Chronicles of the Cochrans: being a series of historical events and narratives, in which members of this family have played a prominent part

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C3ENEALOGY COLLECTION

ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

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J;C ^'LU

IDA C. HAUGHTON.

CHRONICLES OF THE/^
COCHRANS

^eing a series of historical events and narratives,

in which members of this family have

played a prominent part

Compiled and Written by

IDA COCHRAN HAUGHTON

1915

THE STONEMAN PRESS COMPANY
COLUMBUS. OHIO

Copyright, December, 1915
By IDA COCHRAN HAUGHTON

1356442

Affbotxonatbly Inscribed to

My MOTHE3R

ilnd to the memory of
st7sa.n j. hofer

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ancient Woodbury, Judge William Cothern Edition 1854

Scot's Peerage, Crawford Vol. 3

Scottish Nation, A. Fullerton & Co.

History of Scotland, John Mcintosh G. P. Putnam's Sons

Burke's Peerage, Sir Bernard Burke Harrison & Son

Ancient Woodbury, Judge Wm. Cothern Bronson

History of England, Macauley.

Rambles in Europe, Leonard Allison Morrison Cupples, Upham & Co.

History of England, Macauley.

Tales of the Border, John Mackay Wilson York Lodge Trinity, 1857

Encyclopedia Brittanica University Press, (Cambridge)

Glasgow Weekly Herald.

Briton and Boer in South Africa, M. Halstead The John C. Winston Co.

Romance of Modern Sieges, Edward Gilliatt J. B. Lippincott

Relief of Ladysmith, Richard Harding Davis Scribners, 1900

Personal Letters, Andrew Walker Contributed

Sir Donald McAllister, University of Glasgow Contributed

History of Portland and Londonderry Willis

PART TWO

Old Virginia and Her Neighbors, Fiske Houghton, Mifflin & Co.

Legends of the Ohio Valley, J. H. McMechen W. Va. Printing Co.

Extracts from Doddridge, DeHass, McKiernon, Withers, and others.

History of the Pan Handle J. H. Newton

History of the Upper Ohio Valley Brant & Fuller

Volume Six, Chapter Ten, History Archaeology Society Columbus

Sketch of Dr. John Cochrane, Unknown Contributed

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

(1) Dundonald Coat-of-Arms, in colors, Burke's Peerage.

(2) Copy of Letter From Douglass, Twelfth Earl of Dundonald.

(3) Cochran Tower, 1896, at Johnstone, near Paisley, Scotland. It marks the
site of Lincliff, or Place of Cochrane, the original manor-house.

(4) Ruins of Dundonald Castle, in Ayrshire, thirty-five miles from Glasgow.

(5) Residence of James and Nancy Cochran, on Bellaire and Wegee Turn-
pike, birthplace of the author. Drawn by Edwin S. Haughton.

(6) Copy of Deed of Christian Krebs' Land on Ohio River, near Powhatan.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART ONE— SCOTTISH HISTORY.

PAGE

Derivation of the Name 11

Earliest Mention in History 11

The House of Dundonald 13

Description of the Coat-of-Arms 16

The Covenanters and Graham of Claverhouse 17

Scottish Clans 18

The Rye House Plot 19

The Story of Grizel Cochrane 21

Sir John Cochrane and His Descendants 23

Sketches of the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Earls 24

dundonald's war plan. the secret revealed 26

The Twelfth Earl and the Relief of Ladysmith 27

Letters From Scotland 29

Another Derivation of the Name Cochrane 42

The Gaelic Language 43

The Highland Costume 44

Noted Women of the Cochrane Family 45

The First Scotch-Irish Emmigration to America 47

PART TWO— PIONEER HISTORY.

Why Did the Scotch-Irish Come to America? 51

Massacre of the Wyoming Valley 52

Indian Complaints 53

Question of Boundary Lines 54

Settlement of the Zanes 54

Settlement of William Cochran in 1772 55

Last Battle of the Revolutionary War 57

The Death of William Cochran 57

Survey of Land of Wm. Cochran 59

Correspondence With S. S. Jacobs 60

The Family of William Cochrane 60

The Genealogy of Thomas, the Oldest Son 61

The Genealogy of Robert, the Second Son 67

6

Another Derivation of the Name 68

Genealogy of James, the Youngest Son 72

The Identity of Two Children, Rescued From a Band

OF Chippewa Indians ■- ^2

The Descendants of James and Betsy Cochran 75-78

PART THREE— MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY.

Introduction ^^

Some Pennsylvania Cochrans 92-97

The Family of James and Nancy McCord Cochran.-98-107

Sketch of Nancy Cochran 108-112

Poem— "On the Banks of Old Wegee" 113-114

Genealogical History of the McCord Family 115

Reminiscences of the Author i2i

The Davis Genealogy 1^^

The Genealogy of Christian Krebs 133

Poem— "Moonlight On the River" 148

TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued

PREFACE

AS the author of these chronicles, I beg to submit to a critical public
my first literary venture, a family history and biography. Family
histories in general that have come to my own notice, have been rather
tiresome and uninteresting because of their extreme length, and absence
of anecdote to enliven their pages.

I flatter myself that my work is different, because of the free use of
extracts from standard authorities, and I hope this use may prove an
incentive to further research, on the part of my reader ; to send him
back to the original sources to refresh his memory, and to make him
appreciate, by comparison, his own happy lot.

The authors and publishers quoted have been most kind in permitting
me the use of their works, whether of copyright in force, or expired.

Other sources of information have been State and County Records,
the crumbling gravestones, old deeds, the voluntary contributions of
the various branches of the same family trunk, the Cochrans.

I have endeavored to be authentic, and to refrain from criticism or
unpleasant comment, or a too close adherence to presenting rigid detail
in some cases.

I have also tried to weld a chain of events, from the earliest mention
in the year 1262 to the present time ; most of the links being furnished
by others, mine only the part to assemble them.

Hoping for a favorable reception from this same critical public, I am
Very truly yours,

Ida Cochran Haughton.

Columbus, Ohio, November, 1915.

PART ONE

SCOTTISH HISTORY

DERIVATION OF THE NAME COCHRANE.

(From Ancient Woodbury, by Judge William H. Cothern.)

"The name "Cochrane" is derived from two GaeHc words, which
together signify "the roar of war," "the battle cry," viz. : cog., v.n., to
war or to fight; whence Co-gai-che, adj., warUke: ran, genitive rain,
a roar, a loud cry or shriek. It was variously spelled by the Highland
Scots; Co-gach-ran, Co-gaich-er-an, Co-gach-rain, Co-gaich-er-ain,
Cog-ran, and Cog-rain, with guttural sound of first syllable of which,
being afterwards represented by the proper letters of modern Gaelic,
gives Cochran, or -rane, or -rain.

When surnames were first assumed by men, they had a significance,
and represented some characteristic of the appropriator, or some cir-
cumstance in relation to his personal history. From occupations comes
Cook, Farmer, etc.; from complexions comes White, Brown, etc.;
some came from places ; others again describe some mental or physical
quality, or personal incident in the life of the possessor." The reason
for taking the name of Cochrane is not known beyond the fact that
they are all born fighters, and are to be found enrolled with soldiery
or military from earliest mention down to the present time.

Some who have not achieved distinction by means of arms, have
done so by strategy and forensic ability. The name, to my way of
thinking, as to its general meaning, or significance, is very appropriate
to the families I have known intimately.

Earliest Mention in History
* "The first known of the name is Waldenus-de-Coveran or Cochran,
a witness to the charter of date Wednesday, twenty days after the
feast of St. Hilary in 1262. The next of the name on record is
William of Cochran, who signed submission to King Edward the
First, in the Ragman Roll of 1296. John of Cochrane, the next on
record in 1346. Glasmus Goscelinus, or Casmus de Cochran, next

Scot's Peerage. Crawford. Volume Three.

11

12 Chronicles of the Cochrans

appears in 1367. He is styled Casmus de Cowran, and is succeeded
by his son, William, who is probably the one who received a ratification
of the barony of Cochrane from King Robert the Second, on Septem-
ber 22, 1389. He was succeeded by his son and heir, Robert Cochrane,
who was succeeded by a son, John. In the Paisley rental book of
1460, there are various entries of the assessment of John Cochran, then
living at Lincliff, whence William Cochrane of that Ilk, dated his
will in 1603. It would appear, therefore, that Linclifif was their
residence before the building of Cochrane Place. John Cochrane was
succeeded by his son Allan in 1480. Allan left two sons, James and
Robert. James succeeded in 1484, followed by Robert in 1493.
Robert was succeeded by his son John, who was seized in the lands of
Cochrane and Corseford in 1489. In 1509 he obtained a license under
the Privy Seal, to sell or mortgage all his lands of Nether-Cochrane
in Renfrewshire, and of Pitfaur in Perthshire. In 1519 he sold the
barony of Easter-Cochrane, which included Nether-Cochrane, to James
Beaton, Archbishop of Glasgow. Crawford mentions this deed as
being among the Dundonald charters in 1710, and that it carried the
seal of John Cochrane, which showed three boar's heads erased, and
was circumscribed Sigillum — Johannis — De — Cochrane. John
served heir to his father, May 12, 1530. Then William Cochrane
obtained a charter at Edinburg, November 30, 1556, confirming to
him as the son of John, the five Mark-lands in the barony and county
of Renfrew, which his father had resigned under a reservation of life
rent. To this William is attributed the building of the "Freestone
Tower," which was added to the manor-house of Cochrane, which since
1460, appears to have been known as Linclifif, or Place of Cochrane.
After the building of the tower, it was known as "Cochrane Castle."
It was to this castle, or the old tower-house of his ancestors, that Sir
John made his escape in 1685 after the Arg}dl insurrection."

"An account of Robert Cochran, an architect and favorite of King
James the Third of Scotland: (From "Story of Scotland," John
Mcintosh). By permission G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York and Lon-
don, Publishers.

"Relations between Scotland and England had become menacing.
In July, 1482, an army mustered at Burghmoor, near Edinburg, with
King James the Third at its head, and marched toward the border.
When it reached Lauder, a tragic action happened. Cochran, one of

The House of Dundonald 13

the King's favorites, (he was originally a mason), had charge of the
King's artillery. The nobles, who had met in a church, had finally
determined to sweep off the King's favorites. While the nobles were
talking, Cochrane, with a message from the King, knocked at the door.
Lord Angus seized and pulled a chain from Cochran's neck, saying
that a rope would befit him better. "My lords,' he said, 'is this jest or
earnest?' He was told that it was earnest; was quickly bound and
placed under guard. A party of nobles were then sent to the royal
tent, where they seized the musicians, servants, and the rest of the
royal favorites, and with Cochran at the head, they were all led to
the Bridge of Lauder and hanged. The King was killed later at
StirHng."

The House of Dundonald
(Taken from Burke's Peerage, by permission of the Publishers, Harrison & Son.)

This family, which derived its surname from the Barony of
Cochrane, Renfrewshire, is of great antiquity in North Britain, and
under the name of Blair, was of baronial rank several centuries
previous to attaining to the honor of the peerage.

Warden-De-Cochrane in the reign of Alexander Third, was witness
to the grant made by Donegal, son of Swaine, to Walter Cumming,
Earl of Monteith, of sundry lands in County Argyle. (1262.)

William De Cochrane, his successor, performed homage to King
Edward First, and was succeeded by another William, who erected
the ancient seat of Cochranes from their foundation, and ornamented
it with extensive plantations. He married Margaret, daughter of Sir
Robert Montgomery, of Skelmoorly, County Ayr. Their issue, an
only daughter, Elizabeth Cochrane, married Alexander Blair, the third
son of John Blair of that Ilk.

Alexander Blair assumed the surname and arms of Cochrane. Their
issue was seven sons and three daughters. Sir John, the oldest son, a
Colonel in the arm^y of King Charles the First, died without issue, and
was succeeded by his brother William.

Sir William Cochrane, Knight of Cowdon, was elevated to the
peerage, December 26, 1647, as Baron Cochrane of Dundon; advanced
May 12, 1669, to the dignity of Earl, and was at the same time created
Lord Cochrane of Paisley and Ochiltree, with "remainder, in default
of male issue, to eldest of female heirs, without division, who shouM
assume or bear the arms and name of Cochrane, and in failure to the
heirs general."

14 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Sir William Cochran, the First Earl, married Eupheme Scott of
Ardross County, Fife, by whom he had issue :

Grizel, married George, Tenth Earl of Ross.

William, the heir, married 1653, Lady Catherine Kennedy.

John, married Margaret Stricklan, of Boynton County, York, whose
father was one of Cromwell's Lords of Parliament.

William, the heir, had four sons and three daughters : viz.,

(1) John, who became the Second Earl because of the death of his
father before succeeding to peerage.

(2) William of Kilmarnock.

(3) Thomas of Polskelly.

(4) Alexander of Bolinshaw.

(5) Susannah, married Alexander, Ninth Earl of Eglinton.

(6) Helen, married John, Fifteenth Earl of Sunderland.

(7) Jean, married Viscount of Dundee, (known in history as
Grahame of Claverhouse).

Sir John Cochrane, the second son of the First Earl, succeeded to
the estates of Ochiltree. He was the father of several children, viz.,
Grizel, a daughter, and four sons, of whom William, the eldest, who
also succeeded to the estates of Ochiltree, married Lady Mary Bruce,
the oldest daughter of Alexander, Second Earl of Kincardine and heir
of her brother, Third Earl, (who died unmarried in 1705). The issue
of William Cochrane and Lady Mary Bruce were nine sons and four
daughters.

John, Second Earl of Dundonald, died in 1691 and was succeeded by
his oldest son, William.

William, Third Earl, 1691-1705, died unmarried and was succeeded
by his brother, John.

John, Fourth Earl, was succeeded by his oldest son, William.

William, Fifth Earl, died 1725, unmarried, and the title went back
to his cousin Thomas, only son of William, who was a second grandson
of the First Earl.

Thomas, the Sixth Earl, was succeeded by his son William.

William, the Seventh Earl, was a military officer and fell at the
Battle of Louisburg in America, in 1758, unmarried, and the title now
went back to the grandson of Sir John, the second son of the First
Earl and we have :

Thomas, the Eighth Earl, also the heir to Culross, which he inherited

The House of Dundonald 15

from his mother, and Ochiltree, was twice married; to EHzabeth Ker
of Morristown, Berwick, by whom he had two children, both of whom
died in infancy. His second marriage in 1744 to Jane, a daughter of
Archibald Stuart of Lanark County, (probably a descendant of the
Royal House of Stuart, with whom the fortunes of the Cochranes
were closely interwoven). Their issue was one daughter and twelve
sons.

Thomas, the Eighth Earl, was succeeded by his oldest son, Archibald,
in 1778. His issue were :

(1) Achibald, Ninth Earl.

(2) Charles, born 1749, Major in English Army, a.d.c. to Lord
CornwaUis, killed while passing French fleet in an open boat, head
shot off by cannon-ball, October 18, 1781.

(3) John, Department of Commissary to forces in America, born
1750, died 1801.

(4) James Atholl, born 1751, died 1823, in holy orders. Was Vicar
of Mansfield, Yorkshire. Married Mary Smithson. (The only min-
ister discovered in the family.)

(5) Basil, born 1753, died 1826, married Caroline Goshing.

(6) Alexander Forrester Inglis, G.C.B, Admiral of Fleet, born 1758.

(7) George Augustus Frederick.

(8) Andrew James Coutts.

Archibald, Ninth Earl, was thrice married, issue, seven children,
lived to a great age, and was succeeded by his oldest son, Thomas, the
Tenth Earl.

Thomas, Tenth Earl, born 1775, died 1860, married Katharine
Frances Corbett Barnes of Rumford, Essex. He has never been
excelled by anyone in daring naval exploits. Was succeeded by his
oldest son, Thomas Barnes, in 1861.

Thomas, the Eleventh Earl, was born in 1814, married Harriet
McKinnon in 1847, died in 1885. Succeeded by his second son,
Douglas Mackinnon Baillie Hamilton Cochrane, the Twelfth Earl.

Douglas, Earl of Dundonald, Twelfth, was born October 29, 1852,
succeeded to the title in 1885, married March, 1878, Winifred, daughter
of Robert Bamford Hesketh, Esquire. The present Earl, like many of
his predecessors, is noted in military circles, having served in Canada,
the Nile Expedition, and later in command of the Imperial Mounted
Brigade in South Africa, when he rode to the Relief of Ladysmith.

16 Chronicles of the Cochrans

He is now a Lieutenant-General, retired. His issue is :

Lady Grizel Winifred Louise Hamilton,

Lord Cochrane, heir, Thomas Hesketh,

Douglas Blair, Lieutenant Scots Guard,

Lady Jean Alice Elaine,

Lady Marjorie Gwendolen Elsie,

Honourable Douglas Robert Hesketh Roger.

Their family seat is at Gwrych Castle, Abergele, Denbigh; their
town residence 34 Portman Square West, London.

*Description of Coat-of-Arms
A coat of arms are the ensigns armorial of a family, consisting of
figures, colors, borne in shields and banners, as marks of dignity and
distinction, and descending from father to son. Heraldic achieve-
ments. Used to describe some mental or physical quality, or personal
incident of the first possessor. Such is the meaning of the name
Cochrane. The ancient Dundonald arms are recorded in Lyon Office
at Edinburg, Scotland. Argent, a chevron gules, betwixt three boars'
heads erased azure, armed and langued of the first. Crest, a horse
passant argent. Supporters, two greyhounds argent; collared, or;
leashed, gules. Motto, Virtute et laborare, 1672, and by a later matric-
ulation of date December 7, 1774, the above arms are quartered with
that of Blair of that Ilk, with the same crest and motto and supporters.

translation of the above

Argent, the white color of the shield or escutcheon, used to represent
silver ; figuratively it means purity.

Chevron, one of the nine honorable ordinaries, consisting of two
broad bands of the width of the bar, issuing respectively from the
dexter and sinister (right and left) bases of the field and conjoined at
the center.

Gules, the tincture red by which escutcheons are engraved, poetical,
the color red ; betwixt three boars' heads erased, means torn oflf with
jagged, uneven edges, used especially with head or limbs of a beast;

Azure, blue ;

Langued, having their tongues visible.

Armed, having beaks, talons, or claws.

Ancient Woodbury, Judge William A. Cothern.

DUNDONALD.

The Covenanters and Graham of Claverhouse 17

Crest, a horse passant argent, means a horse or animal represented
as walking with its left front limb raised, color white.

Supporters, a figure, sometimes of a man, usually of an animal,
placed on either side of an escutcheon and outside of it, same figure
on both sides.

Collared, wearing a collar, (or, yellow ;) fastened by a long cord, red.

Crest is a bearing worn usually above the shield, not on it ; or sepa-
rately as an ornament for plate, liveries, etc.

Motto, "By Virtue and Labor," (The meaning to my American mind
is, that the family were fond of the chase, and by some incident in the
life of the first possessor, the present symbols were adopted to illustrate
or keep in perpetual memory that incident).

* The Covenanters and Graham of Claverhouse

"When King Charles the Second was restored to the throne of his
father in 1660, one of his first acts was to destroy the military power
of the army, built up by Cromwell. His next act was to restore the
Episcopal as the established religion. This was accomplished in
England without much trouble, but not in Scotland, where the people
covenanted together to maintain the Presbyterian faith as their national
religion.

According to the King's ruling 'none but Episcopalians could sit in
Scottish parliament or vote for members,' and in Scotland an Epis-
copal was always a tory or time-server.

The King ordered them to provide new penal laws against the
Presbyterians, that 'whoever should preach in a conventicle under a
roof, or attend either as a preacher or a hearer, a conventicle in the
open air, should be punished with death and confiscation of property.'
The King hated the Puritans, so the most violent persecutions were
waged against Scotland. The shires or estates of covenanters most
prominent were given over to license of the King's army. The militia
was composed of the most violent Episcopalians. Pre-eminent were
the Dragoons, commanded by John Graham of Claverhouse, a soldier
distinguished by courage and proficient skill; but rapacious and pro-
fane ; of violent temper and obdurate heart.

He has left a name, regarded with particular hatred by the Scottish
race wherever settled on any part of the globe. He was the oldest son
of Sir William Graham of Claverhouse, an estate with an old castle

*MacauIey's History of England.

18 Chronicles of the Cochrans

attached, near Dundee. His family was a branch of the Montrose.
He was educated at St. Andrew's University between 1660 and 1670;
began his military career first as a volunteer in the foreign service. In
1677 he returned to Scotland and was appointed Captain of the first of
three troops of horse for enforcing compliance with the established
religion. Upon the accession of James VI, he was left out of the
privy council on pretense that having married into the family of
Dundonald, it was not fitting that he should be trusted with secrets
of the King. In 1688 he was created a peer with the title of Viscount
of Dundee and Lord Graham of Claverhouse. He married Lady Jean
Cochran, third and youngest daughter of Sir William Cochran, brother |
to the Earl of Dundonald, and became notorious through his cruelty!
to carry out the King's orders in regard to the Covenanters.

A proclamation was issued by the King, requiring his subjects, both
civil and ecclesiastic, to conform to the mode of worship as laid down
in a book called The Liturgy or Service Book, compiled by Wedder-
burn, Bishop of Dumblane and Maxwell, Bishop of Ross. This book
contained some parts of the Catholic ritual: viz., the benediction or
thanksgiving for departed saints ; use of the cross in baptism and the
ring in marriage ; consecration of water ; it was founded upon the book
of common prayer and was introduced into Scotland without having
been submitted to the Presbytery and sanction of the General Assembly
All who refused to adopt it, were denounced as rebels."

Scottish Clans

(From "Rambles in Europe," by Leonard Allison Morrison.)
"It is instructive to note the rise of clanships; their growth and
power, and sometimes their decay, dissolution and the dispersion of
their members. No country in the world has been so divided into
clans as Scotland, and no country has so rich, varied and wonderful
a history. In olden times, the European nations were divided into
tribes; the Scottish people were divided into clans.

When territory was overrun and conquered by a clan, the chief wouljj
divide a portion of the land among his own family, and as their safety
and prosperity were merged, the members of the clan clung together
with wonderful tenacity.

The clan was distinguished by some common name, either local or
patronymic. This was before the introduction of surnames, or ensigns
armorial. The relations and descendants of every chieftain assumed
his arms and bore his name.

The Rye House Plot 19

Alexander III came to the throne of Scotland in 1249, aged eight
years, and it was during his illustrious reign that the Clan Campbell
became prominent in history. There were two families of them,
MacArthur and MacCaileanmore : from the latter was descended
Colon Campbell, the first Earl of Argyle.

The Campbells, aspiring and ambitious, made rapid advancement in
power and influence during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
In 1750, they were the most influential family in Scotland. Their
numerical strength was five thousand men. Their ancient home
included the larger part of Argyle, a strip of country one hundred and
twelve miles long and forty-two miles broad."

It has been asserted that the Cochrane family were members of Clan
Campbell. This may have arisen from the fact of Sir John Cochrane
having been associated with Sir Archibald Campbell of Argyle, both
in the Rye House Plot, and later in the Monmouth Rebellion.

Morrison says, "The family of Cochran was never so large as to be
a sept or clan."

The Rye House Plot
(From Macauley's History of England.)

"Both King Charles II and his brother, James the Duke of York,
were favorable to the Catholic religion, and the English people who
had, since the early years of the Tudor dynasty, been ruled by Protest-
ants, would in the event of the king's death, be subject to a Catholic
King.

A band of plotters met at a place near Newmarket, called the Rye
House, and debated how to overthrow the King and his successor, the
Duke of York. This plot was discovered and those who were not
captured and executed, escaped to Holland. Among the latter were
Sir Archibald Campbell, ninth earl of Argyle ; Richard Rumbold, who
had held a commission in Cromwell's own Regiment, but after the
republican troops disbanded, he became a maltster and carried on his
trade near Hoddesdon in that building from which the Rye House
Plot took its name ; Robert Ferguson, a Scotchman and one of the
principals in the Monmouth Rebellion, in which he incited the others
to engage; James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, a natural son of King
Charles II and Lucy Walters, to whom it was alleged the King had
been lawfully married; Lord Grey; Hume of Polwarth, Berwick; and
Sir John Cochrane of Ayrshire.

These men had all taken refuge in Holland. King Charles II

20 Chronicles of the Cochrans

reigned twenty-five years, and having no heir by his queen, the crown
would descend to his brother James, Duke of York, an avowed Catholic,
hence the desire to aid the Duke of Monmouth.

As the Scotch refused to serve under James Scott or any other
English leader, Argyle was chosen to command, but must be under the
direction of a committee. His father, as a leader of the Covenanters,
had been put to death, but the son was still permitted to retain his
family seat and arms.

The Scotch people were not anxious to engage in the insurrection
because of the illegitimacy of the birth of the Duke of Monmouth.
Argyle counted on his supporters in the Clan Campbell, but Hume of
Polwarth, in Berwick, and Cochran of Ayrshire were both utterly
impracticable; their jealousy of Argyle exceeding their wish for suc-
cess in the invasion.

They claimed the Lowlanders were the only ones that had the good
of the cause at heart; that the Campbells took up arms, neither for
liberty nor religion, but for MacCallum More (Argyle) alone.
Cochrane declared he would go to Ayrshire, if he went alone, with
nothing but a pitchfork in his hand.

Argyle finally consented to divide his army. He and Rumbold were
to remain with Highlanders, while Hume and Cochrane were placed
at the head of the force which sailed from Holland to invade the
Lowlands.

After great difficulty, Cochrane entered Greenock and secured a
supply of meal, but finding the inhabitants had no desire to engage
in the insurrection, he returned to Argyle, who had encamped on the
island of Bute.

Later they all attempted to take Glasgow, but failed, and were over-
come by the King's troops. Hume escaped, but Argyle and Cochrane
were taken to London and Argyle was executed, but Cochrane was
held for trial, and later removed to the Tolbooth at Edinburg to await
execution.

That Cochrane should be forgiven by a prince, vindictive beyond
all expression, seemed incredible, but he was the younger son of a
rich family. ' It was therefore only by sparing him that money could
be made out of him. His father offered a bribe of five thousand
pounds to the priests of the royal household, and he was spared. Sir
John held the same rank among Scotch rebels that Grey held in the
West of England."

The Story of Grizel Cochran 21

In Wilson's "Tales of the Border," a series of historical events,
gathered from traditions and folk-lore largely, there is a very different
account of how Sir John escaped execution as foUows :

The Story of Grizel Cochran

"When the tyranny and bigotry of King James the Second, drove
his subjects to take up arms against him, one of his most formidable
enemies was Sir John Cochrane, a prominent actor in Argyle's
Rebellion.

As the uprising had ended disastrously, and the leaders had been
captured by the King's Troops, tried and condemned to be hanged,
Sir John now lay in prison, with but a few more days to live. His
jailers were only waiting for the death-warrant to be signed by the
King. His friends and family had all been with him for the last sad
farewells, except his oldest daughter Grizel, who was the pride of his
heart and house.

But at length, she came just at twilight, tall and commanding. He
said, 'within three days, thou and my Httle ones will be fatherless,' the
[Words faltering on his tongue. 'Three days?' she asked, lifting her
head from his breast, but eagerly pressing his hand — 'three days?' —
'then there is still hope. My father shall live ! Is not my grand-
father the friend of Father Peter, the confessor and master of the
King? From him, shall he beg the life of his son and my father shall
not die!!'

'Nay nay, Grizel. Be not deceived. There is no hope. My doom
is sealed ! The King has already signed the order for my execution,
and the messenger is on the way.'

On the evening of the second day after this interview, a traveler
:rossed the draw-bridge at Berwick, from the north and proceeding
down Marygate, sat down on a bench, outside a tavern.

The tavern seemed to be above his station in life; for it had been
Oliver Cromwell's headquarters, a few years before, and still earlier
it had been said, that James Sixth of Scotland and First of England,
[lad stopped there on his way to his accession to the throne of England.

The traveler wore a coarse jerkin around his body, fastened by a
leather girdle, and over it a short cloak. He seemed to be a young
nan, but wore a beaver hat drawn down so as to conceal his features.
Ele carried a small bundle and a pilgrim's staff. Having called for a

22 Chronicles of the Cochrans

glass of wine, he took a crust of bread from his bundle, and disposing
of them and resting a few minutes longer, he took his departure.

In a heavy storm he crossed the moor, (or muir) which for miles
was a desert of whins and ferns, and stunted heather. Here and
there, was a dingle, covered with brush-wood. The traveler pushed
on till he had covered two or three miles from Berwick, when he
sought shelter among some bramble bushes.

Nearly an hour passed, when a horse and rider appeared. On
account of the storm, the rider was bent forward over his horse. Sud-
denly, the bridle was grasped by the stranger, who pointed a pistol at
the rider and commanded him to 'Dismount !'

The rider tried to reach his own pistol, but was prevented by the
traveler seizing him and throwing him forcibly from his horse, whence
he fell to the ground unconscious. The traveler then seized the mail-
bag and rushed away.

The next morning the inhabitants of Berwick rushed to the spot, but
there was no trace of the robber or his booty. Since the mail-bag had
contained the death-warrant for Sir John, he was granted a reprieve
for fourteen days till another could be issued.

Both his father, the Earl of Dundonald, and Father Peter, of the
King's household, now interceded for Sir John, but to no avail ; and
Grizel was now her father's daily companion.

For the second time, the mail-rider with a warrant in his leather bag,
approached The Muir of Tweedmouth. This time he was on his guard
and looked cautiously around, holding his pistol in his hand. The
moon, shining brightly, showed nothing but desolation, until suddenly
turning an angle of straggling copse, his horse reared violently at the
report of a pistol and his own weapon being discharged at the same
timie, his horse became unmanageable, and he was thrown off.
Instantly, the robber had his foot upon the rider's breast and pointing
his weapon at the head of the fallen man, demanded both his weapon
and his horse, 'lest a worse thing befall him.'

For the second time the death warrant for Sir John had disappeared
and for the second time he was granted a reprieve of fourteen days.
His father was at last successful, (History says by the payment of five
thousand pounds Sterling), and Sir John was at last set free. With
his father, he hurried from prison and while surrounded by his family,
a stranger craved admittance, and handing him two documents, said —
'when you have read these, cast them into the fire.' They were the
two death-warrants.

Sir John Cochrane and His Descendants 23

'How shall I ever thank thee?' Sir John exclaimed, while the old
Earl his father, grasped the stranger's hand and the children embraced
his knees. The stranger removed his hat and disclosed the identity of
— Grizel."

(The author of these Chronciles makes no apology for having appro-
priated this story, with very slight change, from Wilson's Tales of the
Border, Vol. Six. Begun by John Mackay Wilson, revised by Alex.
Leighton, one of the original contributors and editors, published in
1857, York Lodge Trinity. Authors say, "These are genuine stories,
not ordinary mixtures of narrative, didactic essay, etc., but tales in
proper every day sense, to portray naturally and graphically, the men
and women of the times and kept true to history, legend and moraUty."
The author is indebted to Judge John S. Cochran for mention of this
Scottish classic.)

Sir John Cochrane and His Descendants

Sir JOHN Cochrane, of Ochiltree, was the second son of the first
Earl of Dundonald. He married Margaret Strickland of Boynton
County, York, whose father was one of Cromwell's Lords of Parlia-
ment. Several children were born of their union ; William, the heir ;
Grizel, the heroine ; a second son, John, who escaped to Holland with
his father but who was forfeited, April 9, 1684, for being in arms at
Bothwell Bridge in 1679, when he was only sixteen years old ; also
several younger children.

Sir John was succeeded by his oldest son, William, to the estates of
Ochiltree. William was married to Lady Mary Bruce in 1681. She
was the oldest daughter of Alexander, the second Earl of Kincardine;
she was also heir to her brother, Alexander, third Earl of Kincardine,
who died unmarried in 1705. Her claim to the succession was as
follows : Sir Edward Bruce, of Carnock was created Earl of Kin-
cardine and Lord Bruce of Torry ; to him and his heirs male by patent,
dated Dec. 26, 1647. He died unmarried in 1662 and his estates and
honours, fell upon his brother Alexander, a prominent statesman after
the Restoration.

On July 10, 1667, he was made an extra Lord of Session, and one
of the King's Commissioners, for the government of Scotland, until
dismissed through the influence of Lauderdale. He married Veronica,
daughter of the Lord of Sommelsdyck and Spyck, of Holland. They
had two sons and three daughters ; Mary, the oldest, married William

24 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Cochran, of Ochiltree ; her father, dying on July 9, 1680, had been
succeeded by his son Alexander, third Earl of Kincardine ; who also
died in November, 1705, without heirs, when his sister, Lady Mary
Cochrane laid claim to the honors, by virtue of a resignation in her
favor, by the late Earl, not completed by a crown charter ; (but which
it was legally held to be within the power of the Crown to accept and
complete,) but the Queen would not interfere, as it was held that she
was not entitled to, after the Union of England and Scotland, (1707).
The male heir was a son of Sir Alex, of Broomhall and he was a son
of Robert, a grandson of George, who had extensive coal-works in
Culross, which he also represented in Parliament. On account of all
this litigation Lady Mary had to sell her estate of Carnock to Lord
Erskine, a cousin-german.

Sir William and Lady ]\Iary Cochrane had a family of nine sons
and four daughters. Upon the death of William, the estates of Ochil-
tree passed to his eldest son, Charles, who also acquired the estates of
Culross, upon the death of his mother. Charles died unmarried, in
1752, and was succeeded by his brother James, who was a Lieutenant
General in the army, and who died in 1758, leaving two daughters;
but the estates passed to Thomas, a brother who also succeeded to the
peerage and became the eighth Earl of Dundonald.

