BURKE COUNTY, NC - BIOGRAPHIES - Early Settlers of Burke County, Part 2 ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Martha Pearson Kapp KAPPSFISH@aol.com ==================================================================== Biographical Sketches from Burke County, NC from articles published in Newspaper in 1894 These sketches were originally written by Col Thomas George Walton (1815-1905). 1st published in the old Morganton Herald in 1894 part 2 -HEMPHILL - DUCKWORTH - HERNE - CALDWELL-PERKINS - MILLER and others The HEMPHILL FAMILY "The HEMPHILLs of Silver Creek and Old Fort emigrated from the North of Ireland, previous to the Revolution. They were of Scotch descent, Presbyterians in religion, Whigs of the Revolution, and good, well-to-do citizens. I remember an anecdote told me in 1840 by a pensioned soldier of the olden time, in connection with the Silver Creek branch of the family. FERGUSON, on his march from the Catawba to Gilbert Town in 1780, had a chart of the country through which he was passing; on this chart was drawn an isolated mountain, directly on the line to Gilbert Town, to which he gave the name it now bears - "The Pilot Mountain". He was encamped near Mrs. HEMPHILL's; sending out a foraging party, they seized and carried to camp her flock of sheep. Mounting her horse, she found FERGUSON in his marquee. He asked, ' What can I do for you madam?" She answered, "Col. FERGUSON, I am told, and believe you to be a gentleman. Your men have taken all my sheep; winter is coming, and I have no means of clothing my little children except from the wool of my sheep." "Where is your husband?" he asked. "I will not tell you a lie sir; he is out with the Whigs." "Well, madam, your husband is engaged in a rebellion against his lawful king, with others who are at war with me; but I am not here to oppress women and children, but my soldiers must be fed; you may have half of the sheep." "May I take my choice, she asked. "Yes" said the colonel. With thanks, she left, following the orderly, who had been instructed, and, reaching the penned flock, she first selected the old bell wether, the leader of the flock for years, and, as was expected, the whole flock leaped the enclosure, following the flying leader home, and thus by her Irish forethought, outwitted the distinguished British colonel" JOHN DUCKWORTH JOHN DUCKWORTH was one of the few surviving soldiers of the Revolution in 1840. He was severely wounded in the Battle of Ramsour's Mill, June 20, 1780. A large rifle ball which entered his left was cut from his right side in 1843., having carried this relic of the battle for 63 years. At a barbecue in Morganton in the Canvass for President in 1844, Gov. MOREHEAD exhibited this bullet in the course of a speech made on that occasion, to a large assemblage of persons, producing a great sensation. ALEXANDER DUCKWORTH, his son, kept this relic as a precious heirloom. In illustration of the character of this old solder and patriot, I have to refer to circumstances and incidents in which I took for the first time an active part in a presidential election. It was in 1840, before the county was divided into townships, when a large vote was always given in Morganton, I circulated a general notice that there would be a grand rally of the Whigs on the morning of the election at the forks of the Asheville and Rutherford Roads, with refreshments of cakes and hard cider, and a large banner to be borne at the head of the procession by two Revolutionary soldiers; with this inscription painted in large letters upon the banner:" "In the sweat of our brows we earn our bread, And vote for Harrison, Tyler and Morehead!" "I consulted my father, THOMAS WALTON, who had been for many years agent for paying pensioners of the Revolution. He said there were only two living - JOHN DUCKWORTH, of Hunting Creek, and GEORGE HODGE, of Muddy Creek. Writing, I invited them to come to my house the evening previous to the election. DUCKWORTH came first, and inquired who was to carry the banner with him. I replied, "GEORGE HODGE." "He was a Tory!; I will carry no Whig banner with him," said DUCKWORTH. DUCKWORTH, you are certainly mistaken; he has been receiving a pension for years." "Well, he ought not. I know he was a Tory." I said, "This will place me in a very unpleasant dilemma. Mr. HODGE will be here in a short time. He is a man of respectability and well-off; he will be my guest. I have invited him; what am I to do?" "I don't know," he replied, "but I won't carry the banner with him," DUCKWORTH insisted. Seeing no other way to overcome the difficulty, I proposed that after supper I would suggest to them to tell me some incidents of the war, and that DUCKWORTH could then charge HODGE with having been a Tory. "I'll do it," was the