West Virginia Statewide Files WV-Footsteps Mailing List WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 26 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: Captain Snelling C. FARLEY, K [SSpradling@aol.com] #2 BIO: James Alexander LEWIS, Kanawh [SSpradling@aol.com] #3 BIO: Judge Matthew DUNBAR, Kanawha [SSpradling@aol.com] #4 BIO: Hon. John D. LEWIS, Kanawha C [SSpradling@aol.com] #5 BIO: Abia REECE, Kanawha County [SSpradling@aol.com] #6 BIO: Andrew H. Beach, Kanawha Coun [SSpradling@aol.com] #7 BIO: John McCONIHAY, Kanawha Count [SSpradling@aol.com] #8 BIO: General Lewis RUFFNER, Kanawh [SSpradling@aol.com] Administrivia: To unsubscribe from WV-FOOTSTEPS-D, send a message to WV-FOOTSTEPS-D-request@rootsweb.com that contains in the body of the message the command unsubscribe and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. To contact the WV-FOOTSTEPS-D list administrator, send mail to WV-FOOTSTEPS-admin@rootsweb.com. ______________________________X-Message: #1 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 18:19:07 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: Captain Snelling C. FARLEY, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 294-296 CAPTAIN SNELLING C. FARLEY. Captain Farley was born four miles from Paris, in Bourbon county, Kentucky, February 3, 1806. His father lived upon a farm, and when the subject of this sketch was seven years of age, he moved to Kanawha county, Virginia, where his fatherin~law, Mr. Forquerian, formerly of Bedford county, Virginia, had located in the spring of 1813. After his arrival in Kanawha, Mr. Farley continued in agricultural pursuits for a few years, when he located in Charleston, that he might be better en-abled to educate his children. In Charleston young Farley attended the Mercer Academy, under the instructions of Mr. Jacob Rand, who was a leading educator in the Ka-nawha Valley at that time. At the age of fifteen years, he entered the tailor shop of Mr. James Truslow, in Charleston, and continued in that business until 1826, when he had learned thoroughly every department of the business. After he had completed his apprenticeship at the tailor's bench, Mr. Farley engaged as a deputy Sheriff under Col. Andrew Donnally, who was at that time Sheriff of the county. He continued in that business for nearly four years, and gave satisfaction both to his employer and the people. In 1844 Captain Farley purchased an interest in the side wheel steamer Cumberland Valley, which ran between Charleston and Nashville, Tennessee, and took charge of her as Captain. This was the beginning of "a life on the river," which seemed to be his natural business, and which he kept up for twenty-seven years. Ever since the writer can remember, Captain Farley has been regarded as the leading steamboatman of the Great Kanawha river. He was neat in his dress and appearance, and was courteous and accommodating-just the make-up of a gentleman who would be popular as a river Captain. He was known by nearly every business man along the Kanawha, lower Ohio, and Cumberland valleys, having had more or less business transactions with them during his twenty-seven years "on the water." >From 1844 to 1876, Captain Farley was Master of the following named steamers-in fact, he never filled any other position on a steamboat except the office of commander: The Cumberland Valley, which plied be-tween Charleston and Nashville; A. W Quarrier, running from Charleston to Cincinnati; Allen Collier, in the same trade; Aurilla Wood, which ran between Charleston and Wheeling; Hermon, in the trade from Paducah, Kentucky, to St. Louis, Missouri. The Hermon also ran two years on the Wabash river, under command of Captain Farley. The Ellen Gray was a neat little stern wheel steamer, which he ran for sometime in the Charleston and Cincinnati trade. He made fifty-one trips in one year with this steamer, a round trip requiring one week; Kanawha Valley, Nos. I and 2, in the Cincinnati and Kanawha river trade. He was in command of the No.2, when she was destroyed by General H. A. Wise, of the Confederate army, in 1861. He built the T.J. Pickett, for the Cannelton Coal and Oil Company, and commanded her in the trade from Cannelton to Louisville, for about twelve months. The next steamer that he commanded was the Mollie Norton, a large side-wheel steamer, which he ran in the Cincinnati trade. The next one was the Collage No.2, which he ran a portion of the time in the Charleston and Gallipolis trade, and a considerable time also in the Cincinnati trade. The last vessel that he had charge of was the R. W Skillinger, which he ran in the Charleston and Cincinnati trade up to 1871, when he disposed of her, abandoned the river, and has kept on land ever since. River men, as a class, break down in health in early life. Captain Farley, however, seems to be an exception to the rule, for he is now in the seventy-first year of his age, and his health is tolerably good; his appearance indicates an age not exceeding fifty-five or sixty. ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 18:27:16 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <5288f8ad.2516bd44@aol.com> Subject: BIO: James Alexander LEWIS, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 296-298 JAMES ALEXANDER LEWIS. James A. Lewis was born near Sweet Springs, Virginla, in the year 1794. He was the only son of Alexander Lewis, who died during the infancy of James. Alexander's father-James A's grand father-was William Lewis, a brother of General Andrew and Colonel Charles Lewis, and an Qificer in the Revolutionary war. James. A. Lewis was educated principally at the then famous school of Mr. Crutchfield, in Virginia. About the year 1811 or 1812 he went into the office of his uncle, Dr. Charles Lewis, and commenced the study of medicine. After prosecuting his studies for a year or two, he was seized with the war spirit which then pervaded the land. He entered the army as Ensign in the 2 nd Regiment, United States Infantry, and was aftenvards promoted to a Lieutenancy in the same regiment, which rank and position he held at the disbanding of the forces. His land warrant, issued under act of Congress, 1850, for services in the war of 1812, is still in the hands of his children, ilever having been sold or located. Returning home after the war, he resumed the study of medicine, and continued in his uncle's office up to 1816. When he was about twenty-two years of age, he married Prudentia Wilson, of Bath county, Virginia, a lady of estimable character, and great moral worth. In 1817 the young couple started on horse back for the then distant West-Kentucky. Henry Clay was a favorite pupil of old Father Crutchfield, and wheu Mr. Lewis started to Kentucky, the old gentleman gave him a very elaborate letter of introduction and recommendation to Mr. Clay who had previously gone to Kentucky and had already begun to make his mark there. As Mr. Lewis never got beyond Kanawha, he never delivered the letter, but kept it during his lifetime, and left it at his death in the possession of his family. Reaching Kanawba, they were much pleas-ed with the country, the people, and the prospects of its future growth and development. They concluded to rest here for a while. At that time there was an apparent need of a good school in Charleston, and the peole induced Mr. Lewis to abandon, for that year, his intention of going to Kentucky, and to open a school here. His school was large and suc-cessful. His young wife, who was also well educated, assisted him in teaching. There are yet living in Kanawba a few persons who were his pupils, nearly sixty years ago; among whom are Colonel Joel Ruffner, Mrs. Caroline W. Quarrier, Mrs. Roxalana Smith and others. The old house, with the riven oak weather-boards, standing on the river bank near Truslow street, which has been alluded to in another chapter, was built by James A. Lewis under peculiar circumstances. He was teaching school in Charleston and in those days a schoolday consisted of more hours than in these times. Schools took up early and held in late, with an hour for dinner. Some one had built the foundation, and had partly put up the frame, at which stage Mr. Lewis purchased it, and with his own hands, working during the hours he was not teaching, completed his dwelling plastering and all-although he had never done a day's work at any mechanical trade before. The old house stands there today a monument to his skill, industry and perseverance. After teaching for some two years, in Charleston, he purchased a stock of goods of Colonel Joseph Lovell, and launched out into the business of merchandising, which he continued uninterruptedly, and with moderate success, for more than forty years. In fact, he continued in the same busine~s until the time of his death, which occurred November 2, 1860. He was appointed postmaster of Kanawha Court-house about 1820, and held that position for about thirty-two years, when he was forced, by declining health, to resign it, in October, 1852. He was so kind and ac-commodating that he pleased everybody, and although it was considered a political office, no one could get it from him. In politics he was always a staunch Whig, but was never much of a politician. lie was for many years a leading member of the Presbyte-rian church, and died in the triumphs of a living faith. His wife survived him nearly seven years, She died at the house of her daughter, Mrs, Wm. Frazier, at the Alum Springs, in Rockbridge county, Virginia, in the summer of 1867. Mr. Lewis and wife had twelve children, only four of whom are now living, viz: William A., who resides on the Kanawha, near St. Albans; Susan M., wife of William Frazier, who resides at the Alum Springs, Rockbridge county, Virginia; Captain James F. Lewis, who resides in Charleston, and Edward Lewis, who resides on the Long Ridge, in Roane county. ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 18:46:17 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <20cd892f.2516c1b9@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Judge Matthew DUNBAR, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 298-299 JUDGE MATTHEW DUNBAR. One of the most distinguished, as well as most honorable lawyers of the Kanawha bar, of the last generation, was Matthew Dunbar. He was amiable, honorable and exemplary, and did all of his work in open daylight. He disdained anything like trickery in the practice of his profession; and as a general thing, he refused to have anything to do with the defense of cases, which, in his judgment, were violations of law. He came as near living up to the Golden Rule as any other member of his profession, in this or any other age. He was honest in politics and the practice of his profession, as well as in the transaction of private business. It was his opinion that if a man could be honest in the one case, he could be so in the other; and his life was an exemplification of the truthfulness of the proposition. Although an ardent Whig, Judge Dunbar had but little to do with politics. He refused, under all circum-stances, to accept political offices and devoted his entire time to the practice of his profession. Judge Dunbar was born in Monroe county, Virginia, April 3, 1791, and was educated under the tutorage of the late John McElhenny, D. D., of Lewisburg, Greenbrier county. He caine to Kanawha about 1815, and commenced the study of the law in the office of James Wilson, Esq., the Prosecuting Attorney of the county. After a thorough preparation, he was admitted as an attorney of the Kanawha bar in i8i8, and by close application to his books, and a thorough examination of his cases before he went into Court, he took a leading rank in a short time after his admission to the bar. The first and only office which he ever held, except that of a Circuit Judgeship, was Prosecuting Attorney for Kanawha county. He was re-elected to that important position for many years without intermission, and was allowed only to give it up when he was elected by the Legislature as Judge of this judicial circuit, in 1848. He held the position of Circuit Judge for a number of years, until he was forced to resign it, on account of failing health, and the advance of age. He united with the Presbyterian church, in 1830, and continued an earnest and consistent member until the time of his death, which. took place in 1859. His funeral was attended by almost the entire town, while his remains were laid to rest in the presence of many hundreds of his fellowcitizens, who deeply mourned his death. His wife still survives, and spends her time at the homes of her daughters., Mrs. Ebenezer Baines, in Charleston, and Mrs. James L. McLean, at Winfield, in Putnam county. She is a lady well-beloved by all those who have the pleasure of her acquaintance. ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 18:53:49 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <7665e5b1.2516c37d@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Hon. John D. LEWIS, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 299-301 HON. JOHN D. LEWIS. John D. Lewis was born on the Cow Pasture river, in Bath county, Virginia, twelve miles southeast of the Warm Springs, June 6, 1800. His father, Charles Cameron Lewis, a son of Colonel Charles Lewis, who was killed in 1774, in the battle at Point Pleasant between the whites and Indians, removed from Bath county, in 1802, to a point on the Ohio river four miles above the mouth of the Kanawha. His farm at that place was beautiful level land, bordering on the Ohio river, and was quite productive. Shortly after his removal to the Ohio Valley, his health failed, and he died in the Spring of 1803. In 1807 Mrs. Lewis was united in marriage with Captain James Wilson, and in i8io they removed to the Kanawha Valley, locating where General Lewis Ruffner now resides, six miles above Charleston. After remaining there for a few yeaTs, they made an exchange of property with Colonel David Ruffner, and removed to Charleston, to the Brooks property, better known