There is no further mention of the other sons of William and Lady
Mary Cochrane, and it is the writer's opinion that one of the six
remaining sons was the father of that William Cochran, who became
her first American ancestor. The father may have emigrated to
Ireland, and the son later to America; but we have no reliable proof
that we are of Scotch-Irish descent, even though many of the older
members of our family have asserted that we are.

Sketches of the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Earls of Dundonald

Under the heading of the House of Dundonald, there is brief mention
of Thomas, the Eighth Earl, and his descendants. He was a Major
in the Army, and died at his estate. La Mancha, in Peebleshire. 1778,
and was succeeded by his elder son, Archibald.

"*Among those given a place in early history was Archibald, ninth
Earl of Dundonald. He was born January 1st, 1748, and began life
as a Cornet in the Third Dragoons, but resigned to become midship-
man under Captain Stair Douglas. He succeeded to the title in 1778,

Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Sketches of the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Earls 25

and gave himself up to scientific research. He was the author of
many inventions and secured a patent for making tar from coal, to be
applied to vessels; but copper sheeting having been introduced mean-
while, made his venture ruinous, and so burdened his estates with debt
that he was compelled to part with Culross Abbey, and died in poverty
at Paris, in 1831, aged eighty-three.

He was succeeded by his oldest son, Thomas, who became the
celebrated Admiral and daring navigator, famous in history. Owing
to his father's unfortunate investments, Thomas had to begin at the
very foot of the ladder. By the help of friends, he was provided with
a commission in an Infantry Regiment, and at the same time put on
the books of a man-of-war, by his uncle. Captain Alexander Forrester
Inglis Cochrane. His promotion was rapid. He became a Lieutenant
in 1796. He quarreled with his superior officer, Lieutenant Philip
Beaver, and was court-martialed. Discredited and on half pay, he
still pursued his crusade against naval corruption. In 1814, having
been led into speculation on the Stock Exchange, by report of
Napoleon's overthrow, he with two others was arrested, brought to
trial, sentenced to one hour in the pillory, fine of one thousand pounds,
and imprisonment for one year; struck off the Navy; expelled from
Parliament and the Order of the Bath. He broke out of prison and
appeared in his seat in the House in March, 1815, but was returned to
prison and served out his sentence. In 1831 he succeeded his father,
the Ninth Earl; was granted a free pardon in 1832, restored to his
position in Royal Navy, and gazetted Rear-Admiral.

In 1848 he was appointed Admiral of the North American and West
Indian fleet."

Some time later, he visited the Cochrane famihes in New York and
vicinity, and said "There was no doubt in his mind that all the Amer-
ican Cochrans were descended from the ancient Scottish families."

In '54 the Queen restored his honours as Knight of the Bath. He
was appointed Rear-Admiral of the Fleet, and a month later was named
by Prince Albert as Honorary Brother of Trinity House. He died
in 1860, aged 85, and is buried in Westminster Abbey, where England
pays her last great honor to her most illustrious sons. Some writers
say he was persecuted, because he exposed the evils and corruptions
among higher officials of the Navy, chiefly ; but, at any rate, if perse-
cuted in life, he was honored at the close of it, by the recognition of

26 Chronicles of the Cochrans

his masterly abilities. G. A. Henty has immortalized his daring career
on the seas, in a work called "Cochrane the Dauntless."

Dundonald's War Plan — The Secret Revealed

(Taken from Glasgow Weekly Herald of January 16, 1915. By permission.)

"From time to time during the last hundred years or so, everyone
has heard of Lord Dundonald's plan for the total annihilation of an
enemy, but the disclosure of the secret has been left to Lord Ellen-
borough, who, in his book, 'The Guilt of Lord Cochrane in 1814,'
gives details of the invention.

In brief, the plan is death by suffocation from sulphurous flames,
and is set out as follows as proposed for use in the Crimean War ;

Memorandum :

Material required for the expulsion of the Russians from Sebas-
topol ;

Experimental trials have shown that about five parts of coke effectu-
ally vaporize one part of sulphur. Mixtures for land service where
weight is of importance may, however, probably be suggested by Pro-
fessor Faraday ; as to operations on shore I have paid Httle attention.

Four or five thousand tons of sulphur and two thousand tons of
coke would be sufficient.

Besides these materials, it would be necessary to have, say, as much
bituminous coal and a couple of thousand barrels of gas, or other tar,
for the purpose of masking fortifications to be attacked, or others that
flank the assailing positions.

A quantity of dry firewood, chips, shavings, straw, hay, or other
such combustible materials would be requisite quickly to kindle the
fires, which ought to be kept in readiness for the first favourable and
steady breeze."

DUNDONALD.

August 7, 1855.

"Lord Ellenborough points out, however, that 'if these enormous
amounts of combustibles had been stored in our trenches before
Sebastopol, a hostile shell might have ignited them while we were
waiting for a wind to blow the smoke in the right direction, and that
we should then have been driven from our trenches.'

The Twelfth Earl and the Relief of Ladysmith 27

The Dundonald plan was first submitted to the British Government
in 1811. At once a committee was appointed to examine it. The
Duke of York, second son of George III, was the chairman, and among
his colleagues were Admirals Lord Keith and Lord Exmouth and Sir
William Congreve, the inventor of the military rocket.

Lord Dundonald claimed that his device afforded "infallible means

of securing at one blow our maritime superiority and of thereafter

maintaining it in perpetuity," and that "no power on earth could stand

against this attack." While the committee agreed that his lordship had

! not claimed too much, they would not recommend it for adoption

I because its destructiveness was too great. So nothing was done. No

! matter how earnestly and eloquently Lord Dundonald pleaded, he could

not move the Government.

Again, in 1846, when trouble was feared, he urged Ministers to take
advantage of it. Another committee affirmed the opinion of the Duke
of York's that the plan was certain to bring victory to our arms. Still,
the Government would have nothing to do with it.

During the Crimean War, the Government were twice approached.
On the second occasion they came near to acceptance, for Sebastopol-
then still appeared impregnable. But as the Government desired that
engineer officers should use it, and Lord Dundonald insisted that no
one should use it but himself, once more the opportunity passed — and
Lord Dundonald died in 1860."

Twelfth Earl and the Relief of Ladysmith

The Twelfth Earl of Dundonald is known to the American families
bearing the same name, chiefly through his military exploits during the
Boer War, as related by the different war correspondents in the Ameri-
can magazines and other publications :

"the relief of ladysmith"

(By M. Halstead in "Briton and Boer in South Africa." By permission of John
C. Winston Co., Publishers, Philadelphia.)

"Lord Dundonald had two squadrons when he went to the Relief
of Ladysmith; five brigades of infantry, a considerable amount of
artillery, and about 1600 mounted men, known as 'Imperial Light
Horse.' The Boers were posted strongly on the south side of the
river, and pressing at close quarters the right wing of the British, but

28 Chronicles of the Cochrans

were kept back by Lord Dundonald. Laffans' Agency says 'Cavalry
Brigade had a hot engagement, Lord Dundonald in command; tried
to take Lhangwana Hill on the right, occupied by Boers ; for two hours
they were under heavy shell fire and at last retreated under heavy
fire.' The Boers used smokeless powder. The loss of Lord Dun-
donald's Brigade was more than 100 men killed and wounded. A
mental picture of Ladysmith is that of an inverted horse's hoof. Ten
thousand men were shut up there."

"Romance of Modern Sieges," by Edward Gilliatt. By Permission
J. B. Lippincott Co., Publishers.

"They rode in slowly, two by two, Dundonald, Gough, and
Mackenzie, of Natal, at the head of the column. All through Main
Street they rode, nodding to a friend here and there, for the Imperial
Light Horse had many friends in Ladysmith."

"Relief of Ladysmith," by Richard Harding Davis, from Scribner's
July-December, 1900. By permission. Copyright 1900, Charles Scrib-
ner's Sons, New York.

"General Buller was two months and fifteen days in advancing twelve
miles from Colenso to Ladysmith, from December 15th to February
28th. On the day after the battle of Pieters Hill, (Majuba Day) Feb-
ruary 27th, Lord Dundonald settled this question by riding into Lady-
smith at sundown with 200 men. It was not the way General Buller
had planned that the Relief of Ladysmith should take place, as
Dundonald's orders were only to reconnoitre and avoid an action ;' his
entering town in advance of his commanding officer was a breach of
etiquette, nothing more. The question of etiquette did not weigh
heavily with the besieged garrison; some of them gave the troopers
a generous and hearty welcome as they entered town. Once inside,
much cheering; singing of the national hymn; speech by Sir George
White, who as he rode down to meet them, raised his helmet and
ordered three cheers for the Queen. The men. having come in and
demonstrated that the way was clear, rode forth again, and the Relief
of Ladysmith had taken place."

Letters From Scotland 29

The Results of Scotch Correspondence

In January, 1912, I wrote a letter to Lord Cochrane, the Earl of
Dundonald of Scotland, asking his permission to use a print of the
family coat of arms, in the history of the Cochran family, upon which
I was engaged. I also wished to know if the final e was used in aU the
old family documents. His reply is sub-joined;

Mains Lodge, Wimbledon Park, S. W.
Feb. 26, '12.

"The Earl of Dundonald's compliments to Mrs. Cochrane Haughton
and in reply to her letter —

In all the old letters and papers in his possession the e was sometimes
used — sometimes not.

The old House of Cochrane is now pulled down but the family arms
which used to adorn it were built into the walls of the Cochrane Castle
Golf Club — at Johnstone, close to Paisley, Scotland.

Lord Dundonald had a very good photograph of these arms but
cannot lay his hand upon it — but any good Glasgow photographer
would easily photograph the arms — these arms were placed in the
original building about the year 1550 it is thought — and consist of three
boars' heads — the s.ame arms as are used today — a great many of the
Cochran family emigrated about the year 1690 after the Monmouth
rebellion."

30 Chronicles of the Cochrans

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^^^^^ ^ >d^ ^l^Szr

Letters From Scotland 31

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32 Chronicles of the Cochrans

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Letters From Scotland 33

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34 Chronicles of the Cochrans

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cz. 0:=

e/.6cz

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Acting upon the Earl's advice, I secured from Mrs. Janet Mann, of
Martins Ferry, Ohio, the names of several Glasgow photographers,
and the address of Mr. Andrew Walker, also of Glasgow, Scotland,
a relative of her late husband, William Mann, formerly of Coatbridge,
Scotland.

Then I wrote to Mr. Walker, who became greatly interested in my
literary venture and took up the matter personally; securing photo-
graphs and consulting authorities, that I might have the most authentic
information obtainable; and I wish to assure my readers, that by his
help, this work has assumed historical proportions, beyond my greatest
expectations hitherto. Some of the correspondence will be found in
the following extracts. Other parts of it are embodied in former pages
under the heading, "Earliest mention in history."

Under date of February 24, 1914, Mr. Walker writes: "I went to
Johnstone on Tuesday, to look up the matter of the original coat of .

(3) COCHRAN TOWER. 1896, JOHNSTONE NEAR PAISLEY-MARKS THE SITE
OF THE ORIGINAL MANOR-HOUSE.

Letters From Scotland 35

arms of the Corhran family ; and I found the stone in the building of
the Ladies' Golf Club, very disappointing; but I went farther afield and
was rewarded with something of more value.

I will enclose some prints in their order with a few words of history
to explain them;

Number one is a view of the gable end of the Ladies' Golf Club
House at Johnstone. This is probably the stone mentioned by Lord
Dundonald in the letter you received from him some time ago. The
stone is scarcely visible ; it is of round shape, about nine or ten inches
in diameter, with a raised moulding all around it; in the center is a
small carving, three or four inches in diameter, but so weather-worn,
that one cannot really say what it has been. You will notice in this
photo, two rows of houses ; these are all that remain of the old home-
stead of Craigstoun. 135G442

The farm house stood in the center; the end portion, with the win-
dow and the porch, was added to the older building about seventeen
years ago, when the old stone was inserted up in the gable ; but where it
had been before that time, no one whom I saw while there could tell
me anything about it. This building which extends a good way back,
is used entirely as the Ladies' Department of the Golf Club ; the new
buildings are across the road. Altho the club is known as the "Cochran
Castle Golf Club," the place here still retains the name of Craigstoun.

Print number two is Cochran Tower. About one-half mile west of
the golf club house, I came upon this tower quite unawares. It is built
on the site of the old Castle of Cochrane, which must have existed as
a ruin as late as 1818. This tower stands on a waste piece of ground,
as you will see. I photoed it from the garden of the house adjoining.

You will notice a tablet on the wall with the words, "Cochran Tower,
1896." The door on the north side is reached by five steps, and the
door which measures six feet by two feet, six inches, is kept bolted and
locked. There is nothing in the tower, not even a stairway. I have
not yet been able to learn who built this tower.

Number three, another view of the tower. This view of the tower
is taken from the south. It shows "Red-House" alongside. You
will notice there is only one Loop-hole window here, but in the eastern
side there are two narrow, iron-stanchioned ones, for the pur-
pose of light and air, perhaps. I measured the tower and found its
north and south sides are fourteen feet, ten inches; and its eastern
and western sides are fourteen feet, seven inches; and I judge it is
fully twenty feet high.

36 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Number four, the original coat of arms. It was while measuring
the walls here, that I made an important discovery, viz. : the original
stone with the three boars' heads ; the initials W. C. and the date, 1592.
The stone is about half way up the wall. I am sure this must be the
stone referred to in the Earl's letter to you, but I doubt if he ever
saw the place, where his fore-fathers lived for more than five hundred
years.

As you are no doubt aware, the name of the estate, where the
Cochran Castle stood, was Cochran field. The eastern portion of the
estate was called Easter-Cochrane, and was purchased by the ancestors
of the present owners in the seventeenth century and has remained
in this family, the Houstons, ever since. (Note. The Honorable An-
drew Cochran, twelfth and youngest son of the Eighth Earl, at one
time the Governor of Dominica, married Lady Georgia Hope John-
stone, third daughter of the Third Earl of Hopetoun, and he assumed
the name of Johnstone, in addition to his own.)

From a letter dated April 1, 1914:

"I am glad that you are pleased with the photos I sent you, in regard
to your history of the Cochran family. The writing of this work is a
big undertaking; there are so many branches that have sprung from
the parent tree; but when one's heart is in the work, it is wonderful
what can be accomplished, and I can see from your last letter, that
you are thoroly familiar with their history. Are you aware that
Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount of Dundee, married Jean, the third
and youngest daughter of William, Lord Cochran, the oldest son of
the first Earl? His (Graham's) family residence then was Marr's
Castle, near Dundee, part of which is still standing and has lately been
restored. As a Cochrane married a daughter of the Montgomery
family, I am sending a photo of Skelmoorly Castle; the oldest part
at the right hand corner is the original, which would then be most
likely, a square keep. It dates from 1502, but has been enlarged from
time to time.

I am enclosing a copy of Dundonald Castle ruins, situated in Ayr-
shire, in parish of Dundonald, about four miles from Troon, and five
miles from Kilmarnock ; six miles from Ayr, and about thirty-five miles
from Glasgow. Dundonald was built between 1124 and 1153 and was
once the abode of the royal Stuarts, and King Robert the Second
died here in 1390. It crowns a beautiful round hill, a little west from
the village of Dundonald, and according to legend, it was built entirely

( 4) RUINS OF DUNDONALD CAS lit IN A^ RSHIRE.

Letters From Scotland 37

of wood by one Donald Dun or Din, whose enrichment came from
the discovery of a pot of gold thru a dream. (See Chamber's Popular
Rhymes of Scotland, 1870 edition.)

"There is a castle in the North,

They call it Donald Din ;
There's not a nail in a' its roof.

Nor yet a wooden pin."

Tradition relates that it was shorn of its topmost story, to build or
improve their neighboring castle of Auchen ; but it still forms a mas-
sive two story ruin, 113 ft. by 40, and retains on its western wall in
high relief, but much obliterated by time, the armorial bearings of the
Stuarts. At its southern end are the shattered remains of two or three
arched cells, which belonged to its 'keep,' or prison, and it seems
from vestiges still visible, to have been surrounded by a rampart
and a moat. Not far from these ruins, stands the ancient and
deserted looking House of Auchen; majestic still and showing sufficient
traces of its former grandeur, to indicate the important position it
once held in the district. The building is not all of the same age, but
the date 1644, which is to be found on one of the newer portions, leads
us to discover the principal builder, Sir William Cochrane of Cowden,
or Coldoun. (A house is still standing at Barr's Head, now called
Cowdenhall.)

Sir William purchased the lands of Dundonald, from the Wallace
family, who had owned it for ages, in 1638, and to him may be as-
cribed the building of that part of Auchen which bears the date 1644.
As already mentioned, some of the material came from Dundonald
Castle. A few years ago the huge castle of Auchen was occupied by
'cotters' (those employed to work on the estate) ; since, a new house
has been built close by.

At Auchens in 1773, Samuel Johnson and Boswell spent a day in
visiting Susannah, Dowager Countess of Eglinton, the witty beauty,
to whom Allen Ramsay dedicated his 'Gentle Shepherd,' in 1725.
She died here in 1780. aged ninety years. The lands of Dundonald,
which means Donald's Hill or Fort, passed eventually to the Earls
of Eglinton; and now the Castle only, with a small portion of land
around it— some say fifteen acres, others, only five roods— are all that
remain to the Earl of Dundonald, of the estate in Scotland. I am not
able to tell you to what church the family now adheres; whether
Presbyterian or Catholic."

^8 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Third letter, April 24, 1914:

"I had your letter all safe; am glad to know you got rest of the
photos safely and glad to hear that you have permission from the
Messrs. Harrison to use the Dundonald pedigree. I also looked it up
and find the 'Scottish Nation' by A. Fullerton & Co., a very good
work also for ancient Scottish history, and am enclosing some extracts
from it, viz.: 'Sir William Cochrane, of Cowden, of the ancient
family of Renfrewshire, about 1640 possessed the lands of Auchen
and Dundonald in Ayrshire, and for his loyalty was created a peer
Dec. 27, 1647, by the title of Lord Cochrane of Dundonald, and on
May 12, 1669, was created Earl of Dundonald, and Lord Cochrane of
Paisley and Ochiltree."

Fourth letter. May 26, 1914:

"Sometimes it is not an easy matter to trace family history. It
takes much reading and I may also say, it takes much patience. I have
copied and am enclosing the coat of arms from Burke's 1898 edition,
same as that of 1895 and also of 1913, but in the 1914 edition, there
is a helmet above the coronet and oak leaves at the bottom of the
crest. I do not think it so good as the one enclosed. In reading up
family .histor)^ by different authors, I find they repeat the same
matter, but tell it in a different way ; and they also have the coats of
arms different. I have also been reading The Scot's Peerage,' by
Crawford, taken from an old work, which I consider one of the' best
I have ever seen yet, and wiU send some extracts not found elsewhere."
(These extracts are found in "Earliest Mention in History.")

Fifth letter, July 13, 1914:

"Your letter safely to hand. Glad you are pleased with the photos
I sent you. It will certainly add to the beauty of the coat of arms, to
have the proper colors. Now, in regard to the Cochranes, who
crossed over to Ireland and finally to America ; I can find no trace of
them in historical narrative, but there is no doubt, some of them went
there and some of the families are still there, for in tracing the lineage
of the Cochranes in Ireland, there is mentioned one Thomas Cochrane
of Graughlough House, County Cavan, who married there in 1789
and died in 1793, leaving a son William, who died in 1873.

William left a son who became Sir Henry Cochrane, first Baronet
of Woodbrook, county of Bray, Wicklow; the Castle Bailie borough,
County Cavan, and Kildare Street, Dublin. He was born Dec. 21,'
1836, was knighted in 1877; created Baronet on Oct. 8, 1903, died

Letters From Scotland 39

Sept. 11, 1904. Succeeded by his oldest surviving son, Sir Ernest
Cecil Cochrane, Second Baronet, Co. Cavan. He is a Barrister-at-
Law, of the Inner Temple, and Chairman of Cantrell & Cochrane,
The Universal and Aerated Water Manufacturers ; he was born Sep-
tember 12, 1873."

The arms of this family are in some respects similar to the Dun-
donald family, of which I have no doubt, they are a branch.

Arms; Argent, on a chevron engrailed; Argent, between-in-chief,
two boars' heads, erased azure ; and in base, a sun in splendor of the
last; a thistle, p.p.r. between two trefoils, slipped vert. Crest, in
front of two tilting spears in saltire, a bay horse passant, all p.p.r.
Motto, Virtute et Laborare.

There was a Sir John Cochrane, born about 1604, who entered the
army and served in Ireland, where he acquired some land thru his
marriage. On his return to Scotland, he became an active Covenanter,
and in 1639-40 was mentioned as Col. Cochrane, of that ilk. He left
no family. One Sir James Cochrane, Chief Justice of Gibraltar, son of
Thomas Cochrane, Speaker of the House of Assembly in Nova Scotia,
was born in that colony in 1798 and died at Glenrocky, his home in
Gibraltar, June 24, 1883, leaving one son. Rev. Thomas, the Rector of
Stapleford Abbot, in Essex.

There is also a monument at Glasgow Cathedral, to Andrew Coch-
rane of Brighouse, who for several years, was Provost of Glasgow,
and Preceptor of Hutcheson Hospital, for more than forty years.
He was born 1693 and died 1777.

There is also quite a strong association of Cochrans in Albany,
New York. A Doctor Cochran, at the head of the Homeopathic Hos-
pital, is the president. His grandfather came from Paisley. Other
families in Albany came from Corse o' Gowrie, in Perthshire.

Sixth letter, Oct. 21, 1914:

"Your letter received in due course. I must thank you for the
magazine you sent. I read the 'Haunted Heart' with much interest,
and thought you were trying to identify the Craigstoun with Craigston
at Johnstone. I don't think there is any connection, for I think the
place in the magazine must be either in Argyleshire, or Invernesshire,
and on the Atlantic sea-board, while Johnstone is inland.

The word 'craig or crag' in Scotch means a Httle hill and comes
from the Gaelic 'cruach,' and so the name is common in many forms,
such as, Craigton, Craighead, Scotcraig, and so forth. I am sorry

40 Chronicles of the Cochrans

you had no reply from the Secy, of the Cochran Society in Albany,
N. Y. Our friends returned there at the end of August, glad to get
away, owing to the outbreak of the war.

You ask if the Earl of Dundonald has again been called, but I
cannot find here about him. I rather think he must be, for I enclose
a cutting from yesterday's paper, about his Countess arriving in
London.

As you may imagine, the war is the sole topic of conversation. It
is really heart-rending to read of the atrocities in Belgium ; from our
back windows we can look into the vacated Sick Children's Hospital
where there are 120 Belgian Refugees, men, women and children;
there are over 3,000 of them in Glasgow, and it makes one sad to
meet them, driven out of house and home; and but for the brave
Belgians the German hordes might now be over in England and Scot-
land."

Seventh letter, January 22nd, 1915:

"Your letter came safely to hand. I am glad you received the Glas-
gow Weekly Herald; in these war times we are never sure that news-
papers are delivered and I knew you would be interested in the
Cochran article. I am now sending you another Weekly Herald,
containing the Admiral's War Secret, which I am also sure you will
treasure. I spoke to the Editor about the articles and he tells me,
that you are quite at liberty to use them in any way you wish — even
to copy them verbatim and as a safeguard to you, he says to mention
that they are taken from the Glasgoiv Weekly Herald.

Regarding the origin of the name Cochrane, I was quite sure it
never came from the Gaelic; however, he sent a note to their Gaelic
correspondent and the enclosed cutting was the reply in today's Herald.
(In reply to Walker, Glasgow: Cochrane is not of Gaelic origin. It is
an ancient surname in Scotland ; and the family name of the Earls of
Dundonald.) You will see there is a Gaelic column each week.

And now about the Tales of the Border; the copyright is expired,
and you are at liberty to copy as much as you like about Grizel Coch-
rane. I enclose another cutting, which I am sure will please you,
showing that the Earl is at the front. You are quite right to have all
these things correctly, as critics are always on the alert to try and trip
up any writer of an article upon historical events. I spare no pains,
to get at the foundation of any subject I take up; and especially when
you give 'Lantern Lectures,' as I have for years, not for my own

Letters From Scotland 41

interest, but to try to raise funds for various church organizations, for
altho I am an Elder of the Established Church, I am broad-minded
enough to assist other denominations as well.

I see you are also perturbed about this terrible war, but I do not
think there is any chance of America being involved. Christmas and
New Year passed off very quietly ; pubHc dinners and entertainments
having mostly been put off, except the usual dinners for the poor.
Our 'Mission Women's' treat comes off on Feb. 16th. It is the treat
of the year, and they look forward to it from one year to the next.
We have 148 away to the front from our church, and there will likely
be more yet. The most of these got large parcels at Christmas, from
the church, besides what we have been doing for Red Cross work as
well.

Nearly every Saturday we have had Flag Days ; tomorrow is for

the horses, and to help Veterinary work. Glasgow has headed the

list on every one of these occasions ; put Edinburg quite in the shade.

I We still have over one hundred Belgian Refugees in the old Sick

I Children's Hospital beside us, and next door, some of the sufferers

I in the Hartlepool Raid, who got their houses damaged with shells ; so

these things bring the war very near us and make one think about it."

Eighth letter, March 6th, 1915:

"Your letter arrived in due course. I am glad to learn that you are
' getting your Mss. into order for the printers. Perhaps you have been
I waiting to hear from me, in regard to the origin of the name Coch-
rane. I have been rather busy of late, but have at the same time,
j been making some inquiries of those likely to have a thorough knowl-
I edge of place-names, as well as family-names. There are several
books in our libraries here on these.

From the first, I, as well as those to whom I spoke about it, was
convinced that the name was not Highland ; so this week I called upon
the principal Gaelic book-seller, here, also the Secretary of the Gaelic
I Society, and both advised me to interview the Principal of the Uni-
I versity, Sir Donald McAllister, and the enclosed document I had from
him yesterday. You will see that it is clear and concise in every detail,
and coming from one, who is an authority, you can take it that what
he says is correct. I suppose he would not object to your quoting
him as your authority.

Perhaps the author of the book, from which you secured the mean-
ing of the name, as being of Gaelic origin, may have heard it pro-

42 Chronicles of the Cochrans

nounced as Cog-ran. The 'Gaelic Patronymic' says: 'The Sassenach
being ignorant of Gaelic, often transcribed by ear; the copy bearing a
faint resemblance to its original; and they give as an example,
McEachran, into Cochrane. McEachran means a horse-man.'

McAlpine's Gaelic Dictionary gives cog-kogg, to war, to fight; jeer
Chog iad, they warred. Cogadh, war, warfare. Ran, a drawling,
dissonant roar, or cry; a melancholy cry or roar. So you will see,
as Sir Donald said, Cog-ran was wrong.

I trust you will send a copy of your book when published, to Mr.
Porteous, the Editor, so that the Daily as well as the Weekly Herald
may review it, and thus bring it before the public, for you know the
Herald circulates all the world over.

Ochiltree is in Ayrshire. John Knox was married in the house of
Ochiltree. Gwrych Castle is in Denbighshire, North Wales and
Abergale is the Post-town. I see in the papers this week that the
Countess of Dundonald has returned to the castle, and the Earl is
Gold-Stick-in-Waiting, on the King, during the month of March.

Our streets are alive just now with soldiers, but I suppose the most
of them will be at the front next month. We are to have a march
out this afternoon of something like 9000, to help recruiting, and as
the day is fine, there will likely be a large turn-out of the general
public."

Another Derivation of the Name Cochrane

From Sir Donald MacAllister, Principal of the University of Glas-
gow, Scotland:

Cochrane. — The name is territorial, and refers to the lands,
(Easter Cochrane, Nether Cochrane, etc.), in Renfrewshire. The
family is not Highland ; there is neither clan nor sept of the name.

But the territorial place-name may be Celtic ; as Strathclyde was
formerly Cymric (or Welsh) and afterwards Gaelic.

The oldest form of the name is Coveran (1262). (Balfour Paul's
Scots' Peerage, 3334) ; then Cowran (before 1371) ; then Cochrane.

This suggests some form like Ciog-fran, (Welsh), or Coc-hhran,
(Gaelic) which would be pronounced Cochvran, and is an old name
for the raven, or the carrier-croiv. In modern Gaelic, it is applied to
the Jackdaw.

On the other hand, Cohhairean (pronounced Coveran), is Gaelic
for Masons, or Dyke-builders; and it will be remembered that Coch-
rane, the 'architect' of James, the Third, was spoken of as the 'Mason,'

The Gaelic Language 43

Cohhran, (pronounced both Covran and Cowran), is an old Gaelic
word for shields, or targes.

Coibhearan, (pronounced Coveran means otter, or sometimes hound.
(Note the greyhound supporters of Dundonald.)

(Signed.) Donald McAllister.

BIBLIOGRAPHHY OF REFERENCES CONSULTED

Matriculation Albums of the University of Glasgow. 1728-1858.

(Glasgow, Maclehase, 1913.) Index of Names, p. 558.

Coutts: History of the University of Glasgow. (Maclehase,
1909.)

Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen. (Blackie & Son.)

Thomson: History of the Scottish People. (Blackie & Son, 1894,
Vol. 3.)

Mitchell: History of the Highlands. (Paisley; Gardner, 1900,
Argyle's Insurrection, p. 522.)

Hill Burton: History of Scotland. (Edinburg, Blackwood, 1876.
James Thirds 'Mason' Vol. 3, pp. 24-27.

Sir James Balfour Paul's Scots' Peerage. (Edinburg, Douglas,
1906, Vol. 3, pp. 334-368.)

Addison: Roll of Graduates of the University of Glasgow.
(Maclehase, 1898, pp. 114-115.)

I trust this paper will settle the question of the name satisfactorily.
Andrew Walker, 86 Hill Street, Garnethill, Glasgow, Scotland.

The Gaelic Language

It may be interesting to know something of the Gaelic language in
connection with the different derivations of the name Cochrane as
found in this work. The Gaelic is the common dialect in use among
the Highlanders of Scotland, according to the Brittanica Encyclopedia.
The Gaelic is a branch of the Celtic Language. Scottish Gaelic is a
form of Goidelic speech, introduced into Scotland by Dalriadic Scots,
who came over from Ireland in the early centuries. Irish and Scotch
Gaelic differ considerably in point of vocabulary.

Until the Eighteenth Century, Gaelic was spoken in Galloway, and
in the uplands of Ayr and Lanark. Like the Irish, Gaelic is rich in
proverbs. Mac means son. Before the introduction of surnames, the
usual mode of distinguishing a person, was to name his father and
grandfather, thus : Owen, son of Donal, son of Dermot. In Scot-
land, Mac became exclusively used.

44 Chronicles of the Cochrans

(Note. — If some of the earlier families of Cochrane lived in the
uplands of Ayr, there is still some foundation for the belief that the
name has a Gaelic significance ; a belief to which many of the family
fondly cling.)

"Gaelic is such an expressive language and has been kept alive by
generations of bards ; names seem to caress ; to lull one into dreams of
old days, when a free race lived on the islands, and when there were
real castles and monasteries, perched on the heights" is the way a
recent writer expresses it.

And so, whether or not, the Cochranes are descended from the inner
circle ; the great Scotch hierarchy ; the hardy men of the North of
whom they say, "their bodies may cross the Tweed, but their hearts
never" ; it is interesting to know of these old family traditions and
to preserve them for future generations, and to rescue them from
oblivion, and for those reasons I have given all the different versions,
as they were presented to me.

Geographically, the Highlands of Scotland are separated from the
Lowlands, by the Grampians Mountains. General Stewart says that,
"for seven centuries, Birman Hill at the entrance to Athole has
formed the boundary between the lowlands and the highlands ; also
also between the Saxon and the Gaelic languages. On the southern
and eastern sides of the hill, breeches were worn and Saxon spoken;
on the northern and western, are the kilt and the plaid, and the
Gaelic."

Highland Costume

The origin of the ancient Highland kilt is lost in obscurity, as there
is much uncertainty as to its precise period, and there is a striking
similarity between the Scotch tartan and the checks worn by the Irish
in ancient times. The foundation of the old Scotch tartan was red
and green, but gradually five other colors, blue, black, white, yellow
and purple, were introduced, thus reaching the magical number of
seven, which in the times of the Druids, was only used by the kings
and high priests. The Irish had a peculiar reverence for color, and
the number of colors denoted the rank of the wearer. It is possible,
that the colors of the tartan may have had a similar significance.

Before the accession of James Sixth of Scotland to the throne of
Great Britain, the tunic and kilt formed a single garment, but during
his reign the kilt became a separate garment to be adjusted about the
waist, reaching not quite to the knees. The vest or tunic, also being a

I

Noted Women of the Cochrane Families of Scotland 45

separate garment. A cap or bonnet without any peak, decorated with
a spray of heather, or eagle's feather, if a chief.

A plaid, or scarf of ample dimensions, across the person of the
wearer, having the ends hanging down, fastened by a brooch on the
shoulder.

Noted Women of the Cochrane Families of Scotland

The writer feels that she cannot leave the records of the Cochrane
Family in Scotland, without some mention of the women, as they also
have flitted across the pages of history.

The first one of whom special mention is given is Elizabeth, daughter
and only child of that WiUiam, who married Margaret Montgomery;
who also established the ancient seat of the family, now marked
by the freestone tower, in which is built the original coat of arms,
bearing date 1592. Elizabeth married Alexander Blair, whose
Christian name has been handed down thru the ages and still survives
in the annals of the family. Alexander Blair assumed the arms and
! name of Cochran, in addition to his own. Their second son became
the first Earl of Dundonald ; and Elizabeth may have been said to have
perpetuated the race of the Cochranes.

