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MEMOFi'IES OF LOm Ar;0
The following bit of local history and memories of long
ago was written by Mrs,Jane F. Nicholson and published in the
Western Star almost nineteen years ago. Mrs. Nicholson was in
her eightieth year at the time she penned these lines and is
still enjoying life at her home in Indianapolis, and has many
relatives and friends among The Gazette readers who will be
glad to have this means of preserving the tales and tradititos
of one who can recollect incidents that happened near a century
ago, and who has recorded them in such a pleasing style. Mrs.
Mcholson is mother of Mrs. Horace McKay of Indianapolis, and ^
is related by marriage and closer ties to many people in Warren
County, particularly at Vlaynesville and Harveysburgo
These articles will be continued for sereral weeks and it
will pay all readers to preserve copies of the paoers containing
same, "
In this, my eightieth year, things, people and circumstanc
es of my youth seem as vivid as yesterday. I feel as if I had
lived three lives; childhood with its many prospects, desires,
hopes and plans for the future; then comes the reall^y^
,the I'iwie for activity in our prime^ when we rely on our own power
and strength to perform our part in the world; afterwards, is the';
contemplative life, when the eyes are dim with the many decades of
^years, we see the result of efforts and of mistakes. I am thank->
ful forth privilege of this day, in which I am able to record
.for my dear, grand children some scenes in the far past, in which,
^ after the lapse of seventy years, I seem to be living instead
f,pf the presentv
% ^childhood began early in the present century in North
of eight I came with my parents to Ohi^
the fall of l8li;. I well remember the house ray father t>'uiZt
"for his ybuhg family near Hamptonville, N.G., a two-story frame",
painted Spanish red on the outside and sky-blue inside. A. pine'
."board fence enclosed the large yard, in which stood four great
forest trees. A tall straight poplar stood before the front
door, near were two oaks, one a white oak, the other a black oak;
over the older house spread a large mulberry tree that dropped a
plentiful- crop of delicious berries every year. At the west of
the house was a garden enclosed with palings, in which were beds
bf fragrant herbs, as comomile, thyrrie, wormwood, balm, hyssop
-and rhue; nor Was this garden wanting in fiowers> but had its
hollyhockssweet pinks and marigolds. In the yard were beauti-
ful roses, such as do not come to perfection in the North. Along
the garden fence wa3^ %^^ of bee hives, I think forty or more,
for demijohns of hon,ey;ifas one of the commodities of those days
The pl%ce contained two hundred arid fifty acres, with a small
stream fupning throi^b it (Hunting a tributary to the Yadkin)
which made it a desirable farm. All was tillable land except on
the west there was q^ite a hill covered with laurel, sloping down;;'
to the creek, where we had a fish trap and could go every mornings
and get fish for breakfast. Half way up this hill a spring came
out from under a high cliff and found its way to the creek; over
this spring was a spring house, where butter and milk for the
il
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family were kept, which vras cool and plenty. Along this hillside
was a well beaten path for our bare feet, for we were not con
fined to shoes and stockings in warm weather.
One day I was carrying a bucket of milk up from the spring,
T heard the patter of little feet behind me, looking back I saw
a little spotted fawn come trotting up, it put its nose to the
bucket. I had never seen one before and did not know what it
was, but it was so pretty I was not afraid of it.
Comfortable buildings stood near the house; back of the
yard was the corn crib, the cider house and the hen-house nearer,
the loom house and ash house.
A thrifty young orchard bore an abundance of fruit and ev
ery year a load of peaches went to the still-house and a barrel
of brandy came back; this with several barrels of cider, a bar
rel of whiskey and many loads of sweet potatoes (the only vegetable
which they did not "hole"up" in the South) were all kept in the
cellar under the kitahen floor; the entrance to these supplies
was a trap dobr near the big fire place. On the hearth were and
irons with negro heads; over the fire swung a large crane with
hooks to hang pots in which the meals were cooked.
I remember the johnny cake board before the burning logs,
and rows of apples baking on the hot stones for the ^jvening meal
In winter a large mug of cider stood before the blaz e into which
the red hpt poker would be thrust and after it had sputtered aiffhile
the warm drink would be served to the grown people.
= Owing to my mother's management we always had wheatbread,
which was unusual in the South the year round, because the weeve1
was in the wheat. The planters usually ground and ate all the
crop directly after harvest (except what they put in the gro\ind
for the next year) and lived on corn pone and dodger the remainder
of the year; but my mother would scald their wheat to kill the
insect, and dry it on the garret floor, after which it would keep
and we had white bread the year round.
My parents prospered by their industry and good management;
but the poor slave owner who left his affairs to the negroes, had
.to come to our house for provisions. I ramember seeing a lady ride
up on horseback early one morning and asked my mother if ishe could
let her have bacon for breakfast, she had visitors and was anxious
. to get back before they got up; she wanted to spin to pay for the
bacon.
Young as I was I remember feeling proud of my mother weighing
out her bacon to a poor, lean slave holder, and yet he was a man
of some consequence. The husband was the leading physician and
the son,i an educated young man, had taught school in the neighbor
hood. My aunt was his pupil, his chief instruction was to the
young ladies in his class, giving them his views on dress and
address; among other useful things (that mothers usually teach)
he told them to always keep the heels of their stockings mended.
One branch of my ancestors, whose name I bear, was induced
to move from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, by letters written
from there and published in the Pennsylvania Gazette. It was said
that the editor, [Link], had a disagreeable partner in the
paper that he wished to be rid of, so he sent him South to observe
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the climete and productions and to fill his columns with descrip
tions of the same. These glowing accounts were read by two famil
ies, Wales and Irving, vrho moved into the South and lived one gen
eration before settlincr in Ohio.
The climate is very attractive. The cattle could feed all
winter long upon the wild pea vines that grow by the streams and
which remained green all winter for several inches under the first
searing of frost. The two or three inches of light and rare snow
fall lay very softly upon the pines and soon melted away.
On every spot of ground that was not cultivated bushes and
vines sprang up, one such clump was near us. The bl\ie grape vine
on the little white oak wag juicy and larger the v/oods were fra
grant with muscatines, dogwood, black haws, spice wood, sassafras,
sarvesberry, wild plum, persimmons in abundance. There were always
plenty of wild strawberries in their season. They grew on every
spot where the cattle were not pastured. In the fall we had chest
nuts, chlncaphins and hazel nuts; so mild was the climate, so plenty
the native productions that the people had not much need to prac
tice forethought "In laying up stores.
Among my first recollections was seeing a little sister all
wrapped up in blankets, that was my sister Nancy. Then nothing
happened to remember vividly until the noted blazing star of 1811
It was in the north-west, I think; at any rate it flamed exactly
over our spring, which was in th^dge of the dark pine forest near
where the creek runs. The appearance of this comet alarmed the
ignorant who thought it was a sign of calamity. This was the time
when all Europe was disturbed with Napoleon's wars, the news of
which was slow to reach us, and it did not come very often.
I once saw my Uncle Webster, then a lad, switching a steer which he
had penned up in the fence corner and called him [Link] Bona
parte. I opine in this act there was instinctive republicanism set
against monarchy. Tknew there was a dreadful was in some country,
for the negroes had told us that everytime there was a red cloud dn
the west there had been a battle fought that day- that the red at
sun-set was a sign of blood.
The negroes, in particular were superstitious and fond of
marvelous tales, when we children would go to old Billy Grimes'
eabin on an errand, he, glad of an audience, would tell of his
#SOSt stories until we were afraid to go home. It wag unfortunate
for us to hear such stuff but it was all the poor black laborers
had to give us out of his fetore ignorance. I think I believed all
that he told me, for I never went to my parents for information re
specting such things, which would have been right, because my mother
Who was no believer in mysteries, was always vexed at the mention of
ghosts and witches. In looking back I can see that we were uninten
tionally neglected in some things which I mention for the benefit of
all who have the sole care of children. It is not right for parents
to trust others to give their children first impressions of many
things, our learning of immortality of existence here, and bow we
came into the world was told us by a young woman who lived with us
and in a way to sadden us rather to give us healthy, hopeful views;
this was wrong; such instructions should come from parents to their
children.
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My father once bought my sister Mary and me each a primer;
that was a treat, being the second I had seen with pictures.
We were taught industry which was good in part; but when
I review my childhood I can see how much I missed in life by not
having the advantage of books and papers and associates that were
somewhat congenial.
My knowledge of the world and what it contained was very
limited. When we left the South there were no towns near us.
Statesville, the county seat, was twelve miles away. My father
went there sometimes but never took us children. He went once to
see a man's life go out for stealing a horse; it was for the sec-
ong offense, I think -that, I suppose was the law then. It made a
great impression upon me; it mad my heart sick then as now. I
hope capital punishment will be abolished altogether.
