| Notes |
- (1) State of West Virginia, Report of the Col. Morgan Morgan Monument Commission, Charleston, WV: Jarrett Print. Co., 1924, pp. 35-99:
David Morgan, the third child of Col. Morgan Morgan, sometimes called the "Indian Fighter," was born in Delaware, May 12, 1721 (see record in sketch of Col. Morgan), and was but a boy nine years of age when his parents moved to the Valley of Vir ginia. He married Sarah Stephens, a Quaker lady of Pennsylvania., and settled on a farm near Winchester. He was a surveyor, and was appointed by the Colonial Governor of Virginia to assist Stephen Holsten to make surveys and explorations in sout hwestern Virginia. Afterwards he was appointed one of the commissioners on the part of the Colony of Virginia to assist Col. Washington in 1746 to locate and establish the northern boundary of the Fairfax estate, which was to be the boundary bet ween Maryland and Pennsylvania. That historic monument they erected at the head of the north branch of the Potomac, known as the Fairfax Stone, was the consummation of their labors. Afterwards he assisted Gen. Washington in taking up those fin e tracts of land on the Monongahela and Ohio rivers, known to this day as "Washington Bottoms." (The truth of these statements has always been accepted as fact by the Morgans, and the writer has. made no attempt to verify them.)
Some authorities state that David moved to the mouth of the Redstone Creek, Pa., in 1769, remaining two years, and then moved to the Monongahela, about six miles north of Fairmont. This seems to be an error, since his son, Evan, in a sworn state ment made in 1833, in his application for Revolutionary War pension, now on file with the Pension Department at Washington, says that, "I was born on Town Creek, now in Allegany County, Maryland, in 1753; that while an infant my father moved fro m Town Creek to Frederick County, Va., and in 1773 removed to Monongalia County."
He settled on a large farm of well-laying land about a half mile west of the river, and the same distance from the present village of Rivesville. The Indians were troublesome all during this period, and for mutual protection, the settlers erecte d a fort in 1774 at the mouth of Prickett's Creek, which was called Prickett's Fort. This was on the opposite side of the river from David's farm, and about a mile distant. No record is found of David having been molested by the Indians until th e spring of 1779, when he had his famous encounter with two of them on his farm, which has been recorded by contemporaneous writers. It has been stated by those cornpetent to know that he killed seven Indians during his life time, but it is no t known at what period the other five were sent to the Happy Hunting Ground, whether before he moved to the Monongahela, or after. The main incidents of the fight with the two Indians are essentially the same, as told by different writers, the o nly difference being in the details. The reader is referred to Wither's Chronicles of Border Warfare, pp. 276-9, and Myer's History of W. Va., Vol. 1, pp. 209-12. The following account is given by descendants of Stephen, the boy the Indians wer e after at the time. . . .
It was in March, 1779, a canoe was discovered floating down the Monongahela River on which were stains of blood and bullet holes through its sides. This led the settlers contiguous to Prickett's Fort to suspect that Indians were lurking throug h the country, and in all haste they repaired to the fort. Among those who took refuge in the fort was David Morgan, at that time near sixty years of age.
Near the first of April, being unwell himself, he sent his two youngest children, Stephen, a boy of sixteen years, and Sarah, a girl of fourteen, to the farm, which was on the opposite side of the river about a mile distant, to feed the cattle a nd to do other chores. Unknown to their father, who supposed they would return immediately, they took their dinner, intending to remain all day clearing land for melons, and to feed the stock before returning in the evening.
Accordingly, Stephen set himself to work, his sister helping him in various ways, and occasionally going to the house to wet some linen that was bleaching. While the children were in the house eating their dinner, they heard a suspicious noise o utside; on going to see what produced it, they heard what appeared to be footsteps running away, but failed to see any one. Lunch being disposed of, they went prattling to their work, unconscious of the danger lurking so near, which nothing bu t the interposition of High Heaven could avert. The savages observed the direction the children took to their work, and made a reconnaissance of the place, found the youths were there alone, and knowing their intended victims were at hand when w anted, they entered the house, and found a plentiful supply of bacon, stale bread and a churn of sour
cream that had been left in the haste to get to the fort on the first alarm, of which they ate an enormous quantity. When satisfied they took a portion of the bread and bacon, and each tied up a bundle of clothing and other articles about the ho use that suited their fancy, then started for the children, laying their bundles beside the path to be taken up again after they had disposed of the youths. But upon ascending a slight eminence that concealed the view of the children from the ho use, they discovered Morgan with his gun. . . .