The second to acquire fame was Grizel, the heroine, who saved her
father's Ufe.

The third was Susannah, the Countess of Eglinton, noted as a witty
beauty. She was six feet tall, the most beautiful woman of her day,
and the mother of seven tall and beautiful daughters.

Susan, daughter of the Fourth Earl of Dundonald, than whom
there was no lovelier nor prouder maid in all Scotland, achieved
notoriety by taking as her second husband, George Forbes, her groom.
All her high-born relatives, the Stewarts, Hamiltons, Murrays and
Cochranes refused to have anything to do with any one, who could so
far forget herself. Her husband, a very handsome man, proved
altogether undesirable and this led to a separation one year after
marriage, and the Countess with a baby daughter, left Scotland forever
and went to live in France. She placed the child in a convent at
Rouen, and spent nine years in restless wanderings, till her death in
Paris in 1754.

The daughter, also named Susan, may be regarded as the next one to
claim a special mention. She was reared in ignorance, as regarding
her family connections, until her father, having married again, one of

46 Chronicles of the Cochrans

his own station in life, sent to the convent for his daughter and she was
taken to Leith, Scotland. As her step-mother proved to be a cruel
tyrant, Susan slipped off one day with a piece of money in her pocket,
and took the packet boat to the coast of Fife. She spent several days
in wandering, and at last came to the hospitable home of a farmer
named Lauder, who welcomed her as one of his own, which she later
became, by marrying his son. They had several children and lived
happily enough till his death in the village of St. Ninians near Stirling.
During all these years, she had known nothing of her high born rela-
tives, till an accident revealed her to her kinsman, the Earl of Dunmore.
He and Lord Galloway, Duke of Hamilton and Mrs. Stewart of
MacKenzie, provided liberally for her, till her death at the age of
eighty.

There appeared this item in the foreign exchange column of the
Columbus Dispatch, some few years since: "London, Oct. 2. — Lady
Grizel Hamilton has had herself photographed with the leopard she
shot while on her honeymoon trip in West Africa. She had the
creature skinned, and the skin stuffed and mounted by a London
taxidermist. Lady Grizel is the oldest of the three daughters of the
Earl of Dundonald, and is the wife of the Hon. Ralph Gerard Alex-
ander Hamilton, of Belhaven."

THE death of lady ALICE NEWTON

Died at her residence, La Brea, Dec. 8, 1914, Lady Alice Laura
Sophia Newton, aged 65, the widow of George Onslow Newton, of
Croxton Park, Cambridge, and Pickhill Hall, Denbigh. Lady AHce
was the second daughter of the 11th Earl of Dundonald by his mar-
riage with a daughter of the late William Alexander Mackinnon, of
Mackinnon. She was the sister of that distinguished soldier, Major-
General, the 12th Earl of Dundonald, who received that rank for his
services in the South African War in command of the Mounted
Brigade of the Natal Army. Her other brother, the Hon. Thomas
Cochrane, for a long time represented North Ayrshire — the Cochrane
ancestral county — in Parhament, and was Under-Secretary of State
for the Home Department. Lady Alice was old enough to remember
her distinguished grandfather. Admiral, the Tenth Earl of Dun-
donald, whose oldest grandchild she was. That eminent sailor, best
known as Lord Cochrane, left a name of high distinction in our naval
annals. In 1808, his destruction of the enemy's ships in the Basque

The First Scotch-Irish Emigration to America 47

I

Roads dealt a crushing blow to Napoleon's maritime efforts. His
j career was one of brilliant exploit and daring in almost every quarter
I of the globe. (Copied from the Glasgow Weekly Herald, of Dec. 12,
I 1914.)
j

The First Scotch-Irish Emigration to America

(From History of Portland, Willis.)
"In the autumn of 1718, a vessel arrived at Falmouth, now Port-
land, Mass., with twenty famiHes of emigrants from Ireland. They
were the descendants of a colony from Argyleshire, Scotland, who
had setttled in Ireland, in the middle of the 17th century. They
were rigid Presbyterians and had fled from Scotland to avoid the
persecutions of Charles, the Second. North Ayrshire also contri-
I buted to the emigration of Scots to Ireland. They were called
I Scotch-Irish, but they refused to marry with the Irish, thus preserv-
[ ing their pure Scotch descent.

j The first emigration of these people to America is known as "The
j Governor Shute Company," and occurred in 1718. In the spring of
I that year, with Scottish prudence and foresight, they sent over the
i Reverend Mr. Boyd, their agent, with a paper duly executed and
j subscribed, setting forth their intention to emigrate to this country.

[ Of which this is a copy;

j

"To His Excellency, the Right Honorable, Colonel Samuel Suitte,
Governor of New England:

We, whose names are under-written, inhabitants of Ye North of
Ireland, Doe in our own names and in the names of many others our
Neighbors ; Gentlemen, Ministers, Farmers and Tradesmen : Com-
missionate and appoint our trusty and well-beloved friend, the
Reverend Mr. William Boyd, of Macasky, to His Excellency, the
Right Honorable Colonel Samuel Suitte, Governor of New England,
and to assure his Excellency of our sincere and hearty indication, to
transport ourselves to that very excellent and renowned plantation,
upon our obtaining from his Excellency, suitable encouragement and
further to act and doe in our own names as his prudence shall direct.

Given under our hands, this 26th day of March, Anno Domini,
1718.

There were 319 of the Ulstermen, who signed this document and
all but thirteen, or four per cent, were able to sign their own names.

48 Chronicles of the Cochrans

In an admirable paper by Professor A. L. Perry, of Williams
College, read before the Second Scotch-Irish Congress in 1890; in
speaking of this, he says: "It may well be questioned, whether in
any other part of the United Kingdom at that time, one hundred and
seventy-two years ago; in England, Wales, Scotland or Ireland; so
large a proportion as 96% of promiscuous house-holders in the com-
mon walks of life could have written their own names."

We are proud to see the names of three John Cochrans, one
James, William, Andrew, Peter, B. Cochran and Alex. Cochran.

On August 4, 1718, five small ships anchored at the foot of State
Street, Boston, having on board 125 families, of Scotch-Irish people.
This company mostly settled in Londonberry, New Hampshire, and
the adjacent towns of Antrim, Chester, and Windham, becoming the
largest and most important Scotch-Irish settlement in New England.
They had emigrated largely from Colrain, Ballymony and the adja-
cent towns of the Bann- Water valley.

The original manuscript petition that Boyd presented was given to
Mr. Daniel McGregor, of New York City, by Alden Bradford, Esq.,
secretary of the state of Massachusetts.

One of the very early settlers of New England was Robert Clark,
who came about 1625. His wife, Lucretia, having been the daughter
of John Cochran, of Londonderry, Ireland.

*

PART TWO

PIONEER HISTORY

WHY DID THE SCOTCH-IRISH COME TO AMERICA?

(By permission, from "Old Virginia and Her Neighbors," Fiske. Houghton,
MififHn & Co., Publishers.)

"In the year 1611, King James, the First, began to people Ulster
County, Ireland, with colonists from Scotland and the north of Eng-
land. His plan was to put into Ireland a Protestant population that
might eventually outnumber the Catholics and become the controlling
element in the country.

The settlers were picked men and women of the most excellent
sort. By the middle of the seventeenth century there were three
hundred thousand settlers in Ulster, that province having been one of
the most neglected parts of the island.

These colonists converted bogs and fens into gardens, and estab-
lished manufactures of hnens and woolens, which have ever since been
famous throughout the world. After a time the Irish became jealous
of this prosperity and inflicted persecutions upon the Scotch especi-
ally, who were known as the Presbyterians, the native Irish were
Catholics, and the English, regarded as Protestants, or probably
Church of England, otherwise Episcopal.

The Presbyterians endured this persecution until 1719, when the
first emigration took place. From that time until the Toleration Act
was passed in 1782, people of Ulster flocked to America. In 1727 six
ship loads landed at Philadelphia. One writer says that for the fol-
lowing twenty years at least twelve thousand came annually to America
from Ulster.

Of these very few landed at New England ports, but principally
at Philadelphia. As they did not agree with the Germans, who had
already settled in Pennsylvania, they were given grants of land in the
western mountain regions where they were to act as a buffer between
the established Eastern colonies and the Indian frontier."

They were said to be the most determined, most stubborn, most
religious and most persistent race that ever colonized a new country.
They were trained in war, for they had fought for generations for
triumph of principle."

51

52 Chronicles of the Cochrans

From 1759 to 1763, after the defeat of the French, hostilities of
the Indians were abated for a period, and since Fort Pitt was com-
manded by Scotch-Irish at this time, settlers began to migrate in great
numbers from the Cumberland Valley to Western Pennsylvania, over-
flowing to the Panhandle of Virginia.

Braddock's Trail was the route selected by many, coming by way
of Forts Bedford and Ligonier, on horses and pack-saddles. Wash-
ington reported that the town of Pittsburg was laid out in 1764, four
squares about the fort. The manor of Pittsburg was withdrawn from
the market in 1769 and given as the property of the Penn family. In
1770 there were about twenty log houses on the Monongahela river,
about three hundred yards from the fort."

Massacre of Wyoming Valley

In the spring of 1762, two hundred men from Connecticut made
the first settlement in the Wyoming Valley, one mile above the present
site of Wilkesbarre, Penna. Here they lived in peace for two years,
until the murder of a Delaware chief by the Six Nations, aroused the
suspicions of the Indians and they accused the white men of the
murder.

On October 15, 1764, the Indians attacked the settlement and
massacred twenty people, the others having fled to Fort Necessity or
the lower settlements in Pennsylvania, or back to Connecticut. There
was a family of Cochrans living at the settlement at the time, as related
by Miss Grace Braham, of Harrisville, Butler County, Pa.

"Our branch of the family came originally from Paisley, Scotland.
There is a Barony of Cochran in Renfrewshire and the family trace
its descent direct to Walden De Cochran in the time of Alexander the
Third, in 1262. The earliest that I know of the family in America
is that during the Revolutionary War William Cochran lived in the
Wyoming Valley and his wife, being warned in a dream that the
Indians were coming, aroused her husband and together they fled to
Fort Necessity, where my great-grandfather, John, was born that
night, being the night of the Wyoming massacre.

"Afterwards William Cochran came to Crawford County, Pa., and
settled at what is now Cochranton, where he kept the ferry. In 1825
John Cochran moved to the vicinity of Harrisville, bringing his family,
which included Charles, Wilson, WilHam, James and John. James P.
Cochran is a son of Wilson Cochran. Charles Cochran is my mother's

Indian Complaints 53

father. There are other Cochrans in Kittanning and near Butler who
are not related to us, but might be to you. I looked up the history of
West Liberty, Butler County, but found no reference to the Cochrans,
so it must be Allegheny County you want."

Indian Complaints

In 1765 the chiefs of the Six Nations held a council, complaining
of the white people who had settled on Indian lands, and they also
predicted that war would come of it. There were about one hundred
families, or seven hundred and fifty persons in these settlements at
Redstone and on the Monongahela River.

Governor Penn issued a proclamation warning the settlers of these
complaints, which finally terminated in what is known as the Indian
war under Pontiac, a celebrated Ottawa chief.

Here, then, were good and sufficient reasons for settlers to tarry in
the vicinity of the forts of Western Pennsylvania. In 1770 and later,
however, settlers began to flock from Virginia by way of Fort Pitt to
the fertile lands lying beyond the Ohio River. "*Here land was to be
had just for the taking, that was building a cabin and raising a crop
of grain, no matter how small, this entitled the occupant to four
hundred acres and a pre-emption right to one thousand more ad-
joining, if secured by land office warrant. At an early period the
Governor of Virginia appointed three commissioners to give cer-
tificates of settlement rights. These certificates together with the
surveyor's plan were sent to the land office of the state where they
laid six months to await any caveat which might be offered.

*There was an inferior kind of title called a "tomahawk right,"
made by deadening a few trees near the head of a spring, marking the
initials of the name of the person who made improvement on the
bark of one of the trees. I do not know or have no knowledge of the
efficacy of this "tomahawk" improvement, or whether it conferred
any right whatever, unless an actual settlement followed. These
rights were often bought and sold. Some settlers would come in the
spring to raise a crop of corn, leaving their families behind until fall."
After some such manner, no doubt, came William Cochran, wife and
three sons, to settle on the banks of Short Creek, now Ohio County,
West Virginia.

"Doddridge.'

54 Chronicles of the Cochrans

The Question of Boundary Lines

In October, 1770, Washington again visited Fort Pitt, but he was
on a peaceful errand this time. On the 17th, he relates in his Journal,
"Lodged in what is called the town, distant about three hundred yards
from the fort, at one Semple's, who keeps a very good house of enter-
tainment." He describes the town and the fort, which had a garrison
of two companies of Royal Irish,

Washington went on a hunting trip down the Ohio and returned in
November, after which he returned to Virginia. But now, after a
period of peace and quiet in this troubled section, there arose another
controversy between Virginia and Pennsylvania, this time over the
boundary line between their possessions. Virginia relied on her
charter from King James the First; Pennsylvania on hers from King
Charles the Second, in 1581.

This boundary question arose in 1752, and was finally settled in
1784 by the establishment of the Mason's and Dixon's line. Michael
Cresap sought to create disturbance by saying "the province of Penn-
sylvania did not extend west of the Allegheny Mountains, but that all
westward of them was King's Land."

The trouble between the British Government and the American
colonies was also growing more tense and bitter, and the government
finally decided to abandon Ft. Pitt and withdraw the troops. The
building and materials were sold for fifty pounds New York currency,
on Oct. 10, 1772, to Alexander Ross and William Thompson. The
fort was evacuated by the British after the terrible struggles that had
been made to secure it and in 1774 troops from Virginia, sent by the
Governor, Lord Dunmore, took possession and changed the name to
Fort Dunmore, but after the establishment of the boundary line in
1784 or 1785, Pennsylvania was again given possession of this territory.

Settlement of the Zanes

About this time, in June, 1770, Ebenezer Zane and his brothers
came from the south branch of the Potomac. They came, no doubt,
by the same route as had Washington and Braddock, five years earlier,
from Virginia, stopping at Fort Pitt, then pushing on through the
wilderness until they arrived in the vicinity of Wheeling Hill, over-
looking the Ohio River. Here Ebenezer Zane built his cabin and
remained one season, then returned for his family. He came again

Settlement of William Cochrane in 1772 55

to Wheeling in the spring of 1772, having left his family at Redstone
until fall.

DeHass says: "In 1772 came Bonnet, Wetzel, Messer, Silas Zane
and many others from the same region. These men crossed from
Redstone (now Brownsville, Pa.) by way of Catfish (Washington)
and Scotch Ridge to the head of Little Wheeling Creek Valley, thence
down over the same route afterwards taken for the National Road.

"When within a few hundred yards of the forks of WheeUng Creek
an incident, trivial in itself, but important in results, occurred. Wetzel,
riding in advance, broke his saddle girth and was compelled to get oflf
to repair it. Meantime, Silas Zane passed on and came to the forks,
and admiring the locality, he tomahawked his right to it, securing one
thousand acres.

"Here they separated. Bonnet, Wetzel and others going up Big
Wheeling Creek, while Zane and his party went dozvn. Other emi-
grants soon followed, and fine lands along Wheeling, Buffalo and
Short Creeks were soon claimed by actual settlers. Near the junction
of Big and Little Wheeling Creeks was Shepherd's Fort, Shepherd
being one of the first pioneers."

Settlement of William Cochran in 1772

Among these early settlers on Short Creek was one William Coch-
ran, who, according to a certificate granted by the Commissioners of
Yohogania, Monongalia and Ohio Counties, had settled there in 1772.
He may have previously tomahawked his claim.

William Cochran we believe to have been the grandson of William
Cochran and Lady Mary Bruce, his wife, of Ochiltree, in Ayrshire,
Scotland. He was born about 1730, we should judge; may or may
not have emigrated to Ireland, but reached America probably in the
late fifties. We have been told that he came to this country a young
man, with a small patrimony, but whether from Ireland or Scotland
is not known, though it has been asserted that we are of Scotch-Irish
descent.

We feel sure that if William Cochran had come from Ireland at
that time he would not have had even a small patrimony ; we think
he came directly from Scotland, probably as one of Braddock's com-
pany of soldiers, in 1755, for Braddock himself was born in Perthshire,
Scotland, and doubtless some of his company were recruited from his
own county.

56 Chronicles of the Cochrans

What more likely, then, that a young man, descendant of a family
numbering both military and naval heroes from its earliest history,
should enhst for service in defense of his country's colonies beyond
the seas?

Or, aside from a desire for such service, might there not have been
also the adventurous spirit to visit the new colonies with men of like
mind? And if we have correctly traced our line of descent, might
there not have been still another reason why it was expedient for him
to strike out for a new country?

If his father had been one of the nine sons of Sir William Cochran
and Lady Mary Bruce, should you not think the son's patrimony would
be so small that he would naturally avail himself of the free trans-
portation of the King's soldiers ?

However it may be, we have offered you three reasons why we
think William Cochran came to America with General Braddock's
army ; because of loyalty to his sovereign ; or, because of an adventur-
ous spirit; or, for the sake of a livelihood. The reader is at liberty
to make his own decision.

In 1758 England sent 22,000 more troops to America, and possibly
he might have come then. Very probably he married some pioneer
lassie of Virginia or Pennsylvania ; or possibly he might have followed
the family of some Scotch lassie over to America. Who can tell?

Family history has nothing to say; neither has local nor State his-
tory. Women of pioneer times merely existed. Few records have
been kept of their doings, unless of some untoward event. Only the
fact that they left sons behind them has left any impression on the
minds and records of early historians.

Whether William Cochran had previously settled in Pennsylvania,
or whether he came to the vicinity of Fort Pitt from Virginia, we
do not know. As an honest historian we can only relate from family
records that three sons were born to him; Thomas, on December 17,
1759; Robert, in 1762, and James in 1764. They were born in Penn-
sylvania. Records say at West Liberty, Pa., but we find no trace of
a settlement by that name at that time.

So we can only presume that he lived in Pennsylvania until that
time when the Zanes began their permanent settlements on Short
Creek, Va., and the vicinity known later as Fort Henry, on the Ohio
River.

The Death of William Cochran 57

Here they wrested a home from the wilderness. It has been stated
by other historians of the family that William was a scout and sur-
veyor at this time. The settlers in the vicinity of Short Creek had
built a blockhouse at West Liberty, the highest point of land, about
two miles northwest of the creek, and thither they fled for safety
when the alarm of an Indian attack on Fort Henry was sounded.

Ohio territory across the river was Indian land, and gave the In-
dians opportunity to display their hostility frequently. The last and
most serious attack, known in history as the "last battle of the Revo-
lutionary War," occurred on September 11 and 12, 1782.

"Last Battle of the Revolutionary War"

There were three hundred Indians and fifty British led by the
renegade white man, Simon Girty, in their attack on Fort Henry.
The settlers having heard in time of the approach of the Indians, had
all assembled within the walls of the fort, except Ebenezer Zane, who
remained in his own cabin, about sixty yards distant.

There were forty-two men and boys under Colonel Shepherd to
defend the fort, but two parties of fourteen men under Captain Mason
and twelve men under Sergeant Ogle, were sent out against some
Indians in a cornfield, and either killed or wounded, or prevented from
returning to the assistance of the Fort.

However, at about four o'clock in the morning Colonel Swearengen
with fourteen men from Cross Creek arrived by way of the river, and
later, about daybreak. Major McCulloch arrived with forty mounted
men from Short Creek. The Indians did not renew the attack, but
burned the cabins and drove off the stock, and dividing into smaller
parties, some went over to Ohio, and others set out to wreak their
vengeance on the settlements east of Fort Henry. One band of forty
had taken as captive Billy Boggs, who later related the fate of Will-
iam Cochran to his sons.

The Death of William Cochran, as Related by His Son Robert

From "Bonnie Belmont." By permission.
"My father, William Cochran, was killed by the Indians at the time
of the siege and battle of Fort Henry, at Wheeling, on the 11th to
the 13th of September, 1782. I was a young man past twenty at the
time. My father was the most athletic man I ever knew, and was
noted for being the swiftest runner on that part of the frontier. He

58 Chronicles of the Cochrans

was a good surveyor and had done some civil engineering. There
was no better shot with the rifle, and in his pioneer Hf e he had become
thoroughly conversant with the characteristics of Indian warfare. He
was a good scout, and his fleetness of foot had saved him more than
once from capture while on perilous expeditions for the government
forces.

"Lewis Wetzel, with whom I was well acquainted, regarded father
as one of the swiftest men on foot he had ever met, and Wetzel him-
self had never met his match at this. Father owned a tract of land*
near Forts Van Meter and Shepherd. At the time of the battle all
the settlers with their famiHes had flocked to the forts. An attempt
had been made to reinforce Fort Henry, but it had failed. Those at
Forts Van Meter, West Liberty and Shepherd feared that the whole
garrison at Wheeling had been massacred, but were desirous of learn-
ing their fate, and of extending aid if possible. It was decided to
send two scouts to ascertain the condition of affairs, and father and
'Billy' Boggs were selected.

"They made their way past father's farm and had gone but a short
distance when they encountered some forty Indians, a part of the
force which, after the failure to capture the fort at Wheeling, had
broken up into small bands and were pillaging the whole country for
a number of miles east of it. Father and Boggs each killed their In-
dian, and with empty guns started to run. The Indians attempted to
surround them in order to capture them alive for the purpose of burn-
ing them at the stake. They had a particular desire to capture father,
for they knew him to be an intrepid hunter and a dangerous enemy.
He was too swift for them and soon distanced their best runners.
Boggs had gone in a different direction in order to divide their force.
Father had gained so rapidly on them that he was soon out of range
of their guns, but he made the fatal mistake of attempting to cross
over a very steep projecting point, instead of keeping along the creek
and going around it. For while he was climbing a very steep bank
the Indians were running down hill on the other side of the creek,
thus gaining on him so as to bring him within range again just as he
was passing over the point. Had he kept down the stream and around
the point they could not have overtaken him.

"But one shot of all those fired, hit, and killed him instantly. They
scalped him and left the body where it fell. It was found the next
day and buried by a party from the fort. Boggs was captured, and

Survey of Land of William Cochran 59

when they struck him in the face with the bloody scalp he knew what
had been the fate of his companion. The Indians moved on quite
rapidly to the Ohio River, crossing at Mingo Bottom, some sixteen
miles above Wheeling. When the Indians reached the banks of the
river they stripped Boggs, and forming two lines, facing each other,
made him run the gauntlet between them, beating him with switches
and clubs as he passed. He knocked one of them down, broke through
their ranks, and jumped from a high bank into the river. He was a
most expert swimmer, and struck out with all his might and swam
down the river. The Indians, taken by surprise, ran for their guns,
and following along the bank, tried to shoot him, but he escaped owing
to the growing darkness and turned up at the fort at Wheeling that
night, bringing the first news of the adventure."

Location of William Cochran's Land

The family of William Cochran continued to live on the farm at
Short Creek for some time after his death. On March 24, 1783, the
following survey was recorded :

"Surveyed for the heirs of William Cochran, deceased : 177 acres
of land in Ohio County, including his settlement made in 1772, on
part of a certificate from the Commissioners for the District of Mo-
nongalia, Yohogania and Ohio, bearing date December 13th, 1779,
situate on the waters of Short Creek and bounded as follows, to wit :
Beginning at a gum stump, by a gum tree, corner to John McDonald,
thence N. 49 W. 34 poles to a hickory, corner to Jacob Pyatt, and with
his line N. 47 W. 40 poles to a white oak ; thence N. 41 W. 30 poles
to hickory and bush by a branch, corner to Edward Morgan, and with
his Hne N. 16 E. 100 poles to a hickory, corner to Wm. Harrison, and
with his line East 50 poles to a beech, thence N. 80 E. 120 poles to an
ash, thence N. 21 E. 40 poles to a hickory, on top of a ridge, corner to
Benjamin Ogle, and with his Hne S. 50 E. 50 to a beech, comer to
John McDonald, and with his hne S. 21 W. 100 poles to a Spanish
oak, on top of a ridge, thence S. 67 W. 62 poles to the place of be-
ginning.

''Robert Woods, Surveyor of Ohio County.

"March 24, 1783."

60 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Correspondence with S. S. Jacobs

From letters received from Mr. Spriggs S. Jacobs, whose land now
adjoins this farm, we have the following: "That part of my farm
lying next to the Cochran farm, and on which WiUiam Cochran lies
buried today, formerly belonged to my Grandmother Mills. She had
inherited it from her father, Levi Mills, who owned it when Cochran
was killed by the Indians and his body buried on the spot where found.
This land is opposite or across the hollow from the Cochran Cabin,
which stood on the site now occupied by the farm house of Mr. James
Dixon, the owner at present.

"I talked with an old gentleman named John Curtis (at the time
past ninety years of age), who told me he was a babe at the time of
Cochran's death. He lived in the Morgan cabin, just across the hol-
low on the west side of the Mills land. The farm, on which he lived
and died, joined the Cochran farm on the east. A short time before
he died I was talking to him about this matter of Cochran having been
buried on my land and he showed me about where he thought the
grave was. But the head and foot stones had been removed, probably
in plowing the land. Originally the grave was in the woods, and
though there is a strip of woods still there, next to the Cochran land,
where some still think the grave was, the Mr. Waddells told me there
was no doubt of the fact that the grave was in the field, for they could
remember that there were very large stones at the head and foot of
the grave when they had seen it and crossed it many a time in going
to and from school. It was their impression that the markers had
been removed when the land had been cleared. The Waddells once
owned the land and lived on it for years, at some time between Coch-
ran's death and 1860. I believe they were the second parties who
owned it, Atkinson being the first, after Cochran."

The Family of William Cochran

The family of William Cochran evidently lived on the farm for
several years after his death. From other records we learn that
Thomas, the oldest son, married Elizabeth Morris, about 1790, and
lived at Short Creek until 1797, when they moved to Tyler County,
West Virginia, on a farm just below Long Reach Post Office, which
they had bought of Abraham Clements. Ohio County records disclose
the fact that Thomas must have inherited the estate on Short Creek,

The Genealogy of Thomas, the Oldest Son 61

since he sold — acres to Benjamin Harvey in ,798; to John Law and
Hugh Creighton in 1801 ; and to Abraham Clemens in 1806.

Robert, the second son, married Rebekah Pierce in 1800, and sold
his land on Buffalo Creek in 1801 to Hugh Pierce and his wife Mary,
evidently relatives of his wife. We also learn that he came to Ohio
in 1801 and bought land on the site of Burlington. He owned quite
an extensive tract, extending back along the ridge, possibly including
the land now known as Raineys.

Of James, the youngest son, we find no records, until 1806, when
he bought forty-five and one-half acres of land in Section 26, Town-
ship 4, Range 2, for the sum of $28 from Bazaleel Wells, Land Agent
for that section, at that time in Ohio. This farm is located on the
hill northwest of Martins Ferry, a mile or more from the town proper,
and is still owned and occupied by one of his lineal descendants.

It is one of the most pathetic facts in early history that the wives
of the pioneers were little more than nonentities — ciphers, to fill up
vacant places. Here we have scarcely any record of the wife of
WilHam Cochran; where she was born; what was her name; how,
when and where she met William Cochran ; where or when they were
married; when she died, or where she was buried. There is every
probability, however, that she was buried in West Liberty Cemetery.
It is also probable that she must have died in 1800, or previously, from
the fact that her three sons were all married by that time, for with
her death the old home relations were broken up and the sons married
and set up new homes, each for himself. The early records were
removed from West Liberty to Wheeling and nearly all destroyed
when the Court House burned.

The Genealogy of Thomas, the Oldest Son of William
Cochran, as Written by His Descendants

Thomas Cochran was born December 17, 1759, in Pennsylvania;
was married to Elizabeth Morris in 1790. They Hved on Short Creek,
near West Liberty, Ohio County, West Virginia, until 1797, when
they moved to a farm near Long Reach, Tyler County, West Virginia,
which they bought of Abraham Clements, who later bought a part of
the Cochran farm on Short Creek,

Twelve children were born to Thomas and Elizabeth Cochran, as
follows :

62 Chronicles of the Cochrans

(1) First child died in infancy. (8) Drusilla, born Oct. 23,

(2) Mary born Dec. 30, 1793. 1806.

(3) William, born Oct. 29, 1795. (9) Nancy, born Oct. 22, 1807.

(4) Phoebe, born Oct. 30, 1797. (10) Friend, born Nov. 15, 1809.

(5) Thomas, born Oct. 29, (11) John C, born April 4, 1811.

1799. 1811.

(6) Zachariah, born Dec. 11, (12) EHzabeth, born Dec. 2,

1801. 1815.

(7) James, bom Sept. 21, 1803.

Thomas Cochran, first of the name, was an Indian fighter and hunter.
He was not a churchman, but his wife was a Methodist. He died in
1845. She died of heart disease in 1843 at R. K. Ewart's in Ohio.
Both are buried on the Monteith, or old home place.

(2) Mary Cochran, born at Short Creek, W. Va., married Robert
Kells Ewart, and lived one mile below Grandview, Washington Co.,
O. They had two children (2a) Thomas West Ewart, born at Grand-
view, O., Feb. 27, 1816, and died at Granville, O., in 1881. He had
a family of twelve children. (2b) Elizabeth Jacqueline Ewart, bom
Aug., 1828, died in 1881, unmarried. Mary Cochran Ewart and her
husband were both active members of the Methodist Church. She
was a gentle, good woman, loved by all. Buried with her husband at
Marietta, O.

(3) William Cochran, born at Short Creek, W. Va., married
Fannie Williams. Their family as follows: (3a) EHza, died in
1864, unmarried. (3b) Lucretia, married John R. Brown, and had
two children. (3c) Mary, unmarried. (3d) Jeremiah, married
Deha Booth, and had four children; Charles, Eliza, B. Louisa and
Frank. (3e) Lewis died, unmarried. (3f) John married Liva
Shearer, had two children, Albert F. and John J. (3g) Thomas J.
married Lizzie Barr and had five children. (3h) William, Junior,
married Sarah Booth, had three children, and lived in Clarington.
(3) William, oldest son of Thomas, First, went to Marietta, O., and
learned the tanner trade with Wm. Skinner, Sr., and he and his
father had a tannery at Long Reach, W. Va., and subsequently at
Woodsfield, Monroe Co., O. Then he moved to Clarington, O.,
where he had a farm; thence to a farm he owned in Wetzel Co., W.
Va., four miles above New Martinsville, where he died in 1881, aged
86 years. He was a Christian, a member of the Methodist Church;
a Republican in politics; at one time was County Treasurer of Mon-

j The Genealogy of Thomas, the Oldest Son 63

|l

jj roe Co.; respected by all. His wife, Frances Will, was an amiable

^ woman.

I (4) Phoebe Cochran, married Joseph Taylor, and settled on a farm
j on Grape Island, W. Va. She had eleven children, as follows : (4a)
■ Betty, (4b) John, (4c) Harriet, (4d) Friend, (4e) George Wm.,
(4f) Simon, (4g) Thomas, (4h) Joseph, (4i) Rebecca, and an un-
named infant. Phoebe died of heart disease.

(5) Thomas Cochran, Junior, married Mary McEldowney. He
was a tanner by trade. He founded the town of Cochransville, about
; three miles above New Matamoras, O., and died there in 1863.

(5) His children were, (5a) Robert, (5b) Mary Ellen, (5c) Har-
rison, (5d) Friend, (5e) George, (5f) Lizzie, (5g) Melvina, (5h)
Sarah, (5i) Violinda.

(5f) Lizzie married Joseph Whitton.

(5c) Harrison married Ruth Bonnell, born at Barnesville, Bel-
mont Co., Ohio, and moved to Monroe Co. when quite young. Har-
rison is the only living member of his father's family.

(6) Zachariah, born at Long Reach, married Lucy Dye, bought a
farm adjoining Village of Grandview, Ohio, Washington Co., and
lived there all his life. Their children were: (6a) Terissa, (6b)
David, (6c) Silas, (6d) Thomas, (6e) Wm., (6f) Remus Uberto,
(6g) Shelby.

Zachariah died 1882, aged eighty. He was a prominent business
j man ; Republican ; County Commissioner for one term ; member of
the Baptist Church. His daughter, Terissa, married James Cochran,
a son of John Cochran, the oldest son of James, a brother to
Thomas ; both being sons of William, the founder of the family in
America. (Note. This is the only record of inter-marriage I have
found.)

Terissa and James Cochran lived at Grandview, and had four
I children.
(7) James, the fourth son of Thomas, married CaroHne S. Gorrell,
and lived on Bond's Creek, Ritchie Co., W. Va. They had no
children. He died in 1880, aged 77 years.

(8) Drusilla married Samuel McEldowney and lived at New
Martinsville, W. Va. Their children were: (8a) John, (8b) Robert,
(8c) Mary, (8d) Francis. Drusilla died in 1877, Oct. 16.

(9) Nancy married James Flack, and lived below GallipoHs,
GalHa Co., Ohio, and had three children: (9a) Friend, unmarried;

64 Chronicles of the Cochrans

(9b) Mary, married Smith, (9c) Lizzie, married Walter Thornley.
In early life, James Flack was a school teacher; in later years a
farmer.

(10) Friend, was born Nov. 15, 1809, in Tyler Co., W. Va., just
below Long Reach P. O., where his father settled in 1797. He mar-
ried Catharine Johnson, daughter of William and Elizabeth Taylor-
Johnson, Jan. 25, 1838. They had twelve children, of whom three
died in infancy.

