Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-29
POPULATED WHOLE COUNTY
KsntuOky PiOassr Whose Progeny IL New
Numerous and Lively.
BENJAMIN WEBB AND his OFFSPRING
ssven ChiIdrsn, of whom Three SER
vive, snd TAsusanas of DIrect
Desosadants IN the OFigfnal
Land of Birth.

Land of Birth.
Beneath the oloud-capped peaks Of the
Cumberland mountains the pioneer. Ben
iamin webb. settled on the historic banks
Of the Kentucky river here los years ago,
forming the first white settlement made
within a radium Of 100 miles. having brsved
his way through the fortresses OF the red
man from his humble home In AShs
county North Carolina, to establish an
''old Kentucky home" Here the Wild bear
and the deer roamed at will, but the In
vinoible pioneer settler. tuned with the air
OF civilization in his heart. kept apace his
vigil and at last established an empire al
most meath the shades Of the Cumbsrlsnds.
| Time moved on for a score OF more years,
until the Adamses. Crafts, Holbrooks and
Caudills, among the pioneer settlers OF
North Carolina and Virginia, anxious 10 ex-
plore the region Of the then great west"
came this way and likewise made settle
ments along the banks Of the Kentucky
river They were followed by representa-
tive leaders Of the Combs, Rolley, Morgan.
Hail, williams and Jenkins families all OF
whom made settlements in the territory
now included in Letcher county Chen Mont
gomery).
Great Grandchildren by the score.
! To the nUted pioneer, Benjamin webb,
seven children were born, four having lived
to ripe old age and died few years ago;
the three surviving members whose ages
| total ~ years, are as follows: Uncle
Miles, aged s.; Aunt ssllie. aged s.. and
Uncle Wiley, aged so. Each has q re-
markedly large family, and thousands OF
descendants over the county. The first
Of the surviving Webb family IL Uncle
Miles. born in a primitive log hut on the
north fork Of the Kentucky river in the
year 1Sn. He married into the Hoibrook
| family, and according to the scripturals In
junction. multiply and replenish," began
to multiply at an early age. He is the
father OF fourteen children, eleven still Nv
ing, all of whom have large families.
When the Enquirer correspondent asked
Uncle Miles for an estimate OF his de-
scendants he Jestingly consented 20 count
by saying: We'll, it's this You see 'Tibe,
she's got sixteen, Nancy twelve and George
and 'Cat'-good gracious! II they don't
Guido the rest, I'm fooled" A careful
estimate, however, gives Uncle Miles leo
grandchildren. ninety great grandchildren
and sixty great-great grandchildren, all OF
whom reside in this county, except two
families in Wise county. Virginia. Uncle
Miles Il still hale and active for a man
of his years though through exposure dur
ing the civil war his hearing and sight
were injured. However. II seems that
there are many years in store for him yet.
He has been a widower for twelve years
and twice each year has mounted his ia
vorite family horse and ridden across
Cumberland and Black mountains. twenty
FIVE miles into Wise county, Virginia, TO
visit his two daughters. II is said that
Uncle Miles still has matrimonial inolina-
lions and is figuring on marrying one OF
the handsomest widows in southwestern
Virginia Aunt sallie. aged 50. married into
the old Adams family, among the first
settlers OF this section, and has been a
widow for ten years. She resides in the old
homestead on THE Flats" of Cumberland
mountains, where they began housekeeping
three score years ago. Her son lives with
her. Aunt sallie. when aueried as to her
livelihood, remarked: Eyes, can yet
tend the garden and raise the garden
truck" Aunt sallle in many respects 10 ~
spry as a woman half heI age and when
asked to walk four miles and sit for her
photograph she readily consented, and, on
the day following, she walked across the
mountains six miles to a country picnic,
returning the same day. Last week she
walked to Milestone, eight miles to attend
the annual meeting OF the Baptist church.
Of which Aunt sallie is a devoted member
Related TO Daniel Boone.
Aunt sallie has thirteen living children
l26 grandchildren. seventy great grandchil-
dren and more than half many great
great grandchildren, all residing within q
few miles Of Sergeant Uncle wiley, now
rounding out his SOth milestone, Ia
the youngest Of the family. He inherited
from his father the 'oid webb Bottoms"
near here, the largest level farm in
Letcher county, which he likewise trans
ferred to his youngest son a short time
/ ago. Uncle Wiley has ten children, ninety
grandchildren. sixty great grandchildren
and perhaps forty great great Erandchil-
dren, some of them IN Clay county, Ken
) lucky. some in West Virginia and still
others in the far west Uncle Wiley, like
Uncle Miles. is said to have matrimonial
inclinations. and II is believed he will
. shortly be married to a young widow. about
half his own age. on the old farm near
! here can still be seen the primitive log
! house vacated many years ago by the pio-
neer the hardy Benjamin Webb. 1t u, be-
, ing preserved as q relic. II IL q fact
D that the Webbs are direct kinsmen OF
Daniel Boone. the frontier hunter and ez-
ploreF their father, Benjamin Webb be-
1 ing a first cousin Of the famous hunter.
I He was intimately acquainted with Boone.
! having met him on many occasions during
the early settlement OF the country. Ben
jamin Webb, father OF these old people.
1 was quite an eccentric character. At ths
memorable siege Of Yorktown he Was seri-
ously wounded and thrown among the dead
and dying. For days and weeks he fingered
! between life and death, but At length re-
e covered. During this period q silk hand
a kerchief was drawn through the bullet
wound in his VitAls. When a mere boy he
o left his home on the east coast OF England
n and. alone and unaided. he seonred passaR,
\ over the stormy ssa and came 70 the
United States penniIess. settling at nfst Ia
A Ashs county, North Carolina
The most remarkable and out OF the ordt
nary fact connected with the biography Of
4 the old Webb family il that almost ever
inhabitant OF Letoher county, aggreEatinG
a population Of 1900 people. lie directly oil
Indirectly related 20 these old people. Il
came about IN this way: Tho Adamses
Crafts. Holbrooks. Polleys. combses. Halls
Williamses, Morgans and JenkinSes wer'
X the FIRST settlers In the county. BY theii
q marriages and intermarriages into thss'
| fau,tliaa the Relationship a. easily aeen n