as the Clendennin blockhouse, or fort. The subject of this sketch resided with his step-father the greater portion of time, until he grew to manhood, although he spent several months each year with his brother, on the farm oil the Ohio river, which had been jointly left to them at their father's death. While he was grow-ing up, he attended the Mercer Academy, in Charleston, which was pre-sided over by Dr. Henry Ruffner, the first year; the second year the school was taught by General Lewis Ruffner. He also went to school to Francis Crutchfield, one year in Bath county, and one year in Charles-ton. Mr. Crutchfield was a noted educator of Bath county, and was preva,iled upon to spend one year in Kanawha to teach a private class of advanced young men, Mr. Lewis being one of the number. Mr. Lewis began a business life on the Kanawha by clerking for Messrs. Dickinson & Shrewsbury, salt-makers, in Tinkersville, five miles above Charleston. He remained with them three years, from 1826 to 1829, when he engaged as salesman in the store of Hewitt, Ruffner & Co., who were also salt-makers, in the same vicinity, remaining with them about one year. He was engaged in business a short time for Dickinson, Ruffner & Co.; and in 1831, he bought property, where the landing of the Campbell's Creek Coal Company now is, and, after putting it in order, commenced the manufacture of salt on his own account. From the outset his business proved lucrative, and in a few years thereafter he occupied a leading position among the business men of the Kanawha Valley. In 1838 he married a daughter of Joel Shrewsbury, Sr. She died in 1843, since which time Mr. Lewis has been twice married, the last time in 1874. During the spring of 1834, Mr. Lewis purchased the property where he now resides, immediately above the mouth of Catnpbell's creek, constructed a furnace, and began the manufacture of salt, which business he continued, in a successful manner, until a few years ago. Mr. Lewis was an ardent Whig until the dissolution of that party, oc-casioned by the war in 1861, when he united with the Democratic party, with which he still co-operates. He never sought political offices. His great object in life was to make his business successful, and the immense estate which he now represents is proof of his capacity as a business man. He, however, held the position of a Justice of the Peace for a number of years, acquitting himself, in all cases tried before him, honorably and satisfactorily. In 1871 he was elected to the House of Delegates from Kanawha county, and served his fellow-citizens with credit and distinction. Mr. Lewis is now past seventy-six years of age, and is apparently in good health. He has been a man of unusual physical strength, but his stalwart frame, a few years since, was forced to yield under the pressure of a rheumatic disease; and instead of carrying himself erect, as was his manner in younger years, his body is now considerably stooped. He spends his time principally superintending his large landed estate, lying in most every portion of the county, which is principally under lease to tenants. He is, however, frequently seen upon the streets of Charleston, and his step is as quick and elastic as it was a decade or more ago. ______________________________X-Message: #5 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 18:56:52 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <42d8931.2516c434@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Abia REECE, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 301 ABIA REECE Abia Reece who resides at Mud Bridge, in Cabell county, is the oldest man in the Kanawba Valley, except Israel Rue, who resides on Davis creek, seven miles from Charleston. He was born in Bedford county, Virginia, February 15, 1784, and removed to Kanawha in 1~9I. He was, therefore, one of the first settlers of the Kanawha Valley perhaps has been a resident of the Valley longer than any other person now living. Upon his first arrival in the county, he located at the Mouth of Kelly's creek, twenty miles above Charleston, where he resided for seven years. During his stay at that place, he had several encounters with the Indians, but always managed to escape unharmed. He removed to Teays' Valley in 1798, and has resided upon alarge and beautiful farm, in a bend of Mud river, till the present time. He is in good health, and, with the exception of a lameness in one of his hips, occasioned by an ox running over him a few years since, is unusually vigorous and active for a man of his advanced age. ______________________________X-Message: #6 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 18:59:59 