Morgan being ill, as before stated, fell asleep and dreamed he saw Stephen and Sarah running around the fort yard scalped. Not being superstitious, he gave it no thought, but again falling to sleep, dreamed the same a second time. On awaking h e inquired about the children, and being informed of their determination to remain all day, his solicitude became very great. Seizing his rifle he hastened to the farm, fearing he would find the realization of his dream.
But upon ascending an eminence that overlooked the field he saw, to his great joy, his children alive and busily talking while at their work. Seeing nothing that indicated danger, he seated himself on a log to rest, and picked his flint and exam ined to see if his gun was in order for use, then walked directly to the children, in plain view of the house for three or four hundred yards, unobserved by Indians. While conversing with the children, and at the same time scanning the woodland s and fields, he espied the two Indians approaching from the direction of the house, and at the same instant they discovered him. They immediately halted, and patted their hands on their mouths uttering a bow-wow-wow sound, and making other gest iculations in derision of the children. Morgan, not wishing to suddenly alarm the children, carelessly remarked: "Stephen, there are two Indians; you run to the fort and I will fight them." He crossed the fence and covered himself behind it. Th e Indians took to cover behind the trees.
Morgan delayed the action to afford time for the children to escape. Each party hastily matured their plans for attack and defense, and to Morgan, at least, moments lengthened into painful delay. He was aware of the .odds against him?not a sho t could be wasted, and he determined not to fire until he had decoyed the Indians into open ground. He selected the route to run and the trees behind which to take cover. He allowed the Indians to gain on him until they crossed the fence, but th e adroit savages were on the alert. They separated as far as possible each time they moved after Morgan, who saw he soon would have one on each side of him. They were now near enough to commence effective work, and imperative necessity demande d that he should dispose of one. During these maneuvers he had taken a sapling too small to protect him, and from this he selected a large oak, and ran to it in a way that allowed the large Indian to reach the small tree he had just abandoned a t the same time he arrived at the large oak. He taking it, the Indian was compelled to take the small one. It being too small to protect him, he threw himself flat on the ground beside a log, peeping from one side and exposing the point of his s houlder, at which Morgan aimed and fired, the ball ranging through his body to his hip. The Indian threw himself on his back and stabbed himself twice to the heart, and expired partly by his own hand. When examined after the encounter, two bulle ts were found in his mouth, placed there for convenience in reloading.
As soon as Morgan fired he looked round for the small Indian and discovered him taking deliberate aim at him. Morgan ran in a zig-zag course, looking back over his shoulder at the Indian as often as circumstances would permit. He accidentally ra n against a small dogwood bush which first yielded to his weight, then sprang back, throwing him out of the course of the ball the instant the Indian fired. Each now had an empty gun, but the savage was still armed with a tomahawk and scalping k nife.
Each now advanced on the other?Morgan with his gun raised to strike, and the savage brandishing his tomahawk. Morgan closed on the savage, who, to avoid a stroke of the gun, threw his tomahawk at Morgan's head, who warded off the blow with the g un. This cut off a finger of his left hand and nearly severed two others, and cut a deep gash in the iron gun barrel. Morgan still advanced, the savage slowly retreating. The Indian seized a dry pole and struck at Morgan, but Morgan now dealt hi m a blow on the head with such force that the savage fell to the ground, and the gun was broken off at the breech. Before he could repeat the blow with the barrel, the Indian sprang to his feet and closing with Morgan, attempted to gouge his eye s, but instead, ran the thumb, of his right hand into Morgan's mouth, who clinched it and held fast until the affray was ended. . . .
Now commenced a desperate struggle?Morgan repeatedly threw the Indian but was unable to hold him down. So round and round, up and down, over logs, against trees and saplings, the fierce en-counter for life went on. Finally Morgan found his stren gth failing, and knew the Indian would ultimately overpower him in the struggle. So, he affected to give up, but really to await developments while he had strength to act as the emergencies presented themselves.