I had heard of stores, yet had but a faint idea of their
contents; my great uncle, Wm Irvin, had a store with nice goods
to sell, but I never got sight of them.
To furnish a picture of early days I will quote from an old
letter of the late Judge Irwin who lived and died near Centerville,
Ohio. His father, Samuel Irvin, was an uncle of mine, and his^
coming from the South and settling in Ohio preceded ours. He first
stopped at Lebanon but he had determined when he started north that
be would not stop within forty miles of the slave state, so he locar
ted finally at Dayton. In the letter his son says; "We took up our
abode in the month of November, 1799, in a cabin belonging to John
Shaw on the West half of the section (Ichabod Corwin owning owning
the east half) on which Lebanon stands. The first Sunday after our
arrival, as we were not allowed to romp around, we were required to
be seated, according to custom, quietly in the house and read the
testament, until pop! popl we heard the report of rifles nearby. All
rushed to the door, but not in time to see the bear fall, which some
hunters had been chasing that morning, and had just shot as be;"wab
climbing a dead walnut tree near our dwelling."
On the first of January, I8OO, several of the neighbors,John
Shaw, some of the Corwins, Mr. Taylor who had a little mill on
Turtlecreek and others to the number of 10 persons had assembled
to discuss school master, and consider the business of building a
school house. After being so met. Judge Francis Dunlevy rode up and
announced that George Washington had died on the preceding month. I
well ramember the gloom the intelligence cast over the company, such
as might have been if a company of brothers had heard of the death
of a father. After awhile they brightened up for they thought it
could not he true; for, said they, how could the intelligence come
all the way from [Link] in seventeen days? In two or three days
however it was fully confirmed, and it was found that an Indian bbd
been East and had returned on foot with great dispatch and brought
the news. , ^ ^ v. 4.
V/e lived in the neighborhood of Lebanon but two years, but
while there I attended school on the north bank of Turtlecreek taught
by Judge Dunlevy aforesaid; he was a fine scholar but a man of tower-
ins passion. When any of the boys displeased him he would snatch up
on of the long hickory rods, of which he had several, and fairly
raise the offender off his seat.
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Would thst the standard among men was as much improved as
the treatment of pupils now is.
At that school was a fellovj student with Thomas Gorwin,
positively the worst boy I ever knew at school -overflowing with
tricks and mischief. His favorite amusement was knuckling. He
would hold out his own hard fist and you might pummel it in vain,
but let him get a blow at your knuckles and the cap would fairly
crack and made you wonder what had happened.
Following the extracts of this letter of Judge Amos Irwin,I
should like to mention an instance of courage and self sacrifice
of his mother. It occurred before her marriage. Her brother,
[Link] Potts, was in the American army of the Revolution.
At an engagement in South Carolina, called then Ramsour's, he,
in obedience to the command of a superior officer, was just on
the point of shooting a British officer when a musket ball took
off one of his silver shoe buckles and passed through his ankle.
In the same engagement a man named Stewart was shot through the
breast. These two wounded men were thrown across horses and borne
from the front and concealed in a sink-hole where they remained
until next day almost famished for water. The British proving
victorious advanced, leaving [Link] and Stewart in the rear.
When the family of Capt. Potts who lived in North Carolina,
heard of his misfortune they were anxious to tering him home. It
was unsafe,.if not impossible for a man to pass through the intervening
country of one hundred and eighty miles, infested by hostile foes
and worse, Tories. My mother, then Miss Mary Potts, taking with
her a little Negro boy and three horses, with the necessary equip
ment for making'a litter to bear the wounded, went entirely through the
lines of both armies to where her brothers were. Arranging one horse
before another she suspended a litter between two poles which the .
horses walked between and carried to the sides suspended by ropes
which passed over the pack saddles, and while the negro rode the
third horse in front, she walked beside themen and attended to Ibheir
wants until she brought them safely home. She reported that the
Tories she met with treated her with every indignity, berated and
abused her; but that the British officers treated hei? always with
the greatest respect and gave her the kindest attention.
Mr. Stewart afterward married a half sister of Mary Potts,
Judge Irvin's father (my great uncle) was also a soldier and an
officer in the Revolutionary army during the war of the Revolution. ;
I have seen a large and tasty spoon which he carved out of laurel
root with his jack knife while he was in the service. He first met
, Mary Potts when they were crossing a stream in which both stopped
/to water their horses, they exchanged a few courteous words, the be
ginning of an acquaintance which led to marriage. The Potts family
were large slave owners, but the Irvins were principally against
traffic of that kind.
Mr. Potts, the father-in-law of Samuel Irvin, offered him one
thousand acres of land in Georgia well stocked with slaves, on con
dition thst he would settle on"'it, otherwise he was to have but a
half jo ($6 or thereabouts) for his wife's portion. He declined
the land and the negroes, and long kept the half jo. I think it
was buried in the coffin with his^beloved wife Mary near Dayton,
Ohio.
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Three acres first were sowed in rye the first fall, which
ripens early, and would be off in time to sow wheat the next fall.
When ripe, my father's hand cut it all with the sickle,in the ab
sence of a wind mill my mother helped him winnow it with a sheet-.
Their first harvest was piled up on the barn floor when the offio-:
ers came and took it all for a muster fine. The Friends ignored
all obligations to train for war, and one neighbor south of us on
the Miami, had, at great pains, collected a flock of forty Merino
sheep the f5rst in that section of the country, and the officer
took every one to pay his muster fine.
We had to live on corn bread the rest of that year, but the
family bravely sccommodated themselves to new conditiohs and indus
triously set about to improve them.
I will speak of one noble young woman and her hTisband who
left a comfOT'tab Ie homo in old Virginia and came to Ohio soon after
their marriage and settled on this wild land near where Karveysburg
now is. They stretched their tents by the side of s log until theit?
house could be built. I will tell an incident in her own words;
"One day Zachariah went to the mill on Todd's Fork and. X sat at my
little flax wheel alone that day. In the afternoon some Indians
came along and asked if they might stac k their guns there until
they returned. I was very anxious after that for my husband^s return.
At sundown I heard his horse coming through the woods. I thought I
would hide and frighten him a little for leaving me alone. He came
up to the tent and called me: I did not answer. He rode up and
down by the big log calling Polly J Polly JAt last he happened
to see the guns, and with a groan he struck his horse and started
off on 8 gallop. Then terror seized me, I was afraid I should be
left alone indeed, so I ran after him calling at the top of my
voice. He heard me and came trotting back-smiling he lifted his
whip saying, "I have a great mind to larup thee for frightening me
so." ~ .
We had some privations at first, our meat was venison, our bread
the breast of wild turkeys. But I nevBr regretted it, for my com
ing was the means of bringing my father and his family- my young
brothers and sisters out of a slave state." The families of
four of four of her brothers still live in Cincinnati and on the
Little Miami as far up as Waynesvillso
My school days began early in life. The first school I attend
ed was in a log house near our little meeting house.
It did not take long and was not muc h work to build such
places of education in those dttys.
This one had a dirt floor patted down by little bare feet as
hard and smooth as porcelain-. In one end of the room was a large
white or rather gray bowlder, I presume it had been there since the
ice period, and unable to move it, they built the house over it.
The teacher employed it as an aid to discipline, a sort of
dunce block, he calle d it the old gray mare and kept one of the
boys riding it nearly all the time.
V/e sat on benches without backs, our faces toward the wall ex
cept when we recited, then we had to burn around and face the harsh
master.
One log was left out to let in light and air, through this open
ing we could see what was going on outside. In winter, oiled paper
was pasted in to keep out the cold and yet serve for light.
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\4e vrere as happy, I believe, in the anticipation of an educa
tion, as are the hundreds of children in this city in this city.
(Indianapolis).
The grave yard was close by, and my grandmothertomb stone
stood in plain view. I could look over my Webster's spelling-book,
out through the logs, and see her initials, which were mine also,
(I was named for her) cut in the white soapstone.
We never heard of a lady teacher there; our instructor must
be a man, an old one at that, and I suppose rather ignorant.
His first preparation was to get some long, strong chestnut
sprouts, six or eight feet long, that would reach all around the room
to keep us in order and assisted us in learning our lessons. We were
expected to look on our book or our books all the time and, more than
that, we were required to study aloud. If a child stopped a moment
he was likely to feel the switch or ferule. The demand was "Say out
your books or you will feel the hickory on your backs."
