine in safety and was so fortunate as to secure a good birth on board a vessel about to sail for America.

All of which he accomplished without even being suspected as a conscript deserter from the German Army. He however had to bring the inventive resources of his mind to bear and use a good degree of strategy, but just how it was managed is not known and per­ haps he never disclosed it to anyone himself. Be all this as it may after a most tempestu­ ous voyage of over three months duration he was safely landed at the port of Philadelphia October 1764 a total stranger in a strange land yet with the freedom that he had sought for.

The energy and vigor of mind that had sustained and brought him thus far did not now forsake him. For he soon found employment with a friend Quaker engaged in some busi­ ness enterprise on the Schuylkill River where having good health and receiving good wages with prompt payment he remained for several years and prospered. In 1770 hav­ ing learned that a number of his countrymen and former acquaintances from Germany 215

and Switzerland had come over and formed a settlement near Hagarstown in Maryland. Feeling a strong desire to be again associated with persons from his own native land he closed up his business near Philadelphia and removed to Hagarstown where he en­ gaged in some business pursuits but just what is not known -most likely however- as he was an educated man- he obtained employment in some business pursuit in which man­ uallabor was not at all oppressive. During his first years residence at this place he formed an attachment for and a marriage contract with Miss Charlotte WEISER a resi­ dent of Hagarstown but a native of Switzerland and some time in the year 1773 their con­ tract was consummated by marriage.

About one year after marriage they removed to Hardy County, Virginia, purchased and settled on a tract of land some four miles from Morefield the county seat. Here they pro­ ceeded to open up a farm and settle down to the business pursuits of life. As he pros­ pered in business he set up a tannery the art of which he had become familiar with while residing at home with his parents. In this business pursuit he also prospered and gave good employment for his boys as they grew up to mans estate.

As the dates will readily indicate it was but two years from his settlement in Virginia until the Revolutionary War commenced. In this struggle his sentiments and feelings were in favor of the independence of his adopted country. But as he had but little of his land as yet cleared up the important question was to be decided how his little and as yet young and helpless family were to be provided for should he volunteer in aid of the American cause. Here we find his inventive genius coming to his aid once more. He accordingly made arrangements with a gentleman of the neighborhood -who by some physical defect could not be accepted into the service- to assist in working his little farm for three months during the growing season for which he gave him a likely three year old filly which he found he could spare. This arrangement being effected he promptly enlisted as a volun­ teer and joined the army under WASHINGTON and rendered valuable service to the American colonies in their efforts to throw off the British yoke.

Of the deprivations and sufferings the young wife with her helpless offspring had to en­ dure while the husband and father were absent in the army it not necessary here to relate as it would be but a repetition of what almost every family on the frontiers had to undergo during that long and memorable struggle. Suffice it to say that at the close of his years enlistment he returned to his home and at once set about putting matters in a better shape for the comfort and support of his family.

In this he continued faithfully to employ his time until during the second terrible winter with WASHINGTON and his army at Valley Forge. The sickness and distress among the soldiers during that terrible winter once more around the patriotism as well as sympathy of Grandfather Peter HARDMAN and he is at Valley Forge nursing the sick carrying wa­ ter and other necessities to the destitute and helpless, comforting the dying and burying the dead. At the opening of the spring and commencement of the next years campaign he is again a volunteer in the army and much of the time until the close of the war at­ tached to WASHINGTON's staff where his critical knowledge of the German and French 216

languages was of very great service to the Commander-in-Chief in communicating and corresponding with the French and German officers who were at that time aiding the American colonies against the British Government. In these duties we find him acting as interpreter between WASHINGTON and LAFAYETTE, ROCHAMBEAU, DEGRASS, DEKALB, STEUBEN, KOSCIUSKO and other of the foreign officers and much of the time acting as WASHINGTONs private secretary. And there is little doubt that much of the documentary correspondence between WASHINGTON and ROCHAMBEAU that is now being offered to the congress of the United States for $20,000 was interpreted and written out by Grandfather Peter HARDMAN.

Our venerable ancestor was with WASHINGTON at the siege of Yorktown and was on his staff at the surrender of CORNWALLIS and participated in that memorable event as interpreter between the Command-in-Chief and his foreign officers. And there are those still living who has heard HARDMAN relate the mortification manifested by CORNWAL­ LIS manifested when notified that General LINCOLN was appointed by the Commander- • in-Chiefto receive the sword of the Noble Britain and in the same degrading manner that had been imposed upon LINCOLN in his surrender to the British a year before. However humiliating this might appear to the haughty Britain yet he had to come to it as WASH­ INGTON and those commanding officers with him would agree to no other terms. The war being ended Grandfather HARDMAN got an honorable discharge from WASHING­ TON and returned to his family in Hardy County, Virginia and entered energetically upon the laborious duty of enlarging his farm and carrying on more extensively his tanning business which by this time was becoming quite profitable.

In these pursuits he continued to employ his time until 1790 when becoming favorably impressed with reports of the advantages offered to settlers on the west of the Allegheny Mountains he disposed of his possessions in Hardy County and crossed the mountains and located himself on Hackers Creek in what was then called Harrison County some three miles from the residence of Grandfather HACKER. Here he purchased land, opened out another farm and erected a tannery. At this place he passed the remainder of his life working diligently in his business engagements and bringing up his children to habits of industry with a good degree of success and what in those days was considered plenty. And thus he lived and prospered until April 1827 being then 82 years of age death called him away. After his death his now aged widow was tenderly cared for by their youngest son Jacob - provisions for which had been specially made in the last will and testament of the husband and father some years before his death. The aged mother continued to linger but in much suffering - being sorely afflicted dropsy which finally car­ ried her off and ended her earthly carrier by death in 1835, aged 87 years.

Whether Peter HARDMAN corresponded with his parents in Germany giving them infor­ mation of where he was and how he was prospering we are not advised. The presump­ tion however would be that he did, but of that we have no certain knowledge and must therefore leave it as it is. None of the family however so far as we know ever followed him to America by reason as is supposed of their wealth and prosperity in their own native land. 217

There were born to Peter HARDMAN and his amiable affectionate wife -Charlotte WEISER- as the fruits of their marriage relations seven children - five sons and two daughters. All of whom was born while the parents were residing in Hardy County, Vir­ ginia and were brought over with them to Hackers Creek, Harrison County in 1790.

As the oldest of the children were by this time grown to a goodly size of course they were called upon and took a prominent part in the Indian War that was still going on and which was continued for the space of five years after they reached the settlement.

The respective births of these several children were so far as I have been able to learn as follows: HARDMAN 1st Elizabeth born 1774 October 8 2nd Peter born 1776 July 23 3rd John born 1777 4th Daniel born 1779 5th Henry born 1781 May 1 6th Catherine born 1784 7th Jacob born 1787

These children all lived grew up and became heads of families much respected and died at quite an advanced age in life. The life and character of each will now be considered in turn as they come upon the stage of human existence.

Elizabeth HARDMAN

Born as above stated October 8, 1774 about the time or shortly after the parents reached the place of their residence in Hardy County, Virginia. Of the early life of this child we know but little only that she grew up to womanhood a dutiful loving child sharing in all the hardships incident to frontier life and the war with England and the Indians that com­ menced almost immediately after they had reached their intended home in Hardy County.

May 7, 1792 she was joined in marriage to Caleb SMITH - a brother of my mother and by that marriage she became the mother of eleven children, all of whom are now dead ex­ cept a son -David Hardman SMITH- and a daughter -Susannah- who are now living near Butlerville in Warren County, Ohio.

In the fall of 1807 they moved from Virginia to near Frankfort, Fayette County, Ohio. Two years later they came on to the Mad River settlement in Greene County where they re­ mained located for some nine years. In the war of 1812 Uncle Caleb was among those who volunteered shortly after HULLS surrender and with others rendered valuable serv­ ice in that important and bloody contest. In 1818 they removed down into Warren County and settled on what was then called Todds Fork of the Little Miami where the remainder 218

of their lives were passed in cultivating soil and bringing up their offspring to habits of in­ dustry and future usefulness.