answer. When Mr. HODGE came, DUCKWORTH treated him very coolly. After supper I asked them to tell me about the part the took in the old war, hoping that HODGE would satisfy DUCKWORTH that he was on the right side. After some conversation, Mr. DUCKWORTH said, "Were you ever in FERGUSON's camp?" "Yes sir," said HODGE. "When and where?" said DUCKWORTH. "After the Battle of King's Mountain was over I went with the other Whigs to see the dead Col. FERGUSON; he was shot under the right eye.", said HODGE. "That is true," said DUCKWORTH, "but you were in FERGUSON's camp at another time, when you took his foragers to Mrs. HEMPHILL's and took her sheep." "It is a lie, whoever says it." DUCKWORTH sprung to his feet, and there would have been a collision between these gamecocks but for my interposition. HODGE said, "DUCKWORTH, you know none but Whigs went when Gen. GRIFFITH RUTHERFORD called for volunteers to crush the Cherokee Indians, who were gathering their warriors to join the British and Tories. I have my discharge after the suppression of the Cherokees." DUCKWORTH made no reply. Early next morning I asked DUCKWORTH if HODGE had satisfied him. An emphatic "No" was the answer. I then went to HODGE and told him the banner was heavy and I thought it would be best to get a young man representing the Whigs of the day, to assist in bearing it, and as DUCKWORTH was better known in this neighborhood, it would be better policy that he should represent the Whigs of the Revolution. "As for yourself", I said, "you shall have a prominent place in the procession. I am satisfied you were as good a patriot as DUCKWORTH." He replied, "Oh, it makes no difference to me; I am now and have always been a Whig. I will take any place in the procession you may like." RANSOM HERNE "About this time a very laughable occurrence took place. RANSOM HERNE, whom many will remember, had for years indulged too freely in the "overjoyful" but had been converted, under the thrilling eloquence of a distinguished temperance lecturer, signed a pledge of total abstinence, and had determined to abandon the old habit. On a table near him was a keg of whiskey with the bung open. Jostled by the crowd, the keg turned, and it's contents began rapidly running out. As quick as a thought, RANSOM sprung and righted the keg. "Why, RANSOM", I exclaimed. "You, a strict temperance man to be guilty of saving pernicious poison." With downcast look, he said, "Squire, I knew it was wrong, but I could not help hating to see it wasted.." Loud laughter and jeering ensued at his expense. A long column, two deep, was then formed, the banner in front borne by DUCKWORTH and GEIRGE NAIL, the procession shouting and singing the old log cabin and hard cider songs, without breaking ranks, entered the courtroom at the north and passed out the south, having deposited their votes for the Whig candidates to the utter dismay of the VAN BURENites." ROBERT CALDWELL "ROBERT CALDWELL, SR. was engaged in the Irish rebellion of 1798, and in consequence was banished and came to the United States the same year. One of his sons, ROBERT CALDWELL, JR., at the time was serving an apprenticeship in some trade or business; the term not having expired, the rest of the family did not come to America until 1801. Mr. CALDWELL,SR. had two sons, ROBERT and JOHN, and four daughters, ELIZABETH, the ancestress of the Silver Creek PEARSONs, JANE, who married JAMES C. SMYTHE, who died without issue; MARY, who married ALFRED PERKINS, and SIDNEY, who married ELISHA P. MILLER. Robert, Jr. at first a clerk, afterward a partner with a merchant in the city of Petersburg, Va., acquired a considerable fortune, having gained the confidence and esteem of his partner; he died a bachelor in the prime of life. John married HANNAH PICKETT ROBINSON; was a merchant of Morganton, and a man of large fortune, acquired in the main by intelligence, thrift and honesty; securing by these traits of character the respect and esteem of the best people of the county. I doubt if a more honest man ever lived. As an illustration, before he was a merchant, and with small means, he went with his wagon loaded with produce, on a visit to his brother at Petersburg. Having disposed of his load, his brother said, "John, instead of returning home with an empty wagon, why don't you buy goods and try your hand as a merchant?" He replied, "How can I buy goods without money?" The response was "We will sell to you on six months time." Reluctantly, he agreed to do so, and said he would call for the goods next morning. Failing to come at the time appointed, Robert mounted his horse, went to his camp and found he had gone; pursuing several miles, he overtook him and after much persuasion, he finally returned to Petersburg and took the goods. Six months having