For a few moments the house would fairly hum until we would subside
a little until tbe threat was repeated. We would be so exhausted
that we kept the book close to our faces, and we would keep up the
burning with "lur-lur,"which answered as well. The pages soon wore
into rags where we held it with our sweaty little thumbs, and then
we were scolded because we did not keep a thumb paper, which as
paper was scarce, was often impossible. An old Quaker, named John
Johnson, was for a while our preceptor. He was afflicted with the
toothache, poor man, which made him very aross. One day he whipped
a whole bench full of us tired little ones because we were not look
ing on our books and making a noise. I felt wronged; ray revenge was,
"I'll tell my father and he will see to it." So I hastened home at
the close of school and saw him coming in from plowing. I was soon
at his Bride where he was taking the gears off the horse. I expected
to get sympathy, for we children ware not used to being punished at
home. I said, "Father, the master whippdd me," He replied, "I reckon
thee deserves it." I was astonished to be treated so. I had felt so
sure of his sympathy. So that was ray first disappointment in life,
but many and greater have followed since.
There were some peculiar customs in the school code in the
South. One was, that the teacher must be kept out of his school
house on Christmas Day until he treated the pupils. Some of these
would enter the school house long before day and fasten the door
and watch for his coming, so as to demand a treat .
Another custom was that any one who said "school butter" to
a pupil committed an offense that justified the scholar in punishing
the offender. T remember a great excitement one day. We had just
arrived at the school house ;(wher0 we went early to play ahlle before
the master came), when a lad about grown, went riding by with his bag
of corn to mill, seeing us in the yard he called out, "school butter I"
Every one, great and small, all started after him, but he being on
horseback got away. When the master came and learned of the insult,
he told the scholars to watch when he returned and catch him,-
There was not much studying that forenoon from excitement and
watching. At last, here he came slipping along with grist before
him. We all ran out with an Indian yell, scaring his horse, and
down came the bag of meal, the offender was easily caught and a
court martial held. The teacher, as much interested qs any. Final
ly it was decided to take him to the spring, where his head was
ducked until he begged; then they released him and sent him on
his way, and we returned triumphant to our books.
One morning a black bear was seen standing in the road not
far from the school house. We little children went trembling by
the place looking at the tracks. At noon we saw a party of men
riding through the woods with dogs. They caught and killed bruin
before night. It was not common for bears to be so far from the
mountains, the nearest of which was Pilot Mountain, thirty miles
north of us and looked not much larger than a house*
We had no regular reading books in school. When pupils had
mastered the spelling book they took up the testament, and after
ward read in the Bible, which V7as considered a great advance in
scholarship. I was Just beginning my testament when we left the
Old Dominion; and, as the three readers had found their way to the
young State of Ohio, I never took it up again at school. I had a
dislike to my testament because it was covered with a coarse
woolen cloth, with the nap worn off; It made my flesh crawl to
touch it. I can feel it even yet.
My mother opposed using the Bible as a scnool reader, because
she thought that there was so much in it which, if unexplained, was
not prudent for-children to hear.
A school in the O'Neal neighborhood was superior to ours in
numbers. By boarding at our grandfather's and walking two miles we
were able to attend this. The first teacher I remember there was
Morris Place, a Friend from Richmond, Ind. He was succeeded by
Thos. O'Brien, also a Friend and Just fromi Ireland. He was a
cousin to William Horton, wno was also from Erin, a fine scholar and
successful teacher.
Thos. oSsrien had a hot temper and old country severity in
governing children, wnicn did not agree with tne liberty-loving
natures under our institution. Aside irom tnie, he was pleasant,
kind, a very capable teacher; but his threats, "I'll liog ^ou If
you don't do thus and so.^ rang continually throufh the room, and he
too often put it into practice. Both my nature and training revolted
at this, for there never was a switch in my father's house.
One day, in the forenoon, he announced that he would whip"me
before night. I did not relish my dinner and trembled all day for
fear the threat would be exeduted. I don't remember the offense, a
light one, but he was to be made an example before the school.
This little boy, not over twelve, took off his llnsey coat and bore
the stripes bravely. I felt like going to the boy and comforting
him* I could not study any more that day. I fouhd an excuse to
remain at home next day for fear of a repetition of .the sad
practice. If teachers and parents would practice kindness and
forbearance. They would lay a much better foundation fbr knowlege
and goodness, than if they used threats and punishment. Outside
of school he was a refined, genian man, every intelligent and good
compehy. He was a frequeni guest of my parents, and afterwards
often sat at my own table as long as he lived. I have met many of
his pupils in Indiana, and we have tried to excuse his severity
and use of the rod as a remnant of the arbitrary rule of his own
country. Let us hope for a reformation there as well as here in
the treatment of tender children, whose unfolding minds look to us
for help and strength.
We did not have books and papers in such numbers as are
seen on the tables today; bjiit such as we had were chaste and good.
I have not the copy of Stearne' s Reflection that my mother used to
read, and several volumes of Addison's Spectator that her father loved.
There was a great desire among the people to educate their
children. Some other neighborhoods had schools, but they were far
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from us and thick woods Intervening# Father and a few others met to
select a place on his farm for the school house<> The intended
patrons ail volunteered their work. They brought their axes and cut
the trees and cleared a place for the house. They felled a large oak
tree to make clap boards for the roof and puncheons for the floor.
Next day they brought horses and chains to drag up the log a froe to
rive the boards and dress the puncheons. The chimney was built of
sticks filled with mud, some stone slabs for the back walls, no Jams-
the fire place oBcupied the entire end of the room. Stones instead
of fiindlrons held up the burning logs. Three or four logs, from four
to six feet long, with scaley bark between "made the cabin shine with
light, And feel warm and comfortable. Boards were nailed over the
openings of logs inside plastered with mud on the outside to keep out
the cold. A board door with openings for light completed the first
house of education between the Miami River and Caesar's Creek. But
how were the children to find their way there? It was all dense wood
except a field now and then cleared and planted in corn and pumpkins.
The fathers took the course, blazed the trees, and made a path through
the under brush, and over this narrow road through the woods, young
feet traveled many and majay a day. We were afraid of the wild hogs.
They were ugly looking creatures-red in color with sharp noses and
tusks. In winter they lived on acorns and beech nuts, under the dry
leaves, and in summer they lived on the mussels that ahouned in the
creeks.
On our way to school we had our little trees picked out to climb
in case we should meet a bear, as we were told they could not climb
small trees. . Our first teacher was Judith Welch. It was feared that
a young woman could not manage boys, but she gave good satisfaction
for several months. A large tree felled before the door served for a
table. To this we carried our baskets and ate our mid-day meal. When
thethe nooning was over the teacher came to the door and called books,
books;". Bells were scarce in those days-we could hardly get one for
the cow, and had none to spare for the school.
The next teacher was Robert Way, a Pennsylvanian, but had taught
In Athens, Ohio. He Brought the three readers, the Introduction,'
English reader and Murray's Sequeh; Also a grammar by John Comley,
a quaker Preacher. I still have those old books.
Some one passed the school house one day and found that all was
still and orderly; they mistook quiet for idleness and reported no
learning there, because the pupils did not "say out their books.
They called a meeting to Investigate and the teacher had to e^laln
his method. He was a member of our family a part of the time; Was ,
a diligent student, and st&died late at night; wishing exercise before
retiring that he might sleep well, he would walk briskly up and down
the yard from the gate to the house. Passersby did nojt understand
this gymnastic exercise and reported him. The neighbors watched him
and became alarmed, fearing reason was dethroned; This also had to be
explained. He had many prejudices to contend with. One of his older
pupils, F. K., had a turning lathe. Mr Way got him to turn a sphere
of wood, upon which he traced the countries, the zones, and meridians,
thus making a globe to study geography from. The young man s mother
was distressed,she thought it blasphemous for a man to imitate the
works of God. She was, however, a strong character in the community,
A German by birthhad united with Friends in the South where she w
walked seven miles to their meeting, often carrying a child in her
arms; but such wae her early training that she could not divest her
mind of superstition. Robert Way remained a popular and useful
teacher through a long life. He afterwards taught my children and
- 10 -
later had a school for boys in Springfield, Ohio, where he had the
sons of his formerpupila
The next teacher was Isaac Thorburg, a nate of North Carolina
and a graduate of one of her institutions- He was learned in Greek,
Latin and Hebrew, which few of his pupils needed. I remember owen
Evans, Cornelius Clark and Webster Welch studied the languages. We
had but few school months, for the childred, bbth large and small,
assisted their parents at home.
The greatest excitement to us was Yankee peddlers with tin and
Japan ware, bright calicos, large, yellow cotton handkerchiefs with
gay figures of birds and animals on them. These goods they would
exchange with the women for feathers and'bees-wax. Shillings and
sixpence were scarce in those days, but our wants and desires were not
so extensive then as now, and this barter with peddlers supplied a
taste as well as many a need.
A neighbor of ours was so charmed with the display and having
neithermoney nor staples on hand, penned up her geese and picked
them on Sunday that she might have feathers to make purchases of
the peddler on Monday.
My great-grand-mother, Mary Welch, used to come and stay with
us for weeks together. Her maiden name was Gilbert, from Holland.
