Thursday, June 17, 1926
Harken unto the battle of Duncan’s Lane. The story of that battle has never been printed before. It is ignored by all histories of the war. Until late years, it was not a subject of frank and open discussion by the people of this county. Time cures all things. There are still living a number of men who participated in that fight, and I have talked with men on both sides recently and after so long a time this historic event which had been so nebulous came out clear and distinct and I will endeavor to state the case.
At the West Union school house at the foot of the mountain, on the road that leads to the Williams River country, in 1864, lived Henry Duncan, in a double log house on the headwaters of Stony Creek. The house was opposite the mouth of a draw or hollow leading off at right angles toward the south, and up that hollow lived William Beverage about a quarter of a mile distant. A passway was used up that hollow to reach the Griffin place, and the homes of people living on Days Mountain, and on over to the headwaters of Dry Run, a branch of Swago Creek. Part of the passway between the Duncan place and the Beverage place was fenced on both sides in 1864 as a lane. It was this lane that gave the name to the battle.
The State was formed in 1863 and in the early part of 1864, a regiment of state guards was formed at Buckhannon and of this regiment, Pocahontas County furnished one company, captained at times by Captain Sam Young, a minister, and later by Captain I. W. Allen.
Captain Young preached at the sulphur spring on Stony Creek (Ellis Sharp’s) on May 3, 1854, and made an appointment to preach there again 40 years after. A great concourse of people gathered there in 1894 to keep the appointment, but the captain was dead. Eleven survivors appeared at the meeting.
BUST UP A STILL
One day last week, Mrs. W. M. Perry, Mrs. Joe Killeron and Mrs. Kelley Abshire, all of near Renick, Greenbrier, armed themselves with an axe apiece and went looking for a moonshiner’s outfit that they knew was operating somewhere east of Renick.
When they came to the place, the liquor run was on. The still was boiling merrily or furiously or however a still boils when it is producing moonshine to capacity, the operators retired. The ladies laid to with their axes and cut up the boiling still; turned over the barrels of mash, busted up the tubs and poured out the liquor. They did a complete job.
When they left for home, they carried away the copper coil or worm from off the still. As they left, one of the shiners shied a chunk and hit one of the ladies on the ankle, she was not seriously injured.
It appears that these ladies had gotten wind of the still being brought to their community. They sent word to the officers, but the officers delayed putting in their appearance. The ladies then took the matter in their own capable hands, and they did a good day’s work.
These ladies are not bothered by members of their own families using liquor. I can’t well imagine the husbands of such determined characters being anything but sober and industrious men living right in every way. But they realized that it was a bad thing for the community and if it were necessary, they were willing to take the steps to scotch it. And they did.
FROM A BANK PRESIDENT
Mr. Andrew Price
Marlinton
Dear Sir;
You were surely hitting on all six – or is it eight – when you spoke of the wonder of the Glades last week.
Now while the matter is fresh allow me to say that the old grade of the Warn Lumber Company could be converted into a very good road without much expense. This would give tourists access to the Glades by car and to the High Rocks by foot or bridle path. As you know, the view from the High Rocks is well worth a pilgrimage from far counties.
Aside from the scenic value, a road would invite settlers. Thousands of acres of cutover land, all of it fertile, much of it level, would be bought by industrious men, and in the course of time, brush, briers and bears would give way to truck farms, churches and schools.
Very respectfully,
F. W. Ruckman
BIRTHS
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Herman Menefee, of Marlinton, a daughter.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Bedford Shinaberry, on Clover Creek, a daughter.
Bortn to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Witherholtz, of Marlinton, a daughter.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. J M. Dumire, June 13 a daughter.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Neal, of Albemarle, N. C., a daughter.
DIED
A telegram was received last Thursday, announcing the death of Theodore Moore at his home in Arkansas City, Kansas. His age was about 80 years. The deceased was a brother of Mrs. Thomas Auldridge, of Indian Draft, and of the late Aaron Moore, of Marlinton; and was the son of the late John Moore and Mrs. Jane Baxter Moore. Mr. Moore left his home in Pocahontas County as a young man during the Civil War. He was a real pioneer, there being plenty of buffalo and Indians when he took up his homestead.
