Al.l.KN Tmuiii.K. Autobiography of Allen Trimble. At the request of my family, I have prepared the following account of my ancestors, as derived from the two past genera­ tions:1 My paternal grandfather, John Trimble,' with three brothers, emigrated from the North of Ireland to America, in the early part of the 17th century. Their ancestors were of Scotch descent, disciples of the great reformer, Knox, and deeply imbued with the religious zeal and uncompromising spirit of that extraordi­ nary man, and had witnessed and felt the consequences of the bloody scenes that followed the Reformation; and .although the victory of King William, at the great battle of Boyne, in 1688, gave the Irish Protestants some relief from Catholic persecution, they continued to feel that they had held liberty and property - by a precarious tenure; and many of their descendants deter­ mined to seek, a home in the New World, where it was understood religious freedom could be enjoyed. Among the emigrants of this period were the Aliens, Andersons, Brattons, Bells, Browns, Christies (or Christians, as they were, called), Craigs, Crawfords., Estells, Gambles, Moors, Moffats, McDowells, McClures, McCues, McNairs, Matthews, Poages, Prestons, Robinsons, etc. 'Most of these, after a few years resi- 1. The following manuscript was found among the papers in the secretary of Gov­ ernor Trimble during the summer of 1905. He did not tell any member of his family that he had complied with the request so often made oi' him to put into writing the incidents of his eventful life. His granddaughter, Mary McA. T. Turtle, and his grandson, Henry B. Thompson, have prepared and edited this material. 2. The name of Tumbull, from which Trimble is derived, was given to one William Rule in 1296, who had sworn fealty to Edward, and who saved the life of King Bruce, a gallant exploit. While hunting, the King was attacked and unhorsed by a wild bull, but was saved from death by this Wm. Rule, who threw himself between the King and the wild animal, seized It by Its horns, overturned and killed it. The coat of arms repre­ sents the bull's head on a ground of ermine. Motto: "ServavtRegem." The Tremble arms show a crest upon a shield. Creet. An eagle rising from a crown of plumes. Motto: " Malo Mori Quam Foedari. The coat of arms which has been handed down in the family tradition being Identical with the device used by the Trumbulls of New England, both names Trimble and Trum­ bull, said to be corruptions of the original Scotch Tumbull.—" Americans oi' Gentle Birth." Mrs. H. D; Pittman, St. Louis, 1M2. 2 Autobiography of Allen Trimble dence in Pennsylvania, joined the tide of emigration to Virginia and were among the first settlers in the Valley, between the North and South Mountains, comprehending the County of Augusta, then the frontier county of the .colony. John Trimble arid one of his brothers, James, I1 think, were among the adventurers, but the other brothers remained in Penn­ sylvania. The privations and hardships incident to the settlement of a new country were greatly increased by the dangers to which the first settlers were exposed. Although the Indian tribes had. retired to the Ohio, and to the country north-west of that river, they claimed that their hunting parties occupied the entire region.north-West of the Allegheny, and they made frequent attacks upon the settlements east of the Blue Ridge and in the Valley from Winchester to the James river, and the inhabitants were forced very often to abandon their im­ provements and protect themselves by erecting Block-houses. Here several families could congregate and together defend them­ selves against the sudden attacks of the enemy. This state of things continued several years previous to 1760 and afterwards up to 1774. When General Lewis, with his Western Virginians, called Virginia Brigade, in the hard fought and bloody battle at the mouth of the Great Kanawha, defeated the combined forces of the North-west Indians, under Logan and the Chief called "Corn-stalk", a temporary respite followed. Peace was imme­ diately afterwards made by Governor Dunmore with these tribes at their towns, or more properly called "villages'', on the Scioto river at Doit Charlotte, R. Mausais, and also the old town noW called Chillicothe (then only an Indian lodge), where they raised their teppees. Thus were those pioneers of the border of Virginia schooled for the trials they underwent during the Revolution. For as soon as the war commenced between the Colonies and the Mother Country, the savages commenced hostilities anew under the pro­ tection of the British Government; and from 1776 to 1784 con­ tinued to war against the whites, and were not subdued until de­ feated by General Anthony Wayne in the memorable battle of the Maumee River, of the Lake, in 1794. Governor Dunmore, with the main body of the army, marched from Richmond by Winchester to the mouth of the Little Kana­ wha, intending to drop down and join Lewis at Point Pleasant. Autobiography of Allen Trimble. 