Pleasants County, West Virginia, Biography of Friend Cochran

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FRIEND COCHRAN

Friend Cochran enjoys the distinction of being one of the pioneers of 
West Virginia.  His birth took place in Tyler county in 1809, his 
parents being Thomas and Elizabeth (Morris) Cochran.  The father, 
Thomas, was born in West Liberty, W.Va., and was the son of Thomas 
Cochran of Ireland.  The last mentioned came to this country and 
settled at Wheeling when there were but few houses there, and the 
Indians were so hostile that there was an almost perpetual state of 
war between them and the settlers.  At one time Thomas Cochran and a 
number of comrades got into a very severe fight with a party of 
Redskins, the result being that all the white men were killed except 
Cochran, he having black hair and black eyes they wanted to take him 
prisoner.  He turned to flee and the Indians seeing that he was too 
fleet of foot for them and that they could not catch him by running, 
they shot him down as he was at the top of Wheeling hill.  During the 
Revolutionary war he served as a soldier on the American side, and he 
left a name of which his descendants may well feel proud.  Our 
subject's father was a young man when his father was killed by the 
Indians, and he took his revenge by subsequently killing many 
Redskins in atonement for what he regarded as the murder of his 
dearest relative.  During these stirring times he had an opportunity 
to engage in many skirmishes and bloody fights with the implacable 
red men. He became the father of eleven children, but our subject is 
the only one now living as a representative of this worthy pioneer 
family.  He came to the county many years ago, being among the very 
first families who settled in Tyler county.  He took up the abode in 
the woods, and by many hard licks managed to clear out a farm and 
raise a family.  At first he bought 214 acres, but afterward he and 
is son together added to this until at one time they owned about 
1,000 acres.  On this farm our subject grew to manhood, and there he 
obtained what little education was to be gotten from the primitive 
schools of those days.  His marriage took place in 1837 to Catherine, 
daughter of William and Elizabeth (Taylor) Johnson.  The product of 
this union was eleven children, of whom the following are still 
living: Marion, Mary, Clawson P., John, Julia, Jennie, Kate and 
Joseph.  The mother of these children was born in this state in 1816, 
and she, as also her husband and all their children, are members of 
the Baptist church, in which he has been a deacon since 1870.  Mr. 
Cochran served eight years a justice of the peace in Tyler county, 
and also acted as member of the school board for some length of time.  
He was a delegate to the convention that assembled at Wheeling at the 
time of the formation of the state of West Virginia.  He remained in 
Tyler county until 1857, when he came to Pleasants county and settled 
where he now lives.  He owns 1,314 acres of good land, most of which 
is on the Ohio river.  He ranks as one of the best known and 
respected citizens of the county, and was at one time member of the 
court.     

From "HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY,"  Vol. I; Brant & Fuller, 1891.


(Linda Cunningham Fluharty)