Aunt Elizabeth SMITH was a dutiful and affectionate wife and mother, a devoted Chris­ tian woman, member of the M. E. Church and died in a holy triumphant faith January 6. 1861 at the advanced age of 87 years. Her husband having preceded her to the grave some ten years. He died as has been before stated August 13, 1851 being at the time a few days past the age of 80 years.

Peter HARDMAN

Their next child born July 23, 1776 being a son received the name of Peter for its father. Of Peters early life but little is known except that he remained with his parents working on the farm and in the tanyard near Morefield as a dutiful child receiving such an education as the country at that time could afford. And thus he grew up to manhood an industrious moral and enterprising individual.

In 1790 at the age of about 14 he came with his parents over the mountains and settled on Hackers Creek in Harrison County. Here he found no time for idleness. His father having purchased a tract of land principally in the woods a new farm had to be opened. This with occasionally fighting marauding bands of Indians and chasing them out of the country gave ample employment for his entire time until he reached mans estate and had to commence the battle of life for himself. In 1792 as he has been frequently heard to re­ mark he heard the screaming of the children at the barbarous murder and captivity of the family of John WAGGONER a near neighbor of his fathers family at the time - a small rise of ground between their dwellings only preventing him from being an eye witness of the whole of it.

December 5, 1797 he was joined in marriage to Margarette HACKER - my fathers third sister. This was no doubt a mutual Jove match between the young couple as their after life fully demonstrated that fact. And now with nothing but his personal clothing and a chopping axe on his part and as her father was quite opposed to the match she got noth· ing. Though her mother somehow managed -without the knowledge of her father- to let her have feathers enough to make her a bed. They soon managed however to secure a place in which to live. The Indian War being now settled the country begun to improve and Uncle Peter being a man of iron will and indomitable energy threw himself into the advancement now going on with such might and main that it was apparently but a short time until he had a home of his own with a fee simple title to his possessions.

Uncle being of quite an ingenious turn of mind -and as there was quite a demand for blacksmithing as well as gunsmithing in the neighborhood- he turned his attention to working in metals and in a very short time without an instructor he became a noted gun· smith so that he could not only repair such as was brought to him but manufacture out­ right a perfect rifle -lock, stock and barrel- from the raw material. And so perfect did he become in this by his own simple ingenuity that many of his own manufactured rifles sold 219

to the surrounding hunters for the price of fifty dollars each. And thus by this handicraft ingenuity he became somewhat more prosperous than the average of men of those times.

In this manner eleven years of their married life passed away when they sold their pos­ sessions in Virginia and with four fine draft horses to a large Virginia road wagon in which their household property was placed. A fine broad mare with a side saddle, upon which Aunt rode carrying in her lap their youngest child then about eight months old -she at that time being the mother of eight children- the other seven being stowed away in the wagon among their household goods - a hired man to drive the team while Uncle Peter walked and drove along three milk cows they had determined to take with them. And thus equipped in the month of October 1808 they bade farewell to their Virginia kindred and friends and set out on their long journey to the far distant west. Their journey of near 400 miles it is not necessary to describe. suffice it to say that after a toilsome journey through an unbroken forest, over hills and mountains without roads and across the numerous riv­ ers and water courses without bridges that lay in their way on the 17th day of their jour­ ney they reached Mad River settlement in the northwest part of Greene County, Ohio. And now having but 75 cents in money left them determined here to make a halt at least for the winter.

Securing the use of a little cabin in the vicinity of the settlement they proceeded to un­ pack their goods and make the best preparation possible for the approaching winter sea­ son. And now with the driver -John COOKMAN- here were eleven in family to provide for as also the five horses and two cows brought along, one cow having been left on the way temporarily. The family all in the little cabin, the stock to the open winds and storms as they might come at that season of the year was a prospect that might reasonably discour­ age stouter hearts and physical frames than is ordinarily possessed even by emigrants to new and untried countries. But with energy and industry withall - from the oldest to the youngest their returning wants were fully supplied and thus that first winter of their so­ journ in a strange land came and passed away.

In the spring of 1809 having become satisfied with the country they decided to locate at this point Uncle having met with the opportunity of trading off his wagon, four sets of har­ ness and three of his horses and one cow to Mr. Andrew REID, Esq. as administrator of the estate of Jonathan MERCER deceased in part payment of a quarter section of land belonging to said estate laying one and a half mile northeast of where the village of Fair· field in Greene County is now located. Upon this tract of land they all set to work and soon had a snug little cabin erected, into which the family moved and soon thereafter Un­ cle had his shop in order in which the blowing ofthe bellows and the ringing sound of the hammer could be heard early and late as he would be engaged in forging or mending implements of agriculture for the surrounding settlement as also in making or mending guns for those engaged in hunting. In exchange for his work he thus performed he soon had a little farm opened and prosperity begun once more to dawn upon them. 220

And here it but proper to say that in all his laudable efforts to obtain a reasonable support for their rising family he was nobly seconded by his more than heroic wife. For it was but a short time after they had got into their own little cabin until she too had her shop in or­ der in which could be heard at most all reasonable hours the whir of the shuttle and the thump, thump, thump of the loom and yard after yard of different fabrics were being wrought out for the neighbors by her own skill and industry. It is said of her that such was her ingenuity and skill in this branch of mechanism that scarcely a figure could be sug­ gested but what she form and weave out on her loom consequently she was much em­ ployed by her neighbors far and near in weaving coverlids, counterpins, table cloths and other figured goods, and many of the figures she thus wrought out would compare fa­ vorably with the finest worsted damask. And one other thing I must here relate to the credit of this Aunt of mine. That notwithstanding the pain and affliction she had necessar­ ily to endure from the unhealed wound on her head made by the stroke of the brutal sav­ age when not necessarily engaged in weaving or in household duties she would be out with the boys in the clearing, picking and burning brush or with a pad of straw tied on her shoulder, carrying rails and aiding in building the fences on the farm in order to protect the growing crop and this too many times away in the night by the light of the burning brush and log heaps. With such splendid ingenuity into practical use it was compara­ tively but a brief space of time until they had a good comfortable house in which to live, a large farm opened and wealth with the comforts of life accumulated around them.

This happy condition continued until early 1814 when in consequence ofthe wound on Aunts head and the terrible sufferings she was made to endure there by her physical system begun to give way and run down until at times she would be in a manner help­ less. And thus she gradually declined until the 20th of July 1815 when she died under the circumstances as has been detailed in the sketch of her life. This left Uncle Peter with a family of ten children to provide for and take care of the oldest of whom was not yet 16 years of age. Of course this was more than anyone man could attend to and look after his shop and farm interests also, either his family of helpless children must be neglected and scattered abroad of his business affairs would have to be given up. Neither of which was to be thought of or endured by Peter HARDMAN. His family of children must be pro­ vided for and properly taken care of and his business interests must move right along as formerly.

Being introduced to a Mrs. Sarah EDGE a widow with two sons, aged respectively 6 and 2 years in November 1815 a trifle over four months from the death of Aunt Margarette Uncle Peter brought her to his home for his second wife being himself at that time near forty years of age and his new wife about thirty. Both in good health and in full vigor of life of course other children were born of this marriage and that to the number of seven ­ three sons and four daughters. Making eight sons and nine daughters born to him by his two marriages. These with the two stepsons of his second wife making a family of nine­ teen in all to provide for. Nevertheless with his usual industry and indomitable persever­ ance prosperity continued to smile upon him. By his continued labors in the shop and prudent management of the farm now principally worked by his boys all these 19 chil­ dren were comfortably provided for, educated and brought up to habits of industry and 221

strict morality to mature life, were all with one exception married become heads of fami­ lies of their own. Delila a daughter by his second marriage, contracted a cold at an unfor­ tunate time and died at about 22 years of age.