She had an old Guinea negro named Juda, that she had owned sihce she
was a young girl. Juda was purchased as soon as she landed from
Africa. This poor negro told us the story of her capture in her
native land. She was one day picking up some brush to cook her
dinner when two white men came along and took her forcibly to their
ship where there were many others chained on deck and in the hold of
the ship, waiting to sail for free America.
Juda was very unhapoy. She was walking to die for then she
expected to get back to Africa. She had one child named Guy who lived
to be grown; It was a great grief to her when he died. He was
buried in the Friends burying ground near the meeting house, where
old Juda never ceased to go of nights and talk to hiin. She thought
his spirit was hovering there and would take the messages back to
Africa. Many superstitious persons were frightened when passing late
at night to hear her talking and see a shadow walking among the graves
like a ghost.
MOVING TO OHIO.
have since seen how trying it would have been to have been
brought up in a slave state, and knew later what pecuniary sacrifice
my parents made for the future of their family by morning away from
the slave influence. They sold the farm for $900. and took in part
pay a horse for #90. After a sale of all the effects, which their
prudence and industry had gathered, they packed the household
essentials in a large blue bedded wagon drawn by four good horsea v
with bells on the hames; for the family there was a buggy andt
horset to change and ride at pleasure. ^
VWe drohe out of our lovely yard one morning in the autumn of ;
I8l4 for the last time. The leaves were beginning to fall and rustle
at our feet; as we drove slowly down the land, all stopped and looked
back; my mother sat in the buggy holding her little two year old son.
Tommy, in her lap. I did not understand until long afterward the
depth of sorrow felt by my parents in this tearful leave taking of
their first comfortable home. Their backward glance saw it with its
background of mountains. In its thrifty young orchard every tree
bending with its crop of red apples. The fields of cotton, white with
its bursting bolls. They were leaving this nice home of plenty and
- 11 -
all the pre Bent enjoyment of life tofcether up apaln as pioneers
in an almost wilderness, in a colder and far less attractive climate;
this sactifice was made for the future of their children that they
might be removed from baneful influences* They never repented the
change, and I know their children and grand-children have heartily
thanked them for this effort made for their good*
It is now seventy-one years since I passed out of sight of
that once good home to follow the train of moving wagons to the
state of Ohio. My grand-father, Samuel Welch, with his large family ;
of young sons and daughters, came also* Grandfather and grand
mother rode in a gig- Besides the lighter vehicles there were five
wagons; the horses had bright trappings and bells that made quite
a chime, and could be heard quite a distance sufficient to bring
the natives out of their cabins to the road to see the teams, men,
women, children, dogs and all assembled to see us pass*
So frequent were the inquiries as to where we were from and
where going, that the sprightly lad, Webster, ( my uncle) had the
information ready often before it was sought. He would sing out,
when we met a group of gazers, "Hunting Creek Forks of the Yadkin,
Irdell county North Carolina; going to Ohio."
There were not many town in the South. I was eight years
old and had never been in one, or seen a nearer approach to one
than the planter's mansion, with its group of negro quarters*
Great was my curiosity when it was announced to the children that
we were to pass through a town that day.
We had reached the Virginia line and Qreyson was the County
town we caune in sight*
We were five weeks on our Journey* We children had a new
life in seeing rivers, mountains and towns. We were nearly a whole
day climbing the Blue Ridge mountains. In the evening we began
to descend. We had traveled miles and miles without meeting a
human being or passing any habitation. At last we came to the
house of Samuel Pike, an old man who lived alone and we stayed all
night with him; He had killed a bear that day and we bought some
of the meat for breakfast. When morning came, loi the three dogs
which were of our company,to watch the wagons, had eaten it Up.
j/My grandfather, who was a Virginian by birth and had traveled
the road before, had an acquaintance in one of the planters on the
Kanawha his name was Chadrack Franklin. He and his two brothers,
Mesheck and Abednego, all had plantations adjoining. I was told
that they were nephews of Benjamin Franklin.
As we came up to the house of the first named, the fence was
covered with thirty or more little negro childreh, from two to
thirteen years of age; They were all entirely naked and as black as
crows, clapping their hands and laughinfr with glee to see the teams
and hear the bells. We visited the salt works along this rivwe
and saw the boiling spring.- It boiled up 4n quanity about the size
of a barrel and was warm.
In another place which was marshy, was what they called the
burning spring; when a torch was held over it, a blue flame flashed
all around and burned for a few moments. It seemed to frighten the
inhabitants* I suppose they thought that what people call hell,
wasdown there paying off poor sinners. That was long before natural
gas was discovered and used* Great progress has been made since
then* We came to the Ohio river opposite Point Pleasant. Our
vehicles were driven onto a flat boat and were pulled across to the
Ohio side by a rope. It v;as raining and we stopped at the hotel.
The landlady played on the piano for us; that was the first I had
seen; it was smaller than those now in use and I thought it did
not make as fine music as a darkey with a good violin.
- 12 -
We atoDped first In Highland County, where we had many relatilree
in and around Hillsboro. They emigrated there from Virginia in 1790.
These relatives were sisters of my grandmother, and Tfchen she
arrived there were seven in all; They were the daughfeffrs of Ruth
Eckels and Moses Hendricks, of Halifax county, Virginia. So many or.
their descendants are still living in Southern Ohio that I will mentibn
their married names; Mary Slaughter, Anna Milner, Ghloe Welch, Judith
Borum, Sallie Terrel, Bettie Burgess, Ruth Kirhy. Just before the
Civil War, relativew who were Hendricks came from Tennessee to visit
Harveysburg, and in that vicinity alone, eighty of the third and ^
fourth generations from Moses Hendricks, of Virginia, assembled et
^ ^^l^ettie Hendricks was a zealoui Friend andopposed the "laying
down"down" of Banister meeting near Halifax Court House, because
there was no other Friends meeting nearer than South river, near
Lvnchburg, fifty miles away. She went regularly to meeting and sat
alone a silent hour for severl weeks. It was wintertime, some wood
choppers working in sight of the road, wondred to see a young woman
walk" by at regular hours on certain days of the week. Their
curiosity led them to follow, and they were interested to see a
young woman sitting alone in silent worship. They went again and
again and were Instrumental in inducing others to come, thus the
meeting grew and continued. , ^ ^ x. 0.1. '
//Thomas Statterwood, an acceptable minister of the Society,
sent her a letter of encouragement, but her good work did not stop - .
here; slaves belonged to her mother by will of her deceased husband.
Bettie induced her to free them. She [Link] went to live with
her daughter in Highland County, Ohio. The negroes were so loth
to part with"old mistress" that she told them she would pay toll
and fareage (an item then) for as many as would ^nty-
five came, and their descendants live among those of their former
mistress to this day. ,
vAbraliani Hanson, a smart mulatto, whose master a ame .
Ferguson, had married Elsie King, one of the Hendrlok s blacks who -
went to Ohio. His master was uneasy for fear AbrahM would wa^ -
to follow; the young husband protested that he cared nothing abou
his wife; if she wanted to go let her go. ^o or 'tbree "
afterward ho got permission to go down to Stounton to
He never came back, went to Ohio and found and Joined his wife. It
seems that the colored man had, when a lad,
with a drove of horses from Virginia to Ohio; This entitted him to
his freedom according to the laws of the latter state. The matter
was brought to trial. The advo^te had doS't
Erin to loose his rich brogue. Thus reasoned Billy ^ly, I don
care a dn for the niger, but Ohio has her laws ^d Virginia has
hers, and Virginia's laws shan't impose upon Ohio s laws, and the
vounK man was declared free.
Our branch of the family did not remain long in Highland, but
moved to "Warren County. Grandfather purchased sixteen hundred acres
Sf lLdlS on both sides of what is now a pike between Harp^eysburg
IL Snesvme, and which he afterwards
his sons. My father located on a smaller but
bend of Caesars Creek, below and west of wLro
heavily timbered, not a stick amiss except about four acres where
there had been an Indian camp not long before. The
camp is as follows; During the of 1812 severri Indian tribes
were hostile to each other. The Friends had a mission among the
Shawnees at Wapakoneta. The destruction of tHeir nrote^ion
was threatened by another offended tribe, and for their protection.
- 13 -
John Shaw, agent of the Friends, brought the Shawnees to
Caesars Creek valley. When the danger was over they returnedo
My father took possession of their camping ground soon after
they had gone- their bark beds remained? I saw some of these.
Forked sticks were driven down a foot or two, high ilples Xaftd
across on these on which were pieces of bark, making a bed the
size of a single mattress.
Houses of entertainment were not infrequent, a sign
swinging from a poie by the roadside; but farmers had to
accommodate travelers when they could not reach these. The
prices were as modest as the accommodations, room with fire
for movers to cook by, with milk for the children and hay for
the horses, 25 cents. If the emigrants were very poor, nothing.
