The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1950-02-23
HORSE AND
BUGGY DAYS
by
Ida 10 Martin


ing bit of history concerning one of
the men of our past, of whom have
written, and also about the recent
subject of the emigration of Wash
ington Countians to the Big Wide
West. This was about the founder
of the early rival of Hagerstown,
Jerusalem (now Funkstown), Mr..
Jacob Funk, and it tells that that
pioneer and founder of several towns
later in his life left this county
and went on to the West.
This occurred in 1851 when, in
March of that year, party of fifty
left Funkstown, and journeyed
through the wilderness to the new
land. It is stated that they took with
them the baggage of that good old
man. Jacob Funk And a little
later Mr.. Funk himself followed,
perhaps with a second party of
travellers. And as it stands now,
that is the last word we have from
Jacob Funk.
In the same record we find that
what was considered by the local
people to be the frontier at the time
Mr.. Funk left, was the land of Ken
lucky, with its "rich soil and excel
lent climate"
Times like those always offered
opportunity for spectators OF varl-
Gus kinds. A number of men from
Hagerstown went to the new land in
Kentucky and bought up huge tracts.
Then they set up offices back in Ha-
gerstown to sell the land in smaller
parcels to the prospective emil
grants. One of these was French
man by name of M. Lacassagne. In
his employ locally, as agents who
tried to interest the local citizenry
in moving out of our Beautiful Val
ley, were some well known names,
such as: James Chapline of Sharps-
burg, Col Thomas Sprigg, Col. John
Barnes, Nathaniel Morgan and DR..
Heary Schnebley.
It must have been around this
time that the family of Orndorffs
left their homestead at Mt. Pleas
ant, near Sharpsburg, and moved in
to the Kentucky frontier. Among
many others, in this group, were
AlD
Mary Orndorff. The exact time of
this groups departure is not known.
Two other names mentioned in this
period were Colonel Hynes, a rich
farmer from near "Hancocktown,"
and one Frederick Rohrer. This last
gentleman pulled out, leaving quite
a bit of property to be disposed of,
mostly in the form of town lots, ask
ing that it be sold for him by Bait
ger Coll, Luke Herman and Jacob
Rohrer
Late in the year 1878 there was a
party led by one John Reynolds,
who had been a captain in the Rev
dictionary Army. He sold all his
holdings in Washington County and
invested all his fortune in a guam
tity of supplies for the great ven
ture into the wilderness. When he
set out he was accompanied by his
wife and seven children and the fol-
lowing neighbors: Mrs. Malotte and
five children, Mrs. Harden with two
children, Captain Daniel Stull, Rob-
ert Dewler, Ralph Naylor and a
number of servants. This party
mum b er ed somewhere between
twenty and thirty and also includ-
ed horses and cattle.
The remainder of the first winter
was spent on the banks of the Ohio
River, not far from Pittsburg. Ear
ly in the Spring the party boarded
two boats and started the trek down
the Ohio, into the vast unknown,
and into tragedy and hardship.
About fifty miles below Wheeling
the party landed for a rest. But i'm
mediately signs of a recent Indian
encampment were seen and the par
ty hurriedly pushed back out into
the river. Only short way further
down the river, as the current took
the boats near the North shore, a
volley of rifle balls burst upon the
two craft. Most of the people were
on the one boat, while the other car
ried the stock The man guiding
the first boat was killed. Captain
Reynolds was at the time asleep, but
awoke and seized his rifle and pre-
pared to return fire to the hidden In
dians. But as he rose, rifle ball
pierced his head, and he fell in in
slant death. A short and futile bat
tie was waged and eventually the
Indians took over the two boats,
killing the men who resisted, and
making everyone else captives.
From this point on the story was
typical of the treatment the cap