(10a) William Thomas, born Jan. 5, 1839. Died Oct. 15, 1849.

(10b) Marion, born July 16, 1841.

(10c) Mary E., born April 9, 1843.

(lOd) Phoebe T., born Jan. 5, 1845. Died Oct. 15, 1849.

(lOe) John, born Feb. 20, 1847.

(lOf) Clawsar Parker, born March 9, 1849.

(lOg) Rebecca S., born March 8, 1851. Died Aug. 5, 1890.

(lOh) Joseph E., born Feb. 20, 1853. Married MolHe Morris,
April 5, 1888. They have one daughter, Grace. Live at Granville,
Licking Co., Ohio.

(lOi) JuHa A., born Sept. 3, 1855.

(lOj) Virginia, born July 3, 1858.

(10k) Kate, born Jan. 13, 1862.

FROM HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY, PAGE 59

Mr. and Mrs. Friend Cochran are both members of the Baptist
Church in which he has been a Deacon since 1870. He originally
lived on the home place near Long Reach. He moved to his present
residence at Salama, W. Va., in 1857. He owns 1314 acres of land,
mostly on the Ohio River, He was at one time a member of the
County Court. He ranks as one of the best known and most respected
citizens of the county. He was a delegate to the Convention that
assembled at Wheeling in time of the war to form the new state of
West Virginia.'

(11) John C , son of Thos., died in 1822, aged ten years.

(12) Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas, married Samuel T. Thistle,
and moved West to Johnston Co., Missouri, and died there in 1844,
April 8, leaving one child, Susan, who married Copeland.

AS GIVEN BY LORA COCHRAN SAUNDERS

"According to our records, our great, great grandfather, William
Cochran came from Ireland, place and date of birth unknown. Emi-
grated to America, West Liberty, Pa., and my great grandfather,

The Genealogy of Thomas, the Oldest Son 65

Thomas, the first, was born there Dec. 17, 1759. He married Eliza-
beth Morris. She died in 1843, and he died in 1845. Both are
buried on the old home place, now owned by Capt. Jack Monteith.
We have always understood that our ancestors emigrated to Ireland
and for that reason, were called Scotch-Irish.

I am glad you are writing the history of the Cochran family as I
am quite interested in that line myself, and have quite a bit of their
history but it is so disconnected. I have a copy of quite a long letter
from Judge R. H. Cochran, written to Thos. Ewart in 1885, giving
quite a sketch of the family and references where more can be found.

My grandfather, Thomas, the second, settled near the village of
Cochransville, which he laid out on part of his farm. He said it
was the worst piece of work he ever did. My father is the next
youngest of nine children and the only one living. His general health
is good, considering the hardships he endured during the war. Our
family consists of father, mother, one brother. Friend W., one sister,
Elizabeth, and me. Mother's name was Bonnell.

Thomas Ewart started a history of our family, but ran into the

'wall' at the same place you did ; the birth-place of Wm. C and

exact date of his arrival in America. He has the same account of
the killing of William Cochran by the Indians that I have, for we
both got it from Judge Robert H. Cochran.

My father says that he remembers hearing grandfather tell about

William C being killed by Indians when out looking for his cattle,

and his father (Thomas), who was a lad of thirteen at the time, was
with him and when he saw the Indians pursuing his father the boy
crawled into a hollow log and the Indians went right over the log
where he was hidden.

I do not believe any of the family connections at this end of the
line could be called ver\^ quarrelsome, although some of them have
had their family spats. They say grandfather (Thomas Second)
was a fighter and ready for a 'knock-down' at any time. He had
four brothers, WiUiam, who settled at Clarington, James, at Bond's
Creek near Ellenboro ; Zachariah, at Grandview, and Friend, who
inherited all of the property and for a number of years, lived on the
home place at Long Reach, but later moved to Eureka, W. Va.

My father says none of his brothers or uncles ever settled at Cov-
ington, Ky. I have just had a letter from one of my cousins, Thomas
Cochran, who hves at New Cumberland, W. Va., telling me that he

66 Chronicles of the Cochrans

had been nominated for 'Clerk of the Circuit Court, in Hancock
County.' His father and my father were brothers. Uncle Friend had
seven children and Thos. is the only one who cared for an education.
He is a very bright man and has worked his way alone, against all
kinds of obstacles and bad luck. He can say some of the wittiest
things, and most original of any man I ever knew, and he is as comic
as a box of monkeys.

It would seem that many of the Cochrans had a 'hankering' for
politics and Court House work. Many of my friends say it is too bad
that I am a woman ; if I were a man, I would stand such a good chance
of being Recorder, but I do not think I should enter politics if I could,
for it is too uncertain."

BY IDA DRENNEN COCHRAN

"Lora Cochran is the wife of Dr. Ed. Saunders, of Steubenville, O.
She is a fine woman of a fine, kind family. I know her father well
and particularly like him. His sense of humor and his characteristic
manner of divulging it, quite appeals to my understanding. His
quiet wife is fully his equal in hospitality.

May I humbly whisper to you — after living in this neighborhood
for about thirty-five years ; among a large family of Cochrans of four
generations; children of the second generation, that I have known
personally, Thomas, of Cochransville ; William, of Clarington and
New Martinsville ; Friend, of Salama, W. Va. ; Zachariah, of Grand-
view, (my respected father-in-law) ; may I whisper modestly, I ask,
my pleasure and appreciation of my husband's family?

A family quick in thought and deed; quick to do a kindness, (as
their neighborhood will testify, no doubt); quick in wit; quick in
temper, both to get in and to get out ; a lovable, companionable family."

WAR RECORD OF HARRISON COCHRAN

He was enhsted in the 116th Ohio Volunteer Infantry; was badly
wounded; taken prisoner on the Hunter Raid and sent to Anderson-
ville Prison; after his wound got better, he escaped from Anderson-
ville, and he and another soldier made their way to the Union gun-
boat, on the Gulf of Mexico. He was a prisoner at Andersonville
for ten months ; it took him three months to make his escape ; travel-
ing at night and hiding in swamps by day ; depending on the negroes
for food. A comrade of his, a member of the same Company, a Mr.

Genealogy of Robert, the Second Son 67

Hall, of St. Clairsville, says, "Harrison Cochran was a splendid soldier
and fearless, as well; and as a man, one of the best I have ever
known."

Genealogy of Robert Cochran, the Second Son of William

As related by Judge John S. Cochran, a grandson

At the time of the death of William Cochran, who was killed by
Indians, the English laws of primogeniture and descents, obtained in
Virginia, which gave all the property of the decedent to his eldest
son, subject only to his debts, and the dower estate of his wife in one-
third of the land, until her death. Thomas being the eldest son, is
the reason why he could convey the land at the death of his mother,
Jane, who survived her husband a few years. My grandfather,
Robert, was the second son of William, and James Cochran, senior,
was the third son, being your ancestor.

Grandfather lived near to our home, and within hailing distance.
I have heard him complain bitterly, many and many a time, of the
harshness and injustice of the Virginia law of descents, and of how
his mother, Jane, struggled for a living on the farm, and how he and
James, as boys, hired out for as low as five and ten cents a day. He
said she was a woman of great industry and great force of character,
and the records of Ohio County, West Virginia, that I have had
occasion to consult, bear him out in this statement. I am truly sorry
I have never been able to secure her name and ancestry. I could
have had it all from grandfather, in the twenty years when he and I
were contemporaries, had I not been such a thoughtless boy as to my
ancestors, for he loved to talk about them.

In Lora's letter you will see the tradition which she has of the
killing of William Cochran is different from the statement of grand-
father as related in my book on pages 152-3-4. The trouble is, she
has confounded an incident which transpired in September, 1777, with
that of the attack on the fort five years later, on September 11th, 12th,
and 13th, 1782, when our grandfather was killed. In each of these
raids, after the attack on the fort, the savages spread themselves over
the country, east and north of Wheeling, killing, burning, and stealing

During the first raid, my grandfather, Robert, and your ancestor,
James, senior, were out hunting the cows in the evening. The saw
two Indians and crawled into the hollow of a fallen sycamore tree,

68 Chronicles of the Cochrans

and were not observed by the Indians, although the latter passed over
one part of this tree. "Billy Boggs" lived for long years after the
siege of Fort Henry at Wheeling, and died there, and some of his
descendants are in this vicinity yet, and the incident of our great
grandfather's death and Billy Boggs' capture has been a tradition
talked over by the Cochrans' and the Boggs' descendants in this com-
munity ever since, and within about eight miles of where it transpired.

Another Derivation of the Name

Now, as to the name Cochrane, my investigation shows that it
comes from two words, Coch and Rane. The first is not pronounced
Cotch, but Cah, giving the a the sound of a in "father," with the
short sound of the h following. Take for illustration the name of
Loch-Lomond, the Loch, or lake near Glasgow, where our ancestors
came from. There, the letters o and c combined in the word Loch,
take the sound of a in the word lazv, with the short h following as
it does in the word "Coch" in Coch-rane, and it would be pronounced
La/i-Lomond. I have it from a scholarly Scotch minister that the
word "Coch" means brave, and the word "Rane" means man or per-
son, in Scotch, and that the two words became our family name from
the following incident in the history of the Clan Campbell to which
we belonged.

In some great battle, in which the Clan Campbell was engaged one
of the clan performed a striking feat of valor, which turned the tide
of battle and brought victory ; in full view of the Duke of Argyle,
the then head of the Clan. Then, in full view of the army, the Duke
laid his hand on the man's shoulder and exclaimed "Coch-rane" ! !
(Brave-man!) and from that date the tribe of Cochran began, as he
and his descendants were ever after called Cochrane. I have never
seen the derivation of the Cochrane name as found in "Ancient
Woodbury" by Judge William Cothern, of Connecticut, of which
you write, and of course do not know what his views on that subject
were.

I cannot enlighten you on the James McCort matter. I asked J.
T. Hanes of this city, today, who was a member of our regiment, and
he could tell me nothing. You have my consent to use anything in
my book which will aid you in any way in completing your work, and
I do hope and believe it will be a success.

The children of my grandfather, Robert, son of WilHam, were as
follows : Robert Cochran married Rebecca Pierce, a full cousin of

Another Derivation of the Name 69

President Franklin Pierce, who was a Colonel in the Mexican War
with the United States; she died in 1833 from the hook of a cow, and
grandfather died in 1860. The children of this marriage who lived
to reach maturity were: Rebecca, SaUie, Robert, Pattie, Alexander,
William B., John W., and Eliza Jane. Grandfather also had a
second wife, Elizabeth Wise, by whom he had one daughter, Margaret
Ann.

Rebecca married James Hammond, a storekeeper in Martins
Ferry, and a member of the Society of Friends. They had six
children who are all deceased excepting Mrs. Laura Hathaway, who
resides in Chicago.

Sallie married Samuel Smith, and died without issue.

Martha or Pattie, married John Crowner, and I beheve they died
childless.

Alexander married Sallie French. They moved to Illinois and had
a family of six children. I know little of them, except that the
parents are dead.

William B. married Ruth Amanda Amos, and both died without
issue.

John W. went to the gold-fields of Cahfornia in 1848, subsequently
moved to Oregon, married there and had one son, who is now a
banker in Salem, Oregon. The father and mother are deceased.

Eliza Jane married John Conaway, by whom she had two sons,
Sheridan and Addison. She and her husband are both dead, and I
do not know if the boys are living.

Robert, my father, married Susannah Davis, by which union they
had thirteen children. Two of these died in infancy, and the remain-
ing eleven arrived at the age of majority. They were: Robert H.,
Lucelia, John S., Wilson H., Watson P., Crowner C, Cordelia, Fen-
nimore P., Annie, Alfaretta, and Sumner F. I have given these in
their order of birth. Our father, Robert, was born in 1814, and died
of typhoid fever in the early spring of 1863, leaving our family of
the younger children on the farm with our mother, in bad shape; for
you know the six boys first named had enlisted in the army of the
United States. Mother died in 1893, being nearly eighty years old.
Her father, Ellis Davis, was a soldier in the War of 1812, and died
at the age of 75. His wife, Hannah, was a SaHsbury, an EngHsh
lady, and the S. of my middle name stands for this. She died at the
age of 84. My brother, Robert H., married Miss Mattie Dakin, of

70 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Princeton, 111., and by that union there were eight children. Their
oldest son, Negley, is, and for many years has been, the editor of the
Daily Newsbee, at Toledo, Ohio.

Robert H. was judge of the County Court at Wheeling, W. Va.,
he initiated and built the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad, from
WheeHng to Toledo, and was at one time president of that road. He
likewise initiated and built the Wheeling Bridge and Terminal Rail-
road and the fine bridge which spans the Ohio River at Martins
Ferry, Ohio.

Robert H. was born at BurHngton, Ohio, June 26, 1836, and died
at Toledo, Ohio February 22nd, 1896. His wife died in October,
1914.

Lucelia married John S. Brown, a neighboring farmer's son. They
bought a farm in the Shenandoah Valley on which they both died a
few years since, leaving a family of three boys and two girls, who are
still living, their names being Cassius, William, Annie, Charles, and
Myrtle.

John S. Cochran was born September 9th, 1841, at Colerain, Bel-
mont County, Ohio. He married Miss Martha Weldin, who was
born in Wheeling, W. Va., June 26th, 1843, and by this union there
was one son who died in infancy. Her mother, Alice Montgomery,
was of purely Scotch lineage, and of the Clan Montgomery. John S.
Cochran has been a member of the St. Clairsville bar for nearly fifty-
two years, during which time he has served as judge for ten years, six
of these as Judge of Probate and four as Common Pleas Judge. He
and his wife reside at Martins Ferry, Ohio. He is the author of a
book of the days of the anti-slavery agitation and the Civil War, en-
titled "Bonnie Belmont." He assisted his brother and law partner
in the construction of the Wheeling and Lake Erie, and the Wheeling
Bridge and Terminal Railroad.

Wilson H. Cochran married, after the war, moved to Missouri, and
died there, being survived by a wife and three children.

Watson P. Cochran resides in Kansas with his wife, by whom he
has had six children.

Crowner C. Cochran died at Bridgeport, Ohio, without issue, leaving
a widow, formerly Lydia r. Trueman.

Sister Cordelia married Dr. John Major of Scotch Ridge, by whom
there were five children. The doctor and four of the children are

Another Derivation of the Name 71

dead, and his wife is now the widow of Mr. FuUbright, of Severance,
Kansas, and resides there.

Sister Annie married Robert Woods, and she and her husband, and
daughter Laura, are all dead.

Sister Alfaretta married Will Strain, an educator in Brooke County,
W. Va. ; she is now dead and surviving her are her husband and five
children.

The youngest of the six soldier boys, Fennimore P., is a lawyer,
residing at Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, with his wife. Belle. They
have three children, Dora, Sidney, and Robert.

Sumner F, Cochran, the youngest of the family, married Adda Lang-
mack, by whom there were ten children, who are mainly at home with
their parents in Martins Ferry. Their daughter. Pearl, married H. F.
Carter, who is a merchant in Wheeling, W. Va.

There is evidently a mistake in the date of the birth of Thomas
Cochran, as given you by his descendants, and I think you are fully
justified in assuming that the figures 1769 should have been 1759.

Thomas was about three years older than my grandfather, Robert.
Their mother, Jane Cochran, was appointed administratrix of the es-
tate. She used the personal estate in raising the two younger children,
and was cited before the court for this, but finally won out. She
also figures in the records of the County Court of Ohio County,
Virginia, in having the line ascertained as to the farm in which she
had a dower interest. She also won out again in that action, between
her and a neighboring land-owner. She seemed to know her rights
and was able and willing to fight for them.

Very truly, your kinsman,

John S. Cochran. .

From William M. Cochran, 1209 North Tacoma Ave., Indianapolis,
Ind.:

"I am one of the Cochran Clan. My father's name was John C.
Cochran. He was born in Ohio in 1800. I was born in West Virginia
but came to this state with my parents in 1850, when in my thirteenth
year. There were three boys and two girls in my father's family.
The three boys are veterans of the War for the Union, and are all
living. I went in as a private soldier; was promoted to Sergeant-
Major December, '61, and received four commissions before the close
of the war.

72 Chronicles of the Cochrans

"I will have something to say about the Cochran Clan later on,
provided I am in possession of anything new or worth while. I will
now mention, incidentally, however, that William is the oldest name
in the Cochran family in Scotland.

"V\hen the name Waldema de Covern was changed by the edict of
King Robert, on the occasion of the reconfirmation of de Covern's
estate and title, the record showed the following: 'Hitherto thy name
has been Waldema de Covern, but henceforth it shall be William Coch-
ran.' I have been unable as yet to find any special meaning that may
have attached to the name, like unto that of Armstrong, and many
others. Do you know, all Cochran families, knowing that the Chris-
tian name of the first Cochran was William, having sons, always
christened one of them, usually the elder, William? The other Chris-
tian names you mention are nearly all quite common in our branch
of the family."

Genealogy of James, Youngest Son of William Cochran

James Cochran married Elizabeth Wood, some time in 1800, or pre-
viously. She and a brother had been rescued from a band of Indians,
and she had been reared in the family of Ebenezer Zane, who led the
party that rescued them. The following account is taken from Vol.
6, Chapter X, of the History of the Ohio Historical and Archaeological
Society, and from the circumstances and the vicinity and the time, we
feel sure that the two children mentioned were Betsy A\'ood and her
brother.

The Identity of Two Children Rescued From a Band of
Chippewa Indians
By Permission.

In the History of the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society,
Vol. 6, Chapter X, is given the account of the First Public Survey of
Lands, Northwest of the Ohio River, namely, the Seven Ranges of
Congress Lands, from the joining of the Pennsylvania line and Ohio
River, comprising parts of what are now Jeflferson, Columbiana, Car-
roll, Tuscarawas, Harrison, Guernsey, Belmont, Noble, Monroe and
W^ashington Counties in Ohio.

From the journal of John Matthews, nephew of General Putnam
and one of the chief surveyors or engineers in charge, is taken the fol-
lowing account : "Sept. 18, 1786, while in Tuscarawas County, was
warned that Shawanese Indians were on the warpath. He was work-

The Identity of Two Children 73

ing in the Mingo Bottom, but lived with Greathouse on the opposite
side of Ohio River; he also visited a Mahan or McMahan, six miles
south. He further reports that he took charge of Commissary Dept.,
Fort Steuben, Feb., 1787.

"Survey was renewed on April 17th. On May 8th to 12th reports
that while on his way to Mahans he met some people from Wheehng,
who reported that Indians had killed one man and two children, seri-
ously wounded a woman, and taken two children captive. On the
morning of May 31st, he left for WheeUng in canoe, stopping over
night with Wheatlands and McFarlanes, at the mouth of Short Creek.
He landed provisions at Wheeling, June 1st, near the store of Esquire
Zane. On June 2nd, the surveyors had arrived on the west side of
river and were camped near mouth of Indian Wheeling Creek (now
Bridgeport, Ohio), waiting for horses to convey them to Fort Harmer
(Cincinnati, Ohio).

"On June 23 troops from Fort Mcintosh (Beaver Falls, Ohio) had
passed down the river and reported that Indians had lately done mis-
chief ten miles above Wheeling. On the 30th of July Indians were
again troublesome. About ten days past, signs of Indians at Short
Creek and were followed by our party, who came up with them four
miles above Wheeling. There were eleven Indians in the party, Chip-
pewas. Our party attacked the Indians unexpectedly in their camp
and they fled, leaving blankets and moccasins behind them. Squire
Mahan and about twenty others pursued the Indians over to the Ohio
side, but did not catch them."

Betsy Woods was born in 1773, as recorded on her tombstone, and
at this time was in her fourteenth year, and the Indians usually pre-
served the lives of young girls and women. She was probably a cap-
tive from May 12th to July 20th, according to the Matthews journal.

It is a family tradition that through the Woods children Ebenezer
Zane secured the title to their land in the vicinity of, and including the
lower Sister Island in the Ohio River, in which locality the massacre
of the family and capture of the two children is said to have taken
place.

Of her rescue and subsequent adoption into the family of Zane we
are assured. Of the brother there is no record.

James Cochran and Elizabeth Woods were married in 1800 and had
a family of thirteen children, as follows:

74 Chronicles of the Cochrans

John, born in 1801 ; James, born in 1802; Jane, or "J^r^ce," born in
1804; Robert, born in 1806; Thomas, born in 1808; Nancy, born in
1809; William, born in 1811; Zane, born in 1813; Polly, or Mary,
born in 1814; Eleanor, or "Nelly," born in 1816; EUzabeth, or "Betsy,"
born in 1822; Alexander, "Little Aleck," born in 1820; Violinda, bom
in 1818.

There is no record of where James and Betsy Cochran lived pre-
vious to the purchase of their land in 1806, but very probably in the
vicinity of Wheeling. But here on this Ohio farm, ten of their chil-
dren were born, and here the parents lived and died. Mary Cochran-
Stewart, their oldest living grandchild, relates : "Concerning the
Cochrans : I cannot say much about them as a race of people, beyond
the time of my grandparents. I remember them very well. They
lived on the farm which Uncle Alexander owned before he went west.
They both died while living on that farm and were buried in the family
graveyard on my father's place. There is a monument there, marking
their graves.

"I cannot tell you anything about my grandmother's people. I do
not even know her name, but think it was Zane. My grandfather
was a tall man, rather dark complexion ; my brother Thomas resembled
him somewhat." According to the cemetery record, James Cochran
was born in 1764 and died May 5, 1845, aged 81 years; Elizabeth, his
wife, was born in 1773, and died in 1843, aged 70 years.

Here on the hill farm, northwest of Martins Ferry, Ohio, about a
mile distant from town proper, they raised their family. The first to
leave the home nest was Jane, or Jence, who married a farmer named
Isaac Stotts, on February 22, 1821. They first located in the Western
Reserve, but later moved further west. She came home once on a
visit and is remembered by two of her nieces. She had no family.
The next of the family who left the home were James, who married
Nancy McCord, and his sister Nancy, who married Thomas McCord
on the same day in Wheeling, 1825.

The McCord brother and sister lived over in West Virginia at the
head of one of the Sisters Islands. Their home was plainly visible
from the home of John Cochran on the Ohio side. They rode horse-
back, one brother and sister from Ohio on the same horse, and the
brother and sister from West Virginia also on the same horse. This
was the common mode of travel at that time. They met at the County
Clerk's ofiice in Wheeling. On the return trip Nancy McCord-Coch-

The Descendants of James and Betsy Cochrane 75

ran came to Ohio and Nancy Cochran-McCord took her place in West
Virginia.

Nancy McCord was only sixteen years old when she married. She
had kept house for her father four years, ever since the death of her
mother. James and Nancy went to housekeeping in a log-house on
the farm of John Cochran, his oldest brother.

This farm was deeded to John Cochran in 1818 by his uncle, Robert
Cochran, evidently a part of his original holdings, and cost eighteen
hundred dollars. It lays at the head of Patton's Run, northwest of the
Rainey coal lands.

Genealogy of John Cochran, Oldest Son of James

(It was the great privilege of the writer of these memoirs to have
known and to have loved both John Cochran and Elizabeth, his wife.
"Uncle Johnny" as he was famiUarly called, was a man of slender
build, short stature, and of fair complexion; quiet in demeanor, and
I should judge of scholarly attainments. The word "saintly" best ap-
plies to describe Aunt Elizabeth, with her snowy, abundant hair. She
was of a heavier build, if I remember rightly. Any strange environ-
ment, as well as first impressions, leaves an indelible record on the
mind and memory of a sensitive child. My earliest visits to their home
were on the occasion of someone's funeral, for the family burial plot
was on their farm.)

John Cochran was a life-long Democrat, as were his brothers, and
doubtless his sons. It is related, that after Grover Cleveland was first
elected someone informed him of the fact that "Uncle Johnny Coch-
ran" had loyally voted the Democratic ticket for the twenty-four "bar-
ren" years, from '60 to '84, in spite of successive defeats, and the Presi-
dent wrote him a personal autographed letter of appreciation.

John and Elizabeth Cochran had a family of thirteen children:

James married Terissa, daughter of Zachariah Cochran, of Grand-
view, and located there, leaving a family of four children :

Elizabeth died in infancy.

Mary married John Stewart, a coal operator, one of the proprietors
of the Franklin Mines. The village of Stewartsville, seven miles from
Bellaire, Ohio, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was named in his
honor. Seven children were born to them, of whom five are living.
They are:

76 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Mrs. Elizabeth Harvey, of St. Clairsville, Ohio.

Mrs. Belle McKelvey, of Glencoe, Ohio.

Mrs. Agnes White, of Stewartsville, Ohio.

Mrs. Ella Alexander, of Bellaire, Ohio.

Miss Emma Stewart, at the family home, Edgington Lane, Wheel-
ing, W. Va.

Mrs. Mary Stewart was an intelligent, aristocratic old lady of
eighty-three, whom it was the writer's privilege to interview, in the
summer of 1914, and to whom she hereby acknowledges her indebted-
ness for correct data. Mrs. Stewart died April 10, 1915.

Charles, son of John, married Nettie Rice, of Martins Ferr>-. He
was a school-teacher and taught penmanship in Duff's Business College
of Pittsburg for many years. Later he removed to Chicago, where
he established a business college of his own. He was an artist with
pen and ink. One of his productions, an equestrian sketch of General
Grant, was shown the writer, and it was fully the equal of the finest
etching on steel.

His widow is still living; also his three daughters. They are:

Doctor Gertrude Cochran, Christian Science Practitioner, of Sioux
City, Iowa, and Chicago.

Mrs. Adda Wolfolk, widow with three sons; near Chicago.

Mrs. Eugenia McShane.

Sarah Ellen, daughter of John Cochran, was twice married — to
Henry Lightle, and to John Howells. Mrs. Howells died early in the
year 1915, at her home in Martins Ferry, leaving two sons. Thomas
J. Cochran and Mary Louise McCord were married November 6, 1862.
He spent his life on the farm upon which his grandfather had settled
in 1806. The writer visited the old home in 1878. It then consisted
of four large rooms in a row ; that is, of one story in height. Part
of the house was log and part was frame. It has since been torn down.

Thomas C was an honest, upright man ; known and respected by

all. He died in 1907, leaving a widow, two daughters, Mrs. Josie
Sedgwick and Miss Retta; two sons, Allen and Edward.

John Zane Cochran was born in 1845 and died in 1878, unmarried.

Nancy, for many years her father's housekeeper, married \\'illiam
Tarbert and lived in Martins Ferry, where she died in 1898.

Robert married Hannah Cline, of Glenn's Run, Ohio. They had
six children.

The Descendants of James and Betsy Cochran 77

Alex, married Josephine Marlow, of Martins Ferry. They had one
son and three daughters.

Rebecca married L. Garden, of Glenn's Run, W. Va. During the
first administration of Grover Cleveland Mr. Garden was United
States Marshal and received injuries in a railroad accident, from the
effects of which he died, leaving a family of four boys and four girls.

George married Louise Somers, of Glenn's Run, Ohio, and lives on
the farm which his father purchased in 1818 from his Uncle Robert,
on the hill near the head of Patton's Run. They have a family of six
girls and four boys.

Frank, youngest son of John and EHzabeth Cochran, died unmarried.

Genealogy of James Cochran and Nancy McCord Cochran

As previously noted, James and Nancy Cochran, after their mar-
riage in 1825, settled on the farm of his brother John. Just how long
they lived here we do not know ; probably until the marriage of John
and Elizabeth in 1830. The next record we have of James is his pur-
chase of a farm on the Mt. Pleasant Pike, as recorded at St. Clairs-
ville, Ohio: "April 1, 1837, Robert Cochran to James Cochran, sixty
acres plus. Section 30, Township 3, Range 2; five hundred dollars."
Here they lived for fourteen years and here the six younger children
were born. Their family consisted of thirteen children, as follows :

Eleanor, born July 19, 1826 ; married James Callahan Sept. 12, 1843.

John and James, twins, born 1827. James died in infancy. John
married, in 1882, Martha McKim, of Little Short Creek, near Mt.
Pleasant, Ohio.

Elizabeth, born in 1829, married John Clark, of Indianapolis, in
1869.

Jane, born in 1831, married William Fowler, of Brooke County, W.
Va., in 1855.

William C, born 1834, married Aliazan Melissa Davis, Nov. 22,
1855, of Bellaire.

Samuel G., born 1836, married Caroline Krebs, near Powhatan,
Ohio, Oct. 30, 1859.

Susannah, born 1838, married John C. Hofer, of Wegee, in 1857.

Nancy, born in 1841, died unmarried, in September, 1897.

Margaret, born 1843, married Albert Rodefer, of Pultney Bottom,
in 1863.

78 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Caroline, born in 1845, married Henry Rankin, of Bellaire, in Janu-
ary, 1871.

Thomas, born in 1848, married Alia Print, of St. Clairsville, Ohio,
October 30, 1873.

Robert L., born 1850, married Mary Braiden, of Bellaire, Ohio,
in September, 1879.

In 1851 James Cochran moved his family to Pultney Bottom, four
miles south of Bellaire, Ohio, where he died in 1854.

Robert married Mrs. Elizabeth Basore and located in Pike County,
Illinois. He lived to be quite an old man (last heard from in 1884),
and had at that time one son, Jimmy, who was a farmer with a large
family; one daughter, Violinda, at home, and a married daughter,
Mary, the wife of Roger Hart, and lived near Barry, 111.

Thomas also went west and located at Pike County, 111., but later
went to Sny Bottom, near Hannibal, Missouri, and all trace of him
or his descendants is lost, and while there are Cochran families still
in that vicinity, they deny any family connection, Zane, another son
of James and Elizabeth, is supposed to have located in the same
vicinity.

Nancy married Thomas McCord and lived on the McCord home
place in West Virginia, about three miles above Glenn's Run. She
had a family of two sons and two daughters. Elizabeth, the oldest
daughter, married Lute Conant, and left one daughter, Anna. Elea-
nor, James and Thomas all died unmarried. Both James and Thomas
were school teachers and well known. Eleanor was her father's house-
keeper for many years.

William married Eliza Nelan, whose father kept the tavern on the
old plank road about three miles from Bridgeport, at the top of the
hill. This tavern has been immortahzed in "Bonnie Belmont" as the
local center, around w^hich the life and interest of the community cir-
culated. The writer remembers it as still standing in 1874.

Violinda, youngest daughter of James and Elizabeth, was married
Sept. 3, 1840, to Andrew Rea, and located at Winchester, O.

Eleanor married James G. Wiley of Colerain, Dec. 15, 1846,

Elizabeth married Francis Cooper, of Scotch Ridge.

Alexander married Becky Starkey, March 8, 1853. He seems to
have been in possession of the home farm, which he sold to his brother,
John, and went west in 1857 and finally located in Kansas. He also
seems to have been a carpenter, and to have built an addition of three

The Descendants of James and Betsy Cochran 79

rooms to the house of James and Nancy at Pultney Bottom, or Wegee,
as it is also known. He must have been a "hail-fellow" sort, as many
anecdotes are related of him.

Genealogy of William Cochran and Eliza Nelan-Cochran

Eliza Nelan was the daughter of James and Isabella Nelan. Her
father was born in 1785, and died in 1852. He was a Scotchman and
had no relatives in this country. Her mother was the daughter of
James and Elizabeth Davis, born Nov. 17, 1787, and died Dec. 15, 1868.
She owned the tavern and a small cottage across the road where she
resided. This property later was owned and occupied by the family
of Edward Reid.

EHza Nelan and William Cochran were married June 25, 1840.
Their issue was as follows :

James West, born 1842. Lives at Soldiers' Home, Sandusky, O.

Thomas Zane, bom 1844, died 1846.

Isabella, bom 1845, died 1868.

VioHnda, born 1848, died 1873.

Albert G. M., born 1851, died 1857.

William Allen, bom 1854, died 1855.

Charles H., born 1856, died 1868.

Two boys died in infancy.

Mary Eleanor, born in 1857, married Theodore Thomas, of Roches-
ter, Pa., and had three children, Edward, Charles and Blanche. Ed-
ward married Arethusa Lyle, of Bridgeport, O., and has two children.
Park and Thelma. Charles, unmarried, has a position in the Bellaire
postoffice. Blanche died April, 1914, unmarried.

The writer is deeply indebted to James Cochran, Mary Cochran-
Thomas, and her son Edward, for the first reliable data of her own
immediate family. James, who was a soldier in the Civil War, was
spending the winter of 1908 (when these records were first begun),
with his sister and her family in Bellaire, O. Both have remarkable
memories, and by discussing and comparing what they could remem-
ber of past events, with Edward to make note of it, they have estab-
lished the record of the descendants of James and Betsy Woods-
Cochran, as follows :

80 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Bellaire, Ohio, February 8, 1908.

Dear Cousin: — Your letter of recent date to hand and I will en-
deavor to reply to the best of my ability. Judge John's "Bonnie Bel-
mont" has apparently aroused the microbe of ancestral research. The
few items I can relate are lacking in thoroughness, and I fear may not
be of much help to you in compiling your family biography. There
were seven uncles and six aunts of ours on the Cochran side, namely :
John, James, Robert, Thomas, Zane, Alexander and William, my
father; the aunts were Jane Stotts, Nancy McCord, Polly Shaddock,
Nellie Wiley, Betsy Cooper and VioUnda Ray. Our grandmother was
Betsy Woods. She and a brother, I do not know his name, were
reared by Ebenezer Zane, who had rescued them from a band of In-
dians, and it has been said that Mr. Zane was fully repaid by appro-
priating the tract of land, now known as Coney Island, for his own,
by the possession of certain papers which by rights belonged to those
children.