Such was Uncle Peters success in business that on his visit to his relations in Virginia in 1826 that finding his brother John in embarrassed circumstances by reason of adverse business transactions and his creditors so crowding upon him as to jeopardize his entire estates Uncle Peter was enabled to advance him quite a large sum of money for those times so as to release him from all his embarrassments and place him square on his feet once more and again started on the high road to prosperity.

From a communication received from one who was intimately acquainted with him I have the following description of his personal appearance and temperament.

This correspondent says that Peter HARDMAN stood full six feet in height, average weight from 195 to 200 lb. and was up to 225 quite a time before his death; dark com­ plexion, large blue eyes, black bushy head of hair, large full round face, showing his Ger­ man decent, high forehead, thin lips, broad mouth, beautiful even teeth, double all around, social qualities good but not well balance, was liable to fly off the handle -as the saying goes- when he felt like it; was rather on the negative order - hence but few knew how to approach him. But those who did were sure to be well entertained, could at times put on the most unearthly look. His voice would be pleasant or unpleasant at will and could be heard at camp meetings when at prayer at night far beyond that of any other. His walk was rather on the swing yet straight and dignified as was his whole stand up. And here it is proper to say that he was a far better man in his family than he ever got credit for. For although his family government was firm and decided and at times thought to be extremely arbitrary yet in his family government he exemplified the oft repeated maxim, "The forms of the world disguise man when abroad, but within his own family, every man is known for what he truly is". All this is readily inferred from the fact that he was enabled to keep his large family of three sets of children together in harmony until adult age when they married and went out into the world to do for themselves.

It is said of him that he was extremely sympathetic towards the poor and needy. strictly honest in all his dealings. Paid all his debts when due according to contract whether ver­ bal or in writing. Never indulged in nor would he tolerate tale-bearing or slander in his presence at any time. Always taught and encouraged religion in his family and was good to visit comfort and encourage the sick and dying. Such then was the general tempera­ ment and make-up of my venerable Uncle Peter HARDMAN.

And now to close up this sketch of his life I perhaps can do no better than to copy an obituary notice as published in a weekly news paper printed in Xenia, Greene County, Ohio shortly after his death, it is as follows:

"AN OLD MAN GONE" 222

Departed this life the 30th day of July 1859 at his residence in the village of Osburn in this county Peter HARDMAN in the 84th year of his age.

Father HARDMAN was born of German parents in Hardy County, Virginia, July 25, of the very memorable year of 1776. And in the year 1790 moved thence with his fathers family to Harrison County, West Virginia. And no doubt much of the firmness and perseverance which he exhibited through life was owing to the soul sturring times ofwhich his youthful eyes were witnesses.

He married December 5, 1797 to Miss Margarette HACKER who died July 20, 1815 leaving him ten children - five sons and five daughters. And in November 1815 was mar­ ried to Mrs. Sarah EDGE a widow with two sons, who not only lived to comfort but had by him seven additional children, and still survives him.

Father HARDMAN came with his first family from Virginia in 1808 and settled near Fair­ field in this county, where he resided until within a few years past, when he left his farm and moved to the village of Osburn where he died at the time as above stated. He seemed to have been fond of old relics for on his old farm may yet be seen a hewed log cabin in a good state of preservation which he erected in the winter of 1808 or 1809.

He joined the M. E. Church in 1804 and found peace in believing, obtained licenses as a local preacher the same year, which position he occupied for more than thirty years, be­ ing always ready to stop the plow or drop the hammer at the forge to do service in the cause of his master. Later in life and at the time of his death he held the relation of ex­ horter in the church.

In his sermons he was eminently practical many of whom that heard him can bear wit­ ness to his zeal and power in expounding the word of life; particularly in the application of it to the wants and edification of his fellow man. He possessed good native talent with in­ domitable energy and perseverance and with a controlling influence over those with whom he associated enabled him to trample down untold obstacles that would have dis­ couraged and crushed many others. At the time of his death as has been stated he was the father of 17 children, the Grandfather of 86, the Great Grandfather of 54 and the great Great Grandfather of 14 children, four generations numbering 171 souls.

In his death the church lost one of her prominent and useful members and his large pos­ terity will treasure up the religious and private life of their worthy ancestor as a legacy far richer than all the fame worldly possessions can give.

As before stated Peter HARDMAN had by his marriage with fathers sister ten children, five daughters and five sons.

The first born of these were twins named respectively Sarah and Catharine and born September 16, 1798. 223

HARDMAN 3rd John born 1800 January 20 4th Henry born 1801 March 10 5th Jonathan born 1803 January 25 6th Jacob born 1804 April 29 7th Elizabeth born 1806 March 14 8th Eliza born 1808 February 25 9th Margarette born 1810 November 19 10th Nelson born 1813 January 3

It will thus be seen that ten children were the fruits of this marriage and all within the space of one month over 15 years.

All were born healthy and grew up to be men and women, were married and became heads offamilies of their own and what is a little remarkable in a family of so many all were industrious and became enterprising and useful citizens in their respective callings. And another remarkable circumstance may be mentioned all the boys except John pos­ sessed quite a military talent and attained distinction in the military organizations of the country.

Henry and Jonathan became Colonels. Jacob and Nelson were first Captains and then promoted to Majors and each of these brothers furnished a son that were Captains and had command of companies in the volunteer service of the Union Army during the late war of the rebellion.

As has been my custom heretofore I shall now proceed to call over the names of each of these ten children and five such facts in relation to them severally as I may be in posses­ sion of.

Sarah HARDMAN

Born in Harrison (now Lewis) County, West Virginia September 16, 1798 came with her parents to Greene County, Ohio where she grew up an industrious healthy woman. At maturity she married and industrious enterprising young man by the name of David ELSWORTH a practical farmer, settled first in the southeast part of Champaign County, Ohio. After having quite a family of children they moved to Cass County, Indiana where Sarah died - the date of her death I have not been able to obtain.

After the death of his wife ELSWORTH moved his family to Bond County, Illinois. Two years later he removed to the north part of Iowa. Having kept up no correspondence with their friends in other parts of the country this branch of the HARDMAN family is measur­ able lost. I have no dates of marriage or deaths or whether ELSWORTH married again after the death of his wife. It will be observed that Sarah had one child more than her mother and more than any other one of Aunt Margarettes children. 224

Catharine HARDMAN

Twin sister of the above and of course born at the same time and place with Sarah. She also grew up to womanhood on the farm in Ohio. Married a farmer by the name of Marrly RICHARDS and for a time lived in the east part of Clark County, Ohio. Moved thence and located on a farm 2 1/2 miles south of Pendleton, Indiana where they both died in ad­ vanced life. They became the parents of four children. One son and three daughters. The son and one daughter died. The other two daughters married two brothers named CARER and at last accounts were living in Pendleton and if still living must by this time be grandparents.

John HARDMAN

Born in Virginia January 20,1800, came to Ohio with his parents, labored diligently on the farm until 17 years of age when he went to Dayton and served an apprenticeship to the tailoring business with Mr. Daniel WOLF a resident of that place. He then married a Miss Hannah BLACK by whom he had one child which however soon after died. After the death of the child their marriage relations becoming so unhappy they separated.

John now wandered around from place to place for some years working at his trade until finally in perhaps 1837 he came to Shelby, Indiana. Married his second cousin Miss Emily SLEETH and settled at Morristown in this county where the remainder of his life was passed, working some at his trade and doing whatever he could get to do. But for want of application never much of a success at anything.

Perhaps in 185- John died leaving a widow with three children - two sons and a daughter in quite destitute circumstances.

