Pike County KyArchives Biographies.....Dils Jr., Col. John September 15, 1818 - August 11, 1895
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Source: The Big Sandy Valley by William Ely
Author: Col.John Dils Jr.

COLONEL JOHN DILS, JR.

In getting up the material for the history of the people of the Big Sandy 
Valley, the author invited Mr. Dils to furnish for its pages all of the more 
important events coming under his notice. During his nearly half-century 
residence in the Upper Sandy country, constantly mixing with the people in 
their social, business and political affairs well qualified him for furnishing 
historical matter impossible to get from any other source.
The graphic and scholarly way in which he has discharged the task is 
sufficient reason for giving his manuscript, as it came from his own hands, a 
place in the book, without any alteration whatever.
Colonel John Dils was born, 1819, in Parkersburg, Wood County, now West 
Virginia. His father was John Dils, Sen., and his grandfather bore the same 
name, who, together with his brother Henry, emigrated from Pennsylvania, on 
the Monongahela River, near Brownsville, and came to West Virginia, and 
settled in Wood County, near Parkersburg, about the year 1789. They had both 
served in the War of 1776, and were active participants, with the Ohio 
colonies of Belpre and Marietta, in the Indian troubles on the frontier, in 
the early settlements of that" day. His father was with the Wood County 
militia under Colonel Phelps, who went to arrest Colonel Burr and his men on B 
1 e n n e rhassett Island, under the proclamation of Jefferson in 1806. But 
failing to find him on the island, Colonel Phelps, with a part of his men, 
hastened to the mouth of the Big Kanawha River to intercept Colonel Burr's 
retreat; but Colonel Phelps was again foiled by the wily foe.
I have often heard my father express words ot sympathy and kindness toward the 
unfortunate Blennerhassett and his beautiful and accomplished wife, who were 
the owners of the historic island that bears their name. To be reared amongst 
the living actors of those stirring events of our country's history, has made 
an impression and left a charm that no romance or fiction has ever been 
enabled to supplant the real, as imbibed in my early boyhood. The very air was 
rife with the tales of the wonderful deeds of early frontiersmen. Ransom, a 
swarthy, dwarfish negro, who became the property of my cousin, James 
Stephenson, was the servant and waiter of his royal queen, Mrs. 
Blennerhassett. He was a good fiddler, and a favorite with the youngsters in 
his nocturnal visits, and many were the joyful reels I participated in under 
his teaching and inimitable music; and when tired with " tripping the toe," we 
would gather around our sable friend to listen to some wonderful stories he 
was so fond of relating of the prairie queen whom he had so proudly served, 
but now "far away from her own dear island of sorrow."
But it was meet for me the spell should be broken, by leaving dream-land and 
the magic of the hour. In 1836 Mr. Callihan, who had married my sister the 
year previous, stopped at Parkersburg on his return from an Eastern trip of 
purchasing goods, to get me to accompany him to his home at Pikeville, Ky., 
which I accepted, as I was anxious to be with my sister. And thus it. was Big 
Sandy became my future home, where I now live, and have resided ever since, 
save a short time during the late war, when it became expedient to remove my 
family to a safer and more congenial place. The impression, as I traveled 
alone up the Big Sandy Valley for the first time, would be difficult to 
recall, save its wild but rich presentation of both land and forest, and its 
far excelling any thing of the kind in the majesty of the mountains that I had 
ever seen. The people I found to be plain and simple, with unbounded 
hospitality. Most of them were the early pioneers of the country; some had 
been soldiers of the Revolution, and many others of the War of 1812 and the 
Indian wars. The country abounded with game. Bear and deer were abundant, and 
hunters were numerous and happy. Hunting was the principal occupation of both 
young and old. In the season for killing game a man without a gun was out of 
occupation, unless he was a merchant or preacher. A good gun was worth a good 
farm or first-class horse, as I have often heard hunters say.

