Historic Sketches of Pocahontas County – 1901
By William T. Price
THE BRIDGER BOYS
John and James Bridger were slain by Indians during the last raid made by Indians in what is now Pocahontas County.
They were in the party that came to the relief of the Drinnon family on the Greenbrier River, nearly a mile above the mouth of Stony Creek.
Henry Baker was killed while he and Richard Hill were going to the river to wash and prepare for breakfast
Nathan, a colored man belonging to Lawrence Drinnon, notified the settlers in the Levels.
A party came on, and on their return, the Moore and the Waddell families joined them. The Bridger brothers and Nathan left the main party and took across to the near way through the Notch, while the rest passed around by the Waddell’s.
Indians were concealed at a place where a clump of lynn saplings were growing out of the decaying stump of a tree which had been cut down for sugar troughs. Two shots were fired in quick succession. John fell mortally wounded. The other, being untouched, ran on through the “notch,” closely pursued by an Indian. Just at the foot of the mountain was a straight path through which the young man was running when the Indian paused and shot him in the back. The mark of the Indian’s heel was seen where he halted to deliver the fatal discharge.
Nathan had stopped to fasten his moccasins, and was thus out of reach. He scolded the Indians for hurting the boys, and escaped unhurt. The rest of the company were at the Waddell place when they heard the shooting.
Shortly after the shooting, loud whoops were heard near the Notch. These seemed answered by whoops on the Gillilan Mountain, and then were whoopings heard near the head of Stamping Creek, as if the savage bands were signaling that the settlers were on the move and danger was threatening, for soon all became silent and nothing more was seen or heard of them in the vicinity. By the time the refugees reached the fort, on the hill now occupied by Isaac McNeel’s residence, all danger was over…
BIOGRAPHIC
WILLIAM YOUNG
This sketch is designed to perpetuate the memory of an early citizen of our county, whose influence was on the side of morality and education.
Samuel Young, ancestor of the Youngs of Pocahontas County, was a native of London. He came to America about 1756, leaving his parents, John and Amy Young, in England, and settled in Madison County, Virginia. He afterwards lived some years on Knapps Creek, Pocahontas County.
He entered lands, and then sold much of it to settlers for ginseng, deer skins, and furs. This produce he took away to Winchester or Fredericksburg, and exchanged for merchandise, which he bartered or peddled, and thus acquired considerable wealth…
John Young, one of his sons, was born in Madison County, February 18, 1761. He volunteered in the war of the Revolution, served his term of enlistment, and then was drafted into the service.
About 1803 or 1804, he came to Anthony Creek, in Greenbrier, and remained a few years. In the meantime he inherited considerable land on Swago Creek. In 1809 he settled on Swago and opened up the “Young Place,” that commands such a beautiful prospect from the sides of Rich Mountain…
John Young’s son, Captain William Young, was about five years old when his father moved to this region. His youth was spent on the sides of Rich Mountain. His first teachers were William Auldridge, Squire John McNeill and William McNeill. The school house was on Rush Run, a mile or so from its confluence with Swago Creek.
In early manhood he entered John McNulty’s school near Marvin Chapel. From this teacher he learned surveying, which qualified him for the office he held for a number of years…