The widow however with the energy and resolution peculiar to her ancestral race at once took hold of the business affairs of life grappling manfully with the adverse circumstances surrounding her and in due time succeeded in not only procuring a comfortable subsis­ tence but in bringing up her children creditably and giving to each a respectable educa­ tion. One son is now and has for several years past been a practicing attorney at Pendleton, Indiana. The other son -Asa- volunteered in the Union Army and served three years faithfully against the rebellion. At the close of the war and the establishment of the Postal delivery service in connection with the Indianapolis post office he was selected by the Postmaster as one of the delivery clerks and so satisfactorily did he perform his du­ ties that at the organization of Post Office department at Indianapolis under the present Postmaster that Asa has been selected for and put in full charge as superintendent of the Postal delivery connected with that office.

The daughter named Maggie married a man by the name of William DAGGET an edu­ cated business man and they are now living at Crawfordsville, Indiana and as I am 225

informed are prospering in business. The mother died at Morristown where her married life and widowhood were spent in perhaps 1867.

Henry HARDMAN

This child was born in Virginia March 10, 1801 came with his parents to Ohio and contin­ ued to labor on the farm with the family until his marriage when of course he went off and set up for himself. His life business was that of farming in which he was quite successful. He finally moved to Iowa secured the title of a goodly amount of Prairie lands and entered largely into stock raising in connection with his farming operations in which he was suc­ cessful and in time became quite wealthy. He died at his home in Iowa a few years since at about the age of 79 years.

Henry's first wife was Miss Mary SEARL a school mate residing within a mile of his own home. With her he commenced the battle of life a practical farmer in that neighborhood. From thence they moved to Bond County, Illinois, passed a year or two in that state. And at the close of the Blackhawk War in 1832 they moved over and were among the first -if not the very first- white persons that settled in Iowa. Here Henry made good selections of land and by his energy and industry as before stated became quite wealthy.

Three sons and two daughters were the fruits of this marriage. At quite an advanced age in life the mother died - the precise date of her death is not known. Henry then as old men sometimes will do married again and shortly thereafter he died. His death occurring within two years past. Whether the children are yet living, where they are or what they are doing I have no knowledge.

Jonathan HARDMAN

Born in Virginia January 25, 1803. He too grew up with the other children on the farm un­ til 17 years of age when he went to Xenia and served an apprenticeship to the tanning business with a Mr. CONNER who was carrying on that business extensively at that time. At the close of his apprenticeship he married a Miss Mary ARBOGOST and settled down to business in the village of Mechanicsburg some ten miles east of Urbana in Champaign County, Ohio. Here he opened out a tanyard and pushed matters with much energy. The fruits of this marriage were seven children. Three sons and four daughters. Jonathan's health failing his oldest son -Peter- took charge of the tanning business while Jonathan moved to London in Madison County and opened a hotel in which business he continued to the end of his life. His first wife being dead and their children married and gone off to themselves Jonathan married for a second wife a Mrs. Catharine COX. In this marriage he was fortunate and happy. He died in 1873.

Of his children I have no information except one, Peter. At the commencement of the re­ lation Peter raised a company for the Union Army and went into the war as Captain. His health failing he was sent to the hospital where he soon after died. 226

Jacob HARDMAN

This child was also a native of Virginia. Born April 29, 1804 came with his parents to Ohio and with them underwent the hardships incident to frontier life, brought up to man­ hood a practical farmer. In the 22nd year of his age in some endeavor to manage a frac­ tious horse he received a permanent injury in the right arm which incapacitated him ever after from the performance of manual labor. Hence some other employment than farming must now be sought for as a business pursuit through life. A professional education at that time was hard to obtain. No library and but few educated men in all that region round about. Not even a respectable common school taught for over three months in anyone year. In this barren waste an education to fit him to enter any of the learned professions seemed a hopeless undertaking. However by the kindness of Rev. Archibald STEEL a Presbyterian minister at Midway over on the west side of Mad River he was enabled to so far advanced in his studies by the close ofthe first year as to obtain from the examining board of the county a certificate of qualification to teach the various branches of the Eng­ lish language as also to give lessons in the elementary branches of Latin. He now turned his attention to teaching in the common schools of the country at the same time carefully pursuing his own studies. In this employment some two years more of his life passed away when he fixed upon the science of medicine as a business occupation through life more to be depended upon than school teaching. He therefore went to Springfield and entered as a student of medicine the office oftwo eminent practitioners, attended lectures and in due time graduated with the degree of MD. and was thus prepared to enter the profession he had chosen for life. And now at the age of 28 years he is in a condition to commence Iifes struggle. In August 1831 he emigrated to South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana and commences the practice of his profession being the first physician located in the county after its organization. April 26, 1832 he was joined in marriage to Miss Sarah WOODWARD a young lady with whom he had long been acquainted. This union was a happy one and was only terminated at the death of the wife May 20, 1870.

The fruits of this marriage was four sons and three daughters all of whom but two pre­ ceded the mother to the grave and another following her but a few years later.

The religious character of Dr. HARDMAN was marked and fixed. He became a member of the M. E. Church in August 1825. After his settlement at South Bend he was one of 11 to form the first class in the Church at that place and has continued a faithful member to the present time.

In the winter of 1831 he assisted in forming and became an officer in the first Sabbath school formed in the St. Joseph Valley. He was made President of the first temperance society in all northern Indiana. In 1839 was one of nine petitions for a Masonic Lodge at South Bend was made its first Master and filled the same position for several years after the Lodge was fully organized.

At the commencement of the rebellion in 1861 he was appointed Surgeons Mate in the 9th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers. This position not proving agreeable after six weeks 227

service he resigned and returned to the practice of his profession at home. In May 1864 he stood an examination before the Medical Board was accepted and assigned to duty in Hospital No.2 at Nashville. Failing health compelled him in March 1865 to resign and re­ turn home. His debilitated condition continued for so long after his return that he had to abandon the practice of his profession and never thereafter opened an office to offer his professional service to the public again. He was however elected and served for a time as Justice of the Peace for the city. And now at the age of 77 years his health having im­ proved he is perhaps more active than the average of mankind at his age in life. Is cheer­ ful and happy though poor in worldly goods and with but one child left to take care of and comfort him in his declining years.

The personal appearance of Cousin Jacob is about as follows: height 5 ft. 8 1/2 in., aver­ age weight 145Ib., bilious temperament, dark complexion. Well proportioned head, black hair, large gray eyes, rather full lips, talks loud, voice pleasant, social qualities good, though somewhat assuming, stands erect; is active in walking, fond of history a lover of science and with a memory rather extraordinary as to dates and location.

As has been stated Dr. HARDMAN was married to Miss Sarah WOODWARD April 26, 1832 and immediately took her to his new home at South Bend, Indiana and that the fruits of this marriage was four sons and three daughters. Born respectively as follows: HARDMAN 1st WilliamH. born 1833 July 20 2nd SamuelW. born 1836 July 2 3rd Francis A. born 1838 January 24 4th Aaron W. born 1840 March 13 5th JuliaM. born 1841 September 22 6th Ann E. born 1843 September 8 7th Mary E. born 1848 January 21

Thus in 16 years of wedded life 7 children were given them to bless their nuptial vows. But how soon in this life is rejoicing turned to sorrow, and weeping, death comes and there is no defense.

William H. their first born died of brain fever in the 6th year of his age. Samuel W. died of croup in his 4th year. Aaron W. died aged 6 months. Having been suddenly taken -from some unaccountable cause- with spasms and died in the absence of the father. Ann E. died in the 4th year of spinal meningitis.

And thus were four snatched away in infancy and childhood leaving but three to grow up to adult age.

Francis A. the third son at the breaking out of the rebellion - and on the second day after the call for 75,000 volunteers promptly enlisted in a company of 106 effective men and was the third company to report to the Governor at the state capitol ready for duty. In the organizations of this company Francis received the commission of Second Lieutenant 228

and as such marched with his company to the field of conflict in western Virginia under the command of General MCCLELLAND.

