(Look Back with Bob Enoch - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

LIVED IN THE BLOCK HOUSE AT NEALS STATION ON SOUTH SIDE OF KANAWHA

Interesting Sketch of John Hill, an Early Pioneer, Who Settled Here at Close of Revolutionary War.

The following interesting sketch of John Hill, one of the early pioneers of Wood County, is furnished the Sentinel by his great granddaughter:

Editor Sentinel: The children and other descendants of the late Elliott Deem, of this city, and the descendants of the late Benjamin Robinson and Daniel Kincheloe, of Wood County, also the friends and descendants of the late Jerry Hill, who was for several years the proprietor of “Hills Central Hotel” of this city, will be interested to know that the Revolutionary War record of their ancestor, Jerry Hill, has been found and proven. It was known that he served in a Pennsylvania regiment and after the war was over, he came with his family to Wood County and he, with other citizens of that day, took refuge from the Indians in the “Block House” or Neal’s Station, that stood on the south bank of the Little Kanawha River, near its mouth. [Neal’s Station was actually about a mile upstream, near what is now the East Street bridge. Neal’s Station was established in 1785 by Capt. James Neal, who was also a veteran of the Revolutionary War and lived in the same Pennsylvania township as John Hill.]

When the call came for the friends of Revolutionary soldiers who were buried in Wood county to hand in their names and record, so that they might be placed upon the monument that was to be erected in Parkersburg to their memory, a great granddaughter of John Hill wrote to the War Department for his record. The Adjutant General made answer: “Several men named John Hill served in military organizations in Pennsylvania regiments. You will have to give us the name of a regimental officer under which your ancestor served in order that we may be able to tell you which of these men was your great grandfather.”

However, I could not furnish the name of any officer under whom John Hill served, but knowing the name of the Scotch-Irish lady whom my ancestor married, I communicated with the state librarian in Pennsylvania, and asked him if it was possible to locate the marriage record of John Hill and Nancy Stuart, as that would probably show where John Hill had enlisted in the Continental Army. In answer he advised me to seek the services of genealogists and recommended one in Philadelphia with whom I communicated. He answered and said that he believed he could do the work and an agreement was made to that end.

Knowing that John Hill had come to Wood county to reside after the Revolutionary War, I furnished him with such data as I had in my possession, including the fact that John Hill, with his family, took refuge from the Indians in the Block House at Neal’s Station, and that my grandmother Margaret, was his youngest child, she also living in the Block House, and it occurred to me that John Hill might have left a will in this county, or that there may be deeds on record.

The genealogist took up the work and found several deeds on record here. The first deed was recorded June 9, 1800, from Hugh Phelps and Hannah his wife, of Wood county, Virginia, to John Hill, lately of Fayette county, Pennsylvania for 230 acres of land on the south bank of the Little Kanawha River, etc.

You will see that the John Hill who came to Wood county and bought land was of Fayette county, Pa. and all the genealogists had to do was to secure the war record of John Hill of Fayette county, Pa. This has been done and furnished and is in full detail, covering 14 type written pages, from which the following extracts are taken:

John Hill enlisted three times, the last time for three years, in the 8th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Line, commanded by Daniel Broadhead and directed by General McIntosh. On March 5th, 1778, they defended Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh) – Pennsylvania Archives, Fifth Series, Vol.3, page 308.

John Hill was one of the soldiers who went with Colonel William Crawford in the fateful expedition against the Indians at Sandusky. This expedition was surprised by the Indians and Colonel Crawford and his officers and men were captured. Crawford was tortured, scalped and then burned alive at the stake.

Major John McClelland was wounded and afterwards tortured to death. Several of the officers and men were tortured and scalped – some of them made their escape, John Hill was one of these. This expedition was in the spring of the year 1782 – Pennsylvania Records of the Revolutionary War.

Many of the muster rolls of the Revolutionary War have been lost or destroyed, some are unindexed, taking considerable time to search. I have the tax lists of Fayette county, Springhill township, 1785 and 1786, showing where John Hill paid taxes with English money, together with Robert Hill and William Hill, and William Hill, Senior.

The Parkersburg Sentinel,

Oct. 3, 1899

***

Bob Enoch is president of the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society. If you have comments or questions about Look Back items, please contact him at: roberteenoch@gmail.com, or by mail at WCHPS, PO Box 565, Parkersburg, WV 26102.