Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-04-08
WEST virginia PIONEERS.
Their PrivationS and HariShipS Flo
quently Set Forth
In the Address by Hon. Joseph
Moreland, of Nouongalia County,
Before the Society Of Sons of the
Revolution, Monday Evening.

Owing to the very late hour at which
the banquet by the West Virginia So
ciety OF sons Of the Revolution. at the
Fort Henry Club. was concluded. Mon
day night it was impossible to repro
duce even a part Of the remarks Of
Hon. Joseph Moreland in yesterdays
Register His address was so excellent
that a portion Of it is here printed, al
though twenty-four hours late.
After recounting some Of the early
history OF the Ohio valley. and refer
ring to the rival claims and disputes
of England and France, he said:
Ell often wonder whether those brave
old pioneers who through SO many
perus. hardships and priyations esta5-
Hshed themselves in the then solitary
wilderness. had any idea Of the great
ness in store Tor that region in the
future. Was it only the love OF adyen-
tUre, Or was &c q desire TO better their
condition by the acquisition of wealth?
Was it a decree or was it prophecy or
inspira ion that brought them into
this land of hidden wealth? To was not
many years later until our ancestors
I'm numbers were established there,
for their names are written in the early
local histories and everywhere IN the
archives of the colonies. Attracted by
the influence Of Col. Gist and overshad-
owed and protected by the great cor
poraiOn. eminatinS from Virginia, in
directly from King George himself.
my ancestors maternal and paternal
were drawn Jhither Into the same VII
entity came the undaunted Col William
Crawford and with him the Harrisons.
the Spr1gers. et AL They settled at
Stewards Crossings. near COnnels-
gille on the Noughiogheny river. They
supposed they were i'm Virginia and
were then loyal subjects of Great Brit
tain and adhered TO the Virginia col
onies.
They shared each others hardships
and priyatiOns. and made common war
against the common enemy. In the
memorable campaign i'm which the
brave CrUwfOrd persisted. were repre-
sented the Harr.sOnS. the Springers. the
taulis, the Illusions and the Rageres.
other grants OF lands were su5se-
luently made tO other companies. where
upon France began the marking of her
boundaries and the construction of
forts Tor defense. She had commenced
the construction OF forts extending
from Lake Erie 90 the Ohio. and it was
% stay this that the Governor of Vir-
sinla sent George Washington ON his
hazardous mission bv conveying mes
sages 90 the French authorities on the
upper Ohio The experience of Col
Christopher Gist I'm the colonization
schemes of the Ohio COMPANY made
him a suitable companion for Washing
ton on this expedition.
Wills plantation In Fayette county. in
the northern border OF Virginia was
stopping place, as was the cabin of
crawford al Stewards CROSSINGS on
,ne loughiogheny. Bradock with his
t.oyal Infantry regiments commanded
of Col. Dunbar. came late. Passing
through several of the Eastern. counties
OF what is now West Virginia rbev
loned oy some Virginia troops Jour
neyed by The same route over the ALE
gheny Mountains from Cumberland
towards Pittsburg. whence they re-uro-
ed over the same route after their dis
aStrouS defeat From the date off this
expedition the Indians were fusriga-ef
by The French rO wage q merciless war
fare along The Virginia frontier SET
Elements We're destroyed. horrible muir
ders were committed and the most
profound terror was inspired bv the
atrocities of the Indians.
The savage nature OF the Indian was
intensified by French intrigue. They
inspired the saVages with the idea that
their king had been sleeping. but thar
he would I'm due time come with q DOW
eriul army 90 drive out and utterly de-
Stroy The English who were their COM
mon enemy and that the Indians hunt
ing grounds would 0e restored to Their,
the rightful owners.
lt was then that Pontiac. the mower
ful chief of The Otjawas. entered into
the conspiracy and the determination
OF the English settlers was determined
upon. The Delewares. the Senecas and
ShawneeS Joined I'm carrying destruc-
zion and death along the English bor-
ders The first blow was struck on
West Virginia SOIL To was the destruc-
ton OF the settlements on the Green
brier In what IS now Green1rier
county. Time would not permit the
recital In detail OF the great number of
q recital OF The tortured inflicted and
cruelres practiSed during these
trOubles-2lbei- Western Virginia was
the scene OF her fun share Of them.
"We are told that I'm these Indian
wars old age and helpless infancy suf-
Tered alike. children were ruthlesslv
murdered before the ewes o. agouized
parents, while the most exquisite tor
lures were brought into reQuiSition Tor
those unfortunate enough 90 De taken
captive A thousand families on the
frontiers of Virginia and Pennsylvania
are said to have been murdered or drlv-
en- from ,heir homes
"Ibere Is scarcely o town i'm West
Virginia where hiS-0r does not record
massacre after massacre The Eckalvs.
the DecSers. the Norgans. the Niuers.
Che SCOTS, tle Pendalls. and many
others enliven ana Sadden the local
history of my own county.
At this period The DeckorS HAD
built their los cabins not far from the
site where now IS reared the chief edu-
ca,ion0l institution of West Virginia.
Who they were or whence they came.
we know not History only records
their sad Ia-e and Jae stream chat
there joins The N0ncDgahela per0et-