At Philipi within 30 miles of where his father was born his company had its first contest with the enemy. The rebels in this engagement seems to have been under the command of a Colonel John PORTERFIELD and during the engagement the douty Colonel had the misfortune to meet with Lieutenant HARDMAN in single combat. The conflict for a time was fierce. The event however proved the Hoosier Boy the better man. To save his life the rebel Colonel precipitately fled leaving his sword and hand trunk with the young Lieu­ tenant. That hand trunk is now at the home of his father at South Bend. In this instance Lieutenant HARDMAN won his laurels for courage and bravery but of course greatly at the risk of his life. For had the rebel officer proved the stouter or braver man Lieutenant HARDMAN would have certainly lost his life.

Shortly after the Battle of Philipi the command of General MCCLELLAND met the rebel General GARNET at Carracks Ford where another terrible battle was fought the rebel General killed and his command fled from the field in great disorder.

By this time the three months enlistment of the company having expired it was returned home and disbanded with the Joss of but one man that had gone out with it three months before.

Lieutenant HARDMAN having shown his ability and courage in the field, the members of the company now proposed that if he would consent to serve them as Captain they would at once enlist for the three years service. This was accepted the company reorganized and Captain HARDMAN with his command forming Company F in the 29th Regiment commanded by Colonel John F. MILLER - now a Senator in the Congress of the United States from California. This regiment as is well known was assigned to the division of General BUEL and in the fall of 1861 was marched to Green River in Kentucky and went into winter quarters.

As is well known during the last days of February 1862 the division of the Army under General BUEL was put upon a forced march to meet the terrible engagement that took place at Shiloh, Tennessee April 6th and 7th. In this march forced as it had to be the baggage train was soon left far in the rear by reason of which the command were marched to the field of conflict almost without food and in that inclement season of the year entirely without shelter. In this fearful march and exposed condition Captain HARD· MAN caught cold -with pleurisy- which soon merged into congestion of the lungs. The Regiment on this march having provided no ambulance or means of conveyance for the sick the Captain had to be left at a house by the wayside March 2, 1862. But recklessly without surgeon. medicine or nurse to look after and take care of him. Of course then it resulted in his death, March 5, 1862 at about 11 o'clock AM. The place where he was thus left and where he died was in Sumner County, Tennessee some 23 miles north of Nashville. The Captain was buried -by those in whose care he had been left- in a lonely fence corner and in a box hastily nailed up of some old and rough boards taken from a 229

sheep house nearby. Had a surgeon been left with the sick officer as humanity would in­ dicate even but for one day the result would no doubt have been different. But so it was and Captain Francis HARDMAN as true and as gallant a soldier as any that fought for the preservation of the Union was thus left to die by the wayside without the least consid­ eration whatever being given to him such is war with its attendant horrors.

On the return of his father from service as surgeon in Hospital No.2 at Nashville as has been before stated in March 1865 he visited the place where his son had been buried, had his remains disinterred which he found in a good state of preservation -although he had now been dead 3 years- and brought them to his house at South Bend where they were mournfully buried in the family lot by the side of the others of the family that had passed away before him. It is here but proper that I should state that Cumberland Lodge No. 10 F and AM of Nashville generously donated 75 cents and three ofthe Doctors Professional Brethren 7 cents each to aid the father in his mournful duty to the remains of the beloved child.

The personal make-up of Captain HARDMAN as taken by authority when mustered into service was as follows: height 5 ft. 11 in., weight 175Ib., complexion fair, auburn hair, wavy to a curl, eyes blue and inclining to gray, sleight to the standard, well proportioned for activity and durability.

The Captain was a good English scholar, had learned the printing business, which he had followed for five years before going to the War. He was among the foremost com­ positors and a young man of much promise. But was thus unfortunately taken away at 25 years of age.

The next one of the family to be called away was Sarah. The wife and mother of this fam­ ily of children. Who as has been before stated died May 20,1870. The fatal disease which took her off was inflammatory rheumatism accompanied with paralysis to a large degree.

Mary E. the youngest daughter and the only one of the children that ever married was united to Mr. James H. BANNING and became the mother of three children -two daugh­ ters and a son- the son named Francis M. died October 1876 of cholard infanturn at 7 months of age. And then the mother died November 1878 leaving her two daughters -one 5 years and the other but 11 months of age- to the care of her father and only re­ maining sister.

And thus our venerable Cousin Jacob HARDMAN -he who had aided so materially in the preparation of these sketches- at 78 years of age is left with but one daughter -Julia Mar­ garette- usually called Maggie- and two granddaughters to be a comfort and stay in his rapidly declining years. 230

Elizabeth HARDMAN

Was born in Virginia March 14, 1806 came with her parents to Ohio grew up and ami­ able intelligent woman, married John BABCOCK -a seven day Baptist- one of the best and conscientious men of his times.

The first years of their married lives were spent in the Mad River valley near her fathers residence. From thence they moved to Clinton County, Iowa where the remainder of their lives were spent cultivating the soil but with what success I am not advised. Nor have I been able to learn the number of children they had. Their son James however was a Captain in the Union Army during the war of the rebellion. Cousin Elizabeth and her hus­ band are as I am informed both died but a few years since.

Eliza HARDMAN

Born in Virginia February 25. 1808. This child at 8 months of age was carried on horse­ back by her mother that long distance from Virginia to Greene County, Ohio. The fatigue of such a journey would be sufficient to kill half the children born in this our day. In this we see what refinement has done for the present generation.

Eliza like the other children grew up a healthy intelligent woman married for her first hus­ band Mr. James MAXON a farmer of the neighborhood. By whom she had five children, three of whom died in infancy.

In the early life ofthe two surviving children their father James MAXON died. Eliza unfor­ tunately for herself contracted another marriage with a Mr. Phineas DAVIS a slipshod kind of a man by whom she had four additional children -two sons and two daughters­ shortly after the birth of her last child Eliza died at Fairfield near where her life had been passed. The two infant children she left found a home with their Grandfather Peter HARDMAN. The two sons by this last marriage -George and Lafayette both entered the Union Army and rendered good service in the war of the rebellion- Lafayette never re­ turned as he died in the hospital before the close of the war. What became of DAVIS him­ self after the death of Cousin Eliza no one seems to know or care.

Eliza's two children by MAXON -John and Martha after their mothers second marriage had to shift for themselves. They however grew up to maturity and married. John lives in Amora. Illinois and has one of the finest farms in all that section of the country. He is also connected with the C. B. and Q. R. R. at a good salary.

Martha married Aaron HEMPLEMAN a superior scholar and teacher. For a time after marriage they resided at Enon in Clark County where they were married. They then moved to Richmond, Indiana where two years ago last May Martha died. By her marriage she had a son and two daughters, some seven years since the son "Ola" after making 231

the necessary preparation entered the United States Navy as a Lieutenant. A month since he returned to find his mother dead and to mourn her loss.

Margarette HARDMAN

Born on the farm in Greene County, Ohio November 19, 1810 and was thus just 16 days older than myself. Like the other children Margarette grew up and at maturity married Obddiah EDGE a nephew of her fathers second wife. Said to have been a very fine man. They settled on a farm near Mechanicsburg, Ohio. By this marriage she had two sons and two daughters, they all grew up to maturity. The oldest, a son died single. Then the mother died. The other three children married and done well. EDGE himself married again, but beyond that fact I have no other information in regard to them.

Nelson HARDMAN

The youngest child of Aunt Margarette born on the farm in Greene County January 3, 1813 and was but a little past two years old at the death of his mother. Nelson like the others grew up an enterprising individual. Learned the blacksmith trade in Fairfield. After traveling for a time as a jour he finally settled in the village of Enon, Clark County set up his trade and made it a success. During the rebellion he volunteered and was appointed to superintend the blacksmithing for the Brigade. In shoeing cavalry horses etc., he be­ came much exposed to the inclemency of the seasons. This finally broke him down and although he is still living he has never recovered - is feeble and quite a case upon the family.

