Ohio History Journal

374      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

 

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.'"

After the formal reading of Logan's Speech by

John R. Horst from McGuffey's Fourth Reader (edi-

tion of 1853), informal addresses were made by J. W.

Johnson of Circleville, editor of the Democrat and

Watchman, Professor C. C. Miller of Lancaster and

Mrs. Orson D. Dryer of Shepard, Ohio. Mrs. Dryer's

contribution to the day's celebration was extremely

valuable from an historical standpoint, and as the sole

representative present of the Colonial troops which ac-

companied Lord Dunmore's army, the story of her dis-

tinguished ancestor was full of historical information.

Mrs. Dryer has been, and is, among the women of

Columbus foremost in religious, civic, and patriotic

work of that city.   She has been active in the affairs

of the League of Women Voters, Young Women's

Christian Association, and is at present Vice-Regent

of the Columbus Chapter of the D. A. R., and President

of the Columbus Presbyterial Society.     Her address

follows:

"Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: I am the great-

granddaughter of Colonel Benjamin Wilson, whose name is

graven on yonder bronze tablet, and who was aide-de-camp

to Lord Dunmore in his march to this place against Cornstalk,

the Shawnee. Colonel Wilson was a witness to all that this day

commemorates.

"In order that you may understand my relationship to him,

I will state that I am the daughter of Henrietta Wilson and Wil-

liam C. Maholm; Henrietta Wilson was the daughter of Daniel

Davisson Wilson, who was the son of Colonel Benjamin Wil-

son. Daniel Davisson Wilson, my grandfather, came to Ohio

when my mother was an infant, carrying her in front of him on

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The McGuffey Society at the Logan Elm        375

 

horseback. He located on land belonging to his father near

Newark, Ohio. Now a word as to Colonel Wilson's own an-

ccestors, and I will tell you of the part he played in the pioneer

life of this county.

"The Wilson family is traced through Ireland to Scotland,

and the early records show that the name was prominent in the

troublous times in Scotland, nearly two centuries ago. One of

the ancestors of Colonel Benjamin Wilson, named David, took

part in the Scotch Rebellion of 1715, and when it was put down,

he, with many other unfortunates, had to leave his native land,

and fled to the province of Ulster in Ireland. He had a son

William, born in Ireland in 1722, who came to America in 1736,

and after his arrival married Elizabeth Blackburn. Of that

marriage eleven children were born, Benjamin being the oldest,

who was born in Shenandoah County, Virginia, November 30,

1747, living in Virginia all his life. He is buried in Harrison

County, West Virginia, where he lived, and died at the age of

eighty years, on the 2nd of January, 1827. Benjamin Wilson

had the blessing of gentle and Christian parentage, and more

than a fair share of education for those early days. He evinced

strong traits of character, a progressive spirit and love of free-

dom, which left a lasting impression on the history of Virginia.

"He was a soldier of the Virginia militia, and as a captain

he attracted the attention of Lord Dunmore, who attached him

to his staff as aide-de-camp. He was present at the signing

of the treaty, and by reason of his confidential relationship to

his commander, necessarily participated in all the important

events of that occasion, including the reception of Logan's

speech by Lord Dunmore. While here Colonel Wilson took a

branch from this elm, out of which he made a cane, which has

been in possession of our family ever since. After the treaty

was signed, and peace was declared, the two armies, Lord Dun-

more's and Colonel Lewis's, left for home. Lord Dunmore's

troops under Colonel Wilson took the southern route, and on the

journey home a remarkable thing occurred. It will be remem-

bered that at this time the colonies, though not independent,

were tending towards revolution. The Continental Congress was

in session at Philadelphia at the time Colonel Wilson and his

little army of Americans arrived at Fort Gower on the Ohio

River at the mouth of the Hockhocking. This was the 5th of

November, 1774. The soldiers heard of what was going on in

the East. While they were under the command of Lord Dun-

more, a royal Governor, they were not afraid to let the country

know that neither a royal governor nor any one else could swerve

them from their duty as patriots and lovers of liberty. So they

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held a meeting and passed resolutions declaring that while they

were loyal to the king, 'the love of liberty and attachment to the

real interests and just rights of America outweigh every other

consideration; we resolve that we will exert every power within

us for the defense of American liberty, not in any precipitate,

riotous or tumultuous manner, but when regularly called forth

by the unanimous voice of our countrymen.' This resolution

favoring American sovereignty was passed by Virginia militia-

men on Ohio soil nearly eighteen months before the Declaration

of Independence.