If a traveler on horseback got dinner and had is horse fed, a
dime. If he stopped over night and has his supper, bed,
breakfast and his horse fed, 25^ more, often nothing.
If the wayfarers belonged to the Society of Friends or
were acquainted with any of our relatives, they were made welcome
guests.
There was a brotherly feeling in those days that is now
foreign to general society. To me, the present seems like another
world, people are so indifferent to each other's welfare.
I can recall many features of our new home which I greatly
enjoyed as a child. My father worked on the land all day, some
times in the blacksmith shop. I being small could just reach
the great bellows. It was interesting to watch the iron grow
red, and then see the sparks fly as it has struck on the anvil.
My father made hinges and all the iron work needed for the brick
dwelling which he soon prepared to build, except nails* these
be bought at Cincinnati, and made the purchase by carrying down
a load of bacon which sold at two cents per pound. It took five
days to make the journey then from Harveysburg to Cincinnati, two
to go and two to return, leaving one for business there.
There was plenty of game in the woods. It was not unusual-
to see a flock of thirty or more wild flurkeys fly up from the
ground and alight on the tall They were fond of the
beechnuts that covered the ground.
SQUIRREILS Were abundant, and very destructive, traps were
set on every few panels of fence around the corn field, and it
was the duty of the morning to go around and gather up the dead
aquirrehs and re-set the traps.
One quiet Sabbath when our parents had gone to Waynesville
meeting and were along, we were startled to see eight deer walking
one after the other in Indian file down the bank of the creek,
and drink from the salt lick near where the bridge now stands.
It would be hard to convince the present generation how
little there was, compared to the presant day, to help us
socially and mentally.
The boys and girls married youngthat seemed to be their
ambition.
A poor family living in a small cabin near had two daughters,
twelve and tnirteen years of age; They also had an old horse and
a poor lean cow. The elder daughter got married. The younger
was also possessed with the idea of marrying a loung lad named
SandyCropsy. The parents objected, but the young couple started
off. The poor father went in pursuit, crying at the top of his
voice;
"Come back, oi come back, Sal, and I'll give you the cow."
- -
The reply, "l won't; I will have Sandy."
"Oi do come amd I will give you the old mare, too."
"I .shan't; I will have Sandy." So it waa given up, - the
child ruled.
It was not a very cheerful sight to see tne many emigrants
with their meager outfits traveling out to Indiana Territory
to get them a home. They were mostly from North CarolIna, some
from New Jersey. I used to count the little tow headed children
and marveled to see how many there were to a wagon or cart. A
tar-bucket swung under on the pole. The man followed by a dog,
often walking carrying a gun. All that I could do to express my
interest and pity for them was to carry tiiem a pan of milk if
mother had it to spare.
The creek near was a desirable place for movers to camp.
People living along the road of these travelers fext obliged to
accommodate them waen they were overtaken by night. MoLher oxten
gave up the kitchen to them.
There was abundance of native fruit^excellent wild plums,
crab apples and wild gooseberries, which made excellent pies when
green but when ripe the beards hardened to thorns and made it
difficult to eat." Wild raspberries sprang up wherever the ground
was cleared.
The first opening on the new farm was appropriated for an
orchard. There were no nurseries near and it was difficult to get
fruit trees. One neighbor brought his trees all the way from
Kentucky, on Horsebackbesides peaches and currants. We could
bet but sixteen apple trees, two of these died and the remaining
fourteen were, cherished greatest care.
To the new home we came in the August of l8l5 There was
but one cahin on the hill where Harveysburg was afterward built.
It was occupied by Abby and Rhoda Ham. We stopped here for coals
to kindle a fire on the new hearth, for that was before the days
of matches, and when one could not get fire he had to strike a
flint over tow and kindle from the blaze.
We looked for our new home as we were winding down the steep^
hill; but we could not see it across the creek for high trees on "
the bank. I watched my mother and could opten see tears in her
eyes; this was the only drawback to my young happiness. My
father was all patience and kindness. The parents, looks, tones
and words of cheer to the young child has had a lasting effect
on its mind.
We were on the main highWay leading from Chillicothe west.
In winter tinae this rough road was almost impassible with mud. Tho
Those now driving over the hard white pikes of Warren County
cannot realize how difficult it was to begin these roads in the
then new wilderness of tall trees. It was a privilege to have
even a tolerable path through the thick undergrowth of red bufl,
dog wood, water-beech and old mossy logs piled one upon another
silent monuments of some long ago windstorm. There was some
beauty in the woods also, for there among patches of stinging
nettles and places you could scarcely scramble through, there
would be spots soft with ferns and bright with lady slippers.
At the time we came, the first pfioneers of the hunting and
fishing class, that wore leather pants and wool hats, who lived
on venison and wild turkeys, began to move on West to
territories. They did not f^el at home as civilization advanced.
But few of these first settlers could road and write. I remember
seeing some of them make their mark instead of writing their
names when my father was doing business with them which he often
did. He had the first and only blacksmith shop in the neighborhood;
- 15 -
to this Idlers v/ould come to spend the rainy days. My father
did what he could to inform them. He was reading the news to
some of them one day and said something about North America
one of the listeners spoke up, "Isaac, where is that North
America, seems like I have heard of that place before."
We ought to have great charity for thlse suffering from the
limited advantages of those days. There was but Ittle in circu
lation to read; it cost 25f^ to send a letter by mail. It took
weeks and months to hear from the old countries.
Improvements of all kinds came slowly by surely, compared
with the present comforts; The first settlers endured many
privations--. The soiled clothes had to be rubbed with the hands
or rolled in a barrel. The houses had very little except nec
essary Furniture, of which the loom, the wheel, the cards and
reel, the break and hackle were as essential part. Every new
farm had its flax field. The fabrics for clothing and bedding
were made in the home; and the two miamis, which have since turned
so many mills for raanufacturies, then flowed free from duty along
their wooded banks. The improvements and inventions have been
greater in the last 70 years than ever before.
The recreations and amusements were determined by the
necessities and industries of the times. For young people, apple
cuttings; for men, huskings, and lot rollings, while matrons
would quilt and pick wool.
Great Improvements were made the first ten or fifteen years
(from l8l4 to 1824) in that neighborhood. There was a great
influx of Friends chiefly from New Jersey. They named the towns
and cross roads after those they had left in New Jersey, as
Crosswick and Mt. Holly, and those again were name-sakes of
places in the north of England where on the restoration of Charles
II so many exiles came to the colonies of William Penn, and
named their monthly and quarterly meetings after their beloved
homes in England.
In sixteen years from the time Samuel Heighway first laid
out his town on the spot where General Anthony Wayne camped during
his war with the western Indians, the numb er and influence of
Friends had so increased around Waynesville, that the log meeting
house had given place to a two story brick building.
The Friends near Harveysburg gathered for their week day
worship at the house of Simon and Judith Moon, and afterward they
built a log house in the woods near the farm of Nathan Dix. They >
called this ^Grove Meeting," and it is still continued in
Harveysburg. To this meeting in the woods Elias Hicks came and
preached. The house would not hold the number and they took the
benches out under the trees and hey sat on logs to listen. The
peeachlng of this strong man caused a division in the Society of
Friends. His appreciation at Grove Meeting may be known from the
fact that all the original members, without exception, became^
Hlcksites.
y^ese were precious meetings; I thought so then, and feel them
to have been so still as I look back to those days of my young life,
when Friends sat in silence, and a peaceful spirit, under those
tall trees, with their singing birds, waiting to be taught the
simple truth, and the honest and proper ways for man kind to work,
that their lives might be useful and profitable to themselves
and others. A brotherly feeling among all men was more strongly
manifested then than now.
Vsut there came a time when people needed another kinjd of
worship than that which satisfied the Friends here. Bonebreak, a
- 16 -
German that spoke English brokenly, was a minister of the
United Brethren. He was passing through the neighborhood and
was detained at Caesars Creek on account of high waters. He
stopped at the cabin of the pioneer family, Ham (honest to the
core). While he waited, he proposed a meeting of the neighbors.
They assembled and he preached to them his gospel of glad
tidings. All were interested and he proposed another meeting
on his return; after this he preached once a month In the neigh
borhood. His congregation was composed of all who did not
belong to any religious society. A sufficient number united
with him in good faith to build a meeting house on the brow of a
hill, and from that day, Harveysburg can count the United
Brethren as her first church.
j^t made a great change in the neighborhood, and for the
better; it was a civilizer as well as a christianizer. This
church required a moral standard for its members. No slave
holder, no one who bought or sold intoxicating liquors could be
a member of this church.
My parents went regularly to meeting at Hunting Creek,
where assembled about ten families pf Friends, which constituted
the preparative meeting. The monthly meeting was held at Deer
Creek.