In his early manhood Nelson married a Miss Lucretia HEMPLEMAN a sister of the per­ son of that name already spoken of. This marriage was a happy one - the wife being a noble dignified lady attractive and well educated, pleasant voice and with all a thorough Christian, much sought for to visit and pray with the sick and dying. The fruit ofthis mar­ riage was four children. Two of whom died young. The other two are a son and daughter. The son after the war obtained a position as Captain in the U. S. Army. Is now at home however - unmarried. Their daughter Sarah with her first husband accumulated some considerable property by good management, on his death Sarah married again, when her husband having some means they entered into the drygoods business at Enon and when last heard from they were making it a good success.

Second Marriage

As has already been noted after the death of Aunt Margarette HARDMAN, Uncle Peter brought to his home for a second wife Mrs. Sarah EDGE November 25, 1815. By this marriage the following children were born to them and all grew up to a mature life. 232

As my Grandfather, William HACKER stcl"pped writing the Hacker History in 1880 without starting the history of his own family, I will try to carry on where he left off.

Mary Gertrude (JENNINGS) REHKOPH

October 1833, William purchased a large lot in Shelbyville, Indiana on Mechanic Street, between Pike and Harrison Street.

He married Mary Ann SARGENT January 20,1839. They lived in a small house on the lot he bought. He built a larger house on the same Idt about 1852.

They had 10 children born to them: HACKER Mary Melvina born 1839 October 27 died 1845 April 9 Carolina Ar11anda born 1841 March 16 died 1923 September 18 Frances Ann born 1842 September 10 died 1845 April 9 William Henry born 1844 January 7 died 1845 April 10 Frances Melvina born 1846 April 6 died 1878 August 30 Eliza Virginia born 1847 November 17 died 1936 February 9 William Albert born 1849 November 7 died 1925 December 21 Thomas Sargent born 1851 September 7 died 1944 January 9 Laura May born 1853 September 10 died 1931 August 24 Clara Belle born 1856 June 10 died 1938 July 3

The first, third and fourth child had scarlet fever and passed away April 9-10, 1845.

Eliza Virginia was born November 17,1847 in Shelbyville, Indiana. She was born and raised in the small house and married in the larger home. She attended the city school and Methodist Church in Shelbyville. November 7,1872 she married Thorp B. JEN­ NINGS and went to Washington, D. C. to live where he was in the Weather Service.

As most of her life has been written in with the life of her husband, I will not write all of it here, but fill in here and there. Her name was Eliza but she was called Uda, the name she used.

She never had as an adventurous or eventful life as her husband Thorp. But she was a fine wife, mother and homem'lker, always looking out for the good of her family. The first year they lived on the farm, they rented the land to her sister Amanda and her husband. After that they always had a hired man to do the farm work. Her husband never allowed her to go out and work in the fields or milk the cows like most farm women did. She took care of the garden and chickens. One year she raised a lot of turkeys. At Thanksgiving time she dressed them and sold them for 10 cents a lb.. She churned all the butter, baked all the bread and did all the washing and ironing for her family of 6 and the hired man. Part of the time she had a hired girl to help her. As there were about 50 bearing fruit trees on the farm, she canned a lot of fruit, also sold some. 233

In 1890 as Lida had a good hired girl she took Mary and went to Shelbyville to see her parents and have her brother Tom make her some teeth. '"

July 29, 1891 her father William HACKER passed away, Lida took Frank and Dana and went to Shelbyville to attend the funeral.

The year of 1892 Thorp was Worthy Patron and Lida was associate Matron of Orpha Chapter of the Eastern Star in Lebo. In 1893 Thorp was reelected Worthy Patron and Lida was advanced to Worthy Matron. They drove through all kinds of weather over dirt roads in a one horse phaeton to attend the meetings which were held twice a month.

As the work in the weather office was not heavy, Thorp went home about every week­ end. He had passes to ride on the A. T. & S. F. Railroad, which passed through Topeka and Lebo. In 1893 they attended the Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star at Hutchinson while they were in office.

After they moved to Topeka in 1896, the West Side Forestry Club was organized and Lida was a charter member. After her husband retired from the Weather Bureau office they moved back to the farm to spend the rest oftheir life. They made their home with Frank and family. After her husband passed away, she moved back to Topeka to live with her daughter Mary and family. The last 40 years of her life her health was not too good. She had such terrible headaches. In 1935 she began to loose her strength. The first part of January 1936 she took to her bed with weakness and Sunday evening February 9, 1936 she passed away at the age of 88 years and 3 months. The funeral service was held in McClintock Chapel of Grace Cathedral in Topeka, Kansas. The burial was in the Lebo Cemetery. Her grandson Charles had the service at the grave.

She was a member of the Methodist Church in Shelbyville until she married Thorp, then she was confirmed into the Episcopal Church where her husband was a member. At the time of her death she was a member of Grace Cathedral, Topeka, Orpha Chapter O. E. S. at Lebo, a charter member of the Ancient Toltec Rite of Topeka. Index 234

I CARER,224 CARLYLE, 27 ICARPENTER ,5,233 Benjamin, 134 I Jolm, 115 A Nicholas, 131 CARTERET ADAMS, 5 George, 181, 187 Jolm, 173 Philip, 181 ADBY Philip, Governor, 181 Christopher, 28 CARTRlGHT ALEXANDER, 188 Bejamin, 89 Sarah, 188 Jolm, 89 ALKIRE CHAPMAN Mary Ann, 80 May Ann, 190 ALLEIN CLAPOOL Thomas, 28 Colonel., 79 ANTHONY, 32 Nancy, 80 ARBOGOST CLARENDEN, 27 Mary, 225 CLARKE ASBURY, 207, 208 Colonel., 112 Francis, 208, 209, 210, 211, George Rogers, Col., 107, 212 108 ASHCRAFT CLAYPOOL Uriah, 130 Nancy, 62 AUNESLEY, 31, 32, 33 BUEL CLEGG, 130, 131 PL>rrEL, 13, 14,27,30,31,37,46 General, 228 Mrs., 130 Colonel, 38, 41, 51 BUNYAN CLEVENDON,36 Daniel, 34, 37 John, 134 COCHRAN Daniel, Colonel, 47 BURR, 173 Nathaniel, 105 BUSH, 82 COGAD B Adam, 81 Jacob, 134, 135 Jolm, 62, 81 Jacob, Rev., 139 BABCOCK Elizabeth. 230 Jolm, Captain, 63, 64, 70, COLEMAN Captain, 133 James, 230 81,116,130 COLLINS Jolm, 230 Jolm, Mrs., 81, 130 George, 192 BADGER Polly, 63 COLUMBUS, 214 Sarah, 190 BUTLER CONNALY BALL,188 General, 188 Darby, 103 Deborah, 187 Jacob, 174 CONNER, 225 Lydia, 187, 188 BYRD Colonel, 110 COOK, 32 BANNING COOKMAN Francis M., 229 Jolm, 219 James H., 229 Ie COON, 102 BARRON, 27, 33, 34, 36 CALBET L.C.,28 COOPER Lt. Colonel, 29 Ashby, 32 BENNETI CALLINS CORGELL Hannah,160 Edmund, 167 Rachel., 189 BERKLEY, 181, 187 CANAAN Susan, 176 BERRY Joseph, 135 CORNWALLIS, 79, 117,216 James, 33 Joseph., Mrs., 135 COTTONS BIDE CARDER Robert, 29 Thomas, 28 William, 134 COTTRAIL Index 235