nearly expired, and not having sold enough to discharge his indebtedness, he rapidly sold the goods at less than his cost. The amount due for the purchase of the goods collected in Spanish milled dollars, was packed with beeswax in a barrel, and transported in his wagon to Petersburg, where he discharged his note on the day it fell due." "Mr. CALDWELL, like all the Irish I ever knew, was not lacking in temper, particularly when believing some injustice or injury was about to be done to his fellow man or himself. At such times he became excited and would use language somewhat profane. I remember an anecdote on this line told me by his nephew, R.C. PEARSON, who at the time, was studying Latin and boarding with his uncle. One of the leading physicians had sent a medical bill, and among the items was one rendered in Latin: "Dens extractor pro Carolina $2.00. Mr. CALDWELL, after scanning the charge for sometime, called out, "Come her, Robert, you have been taught Latin--what does this mean?" "Pulling teeth for Carolina". "Who told him to pull teeth for Carolina?" (Carolina was a negress). Another amusing scene took place in which Mr. CALDWELL was an actor. A circus had come to Morganton, one of the first ever seen in the country. A large pavilion was erected, and an immense crowd had gathered, composed of men, women and children, of all classes. After the performance had fairly begun, the ring0master brought in what seemed to be a very vivious horse, Mr.CALDWELL and a school teacher and a poet named "GAMALIEL ZELOTES ADAMS" (who was regarded as a crankish dude) were standing together near the entrance. The ring-master said the horse had not been and could not be, ridden; and a handsome reward would be given to any person present who could mount and ride him. No one seemed inclined to win the reward, until a countryman wearing a suit of well-worn blue jeans and slouched wool hat, came reeling into the circus, apparently very drunk, swearing he could and would ride the horse. The horse was very much excited, showing his teeth and kicking as the man staggered toward him. The ringmaster telling him, "You drunken fool, the horse will kill you." The man persisting, the ring-master proclaimed he would not waste further time with the fool, and if there was any one present who felt any interest in the man they had best take him away. Mr. CALDWELL said, "ADAMS, if you will help me, we will take him out. The fool will have his neck broken if he mounts that horse." ADAMS, assenting, they entered the ring, and seized the man, a struggle ensued which lasted some time, until overcome and exhausted by their exertions, they released him, Mr. CALDWELL saying, "Let the damn fool go to hell." Seizing the horse by his long mane, after several efforts the fool succeeded in getting his leg over the back of the plunging charger. Messrs. CALDWELL and ADAMS looked on amazed to see the rider get on his knees and finally on his feet, and disrobing himself to his sham attire, appeared in all the gilt and dress of the best bare-back rider of the circus. There were but two persons in the vast crowd that did not join in the laughter and thunderous applause that followed this clever trick. To Mr. C and Mr. A's credit, be it said that they were not the only ones deceived by a large number, but were the only persons present who moved by philanthropy and goodness of heart, interfered only for fear that serious injury or death might happen to a human being, although to them a stranger, evincing the same spirit that influenced "the Good Samaritan." "Mrs. H.P.R CALDWELL. his good wife, in many respects one of the noblest women I ever knew, of good family, of masculine mind, refined and benevolent, loved by her neighbors. No one needy ever left her hospitable mansion unrelieved; and yet with a quick temper, if she detected anything bordering on duplicity or penuriousness in another, she did not fail to give them a piece of her mind; in a way they would not forget. For instance, on one occasion a man sent to her mill, wheat that was not well cleaned, and had to be screened. Previous to this he had sent logs to be sawed. Upon getting his flour home, he sent back asking for the screenings; the screenings were sent with her compliments along with his sawdust. She had great presence of mind, a rare gift not common to her sex. When I was a boy 12 years old, Mrs. CALDWELL, who was a good rider, cane to town on horseback with her son, Tod on his pony. Being invited to go home with them, Tod insisted upon my riding the pony while he rode with his mother. When we reached Fleming's Ford on the Catawba River, she stopped and asked me if I had ever ridden across the river by myself. I said, no, but I was not afraid. Directing me to keep above her, I went