"In passing through the Tygart Valley, Colonel Wilson was

so attracted by the great beauty and resources of the section,

that he purchased of several settlers their 'tomahawk rights,'

there making a home between Beverly and Elkins on Wilson

Creek, and there built a fort and a large mill. The strong dam

of walnut logs is still standing, and the homestead has never

been out of the family, the well being still in use.

"Early in the Revolutionary War, Colonel Wilson was ap-

pointed to a captaincy in the Virginia forces, doing duty on

the frontier. On him officially rested the protection of all the

settlers, this being the marauding territory of the Indians, act-

ing under the English and French. The title of Colonel was

conferred upon him in 1781.

"At the age of twenty-three he married Ann Rudell, aged

sixteen, and was living on the Tygart Valley farm in the late

fall of 1777, when he received word that Indians had broken

into a settlement near the Wilson plantation and murdered a

family by the name of Connelly. He with thirty men hurried in

pursuit. Colonel Wilson owned a farm west of the river as

well as a farm east of the river on Wilson's Creek, where his

fort stood, four miles north of Beverly. At the time of the In-

dian raid his family were living in a cabin west of the river,

about two miles distant, temporarily, while the men were busy

gathering their corn crop. When he went up the river in pur-

suit of the Indians he left his wife and three children at the

cabin, with a slave named Rose, a Guinea negress, whom he

had bought. She was born in Africa and brought over in a slave

ship. The three children were Mary aged six, William B. aged

four and Stephen aged two.

"Late in the afternoon while Mrs. Wilson and Rose were

milking the cows, a young horse came dashing up from the range

with wild excitement. Mrs. Wilson cried to to Rose, 'There are

Indians near! The horse has seen them. That is the way he

acts when he sees Indians. Catch him quick, we must fly to the

fort or we will be massacred!' While Rose was catching the

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horse Mrs. Wilson with wonderful coolness and presence of

mind, took one of her strong petticoats, tied both ends, put the

two older children in it, with their heads out, and threw the petti-

coat across the horse's back like a saddlebag. Then with the

baby in her arms she mounted the horse bareback and told Rose

to run for her life and cross the river on the foot log. She gave

the rein to the horse which was snorting and prancing as though

it could see or smell the Indians. The horse was apparently as

eager to escape as she was, and went at full speed toward the

fort. The river was past fording on account of rain and melt-

ing snow, but it was a matter of life and death, and she with

her precious burden did not halt, but plunged in and swam the

horse for the other side. When in mid-stream she discovered

the child on the up stream side, Mary, had struggled from the

sack and was bobbing up and down against the horse's side,

held there by the strong current. Mrs. Wilson caught her by

the clothes and brought her safe to shore. Then re-adjusting

the children in the bag, she rode with them to the fort. By this

time the alarm had been given, and several families had arrived.

The Indians plundered the settlement west of the river, and it

is probable that Mrs. Wilson and her children would have been

murdered in a few minutes had she not made her escape when

she did.

"A few minutes after Mrs. Wilson reached the fort, Rose

put in an appearance carrying a churn of cream on her head

and remarking, 'I did not mean that the Redskins should have

this cream.'

"Ten years later when she was not yet sixteen years old,

Mary Wilson, who so narrowly escaped both from the Indians

and drowning, became the wife of Colonel John Haymond, of

Harrison County, a noted Indian fighter as well as a prominent

business man, who served both in the Assembly and Senate of

Virginia. The marriage of John Haymond and Mary Wilson

was a notable event in the early social affairs of Randolph

County. The groom came from Clarksburg, accompanied by a

cavalcade of young people of both sexes. The first night out

from Clarksburg, there being no houses along the way, the com-

pany camped under a cliff of rocks a short distance east of where

Phillippi now stands.