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <9c12f230.2516c4ef@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Andrew H. Beach, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 301-302 ANDREW H. BEACH Samuel Beach came from Rockbridge county to Kanawha in i8oo, and located near the Upper Falls of Coal river. He entered as a volunteer, in the war of 1812 with Great Britain. After his discharge at Norfolk, he started home. While visiting friepds in Prince Edward county, he took sick, and died in the fall of 1813. Andrew H. Beach, son of Samuel Beach, was born in Kanawba county, February II, 1803. He was brought up on a farm near the Upper Falls of Coal river, where he remained until he was twenty.one years of age. During his minority, he attended schools taught at different times by Joseph J. Strawn, E. G. Simmons, John M. Jordan, Isaac Ashworth, John Campbell, Daniel Pauley and others, all of whom were pioneer school teachers in this, at that time, western country. Mr. Beach learned the trade of a shoe-maker, and opened a shop in MaIden, in 1825, where he remained in business for four years. He then removed to Charleston, and carried on the business of shoe and boot making for upwards of twenty-five years. For ten years he was a "peace officer" of the town of Charleston, in the capacity of Constable, deputy Sheriff, and Marshal of the corporation. For many years past he has been engaged as the proprietor of a hotel, and at present is the owner of the Kanawha House, on Kanawha street. Mr. Beach is about five feet seven inches tall, and his average weight for the last half century has been about one hundred and forty pounds. He has been a cripple for the past eight years, occasioned by a fall into a cellar, resulting in the crushing of one of his feet and ankles. He walks about with the assistance of a cane, but will never recover from the injuries received from the fall. ______________________________X-Message: #7 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 19:04:15 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <8bd9f7b2.2516c5ef@aol.com> Subject: BIO: John McCONIHAY, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 302 JOHN MCCONIHAY. John McConihay was one of the earliest settlers of the county. He purchased a large boundary of land on the Kanawha river, from ten to fifteen miles above Charleston, which was valuable for its mineral contents, as well as for farming purpose. He was a good business man, and by industry and frugality managed to accumulate a handsome estate. He is now eighty-four years of age, and is remarkably active for a man of his years. He resides upon his farm at Lewiston, fifteen miles above Charleston, and attends to his husiness as regularly and constantly as if he were in the prime of life. ______________________________X-Message: #8 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 19:14:18 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <18860933.2516c84a@aol.com> Subject: BIO: General Lewis RUFFNER, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 303-305 GENERAL LEWIS RUFFNER. Among all of the noted men born and raised in the Kanawha Valley, none of them possessed a better intellect than did Lewis Ruffner. He is a man of unusual breadth of intellect and cultivation of mind, and has been a leading citizen of Kanawha for over fifty years. He was born October 1, 1793, in a large log mansion immediately in the rear of the Clendennin fort, in Charleston. His grandfather, Joseph Ruffner, bought the bottom land from the mouth of Elk to Wilson's hollow, in 1795, and moved upon it in the fall of 1796. Joseph Ruffner had six sons and one daughter, as follows : David, Daniel, Tobias, Joseph, Samuel Abram and Eve, who married Nehemiah Woods, referred to in a former chapter. David Ruffner was the father of the subject of this sketch; and also of Rev. Henry Ruffner, D. D., LL. D., a distinguished Presbyterian clergyman, and at one time President of Washington College, Lexington, Virginia; Mrs. Ann Putney, the wife of the late Dr. R. E. Putney, and Mrs. Susan Fuqua, wife of Moses Fuqua, late of Hannibal, Missouri. Daniel Ruffner was the father of Charies, Joel, James, Augustus, Andrew, the wife of David Ruffner and the wife of N. V. Wilson. Tobias Ruffner was the father of John, Isaac, Silas, Benjamin F., Jonas, and two daughters. The subject of this sketch first attended school in Charleston, taught by Herbert P. Gaines, and afterwards by Levi Welch and others. In 1808 he attended a select school, one year, taught by Professor Duvall, on the farm of Robert Johnson, father of Hon. Richard M. Johnson-at the crossing of Elk Horn Creek, Scott county, Kentucky. In 1812 