We were not taught any catechism or any theology by our
parents as I remember. We thought it was an established custom
to attend meeting and went for the ride on horse back. We had
a small horse and a small saddle and it was fun to trot.
There was nothing like division of labor in those days* but
little cooperation in manufactories. Nearly all the clothing of
the family was made in the home. Many a farmer had his black
smith shop and carpenter chest and not only made shoes for the
family but tanned the leather. My father could do all the work
of this kind and yet I am told he had time to meet and enjoy all
that was Intelligent and public spirited in the neighborhood.
He was patriotic in feeling, and i know from the books he had
then, and from the songs he used to sing (snatches of which .1
still remember) that he was in sympathy with the French Patriot.
He often described to me the sham burial of Gen. Washington,
which he had attended at Salisbury. That was the manner in which
the people of this section of the country showed respect to the
first President. He told us of the speeches made; of the platoon
'fired over the grave and used to play to us upon the jews harp
the tune they sang. I used to hum it and have tried to recall
it lately but cannot.
well remember what a gloomy time it was when my father was
drafted for the army of l8l2. There was also great fear of
insurrection of the slaves.- There were frequent earthquakes that
shook the dishes on the dresser and made the window rattle. But
ibrighter hours came, peace was declared, and my father did not
have to go.
My dear grand children must not think we did not enjoy our child
hood. Think of the creek winding around the meadowclean white
sand, such as you never sawthe water clear, warm and shallow,
the bottom smooth with pebbles and we, bare-footed, running through
it, and on its banks we would build our towns by drawing the moist
sand over our feet and then slipping them out, leaving a hole
which would be the entrance. Thus we spent many a long Sunday
afternoon. Our uncles and aunts, but little older than we, were
our playmates; Betsey, Sallie, Webster, Samuel, sometimes Judith,
- 17 -
who W0S a little too large for us but very lively and playful.
It was a day set apart for worship, and we, In our Innocence
used some of its symbols which our parents, as Friends, had
discarded. Judith being the strongest, would take us to a by-
place where the creek was deep and baptise us; she put us all
to perfection.
Sometimes we would wander to a cave where young Cecelia
was once secreted. She had had her wheel there, and it would
run all day in the solitude. It was said tl^at she was here to
hide from the officers of the law. A. son of the neighboring
mill-owner sent her food; her father was the miller, a good
bid man, who one morning found a new born infant in the mill-pond.
A gloom was on the place; I looked in and wondered where the
wheel stood.
There were but few newspapers then to record incidents, but
that want was supplied by versifiers who put current events into
rhyme and they were sung in the neighborhood to some familiar tune
and thus handed on. I remember some of these, that were sung in
the companies describing sad heart! chilling Circumstances.
A robbefiy (equivalent to a bank failure) in the neighborhood
was thus rememberedJ
The joy of our new home was not unmixed with sorrow. George
Wales, my father's father, came from the South to make his home
with us. In the last years of his life he was entirely blind. I
read to him in his bible, a large one which I still read. He was
very fond of hearing, it, for he was a true Christian. He had
long been separated from his daughters who had married early and
moved with their husbands from North Carolina to Tennessee. In
the August of 1824, his youngest daughter, Hannah Sales, came to
see him. He had not seen her for thirty yearshe could not see
her now; but he v/as happy to sit and hold her hands and feel of
her face. She and her husband had made this long Journey on
horse-back. When they started home my father and mother accompanied
them twenty miles. It was a sorrowful leave taking between
father and daughter. I watched them ride away; then I went into
my grand-sire's room to see if he had any wants. He fell fainting
in my arms. The excitement of parting had been too much for his
feeble body. The distress and anxiety of that hour I shall never
forget. I was alone at home and the old man passed away.
Thus passed from our midst in the 87th year of his age, our
last ancestor reared by parents from the Old Country. He left his
posterity in new conditions and with new purposes. His grand
father, also George Wales, came from Scotland into Ulster, Ireland,
after the battle of Boyne, and married a sister of General Mont
gomery, who fell in the war of King James and King William. Of
their two sons, Thomas and his brother-in-law, William Irvin, came
with their young families to Pennsylvania in 1836. George remained
in Belfast, unmarried, and repeatedly sent for his nephew and
namesake to come to Belfast and he would make him his heir; But my
grandfather never went.
He was conservative rather, and during the wa& of the
Revolution leaned toward the Tories. All his near relatives were
soldiers and officers in the American army. It was said in the
early history of the family that there had never been a disgraceful
charge alleged to any of their generation, nor were any of them
ever killed by accident or in battle, yet all were valient soldiers
and true to their country.
I have a part of my grandfather's journal, which records the
thoughts and feelings that led him to renounce Presbyterianism,
- 18 -
in which he was brought up, and embrace the views of the Friends.
He was first interested by a field preacher, a Baptist in North
Carolina, who shocked him at first bgic the informality of the
service, and by preaching in his shirt sleeves. But he went
again to hear the substance; and afterwards the simple ways and
quiet worship of the Friends were a great comfort to him; and he,
who refused arad estate and its consequence, whose great-uncle
was considered worthy of a stature erected in Dublin for his
military service, lies in an unmarked grave in the Friends' old
burying ground on Caeset's Creek.
A few weeks afterwards when the fruit was ripening in the
orchard, when the corn blades were rustling in the September
wind, our home was sorrow stricken, for we watched by the lifeless
form of our father. The hardships and malaria of a new country
had done its merciless work; he had brought us out of a land of
bondage. He carved a way that his children might pass over a
smoother road than his feet had trodden. His leaving us left
a shadow that never lifted.
Owing to the enterprise of Dr. Jesse Harvey, Harveysburg was
favored with a high school and boarding house to accommodate
puplis from a distance and those too remote to attend as day
pupils. Excellent teachers were employed, David S. Burson, who
graduated at Friends' college, Haverford, Penn., and William
Horton, before mentioned. Dr. Harvey was fond of the natural
sciences and had besides a botanical garden, a good museum, and
from time to time specimens of wild animals.
planter of North Carolina, who also had a fishery on
Poedee River, wishing to liberate some of his slaves, sent agents
North to find a location, if possible, where they could be educated. I
He was recommended to Dr. Harvey who promised to open a colored.
school if they were sent to him. In the fall Just before the
opening of the high'school he came again and brought a number of
brifi^ht young mulattoes, the children of three mothers and one
father, their master. When they arrived Dr. Harvey and wife were
at Richmond Yearly Meeting. The agent, anxiojis to see them and"
to attend the meeting also, went immediately to Richmond. He
afterwards said that meeting was the most impressive sight he
ever beheld. He sat upstairs v/here he could see the entire
congregation, and was charmed with the uniforma dress of the large
assembly. He admitted that the prettiest sight he ever beheld
was the white silk andsatin bonnets around the calm faces of the
women.
|/These young colored people sent North for the purpose of
being educated were the first to form the colored school. It was
taught two years by Elizabeth Harvey. She had twenty-five pupils.
Afterwards, Isaac Woodward took the school and after his death the
first teacher had it again*
The father and former master came North to see how the
children were doing. Their teacher told me, she had many long and
full talks with him, about their condition and his own. He saw
that these bright yellow young people would be out lawed by both
black and white, that their social condition would be truly sad.
And whom have I to blame for all this he said, 'whom, but myself?
Seeing him thus moved she ventured to ask him if he would not, some
day, liberate all his slaves and provide for them. This, he promised
[Link] do. He was past the prime of life had never been married, and
had no near legal heirs. He went home and made the full promise;
but he came North once too often, for the good of his laborers
plantation. He had been the guest of Friends of moderate views.
- 19 -
This time, saw hot abolitionists. They were holding a
com^ention at Oaliland, in the large anti-slavery shed, built on
tne farm of Dr. Brook.
The speakers were employed by the New England Anti-Slavery
Society, to come west and hold one hundred conventions, as near the
border as possible. Many of the speakers as Septimus S. Foster,
Theodore Wald and others had studied for the Congregational
ministry and had left the pulpit for the platform. Where their
puritan training new no mercy on what they thought to be wrong.
Dr. Harvey, fearing the southerner would be irritated against
the North tried to dissuade him. from going, but he went and was
greatly exasperated. A second time he went around, for he said.
"They are so furious, they might stab me in the back, and I will
sell my life as dearly as possible." This time, upon his return
home, he destroyed the will he had made.
This friend, wife of the late Dr harvey and daughter of Settle
Hendricks and Thomas Burgess, id now living in this city, in the
85th year of her age. The years, of her early married life ^ere
devoted to teaching the neglected race^, Indians as well as negroes.
She, with other Friends did much to modify the feeling of pre
judice against the colored people in the village of Harveysburg.
