CAMPBELL COUNTY, VA - HISTORY - Campbell Chronicles and Family Sketches Family Sketches ----¤¤¤---- CAMPBELL CHRONICLES and FAMILY SKETCHES Embracing the History of CAMPBELL COUNTY, VIRGINIA 1782-1926 By R. H. EARLY With Illustrations J. P. BELL COMPANY LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 1927 Family Sketches Chapter XV We Live in Deeds FAMILY life is a unit of community life, and in the characteristics and achievements of its inhabitants, each community provides its quota to the story of county development. For the first decade or two, Campbell settlers remained satisfied in their occupation of land acquirement and its cultivation, but, as population grew and acreage became absorbed by newcomers, reports of discoveries brought to them, aroused the same spirit of enterprise which had induced younger sons in England to leave their homes and emigrate to America, and many settlers started forth upon new adventures even while Indian hostility made their ventures risky. Acquirement of bounty land by military warrants, caused veterans of the late wars to move upon the land laid off for them in Kentucky, for that was yet one of Virginia's counties, under the state government; Green river section became their point of destination, then Boonsboro, later Lincoln county. Owners who did not go immediately, gave power of attorney for the locating of their grants and afterwards their heirs went out to take possession: thus we find that the county which became Kentucky state was the daughter of Virginia in matter of territory, and largely as to population. Campbell sent Richard Callaway, Christopher and William Irvine, Harry Innes and many others, family names of whom can be found in these pages. Among the Quaker population, anti-slavery law became established and was strictly enforced. Many neighbors, of other sects, sympathized with and adopted this principle following Quaker example, which embraced the freeing of slaves and emigration to Ohio (part of which territory Virginia had formerly owned) and other non-slave holding states. Miami belt, Ohio, acquired many of Campbell's citizens. The pioneer spirit—lure of new country—led to the obtainment of head rights in the ceded government land in Georgia, which state owes much of its early population to Virginia and North Carolina. Among these, Campbell sent Callaways, Candlers, Earlys and other names still to be found in that home of Virginia expatriates. In 1789 a land company called the Virginia Yazoo Company, composed of Patrick Henry, David Ross, William Cowan, Abraham Venable, John B. Scott, William Cock Ellis, Francis Watkins, and John Watts, was formed and was one of three companies competing for the purchase of territory in Georgia, the disposition of which became known as the Yazoo fraud. Virginia company paid no money and secured none of the land. Following the movement into Georgia, came the exodus to Missouri, afterwards Texas, which seemed justified by the glowing reports of extensive prairie country and fine hunting. The county of Pike, Missouri, drew a number of Virginians, (many of them from Campbell) of the Clark, Anderson, Tyree families. Excitement over gold discovery in the far west during 1849 induced people from Campbell, joined by their Bedford neighbors, to take their chance of success along with the lucky emigrants, and these went in groups,—as many as ten banded together,-overland to California, others following in smaller bodies ; some by way of the isthmus of Darien, but many braving the tedious cross-continent pilgrimage on horseback. Not every one secured a bag of the yellow metal and many of these fortune seekers were drawn back by the tie of mother love to their native county. Among those who succumbed to the gold fever were Dr. David Ward and Dr. Thomas Dillard, who crossed the continent on pack mules but returned by the isthmus of Darien: Thomas Brown, Charles Clement, Robert Crenshaw, Nathaniel Floyd, Joab Early (who died at Stockton, Calif., in 1853), Dr. Samuel Slaughter, Crow Harris and John R. Maben. Not all names of the roamers have been obtained, but most of those mentioned, returned in the course of years to their Campbell homes where they continued to reside. Almost every Campbell family chronicles the departure of one or more members from its household, many of whom, through the intervention of time and space gradually lost trace of their original connection. From the fact that first settlements were made in the eastern country it has become necessary for the east to furnish the west with the background of its past, and restore missing links, incident to removals and misplacement of family papers. Patriotic societies now aid in this restoration, by making it essential that applicants for membership furnish their ancestral lines in order to secure enrollment, thus promote genealogical research: and their requirement has been the means of recovering much valuable information. It would be a satisfaction to know that every actor who has been instrumental in bringing into use Campbell's natural resources, or who has employed his talents in the promotion of county interests, has been given due credit for service rendered, but this cannot be claimed, because much material known by those most concerned has not been obtained and resort to less sure sources might lead to misinformation. Where continuous record in the following sketches is lacking, it is hoped that sufficient clues are furnished which can enable those in possession of omitted names or dates to make their connection. No attempt is made to join present generations with earlier ones for the reason that this volume, especially designed as a history of the county, would then become too bulky and would defeat its aim, if family extensions tended to displace the more general subject. Enough of family life is embraced to convey information as to the characteristics of the people who chose Campbell for their residence as well as of those who left it and ingrafted their lives into other communities. The family lists include many who were inconspicuously associated with county affairs in one generation, yet became notable in another, through patriotic service or official preferment; also many of subordinate position in the local social scale, who removed to other sections and acquired prominence' and renown in their adopted homes through more auspicious environment. Confusion may appear from the different modes of spelling the same name, which arose from its pronunciation or faulty writing, but enough of similarity is preserved to secure recognition in connecting any branch with its original family stem. In this summary of community life during a century and a half of a changing population amid shifting scenes of peace and war, facts are given as found in court records, family papers or in print, never tradition unless so stated and obvious. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com ___________________________________________________________________