The peltry taken from the wild animals found a ready sale. Many a fat bear and 
deer's carcass, after being stripped of its hide, was left to be devoured by 
ravenous wolves, wild-cats, etc. It would be marvelous to the present 
generation should I relate some of the old hunters' yarns of experiences in 
their hunting expeditions. I am now thinking of some of the old Nimrods; such 
men as the Pinsons, Maynards, Colleys, Belchers, Owens, and a host of others, 
not forgetting Uncle Barney Johnson, of block-house and golden wedge fame. 
This golden wedge Barney plowed up on his farm from an Indian burying-ground, 
and gave it to a blacksmith neighbor to braze bells with, not knowing its 
worth. I heard the brazier say it was the best brazing metal he ever had in 
his shop.
In addition to the abundance of game to supply the roaming hunter, it was the 
land of honey and ginseng. It was no trouble for a little boy or girl to make 
from one to three dollars a day in digging the latter article. It was 
generally collected in the Fall of the year in its green state, and sold to 
the merchants, who had it clarified for the Eastern market before shipping. 
Ginseng was the principal commodity of exchange in all the Upper Sandy 
counties, and I can only say the amount collected and shipped down the Sandy 
River annually was really fabulous. But the bear, deer, and ginseng have long 
since mainly disappeared, and the fine timber of the forests is fast following 
in the same footsteps.
About the 1st of December, 1837, I was intrusted by Mr. Callihan with a 
considerable amount of money, which I belted around me, to overtake a large 
drove of hogs which belonged to Mr. Callihan's partner, H. B. Mayo, of 
Prestonburg, and which was in the care of his son, A. I. Mayo. The country I 
had to pass through was entirely strange to me, with only a settlement here 
and there, being almost an entire wilderness. As I had to pass through the 
Pound Gap of the Cumberland, but little better than a bridle-path, and as I 
had heard that was the main passage of the Goings and Murry gangs of horse-
thieves, to East Tennessee, I had many misgivings whether I would be able 
safely to deliver the money. But, nothing daunted, having procured a weapon, I 
had determined to deliver the charge or die in the effort.
About twenty miles from Pikeville, where the Shelby Creek forks, instead of 
going to the left, I took the right-hand path, and, after traveling near 
fifteen miles from the direct road to the Pound Gap, I learned my mistake, but 
was told if I would cross the mountain, which was very high and rough, to the 
left, I could again fall into the right road, some six or eight miles distant. 
It was then snowing heavily. I was directed to follow a dog-trail which had 
just passed over the mountain, returning home from a bear-chase; but while I 
could climb the rugged mountain with little difficulty myself, I found it 
quite different with the horse I was leading. Indeed, I found the progress so 
slow and the dog-trail becoming so dim and difficult to follow from the snow-
storm, with.also a good prospect of a night's lodging in the snow, my better 
judgment was to right about face and retrace steps, which I hastened to do, as 
night would soon be on me. It was near ten o'clock when I drew up at the house 
of my kind friend, S. Hall, that night, for lodging, having traveled fifteen 
miles, with no other incident than having the pleasure of seeing a large bear 
cross my path not more than a mile from Mr. Hall's house. After partaking of a 
hearty supper 
of good fat bear-meat, sweet milk, corn-bread, etc., and relating the 
incidents of the day, not forgetting to mention I desired an early start in 
the morning, I soon found myself tucked away in good, warm feathers, with a 
light heart, happy in the thought that the belt with the money was all safe 
around me, and by the next day's travel, nothing happening, I would be 
relieved of all dread and care by safely delivering it over to Mr. Mayo; all 
of which it was my good fortune to accomplish after traveling more than fifty 
miles, not seeing over a halfdozen houses in the space.
In 1840 and 1841 I taught two subscription schools of five months each per 
session. In November, 1842, I was married to my present wife, Miss Ann 
Ratliff, third daughter of General Wm. RatlifF, of Pike County, Kentucky. The 
following year I went into the mercantile business with R. D. Callihan and 
Jno. N. Richardson, known as the firm of Jno. Dils, Jr., & Co. In two years 
following, it was changed to Richardson & Dils. 
In 1846 the war with Mexico broke out. President Polk issued a proclamation, 
calling for volunteers, and a company of one hundred men was made up at a 
general muster, a few days after the announcement. I was elected captain, C. 
Cecil, Sen., first lieutenant, and Lewis Sowards second lieutenant; but the 
company was never called into service on account of being too remote for 
transportation.