Early in the history of the neighborhood there came into it a
colored man, Reuben Brantley, with two wives and eight children. I
never heard the early domestic history of this Patriarch, but he
had means to make these two families comfortable and did so. He
purchased a farm of D. Klndley, afterwards owned by J. Lashely and
later by Ansalem Antram. He had a house for each wife, Millie
was black, said to be the favorite, and had three children, and
Barbara a tall mulatto, had five.
Sometime between the fall of the year lbl7-20, there was a
fatal disease among the negroes in that section or the country,
many, if not nearly all, brought by Moses McCoy and one formerly
owned by John Welch, and Reuben Brantley and Millie and all his
family except Barbara and two of her children, Mahalah and Joab
all died. Those two remaining children of Barbara were afterwards
our school mates. The sickness was something like hasty consump
tion, they died within a few days of each other, in the Brantley
Family, two died in one day-
Benjamin Butterworth v;ho lived near Hisey's mill, had, in
his employ, a free colored man called Jess. One day [Link]-
worth heard him calling her in great distress from the barn yard;
going out she found two men tying him on a horse; their object was
to carry him to Kentucky and sell him. She knew these men, one known
as Sock Miller (I suppose Socrates would not care for such a name
sake) the other as "Old Abernathey." They had taken advantage of
Benj. Butterworth'8 absence to do this wicked thing, but his wife,
Judith, protested that "he was as free as his captors were and near
ly as white," but they mounted their horses ana led tne one upon
which he was bound down the creek into tne woods. She speedily in
formed her brother-in-law, Lachariah Johnson, who mounted his horse
and galloped to Lebanon where he swore out a warrant for the kidnap^
pers, and he with others, overtook and arrested them before they
reached the southern border and Jess escaped the doom of slavery.
Harveysburg was always an anLi-slavery center, possibly be
cause so many Friends lived hear, that a;ientiment of kindness was
formed and extended to colored people. Many Mulattoea were sent by ,
- 20 ~
their masters (-who were tneir fathers) here for education and
better privileges than would be allowed them in slave states.
An Englishman, portly and respectable in address, after a
sojourn in the South, came into this neighborhood with four good
looking young mulattoea whom he spoke of as his "niggers;" they
called him "old man" and father. There were three brothers and
one sister; they bore his name and inherited his property and
were well educated and are good citizens. They lived together
until the children married or went to work for. themselves. After
that this man lived alone, silent and reticent as to his En^ish
home and early life. He came in his prime and lived to a totter
ing and tremulous age; always going, when the weather was fine,
to see the sunset from the brow of the hill at Harveysburg, and
returning in the twilight to his lonely home.
I have before mentioned the three Families of the southern
planners; afterwards a fourth came, making fourteen in all# The
mother of one grjDup ot this slave holder's children came with tnem
to have a care over all. She was black and a fine handsome woman.
One would have supposed thankfulness for alx ner master had done
for her and their children; endurance she had, but gratitude none.
She felt the unnaturalneas of tne condition and the degradation
which followed. One of the families were the children of a sister,
and she said in the bitterness of sorrow, "Old Master ought to have
been tied to the stake and burned long ago." bhe did not live long.
After her death a white woman took charge oi trie children, and ex-
celleni person and a member of the Methodist church. Home of these
aiterwards became students at Oberiin, and became leading colored
citizens two are in Washington D.C.; others in Ohio towns- One
went back to the South in the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Regiment
and never returned; his life was given in the cause for freedom.
It is due to this interesting family that they have remembered with
gratitude their friends and caretakers.
Early in the twenties my father hired a colored laborer to
help him clear the land, which was a very difficult thing to do. He
gave one man the use of twelve acres for five years if he would
deaden the timber and cut down all the trees that were one foot
in diameter and under.
This black man, known as Sam Green, came from South Carolina
with [Link]. He had "bought his sef," to use his own expression,
via; had hired his time of his masterworked for wages elsewhere
and kept the overplus, and after it had accumulated to the price of
his manhood, paid this to his master, and by thi s means made a pres-^
ent of himself to himself. He was honest and industrious and easisted
in clearing many a field of stumps and roots that others might turn
the soil with an uninterrupted plowshare.
But as old age crept on, the horrors of his early life in
Slavery stood so vividly before him that he became deranged. He
Would hide around in fields and woods, thinking that the slave hunt
ers were seeking him to take him back to slavery. He carried with
him a long stick into which he had driven nails to defend himself.
Once he stayed out so long that he was almost starved. My sympathy
with him was great, he confided all his fears to me and asked me to
conceal him. I took him up to the garret where I hoped he would
- 21 -
rest; but he stole out and went to the woods. Shortly after he
was found sitting up by a tree, dead. This was a very sorrowful
case. My interest in him prepared me for further work which I
afterwards had to do for the poor unfortunate Negro in his efforts
for freedom.
An incident that happened during the meteorifc shower of '33
might be recorded here. A not overly bright young man who lived
on Spankie, bought the day before, two young steers, his future
oxen. He had never owned anything before, and was SO deli^ted
that he sat up with them all night and of course was witness to
the splendid display in the heavens. He was not puzzled, as were
astronomers, at the phenomenon, but reported it a pretty sight to
see the "stars go in." He said they began early in the night to
leave their places and shot in out of sight in the sky and by day
light they were all gone and he meant frequently to sit up and see
it repeated.
One day a^man wearing a hunting shirt with fringe around the
bottom and on the cape, with powder flask end pouch hanging from
his belt, with a knit cap on his head from which hung a long tassel,
left his gun at the door, came in and took his seat among the wor
shipers. This son of the woods had not moved on with the rest to
the new territories but remained in his old hannt around Spankie,
which was later called Buckrun. He was now employed by the State
tfi> clear it of wolves, that sheep might be introduced on the farms
with safety. He received five dollars for the head of each wolf ,
slain. This hunter, N.L. united afterwards with the church and it
had a very modifying influence on him; he brought a niece to the
meeting and during one of emotional excitement she fell into a
trance, and lay cold and unconscious for man y hours. I, among
othei*s, went to see her; it seemed as if a lifeless body v;as before
us, but her watchers did not seem concerned.
About noon of the next day after she fell, a little color came Intp
her pale lips and the corners of her mouth began to twitch, and not
long after animation returned.
All this was strange to me, being a departure from, our own
quiet ways, but some day when we understand the influence of mihd
on mind, and of mind on the body, such mysteries will be explained.
The Methodists held thdir meeting for a long time at the house
of Burwell Goode. There were two women in the neighborhood, Susie
Black and Peggy Gaddis, who were earnest Presbyterians; They and
Several others wished for a church, so they might have occaaional
preaching, and their neighbors, my father and some other Friends,
helped to build a log meeting house east of Harveysburg near thB
HfiBB3?BXHfx0HXBj?xihHsaxfa?xi; where the Baptist church now is.
It was early in the forties that the officers of one of these
first churches met in their new brick meeting house to discuss the
propriety of putting up a lightning rod. One of much influence arose
'and said, "I am decidedly opposed to a lightning rod; if God wants
to strike his own house, let him.
Travel was often interrupted by swollen streams over which
there were at first no bridges; heavy rains and melting snow would
so increase the little runs among the hills that fed Caesar s creek,
that it was often impassable at the ford. Many and frequent were ^
the water-bound travelers waiting for its fall. I recall one incident
that caused great anxiety;
-22 -
The^Friends, who had discarded form in worship, retained
some rigid ones in regard to dress; one of the desirable
symbols was the -Quaker bonnet, its crown of stiff folds of
intricate pleats, was what few bonnet makers attempted. Those
^ who could, sent to Philadelphia for their bonnets; in a larp'e
assembly, as at Yearly Meeting, we could aK'ays tell Philadel
phia bonnets, although they were also made at Richmond and at
f . Waynes villa o
mu wedding at Friends* meeting in Wilmington.
The bride and her attendants came to Waynesville for their bon-
and sent for them a day or two before the ceremony. The
messenger did his errand and came by on his way back on horse
back, well loaded with band-boxes, and finding Caesars* Creek
roaring too loud between its banks, he could not cross. He
stopped with us. Next morning the creek was rising; he waited
all day no^fall. Next morning was the day of the wedding.
The Creek still too high to ford; what was to be done; would
the wedding take-place without the bonnets? A council was held.
S. G. Welch, an obliging young man, volunteered to see them
safely over the angry waters in time for meeting. He did so by
^oing down uhe stream a few miles to a shallow ford, and got them
there in season. Long afterward, he had the happiness to see his
neph^ married to a daughter of the bride.
