Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-06-10
Anne Bailey.

lfToHl lne GOHceNefle, W. va MeSSclSer.j
The "Life and Times of Anne Bailey, the
Pioneer Heroine OF the Great Kanawha Val
ley,' the latest work of Virgil A. Lewis, Sec
rotary OF the West Virginia Historical and
Antiquarian Society, is a book full of inter-
est to the world, and especially to those intel
ligentresidents of this State and Virginia who
are always interested in the history of their
State and a record of their forefathers. This
work is a very careful account of the Incl.
dents which went to make up the interesting
life of an eighteenth century heroine of West
Virginia. 1t is the story of her life gathered
from tradition transmitted from father to son,
from mother to daughter. II is a history
which everyone should place in the we'll
chosen library, and should be taught the
coming generation.
The life of Anne Bailey and the record Of
her heroic deeds are gathered from tradition
exclusively. She was born in Liverpool,
Eng, in 1742. Her father was soldier, and
served in the wars of Queen Anne, and on the
Continent under the Duke of Marlborough.
He participated in the battle of Blenheim. In
honor OF his beloved sovereign, Queen Anne,
he christened the daughter Of his old age
Anne. She spent her childhood days in Liver
pool, where she attended school When nine
teen years old her father and mother died,
leaving her destitute. Her only friends We're
family named Bell. possibly relatives, liv-
ing in Virginia. Anne Hennis, atterward
Anne Bailey, sailed to America and sought
out the Bells. residing near where Staunton
Va, now stands. Shortly after her arrival
in Virginia she met frontiersman named
Richard Trotter, who had been in the defeat
of Braddock some time previous. In 1875 she
married Trotter, and they lived together on
few acres in the vicinity OF Staunton. In l776
a boy was born to them, whom they named
William. In 1715 Trotter joined Dunmore's
army. and marched for the Ohio river, where
Indians at the mouth of Kanawha river, DC
tober 10th, of the same year. Anne Trotter
was now widow, thirty-tWO years of age
She placed her son with Mrs. Moses Mann,
neighbor, and started to recruiting stations to
urge enlistment and thus save the lives OF the
wives and children of the pioneers. She was
''clad in buckskin pants with petticoat, heavy
brogan shoes, mans coat and hat, belt
about the waist in which was worn the hunt
ing knife, and with rife on her shoulder, she
went from one recruiting station to another
and from one muster to another max
ing her appeals to all whom she met. -
Her name became famous along the border.
On horse back she bore messages from Staun-
ton to distant frontier forts. In ITS she car
ried news from Staunton to Fort Savannah
now LeWisburg-Greenbrie county. At this
time James Bailey, Edward Burgess, John
Crockett, James Martin, John Maxwell,
Oliver Wynn and James Witten were scouts
defending Roanoke and Catawba settlements
and on the third of November, 1875, when
Anne was 40 years of age, they were married
at Lewisburg, by the Rev. John McCue, the
first Presbyterian minister west of the Allie
ghanieS. Some years later, James Bailey and
his wife went to Clendenin's Fort (Fort Leg,
the present site Of Charleston. One night in
the year 1891 band of savages surrounded
the FORT and it was discovered that there was
little or no powder to defend the inmates
Lewisburg, one hundred miles distant. was
obtained. Col. George Clendenin called the
garrison together and asked some one to vol
unteer to go to Lewisburg. No one wished to
undertake the perilous journey. Then it was
offering to undertake the task. She knew we'll
the road, having often travelled over it. The
fastest horse in the fort was selected for her
and she started up the Kanawha, crossed
Gauley river, passed the Hawks Nest, forded
the New river and reached Lewisburg An
additional horse was III re furnished her, laden
down with powder. The commanding officer
offered to send guard to accompany her, but
she declined, Night and day she rode on her
perilous journey and when she reached Fort
Lee she was nearly exhausted. She was well
coined with shouts and for her bravery she
was presented with the black horse which
carried her to and from Lewisburg which she
named Liverpool" in honor of Eef birth
place. The forces sailed from the fort and
defeated the Indians, raising the siege Anne
Bailey was 40 years old when she made her
famous ride. Charles Robh, U. S. A., in 1861
cOmmemorated her bravery by writing poem
on her famous ride.
James Bailey died about 1902 near Charles
ton. He owned land neal that place. The
treaty of Gfeenyille in 1875 put an end to saw
age warfare in the KanaWha Valley. Anne
thereafter spent her life among the pioneers,
first in cabin in the wilderness back from