The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-02-03
THR MAGGENERs.
Pioneer Families OF Mason
County-Their Ancestors and
Dekeendanls.
ny VIRGIL A. LRWis.

No European nation has furnish,
ed America with a better class Of
emigrants than that Of which The
ancestor Of this family was a rep
resentation. The waggeners
formerly spelled Wagner were
a numerous family Of Holland
but several Of It's members had mi
grated up the Rhine Valley aud
wes long seated in Germany. The
early years Of the 18th century
brought with them a tide Of emf
grationfrom the banks Of that river,
emigrant register kept at Philadel.
phia alone showing that in these
years, 10000 German emigrants en-.
tered that port. With those came
Andrew the founder OF the Wag.
gener family in Virginia. He had
Eve brothers who came TO America
but only one, Edward stopped with
him in the Old Dominion.
They settled in what is now Col
pepper county abont the year 1850,
having previously spent some time
in Pennsylvania. Az that time
the causes, which led to the French
and Indian war, the struggle be.
tween France and England, the
two great rival powers Of Europe
for territorial supremacy in Amer
lea, were agitating the colonies. :
10 l754 the French advanced from
Canada and built Fort due Quesne
at the forks of the Ohio (now Pitts.
bnrgh) Thislocation was then be.
lieved to be within the limits Of
Virginia and she determined to
drive the invaders from her SOIL
Col, George Washington was order.
ed to collect a regiment in Pied
mont, Virginia, to reduce the
stronghold Of the French on the
Ohio. He established his head.
quarters at Alexandra and volun.
teers poured in upon him. Among
them came Andrew and Edward
Waggener.
The expedition proceeded up the
Potomac to the mouth of Wills
Greek where i! halted and built
For! Cumbuland (now Cumberland
City Maryland and making it
base Of supplies, continued the
march into the wilderness. When
nearing its destination, Washing
ton leaned that the French and
Indians were marching out TO at
tack him and be halted and built
Fort Necessity which hesurrender.
ed to the French July 4, 1854,
marching out therefrom with the
hOnors Of war.
The next spring Gen. Braddock
arrived in Virginia with two regi
menIs Of veterans fresh from the
battle fields of Europe. He was
joined by Washington's regiment
the list Virginia-still belonging
to which were the Waggener broth.
ers. The army marched forward
until within twelve miles Of Fort
du Quesne when it was attacked
and almost entirely annihiIated.-
More than 700 English fell dead
upon the field and among them lay
Edward Waggener. From his
pocket his brother Andrew took a
silver watch which haO ever since
been preserved by the family and
is now in the possession of Col, c. B.
Waggener, of Point Pleasant,
From the disastrous field the
remnant of the shattered army re.
turned to Fort Cumbulaud whence
Col. Dunbar marched the regulars
back to Philadelphia and the Vir.
ginians FASTENED 10 the defence Of
the frontier now exposed to astorm
Of savage warfare waged by a mer.
ciless and relentless enemy armed
and urged onward By the French.
Andrew Waggener was commits.
stoned Captain and placed in com.
mand Of the garrison at Fort
Pleasant, a strong stockade with
blOck.houses which stood on the
South Branch of the Potomac, with.
in the present limits Of Hardy
county. A severe engagement
with the Indians known as
the Battle Of the Trough" occur.
red on the South Branch 10 1856;
the whites engaged being a part of
of Captain Waggener's garrison at
Fort Pleasant. The yirginians
were defeated with heavy loss.
The Indians no more visited the
Valley after the year 1765, and
Non,o;n VUo..o,.. ,.,,.oi,.,,,l IL