Ed has been visiting the library in search of information that might
include the Cochran family, but has not secured anything very definite
except the following: In 1804, Dr. John Rea became pastor and
served Beech Springs for more than a half century. He was born in
TuUy, Ireland, in 1772, the son of Joseph and Isabel P. Rea. He came
to America in 1790, resided at Philadelphia for a short time. He
came west to Washington County, Pa., traveling the entire distance
on foot. He married Elizabeth Christy in 1793. He entered Jefferson
College and graduated in 1802. Without a doubt father's sister mar-
ried Dr. Rea's son, Andrew, and they lived at either Sardis or New
Matamoras and were considered well-to-do; they had a family of six
or eight children. Aunt "Jence" Stotts lived in the Western Reserve
at one time. You ask about Uncle Thomas. He, Zane and Robert
went first to Pike County, 111., and afterward to Sandy Bottom,
located near Hannibal, Missouri. Alexander went to Kansas. You
solicit an anecdote? Well, here is one, it might be called "Falling in
Love," not only signifying a literary phrase, but a physical feat as
well: Father had left home on horse-back once on a time before he
was married. He was some distance from home on an errand, and
jogging quietly along, when his horse suddenly became frightened at
something, and being unable to control him, William was thrown vio-
lently, falling under the shade of a wild cucumber tree. When he
became conscious he thought he must be in heaven, for behold an

The Descendants of James and Betsy Cochran 81

angel (Eliza), stood before him. He had previously been smitten with
her charms, but after being carried into her home and ministered to by
her, he fell deeply in love with her, and "father's fall" resulted in
their marriage; and I am happy to say theirs was a happy and con-
genial union.

Here is the war record of James West Cochran, as you requested:
He enlisted Feb. 16, 1862, at Cadiz, Ohio, for three years' service.
Was 19 years old. His company was rounded into shape at Columbus,
O., as Co. K, 69th O. V. I., First Division, Second Brigade of the
Fourteenth Army Corps, under General George H. Thomas, of the
Army of the Cumberland. They spent one month at Camp Chase,
thence by train to Cincinnati, by boat to Nashville, Tenn. Was patrol
guard for one month ; to Galitan, Tenn. ; was in the battle of Murfrees-
boro, or Stone River, Dec. 31, 1862 to Jan. 2, 1863. Next battle at
Chattanooga, or Missionary Ride, Nov. 25, 1863 ; next at Resaca, Ga.,
May 13-16, 1864. To Dallas, Ga., Pumpkin Vine Creek, May 25 to
June 4, 1864; Kenesaw Mt., Ga., June 9th to 30th; Marietta, Ga., July
4th; Chattahoochee River, Ga., July 6-10; Peach Tree Creek, Ga.,
July 20-21, where he lost the hearing of an ear while supporting a
battery there ; fought at Atlanta, Ga., in siege of July 28th to Sept. 2,
1864. While doing skirmish duty there was shot in the left hip, Aug.
15, 1864. Sent to the hospital at Nashville and transferred from there
to Cleveland, O. Discharged June 16, 1865, on account of wound.

James West Cochran was married three times. Has one son,
Charles, in Seattle, and a daughter, Annie, married, in Indianapolis.

William Cochran died in Bellaire, in 1884. His wife, Eliza Nelan,
February 14, 1887.

"Polly," or Mary Cochran, daughter of James and Betsy Woods-
Cochran, married George Shaddock, of Moundsville, W. Va. He was
a brother of the wife of her brother John. She had two children. Jack
and Indiana. Both died young. After the death of her husband she
made her home with her brothers, John and William. She died in
Bellaire, April, 1879.

82 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Genealogy of Eleanor Cochran-Wiley, Daughter of James and
Betsy Woods-Cochran

As told by Violinda Wiley-Vickers, her daughter

My mother, Eleanor Cochran, was born Sept. 23, 1816 ; was married
Dec. 15, 1846, to James G. Wiley, and died Oct. 2, 1874. My father
was born Oct. 22, 1811, and died March 14, 1893. Mother and father
lived on the same farm till death. This farm was located four miles
west of Martins Ferry, one of the finest in that section, and contained
sixty-five acres. Father was born and raised on this farm and was a
very successful farmer. Six children, four girls and two boys, were
born to them :

William Zane, Sept. 5, 1847, died April 1, 1855, on the farm.

Elizabeth, Oct. 3, 1848, died Feb. 1, 1906, in New York City.

Mary Ellen, Aug. 3, 1850, died Dec. 31, 1887, on the farm.

John Francis Ray, Nov. 13, 1854, died March 22, 1875, on the farm.

Violinda Josephine, Oct. 10, 1851.

Martha Jane, April 20, 1856. Martha Jane and I are all that are
left of the family.

Martha Jane was married in Wheeling in 1889 to Frank McKim,
who is a grandson to Uncle Frank Cooper, of Scotch Ridge, near
Uncle John Cochran's.

I was raised a Presbyterian, and was organist in our church for sev-
eral years. I attended school at the Blackford school house, and the
Concord school, but do not remember attending the Laverty school at
Bellaire, but think Elizabeth and Mary went there.

I was married to Albert Vickers, June 2, 1875, on the farm. He
was a school teacher at the time, but later he opened a grocery in
Bellaire, O. ; then we moved to Wheeling Island. Five children were
bom to us :

Ina, born June 18, 1876, on the Island.

Chester Ray, July 28, 1880.

Frank Wiley, June 7, 1882.

Russell, Nov: 1, 1884.

Cora R., Dec. 17, 1888, in Kansas City, Kansas.

My sister Elizabeth lived the greater part of her life in New York
City and Boston. She never married. She was a talented artist and
made her living by the sale of her paintings. I have some of her work

The Descendants of James and Betsy Cochran 83

here in my home. Father and mother and all that are dead are buried
in Weeks cemetery at Bridgeport, O.

My daughter Ina was married to J. N. Cain of Clarington, O., and
five children were born to them. Ina died in 1911, and I have three
of the children with me. Before her marriage, Ina took up the study
of painting and was quite successful in her work.

My son, Chester Ray, is a cabinet maker, and an artist as well. I
have a number of his paintings. He married Ethel B. Hare of New
Matamoras and they live here in Sistersville, W. Va.

My son, Frank Wiley, is a clerk. He married Gladys Norcross,
Jan. 1, 1914.

My daughter, Cora R., married Harry Peart of Shawnee, Ohio,
and lives there. She began the study of music at the age of twelve,
and is a fine pianist. She now resides in Akron, O.

My husband died in 1909 at Cleveland, O., and was buried at Weeks
cemetery. He was born and raised near Colerain, O. His people were
English Quakers, and lived and died in that vicinity. Father Vickers
lived to be 91 years old ; was the leader of his church for seventy
years ; the little church is still standing. Like my mother, I preserve
and collect the reHcs of former days. I have some of the old-fash-
ioned dishes which my mother used when I was a Httle girl; a stone
ink-well that my father used. He made our shoes when we were
children, and I have some of his tools ; the wooden works of an old
clock, and a spinning wheel eighty-five years old; the first watch my
father bought, and his first spectacles, and many other things. I very
seldom see any of the older relatives who are left, to talk over past
times.

My sister Jennie McKim has one daughter, Marie, who is a school
teacher in Parkersburg. She is also a fine pianist, I hope this will
help you some, but I have a poor memory. Yours sincerely,

ViOLiNDA J. Vickers,

August 15, 1914. Sistersville, West Virginia.

84 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Genealogy of Violinda Cochran-Rea, Youngest Daughter of
James and Betsy Woods-Cochran

As told by her son, James Rea.

Winchester, Ohio, Sept. 14, 1915.

Your letter received some time ago, but as our town is one hundred
years old, we have had a big home-coming and centennial here, which
has kept me from answering your truly welcome letter, as we know
so little about our relatives on either side of our family, that we were
glad to hear that we still have some Hving. The letter enclosed is from
my sisters, Lizzie and Sarah. It tells you when father first came here ;
when this section was almost a wilderness he came, bought land, went
back to get married, then stayed at home for some time till after
brother John was born in Jefiferson township (or county). I was
born on the home place, five miles from Cadiz, Harrison County, O.
EHzabeth was born in 1845, according to the Bible, but it does not
state where ; we think, however, it was near the Ohio river, above
Wheeling, on the Ohio side. I was named after my mother's father;
John, for Grandfather Rea. Rev. John Rea, D. D., was the minister
at Beech Springs Presbyterian church for forty years. When father
came back to this place, Sarah Ellen, Nancy Jane and Mary Isabelle
were born. Like our ancestors, we are all Presbyterians. I joined
the church in 1862; have been an elder in the past, as well as at the
present ; as my father and brother were before me, for a good many
years.

I am now seventy-two years old; I am Commander of Moses J.
Patterson Post, No. 190, G. A. R. ; have been a member of the Odd
Fellow's Lodge for nearly fifty years ; K. of P. for twenty-five years ;
am a Master Mason, and belong to the Lodge of the Rebeccas, the
Eastern Stars, the Pythian Sisters, and Uniform Rank, K. of P. I
mention these things to show you that there is nothing dishonorable
among the Rea family, or we could not belong to these societies.

I enlisted in the army when I was only seventeen years old ; did
what I could for my country, came back home and went away again
to school; taught school for more than eighteen years, and have been
in the grocery business for thirty-five years here in Winchester, O.
My brother taught school about twenty-five years, and was cashier in
one of the banks in Manchester, Ohio, where he died about twelve
years ago.

The Descendants of James and Betsy Cochran 85

We never went back to the old home place until my mother died,
when Belle was born, then father took all of us back ; John and I to
Grandfather Rea; Lizzie and Nannie to McCords, five miles above
Wheehng; Sarah to Cooper's on the opposite side of the river; Belle,
the baby stayed here. I was eight or nine years old then. We stayed
over a year, till father married again. We had a very good step-
mother, who kept the family together.

Father, my two mothers, two sisters, brother and his wife are all in
heaven where we hope to meet them. I have four children, all married ;
Melissa Francis, named for Uncle Francis Rea, a doctor, who visited
us some years ago :

Mary Campbell, who married Edgar Alexander, the managing edi-
tor of the advertising department of the Cosmopolitan Magazine, lives
in New York City. George Andrew and his wife are both great mu-
sicians, and doing well. James Graham is also married. He is in
business with me.

Melissa, Mrs. Kirk Short, keeps house for me. She is Worthy
Matron in the Eastern Stars, and a delegate to the convention in Co-
lumbus. I spent a week in Columbus last November.

Now I have told you nearly all I know about the Reas. We would
love to know something about the Cochrans, the McCords and the
Coopers. Were any of them in the Revolutionary War? I have heard
that either in mother's or father's family that some of our relatives
were killed and scalped by Indians in Pennsylvania.

Andrew Rea and Violinda Cochran were married Sept. 3, 1840.
They had six children: John, James, Ehzabeth, Sarah Ellen, Nancy
Jane, Mary Isabelle. Three are still living, James, Lizzie and Sarah.
John, the oldest, married Miss Laura McCutchin of Manchester, O.,
Dec. 1888. John died July 29, 1903. They had no children.

James married Miss Mary Fulton, of Brown County, Ohio, June,
1874. They have four children.

Lizzie Rea is single and lives with her sister, Mrs. Sarah Gregg,
in Winchester. Mrs. Gregg has one son, Rea, a shoe merchant in
Kenton, Ohio.

Andrew Rea settled in Winchester in 1846. When he came to
Adams County the first time, one of the Cochran brothers came with
him, and they bought land. This was in 1833 and 1834. Then father
anc* Uncle Cochran went back to eastern Ohio and my uncle decided
to remain there, but father bought his land and came here with his

86 Chronicles of the Cochrans

wife in 1846 or 1847. My mother died March 14, 1852, and lies buried
here beside my father in Winchester cemetery. She was only thirty-
four years old. I know very little about the Cochrans. Three cousins
visited us once. They were Dr. John Cooper, Eleanor McCord and
Nannie Cooper.

Uncle Frank Cooper was a doctor. He lived in Washington,
Guernsey County, Ohio. We think one of our uncles Rea lived in
Sardis.

Now, as to any funny anecdotes, they tell a good many on me,
especially about my school days. Once when the teacher was enrolling
the names at school, and many of the boys had double names, I called
the teacher back and told her I had a double name, too. She said,
"What is it?" and I answered "J^^i^s Jim!"

We had a picture of James K. Polk, President, hanging on the wall
at home, and I used to tell people that it was I. So, when another
teacher was enrolling the names and came to mine, I answered "James
K. Polk Rea, sir," and the boys called me that for a long time.

Once at a big mass meeting here, when General Scott was running
for President, they had a big ox roast and banquet in the woods.
Along in the evening a man who had been selling "spiked" cider was
closing it out cheap so as not to take any back home, some of us boys
bought more of it than we ought to have done, not knowing that it
was "spiked," and we all got drunk. They say I went down the street
with my sleeves rolled up, caUing myself General Scott, and wanting
to fight everybody I met. I was called "General Scott" for a long
time, and people seeing me coming down street would say, "Look out,
here comes General Scott."

My soldier experience was a brief and a sad one. One beautiful
day, Nov. 11, 1861, with seven other boys and men, I started to join
the 70th O. V. I., Company E, who were then encamped at West
'Union. I was the youngest and most delicate of them all, reared, you
might say, in the lap of luxury ; my prospects for life the slimmest of
them all ; today I am the only one living. I went to school with those
boys, we were playmates, had our little quarrels and fights, went
swimming and fishing together, and went to the war together.

The driver has long since gone to that beautiful land whence there
is no return; one died with typhoid fever by my side at Memphis,
Tenn., and was buried beside the great river. Two others contracted
diseases, came home, died and are buried here. One came back from

The Descendants of James and Betsy Cochran

87

West Union saying that he preferred the cavalry; he joined the 11th
Ohio Vol. Cavalry and was killed by the Indians; his body lies close
to the great Rocky Mountains, and his brother resides in your city.
Another was killed close to Jackson, Miss., and his body rests there.
One other was killed close to Atlanta, Ga., his body was brought home
and buried here. Another was captured, and poor Jacob was never
heard from again. I suppose his body hes far in the South, unknown
and unhonored.

I was in the great battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landmg, Tenn.,
and was struck by three bullets. Our regiment wore tall hats, one
bullet went through my hat, one struck me in the side, and if it had
not been for my pocket Bible and a pistol I had in my pocket, I sup-
pose I would have been killed. The bullet went through the Bible,
struck the barrel of the pistol and glanced ofif. It made me sick for
awhile, but that was all; no marks to show for it. Now, as our min-
ister had given me the Bible, I owe my thanks to him. The other ball
struck my forefinger, cut the flesh to the bone, and is the only scar I
have I was also sunstruck at Memphis, Tenn., when the boys were
marching down to attack Vicksburg, Miss., and was discharged from
there as being of no further use to the army, for I also had chills and

fever.

I came home and was sick and deHcate for many years, but now
for my age am hale and hearty. Such is my soldier's experience, brief

as it was.

The boys here honored me more than fifteen years ago by electing
me Commander of the Moses J. Patterson Post, named after Captain
Patterson, who went from here and died in the service. Then we had
125 members, today only 24, and tomorrow we bury one of them.

Since writing the above I went to see my sisters, Lizzie and Sarah,
and they showed me a large picture of McCords' house, a two-story
frame with high hills in the background, and Uncle Thomas standing
in the yard He was the only one at home when the picture was taken,
and looked like a hearty, hale man. A pahng fence around the yard
and a coal-bank close by shows in the picture.

Chronicles of the Cochrans

Genealogy of Elizabeth Cochran Cooper

Elizabeth Cochran married Francis Cooper of Scotch Ridge. Their
children were Dr. John Cooper of Wellsburg, W. Va. ; James Cooper,
of Wellsburg, W. Va. ; Frank Cooper, deceased, Wellsburg, W. Va. ;
Margaret, married McKim, deceased; Violinda, married Tilton, of
Warwood, W. Va., deceased; Nancy, married Wells, of Wellsburi?
W. Va.

Dr. Cooper had a son who practiced medicine in Bellaire, O., de-
ceased. Margaret McKim has a son, Frank, in Parkersburg, W.' Va.

(As contributed by Judge John S. Cochran.)

I had a talk with James Cooper, son of Wm. Cooper, whose farm
adjoined that of the Cochrans of Scotch Ridge. He lives in Martins
Ferry and is nearing his eightieth year. Francis Cooper, who married
Betsy Cochran, was an uncle of his and once lived on Scotch Ridge,
but many years ago moved to Wellsburg, W. Va.

Dr. John, his son, was a splendid fellow. I used to meet him when
I was practicing law in Wheeling with my brother and attended court
in Wellsburg. He seemed to take great delight in talking about our
ancestors and wrote me very feelingly just before his death, as to
incidents related in "Bonnie Belmont." His brother, James Cooper,
still resides near Wellsburg on a farm. His brother Frank and sisters
Violinda and Nancy are dead, as are also Margaret McKim and her
husband.

PART THREE

MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY

INTRODUCTION TO PART THREE

It may interest some to know how I began to write these chronicles.
In helping to trace the Hfe cycle of plants in the study of botany I
used for illustration the plan of tracing one's individual genealogy.
There are two methods, one is to begin with your own immediate his-
tory and trace back through the ages ; the other is to begin with your
earliest known ancestor and follow his descent through the genera-
tions until you reach the branches of your own family tree; but I
found that I could do neither.

I only knew my own contemporaries and those of one generation
beyond, that of my parents ; had some faint knowledge of my grand-
parents, and of a few of their brothers and sisters in our immediate
vicinity, but beyond that, all was silence and obscurity. Then I re-
called some notes I had once copied, the ancestry of another branch
of the family. I hunted them out, but they afforded me very little
satisfaction, as there was a whole generation between, of whom I
knew nothing.

My next step was to write to a cousin of my father, whom I thought
could help. She was but a few years older than I, but had always
lived among the members of the preceding generation. She supplied
me with important data concerning our branch.

About this time, Judge John S. Cochran had brought out his book,
"Bonnie Belmont," which revealed some very clear and striking
glimpses of his own ancestors and showed some of the connecting
links between his family and mine. He kindly gave me what informa-
tion he could, and directed me to the third and oldest branch of our
common ancestry. Here I found an additional source of information,
as they had once attempted to write a history of the Cochran family,
but they had all struck the same obstacle, viz., "When did William
Cochran, our first known American ancestor, arrive in this country?"
They had it written down that his oldest son was born at West Lib-
erty, Pa., December 17, 1759. Well, that was a clue, so I diligently
sought for that location.

I secured a Rand-McNally pocket-map and guidebook, edition 1891,
and looked through its pages to find the aforesaid West Liberty. I
may as well tell you that I never found that particular place. There
were three listed, but none had been a settlement in 1759, so I have
concluded that the early family historians have confused West Liberty,

91

92 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Ohio County, West Virginia, with the earher settlements in Penn-
sylvania, since there was no settlement in West Liberty, W. Va., until
1787. There was a first session of court held on Short Creek, W. Va.,
as early as 1777, but you must realize that I was seeking a date at
least ten years before the settlement of the Zanes in 1769-70.

I found, however, that there were many places listed in the guide
bearing the name of Cochran as follows: In counties of Allegheny,
Cameron, Fayette, Venango, also Cochran Farm in Venango County,
Cochran Flats in Venango County, Cochran Mills in Armstrong Coun-
ty, Cochran Mills in Washington County, Cochranton in Crawford
County, Cochranville in Chester County, Cochran Ferry in Butler
County, Cochranton, near Meadville, Pa., etc.

Not knowing the address of any of the names, I wrote the post-
masters and they either replied in person or delivered my letter to
some of the name, hence there is a warm spot in my heart for those
aforesaid gentlemen.

I received replies to nearly all of my letters, and some kindly fur-
nished the biographies of their families, but I found no distinct trace
of the William Cochran whom I sought.

Since these biographies are interesting, and since there is no doubt
that away back in the beginning there was only one Cochran, we must
eventually have descended from this man. I find the vast majority
claim their line of descent from one John Cochran of Ireland, who
came to America in 1690. A few claim to have descended from the
Earls of Dundonald. As our line had been already established as con-
nected with the families of the Peerage, I naturally followed that line.

When I took up the quest later, on the other side of the world,
Scotland, the only records found were all concerned with the families
as connected with the Peerage.

I have written this introduction to the biography of certain Penn-
sylvania families to show why they appear in this work, partly be-
cause of the similarity of Christian names, and partly because we be-
lieve that "like the Captain's Lady and Judy O'Grady" we are all more
or less of one kin, however remote.

Some Pennsylvania Cochrans

The following letter was received from George Cochran, of Coch-
rans' Mills, Allegheny County, Pa., dated June 14, 1908:

"In reply to your letter, we, like you, have no records, only old
deeds and what I have heard talked over by older people. I own and

Some Pennsylvania Cochrans 93

live on part of the property my great-grandfather, William Cochran,
bought of Abner Bentley, deed dated 1796, patent for property taken
out 1789. There was James, who died at New Castle, Pa.; George,
my grandfather, who died where I live, and two girls, Eliza and
Martha; one married Benjamin Butler. As old receipts show, the
property at that time was part in Washington County, and partly in
Mifflin Township, Allegheny County, Pa. It appears as a large tract
by the patent. Six cousins and I are all that are living at present of
my grandfather's heirs. It looks to me as though this does not fit in
with your record.

I am not able to tell you where my great-grandfather came from
before he came to Pennsylvania. I am fifty-five years of age, and an
only heir. All the old timers are gone that would know anything that
would be of help to you. There are two old ladies living down on the
Monongahela river, one, a Mrs. Payne, whose maiden name was
Cochran, might be able to give me some information. I will go and
see her and show her your letter. Mt. I-ebanon and West Liberty,
you speak of, are six miles from my place. I never heard of a West
Liberty County, Pa.

P. S. — Mrs. Payne is no relation of mine ; belongs to another lot
of Cochrans."

A later letter states as follows :

"I showed your letter to an attorney in Pittsburg, whose mother
was a Cochran, but no relation of mine. He does not know of any
records that would benefit you. There were no marriage records kept
in Allegheny County until about 1880.

Yours respectfully,

George Cochran."

Two of the cousins mentioned above were A. J. Cochran of Fin-
leyville. Pa., and Miss Melissa Irwin, Option, Allegheny County, Pa.
There is another Cochran family living on Mingo Creek, an historic
spot, being closely connected with the Whiskey Insurrection. There
are two brothers and a sister living, Albert J., Forbie and Anna. Their
address is Finleyville, Pa.

The following letter was received from J. H. Cochran, attorney-at-
law, of Harrisville, Pa., dated December 5, 1914:

"Replying to your letter of recent date, would say that my father
is living and is now eighty-five years of age. His name is William,

94 Chronicles of the Cochrans

and my mother's maiden name was Josephine Ludwig. As to my
ancestors, can now give you a little more definite information regard-
ing them. My great-grandfather's name was William, and his older
brother's name was John, who did not emigrate to America, but stayed
in Ireland.

William Cochran came to America in 1795 and settled first at Pitts-
burg, Pa., afterward removing to Mercer County, near the Venango
and Butler Hne. His sons were Thomas, James and William. My
grandfather was James, who married Nancy Vaughn, daughter of
James Vaughn, who was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and served
under Lafayette.

My great-grandfather came from County Antrim, Ireland. He is
buried at Harmony Church graveyard, one mile from Harrisville, Pa.
There is a Mason's emblem on his tombstone, showing that he was
a Mason.

William Cochran, the son of great-grandfather, had several sons
who are still living, viz., Kennedy, Glasgow and John. John was a
lieutenant in one of the companies of 100th Pennsylvania Volunteer
Infantry during the Civil War. It seems so strange to me that of all
the Cochrans that I know of, whether relatives or not, there are so
many James and Johns, and also Williams among them. Did I give
you the names of my brothers and sisters? My full name is Joseph
Henry ; my brother's name, William Madartus ; my sister, living, is
Grace Cochran-Martin ; one sister, dead, whose name was Mary Coch-
ran- Frew; she left two daughters, Margaret and Josephine Frew
Wishing you success, I remain yours very respectfully,

J. H. Cochran."

DOCTOR JOHN COCHRAN, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE HOSPITALS OF THE
UNITED STATES IN 1781

"About the year 1570, there crossed over from Paisley in Scotland,
to the north of Ireland, one John Cochrao. He was a clansman of the
powerful house of Dundonald, and of kin with its noble head. For
many generations his descendants were born, tilled the land, married
and died in the land of their adoption. Many were of the gentry ; most
were yeomen, but all led sober, upright and righteous lives ; feared
God, and kept His commandments. The family names were care-
fully handed down from son to son.

James, the son of John, was succeeded by John, who in turn was

Some Pennsylvania Cochrans 95

the father of another James. Then came Robert, called "honest," to
distinguish him from others of the same name. His sons were James,
Stephen and David; these later crossed the sea, and settled in Penn-
sylvania, where unmolested, they might continue to worship in the
faith of their fathers.

James married his kins-woman, Isabella, daughter of "deaf" Robert,
and their children were Ann, Robert, James, John, Stephen, Jane and
George.

Ann married Reverend John Roan, or Rohan, as it was differently
spelled.

Jane became the wife of Reverend Alexander Mitchell.

Robert died, leaving a daughter, Isabella; James died in April, 1768,
preceded by his father James, who died in 1766. This is the race of
Cochrans from the period when they quitted their home in Scotland,
to the time when their bones were first laid in the New World. James,
Stephen and David settled in Chester County, laid out their farms
near the rippling current of the Octorara.

From the records, James first resided in Sadsbury; in 1742 he pur-
chased one hundred and thirty-five acres additional in the same town-
ship; (Chester County Deed Book F., p. 628) but it was not till the
year 1745 that a large tract in Fallowfield, owned in common by the
three brothers, was divided, and a patent was issued by John, Thomas
and Richard Penn, to James Cochran, for three contiguous lots, aggre-
gating four hundred and thirty acres. This tract lay to the south of
Stephen's and David's shares. Through the northern part, and near
the northwestern boundary, dividing it from Stephen's land, ran the
Newcastle road, today called the Gap and Newport Turnpike. There
the little village of Cochransville by its name perpetuates the tradi-
tions of the clan, whose pibroch and whose slogan have long since
ceased to sound on Scottish Hills.

John Cochran, born in Sadsbury, Sept. 1, 1730, was educated at
the grammar school of Dr. Francis Allison. He received his profes-
sional training in Lancaster, Pa , and that intimate knowledge of sur-
gery and medicine which distinguished him in later years, came to him
first from his preceptor, Dr. Thompson. At the outbreak of the
French and Indian wars, 1754-1763, young Cochran had but recently
finished his medical studies. He entered the service, however, as sur-
geon's mate in the hospital department, and remained with the army
till the close of the war.

96 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Dr. Cochran and Major (afterwards General) Philip Schuyler,
joined Bradstreet when he marched against Fort Frontenac, in the
summer of 1758, and the events of the northern campaign were the
text-books of the school wherein he gained his technical education.
It is hardly possible to present the character of a man whose public
life connected him with our national histor}% without reverting to the
military episodes of the time during which he Hved, but happily a
pleasant and a natural break occurs in the sequence of the narrative
and enables us to turn to other and calmer scenes of Dr. Cochran's

On December 4, 1760, he was married to Mrs. Gertrude Schuyler,
by Dominic Westerts, of the Reformed Dutch Church at Albany. She
was the only sister of Major Philip Schuyler, a widow of Peter Schuy-
ler, whose grandfather, Peter, had been president of the Council of
the Province of New York in 1719. By her first husband she had two
children; Peter, who married but died childless; Cornelia married
Walter Livingston, grandson of Robert Livingston, first Lord of the
Manor of Livingston.

After Dr. Cochran's marriage, he moved to New Brunswick, New
Jersey, and continued to practice medicine ; became one of the Found-
ers of the New Jersey Medical Society in 1766, and in November,
1769, he succeeded Dr. Burnet, as its President. During the close of
the winter of 1776, he ofiFered his services as a volunteer in the hospi-
tal department, and Washington recommended his name to the favor-
able notice of Congress, in a letter written in the beginning of 1777.
He spoke of Dr. Cochran's services as a volunteer, and of his experi-
ences during the French War.

On April 7, 1777, Congress resumed the consideration of a report
on the hospitals ; and plans modeled after those of the British Army,
having been proposed by Dr. Cochran, and Dr. WiUiam Shippen, and
approved by General Washington, were adopted upon that day, April
11th, in pursuance of his excellency's recommendation, and Dr.
Cochran was selected for the position of physician and surgeon-gen-
eral of the army in the middle department. During the period of
holding this position, he was often called upon to bewail the
wretched inefficiency, which characterized the management of the
hospital department. In a letter to Jonathan Potts, Purveyor-Gen-
eral, Dr. Cochran thus expressed himself :

Some Pennsylvania Cochrans 97

"MoRRisTOWN, March 18, 1780.
Dear Sir — I received your favor by Dr. Bond, and am extremely
sorry for the present situation of the hospital finances. Our stores
have all been expended for two weeks past, and not less than six
hundred regimental sick and lame, most of whom require some assist-
ance, which being withheld, are languishing and must suffer. I flatter
myself, you have no blame in this matter, but curses on him or them,
by whom this evil is produced. The vengeance of an offended Deity
must overtake the miscreants sooner or later. It grieves my soul to see
the poor, worthy, brave fellows pine away for want of a few com-
forts, which they have dearly earned. I shall wait on his Excellency,
the Commander-in-Chief, and represent our situation, but I am per-
suaded it can have little effect, for what can he do? He may refer
the matter to Congress ; they to the Medical Committee, who will prob-
ably pow-wow over it awhile and nothing more be heard of it. The
few stores sent by Dr. Bond in your absence, have not arrived, I sup-
pose owing to the badness of the roads. If they come, they will give
us some relief for a few weeks. Compliments to all friends, and
believe me, dear sir, yours very sincerely,

John Cochran."

Dr. John Cochran was on intimate terms with Washington, La-
fayette, Wayne, Paul Jones and many more. To him the great com-
mander presented his camp furniture; he received from "Mad
Anthony" Wayne, the latter's sword ; the silver hilt of which was
melted into goblets; the French hero sent him from France a gold
watch of delicate movement. Dr. Cochran died April 6, 1807, aged
76 years. His widow survived him until March, 1813, aged 86 years.
When the centenary anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill was
held at Utica, N. Y., June 17, 1875, the remains of Dr. Cochran and
his wife were transferred from Albany to the Forest Hill Cemetery.
There under the auspices of the cemetery association, with addresses
commemorating the great struggle and military pomp to honor the
names of the founders of our nation were the bodies of John and
Gertrude Cochran again laid to rest."

Contributed by Mrs. Martha M. Archambault, granddaughter of
Andrew Cochran, of Derry, Ireland, and niece of Andrew Boyd
Cochran, of Pottsville, Pa., December 9, 1908.

After pursuing a vain quest through Pennsylvania, searching for
tidings of WilHam Cochran, I next turned my attention to Illinois,

98 Chronicles of the Cochrans

and Missouri, for some record of the sons of my great-grandfather
James. One reply was from W. G. Cochran, of SulHvan, 111., a Cir-
cuit Judge, born in Ross County, Ohio; descendant of John Cochran,
of Ireland, who came to America in 1690. Among the interesting
items furnished was this : "According to Grand Army Records, there
were twenty-six Cochrans who took part in the Battle at Vicksburg.
I was there, but never met one of them."

A very interesting letter from John Cochran, of Lewiston, 111.,
states that he was a Virginian by birth ; also letters from other mem-
bers of his family who lived in Missouri, failed to establish any clue
to those four brothers of my grandfather, but last spring I received
some record of Robert and his family.

It may be thought strange that there is no mention of the numerous
families of Cochran living in Columbus. There are thirty-seven
names listed in the City Directory, but I feel sure there are none of
them, who are even remotely connected with my own branch, and
time and space prevent me from tracing them back to a common an-
cestry. I might, in some future edition, include a fourth part devoted
to them.

When I began this work, I knew of comparatively few Cochrans ;
in closing it, I am impressed with the fact that they are as number-
less as the leaves of the forest, or the sands of the sea, apparently.

Returning to the Genealogy of my Grand-parents, we resume :

The Family of James and Nancy Mc Cord- Cochran

Their farm lay along the Mt. Pleasant Turnpike, and was included
in the section called "Scotch Ridge" : the country lying between Deep
Run on the north, and Glenn's Run on the south, and as far as Mt.
Pleasant. The large number of Scotch people in that vicinity gave it
the name. Here they mingled with the families of Coopers, Drennens,
Barnes, Blackfords, and others.

They lived on this farm from 1837 until 1851, according to the
records; perhaps, even longer. Eleanor, the oldest, born in 1826,
grew into womanhood here. When she was about fifteen, the young
men and boys of the neighborhood began to call upon her. She told
me about one named William Gordon. I used to see him years after-
ward, when he sold vegetables and produce, from his wagon, upon
the back of which there was always a keg of sweet cider. Well, Billy
had a dog named "Bose"; and "every place that Billy went, Bose

Family of James and Nancy McCord Cochran 99

went there, too," which became rather embarrassing, especially as
Ellen's brothers were always teasing both her and the dog. So
William got the "sack," and James Callahan, a young man from
Martins Ferry, got the girl James Cochran and his wife, Nancy,
were both members of the Baptist Church in Martins Ferry, and this
church was founded by six members in 1836, two of whom were
William and Annie Callahan, with Thomas M. Erwin as missionary
leader. At the age of seventeen, Eleanor became the wife of James
H. Callahan and took up her residence in the small brick cottage that
stood for many years on Clay Street, near the Methodist Church in
Martin's Ferry. Four children were born to them:

Nancy Ellmena, on September 10, 1844.