"^"^About this time there were many slaves fleeing from their
masters and from blood-hounds on their track. On their way to
Canada they required shelter, food, c lothing and transporta-
; tion. In this capacity I worked for twenty years --until all were
free by the Emancipation Proclamation. Hundreds that passed
, * ^ through stopped at my house, ate at my table; I heard their tales
of hardship, their desire for freedom, and the danger and sacrifice
g they were making to obtain it, Many had left near and dear rela-
^ tives behind; some mothers left babies in the cradle. Nearly
everyone had a story of tragedy or pathos that will fade, with the
memory that now holds them. In the record of one year the number
that came was eighty-six, but in other years I know we had many
more
short night's ride to Cincinnati, and to our
. came the slave, Lewis, whose case is notable, because the
^^it*st tried under the Fugitive Slave Law of 18^0. The trial was
-in Cincinnati and lasted many days. John Jollif, aided by Ruther-
: ford [Link], tried all the technicalities of the law to secure his
freedom, but in vain. He sat in court room between his master and
the state marshal who had him in custody.
While the sentence was being read that remanded him to slavery,
Lewis slipped his chair back quietly, arose, and before the judge
.; ^ had finished reading, stepped into a group of colored people con-
veniantly near, one handed him a hat, another pointed to the door,
iv , . The court room was crowded but a way was opened to let him pass. In
^ a moment he was in the street and gone, before the multitude in the
. v; court house could realize what had happened. He made his way out of
> ' town and hid for^a few hours in a colored grave yard. At night the
; sexton brought him to a friend's house in the city. In the disguise
" woman they took him to the basement of a Presbyterian ChBircb,
where he remained concealed for several weeks in one of the committee
_ 2? -
: rooms, his meals being carried to him. _
One raorninK ha came out dressed as a nurse with a veil over
ra his face and a child in his arms, took a seat in a carriage with
the pastor and his wife. Dr. and Mrs. Boynton, and before sunset
they were at our fireside. A little daughter was rather astonished
fo , to see an awkward raolatto woman go up stairs and come down a triSK
sieiider young marie
The foiled master claimed one thousand dollars from the mar-
shal for the loss of his slave, but by coraprpmise he received but
eighi hundred. It is known that the marshal disguised sis a '^u^Ksr
visited under various pretenses, our and other neighborhoods of
Friends in hopes of finding Lewis and saving his money.
<s

fe
wRrrrENat harveysburg before civil war
mustratedI^e^^TMMi^ofGwd Anti-Slavery Society at his
^tten iaceepted tUs Lastand^ woAL^tr!! 1.843 and 1844 him-
- . ' ^ \J1 VJUUU
B^avior and Polite Accomplishment," written
atHaryeysburg by Valentine Nicholsonmid pub
lished in 1858 has surfaced atLebmibh;
The 500 page work "illustrated and embell
ished with 200 engravings" was discovered
recenfly among the stash ofliterary relics at the
Warren County Historical Society by Mary Klei,
docent extraordinaire.
Covering all aspects ofgood manners, deco
rum and refinement in 26 chapters, the richly
Victorian book of etiquette was copyrighted in
1855 by Nicholson who was one of the most
cosmopolitan citizens of his era.
Nicholson advertised that copies would be
mailed "to any address" for the price of "One
nccopted this as astandard work and have given
j if unqualified approbation."
A birthright Quaker; Valentine Nicholson
devoted his entire; life to anti-slavery and social
reform. The gentleman farmer was extremely
well read and an advocate for communal living
among the Quakers much in the style of The
United Society ofBelievers, Shakers. Nicholson
was an associate of John Wattles who combined
Spiritualism and the doctrine of The Religious
Society of Friends in acommunal farm lifestyle
Nicholson's multi-faceted personality and
interests caused him to travel extensively
between Harveysburg, Boston and New York.
He often entertained the presidents of the
selfdectured on the iabolition of slavery and.
social reform especially women's rights.
Vhlentine was bom along Ihrkey Run in
Chester Township of Clinton County May 27,
1809 when that area was still a part of Warren
County. He was the son of Daniel and Elizabeth
Nicholson. The Nicholsons were members of
Caesar's Creek Friends Meeting.
Equally as interesting but a Quaker purist
was his wife, Jane Wales, who was bom
Febmaiy 1, 1806 in North Carolina and settled
in Harveysburg near the foot of the "S" Hill
along Caesar's Creek in 1814.
(Continued onpage 10)
Page 10 . Friday, August 11S97 The WaynesviUe Gazette
/ Widely Used Manners cont. frompage 8)
Valentine mamed Jane Wales at Grove Monthly
Meeting at Harveysburg November 3, 1830. The
couple moved to Ae Wales homestead where they
farmed and were well known conductors ofastation
on the Underground Railroad hiding and transport-
jng as many as 88 run-a-way slaves during a year.
'; )^algg Nicholson weretwoof the
ittiost,; note4 Underground Railroad operators in
-^ southern Ohio and had anational reputation for their
anti-slaveiy interests. Nicholspn's anti-slaveiy con-
;eepte beliefs of absolute freedom, in character
^^thhis Quskter background, show up in the book's
chaptec ohpersonal rights.
; ^ Nicholsim wrote: "But while we assert the most
^^solute and independent selfhood, sel^ownership,
Md self-control to ah absolute freedom from all
mtrusion^ espionage, oppression and assertion of
ownership; we must no less deprecate a. haughty
exclusivism, which denies the relationship and the
real nght and claims of others."
He suggested that adults exercise "the virtue of
s^-control" at all times and in all situations,
fteserve your cdmness and presence ofmind under
^ Circumstances" he wrote and to act heedless of
such calamities as scalding your mouth, having a
eyeless hotel waiter pour hot soup in your lap,
crashing china or having your satin ruined." "Still
smile serenely, and even jest" the book advocated.
"Hie delicacy offashionably dining was illustrat
ed with certain rules including not codling tea or cof
fee m your saucer, no lounging over meals, no
elbows on the table, no fast eating, no noisy eating or
conversation wiA a full mouth. He stressed not to
do any act or thing which may disgust" your dining
partner or neighbor.
Nicholson directed ladies to dine on tea and toast
at breakfast and toavoid bacon and eggs, fried pork
and sausages. It was acceptable for ladies to break
fast "now" on "an egg, a bit of steak, or chicken, or
a piece of some delicate fish". He also pointed out
that "few ladies of taste and refinement" would dine
.Ottj^uch coarse fare as cheese, "fish and flesh" and
delicacies such as pigs' feet and tripe. He said that
they should avoid "the liver, kidneys, and other vis-
:cera of animals." He stressed Vegetariamsm. and
pointed out that ''The purest and simplest diet ismost
- favorable to health, and its concomitants of energy
of beauty."
Under Nicholson's chapter on"The Etiquette Of
The Table" he included directives on the polite
imbibing of alcoholic beverages during social din
ing. Interestingly enough he stated: "Intemperance
oy the inordinate use of intoxicating liquors, is a
vice, to the evils ofwhich this country isfully awak
ened; but it is not yet decided as an absolute and
incontrovertible truth, that the use of stimulants with
food, or taken onconvivial occasions, is in all cases,
and of necessity, injurious."
Nicholson was years ahead of modem medical
discoveries of health related fd diet. He suggested
ea^g primarily fruits, graink and "more delicate
animalized substances."
In"Modes ofEating", theauthor cautioned folks
not to eat ravenously "like a soldier after a long
march, or a starved pauper at a soup house." He
believed that both ladies and gentlemen should eat
daintily and carefuUy.
Dinner fashions for both women and men were
also reconunended and give the history buff an
excellent description and insight into 1850's
'Victorian customs.
Nicholson wrote: "A dinner is always fiill dress,
whatever that may happen to be. Formerly, gentle
men scrapulously wore black,ot blue, dress or strait
bodied coats, white"vests, white or black cravats,
white kid gloves, black butlers, and as the waiter are
put in white vests, and fashion tolerates dress boots
and frock coats, it is hard to say what a gentleman's
fiill dress really is - pink or buff waistcoats, and pur
ple or lavender cravats, we believe. But as these fm-
cies change, you have only to follow the mode at a
respectful distance.
"A lady's full dress is anything rich enough, ele
gant enough, and cut low enough in die bosom and
short enough in the farms. Full dress with ladies is at
' the presentwriting as littledressas theycanpossibly
feel comfoitable in wearing. It v^es in length and
amplitude; but in the upper portion it shows such a
persevering determination to descend, that we may
expect to see what the Gomic World has given as a
retrospective view of."
Valentine Nicholson's Illustrated Manners Book
was widely in vogue in 1858 in Warren County and
elsewhere. So much so that he was required to hire
agents to handle sales
-In the book's introduction he made the appealing
statement that might give a clue just to one aspect of
the range of intellect and culture practiced by the
cosmopolitan Victorian Quaker author and lecturer:
"Life is made up of little things; little acts, little
courtesies, little enjoyments. He who had most of
these, gives most pleasure to others, and secures
most happiness to himself."