The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-03-21


Sotha HickIna.l.
ssotha Hickman was born on the
Sugar Land bot tom on the Potomac
river near the present town OF
Rockville. NJ u. In A. IA a. and died at
his home on elk creek near Quiet
Dell where he lad we'd for ii.sl:ty
years 3s 5..3
a 8 stated before he with a party
Of four others came To this region
locking for land in the fall OF the
year I'll and built his first cabin.
near where the Fl III View ee1netery
lis now situated. I. M
4 He brought on. his family from
the East to this location in 1872 or.
l17}T3 and Is known to have been liy-=
in & there in a 80. He entered a
thousand acres OF land on Elk creek
near ard perhaps includins Quiet
Dell ia 1sf1733 but did not occupy it
for several years afterwards.
Sotlia Hickman always claimed
that his son, Arthur. was the first
" hite child born in Harrison cc;ir y
sty. that he raised the first rl'nr s Of
ever croEcd in the countg7
While trapping on the Lii tile Kan
aE1la river Ia company with Levi
Douglass they were captured d. a
party OF Indians and taken 10 their
towns on the Sciota river in Ohio 5
One nigh while the Indians We're
holding a#Erand dance and festival
the prisoners were left in charge of
an old man who fell of into sleep.
They each then duietlY seized q F'in
and equipments and struck out for
home and liberty
Travelling only at sht they We're"
four days without food and after
reaching the Virginia side of the
enough to kill bear and ate So
much Of it that they both became
very sick and we're relieved by
drinking what was called rock oil,
which was found floating on the sur
face of Hughes river.
In common with most frontiermen
he had no@lfkinE for the Indian race
and a favorite expression Of his was
bod blast their yal1er.a hides.
He enlisted at Fort Nutter in the
Virginia troops and served fourteen
months during the Indian wars. a
part Of the time under Colonial vii
liam LoWther. He was pensioned b.
the government for his military SER
vices.
While party were gigEing for
fish in the West Fork river near the
old fair ground, Hickman. carrying
the. faggot or torch, two guns were
flashed on the bank He soused the
faggot in the water and they all
struck for shore. The string Of fish
had been thrown down and hearing
the fish fiutterins the water Hick
man returned and secured them and
they all hurreid to Clarksburg.
Flint locks were then in use and
the powder in the pans Of the In.
dams guns had become damp and
thus failed to discharge the pieces.
The subject of this sketch was Of
pert hunter and trapper and spent
most OF the time in those occupa$
tons during the fall and winter
He died on his settlement ri ght
and was buried in the Raymond
gravey ard. having obtained a greater
age than the others who came to the
country with him in ! 10 4.
Andrew CottriIl. s5s 58
Andrew Cottrill was one Of the.
FIVE first settlers in the. county ] ns
III L, and made his settlement right
in 1T 2 where the town of Grasselli
now is. consisting Of 40 Q acres. which
was confirmed to his heirs in ~ b.
In the same year 90 acres was
confirmed TO William Cottrill, u heir
at law to Andrew Cottril !, W no made
the entry in IL 8 on Elk creek.
These entries show that his death
occurred prior To u ST. Both Andrew
and Samuel left descendan who
are still with us ii
The Cottrills have for generations
been disting uished in the additions
OF the county for tt heir personal cour-f
age; they We're quick to take offenseE
and We're Al ways read to avenge an
insult either to themselves or to sa3
friend hey were tou gh customers:
to tackle In a rou g1 and tum bleS fist
ia ght. is said that they never
used wea pons. always fought fair
and quit when the other ellowFc alled
enough which was gener the
case. .ssS
Both Andrew and sanlue CottrilI
died within few years after they
came to the AIononsahela val lev. but!
whether either Of them were lied
by J ohm Sinlps on is not 5ilSn own. He n
killed one or the Cot trtll s. ii ~ duar5
rel a bout a peck OF salt ss U.