In 1852, after twelve years of uninterrupted pleasant business relations with 
my friend and partner, J. N. Richardson, I bought him out, and continued the 
business in my own name until the War of the Rebellion in 1861. In October of 
the same year I was arrested at my own house, by the order of Colonel Jno. S. 
Williams, who commanded the Confederate forces, then camped around Pikeville. 
I was only a private citizen, but was treated as a felon, and sent as a 
prisoner of war to Richmond, Virginia, under a heavy guard, and placed in the 
notorious Libby Prison for safe-keeping. My wife came to Richmond as soon as 
she could get permission to pass through the lines, and I was liberated a few 
days before Christmas. As we were traveling through Buchanan County, Virginia, 
on the head of Sandy River, we stopped to feed our horses and take supper, in 
order to reach Grundy that night, so as to make the next day's ride lighter; 
for we were anxious to get home the day following, to see our little children, 
whom she had left in the care of a trusty servant and a brotherin-law.
But that night's ride came near being my last. About a mile from where we got 
supper, we were called to halt by a party concealed in the timber on the hill-
side. My wife was just before me on a bridge. As she did not hear the summons, 
I called out to her to stop. I asked the concealed party what they wanted. 
They evaded my question. I requested them to come down; I wanted to see who 
they were, so I could report them. They halloed out, "Go on." We started, hut 
I was fired at three times before I got that many lengths of my horse, the 
shot just brushing the back of my head, and dashing the little twigs from the 
brush in my face. We moved up pretty lively after that for a few miles.
I visited Washington the February following, with a view of getting relieved 
from any military obligation I might be considered bound to observe to the 
Confederate States. I was neither sworn, nor did I sign any parole, but was 
simply discharged, as I understood. But still I did not feel just like a free 
man; not that I wanted to go into the service, but I knew my failing: I would 
speak out my sentiments—therefore I desired to be relieved from any trammels, 
however constructively viewed. After seeing my friend, Hon. Green Adams, I 
laid the matter before him to assist me in the difficulty. My friend 
introduced me to the President, Abraham Lincoln, who gave jne a special 
invitation to visit him as often as I could, which marked favor I was pleased 
to accept, seldom missing a day, as each visit made it more interesting and 
charming as time fleeted away. I refer to this, as it was my good pleasure to 
have the opportunity to listen to what that good man had to say to each of the 
many who were hourly petitioning him for some favor, and wherein his 
inestimable worth could be seen both in the Executive and the great, swelling, 
loving heart for the people.
In August, 1862, some of the advance troops of General Kirby Smith arrived 
near Pikeville. I was robbed of a large stock of goods by a party under the 
command of Colonel Menifee, and some of Colonel Caudill's command. I had to 
flee the country for life. I arrived at Frankfort, after stopping a short time 
in Louisville, the fourth day after leaving home, giving the news of what was 
going on. I wanted guns, as no peace could be had at home on any terms.
There were a great many people gathering in Frankfort, as the State was in a 
fever of excitement. Governor Magoffin resigned, and the Hon. James Robinson 
was inaugurated. I had the pleasure of seeing Senator J. J. Crittenden, with 
an introduction. He informed me that in the War of 1812 he formed the 
acquaintance of my father, both being soldiers under General Harrison. I was 
invited to his house to take tea with himself and his excellent wife, and was 
very kindly and cordially received. He had much to say to me about the war, 
and asked many questions about what I had seen while in Richmond, and also 
about friends who had left Kentucky, and were supposed to be in Richmond. He 
went with me to the arsenal the next day, to see that I got such guns as I 
desired, speaking many kind words in favor of myself and the people for whom I 
wanted the guns. I found him the"noblest Roman of them all," and shall ever 
venerate him for his kindness to me and for the interest he manifested in the 
mountain people.
A commission to recruit a regiment came to me at Catlettsburg about the first 
of September, without any solicitation or agency on my part; I learned that it 
was done through such friends as the Hon. J. J. Crittenden, Garrett Davis, and 
others. It was several days before I could get my own consent to accept; but, 
there being so many refugees from the Upper Sandy counties (Pike, Floyd, etc.) 
that wanted to go into the service of the United States army soliciting me, I 
finally acquiesced, and recruited the first day about two hundred men, and 
soon after raised, at a considerable personal sacrifice, what is known as the 
39th Kentucky Regiment, Mounted Infantry. Its efficiency or inefficiency as an 
auxiliary in the service of the Government has gone into history, to stand the 
test of an impartial judgment of the loyal mind, where its friends rest in 
confidence of a just verdict

Big Sandy  Valley by William Ely


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