3 But the Indians, aware of the movement oi the army, supposing Lewis to be off his guard and on the Ohio, above the Point, attacked him before the arrival of Dunmore and were defeated, although Dunmore did not come tb his rescue. To continue with the history of our ancestry. My father, Jamejs Trimble, was born in 1753, near Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia. He was the only "child of John Trimble and his wife, Polly Christian, who had been previously married to John Moffitt.3 She had several children, namely, George, Robert William, Katherine and Hannah Moffitt. About the year 1763, a party of Indians from the Wyandotte tribe, north-west. of the Ohio river, under the command of a white man called Dickerson, made an excursion to the settle­ ment in Augusta, County Va., killed several persons and took some six or eight prisoners. My grandfather was killed and my father and his half-sister, Katy, the wife of Benjamin Estell, and also a negro boy, were taken prisoners, but grandmother and an apprenticed woman escaped. Dickerson, after plundering the house of what could be packed on four horses which he reserved, killing the balance of the stock, both horses and cattle,-and burning the houses and bams, then made a hasty retreat. George Moffitt (before named), raised a party of twenty-five men and on the following day was in pur­ suit of the Indians. But Dickerson having a day and night the start of him, and travelling both night and day, 'was not over- taven until he had crossed the Allegheny Mountains, and this was a great advantage to the Indian, marauders. Oh the fifth day, the. Indians, supposing themselves beyond pursuit, for the first time encamped for the night. Moffitt and his party came upon them unexpectedly and after a short conflict drove the Indians from their encampment and recovered the prisoners with­ out any loss, the negro boy only being wounded. One Indian was left on the ground and several, as afterwards understood, were wounded. Moffitt and his party encamped on the battle ground. The next morning, after collecting the horses and,baggage, he began to retreat. Dickerson followed and during the day, whilst cross­ ing the White Mountains, shot one of Moffitt's men, wounding 8. 'Among the stored away correspondence of these early days is a letter from Geo. Moffitt, June 23, 1801. from Augusta County, Va., to his brother-in-law. Captain James Trimble. A very religious spirit prevades thle letter, which closes with the Master's words, " I am come that ye might have life, and that ye might hare it more abundantly." 4 ' Autobiography of Allen Trimble. him severely, so much so that he was carried on a bed to the settlement. After the return of Moffitt and his party, with the prisoners, the neighbors collected and put up a small house for the discon­ solate widpw and her little family and furnished them with the necessaries of life until they were able to supply themselves upon their own farm. I have often heard my grandmother speak of an incident that occurred at that period which she regarded as a special interpo­ sition of Providence. And this is the story which she said was true: 'The evening after the family went into the new cabin, the negro, woman, a native of Africa, came to her mistress and told her that a cow stood at the gate. As all of their cattle had been killed by the Indians, her mistress told her that the,cow must belong to some of the neighbors and that she should drive her away. The order was obeyed, but the next morning the plaintive low of the poor cow was heard at the gate again. They drove her some distance in the direction from which she came, after having supplied themselves with milk. This was done for several days, the cow still returning. Then notice was sent to the different settlements of the stray cow, but strange to relate, no owner came to claim her. She gave a rich supply of milk for eight months. Then, what is the most strange part of this episode, when a cow was obtained by the family, the stray cow left, and was never again seen, or even Iteard of, either by the family or, indeed, by any of their friends or neighbors. Was not this a strange and kind gift of Providence? It im­ pressed me when I heard it from grandmother, so much that I have never forgotten it, nor do I think any one will forget it who hears it related.