he went to Lewisburg, and entered the high school taught by Rev. John McElhenny, where he remained until February, 1815, when peace was declared with Great Britain. He then went to Cincinnati, and entered an academy, where he remained one year, pursuing his studies. From Cincinnati, in the latter part of 1816, he went to Lexington, Virginia, and entered Washington College, where lie remained two years. In 1818 he returned to Charleston, and taught school for one year. In 1820 he commenced business as a salt manufacturer in a small wood furnace in the Salines, which business he has kept up, with occasional intermissions, until the present time. In 1821, realizing the incompleteness of a kettle furnace, with wood fuel, Mr. Ruffner built a new one, on the site of his present furnaces and used coal as a fuel. This was a great improvement, in the saving of time and expense, and was an important step in the line of improvements which led to others and still others that proved a blessing to all those engaged in the manufacture of salt in the Great Kanawba Valley. In 1823 Mr. Ruffner took charge of his father's property and settled up his business. In 1825 he was elected to the Legislature of Virginia, and was returned in 1826 and 1828. November 2, 1826, he was united in marriage with a daughter of the late Joel Shrewsbury. In 1828 he was appointed a Magistrate for Kanawha county, which position he held without intermission, until 1845, when he removed to Louisville, Kentucky, and on leaving the State, tendered his resignation as a Justice. He remained in Kentucky until 1857, acting as agent for the sale of Kanawha salt, when he returned to his old home, near MaIden, and resumed the manufacture of salt. After serving three terms in the Legislature, Mr. Ruffner, from 1828 to 186o, ceased to mingle in politics, and gave his time and attention ex-clusively to business, although solicited to become a candidate for important official positions. In May, 186o, he was again elected to the Legislature of Virginia. About that time the war broke out, and Mr. Ruffner, contrary to the wishes of nearly all of his relafives and friends, took the side of the Union, and exhibited unusual courage in standing up and boldly defending his country, and the flag of our nationality. In June of that year he was invited by leading citizens, from other portions of the State, to meet them at the city of Wheeling, to take action preliminary to the restoring of Virginia to the Union, she having passed the ordinance of secession in April preceding. lie went to Wheeling, and his courage, education and ability enabled him to take a leading position in that Convention of noble Virginians which restored the government of Virginia to the Union. In the fall of 186o he was elected to the Legislature by his loyal fellow-citizens of Kanawlia county, and was reelected each year consecutively until i865, when he declined to serve longer. In i863 he was elected as one of the delegates from Kanawha county to the Convention which framed the Constitution for the new State of West Virginia, and, as in the Convention of 1860, he took a prominent and leading rank. In the same year he was appointed by the Legislature to the high position of Major General of militia, for the State of West Virginia. He was, about that time, tendered the position of Colonel of a regiment in the Federal army, if he desired to enter the serviceas a volunteer, but he declined to accept it, on account of the large business interests which he represented in the Kanawha Valley. Too much praise cannot be given to General Ruffner for his devotion to the Union when the dark storm-cloud of war hung low in our political horizon. His conduct at that time not only exhibited patriotism and love of country in a very large degree, but it showed that he posessed an unusual amount of courage,daring, in the face of an over-whelming armed opposition, to urge his fellow-citizens, less informed, to stand firmly by their country and their flag. Scores and hundreds of our citizens heeded the advice given them by General Ruffner, in that great emergency, and stood by the ship that had borne them up safely, as a nation and a people, for nearly one hundred years. Ruffner connected himself with the Presbyterian church in Charleston, in December, 1844, under the ministry of Rev. Dr. Stuart Robinson, of Kentucky, and has remained a devoted and consistent member until the present time. His health is moderately good, and the encroachments of age. do not seem to make very decided impressions upon him. *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ***********************************************************************