boldly in. The water ran swiftly, and the pony soon seemed to me to be going up stream. I pulled hard as I could turning in the opposite direction and seeing that I would soon be off course, Mrs. CALDWELL straightened me in the saddle, and said in an angry ton, "If you don't shut your eyes, Tom, and keep them shut until we get across the river, I will whip you severely." Badly frightened, I closed them instantly, believing she would certainly punish me if I disobeyed her, and we soon crossed the river safely. Mrs. CALDWELL at this time was the owner of the valuable plantation on Upper Creek named "Cherryfields., on account of the large growth and quantity, of this species of timber, on the lowlands, a sure indication of the depth and fertility of the soil. There was born to these good people three sons and three daughters, ROBERT CALDWELL, TOD R. CALDWELL, and JAMES CALDWELL; MARTHA CALDWELL, JANE CALDWELL, 2nd wife of JOHN COLLETT, and CORNELIA CALDWELL, the youngest (Mrs. LAWSON HENDERSON), surviving and living at the homestead. The surname of this old family has become extinct in this county; ROBERT dying at an early age, JAMES, a bachelor, died a few years after his brother. Gov. TOD R. CALDWELL called his only son "JOHN". This promising and gallant lad was killed in battle on the march to Gettysburg, a blow from which his father never recovered. The PERKINS FAMILY The PERKINS family, of Johns River, descended from a native of England, who came to the Colonies in 1732. Landing in Pennsylvania, he removed to Lincoln County, North Carolina (then Tryon), founded in 1779. By way of pre-eminence, he was known as "Gentleman John Perkins." Accompanying an exploring party led by a Moravian Bishop (from Salem, now Stokes County, the "United Brethren" having built a church there in 1763), before any grants had been issued for the rich alluvial lands of John's River and Lower Creek, which were then still untilled and unoccupied. Availing himself of this fact, he obtained grants from the State for large bodies of the best land in Western North Carolina, devising the same to his six sons, EPHRAIM PERKINS, JOSEPH PERKINS, JOHN PERKINS, ALEXANDER PERKINS, ELI PERKINS and ELISHA PERKINS, and a daughter, MARY PERKINS, whose offspring still own and live on them. (in 1894). The broad lowlands, having been cultivated in the various cereals for more than a century, without the use of fertilizers, show but little, if any, loss from the original productiveness. The name John's River was derived from "Gentleman John", perpetuating his name as long as the river flows the limpid water of this beautiful stream, from it's source near the eastern base of Grandfather Mountain, (said by distinguished geologists to be the oldest, visible, earthly formation as yet discovered.) (in 1894) JOSEPH PERKINS married MELISSA LAVENDER, a niece of Mrs. AVERY and protege of Col. WAIGHTSTILL AVERY, SR. She was of French descent, probably Huguenot. (the name La'Vender has possibly been anglicized FROM LA'VENDEE, a maritime department in the west of France), by whom JOSEPH had three sons, Dr. JAMES HERVEY PERKINS, OSBORNE PERKINS, and WILLIAM PERKINS; and five daughters, ELIZABETH who married ALLEN CONNELLY, MYRA, who married DAVID CORPENING. LEAH married WILLIAM LOCKE BAIRD and SALENA, wife of LEVI LAXTON. JAMES HERVY and WILLIAM died unmarried. JOHN PERKINS, JR. married NANCY ABERNETHY, who was a niece of the wife of General PETER FORNEY of Lincoln County, a soldier of the Revolution. The maiden name of his (Peter Forney's) wife was also NANCY ABERNETHY, Mrs. PERKINS being probably her name-sake. Mr. PERKINS died, leaving but one child, SUSAN PERKINS, heiress to a large fortune in land and slaves. She married R.V. MICHAUX , a lawyer, who came to Burke in 1834 from Virginia. He was a relative of the distinguished North Carolinian, NATHANIEL MACON. "ALEXANDER PERKINS married a Miss REBECCA MOORE (a connection of Dr. BOUCHELLE). By her he had three children, two sons, THEODORE PERKINS and THADDEUS PERKINS, and a daughter, CLARISSA PERKINS. The only surviving member of this branch of the PERKINS family is THADDEUS, JR. and his family, who are the sole owners of the splendid domain on Wilson's Creek and John's River. ALEXANDER and his brother JOHN were the first to introduce horses of good pedigree and blood in Burke County, breeding from celebrated stock in Virginia, belonging to WILLIAM AMIS and Col. JOHNSON. They took great pains in training them, and delighted in showing their superiority in fleetness and bottom at long distances on the Quaker Meadows and other race courses, over the scrubs of the country." "ELISHA PERKINS, the eldest son of "Gentleman John" inherited from his father the fine alluvial lowlands on the west side of John's River, about