James William, on June 15, 1846,

Oscar John, on August 11, 1848.

Annie E., on September 12, 1851.

Amanda M. Clarke, daughter of Silas Clarke, and Amanda McGrew,
his wife, was an adopted daughter. Silas Clarke was a son of Ebe-
nezer Clarke ; a grandson of "Betsy Zane," the heroine of the famous
powder exploit at Fort Henry.

James Callahan was chief engineer on the ferry-boat that plied
between Martins Ferry and North Wheeling; the ferry that origi-
nally gave the town its name. He died in 1861. Both daughters
died young; Elmena in 1863, and Annie in 1868.

James, the son, married Isabell Blythe, January 15, 1865, and four
children were born to them; Nancy Elmena, Carrie V., James W.,
and Howard. Three of these children died in infancy ; the mother
in 1873, Carrie in 1896. James married again Miss Emma OHver,
of Bellaire, Ohio, in January, 1875, and three sons were born of this
union — Percy, Oscar, and William.

Oscar John Callahan married Jennie Leach, whose father, from
Berry, England, owned and operated the old Woolen Mill, on the
County Road, one of the landmarks of Martins Ferry. He manu-
factured yarn, flannels and blankets, I think, and at one time had
quite an extensive business.

Oscar and Jennie had two children, Bertie and Charles.

Bertie died in infancy. Oscar in 1877. Jennie married again,
David Parshall, by whom she had three children. She died January
25, 1892. Her son Charles married in Steubenville, and died there,
leaving three children.

100 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Percy Callahan, of Wheeling, married Minnie Steger, of Bellaire.
He was engaged in newspaper work for some time, but at present is
in the insurance business.

Oscar married Laura Schields, of Wheeling, at present is with
Wells-Fargo Express Company, and they have one son, William
Oscar.

James and Emma Callahan died within a few months of each
other in 1904. Their son WilHam in 1908. Eleanor Cochran-Calla-
han died June 17, 1897.

Among the early friendships formed while the family lived on
Scotch Ridge was that of Samuel Cochran and James Mitchell Black-
ford ; they grew up together, and probably spent ten years in a boyish
companionship, until Samuel moved to Pultney Bottom. The fami-
lies kept up their acquaintance, however, by frequent visits, and the
friendship begun in youth, ripened with the years ; and later, "Mitch"
Blackford became not only the trusted physician, but the friend and
adviser, of the family of Samuel Cochran ; and to the man, himself,
the one person whose counsels were ever accepted.

Shortly after the family moved to Pultney Bottom in 1851, nearly
all of the children were stricken with measles. It was the custom at
that time to dose the sufferers with noxious teas, and not allow them
any water at all to drink. The spring was at some distance up the
road, opposite the entrance to the Heath farm. It is related of John,
the oldest son, then a young man, while delirious with fever, that he
rose from his bed one moonlight night, and rushed madly up the road
till he reached the spring, where he stretched himself out flat and
drank his fill of water, after which he returned to his bed. The
family anxiously awaited results, and as John steadily improved the
others were permitted to drink water also, but not from the spring.

In 1854, James Cochran also arose from his bed one night, to put
some young cattle out of the corn, and contracted an ailment from
which he never recovered. At this time, there was a grist mill on
the banks of Wegee Creek, not far from the Cochran homestead.
John Hofer, son of the miller, and Susannah Cochran were married
in 1857, at the ages of nineteen, and went west, first to Missouri, and
later they came back as far as Rushville, 111., where they staid for
several years, after which they settled in Bellaire. They had two
children, Charles, who died in infancy, and Dora, in her twelfth year.

John Hofer died in 1888. Susan in 1913, November 16.

Family of James and Nancy McCord Cochran 101

Jane Cochran married William Fowler, of Brooke Co., W. Va.,
a school teacher. After their marriage in 1856, Nancy Cochran built
a cottage at the foot of the hill for them, and William kept a general
store. Here their first child, Nancy Jane, was born Dec. 3, 1856.
Later, the Fowlers moved to Rushville, 111., where they engaged in
business. Two children were born to them — William Collins, and
Martha Ellen.

After graduating from the high school at Rushville, William C.
Fowler studied medicine for three years, then went to Columbia State
University of Missouri, for two years, then to the Medical College
at St. Louis, Mo., for two years more; graduated in March, 1887;
accepted a position with Northwestern Milling and Lumber Company,
in Chippewa Falls, as surgeon; stayed there until his father's sick-
ness took him back to his home; resigned; next located in Vermont,
Fulton Co., Ills., where he had an active practice from 1888 to 1907;
was married in April, 1897, to Miss Eleanor R. Irwin, of Mount
Sterling, Brown County, 111. ; a daughter of Charles Norse Irwin
and Isabella Clay Irwin (Kentucky Clay, he says). He took sick
in 1907 and had to leave Vermont in order to Hve, as his practice be-
came too strenuous; so he sold out and moved to Mount Sterling, to
his wife's old home, as her parents had both died and she being the
only living child, had inherited the estate. They are now living in
the old Irwin homestead ; a lovely home with seven acres in the city,
of which one and one-half acres are lovely forestry in front, and a
Kentucky style house. They have had three children, only one of
whom is living; Eleanor Isabel, born March 17, 1904. He took
up his practice again in Mount Sterling. Doctor Will paid his first
visit to his Belmont County relatives in April, 1915, and made quite
a favorable impression upon all who met him.

Nancy Jane, Jennie, or "Dot" Fowler, as she was familiarly called,
a diminutive both of the word daughter, and in regard to her tiny
stature and proportions, married W. R. Thomas, and dying in 1897,
left a son Eri.

Martha Ellen, Eleanor, or "Nell," as she was variously named, has
spent her entire life in Rushville. She taught school, and is now the
wife of George R. Glossop, who is engaged in the electrical business.
They have one son, Leon, about twelve years old. Mrs. Glossop has
been an invalid for several years, yet she has written entertainingly of
the family history, and has furnished much of this data. She visited

102 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Ohio in 1896, and her relatives still remember her as an accomplished
pianist.

William Fowler was an invalid for years, the last five years of his
life being confined to his bed entirely. Jane Fowler died in 1899.

In 1853, William and Samuel Cochran were two gay young men,
singing and dancing, and riding back and forth to Bellaire. Here
William met Melissa A. Davis, daughter of Jacob Davis, pioneer
settler of that town, and here also Samuel met her friend, Caroline
Krebs, of Powhatan, O. The two girls did fine sewing and CaroHne
made her home at Mrs. Rebecca Shane's, the mother of Melissa. The
acquaintance had been brought about from the fact that Melissa's
brother Wesley had married Caroline's sister Anne. A flood in the
Ohio ;^iver during this time, followed by an epidemic of small-pox,
when the girls were quarantined, and the young men were restricted
from visiting them; paying their calls on horseback, while the girls
sat at an up-stairs window, all seemed to favor the course of the
double courtship, and William and Melissa were married in 1855.
Their family consisted of three daughters and one son. (The story
that has been told of William's youth is that he was subject to ex-
cessive nose-bleed, and to walking and talking in his sleep. It is
related of him, that one evening, when still a lad, he had lain down
on the floor after supper and gone to sleep. It happened at a time
when the family were entertaining the minister and their good old
neighbor Blackford and others. The older people were in the adjoin-
ing room, w'hen William rose and staggered over to the table, and
seizing a knife, rapped loudly on the table, saying: "Always ask a
blessing before you eat," to the consternation of his hearers, and the
everlasting pleasure of his brothers.)

William Cochran was a cooper by trade, for fourteen years, part of
which time was spent in making kegs for the Benwood Nail Mill. He
operated a sawmill at the Heatherington's Coal Works, south of Bel-
laire (for two years). In 1872 was elected Sheriff of Belmont
County for two terms. Later, he had a position in Columbus, under
Governor Nash; afterward engaged as contractor, in road-building.
Died at Bellaire, 1903.

Samuel Gideon Cochran was a farmer, until his marriage in 1859,
after which they began housekeeping in Martins Ferry, and he and
his brother William both worked in a cooper shop, on the site of the
Barrel Factory at present. When the work closed the following

Family of James and Nancy McCord Cochran 103

summer he engaged in boating on the lower Kanawha River. In
1862-3, he and Samuel Krebs, a brother of his wife's, rented the farm
of his mother, at Pultney Bottom. In '63-5, he engaged in the livery
business with his brother John at Bridgeport, O. In 1865, he moved
his family to Bellaire, and again engaged in the coopering business at
Benwood. In 1868, they purchased the house still standing on the
corner of Twenty-Sixth Street and Peach Alley, Bellaire, where they
resided until 1873, when they moved to Martins Ferry. In '68-9, he
held the office of Street Supervisor. After moving to Martins Ferry
in '73, he again engaged in coopering. In April, 1874, they bought
the cottage on the site of the family home, corner Fourth and Clay
Streets. In 1876-8, Samuel was elected City Marshal, a position
since named as Chief of Police. In '79 he engaged in running an ex-
press business between Wheeling and Martins Ferry, at that time
quite a lucrative employment. In 1901, he purchased a small farm,
with a vein of coal underlying, on Little Short Creek, near Mt. Pleas-
ant, O. While traveling from town to his farm, walking on the rail-
road, was struck and killed near Burlington, O., Sept. 12, 1901.

Elizabeth Cochran married John Clark in 1869, and went to Indi-
anapolis to live. She had one son, Samuel, named for her favorite
brother, but contracting malaria at the birth of her son, died in 1871 ;
her sister Caroline and brother Thomas went to IndianapoUs and
brought back the child and the body of their sister, which was buried
in the family graveyard at Patton's Run. Little Sammie was a beau-
tiful child, the idol of his grandmother and Aunt Nan, but died at the
age of four years.

Margaret Cochran married Albert Rodefer in 1863, the two families
having always been closely associated together, their farms lying a
mile apart. Albert continued to work with his father for some time,
but later they took up land near Forth Leavenworth, Kansas. Three
children were born to them, Lillian, Kate and an infant that died with
its mother in 1868. Albert returned to Ohio with his two little girls,
and the body of his wife. The children were reared by his mother.
Lillian Rodefer went west in 1888 and married Robert Hall and
resides in Santa Rosa, Cal., at present. They have two daughters,
Roberta and Kathryn. Mrs. Hall has been an officer in the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union, both local and county organizations, for
years. In 1914 she was County Secretary of the Dry Federation, and
spent much time in working for a "Dry" California.

104 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Miss Kate Rodefer is a teacher in the Bellaire schools.

Caroline Cochran, always familiarly known as 'Line in her youth,
was always of a cheerful disposition, singing while she worked ; it is
related of her that as she went to the hill pasture for the cows, singing
on her way, that the sound of her voice in the clear air carried for
miles to the ear of a young farmer, on another hill, who fell in love
first with the voice, then seeking an acquaintance, with the owner of
the voice, but his love was not reciprocated.

Caroline was married to Henry Rankin, of Bellaire, January, 1871.
One daughter, Bertie L., was born to them. Henry Rankin died July,
1878, from an injury received in the railroad yards, while operating
a switch. Bertie Rankin and Samuel J. Wood were married in No-
vember, 1892. Two daughters, Helen and Thelma, were born to them.
In 1903 they went to California, and were in San Francisco at the
time of the earthquake, but reached a place of safety in time. Mrs.
Rankin was also with them. Carrie Rankin died May 23, 1913, at
Bellaire, Ohio.

Nancy Cochran never married. As she was witty, clever and com-
panionable, always popular with the other sex, it must not be thought
that she lacked opportunities for changing her name. She cleverly
said, "If I married, I might be obliged to sing, 'A Charge To Keep, I
Have,' as many another woman has done, so I think I will not risk it."

Surely no unmarried woman ever had a better time than she did.
She was the life of any company in which she was found; young or
old, married or single, all enjoyed her charming personality. She
usually found some kindred spirit of her own sex, and they worked
in pairs. Many stories are told of her and May Biggs, who lived on
the opposite side of the river. Once Nan attempted to cross the river
when the ice was breaking up and narrowly escaped drowning. One
of their fields of operation was the Yearly Camp-meeting at Mounds-
ville. It was the great meeting place for both saint and sinner. It
was but ai few miles below May's home, so that they frequently
walked home after services. Nan was engaged in the millinery busi-
ness for several years at Bellaire, and her store was the rendezvous
for a gay crowd of both sexes. During her last few years of life. Nan
was afflicted with an incurable malady, which kept her confined to the
house, but not bed-fast. As she had always been so fond of walking ;
(she thought nothing of walking to the old home, which was four
miles from Bellaire). A friend asked her, "Don't you get lonesome,

Family of James and Nancy McCord Cochran 105

staying in the house so much? What do you do to amuse yourself?"
She answered, "Oh, I just think of some of the things we used to do,
and I have many a laugh, all to myself." What a cheerful, optimistic
nature ! One never found her blue ; she kept her own counsel, and
though we knew some of her trials and disappointments, she never
spoke of them. She died September, 1897.

John, whom all the family had considered a hopeless old bachelor,
surprised us by getting married to Miss Martha McKim, of Little
Short Creek, near Mount Pleasant, O., in 1882. They had a family
of three children. Lucy married Harry Glass and has two children,
Martha and Harold. John married a Miss Finney and has two sons,
Robert and Alfred. He lives on the home place on Short Creek.
Ross is unmarried, and lives on the property once owned by his Uncle
Samuel. Lucy lives on a farm near Mt. Pleasant.

Thomas Cochran was farmer, school teacher, lawyer, deputy
sheriff, and Probate Judge of Belmont County, Ohio. He was born
in 1848, and when but a boy in his teens, he drove to Wheeling Market
with a wagon full of vegetables, fruit and other produce. His mother
accompanied him, and they would leave the farm about five o'clock in
the afternoon, driving the eight miles to Bridgeport, and crossing the
Island to Wheeling. They usually spent the night, or a part of it, with
his mother's sister, Mrs. Susan Cotts, of North Market Street, but
early the next morning found them both busy in the market place, for
in this way, Nancy Cochran finished paying for her farm.

After Thomas was of age, he taught school, and, I think, he read
law with J. B. Smith, of Bellaire, until the time when later he attended
the Law School at Ann Arbor, Michigan, from which he graduated.
Sometime in 1872, he hung out his shingle in Bellaire. (I can remem-
ber the Httle frame office building, which stood on Union Street, in
the same block with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Passenger Sta-
tion, at present, and directly across from a hotel.) In 1872 his brother
WilHam was elected Sheriff, and Thomas went to St. Clairsville, to
become his deputy officer. Here he mingled with all the leading lights
of the county offices, for while William was elected on the Republican
ticket, Thomas was a life-long Democrat. He was a handsome, tal-
ented young man, and became immensely popular. He married Miss
Alia Print, of St. Clairsville, and their wedding festivities were the
occasion of a great family reunion, at the old home at Wegee. Cousins
from far and near were there; among the number was MolHe Cotts,

106 Chronicles of the Cochrans

of Wheeling; Mary Cochran, of Bellaire; "Sis" McCord, John Zane
Cochran, and in, and out, through it all the children, of whom I was
one. They danced in the large, old sitting room, and a party of men
and boys came up from the Wegee Coal Works to serenade them.
This, of itself, could never be forgotten by one who had never known
of such things before, Thomas, the bridegroom, the gayest and hap-
piest, and handsomest of them all, opened the dance with Mrs.
Strausser for a partner. She was a neighbor, who had come to help
with the preparations. She was German and spoke rather brokenly,
and it was Tom's dehght to talk with her, as he had studied the lan-
guage. Besides that, she was his first client. Mrs. Strausser had
married a widower with several children. She had been a widow with
several children, and there was some trouble about the division of
property. They lived on the river bank, just at the mouth of Wegee
Creek. It seems to me that the property was hers, and the old gentle-
man wanted his dower, or thirds, as they called it. However, as soon
as Tom came home from the Law School, before he had opened his
office, she brought him his first case, and so they danced together.

In 1874-5, Thomas opened a law office in Martins Ferry, with
George Duncan as a partner ; here they built up a wonderful practice,
with clients all over the county; they also developed a strong Demo-
cratic organization, which later helped elect Thomas to his first county
office. L. Spence, "Chup" Lupton, Dr. J. D. Hobensack, Dr. J. M.
Blackford, Isaac Cotts, a councilman, Davids Park, father and son,
George McKim and his sons, McCord brothers, and many others.
Their opponents in legal work at that time were the Drennen brothers,
Lycurgus and Eugene, and many interesting stories might be told of
their encounters.

Thomas moved to St. Clairsville in 1878, when elected as Probate
Judge, the first time.

Seven children were born to Thomas and Alia Cochran, as follows :

Clarence, who died in 1898.

A daughter, who died in infancy.

Fred, married Mary Grabill, of Orrville, O. They have one son,
Alfred Grabill.

Lucy L., at home.

Thomas, died in infancy.

William, married Lulu Nichol, of St. Clairville. They have one son,
Louis Nichol.

Harry, at home.

Family of James and Nancy McCord Cochran 107

Robert, youngest child of James and Nancy, was rather delicate in
his youth, and consequently, his mother was more indulgent with him
than with the older children. He is also said to have resembled his
father in features, though his father was smaller and slighter in build.
After Thomas left home, Robert gradually assumed charge of the
farm, but there was always a hired man. William Kinney spent
many years as a member of the family. Robert also drove to Wheel-
ing Market with his mother for a time, but they found it better to
peddle the vegetables in Bellaire, and many a time has the writer
driven through the streets and alleys of that town with him. He
attended Mount Union College for a time. He was also in the office
of his brother Thomas for a while at St. Clairsville. He married
Mary Braiden, of Bellaire, September, 1879. Three children were
born to them; Jason Milton, in Bellaire, O., June 13, 1881; Beulah
and Clara. The family moved west to La Jara (Colorado) in 1898.
Jason Milton Cochran and Harriet Gardner, formerly of Knoxville,
Tenn., were married in 1902. She writes: "I met Jason the first
week he came to La Jara, and he began to pay me attention from that
night, and in four years we were married ; I was nineteen, and he was
twenty-one ; scarcely more than children, but we were very happy,
and had a lovely little home. Jason was full of life, always on the
go, very jolly; everybody was his friend; he could make money, too;
did not seem to have to work hard, either; he certainly would have
made his mark in the world, if he had lived ; Earl, our son, is very
much like him. I have never been to Ohio. Jason often said that we
would go back to visit his old home, but his sudden death put an end
to all our plans, and changed me from a girl to a woman.

Mrs. Harriet Cochran married a Mr. Owens, has one daughter and
lives in Los Angeles. Jason was killed by being thrown from a
horse, March 24, 1907. At the time of his death he was Postmaster,
in La Jara, which position he had held for three years. He was also
a partner in the furniture store of McKelvey and Cochran.

His sister Beulah married James Becker, of Oakland, California,
and has one son, born 1915.

Clara Cochran is the wife of Ford Meinzer, a veterinary surgeon
of La Jara, Colo.

Robert Cochran was formerly a veterinary surgeon and dentist at
Woodsfield, Ohio, but has since located in the West."

108 Chronicles of the Cochrans

A Sketch of Nancy Cochran

Nancy Cochran was a wonderful woman; a woman of strength of
body, mind, and character. If she had one weakness, it was her par-
tiality toward her youngest child, in indulging his wants and inclina-
tions.

It has been said that she paid and helped to pay for her farm three
times. The first was after her husband died. I have always under-
stood from the Drennens and the Blackfords, who knew him well, that
she was the more forceful character of the two. When the youngest
son was of legal age, others of the children compelled a division of
the estate. She paid each of the twelve heirs $833 plus apiece, or a
sum of $10,000. At the time, she was sixty-two years old. But she
had a tine farm of more than two hundred acres, much of it in rich
bottomland, with acre after acre of corn tassels waving in the breeze ;
seldom do I remember them to have had wheat planted there; two
immense orchards. The large wheatfield lay up the road beyond the
orchard. An immense hill pasture and a field or two up there were
hers.

There were always five or six horses. Lion, her old buggy horse,
was a gray. She told me that he had helped her pay for the farm.
When a child, I always thought that this horse had been named for
Aunt 'Line, not being able to distinguish between the names. Then,
there was Dolly, a sorrel mare, used both as a riding horse and driven
in the buggy.

There were always ten or twelve cows to milk. I am writing now
of the time when my aunts were at home. Aunt Lizzie had two cows
of her own, and she permitted me to milk one of them. I took my
first lesson in milking from her when I was about eight years old.
Aunt 'Line had one cow also, as it was generally the custom for the
girls of the family to raise a calf and care for it ; then it becomes their
property, and they can make butter from its milk and thus earn some
pin-money ; but Aunt Nan would have nothing to do with a cow. That
would keep her at home when she wanted to go elsewhere. She did
sewing and later millinery. (It is told of Nan that instead of darning
or knitting new heels or toes in her stockings, that she would crotchet
them.) I can remember when grandmother knitted, and made "every
day" trousers for the boys. In her earlier days, she had a loom and
wove counterpanes and her own rag-carpets. I have in my posses-
sion a quilt of red and white calico and muslin, called the "Union,"

Sketch of Nancy Cochran 109

or Eight of Hearts, which she pieced and quilted all by herself, during
the first year of her marriage. It is set thick with dainty stitches,
and who can guess what dreams of love and life she wove into them,
she, a bride of sixteen.

There was an old spinning-wheel in the attic, or cubby-hole over the
dining room, and I think I have heard them say, that she spun her
own flax and carded her own wool. They never had any sheep, to
my knowledge, except a pet lamb of Robert's, which was the torment
of my life. It was permitted the freedom of house and yard, but it
did not take kindly to me, and managed to send me sprawling every
chance it got. My safest refuge was under the dropleaf table in the
dining-room, and many unhappy moments have I hidden there, some-
times screaming for help.

As Robert was nearer my own age, I really knew more of him than
of the others. One summer, Ada McClain, of Wheeling, W. Va.,
granddaughter of Susan Cotts, who was grandmother's only sister,
spent a summer there. That is the only time I remember having a
doll, a small one with a china head. It was Robert's delight to get
our dolls and hang them up on the frame of the canopy of grand-
mother's bed in the sitting-room, while we stood weeping below. (I
can almost see them now, suspended by their necks.) It was a real
tragedy to us, and a great pleasure of his, only cut short by one of the
aunts coming to the rescue. I was about six years old at the time.
There was a large swing in the side yard, made of an iron chain.
There were two locust trees in the yard between the well and side
porch, and the swing was hung in one of these. Robert delighted to
swing both of us so high that our feet went into the bedroom window
upstairs.

After Lizzie and Caroline were married in '69 and '71, grandmother
did her own work. I can remember the immense washings she put
out in the summer time, for both boys were at home then, and a hired
man or two, and a cousin or two, and one summer, Larry McClain
was there, a boy slightly older than myself. There were white vests,
and linen trousers, and white shirts for the young men, and I learned
to iron a man's shirt at the age of ten, at grandmother's. Nan did
her own washings by herself. Sister and I helped grandmother. She
had a washing machine and a wringer, and I can almost smell the soft
soap, which she made herself in a huge iron kettle. It was dark and
liquid, and kept in a very small keg. I think they put up paint in

110 Chronicles of the Cochrans

those kegs, for this was before the days of the tin industry, and then
wooden or stone vessels were used instead of the tin ones we use
nowadays.

I can never remember of my grandmother being sick. She had
three strokes of apoplexy, but I did not happen to be there at either
time.

Grandmother never took kindly to the numerous swains who came
courting her daughters, especially the friends of Nan, and it is said
that she was responsible for the fact of Nan's unmarried state. As
many of these callers came from a distance, they usually rode horse-
back, and it was one of grandmother's pleasures to untie the horses
and let the young men get home the best way they could.

She was a good cook, and so, by the way, were all her daughters.
There is an old blue Venetian platter, twelve by fifteen inches, on my
plate rail, as I write, and it calls to memory the many times I have
seen her place it on the table heaped high with boiled apple dumplings,
or corn on the cob. I have, too, a very dark blue sugarbowl, a piece
of her first set of china, a dark brown stone jar with a lid, which I
use to hold sugar. (If you would keep in perpetual memory some
loved one who is gone, use daily some homely article which belonged
to them. There is something in the touch of it which revives the old
associations, and keeps the memory of that one alive and vivid, far
more than some treasured keepsake, wrapped up and laid away.)

"The hours I spent with thee, dear heart.
Are as a string of pearls to me."

I loved my grandmother dearly, though I believe I was somewhat
afraid of her. She was not an affectionate woman at any time, yet
she was never cross to us, and seldom scolded ; but if ever there were
two beings in this world beloved by her, they were her grandsons
Samuel, and my brother Harry. All the pent-up affection in that old
heart was poured out on these two, who spent such few years in her
company.

She was past seventy-two when my brother died, yet she drove up
from Wegee to Martins Ferry, a distance of ten miles, in time for the
nine o'clock funeral. When I saw the grief of that aged woman, my
own seemed insignificant, for "the tears of the aged are bitter," indeed.
Harry had spent the summer with her, and had only been at home a
month to attend school. Grandmother never seemed just the same to
me after that.

Sketch of Nancy Cochran 111

She died suddenly, January 7, 1887, in her seventy-eighth year.

The old home was sold to strangers, and its precious memories are
all that is left me now.

"There are no times like the old times, when you and I were young ;
When the buds of April blossomed, and the birds in springtime sung."

MY grandmother's GARDEN

"Her garden was one of the show places for visitors and strangers.
It lay to the right of the house, and was separated from the lawn by a
paling fence, along which grew, on the one side, rose-bushes, and on
the other, currant and gooseberry.

A fence also separated the garden from the turnpike, and it was
bordered by bushes of hollyhocks, while in the farthest corner were
a number of poles supporting hop vines.

A walk laid with small gravel traversed the center of the garden
from east to west, and on both sides of it grew all the dear old-fash-
ioned flowers, and beds of vegetables beyond them.

As one entered the gate, the first flowers to be seen were of the
earliest varieties, and of the kind which do not grow tall.

Here all seasons were represented, from the earliest Easter flowers,
white and yellow, the daffodil, the jonquil, the narcissus; and the
odorous hyacinths, purple and pink and white ; next came the flags, or
iris, for Decoration Day; then clove pinks, pansies with their faces
bright, lilies of the valley, striped ribbon grass, no two blades alike;
sweet peas, sweet williams, sweet alyssum, ladies' shpper or the
haughty touch-me-not; larkspurs of every hue, and quaint little
ragged-robins, too.

Next a patch of sweet-scented herbs, mignonette and hehotrope,
lemon verbena, and southernwood, "lad's love" or "old man," as it is
variously called — oh ! the unforgetable sweet odors that came from
this clump, like a waft of pot-pourri of dried rose leaves.

There were other herbs more practical, sage and tansy, camomile
and sweet basil.

Farther on grew peonies, those yellow lilies of July, and in August
those splendid tiger-hlies with their tawny spots and black eyes.

Later in the season, and farther down the walk, came the dahlias
with their quilled rosettes, mingled with the last straggling chrysan-
themums and china asters.

Many of the flowers were named differently then. Both pansy and
violet were called "Johnny-jump-up"; narcissus we knew as "gander-

112 Chronicles of the Cochrans

eye," and if you have seen geese, you may think the term quite ex-
pressive. There was also a small yellow flower which we called
bachelor's button"; and what we termed "ragged-robins" is the real
corn-flower.

The tiger-lily always suggests something oriental or foreign to me,
and must have affected a writer similarly, for he says :

"Watching them while half asleep.

All in the twinkling of an eye
The scene has changed for me,

The sky is pricked with minarets,
I hear the click of castanets.
Over the white roads, a caravan
Is creeping far away.

And by the shady garden wall

Grave turbaned heads, till day grows pale.
Sit nodding to some eerie tale.

Perhaps one charm of grandmother's garden was the freedom with
which flower and vegetable grew side by side, without regard to har-
monies of color or scent.

The tender green of lettuce, the feathery fronds of parsley, mingled
with the yellow of carrot, the red of tomato the purple of cabbage and
egg-plant ; all ranged in beds and rows beyond the flowers, and parallel
to the walk.

A summer house at the end of the walk was covered with a luxur-
iant tangle of honey-suckle and wistaria, which scarcely permitted
either the rays of sun or moon to penetrate it.

On the right side of the walk, near the fence, grew two rows of
red or "tame" raspberries, down through the length of the garden.

As I recall it, after the lapse of years, the immortal part of that
garden is the memory of those vines and their luscious fruit, whose
fragrance outrivals that of the roses.

The remembrance of the many scents from that garden of old has
grown dim; but the sight and the smell of red raspberries bring back
such a fragrant memory that, in fancy, I can still see the dear old
dame, on a summer's day, as she passed between the rows, gathering
the fruit; and myself, a slip of girl, following in her wake.

On the Banks of Old Wegee 113

ON THE BANKS OF OLD WEGEE

Oh peaceful stream! No poet's lay

Hath ever honored thee !
Nor hist'ry's page had aught to say,

In praise or blame of thee;
But now a sonnet, sad and lorn,

Will be softly sung for thee,
By one who loves thee, one who was born

On the banks of old Wegee.

Close by the place where the Ohio broad

Hath absorbed thy waters so free.
On thy verdant banks how oft I've trod

In the happy hours of childhood's glee,
And with bent-pin hook and a willow rod

How oft I've endeavored to be
A fisherman bold, but my luck never told.

On the banks of old Wegee.

As I wander along thy banks so fair,

I come to the fording-place,
Now a bridge of stone and iron is there,

Of the old foot-log, there is not a trace;
Yet my head grows dizzy as I try once more,

In fancy, to cross from shore to shore.
On the narrow bridge that I used to see

On the banks of old Wegee.

Comes the school house next, with its narrow ground,

Where first I strayed, on learning intent ;
My earliest friendship there I found.

With one in whom I was ever content.
For our love was true, and knew no bound,

As many a time o'er thy waters we bent.
When we played together, happy and free.

On the banks of old Wegee.

114 Chronicles of the Cochrans

As I wander on I come to the place

Where thy waters once flowed to the mill-race,
But its bed is dry, and the old wooden wheel

Has long since refused to turn.
Nor time nor tide have power to heal

These relics of decay. Sadly I yearn;
For things are not as they used to be

On the banks of old Wegee.

And here is the church, with its grassy yard,

Peaceful, calm and serene;
No towering spire have I ever seen

That could change my deep regard
For this temple old, and the memories sweet,

Of the many friends that here would meet ;
But there's no one left me now to greet.

On the banks of old Wegee.

Just across thy stream is the hallowed ground

Where lie the silent dead.
With tearful eyes and a sorrowful heart,

I enter with unsteady tread ;
For here I know shall surely be found

My early love, 'neath a grassy mound.
A token of love my tears shall be,

Since Fate would have it so ; that we must part

On the banks of the old Wegee.

— Ida Cochran Haughton.

Genealogical History of the McCord Family 115

Genealogical History of the McCord Family
By G. W. McCord, Wellsburg, W. Va.

"I had a talk with Aunt Susie Cotts, (widow of Isaac Cotts, of
Wheeling, about thirty-five years ago, and a short time before her
death. I took some notes of her information regarding our ancestry,
but these notes have been mislaid, and I am unable to find them.
Aunt Susie was the only sister of your grandmother Nancy, I believe.
The boys of the family were Samuel, Thomas, Hugh and Gideon; I
do not recall the names of any others. (James and William j. Her
father's family resided in the Short Creek region, north of Wheeling,
Ohio County, W. Va.

She gave me her father's name, and also her grandfather's, who,
she said, came from County Antrim, Ireland, in 1776 or 77, and
landed in New York, with his brother ; here they separated, and
never heard from each other, afterward. Her father and grandfather
I think, were buried in a private burial ground on Short Creek. I
saw the graves about thirty-two years ago, while I was making a
survey in that vicinity. I copied the inscription on the grave-stones
at the time, but they are also mislaid.

I am the grandson of Samuel McCord, who was born in 1799, mar-
ried a widow, Anne Windsor, (whose maiden name was Clendennen),
in 1822, and died in 1849, leaving a widow and his children, George
W., Mary E. and Wm. C. One son, Francis Marion, having died in
infancy, in 1837, I believe. My father, George W., was born July
4, 1823, in Brooke County W. Va., about 11 miles north of Wheeling,
on the east bank of the Ohio River, four miles below Wellsburg.
Mary E. married Wm. McKim, had one son, Samuel, and died in
1870, in her 45th year, leaving her husband and son surviving. Wm.
McCord died on Feb. 27, 1852 in the 23rd year of his age, un-
married.

My father married Sarah A. Hogg, in 1852, by whom he had twelve
children; viz., Wm. S., George W., Samuel N., Olivia, Anna, Sarah
v.. Grant, Harlan, John C, Thomas M., Floyd H. and Charles F.
Of these, Wm. S., Grant, Olivia, Anna and Sarah died unmarried.
My father was a successful farmer, and had acquired about 600
acres of land, at the time of his death in 1878. I was his oldest surviv-
ing son. My mother never remarried, and is still living, aged 81 years,
on the homestead in this county. The surviving children are all mar-

116 Chronicles of the Cochrans

ried, except Harlan and John. I was born Dec. 17, 1854; married in
1881 ; had two children, Bertha and Geo. W., by that marriage. I was
married again in 1908, and have one child, by the second marriage,
Robert E., aged five. I w^as educated in the common schools of
Brooke Co. ; at Scio College in Ohio, and at Bethany College, W. Va. ;
practiced surveying ; read law ; served two terms in the West Virginia
Legislature ; engaged in mercantile business for a short time ; served
sixteen years as County Clerk and Recorder in this county and have
been for six years, bookkeeper and assistant Cashier of the Wellsburg
National Bank. I reside in the country near Wellsburg, on a farm. My
daughter. Bertha, resides in Canton, O., where she has been teaching
piano for four years. She was recently married to a Mr. Knisely,
Editor of the Canton Daily News. My son George resides in Roches-
ter, Pa., and is also married. My daughter is a Graduate of the
North-Western University School of Music, and also studied two
years in Berlin and Munich, Germany.