The Indian now without difficulty confined Morgan's elbows under his knees on the ground, one hand being fast between Morgan's teeth. With the other hand he attempted to draw his knife, but fortunately for Morgan, the savage while in the house h ad seen a woman's apron, and pleased with its bright colors, had taken and bound it around his waist above the knife, thus hindering him getting at it quickly, and he had great difficulty in getting it out from the rawhide scabbard which fit i t very tightly. He could not draw it out directly, but worked it up with his thumb and finger until the handle passed quite through his hand. Morgan saw that was the opportune moment, and quickly jerked his arm from under the Indian's knee and g rinding his teeth on the thumb to disconcert him instantly seized the handle while the savage held firmly to the blade. He drew it through his hand cutting it to the bone. The savage now saw his condition had greatly changed, and made an attemp t to get away, but Morgan seized him round the neck and the Indian raised him to his feet. The savage seemed greatly surprised and alarmed and exclaimed "Wooh," and struggled violently to free himself from Morgan, who said, "I'll wooh you now, " and thrust the knife into his side and cut, turned and twisted, and worked it in so far that he could not draw it out. Finally the Indian's nerve gave away and Morgan let him fall, and took a few steps and sat down. He took the Indian's gun t o load and while pouring the powder into his hand, some fell on the cut fingers, and the smarting caused him, for the first time, to be aware of his loss. Morgan arrived at the fort greatly exhausted from so great a struggle against a powerful y oung Indian.
When he related the story of his adventures to the occupants of the fort, great excitement seized upon the men, and they repaired to the scene of the encounter expecting to find more savages than the two Morgan had killed.
The war had been going on for five years and each one held the image in his mind of a scalped sister, a brother, a parent, or a whole family massacred by the savages. The very name Indian often was a synonym of horror and extreme disgust. Knowin g these were on a similar mission, they were in a very unfavorable attitude to bestow compassion. On arriving at the spot where the desperate struggle had been, the wounded Indian was not to be seen; but trailing him by the blood which flowed pr ofusely from his side, they found him concealed in the branches of a fallen tree. He had taken the knife from his body, bound up the wound with the apron, and on their approaching him, accosted them familiarly, with the salutation, "How do brudd er, how do brudder." Alas! poor fellow! their brotherhood extended no farther than to the gratification of a vengeful feeling. He was tomahawked and scalped; and, as if this would not fill the measure of their vindictive passions, both he and hi s companion were flayed, their skins tanned and converted into saddle seats, shot pouches and belts. . . .
When the children started for the fort, Stephen greatly outran his sister, and when he gained a hundred yards, or so, would wait until she would catch up, then scamper off again, until he ran to the top of the hill overlooking the river. He ra n down the very steep slope, and on reaching the river, undressed and swam over, believing that his father had been killed. He went into an abandoned house near where Catawba now stands, and finding an old leather hunting shirt, wrapped it abou t him and went crying to the fort. The sister coming to the river, and not seeing Stephen in sight, hid herself in a hollow tree. In a short time her father came past on his way to the fort, but he was so covered with blood that she did not reco gnize him, supposing him to be an Indian. He, however, espied her and called her to him and they crossed the river together to the fort.
Some historians assert that David tomahawked and skinned the savages, but this is a mistake, for he was not on the ground after he returned to the fort. Being wounded and exhausted from the loss of blood, and from the fatigue of the encounter, h e retired to the bed which he had so recently left. He possessed a high character for honor, beneficence, morality, and intelligence; was a member of the Episcopal Church, and lived in the highest esteem among the early settlers. Dr. De Hass, i n his history of Virginia, giving an account of these adventures says, "Of those who removed with their families to Prickett 's fort was David Morgan, one of the earliest settlers of the frontier, and a man of great energy of character, and o f sterling worth." This was the character he bore among the settlers of the border and he took care to imprint these traits on his own family.
Although this Indian fight took place 145 years ago, there are those living who were contemporaneous with Stephen in his old age, and Dr. J. J. Morgan, of Buckhannon, now in his eighty-fifth year, remembers seeing him and hearing a part of thi s account from his own lips.
In 1889 the descendants of David Morgan erected a monument (see photograph) on the spot where fell one of the Indians. On the day of the unveiling there was on exhibition at the spot, a shot-pouch and saddle skirt made from the skins of the Indi ans. For many, years this shot-pouch has been in the possession of a relative in Wetzel County, but has become lost in the last few years. The knife with which the Indian was killed has been in Marion County for many years.
