By Teresa Martin Klaiber, October 2022
Susan Wylie was the daughter of James Wylie. She married Nathaniel Day circa 1737,
probably in Pennsylvania. Susan and Nathaniel had five known children. Several of the children were born while
residing in Plumstead Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Susan’s daughter Martha, is this compiler’s ancestor. Martha married
Charles Kinnison who was a Greenbrier volunteer at the Battle of Point
Pleasant. I have blogged about the Kinnison’s before.
Susan’s father, James Wylie, is mentioned when amounts were paid
to John Campbell for his burial and the notation that seven gallons of liquor
were at the funeral, 30 January 1761. A
good send-off.
Most history books and researchers have state that Susan’s husband,
Nathaniel Day, died in 1754. They go on
to state that Susan and her children then migrated to Virginia with her father.
But at least one version states that
Susan’s husband was scalped and survived. There is a pay statement to a
Nathaniel in 1757 opening speculation.
This compiler believes this could be either Susan’s husband or the son.
Nathaniel (Jr.), even if born in 1738 shortly after his parent’s marriage, was
only about 19. Nathaniel Day received pay for service in the Company of William
Preston in November 1757 along with John Day, another son of Susan Wylie Day,
born circa 1742, who was still in his teens. (Ref. Draper Manuscript
Collection. Papers of Col. Wm. Preston, Volume 6QQ, item 114; microfilm roll
#101.) Nathaniel Jr. did fight in Dunmore’s
War (1774).
Pocahontas county publications tell the story of the
massacre. The genealogy of county
formations shows Pocahontas not formed until 1821. John
Day states that the Indians came into Botetourt County. (Botetourt was not
formed until 1770 from Augusta.)
The beautiful Cacapon River flows for some 81 miles. Capon Springs
lays within Hampshire County today. Some accounts place Susan’s death in
adjoining Frederick County. The Cedar Creek watershed encompasses a large
portion of southwestern Frederick County. The massacre is attributed, by John
Day, to Shawnees.
The time-frame was during
the French and Indian Wars. Many of the Indians travelled long distances in
alliance with the French Canadians. In
June 1756 Fort Vause was attacked by French, Ottowa, Miami and Shawnee. While many Cherokee volunteered in the
company of Captain McNutt (Annals of
Augusta County p 129/130). So many
sad, bloody tales. Leevice Vause was captured, taken to a Shawnee camp, but
escaped. The Levisa Fork, a tributary of the Big Sandy River and named in her
honor. The Annals of Bath County tell
of another massacre near Jackson’s River in 1756.
Various accounts of the Wyle family have been repeated about the
tragedy that unfolded from Indian attacks.
At least one version states Susan’s husband was scalped but survived. Yet another indication that he migrated to
Virginia and this compiler wonders about the 1757 pay stub. The events of the Indian attack of the Day
family in 1756 were given in great detail by their son John but he never
mentioned his father.
Some say Indians attacked the farm while the family was working in
the fields. The youngest child David was
killed instantly. Susan, Martha and
Sally [Sarah] were taken prisoners by the Indians and marched over the
mountains in the Cacapon River area of Frederick County. Martha said that her mother remarked to her
friends that she believed the Indians intended to kill her and when asked why
she thought that she said that they had given moccasins to all the prisoners
but her and left her bare foot. The History of Pocahontas County says
that all were ready to move when a
warrior walked up to Mrs. Day and with his war club struck her a stunning blow
between her shoulders, knocking the breath out of her, and then in an instant
lifted her scalp-lock. She was left
there in a state of insensibility and it was never known whether she recovered
consciousness or died immediately.
A party of twenty, under
Captain Fry, had set out to try and retrieve the prisoners, among them was
Susan’s son John, about 14 years of age. Years later when Susan’s son, John applied for
a military pension he gave the following account:
"The Shawnee Indians had come into Botetourt County in the
said State of Virginia and killed my brother David Day and taken my mother and
two sisters, Sally Day and Martha Day, prisoners, and also took some other property
and made for their towns, the first night the Indians camped on a mountain,
between Cape Capen (sic) River and Cedar Creek and at that camp killed my
Mother, Susan Day … Captain Fry raised twenty men of which I was one. We
followed said Indians, and when we came to the Indian camp aforesaid, there lay
my mother dead, and stripped naked, her head skinned (sic): and we lifted her
and laid her between some rocks and laid some rocks over her: and we followed
on after the Indians, and the second day came in sight of them at their camp,
and I raised my gun to shoot one of them, and just as I was about to draw
trigger, I saw one of my sisters rise up right before the muzzle of my gun
between me and the Indian: and I was so alarmed at seeing my sister rise before
my gun that I involuntarily hollored, which so alarmed the Indians that they
broke and ran, leaving the prisoners, and what they had at the camp, and run
with all their might: and we got the prisoners, and what property the Indians
left at the camp, and brought all safe to the fort."
I recommend the following for my readers:
Church
Records of Pocahontas Virginia LDS 1017649 item 3
White
Pole Meeting House by Frank Johnson
Descendants
of Christopher Day of Bucks County Pennsylvania,
compiled by J. Edward Day, 1959
"Our Pioneer Ancestors"
written by Ruth Hendrick De Verter...
Genealogical
History of William Henry Kinnison of Angus, Nuckolls, County, Nebraska, Don E.
Kinnison, 2nd Ed, 1981 LDS #1035948,
item 5
Historical
Sketches of Pocahontas County, West Virginia by Wm T. Price 1901