Samuel, 11 0 Mrs., 121, 122 I GARNET COVERDALE, 5 DUNMORE, 100, 101 , General, 228 COX Governor, 72 GEORGE Catharine, 225 ______Enoch, 211 Joseph, 134 E I, GIBSON COZAD John, 110 Adam,174 EDGE John, Mrs., 110 Jacob, 174 Obddiah, 231 GILL CRAWFORD Sarah, 220, 222, 231 Jacob, 199 William, Colonel, 43 EDMUNDS GIRTY, 43, 67, 114, 117 CROMWELL Francis,15 Captain, 121 Bridget, 24 EDW1-.RDS George, 67, 68 Oliver, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, David, 106 James, 67, 68 17, 18, 19,20,21,22,23, ELSWORTH Simon, 67, 68, 69, 70, 74, 24,25,30,31,32,35,36, David, 223 75,76,91,97, 101, 135, 37,43,44,46 Sarah, 223 155,171 Richard, 24, 26 EMPSON Thomas, 67 CUNNINGHAM Lieutenant, 20 GLASS, 129 Edmond, 120 GREGG, 117 Edmond, Mrs., 120, 121 F GREY Mrs., 104 Thomas, 13 FAIRFAX, 57, 58, 59, 60, 83, 86, 91, Thomas, 120 GUlZOT,27 145 CURL GUllOTT FINK Jeremiah, III M.,11 Henry, III CurRIGlIT GUNDY FISK Benjamin, 62 Felix, 105 Henry, 115 John, 62, III William, 105 FLEETWOOD, 24 Peter, 111 FLESHER H Henry, 119 o FORMAN, 5 HACKER, 3, 49, 56, 65, 66,74,83, D'AULIQUE,27 FOXE, 5 86,87,88, III, 136, 145, 147, 159, DAGGET FRANCIS, 33 164,165,167,170,182,186,193, William,224 Benjamin, 28 194, 197,206 DAVIS FREEMAN, 207 Absalem, 144,165 Eliza, 230 Betsey, 62, 82, 93, 94, 105, Absolem, 162,164,165, George, 230 162, 193, 194 166 Lafayette, 230 John, 78,79,84 Ada, 150 Phineas, 230 John, Mrs., 78 Alexander, 144, 161, 162 DAVISSON, 119 FURRENASH Ann, 93 Nathaniel, 110 Charles, 115 AnnINancY,65,79 DEGRASS, 216 Charles, Mrs., 115 AnnafNancy, 193, 195 DEKALB,216 Asby Pool, 167 DENDY G Betsey, 79 SeIjeant, 29 Captain, 47, 49, 50, 52, 55 GADSBY Carolina Amanda, 232 DILLON Charles, 102 Mrs., 104 Catherine Alkire, 167 Charles, Mrs., 102 Clara Belle, 232 DINWIDDIE GAFF Lt. Governor, 58 David, 186, 193, 194, 195, Lt Colonel, 20 DOD 199,203 GAGE Edmund, 150 Williarn,28 Henry, 14 DORMAN,II7 Eli.zaILida, 232, 233 GALLIARD Timothy, 116, 117, 138 Eliza Virginia, 232 John, 28 DRAGOO Elizabeth, 62,144,162,163, Index 236

165, 167, 194, 198, 199 Sarah Kerzia. 168 226,227 Elizabeth/Betsey, 78, 79 Susannah, 178 John, 21 I, 217, 221, 223, Elizabeth M., 168 Theodore, 198 224 Emily Malvina, 167 Thomas, 194,202,203 Jonathan, 223, 225 Frances Arm, 232 Thomas Peny G., 167 Julia M., 227 Frances Melvina, 232 Thomas S., 162, 168,212 Julia Margarette, 229 Francis, 8, 11 Thomas Sargent, 232, 233 Maggie, 224 Francis, ColoneL 11, 12, 13, Thomas Sleeth, 144, 162, Margarette, 158, 163,164, 14, 15, 16,17, 19,20,22, 165,166, 168 167,208,209,210,213, 23,24,26,27,28, 29, 30, William, 4, 5,6,7,8, 49, 50, 220,223,231 31,32,33,34,35,36,37, 56,57, 60, 62, 63, 64, 66, Mary E., 227, 229 38,41,45,46,47,51,57, 67,68,69,70,72,73,74, Nelson, 223, 231 84, 93, 122, 206 75, 76, 77, 83,84,89, 91, Nicholas, 213 Frederick, 7 94,96,97,98,99, 135, 136, Peter, 157, 159, 163, 164, Hannah, 160 147,148, 149, 150, 151, 192, 208, 209, 211, 213, Jacob, 216 152,155,160,171,172, 215,216,217,218,219, James Keith, 167 173,176,194,199,203, 220,221,222,225,230,231 John, 7, 8, 62, 63, 64, 67, 206,210,211,232,233 Samuel w., 227 69,70,79,80,82,83,84, William, Captain, 56 Sarah, 222, 223, 224, 229 87,89,90,91,93,94,100, William A.,DR., 76, 77 William H., 227 123,131,137,138,139, William Albert, 232 HARMER, 132 141,143,144,150,151, William E., 144 HARPOLD ISS, 162, 170,171, 173, William Granville, 162 Nicholas, 72 177, 178, 186,193, 194, William Henry, 232 HARRIS 197,208,211,216 William Keith, 168 HARRlSON, 12, 13,30 John, Mrs., 78 HALSAL GeneraL 46 John Conley, 167 Ralph, 28 Lieutenant, 24 John S., 76, 77 ~LTON, 112,173 HASLERlG,27 John S.,Captain, 77 Governor, 107 HECKARDT,3 John T., 160, 212 Miss, 103 VVilhehn, 3, 4, 49, 83, 147, Jonas, 193, 197, 198 HAMPTON 205 Jonathan, 144, 150, 159, John, 10 HECKER, 49 160, 161, 193, 196,212 HANDSUCKER, 130 Ludwig, 49 Laura May, 232 HANNER HELLEN Lewis, 49, 206 General., 130 Thomas, 100 Louisa Jane, 167 HARDIN HELMICK Ludwig, 49, 51, 56, 207 ColoneL 133 A. S., Dr., 169 Margarette, 80, 105, 142, HARDMAN, 159,223 Alexander S., 170 143,144,154,155,157, Aaron W., 227 Daniel, 170,212 158,163, 164, 167, 168, AnnE., 227 Hannah, 170 173,188,208,211,218,222 Asa. 224 !raG., 170 M~ette,78,123,124, Ca~e,222,224 Jacob, 169, 170 125,139 Catherine, 217 James, 170 Mary/Polly, 63, 80 Charlotte, 163, 164 John, 169, 170 Mary Arm, 123,125, 126, DanieL 217 Mary Ann, 169,170,212 127,144,145,146,147, De1ila. 221 HEMPLEMAN 150,154,155,156,164, Eliza, 223, 230 Aaron, 230 167,168,169,170 Elizabeth, 163, 192,217, Lucretia, 231 Mary Melvina, 232, 233 223,230 Ola. 230 Nancy, 62, 79, 94, 195,200, Francis A., 227, 228, 229 Sarah, 231 203 Henry, 163,217,223,225 HENSON Philip, 161 Jacob, 155, 164,217,223, Jacob, 150 Sarah, 144, 151,152, 192, 226,229 HINKLE 194,203,204 Jacob, Dr., 125, 154,213, Moses, Rev., 191 Index 237