"The first playground in America was deeded by Colonel

Wilson to the town of Beverly, Virginia (now West Virginia),

and the deed still stands on record in the court house. At one

time the town tried to get possession of this playground to build

the court house upon it, but found that if it was used for any

other purpose than a playground the property would revert to

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the heirs of Colonel Wilson. A very interesting story is told by

the old settlers of how he procured this lot in the heart of

Beverly. A blacksmith shop stood upon this playground, and

when Colonel Wilson was passing one day he stopped to watch

some men pitching horseshoes. They urged him to join them, and

when he refused, the owner of the lot and blacksmith shop, who

was considered the champion horseshoe pitcher, said, if Colonel

Wilson could beat him at the game he would give him the lot.

Thereupon Colonel Wilson played and won. Being a surveyor,

he immediately 'stepped off' the lot, went to the court house and

deeded it to the town of Beverly, forever to be used for a play-

ground. The 'John Hart' Chapter D. A. R. will in time

beautify it.

"Upon the Declaration of Independence, Colonel Benjamin

Wilson became the military commander of the district west of

the Allegheny Mountains, and through him all the military and

civil business was transacted.

"At the first court held in Harrison County, by authority

of the Governor, in 1784, Benjamin Wilson was appointed county

clerk, which office he held for thirty years, and upon retiring he

was succeeded by his son John, who held the office for four-

teen years more. After his removal to his home in Harrison

County, he gave his attention not only to his office and the clear-

ing and developing of his large landed estate, but also engaged

in business transactions of various kinds. He established a

grist and a saw mill, that the people might grind the corn in-

stead of parching and crushing it between stones as formerly,

and sawed timber in place of hewing it with an axe. Then, in

order to use the raw material so abundant, he added to his other

mills a machine for carding wool, so that soon in the pioneer

homes spinning and weaving could be done. The long distance

from the seaboard rendered it very difficult to get cloth for wear-

ing apparel, etc. There was sore need for a factory to make

these goods. He sent to Scotland, the land of his kindred, and

secured Mr. Wiley, a practical factory weaver, and through him

purchased looms and other machinery for making cloth, which

was done at his mill on Simpson Creek, to which place the people

brought their wool where it was converted into cloth, colored,

stretched and ready to use.

"Realizing the need of higher education, Colonel Wilson

and his associates applied to the General Assembly for a charter

for the Randolph Academy, at Clarksburg, which was granted

in 1787. Eight years later the Academy doors were opened

under the auspices of Reverend George Towers, a Presbyterian

minister and graduate of Oxford, England, who was brought

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The McGuffey Society at the Logan Elm       379

here by these gentlemen for this purpose. The opening address

was made by Colonel Wilson, which can be found in Colonel

Henry Haymond's History of Harrison County. He was re-

sponsible for Withers' Border Warfare, which was written upon

his solicitation. He went to Alexandria, Virginia, Mr. Withers'

home, and induced the author to undertake this important literary

work, which he did; it was written at Colonel Wilson's in Har-

rison County, where Mr. Withers spent two years.

"Colonel Wilson was not paid for his services in the federal

army, nor for having equipped his own regiment, but for serv-

ices rendered he received a grant of four thousand acres of land

in Licking County, Ohio.

"Attached to his log house he built a vaulted courtroom,

in which was held the first session of court in Harrison County,

he having been appointed justice of the peace by the Governor

of Virginia. At that time the justices of the peace were almost

the only political power. He represented Harrison, Monon-

gahela, and Randolph Counties in the Legislature for several

sessions, and he and his brother John were delegates in the con-

vention of Virginia which ratified the Constitution of the United

States.

"Colonel William Stansbury, an eminent lawyer and

jurist of Ohio, said, in speaking of Colonel Wilson, 'He was the

purest type of the old school Virginia gentlemen, handsome in

appearance, of cultivated speech and manner, and much like

Washington in bearing.' Nor was he unmindful of the claims

of religion. He maintained to the close of his life an irreproach-

able Christian character. He had been married twice, his second

wife being Phoebe Davisson. He had by the two marriages

twenty-eight children, of whom twenty-four were living at the

time of his death, and for all of whom he was enabled to make

a moderate provision. His posterity at the time of his death

besides his twenty-four children was seventy-three grandchil-

dren, thirty-two great-grandchildren and one great-great-grand-

child."

The day's exercises, which were in charge of a com-

mittee consisting of John R. Horst, Miss Bertha Peel-

ing and C. B. Shook, closed with the singing of

America.

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