three miles from it's mouth. He died at an early age, leaving a widow and two sons, ALFRED and JOHN, also three daughters. The widow married Major HIGHLAND who had distinguished himself during the war of the Revolution, in battles fought against the British and Tories, and was wounded at the Battle of Ramsour's Mill." "ALFRED PERKINS, a man highly esteemed for his probity, was a leading elder in the Presbyterian church. His death in the meridian of life was deeply regretted by all who knew him. He, like all the older members of the PERKINS family, was of the bone and sinew of the land. He married MARY, the youngest daughter of ROBERT CALDWELL, SR., leaving at his death, three children, ELISHA ALEXANDER PERKINS, ROBERT C. PERKINS, and JANE ELIZABETH PERKINS. Alexander reminds me very much of his father in character, form and face." "So near approach we their celestial kind, By justice, truth, add probity of mind." Note: The PERKINS family history gives the following ten children: ELISHA 1760, MARY 1762, EPHRAIM 1764, JOHN 1767, JOSEPH 1768, ALEXANDER 1774, ELI 1766, BURWELL 1771, SARAH 1776, and ANN 1780 PARSON ROBERT MILLER "MARY PERKINS, daughter of JOHN PERKINS, SR., married the Rev. ROBERT JOHNSON MILLER, a native of Scotland, a clergyman of the Episcopal Church, a high- toned gentleman of the old school, dignified and blunt in manner like most Scotsmen I have known; yet benevolent and kind. He joined in marriage the descendants of the old pioneers, and baptised their children, and prayed that God's blessing might rest upon them. He married my father and mother in 1803. His dress at that time was knee breeches, black silk stockings, low shoes, with silver knee and shoe buckles. He had a rubicund complexion and powdered hair. Thus he stood, prayer book in hand, a fine specimen of an English parson, of Goldsmith's days." "A man he was to all the country dear And passing rich with forty pounds a year." "He lived on a plantation left to his wife, MARY PERKINS, on Lower Creek, (Caldwell County) his residence near the roadside named after his wife, "Mary's Grove." I remember his baptising a child of one of Burke's leading citizens, who prided himself in always redeeming his pledges. (In similar cases many I fear do not feel the responsibility resting upon them, in becoming sponsors for children and taking upon themselves the solemn vows and promises required in baptism). A large assemblage of persons were present, in what was then a part of the present ( in 1894) building of the Presbyterian Church. After the usual preliminary prayers, etc., preceding the promises to be made by the Godfather and mother, the question:"Dost thou, in the name of this child, renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world" and so on to the end. To the astonishment of the congregation the response came from the father, loud and distinct, "I do not sir." The parson looked at him sorrowfully in the face and said. "you will on the part of your child?" He replied, "I will on his part." "I wish you could say as much for yourself," said the parson. This is the only instance on record, so far as I know, where the matter had proceeded, as far as in this case, where the parent could not conscientiously, and therefore would not, make a promise which he did not intend to fulfill - to his credit be it said." "ALEXANDER PERKINS, brother-in-law of PARSON MILLER, was a profane man, and frequently sorely tried the patience of the good man. Illustrating this, on one occasion, he got the upper hand of the parson. He was on the way to market, with a heavily loaded wagon drawn by a team of spirited horses. The public road passed in front and near the parson's residence, near the summit of a hill. The horses, refusing to pull; PERKINS, irritated, beating the horses, cursing and swearing, brought the parson out. And rebuking him for his profanity, he said, "Brother ALEX, don't you see that all this abuse of the dumb brutes and the taking of the name of your Maker in vain, does no good? Why, then, do you persist in doing so?" "Well", he said,"Parson, that is so. I have tried cursing and beating them with no effect. Now you get down on your knees and pray and let us see if that will make the horses pull the wagon up the hill." Leaving in disgust, he said, "PERKINS, you are a depraved, incorrigible man." Mr. MILLER left 2 or 3 daughters, one of whom, MARGARET MILLER married JOHN S. SUDDERTH. The sons were ELISHA P. MILLER, WILLIAM S. MILLER, ROBERT J. MILLER, ELI W. MILLER, JNO. W. MILLER, GEORGE O. MILLER and NELSON MILLER. The oldest, ELISHA, married SYDNEY CALDWELL, the youngest daughter of ROBERT CALDWELL, SR. He was very popular and was elected to the State Legislature from Burke County in 1836-38, from Caldwell County in 1844-48."