My brother, Floyd, lives in your city, 875 Oakwood Avenue. He
is engaged as a passenger railroad brakeman, between Columbus and
Pittsburg. I visited Columbus in 1898, and called to see a Mr
McCord, who was, I think, engaged in merchandising, and a shipper
of grain. I had had some business correspondence with him, and had
also purchased a car load of corn from him. I did not get to see
him, as he was out at the time, but through our correspondence, I
learned that his grandfather's father, named McCord, had come from
Ireland, in 1776, or 77, with his brother, to New York, where they
separated, and never afterwards heard of each other. I am sorry
that I cannot at present, give you more satisfactory information for
your book, but I hope you will make out all right.

From Miss Annie Conant, daughter Elizabeth McCord-Conant :
My grandfather, Thomas McCord, was born in 1801, and died in
1887. I think he was born there, but the first house stood on top of
the hill. His mother's name was Neely. She was of Welsh descent.
Hughie Nichols, who used to own and operate the Ferry, was a full
cousin to grandfather on his mother's side of the family. Mrs.
Nelly Lyle, who used to Hve near us was also a cousin; her maiden
name was McHenry, but her mother was a Neely. There was a
family cemetery on the place, but I had all the bodies removed to
Greenwood cemetery. I did not remove the old tombstones, but had
them buried in the former graves. Mother's Aunt Cassie, Miner's

Genealogical History of the McCord Family 117

mother, died at our house and was buried with the others. I cannot
tell you much about grandfather's sister Susan. She married Isaac
Cotts, of Wheeling. I think he was in the grocery business. There
was quite a large family of the Cotts, I mean uncle Isaac's brothers ;
David, "Coon," Henry, and George; the latter also married a
McHenry.

THE family of SUSAN AND ISAAC COTTS

Susan E. McCord was born June 7, 1812.

Isaac Cotts was born June 19, 1806. They were probably married
some time in the '30's, and had ten children, as follows :

Isaac Cotts, Junior, died in California.

James W. Cotts is the only member of his family surviving.

George W. is dead.

Andrew W. killed in war.

Hugh is dead.

Emily Cotts married McClain, and is dead. Leaves a daughter,
Mrs. John H. Deihl of Elm Grove.

Mary Cotts married Ed. Wagner, and is dead. She left two sons.

Virginia is dead.

Flora is dead.

Susan is dead.

Andrew was killed in war. Was First Lieutenant, Company K,
15th West Virginia Infantry. Killed June 22nd, 1862.

Isaac, Junior, went to California in 1854, and died in '57 or '58;
when he was buried, he wore on his breast a picture of his mother.
Many years after she went west for the body, which was identified by
means of the picture.

All of the family are dead except James. He was married to Miss
Mary Jane Brinton in 1867, and had a family of eight children:

Laura Brinton, deceased.

Jessie Belle, married Henlein, and is dead.

Mary Ellen,

Andrew White,

Susan is dead,

Edith,

James Brinton,

Whitney J.

Isaac Cotts, Senior, died March 5, 1879, in his 73rd year.

Susan Cotts, his wife, died in November, 1896, in her 85th year.

118 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Hugh McCord first came to Ohio in 1845. He rented the Samuel
Giffen farm, back of Martins Ferry; then the Nelan farm back of
Bridgeport; then he rented and operated the ferry between Martins
Ferry and North Wheehng for a short while, after which he began
the manufacture of brick, at the close of the Civil War. He con-
tinued in this business until the time of his death, in 1882.

Hugh McCord and Magdalena Welshanse were married in 1840.
The Welshanse family lived on the farm adjoining the McCord's, in
West Virginia, about six miles north of Wheeling, near the banks of
the Ohio River.

Their family consisted of Mary Louise, born in 1841. Married
Thomas J. Cochran, November 6, 1862.

Leander, born in 1843 and located in Kentucky.

Gideon, born in 1846, married Anna Maul.

Francis, born Dec. 6, 1842, married Louise Force.

Hugh McCord was the son of James and Eleanor Neely-McCord.
James was born May 4, 1773, and died April 4, 1848. His wife, born
March 22, 1777, and died April 1, 1822. Their children were Hugh,
WilHam, James, Thomas, Samuel, Gideon, Nancy and Susan. They
located on the farm, which later became the property of their son,
Thomas, and his family. They are buried near where the old Short
Creek United Presbyterian church used to stand. Mr, Spriggs
Jacobs writes concerning them; "This old church has been gone for
nearly twenty-five years. I can remember very well when there was
preaching in it; I knew all the leading families who attended, very
well. This church was located near the North Branch of Short
Creek. They seemed to have intended starting a cemetery around
this church but these two graves are the only ones that show today.
Tom McCord, a surveyor who lived on the river above Wheeling,
did some work for me in the Short Creek Cemetery, and told me those
were the graves of his grandparents. The graves are now in an open
lot where stock is pasturing. The wife's headstone has fallen down
and is out of the ground, lying on top of the two foot-stones, and it
looked to me as though they had been dug up and thrown there. It
will not be long, in my opinion, until they will be gone entirely and
nothing left to mark the place of their burial. The graves are on the
property of Mr. Frank Tolbert, who owns just a few acres with a
dwelling house and buildings, near the site of the old church. Thomas
McCord, his wife, Nancy, and his children, were formerly buried on

Genealogical History of the McCord Family 119

the home plot, but his granddaughter, Anna Conant, had the bodies
all removed to Greenwood Cemetery, near Wheeling.

James McCord, the second, married Cassie Long, and was the
father of James, otherwise known as "Miner," who spent much of his
boyhood and early manhood, in the family of his Aunt Nancy Cochran,
at Pultney Bottom. He was about the age of Samuel Cochran, and
they were great chums. Miner was a boatman, traveling between
Pittsburg and New Orleans, and when the war broke out, he enlisted
in the Confederate service, in the Sixth Alabama Regiment, of which
he became a Major, or Captain, and was ultimately killed in the war.
He was a large, fine-looking man.

The Record of the McCord Families in Martins Ferry

Francis H. McCord was born on the old McCord farm in West
Virginia, (at that time a part of old Virginia), December 6th, 1842.
Was married to Louise M. Force December 26th, 1876, at GallipoHs,
Ohio.

Louise Force was born at GallipoHs, GalHa Co., O., Feb. 26th, 1855.

Their children were: Gertrude, born at Martins Ferry, Oct. 31st,
1877.

Myrtle B. born August 31st, 1880. Died August 28, 1881.

Francis Earle, June 6th, 1884.

Esther L., February 26th, 1889.

Gertrude McCord and Bert E. Vennum were married September
4th, 1898.

Bert Vennum was born Dec. 22nd, 1873. He is a tin-plate worker.
Their children: Doris E., born Nov. 20th, 1899; Gertrude McCord,
Sept. 8, 1901 ; Donald R., May 16th, 1904; Alice E., Jan. 4, 1909.

Esther McCord and Thurman McA were married March 28th,

1907. Esther McCord died May 24th, 1909, leaving an infant
daughter, Louise, born March 9th, 1908.

Charles Gideon McCord was born Dec. 21st, 1845, on a farm in
Belmont Co., was married to Annie S. Maul, at Martins Ferry, July
29th, 1869.

Annie S. Maul was born at Kinseytown, or Blaine, Sept. 19, 1853.

Their children were: Flora Adele, born at Martins Ferry, Dec.
11th, 1870; Charies H., born at Martins Ferry, Feb. 8th, 1873;
Emmet Lee, born at Martins Ferry, March 21, 1876.

Flora A. McCord and George L. Spence were married Oct. 12, 1892.
George L. Spence was born Nov. 11, 1866.

120 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Their children are: Erma A. Spence, born Dec. 31, 1893; Gertrude
E. Spence, born June 21, 1897,

George Spence is President of The Stanton Heater Company.

Earle McCord is a mechanic, a tin-plate worker.

Charles McCord is a glassworker.

Frank and Gid McCord were associated in the brick business with
their father for many years.

Emmet Lee McCord and Kate Lyle, of Bridgeport, Ohio, were mar-
ried in 1899. One child was born March 18th, 1900, William J.
McCord; Emmet Lee died May 22nd, 1901.

Leander McCord was killed by a tree, that he had cut, faUing on
him, at or near Shelby City, Ky. He married Mary Burnett. They
had five children: Hugh, Agnes, David, Allen and Lucy. Hugh and
David are both railroad engineers. David was killed about a year
ago on the railroad. Agnes is a school teacher, and soon to be mar-
ried. Lucy married Roy Brand, of Kentucky. They live in Akron,
Ohio. He works in an automobile factory. They have one child
about a year old. I have dropped everything today to hunt up this
record for you and I hope it will be of service.

Sincerely yours,

Louise McCord,
Martins Ferry, Ohio.

Some Recollections of the McCords, by the Author

I was just thirteen years old when I first met Uncle Hugh and Aunt
Lena. Their home was one of the first places I visited, after we
moved to Martins Ferry. At that time they owned all the land
between Walnut Street and the County Road, and from Seventh to
Eighth Streets. The old homestead and the new brick house of their
son Gid. were the only houses then.

There was a small stream of water running through their grounds ;
a run which had its source near Hellings Coal Works ; it formed quite
a pool back of the McCord home and cat o' nine tails grew there,
while all around the grass was so green, and there were many fruit
trees, while an immense grape-vine screened the side porch. In front
of the house was Aunt Lena's garden, enclosed by a paling fence. It
was a dear old place, with many a German herb, gay with a border of
flowers, as well as its fresh vegetables. And with their kindly hospi-
tahty, it was a visit long to be remembered.

(5) RESIDENCE OF JAMES AND NANCY COCHRAN, ON THE WEGEE
TURNPIKE. BIRTH PLACE OF THE AUTHOR.

Reminiscences of the Author 121

Uncle Hugh was a well-known figure on the streets of the town for
many a year. He owned and operated a brick-yard near the river, in
the vicinity of the grounds of the C. L. & W. R. R. There was
naturally a number of the rougher element of the town who worked
there and lived in the vicinity, but they said Uncle Hugh controlled
them all with his cane. Beside that, he was absolutely fearless, even
to the last, yet in his own home was gentle and kind.

Reminiscences of the Author

I was born one lovely Sunday morning in July, at the home of my
grandmother, Nancy Cochran, at Pultney Bottom, four miles south
of Bellaire, Belmont County, Ohio. As memory reviews the days
of my infancy, girlhood and young womanhood spent in that home,
my heart swells with regretful longing that the estate has passed into
other hands ; that those who made Hfe such a pleasant place for me,
have nearly all passed behind the veil, and that I am left like "one
who treads a deserted banquet hall alone."

When a child, I usually spent the entire summer vacation at my
grandmother's. Here I remember meeting some quaint characters,
who ought to figure in magazine articles of today. One was "Johnny
Mac," of whom I stood in mortal terror. Poor Johnny was perfectly
harmless ! he had fallen from a window in childhood and injured his
head, and the brain had not developed as it should, but he was a strong
man and usually helped at harvest time, though he frequently told
them, "Tect I'se going to be sick tomorrow," when inclined to shirk,
or would beg for some "teckermint tea," of which he was very fond.
It was the delight of Uncle Tom to coax Johnny to slip up behind the
young women, who were helping in the house and try to kiss them ;
and poor Johnny got many a cuff from them, but he seemed to think
it was all a part of the day's work. Another character was a peddler,
"Old Typles," a coal miner whose back had been injured. He car-
ried a heavy stick across his back, and through the crook of his
elbows, which seemed to be some sort of support. He usually man-
aged to reach our house at mealtime, and sometimes to spend the
night, for there was always an extra bed for the "way-faring man,'"
unless too disreputable; when there was only a bed of hay. At the
foot of the hill lived a quaint couple a brother and sister, Uncle Billy
and Aunt Lizzie Smith, who were Scotch. Uncle was an invalid,
short and dark, almost a dwarf, but Aunt was tall and strong and

122 Chronicles of the Cochrans

fair. I never failed to visit them, and for many years I thought they
were family relatives; but they have long been sleeping in the quiet
old cemetery on the banks of Wegee Creek.

Across the road, but farther down than Smith's, lived Israel Heath
and Sallie, his wife, and a brood of children. I always had to go to
Mrs. Sallie for yeast, even after I was married. On the hill above
Heath's lived the family of Alfred Davis, whose sister married my
uncle, William Cochran, so it was my Aunt Maggie Davis, just as
well as my cousins. Farther down the road, on a high bank over-
looking the creek, lived the Highleyman family, and on the opposite
side of the creek, stood the old mill ; and close by on the one side,
lived McGrew's, the miller's family, and on the other side lived the
family of 'Byrus Brice who had a family of ten daughters. I must
have been a friendly little soul, for I always visited and loved these
people.

There were many young people in that vicinity, with whom my
aunts and uncles were famihar; I can remember the Rodefers, John,
Thornton, Belle and Kate; the McGrew girls, Duke and Snip, and
their cousin, Tude Fowler, (I never did know their proper names) ;
the Shavers: Eliza, Margaret, Manda, Tom, Cecilia, June, Kate and
Barney ; Israel Day Highleyman and his sister Belle, who married Dr.
Smith, of whom I was very fond ; also the ]\Iilligan boys, who taught
school. Will, Anderson, Dave and John.

We raised quantities of watermelons and muskmelons, and I can
remember their bringing in great basketful and putting them in the
well-tub, to cool them off. Standing on the top rail of the side
porch, and facing the east, I could look across the vast river bottom
lands and see the trains of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, on the
opposite side of the river. Toward the north-east, the land was much
higher, and grandmother had at one time sold fifty acres to Samuel
Heath. He had built his house near the edge of the bank, thus mak-
ing their house on a level with ours, and it always seemed nearer than
Smith's. Here I was frequently sent on errands, and the old folks
made quite a pet of me, and in later years their son John and his wife,
Lina, were good friends of mine. The Rodefer family lived a mile
further up the road, nearer to Bellaire. The Shaver family, at the
Wegee Coal Works, on the Ohio River, a mile south. We had to go
to Shaver's for the mail, as they kept the post-office, for the mail came
by the boats, as there was no railroad at that time. The house at

Reminiscences of the Author 123

grandmother's was certainly an odd affair and might be regarded as
three different buildings joined together. The original building at
the back of the house, consisted of three rooms ; the largest one served
as the dining-rom and was perhaps twelve by twelve, not larger I am
sure, as it contained nothing but a drop-leaf table, a cupboard made
of walnut, but never stained or varnished, and a few chairs. Adjoin-
ing this room, was a bedroom, with one window in the center of the
wall, facing the door; on either side of which there was just room
for a bedstead, and about a foot of space between it and the wall;
the dimensions I should judge, were about eight by twelve; there
were no clothes-cupboards, the clothing being hung around the wall;
neither was there a dresser or bureau, as it was then called. There
was a chimney built across the corner of the dining-room, but no
mantel. Over the fire-place hung two small pictures, which I think
must have been painted on glass. They were about eight by ten
inches in size, and were probably portraits of two queens, as they
wore a peculiar head-dress, and were named Charlotte and Louise.
Adjoining the dining-room on its eastern side was the smallest, dark-
est kitchen that was ever built, I am sure. There was only one small
window, a half-sash, about twenty-four by twenty-four, with six
small panes of glass. One end of this kitchen was taken up by the
stove which was called a "drum" and in which they burned wood.
Along the outer wall stood a table and a cupboard, the window being
nearer the stove than in the exact center of the wall. I am sure the
dimensions of this room were not more than 10 x 12, and here in
the winter, they cooked, and baked, and churned and did the wash-
ing for a family, that numbered at least thirteen, for the first few
years of residence.

The first additional building was an immense living room, twenty
feet wide and perhaps longer, with a bedroom over it of the same
size. This was built directly in front of the older building. It is
probable that when James and Nancy Cochran located on this farm
in 1851, or '52, they must have built this immense room to accommo-
date their family of eleven children; for only Ellen was married and
James was dead at that time, of their family of thirteen.

An immense chimney was built on the outside, and a stairway also,
on the western side; on the eastern, a large covered porch, opening
from the kitchen. Later another building was added on the western
side. It consisted of a parlor in front, a spare bedroom back of it.

124 Chronicles of the Cochrans

and a bedroom above. A stairway, leading out of the dining-room,
was also built, and a most peculiar looking front porch, with a heavy
box-hke cornice and a real fence around it, with two gates that had
real spring latches. The architect and builder of this last addition
was grandfather's youngest brother, Alexander.

When I was about a year and a half old, my parents moved into a
small house, at the foot of the hill, across the road from the Smith
cottage, and my father and my mother's brother, Samuel Krebs,
undertook to work grandmother's farm. Here my brother Charles
was born in April, 1862 and here he died at the age of sixteen months,
and was buried at the old family graveyard, at the head of Patton's
Run. Many stories have been related of our precocity, for we were
petted and spoiled by our doting young aunts.

In the fall of '63, my parents moved to Bridgeport, O., where my
father and his brother John engaged in the livery business. We lived
in the third story of a house directly facing the bridge which crosses
Wheeling Island. All that I can remember of the Civil War, is
seeing the soldiers march off that bridge, keeping time to the music,
and the bands playing. I also remember the day, when my sister was
bom in that house, and I was only three years and eight months old
at the time, yet every detail stands out very distinctly.

In April, 1865, we removed to Bellaire, to a house adjoining the
old Criswell property, on the river bank, on Twenty-sixth Street.
Later we moved to a house on Belmont Street, not many squares
from the present High School building. I started to school when
only five years old, but the first day was all I attended that year.
During the afternoon session, a girl whom I knew, passing through
the schoolyard, held up a toy, which I supposed she meant for me,
and I went to the window, which was open, to get it. The teacher,
following, struck me across the arm with a stick, so cruelly, that it
left a scar for a long time. Her name was Greenlee, and many years
after her sister Josephine, was my teacher in High School.

The Bellaire school at that time was noted for the severity of its
teachers ; I think the Superintendent was named Goodrel, and it was
commonly reported that they had a dungeon^ or a dark hole of some
kind, where they confined the worst boys. I had attended a school
in summer at Wegee, in which Aunt Nan was the teacher, and
Martha Brice was my little play fellow, but I do not think we ever did
anything but play.

Reminiscences of the Author 125

On Christmas of this year, I found a McGuffey's First Reader in
my stocking, and sat right down and read off several lessons. Where
or how I had learned to read, no one knew, but the act was accom-
plished, and my mother was happy. As she had received but few
opportunities for any education herself, she was most anxious to get
me started in mine, so I was sent at once to a private or "select"
school in the neighborhood, taught by a Miss Williamson, who had
quite a large school for that kind, owing to the disfavor with which
the public school was regarded. Here we were permitted to get
ahead as fast as possible, and at the end of three months I was in
the Second Reader.

One of the pleasant memories connected with my visits to grand-
mother's, is that of going to church. There were two churches, on
the banks of Wegee Creek, a Methodist and a Presbyterian, which
held services on alternate Sundays. We went to both and sometimes
to Sabbath School, also. It was more than a mile to the nearest,
which was the Methodist and we often walked both ways ; for grand-
mother was a Baptist and attended services at Martins Ferry, ten
miles away, and she had to have the buggy. Sometimes we got to
ride, if the neighbors had room in their wagons. The minister at the
Presbyterian Church was called Professor Laverty as he conducted a
school or academy, in Bellaire, assisted by two of his wife's sisters.
I attended the primary grade in '67 and '68, as I remember it was
the year of the Grant and Seymour campaign, and I had such a hard
time to know what my political preferences were. I remember as
schoolmates, cousin Emma Cochran, Maggie Bute, Kate Muth, John
Randolph, Charley Winans, and of the advanced grade, the Gorby
girls, the Poorman girls and Ben Morris. School was held in the
building, now used as the B. & O. R. R. station, the first year; and
in the third story of the McGregor building, the last year. I now
studied Geography, Grammar, Arithmetic, and Osgood's Fourth
Reader. It was in the latter study that I achieved "fame, honor and
renown." There is a story of a little child, who had followed her
farther into the field and he Hfts her into the cart, which he is driving.
She falls out and is crushed, but realizing that she is going to die, she
entreats them, "to bury me in the garden, mother." This selection
almost broke my childish heart, and I read it with so much feeling,
that I was frequently taken into the advanced department, to teach
them what pathos meant. I can remember the word, though I did not
know its meaning. It was very real to me, and I probably read as

126 Chronicles of the Cochrans

I felt. Professor Laverty was very fond of me and meeting me on
the street, would pick me up in his arms and kiss me, which was ter-
ribly embarrassing, and to avoid which, I was ever on the watch, as
the other girls teased me about it. There was another man, I think
he was a grocer, named Will Long, who did the same thing. I was
a timid child, so these demonstrations did not make me as precocious
as it might otherwise have done.

In the fall of '69 we attended school in the old Disciples Church
in old Bellaire, on the site of which there is a school house today.
Our teacher was W. B. Workman, and he had such a large school,
that he permitted the more advanced girls to teach classes of the
smaller children. Of course I had a class, and after all these years,
there is only one name I can remember, which was that of a boy
named Elsa Hogan. We were next moved to a shop of some sort,
directly across the street, from my home, on the corner of Twenty-
sixth Street and Peach Alley. I think they were building a new
school house in central Bellaire at that time.

Here in this old shop I engaged in a fierce struggle with Manie
Briel and Rachel Satterfield for spelling honors; the contest was so
close that each of us were awarded a prize of the same series ; mine
was a book entitled, "A Wrong Confessed Is Half Redressed."

In the fall of 1871 school was opened in the new Central Building.
I entered Number Seven, Grammar grade, taught by Miss Mary B.
Gorby. Our Superintendent was A. R. Page. As schoolmates I
recall Ella Strahl, AlHe Poorman, Alice Fitton, Ella Gorby, Ella
Blankensop, Adda Jones, Kate Muth, Sarah Brock, Node Shipman,
Ella Abel, Anna Bradford, Mary Copeland, Kate Welsh, Kate Archi-
bald. I sat in the row next to the boys, and can remember some of
them: Fred Rodewig, and his brother; Will Smith and "Dode"
Smith, (with both of whom I renewed the acquaintance later), George
Richardson, Asbury Archibald, Charles Westlake, and Harry Whip-
ple, of Benwood. We were promoted to High School at Christmas
'72, where we had Miss Josephine Greenlee for our teacher, and
later Professor Tuttle, for Superintendent.

In August, 1873, my parents moved to Martins Ferry, and when
I entered the Freshman class some of my earliest acquaintances were
Maggie Ralston, Mary Hobensack, Alice Anderson, Kate Carmichael,
Emily Warwood, Jennie Gray, Mattie Clark, Jennie Armstrong, Ella
Kerr, Sarah Gray, Cora Griffith, Cora Shipman, Manda Clarke, Dora
and Banche Milligan, and the boys were, Eugene Rider, Eugene and

Reminiscences of the Author 127

Lew Smith, James and Robert Kerr, Wistar Shreve, and many
others. The very first boy I met was Wilber Griffith, who was occu-
pying a "special" seat in Superintendent Shreve's office, also called
the library.

I had been sent there until Prof. Shreve had time to look into my
quahfications, so "Wib." kindly entertained me. I was certainly an
odd child, and wore odd clothes, so they at once called me the "old-,
fashioned girl," the "smart little girl," and Emily Warwood called me
"cock-roach," as a pun on my name, which offended me very much.
I was terribly afraid of Miss Sarah Coffin, the High School teacher,
for one of the first things she made me learn was the "Order for
parsing a verb," which I had hitherto shirked. Later that year she
was ill with pneumonia, and we had "On" Martin and Charlie Mor-
rison as teachers. After Christmas the big boys of town came to
school; there were Frazier's, Rothermund's, and others. A class of
five young men also graduated and entered college. That first year
was not a success for me, as I was lonely, and unhappy, and because
of sickness did not return for the spring term.

In the fall of '74 I entered in better spirits as I felt better
acquainted with the class who came from the Grammar Grade; Kate
Griffith, Kate Anderson, Mary Park, Lucy Wood, Mary Campbell,
Angie Gray, Minnie Hayne, Mattie Wallace, Lizzie Timberlake; also
the Chalfant boys, Samuel Groves, James, ahas "Sissy" Grier, Pete
Milligan, and many others. One delightful memory is of the eve-
ning sessions the Arithmetic class sometimes held in the "library,"
with Prof. Shreve, where such prominent men as E. E. Capehart, of
the Navy, and James Kerr, of the Army, struggled as hopelessly as
the rest of us, till our instructor had solved some intricate problem
of Ray's Higher Arithmetic; for he was never satisfied till it was
made plain to the dullest of the class.

On April 10, 1878, the whole school, as well as the entire com-^
munity, were grief stricken, by the loss of three of our classmates
by drowning; Pete Milligan, Herbert Crowl and Frank McKim. The
graduating class were especially afflicted by their loss, as they were
the only boys in the class ; the girls were Kate Anderson, Kate Grif-
fith, Lucy Wood, Cora Sloan, Minnie Hayne, and myself.

As I was destined for a school teacher, I took the County Examina-
tion in the fall, but did not secure a school until the next spring. The
directors of District Number Five, Mead Township, now Shadyside,
had decided to hold a Spring term, because of dissatisfaction with

128 Chronicles of the Cochrans

teacher and results, of the winter term. The directors were Joseph
Crow, John Heath, and Robert L. Cochran, my uncle, clerk. I
applied for this school, and was elected to teach it. The term began
March 31st, and was for three months. I was very successful and
the pupils were quite docile. Several of the older boys got a licking.
I made it a rule to keep them in after school for their first offense,
and give them a hcking for the second. Some of the now prominent
citizens of Shadyside were doubtless among my first pupils, some of
whom I can recall, Dellar, Kate and Samuel Heath, George, Elmer
and Josie Crow; Mattie, Blanche, Kate and Alpha Davis; Alice,
Maggie, Anna, and Kate Brice; Harry and Jim Futhey; Ed. Thomp-
son, Chris, Dan, and Maggie Schramm; Anna Ambler and brother,
Samuel; Amy Keyser and sister Bertie; Maggie and Harry Leasure;
Bertie Rankin, (Binah and Stanton Heath), and others. The course
of study ranged from the alphabet, to Algebra and Ray's Higher
Arithmetic.

After school hours I enjoyed life on the farm at grandmother's, as
I had never been there in the spring before. Aunt Line was a widow
at home with her mother at this time, and I used to assist her in
driving hens who prolonged their setting period, from their nests.
She was a Httle timid about catching them, when we tried to fasten a
piece of red flannel to their tails, which was supposed to be a pre-
ventive.

Another pleasant diversion was feeding the calves. Did you ever
try it ? There is nothing like it in the world ; the frantic, hungry
creature, choking, slobbering, trying to get its head into the bucket,
and banging the bucket against you, and the fence, and any thing
else in the way, and spilling about half the contents. It was not only
fun; it was exercise, but I enjoyed it.

Another task was helping to pick the geese. They were first
driven into the cow-barn, and my task was to slip up behind one,
seize it quickly, carry it over to grandmother, and she would pull a
stocking over its head, place it between her knees, and strip ofif its
feathers with a quick, deft touch. I fancy I can still see the indignant
flirt of its tail when it was finally released, as though its feelings, as
well as its feathers, had been ruffled.

In September, 1881, I began teaching at West Wheeling; a most
trying position. There were two rooms ; I had the primary grade,
which included Fourth Reader. There was an enrollment of one

Reminiscences of the Author 129

hundred and five pupils, with average daily attendance of ninety, the
desks were old and rickety ; sometimes three pupils occupied the same
desk. Very few had books; as the Revised McGuffey Readers were
just new on the market, I made arrangements with a book-seller of
Bridgeport, by which the children could exchange their old books for
the new with a small payment. I did not consult the School Board
about this, as that would take too much time, but the parents were
willing, even those whose children had been provided with new books
at the school opening. I think the children were responsible for this,
as they probably wanted the Revised Series. In two weeks, the
entire school was provided with the new books. Some of the boys
were quite troublesome, but I managed to win through.

The next position was most agreeable ; the Mountain View School,
three miles from Bridgeport, on the Cadiz Pike. This is the neigh-
borhood, which the author of "Bonnie Belmont," has immortahzed.
Every foot of ground mentioned in that work is familiar to me, as
well as the little red brick school house, which also served as a church
formerly. Here I taught three terms, and our school distinguished
itself by winning the spelling matches of that winter of '82 and '83.
The first one was held at Ferry View School. My oldest girl pupil
and I went in a Pinch Ridge Buggy, which meant two persons riding
on the same horse. We had an exciting time, in many ways. Dur-
ing the first round the other teacher and I announced the words
alternately. The last speller on the floor was my girl pupil, Minnie
Dufif, which gave the honors to our district. When the sides were
chosen again, one of the captains chose me, as the spellers were not
limited to the pupils this time, but to the assembly at large. Judge
Cochran announced the words in my stead, so I took my place among
the spellers, and remaining till the last on the floor, our district was
again victorious. After a challenge was extended by our school, and
accepted by the other, to take place at our school house, my first ex-
perience at a Country Spelling-Bee was over. Some weeks later, the
afifair came off at our school and Minnie again won the match for
us. A third affair took place at our school that winter, when both
schools and their teachers, were challenged by two ex-teachers,
former champion spellers, but as the latter failed to put in an appear-
ance, the championship remained with our school. Some of those
old farmers were as happy as children, and some of the women of
that other district were as mad as wet hens. I did not permit my

130 Chronicles of the Cochrans

scholars to waste their time over their spelling-books, for they needed
Grammar more, I thought ; but that did not hinder Minnie Duff and
John Woods from spending their recess periods, and noon hours, in
alternately coaching each other, as they were regarded as our best
spellers, while Fred Woods and Mattie Mitchell were the best at
Ferry View. We had gay times on the Ridge that winter. Miss
Inez Majors, of Scotch Ridge, conducted a class in Penmanship on
Wednesday evenings, after which we adjourned to Uncle John
Smith's for a dance. There were other dances, oyster suppers,
apple-parings, a maple-sugar party, revival meetings, etc. The
directors were, Morris Cope, Albert Brown, where I made my home,
and John Smith ; and their good wives tried to make me have a good
time. The young ladies of the district, Lily Chandler, Annie and
Belle Woods, Lizzie McHugh and Maggie Brown, and the Williams
sisters were all most kind and hospitable; I think I was invited to
dinner by every family in the neighborhood. I taught three terms
here, and only left it to get married. The families represented were
Copes, Gows, Woods, Browns, Bowens, McHughs, Paxtons, Jordans,
Smiths, Leatherwoods, Duffs, Coffmans, McComas, Adams and some
others.

The Genealogy of the Davis Family

(Since the writer of these chronicles is twice related to the Davis
family, by inter-marriage on both sides, she has thought it practical
to introduce a brief sketch of their biography ; the two families hav-
ing many interests in common, and from the fact that the first settle-
ment in Bellaire, Ohio, in 1802, was made by Jacob Davis, an
Englishman, who had first located in Maryland, where he married a
Miss Henderson.)

In the summer of 1915, the writer interviewed Mrs. A. M. Coch-
ran, of Moundsville, West Virginia, who is a daughter of Jacob
Davis, Junior, and the widow of William Cochran, of Bellaire. She
and two brothers are all that are left of the older Davis family ; she is in
her eighty-third year, and has a remarkable memory for names and
dates, and likes to talk of the past and the friends that are gone, and
gave the writer some interesting and reliable data.

In 1829, her father, Jacob Davis, Jr., built the first log cabin on
the river bank, near the mouth of McMahon's Creek, with the assist-
ance of the militia, who were collected there to muster. This cabin

The Davis Genealogy 131

was removed in 1870, and a machine and implement works erected
on its site. "The land of the city proper was a government grant
to John Duer in 1792. Duer sold this grant to Buchanan, and in
1832, he sold it to John Rodefer; one hundred and thirty-three acres
south of Indian Run, (according to McKelvey in the History of Bel-
mont County). The same year, Captain John Fink purchased all
the tract of land lying south of McMahon's Creek, from Jacob Davis,
including the coal underlying it, for $1400." In 1834, April, Jacob
Davis laid out six acres on the beautiful plateau, just north of
McMahon's Creek, and named it Bellaire, in honor of his mother's
home town in Maryland.

Jacob Davis and Rebekah O'Neal were married in Moundsville on
May 26, 1824, by John Parrott. They had six sons and three daugh-
ters, as follows : Wesley, Nelson, Margaret, Melissa A., Ervin,
Dorsey, Alfred, Caroline, Theodore,

After the death of Mr. Davis, in 1844, his widow married John
Shane, by whom she had two sons, William and Alexander.

Wesley Davis married Anne Krebs, of Powhatan, in 1850. They
had four sons, two of whom survive; Orlando L., of Columbus,
Ohio, and Harry, of Fort Worth, Texas. Orlando married JuHa
Campbell, of Belpre, Ohio, and has one daughter, Mrs. Henry Scar-
lett, and one grandson, Campbell. Harry married in Texas and has
two daughters.

