Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-01-11
From the Kanwha Gazette, Dec. 9th, 1871
SOME SCRAPS OF EARLY BORDER HIS
TORY HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED.
GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF PROMINENT BoR-
DER FAMILIEs-AN INTEREST
ING OLD BOOK.

DER FAMILIEs-AN INTEREST
ING OLD BOOK.
The writer is just in receipt of an inter-
esting old book printed in Dublin, Ireland,
in 1909. 1t is a compilation of the laws
then in forcerelating to the Government rev.
enues, with instructions, tables, forms, ex-
amples, &c, for the guidance of the collec-
tors of tho excise and customs duties. It
is volume of about 400 pages, we'll print
ed, and bound in leather. 1t is in fine
state of preservation, with not page miss
ing.
With this book is received roll of man.
uscript notes and sketches written by the
late Mrs. Margaret Hanna, of Greenbrier
county, w. Va. Mrs. Hanna was wo
man of remarkable breadth of mind and
force of character. She passed away in
1878, aftrr an enventful life of 81 years.
(She was born Feb. IS. 1897, and died Jan.
81, 1879 Her earlier M S. notes were
written at the dictation of her father, Col.
Jno Wilson, who with his fathers family
settled on the frontier wilds of Augusta
county, Va, sin an early day." and who,
later, became Col. of cavalry, and fought
with distinction through the Revolutionary
war. The events sketched by Mrs. Hanna
came within her own cognizance, or that of
those were her contemporaries.
| | am permitted to extract from, COPY, or
otherwise use these historical notes and
genealogical sketches for publication. They
largely relate to family history, and have
never before been made public; but they
contain SO much of interest relating to the
early Virginia border settlements, and the
family history of so many prominent people
who helped to settle, subdue and populate
| Al 4f 4l.
lieve publication of the facts will Interest
many persons and families descended from
these worthy old pioneers; as many of the
present generation from the prevalent care
lessness about keeping genealogical records
now know hut little of their origin or early
ancestry. There are also related facts in
regard to the Indian raid to Jackson's river
in June 1853, and a later raid to the Green
brier settlements in May ITS, which will
interest that portion of the general public
| that takes an interest in the annals of our
early border settlements, with their dan
gers, privations and hardships.
WILLIAM WILSON.
In 1929, William Wilson, the founder of
this Wilson family in America, then a
young man, left Dublin, Ireland, to seek
his fortune and new home, beyond the
broad waters. On the 9th of August he
landed in Newcastle. Del, and recorded
the fact and date with his own hand in a
book he brought with him, and which is
the same old book above mentioned, and
now before me. The family tradition is,
that he smuggled this book out of Ireland,
| it then being contrary to law to bring such
books out of the country and to America.
William Wilson soon moved to Chester
county, Penn, where he married. His
wife was an orphan who had been reared
by an uncle, whose property she inherited
| at his death, he being childless. But little
| is now known of their after life while they
| remained in Chester, except that they rear
ed family of two SONS and four daughters,
named as follows; John, William, Margaret,
| Elizabeth, Susan and Barbara.
Early in 1853 the family removed to Au-
gusta county, Va, where they at first locat-
ed in the settlements, while the sons, John
and William, went into the wilderness,
some twenty miles Or more from other set
| Elements, where they located on the head
| waters of Jackson river at point now in
| Highland county, Va. Here they cleared
some land and planted and raised crop of
corn, thus securing what was known in
those days as a 'corn-right title" to so
much land, say 400 acres.
In the following year, (1I54) WIN. WI
SOD, ST., and the remainder of the family
all moved to this settlement for perma-
pent home.
Here they lived in comparative peace and
quiet with such comfort and contentment
as frontier settlement afforded until 1853,
when the youthful Shawnee brave, Corn
stalk, afterwards to become so famous a
historical character, led his memorable
Indian raid against the fated Greenbrier
and Jackson river settlements.
| After exterminating the Muddy Greek
and Big Level settlements, about one hun
dred souls, all told, portion of the raidiug
party passed on up the Greenbrler river,
through what is now Pocahontas county,
and crossed over to attack the Wilson Set
Element and others on Jack son ri yer.
Just at this time the Wilson's were erect
ing new and larger log house than tht
original cabin that had hitherto served
them.
John had gone to Dickinson's Fort, no
far away, to get some help for the house
raising next day, while William had gon'
to little mill, about mile distant to ge
some meal ground for the house-raisinl
party.
Two of the sisters, Margaret and Eliza
beth, were out on the river bank washin
some fax-tow. Mrs. Wilson, who was il