The Big Sandy news., 1910-03-04
BURIED NEAR LOUISA.
SOME HISTORIC FACTS ABOUT
SISTER OF KENTUCKY'S
NOTED STATESMAN.


The following Is from the Cat
lettsburg Tribune:
Ten miles above the town of Lou
lisa, on what is known as the old
Dyer farm, there is an antiquated
burying ground in which number
OF the first settlers of that section
of the Big Sandy valley were buried.
A report says that there is today
scarcely anything there TO indicate
that such a thing as a graveyard
was ever there. One might pass
over the ground a thousand times
and unless they were told that they
were within the sacred and hallowed
precincts OF "city OF the dead"
they would never think of such a
thing. Portions of II are said to-
have been plowed over by the farm
ers who have owned the place; cat
tie and sheep have grazed upon the
grounds. and In many ways the old
graveyard has been desecrated, un-
til 1t has practically passed beyond
notice.
Despite all this neglect and lack
Of interest among those who have
lived In the community there is the
dust OF persons quietly sleeping be-
meath the sod who never should
have been forgotten. most prominent
among them being a sister of the
great Kentucky statesman and COM
Lmoner, the illustrious Henry Clay.
Numerous descendants OF this woma
reside In this section OF the country.
In fact, the number of her offspring
is almost legion. They have been
scattered abroad until there is
scarcely state In the Union but In
which some OF them may be found.
The name of this woman was Pa
tience Clay Chapman, the wife OF
George Chapman, one OF the pioneer
settlers OF Eastern Kentucky, who
entered boundary OF land on both
sides OF the Big Sandy river, ex-
tending several miles along the riY-
er. The maiden name of the wo-
man was Patience Clay, and she
was married to George Chapman in
Virginia, and she with her husband
came to the Big Sandy country from
Giles county, that State. Soon after
having moved into that section
Chapman returned to their former
home to collect some money and the
night before he was to start on his
return trip overland to Kentucky,
he was seized with violent illness
and died that night. the circum-
stances OF his death ever having
been believed TO have been sur
rounded by suspicious features, as
none of the money he was known to
have had in his possession was ever
recovered by his family. He was
buried in Giles county and his wild
ow continued to reside in Kentucky
for several years when she died
and was buried In the old graveyard
above mentioned. For many years
her grave was kept marked by only
, crude stone marker, such as was
usually used for that purpose In
that early day, but finally the grave
, was neglected and 1t is said that nc
one could locate II with any degree
OF accuracy today.
II Among her descendants are the
McClures, the Pecks, the Chapmans
, she having been the mother of the
, writer's grandfather. Besides those
above mentioned she had daugh.
ter who continued to reside IN
Giles county, Va, whose descendant
represent many of the prominent
families in that section of the coun'
try.
The farm on which the grave Il
located was transferred to two sons
Of Mrs. Patience Clay Chapman
David and George Chapman, who
owned II for long time, when II
passed into other hands and since
then has been owned by number
OF persons, remotely related to the
pioneer woman In later years We
believe that the farm has beer
known as the burgess" farm.
The original boundary of lant
was divided between the following
children of George Chapman, the
senior: Isaac Chapman, Mrs. Lucre
tia-Chapman Mcclure Mrs. Eliza
beth-Chapman Peck, Archibald Char
man and George and David Chap
man. above named.
George Chapman went west in al
early day and there are said to bt
numerous descendants of him re
siding in Oregon and Washington
state. Archibald Chapman dispos
ed OF his interest in the Kentucky
lands and moved to Gallia county
Ohio.
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