The Capertons. Partly from the manuscript of this family, furnished the author by the late Mr. John Caperton, of Louisville, Kentucky, it is learned that it was one among the early settlers of the New River Valley, and was originally from the South of Scotland, near Melrose, where they were called Claperton; dropping the l they became Caperton; that they afterwards emigrated to Wales, and that John Caperton was the first, and probably the only one of the name, who came to America. He had three sons: Adam, Hugh, and William, and from these three sons descended the Capertons of Monroe County, West Virginia; the Capertons of the New River in Giles County,Virginia, and Mercer County, West Virginia; and the Capertons of Richmond, Kentucky, and of Mississippi. Adam was the progenitor of the Monroe Capertons; Hugh of the New River Capertons, and William of the Kentucky and Mississippi Capertons. Hugh Caperton, the son of Adam, was born in Monroe County; was taken to Kentucky when an infant, where his father, Adam, in March, 1782, was killed at Mt. Sterling, by the Indians, in the battle known as Estill's Defeat, when his son, Hugh, was only two years old. Captain Caperton and Daniel Boone, his commissariat, had a difficulty, and Boone left the camp, and was absent for some time. Some of the scouting parties met with him at the mouth of the Kanawha, and told him of the necessities of the company and that they needed food, and enquired of him why he had gone off and left them; he replied, "Caperton didn't do to my liken." Hugh returned to Virginia when twelve years of age, and in part was brought up by his Uncle Hugh, of New River. He lived in his native county until his death, which occurred in 1847. He was a self taught man, and represented his county in the State Legislature several years, one session in Congress (1816), was a member of the Board of Public Works of Virginia for many years and until his death. He amassed a large fortune for that day, his property being worth at his death $600,000.00. He stood guard against the Indians when only twelve years old. He married Miss Jane Erskine, and had a family of nine children. His son, Allen T., became a most prominent man, serving often in the Legislature of Virginia, both in the House of Delegates and in the Senate, and in the Constitutional Convention of 1850-1; in the Confederate Congress, and was serving as United States Senator from West Virginia at the time of his death. Mr. Allen T. Caperton married Harriet Echols, of Virginia, the sister of General John Echols. Captain Hugh Caperton, who lived in Greenbrier County, on the New River, and who was the uncle of the younger Hugh, later of Monroe, was ordered to raise and did raise a company of New River Valley men for the service referred to. Captain Caperton with his men marched to the mouth of Elk, fixing his camp on the right bank of the river at its mouth. The following are the names of the men who belonged to Caperton's company,and were with him on the Kanawha in 1793: Samuel Henderson Mathias Meadows Isaac Cole John Cooke Edward Farley William Smith William Lee William Graham James Montgomery William Stowers Andrew Hatfield John Rowe Francis Farley David Johnston Henry Massey David French Matthew Farley Felix Williams James Stuart James Abbott Patrick Wilson John Lewis Joseph Abbott James Keely George Lake John Conner John Burton Drewry Farley Thomas Cooke Robert Lee Andrew Johnston John Garrison Travis Stowers Jonas Hatfield David Marshall Isaac Smith Moses Massey James Graham David Graham James Sweeney Joseph Caterbury John Scott ----- Noell Isaiah Calloway William Wilson George Abbott John Caperton, another son of Hugh of Monroe, was a prominent citizen ofLouisville, Kentucky, and died recently at a very advanced age. Hugh, the progenitor of the New River Capertons, was a man of much distinction, having served in the Indian wars as a Captain of a company, in 1793, at the mouth of the Elk River, on the Kanawha; he served in the Legislature of Virginia much over one hundred years ago. William Caperton, the progenitor of the Kentucky and Mississippi branch of the family, as an orator was without a rival. It is said that Henry Clay spoke of him as a very eloquent man. George and John Caperton, brothers of Hugh, settled in Northern Alabama, where their descendants still reside.