Nelson Davis married Virginia Hayes, by whom he had three
children; Leo, Alice and Virginia. Virginia Davis and her children
lived at the family home of the Krebs, on the Ohio River, and she
died there, and her children were reared in that family until his sec-
ond marriage to Miss Addie McClain. Four children were born of
this union.

Margaret Davis was married first at the age of 19, to Isaac
McMillin, to whom two sons were born, Ivan, and Dr. Nelson
McMillin, of lola, Kansas ; she married again, Dr. Joseph Beam, of
Youngstown, O.

Melissa A. Davis married William Cochran, of Pultney Bottom,
1855. Three daughters were born to them, of whom two died in
infancy, Emma in 1895. A son, Theodore, married Miss Kate
Martin, of Moundsville, where he now resides. Mrs. A. M. Coch-
ran was born in Bellaire, where she has spent the greater part of her
life, except the six years in St. Clairsville, when her husband was

132 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Sheriff of Belmont County. Since his death she has resided in
Moundsville. Her father and all her brothers were rivermen;
owners, captains, and pilots, of both steam and coal boats, on the
Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Ervin Davis married a lady from Cincinnati.

Dorsey Davis married Mabel Dillon, and had two children.

Alfred Davis married Margaret Shaver, of the Wegee coal works.
They lived on a farm at that place, and had a family of five or six
children. Alfred Davis was accidentally shot and killed on Bellaire
streets, while returning from a lodge meeting, in 1870. Members of
his family still reside at Shadyside, near Bellaire.

Caroline Davis died in childhood.

Theodore Davis married Frankie Hollister, of Covington, Ky., and
has a son and a daughter. He has been in the government service
as pilot and captain of their craft for more than thirty years.

William Shane married Dorcas McMillen, of Bellaire, and their
family are all dead. Alex. Shane married and lives in Bellaire.
One son, Nelson, is in business in Bellaire. He married Miss Miller,
of Indianapolis.

TRANSLATION OF PASS-PORT OF CHRISTIAN KREBS

No. 685. Canton Bern.

Higher Court Nidau.

All organized Civil and Military Authorities are notified to pass,
free and unhindered, Christian Krebs, of Buehl, a farmer, with his
lawful wife, Anna (born), Niklos, and five children named: Christian,
John, Benedict, Elizabeth, and Marie Krebs.

Age 35 years, height five feet, two, according to the French meas-
urements ;

Has blonde or light hair ; blonde or light eye-brows ; gray eyes ;
hooked or Roman nose ; medium sized mouth ; round chin ; round
forehead; long face.

It is his will (or purpose) to travel to North America, over (or,
by way of) Havre Du Grace, until he arrives there.

And herewith he shall receive support or help, in advance, if neces-
sary.

Given in Castle Nidau, January 25, 1825.

Good for one year.

Undersigned by the traveler. Judge of the Upper Court,

Christian Krebs. Von Wubinnen.

I IIB4

5 ^:^ .^ . ^ ^

^^ ^ i

1^

^

Genealogy of Christian Krebs 133

1170. In accordance with the laws of the State and Republic of
Bern. Given under my hand and seal. Gruber Ber.

January 26, 1825.

Reverse side reads :

No. 433. Viewed by Charge d' Affaires for France and Switzer-
land. Bern, the 26, February, 1825.

Paul or Pierre LaParey.

Good for voyage on ship, The Comet, Captain Moore, going to
New York from Havre, till June, the 11th, 1825.
The Commissioner of Police,

Winnson.
Stamp Police du Havre.

Genealogy of Christian Krebs

Christian Krebs, Sr., was born January 25, 1789, in Canton
Berne, Switzerland. Married Anna Niclos in 1814. Took out pass-
port papers for America, January 25, 1825. They had five children
living when they came to this country ; namely. Christian, John, Bene-
dict, Elizabeth, Marie. Anna, the oldest child, was born in 1815,
and died in Switzerland. One child, evidently Benedict, died just
as they were in sight of New York, and was buried there, after
landing.

As nearly as we can learn, after leaving New York, they came by
way of the Erie Canal to Buffalo, thence to Cleveland, thence to Mt.
Vernon, Ohio, to Zanesville, O., where they tarried for several
weeks, and where another child was born to them; a son, named for
the one that had died, Benedict, the second. They had travelled thus
far by wagon and ox-team, and now continued their journey from
Zanesville, O., to Wheeling, W. Va., thence by flat-boat to their
future home, three miles south of Captina, or what is now called
Powhatan, because it has been said the famous Indian Chief of that
name lies buried on the hill back of the little town.

There was quite a settlement of Swiss at Steinersville, on the
Captina Creek, a mile or more west of the Ohio River, into which
the creek empties. Opposite the mouth of the creek there is an
island, and on the West Virginia side there was once a fort, called
Baker's Fort; here in 1794 occurred the "Battle of Captina," in
which several white men were killed, and a number of Indians as
well. Some authors say that Captina Island was also the locality

134 Chronicles of the Cochrans

where in 1774 some Indians, who were returning from a conference
with their white brethren at Pittsburg, were fired upon and killed by
order of Michael Cresap, whose descendants, to this day, still live
in this vicinity.

However, there were no Indians at Steinersville in 1825, where
Christian Krebs left his family while he journeyed farther to the Land
Office at Marietta, where he purchased one hundred and twenty-one
acres of land on the Ohio River, the extreme lower part of his land
lying opposite the head of Fish Creek Island, the upper part adjoining
the land of Jacob Glor, whose eighty-two acres were later bought.

Much of the land lay on the side of the hills, which were so pre-
cipitous they reminded him of his native land; and extended along
the more level summit. Many of his countrymen bought land on
the hills beyond him, and afterwards this section of country became
known as Switzerland Township, because of this fact.

There was a small cabin on the place, and some cleared land for
a garden, but the slopes of the hillside were covered with a forest
of trees. He soon found a way to clear his land, by operating a
station, for selling wood to the boats, which were now beginning to
open quite a market between Pittsburg and New Orleans.

Late in the fall he secured ten or twelve experienced wood-choppers
who first cleared a road along the side of a ravine close by, to the
first level bench, where they erected a cabin for themselves, and also
built a chute, down which the wood was sent to the river bank, where
it was cut in proper lengths, and piled, to season and to be ready for
the boats. It was then loaded into flat-boats, which contained eight
cords, and sold for one dollar and a quarter per cord. As these flat-
boats belonged to him, the other boats usually would take a flat in
tow, until it was unloaded, then cast it loose.

Of course, grandfather or one of the workmen would go along
with the flat, to bring it home safely ; but one time in early spring, it
happened that a boat whistled for wood, when the men were all too
far away. Grandmother and the smaller children only were at the
house. She could speak nothing but German, and unfortunately,
none of the men on the boat could speak anything but English; and
thus she related the story to us :

"The captain, however, motioned for me to come aboard the boat,
for he had to have the wood. There was no help for it, and I must
bring the flat back, or lose it ; the children were standing on the bank,

Genealogy of Christian Krebs 135

and I tried to make John, the oldest of them, but only seven years old,
understand that I would soon be back, but they were a sorry, fright-
ened little group, for a mother to have to leave alone, not knowing
how she might return, for I knew nothing about guiding the flat, after
being cast loose.

However, the men worked rapidly, and we had only gone about
two miles when the flat was cleared, and the captain paid me the
price, and tried to show me how to use the oar, that was fastened on
the end of the flat to steer by, and keep the boat straight. I was
troubled when I thought of trying to bring the boat to the shore at
the proper place, but I hoped my husband might be at home when I
got nearer, and so he was. By his directions I was able to bring the
barge close enough to drift against the others, tied at the shore, and
he made it fast. That was my only experience as a boatman."

Though they had a good landing for boats of all kinds, which later
became a "port of entry" for shippers who lived back on the hills ;
the island in the river just below them sometimes caused the boatman
some trouble, in certain stages of water, because of the ripple which
is always found near an island. This sometimes caused the boats
to be tied up at their landing at nights, or even for days. My mother
relates :

"One cold night in December after we had been in bed for houis,
I was awakened by a most peculiar sound; and I began to think I
had been dreaming of heaven, and hearing the angels sing. Finally
I arose and went to the window. The moon was full, and everything
was clear as day; by her light I could see a watchman pacing the
decks of a boat, and heard him sing :

'How tedious and tasteless the hours.

When Jesus no longer I see,
Sweet prospects, sweet birds and sweet flowers.

Have all lost their sweetness to me ;
The mid-summer sun shines but dim,

The fields strive in vain to look gay;
But when I am happy in Him,

December's as pleasant as May.'

"We were not a musical people and I had never heard the old hymn
before, but the tuneful melody and the words that seemed to fit the
time and the place so well, and the comforting thought that lay under-

136 Chronicles of the Cochrans

neath them, all preached so powerful a sermon to me, that I never
forgot their influence."

Sometimes one or more of the choppers would come to the house
on Sunday, and beg grandfather to tell them stories of the Father-
land, and this was a favorite one : "A friend and I had gone to attend
the monthly cattle market at Berne, which was six miles from our
village. It was a bright moonlight night, and in returning, we
stopped at an inn about three miles from home. On entering the
room, which was filled with small tables, benches and chairs, we
noticed a young man of our acquaintance and a young lady with him,
seated at one of the tables.

We sat down near them, and as we were all acquainted, and the
young lady was of a lively disposition, I called across to them, 'come
on over, and talk to us, and let us drink to your health.' She arose
laughing and came and sat down with us, but not so her companion.
He sat still and glowered at us. He was a surly, jealous man, not
given to friendliness. After we had talked together for perhaps half
an hour we arose to go and she rejoined her lover. When I bade him
good-night, he answered angrily : 'I'll be even with you for that.'

When I stepped out through the door, I felt an intolerable, burning
sensation at the back of my neck. We walked on silently for a short
distance, until the pain becoming unbearable, I unfastened my collar,
asking my friend to look at it. He could neither see nor feel any-
thing that might cause it, but said : 'Perhaps Hans has bewitched
you,' to which I made no answer.

When we were almost home, at the forks of the road, there sat the
largest dog that I had ever seen.

Instantly the burning on my neck ceased, as I turned to my friend
and said, 'Look there, what do you think of that? Did you ever see
such a large dog as that, before?'

'No, I never did see anything like it before. Do not speak to it,
for it may be a witch, and do you some harm.' His mind seemed to
run on the subject of witches.

We passed the animal silently. It gave no sound, except to follow
us. As we passed through the village, other dogs ran out to bark at
us, but on seeing the strange animal, each of them slunk ofif, without
any further noise, while the strange animal paid not the slightest at-
tention to any of them. When my friend left me at his own door, the
animal followed me. When I reached home I asked mv wife to draw

Genealogy of Christian Krebs 137

the water for the cattle. She looked surprised, as I had never asked
her to do such a thing before, but started out the door to attend to it.
She returned instantly, saying, 'Oh I am so frightened; there is such
a large dog, or some other animal out there by the well.'

Then I told her of all my experiences during the evening and we
agreed that Hans had taken that form to annoy me and perhaps do me
some harm. She suggested that she go out with me, as it would
probably not molest her, and her idea was correct. The next morning
it was gone but when night fell it returned. This it continued to do
for nine nights; I was getting weak and nervous, over the matter; I
consulted the advice of others, and one and all said to leave the ani-
mal entirely alone, thus giving my enemy no opportunity for further
persecution. Some one suggested that I shoot it with a silver bullet, as
that was supposed to be done to break the spell. To add to the mystery,
Hans had disappeared also ; he and his sweetheart had quarreled and
separated; some said he had gone to America. Many of the neigh-
bors saw my nightly visitor, who came and went, without any noise
whatever, until the ninth and last night, when he began to howl
shortly before midnight, at which time he finally disappeared, leaving
the echo of those mournful sounds to ring in our ears, to convince us
that we had not dreamed it all." (Note. This tale was believed, in
all sincerity, by the older members of the family, to have been a case
where the narrator was bewitched, or "verhext," to use the vernacu-
lar. The writer thinks it was one of the St. Bernard dogs from the
famous Hospice in the Alps lost perhaps, or wandered astray through
some mountain pass.)

Another story runs in this wise : "Three miles from our village in
an opposite direction from Berne, lived a most peculiar family. In
Switzerland people do not live on isolated farms, as we do in America.
Each farmer builds his house and barn close in, and this makes the
village, but his land may lay miles away. The man in question had
reared a large family, but all his children had left and never returned,
until but one remained at home, a girl of fourteen. Their house was
large, consisting of two stories and a basement, but there was one
room in the house, which the family were never permitted to enter,
and where the father spent much of his time. One summer night he
drove his horses out to the pasture, beyond the village. A neighbor
asked him why he was turning them out ; he replied, 'Because that is
the best place for them tonight.' After he returned home, the gloomy

138 Chronicles of the Cochrans

father sent his daughter to the inn, to get him some brandy. While
she was gone, he killed his wife with a hatchet and carried her body
to the basement, where he boarded up the windows and nailed the
door, leaving the prints of his bloody fingers upon it. When the
daughter returned, he locked her in her own room in the second
story, not permitting her to inquire about her mother; then taking his
bottle of brandy, he repaired to his secret room. After dark, he left
the house with a basket on his arm. This basket contained the bottle
of brandy, a small bottle of poison, and was filled with matches, from
six to ten inches long, which he had manufactured himself. Matches
had not come into general use at that time, and his were the first I
ever saw.

Beginning with his own, he set fire to every barn in the village;
some of these fires were discovered in time to be saved, but many of
the villagers lost their barns and contents. His skulking figure was
seen frequently, but he was not suspected, until his daughter was
rescued from the house which was burning, and the body of the mur-
dered woman was found and the secret room thrown open to public
view. It contained models of various inventions, chemicals and tools
of all sorts, and a number of the matches, which had to be dipped
first into a bottle of sulphuric acid and then they burst into a bright
flame.

The villagers at once started in pursuit of him but he had escaped
to the mountains. More than a year afterwards, a hunter discovered
a cave in which was found a skeleton and a basket with bottles and
a few matches. None knew why he engaged in such extreme wicked-
ness, unless insane or, perhaps failing in some of his inventions, had
planned to destroy the village in revenge It was the greatest tragedy
ever occurring in our midst."

In addition to the business of clearing the timber ofif the farm land,
and furnishing the boats with fuel, was later the work of getting out
stone, when the United States Government decided to build a dam in
the river, from the Fish Creek Island to the West Virginia shore.
We had also a house to build for ourselves, and a barn.

The cabin on the place was a small affair, built by a former occu-
pant, named Wibble, who never owned the land. He later moved to
the island. When preparing the foundation for the new house, they
certainly decided to lay it broad and deep, for it consisted of four
large rooms, at least fifteen feet square; two being built against the

Genealogy of Christian Krebs 139

side of the hill, and the two facing the river were quite out in the
open. These were built entirely of stone. Upon this foundation was
built an immense structure of logs, with a great chimney, built in the
center of the house. The two front rooms were much larger than
the two at the back of the house, but for a long time the front rooms
of the basement served as dining-room and kitchen. Many years
after, the house was weather-boarded, the second floor partitioned into
separate rooms ; porches, and a kitchen added, and a tin roof took the
place of the old hickory shingles, hewn by hand.

The barn, about two hundred feet north of the house, was also
built of logs, with basement of stone, divided into rooms which
served as quarters for the horses, sheep, and other cattle. The log
structure projected farther out than basement, thus forming a cov-
ered way, to enter the stables, and in the event of hea\y snows, would
prevent the banking against the doors. The writer never knew the
reason for this way of building barns, but it seems more general in
Monroe County than any other section of Ohio, at least.

The old house and barn still stand as prominent landmarks to all
who travel on the Ohio River. They were built about 1836, it is
thought.

When Christian Krebs landed at the mouth of Captina Creek,
there were but two buildings ; the first had been erected in 1819, and
was then used as a store ; the other, a log house built in 1825 on the
point formed by the junction of the creek and the river, was a tavern,
called The Point House. The real settlement was about two miles
farther up the creek, and known as Steinersville. Beside a number
of houses there was a grist mill, said to have been built in 1804. This
region was a settlement as early as 1798, first occupied by squatters,
who were hunters and traders, but the first permanent settlers came in
1801 and 2. Lewis Wetzel seems to have been a frequent visitor and
his name has been handed down, in the early annals. At the head of
Captina Creek is New Comerstown, which receives its name from an
Indian legend, concerning Mary Harris, a white captive, who married
an Indian chief.

Six children were born to Christian Krebs and Anna Niclos, his
wife, in Switzerland, and seven in America, as follows:

Anna, born in 1815 in Switzerland, and died there in infancy.

Ehzabeth, born 1816 in Switzerland, and died in Monroe County.

140 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Christian, born in 1818 in Switzerland, and died April 1st, 1882, in
Belmont County, Ohio.

Benedict, born in 1819 in Switzerland, died at sea, and buried in
New York.

John, born in 1821 in Switzerland, died in Monroe County, 1849, of
cholera.

Marie, born in 1823 in Switzerland, died in Monroe County in 1885

Benedict, Second, born in 1825 at Zanesville, Ohio. Fell from
Stille's barn and killed, 1856.

WilHam, born in 1827 in Monroe County. Died in Monroe County,
1854, of consumption.

Kate, born in 1829 in Monroe County. Died in Monroe County in
infancy.

Anne, born in 1831 in Monroe County. Died in Belpre, Ohio,
1880.

Caroline, born in 1833 in Monroe County. Only living member of
the family.

Samuel, born in 1835 in Monroe County. Died in Monroe County
November, 1912.

Charlotte, born in 1838 in Monroe County. Died in Martins
Ferry, Ohio, April, 1896.

Christian Krebs, the father, was stricken with apoplexy in Novem-
ber, 1844, while on his way to vote for James K. Polk, for President
of the United States, and after lingering for four years died in 1848.

Anna Niclos-Krebs died in February, 1874, aged eighty years.

MARRIAGES

Christian Krebs, the son, married Catharine Anschutz, (widow of
John Marbach), in 1861. Catharine Krebs was born at Nein-
Kirche, Dreir, Germany, Oct. 11, 1833. One of the pathetic features
of her hfe is the fact that she was twice married in the same house,
and later buried both husbands from that house, which was formerly
the residence of her aunt, Mrs. Strausser, with whom she made her
home, at the mouth of Wegee Creek. Mrs. Marbach had two chil-
dren by her first husband, who was killed in the Wegee Coal Mine, a
daughter Mary, deceased, and a son John.

John Marbach married Binah Heath of Wegee: to them were born
3 children — Charles, Earl and Vera, who married Cunningham and
resides in Wheeling. Mrs. Marbach died in 1897.

Genealogy of Christian Krebs 141

The children of Christian Krebs were Carrie, who married Charles
Wise, of Bellaire, and has three children, Albert, Fannie and Elmer,
Albert married Miss Corbett, and has two children.

Anna, of Wheeling, W. Va.

Elizabeth, of Wheehng, W. Va.

Samuel, who was drowned in 1876.

Albert married Jessie Murrin, of Wheeling, and is engaged in
l)usiness there.

Christian Krebs died April 1st, 1882, in Belmont County, Ohio.
Catherine Krebs died November 7, 1915, Both are buried in Wheeling.

Elizabeth Krebs married William Stille, a Prussian much older
than herself, and located on the hills several miles from the river.
They owned considerable land, very hilly, and quite a large vineyard,
from which they made wine in an old-fashioned wine-press. Their
house must have been built after the style of a Swiss Chalet, a sort of
balcony built around the outside; it could hardly be called a porch,
for it was not more than three feet wide, built around three sides, the
other side of the house being built against the hill. As the writer
recalls it, the resemblance to houses built in the Alps region is very
similar; and Uncle William was a very typical old German, with his
long, white hair, and rubicund countenance. He could speak English
very clearly and prided himself on that fact ; he was a man of consid-
erable education, and quite fond of me. He always called his wife
"Elise," which seemed strange to us, who knew her as Aunt Lizzie.

She was a devout Christian, climbing those steep hills to attend
church services at the home of her sister Mary, whose husband, as
well as herself, was capable of conducting services.

The children of Elizabeth and William Stille were, John, unmar-
ried.

Mary, married Louis Rabel, and had three daughters, as follows :

Lucy, married Frederick, and lives in North Wheeling.

Minnie, married Clark Wells, and is a widow.

Leila, married Schmead, of New Martinsville, and has two

children.

Julius, son of Elizabeth and William Stille, married Mary Anne
Kocher; both are dead, but two sons survive, Walter and Harry.

Theodore Stille married CaroHne Boltz, and has one daughter,
Delia, who married Chris. Bigler.

142 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Mary Krebs married Ulrich Yost, and they located on a fine farm,
out on the hills, much farther from the river than Stille's, yet their
land adjoined, but on different ranges of the hill-tops, which really
ought to be called peaks. Their land was more level than the other
and they raised large crops of grain, and kept many cows ; sending the
milk night and morning to the cheese dairy in their vicinity, where
is made the Sweitzer Cheese, which is fully the equal of the imported
variety. Here, too, might be seen night and morning, another feature
or custom, similar to that related of the German provinces, namely,
the sight of women walking to the dairy, with great cans of milk
strapped on their backs. These cans are made of very heavy tin and
contain 5 or 6 gallons; they are made flat, with rounded ends, and
probably thirty inches deep, eighteen or twenty broad, and eight
inches across the top, with a wooden lid, which fits in the top. They
were supported by straps over the shoulders. Only a strong woman
could carry such a burden, and then not far. I do not know if this
custom still prevails in the hills of Monroe, but many a time have I
seen it in my childhood. My uncle did not require this of his women
folks, as they had a sort of buck-board, with the cans strapped on the
back of it, drawn by a horse, and we children enjoyed the ride to
the dairy.

There was another established custom at the Yost home, which we
children did not so much enjoy; that was what we should call family
worship; Uncle was not much given to talk at any time, but at table
during meal-time, no conversation was permitted at all ; he was a very
quick, nervous man; eating very rapidly and being served first, his
meal was finished before some of the rest of us had hardly got started,
especially the children from town, timid and afraid to make their
wants known ; having finished his meal. Uncle would take down the
old family Bible, and read us a chapter, and expound it, and close
with a prayer; this was usually at breakfast; at other times he would
just ask a blessing; every one kept his seat, during this service,
except on occasions, I have seen the men leave the table, during the
reading, but never the women or children. He was a sincere Chris-
tian known far and wide, as a just man, and as an authority, his
word was final.

There were six children : Christian, Mary, who died in infancy ;
John, who enlisted and was killed in the war; William, Caroline,
Samuel, who died in 1880, unmarried.

Genealogy of Christian Krebs 143

Christian Yost married Caroline Grail, and located in Wetzel
County, West Virginia. They had a family of nine children, many of
whom are married. Caroline married Adam Riggenbach, of Sardis,
Ohio, and after living on the home place till after the death of Mr.
Yost, they located in Wetzel County also, on a farm five miles from
New Martinsville, W. Va. Their children are, Esther, Viola, Her-
bert, Emma, Mary, Carl, and Edward. Esther married John Arman,
and located on a fine farm, near town. They have four sons : Wesley,
Edward, Robert and Wilbert.

Viola married Henry Fralich, a business man in New Martinsville ;
they have one son, Paul.

Herbert served a number of years in the United States Navy.

Emma is at home. Mary is bookkeeper and stenographer for a
Wheeling firm; Carl has recently graduated from Ohio Northern
University, Ada, in the engineering course. Edward is at home,

William Yost, son of Maryland Ulrich, married Mary Ann Roth,
and they had three children : Clara married Kocher, and has a family.
Harvey and Amos are the sons of William. Amos married Dotweiler.
Harvey, unmarried. William or "Billy," as he was known, was a car-
penter and farmer. After the death of his father he located on the
home farm. Both William and his wife are dead.

Anna Krebs married Wesley Davis in 185 — . He was engaged in
boating; a pilot and captain on the boats on the Ohio River, plying
between Pittsburg and New Orleans, with their residence at Belpre,
Ohio. They had four sons, two dying in childhood, two attaining
manhood, Orlando L., who resides in Columbus, Ohio; and Harry,
of Fort Worth, Texas.

Charlotte, youngest daughter, married Cornelius Kirkbride, a son
of Jeremiah Kirkbride, and his wife, Margaret Dougherty, who came
from Dublin, Ireland, when nine years of age. The Kirkbride family
lived on the river, their land adjoining the Krebs' farm on the south.
Their family consisted of Matthias, Clarinda, Cornelius, Cassie,
Mary and George, and Rose. The two families were always inti-
mately associated together.

Cornelius was born May 4, 1832; married in 1859; was a riverman
nearly all his Hfe. (This term applies to any one, who works about
the river or on boats), as Cornelius Kirkbride was frequently in
charge of the flat-boats at various coal works along the Ohio River;
for all coal was then shipped by water, as well as wood and stone.

144 Chronicles of the Cochrans

In 1870 he moved to Billies Bottom, where he lived for eight years;
and where the writer used to visit them and play around the river,
and learned to row a boat and to swim. Cornelius and Charlotte
Kirkbride had a family of four children, Ida Anne, John, who died
in infancy ; Alva Adelia, and Archibald.

In 1879 the family moved to the Wegee Coal Works, and in 1880
Ida married Thomas E. Mahafifee, who lived in that vicinity. In
1881 both families moved to the new mines opened west of Bridge-
port, and lived at the Enlow Place on the National Road. Here Cor-
nelius died July 21, 1883. Nine children were born to Thomas and
Ida Mahafifee, as follows :

Chester T., at home.

Guy E., died in infancy.

Harry M., married Luella Davis.

Goldie Mae, married George L. Archibald, and has one daughter.

Bertie Kathleen, married Earl Drummond, and has two children.

Roy, at home.

Charles R., died in infancy.

Theodore S., at home.

Archie K., at home.

Thos. Mahaffee and sons are engaged in the tin and slate roofing
business in Bellaire, Ohio.

Alva A. Kirkbride married Henry Hawkins, of Benwood, and died
in 1902. Archibald Kirkbride went to Anderson, Indiana, where he
married Mae McKee. They have one daughter, Inez.

Charlotte Kirkbride died at Martins Ferry, April 2, 1896, and is
buried at Weeks Cemetery, Bridgeport, Ohio.

Samuel Krebs, youngest son, began life as a farmer, but later
became a carpenter. Was married to Salome Grail in 1868. Moved
to Clarington, where he was a partner in planing mill. Lived there
till April, 1880, when he moved to the home farm at Krebs' Landing,
five miles above Clarington. Fourteen children were born to Samuel
and Salome Krebs, as follows:

Harry, died in infancy ; Henry Franklin, Evaline Delora, Charles
Edward, Anna Catherine, George Albert, WilHam Samuel, John,
died in infancy ; August, Louis, Bertie, Ernest, Jesse, Paul.

Frank Krebs married Lydia Murrin, of Wheeling, where he was
engaged in the livery business. He died in 1909, and his wife died in
July, 1912.

Genealogy of Christian Krebs 145

Eva Krebs married Edward J. Griffiths, of Cleveland, O. They
have one son, Edward, and live in Columbus, where Mr. Griffiths
represents a Cleveland firm in Grocers' Specialties.

Charles Krebs married Lora Fankhouser, of Powhatan. They live
in Chicago, 111.

Anna Krebs married Henry Haller, of Wheeling, a cigar manufac-
turer. They have four children living.

George Krebs married Ina Ingman, of Newark, Ohio, where he is
engaged in carpentry and cabinet work. They have three children.

William Krebs is married and lives in Bellaire, where he is engaged
in blacksmithing and wagon-building. They have one daughter,
Wilma.

August Krebs and Catherine Vance, of Steubenville, O., were mar-
ried July 3, 1915, and reside in Cincinnati, O.

Louis Krebs married Miss Velma Ford and lives at Wilton, Iowa.
Has one child, Kenneth.

Bertie Krebs married Witten Hissom, of Wheeling and Fish Creek
Island. They have four children, and at present reside at Sardis, O.

Ernest Krebs married Lena Phelps, of Logan, Ohio. They have
two children and reside at Cincinnati.

Jesse Krebs married Ada Roth, of Monroe County, and they reside
on the home farm. They have three children,

Paul Krebs is unmarried, and at present in the west.

Samuel Krebs died in 1912, and is buried in Clarington.

Caroline Krebs and Samuel Cochran were married October 30, 1859.
Five children were born to them, as follows :

Ida Clara, July 22, 1860.

Charles Christian, April 25, 1862. Died August, 1863.

Alva Anne, March 22, 1864.

Effie Virginia, May 30th, 1869. Died December 12th, 1872.

James Henry, "Harry," October 10th, 1872. Died October 7th,
1881.

Ida C. received her education in the public schools of Martins
Ferry, O. Graduated May 31st, 1878, with the highest honors of her
class. Taught District School for four years, at Shadyside, at West
Wheeling, and three terms at Mountain View, or Blackford School.
Was married April 11th, 1883, to Edwin S. Haughton, a mill-worker,
of Martins Ferry ; a son of Sarah Jane Barnes, of Blairsville, Pa., and
John Henry Clay Haughton, of Freeport, Pa.

146 Chronicles of the Cochrans

Sarah J. Barnes traces her ancestry in direct Hne to Dr. Robert
Barnes, who was chaplain to King Henry the Eighth, but being
accused of heresy, escaped to Germany, where he became a disciple
of Martin Luther, and returning to England, was burned at the stake,
July 30th, 1540, at Smithfield, London.

On her mother's side the ancestry runs back to the royal house of
the Drummonds.

John Haughton was of Irish ancestry; the first American being
Richard, who served in the war of 1812, as private in Captain John
Goodwin's Company, 5th (McDonald's) Regiment, North Carolina
Militia, raised in Chowan County, 1813, and who fell at the Battle of
New Orleans.

The family of E. S. Haughton resided at Martins Ferry until 1906,
when they came to Columbus. They have one daughter, Edna
Mitchell, a graduate of the Ohio State University; at present has a
responsible position with the Aetna Life Insurance Company.

Edwin S. Haughton has been engaged in the music business since
1893, and at present is in Toledo, O.

Alva A. Cochran and Jonathan Wilson, of Wellsburg, W. Va., were
married August 28th, 1882, and six children were born to them:

Lester Cochran, Ida May, George Carl, James Elmer, Jesse Alban,
Thomas Morton ; and two grandchildren, Frederic Wilson Eberle, and
Carl Stewart Wilson.

Two children, Lester and Elmer, died in infancy.

Carl Wilson and Gladys Stewart, of Bridgeport, were married June,
1909.

Anna Niclos-Krebs died February, 1874, at the family home and is
buried in the Steiger Cemetery, out on the hills of Monroe County,
Ohio.

Caroline Krebs-Cochran is the only surviving member of her family,
in her eighty-third year.

In my youth I spent many a happy day at my mother's old home.
I seem to see my dear old grandmother with her silvery hair, that fell
below her waist.

I can still imagine that warm, "comfy" feeling, when the feather
bed folded around me, as I lay beside her, on some unforgotten winter
nights when I was a child.

I hear her gentle voice, pleading with my sister and me to sing for

Genealogy of Christian Krebs 147

her, for that was the way in which we could give her the most pleas-
ure.

I can see, too, the empty rocking-chair that stood on the porch after
she was gone.

And then, there was Uncle Chris, so tall and straight, and Aunt
Kate, preparing for the needs of her family. It seems that none ever
got us such good breakfasts as she did, such good fried potatoes and
such dishes of "case smear," as we called it. Oh ! the happy days of
childhood, that can never be recalled.

And there came a time later, when I was at the romantic age, and
visited them one summer. Out on a point of the river bank, near the
boat landing, there stood an immense elm tree. Under its shade we
sat with our young lovers in mid-afternoon, or later under the light of
the harvest moon. We named it "Lover's Point," and now after long
years, the memory of it all comes back to me.

148 Chronicles of the Cochrans

MOONLIGHT ON THE RIVER

As in fancy I sit by the river's still brink,
Of the days that are gone I regretfully think.
All about me the beautiful countryside lies;
Overhead sails the moon through the star-studded skies,
And along the blest regions of moonlight and splendour,
The wind rippling o'er it with breath sweet and tender,
Like a sheet of pure silver lies softly the river.
Whose light dancing wavelets all sparkle and quiver.

Across the bright stream grow the meadows of com.
While around me the fragrance of flowers is bom ;
Behind me a woodland all sombre and grim ;
Beyond me an island lies silent and dim.
Not a sound can be heard, save the thick muffled roar
Of the dam as it frets its firm barriers o'er ;
Yet like sheet of pure silver lies softly the river,
Whose light dancing wavelets all sparkle and quiver.

'Neath the soft beaming light of the low summer moon,
'Mid the scent of the roses, the flowers of June,
I am sitting once more by the side of my lover.
While the night-moths around the fair rose-petals hover.
In my fancy I Hst to the story of old,
To that sweetest of stories the heart ever told.
And like sheet of pure silver lies softly the river.
Whose light dancing wavelets all sparkle and quiver.

— Ida Cochran Haughton.

FINIS

It is with sadness and reluctance I lay down my pen, for the
Chronicles are ended, yet the history of the Cochran families will con-
tinue while time shall last ; and whether it shall be good or ill depends
upon those who are left to perpetuate the race.

The writing of these Chronicles has been a source of great pleasure
to me, and for the past two years, almost an obsession ; since at times
it seemed as if the dear, dead ghosts of the past came and "sat beside
my chamber door," while I struggled to recall "some ancient and for-
gotten lore." And so I give it to the hands of its readers, hoping that
it may interest, amuse and please. Vale.

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