David Morgan had eight children, all of whom were born before he moved to Monongalia County, the youngest being about four years old at that time. They were:
1?Morgan, born Dec. 20, 1746.
2?James, born April 5, 1748.
3?Evan T., born March 1, 17 53.
4?Elizabeth.
5?Zackquill, born September 8, 17 58.
6?Stephen, born October 17, 1761.
7?Sarah, born 1765.
8?Catherine, born January 16, 1769.
Of this family, David, and four of his sons, Morgan, James, Evan and Zackquill, all served in the Revolution in one company, with William Haymond, Captain, and Morgan Morgan, Ensign. (See photostat of payroll.)
The oldest son, Morgan, married a Prickett, and settled on Buffalo Creek, but was living on White Day Creek, on the east side of the Monongahela, and some six miles from Fairmont, at the time of his death. His will is recorded at Morgantown, i n which his children are all named. Among them is a son, James, called "Buffalo Jim," either on account of his large size, or from the fact that he was born on Buffalo Creek. This James Morgan, who was the great-grandfather of Governor E. F. Mor gan, was a captain in the War of 1812, and the memorandum book he carried with him at that time is now in the possession of the writer.
James, the second child of David, married Hannah Cox, of Morgantown, and moved to Ohio in 1806, being the only one of the children to leave the state. He had a large family, which became scattered, and his descendants are now found all through t he middle and far west. He was one of the first settlers in Wayne County, Ohio, and the marriage of one of his daughters to a Butler, was the first wedding in the county. The names of two of his sons are found on a bronze tablet on a monument er ected in one of the northern counties of Indiana, placed there on account of their bravery in defending a fort against the attack of the savages. Others of his children, as well as grand-children, went to Oregon in ox-teams, over the Oregon Trai l, in 1852.
Evan, the third son of David, lived on a farm about six miles east of Morgantown, which is now owned by his descendants. He lived to be almost a hundred years old, and was the last survivor in West Virginia of the Revolutionary War soldiers. Hi s military record, as given by the Pension Department, is as follows:
In 1774, under Col. A. McDaniel, he aided in destroying the Indian towns on the Muskingum River.
From March, 1776, to April, 1777, he was a private in Capt. John Nelson's Co., Col. DeHaas' Pennsylvania regiment.
From May or June, 1777, three months, in the militia in a company under his brother, Captain Morgan Morgan.
From the fall of 1777, three months, under Captain Zadock Springer.
In the summer of 1778, three or four weeks, under Col. Charles Martin.
From July, 1779, seven weeks, four days, under Capt. Mason and Col. Broadhead.
In 1780, or 1781, he was commissioned Ensign by the Governor of Virginia, and as such, served at various times scouting on the frontier.
He also served in Captain William Haymond's company, as noted elsewhere.
Zackquill Morgan married Lina West, September 18, 1834, and settled on a farm near his father. His military record reads very much like that of his brother Evan's and will not be recorded here. A photograph shown elsewhere, records the rate of p ension he drew for this service.
Stephen, the youngest son, was born in 1763, and died 1849. He is the boy the Indians were after when his father came to his assistance. He married Sarah Sommerville, of Clarksburg, and lived and died on his father's old farm. He was elected t o several county offices, from time to time, and several of his sons became eminent in politics, Honorable William S. being elected twice to the United States Congress, and, in addition, was a naturalist of some note, and was employed by the Smi thsonian Institute until the time of his death in 1875. Stephen lived to an advanced age and lies buried with his father in the family graveyard, but no stone marks his grave.
Of the daughters of David, Elizabeth married Abraham Lowe, Sarah married Abraham Burris, and Catherine married Major James West. Nothing further is known of them except that each was the mother of a large family, and Sarah is buried near Morgant own. A monument was erected at her grave a few years ago.
David Morgan died in 1813, and is buried on the old farm within sight of the spot where he had his famous Indian fight. The inscription on his headstone, which is now almost obliterated with time, states that he was 92 years old, lacking four da ys.
Much more could be said about him, but space will not permit.
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1721 - 1796 (74 years)