HOECKER Ludwig, 49, 206 HUGHES, 207 K Jessee, 105, 111,123, 124, 131,138,146,147,155 KEELING Miss, 155 Searjant, 28 Thomas, 104, 119 KEITH HUGHS Catherine, 150 Elias, 99 Christea, 189 Jesse, 62 James, 79, 80, 93, 94, 142, Jessee, 87, 89 150,166,189 Thomas, 62, 89 John, 150 HULET,32 Jonathan, 80 HULL,217 Maqrcrrette, 166, 168 General, 175 Nancy, 62, 79, 80 Samuel, 129 KING HUNCK., 13,30,31,32,33,46,47 John, 167 Colonel, 12, 13, 14, 32, 46, KIRKENDALL 47 Elizabeth, 164, 165 Hercules, 27, 28 George, 164 KNIGlIT Barney, 167 KOSCIUSKO, 216 ICE John, 121 L IRETON, 24, 43 IVENS LAFAYETI'E, 216 Sally, 119,120 LAMBERT, 25, 27 General, 24 J Major-General, 19,20 LAUD, 10, 16 JACKSON, 89 Archbishop, 10 Edward, 89 LAWLER George, 89, 114 Colonel, 114 John, 62, 89, 114 LAWTHER President, 77 Cal, 122 JEFFERSON LENGARD,14 Thomas, 173 LESLEY, 19 JEFFREY, 45, 209 LESLIE, 12 JEFFREYS, 16 General, 10 George, 52, 85 LEWIS JENNINGS Andrew, General, 100, 101 E1izaILida, 233 Colonel, 104 Mary, 233 LINCOLN Mary Gertrude, 232 General, 216 Thorp B., 232, 233 LIVINGSTON JOHNMAN Governor, 184 Heruy,134 LOVE, 12 John, 134 LOwrnER JOHNSON Jonathan, 104 Colonel, 68 LUDLOW, 27 William, 129 Major General, 23 William, Mrs., 129 LlJTI!ER, 4 JUDAH Index 238

James, Mrs., 119, 120 William, 5 146,154, 155, 156, 164, Mary, 120 PYM,43 168,211 MORE Bridget, 43 Matthias, 114 Thomas, 5, 6, 7, 16 Michael, 114 MORGAN R Simon, 111, 114 DanieL General, 108 SCOTT, 12 David, 108 RADCLIFF David, Captain, 109 Levi, 122 Daniel, 119 General, 132 Mrs., 104 Jacob, 62 Jacob, 72 MORRICE, 31 John, 89 SEARL MORRIS William, 62, 89 Mary, 225 Thomas, 28 RAINES SENEY George, 150 Ira, 191 N RALEIGH S1JSannah, 189 Walter, 9 SHACKELFORD NICHAL READ Joseph A., 212 John, 28 Andrew, 157, 176 SHACKLEFORD, 209 NICHOL REHKOPH James M., Gen., 209 Thomas, 28 Mary Gertrude, 232 SHEPPARD NUNNELLY, 28 REID Robert, 28 NUI'LY,28 Andrew, 174,194, 197,198, SHERMAN 210,219 General, 203 0 RICHARDS SHINN Arnold, 117 Asa, 212 OWENS Conrad, 106 Benjamin, 105 James, 106 Daniel, 117 SHREVE Marrly,224 p Colonel, 184 ROBERTS SIMMONS Robert R., 211 John, 170 PALMER ROBINSON Barbara., 45 SIMPSON William, 100 Holland, 28 PENN ROBISON SIMS William, 48 Benjamin, Major, 129 John, 129 PERRY ROCHAMBEAU,216 Christopher R., 184, 188 SLAGLE RUNNER John, 210 Oliver Haggard, 188 Elijah, 72 SLEETH, 86, 87, 88,145,164,167, Sarah Alexander, 188 RUSSEL, 27 182,186,188,207 PETERS, 27 RYAN Albert, 190, 191 PETRO John, 72 Alexander, 62,86,87,89, Leonard, 102 RYON 142,161,173,188,189,191 PHAYER Joanna, 170 Alum, 190 Lt. Colonel, 12 Andrew R., 189 PHAYRE,13 Caleb, 190 Lt. Colonel, 30 S David, 174,189 POOL SARGENT Emanuel, 189 Ashy, 212 Mary Ann, 202, 232 Emily, 224 PORTERFIELD Thomas W., Rev., 202 James, 190 John, Colonel, 228 SAY, 12 John, 191 PRINGLE, 89 SCHOOLCRAFT, 114, 117, 123, Jonas, 190 John, 88 124,126 Margarette, 84, 86, 87, 94, Samuel, 62, 88, 89, 145 A1JStin, 112 141 PROVINCE, 73 John, 110 Mary Ann, 187, 190 PYKES Lenwood, 139 Molly, 191 John, 5 Leonard, 109, 123,125, Nancy, 158, 186, 188, 189, Index 239

190, 191, 193 SYMMS WASHINGTON Ralph, 190 Jolm, 209 George, 58, 59, 66, 67, 68, Robert Porter, 190, 192 79,87, 183, 184, 215,216 SuslllUlllh, 191 T WAYNE Thornas, 62,87, 89, 189, Anthony, General, 133 194 TECUMSEH General, 135, 140 William H., 203, 204 General, 132 WEISER William Hacker, 190 TIl0MAS Charlotte, 215, 217 SMITH, 197,208,211 Jolm, 114 WEST, 111, 124, 125, 126, 127, 146, Abigail, 188, 192 TIl0MPSON 154, 155, 156 AnnafNancy, 188 Dr., 197 Ada, 150 Caleb, 188, 192,217 TOMLINSON, 30, 46, 47 Alexander, 111, 123, 124, Comfort, 188, 192 Colonel, 28, 29, 46, 47 146,154 David, 152, 162,166, 173, TOPLEY,5 Edmond, 100,111,123, 182,183, 184,185, 187, TRETON, 12, 13,30 124, 125, 126 188,192, 193, 194, 198, TRUMAN Edmond, Jr., 123, 124 200,201 Major, 133 Edmond, Jr.,Mrs., 123 David, Captain, 152 TUDORS, 9 Edmond, Mrs., 124 David H., Major, 154, 180 Elizabeth, 9 Edmond, Sr., 123, 124, 128 David Hacker, 152, 153, TULLIS Edmund, 146, 150, 154, 155 190, 192,213 Michael, 192 Edmund, Jr., 146 David Hardman, 217 TURNER, 53, 86, 164, 207 Edmund, Mrs., 146 Elinlbeth, 192, 218 Ann, 53, 83, 141,193,207 Mary Ann, 139, 167 Jolm, 152 AnnINancy,55,56,207 Mrs., 124 Jonas, 188, 191, 192, 193 Edward, 116 WHICHCOTT,15 Lydia, 152, 188 Nancy, 94 WHITE Margaretle, 152 TYNDAL,5 William, 73, 102, 116 Nancy, 152, 188 WILSON Sarah, 168 U Benjamin, Capt, 103 Susannah, 152, 172, 177, Nathaniel, 196 UFMAN 188,192, 193,217 WITIlERS Thomas, 28 SNETHEN Alexander S., 149 WOLF, 152 Nicholas, 212 V SNODGRASS Daniel, 224 James, 121 VANBUREN WOLSEY, 4, 5, 6 ST.CLAIR President, 77 WOODWARD General, 131, 132, 134 VANE, 27 Sarah, 226, 227 STAFFORD, 10 VAUGHN, 27 WRIGHT, 188, 190 STALNAKER Caleb, 187, 190 Adam, 116 W Gabriel, 184, 187 Jacob, 116 Job, 187 STEEL WAGGONER, 154 WROTII Archibald, Rev., 226 Jolm, 132, 218 Hen, 28 STEUBEN,216 Jolm, Mrs., 133 STEWART WALLACE, 115 Z Jolm, 103 William, 86 STRANGE WALPOLE, 96 ZARSE John, 178 WASHBURN, 106 Ebenezer. Colonel, 118 STRATFORD,16 Benjamin, 105 STUART, 9, 11, 14, 18,26,27,43,44 Charles, 117

,-~/ Captain, 104 Isaac, 104 Charles, 12, 13, 18 James, 106 SUMMERS Stephen, 106 Able, 190