Kinnison Brothers: Indian
Fighter’s, Pioneers, Spy’s and Soldiers
By Teresa Martin
Klaiber 2020
It
is between 194 and 204 miles from beautiful, peaceful, Little Levels, West
Virginia to Point Pleasant, West Virginia, by improved roads. As a genealogist I strongly encourage, if
able, visiting as many ancestor’s homes as possible. Several things will happen on such visits.
You will have a better understanding of those that went before you. Some,
including myself, feel drawn to an area.
I know I did when we visited Kinnison Mountain.
Following
the Kinnison’s journey, I felt bone chilling sadness, on a dreary fall day
standing beside the eighty-four foot monument, listing dead and wounded, where
the Battle of Point Pleasant, in today’s West Virginia occurred October 10,
1774. I pondered the distance from
Little Levels to Point Pleasant, by foot.
Yes,
it was damp and cold where the Kanawha River is greeted by the Ohio River. The one thing missing on the monument is the
names of the Native’s that died that horrible day. Seventy-five Virginians lost their lives and
one hundred forty were wounded. Among
those wounded was Charles Kinnison.[i]
The
Kinnison’s had migrated from Pennsylvania
to Virginia in the early 1740’s.
Charles born about 1725 had brothers Edward, Jacob and Nathaniel. They had a much younger sister Hannah, as
well.
The
first appearance in Virginia I have of Charles Kinnison/Kenison is a survey[ii]
for 205 acres on the north west side of the Greenbrier in what was then Augusta
County, Virginia in April 1769.
Botetourt was formed from a part of Augusta and by 1770 Charles Kinnison
is taxed in what was then Botetourt County.
I believe that he had been married to Martha Day for several years by
then as at least one son David was born 7 June 1767.
Martha Day was born about 1741 in Plumstead,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Nathaniel Day and Susan Wylie. Her
father served in the French & Indian Wars.
"Shawnee Indians came into Botetourt County and killed my brother David and had taken my mother and two sisters Sally and Martha prisoners. The first night the Indians camped on the Mt. Cape Caper and Cedar Creek and at that camp killed my mother Susan Day formerly Susan Wyle, d/o of James Whyle. Capt. Fry raised 20 men of which I was one and we followed and when we came to the Indian camp aforesaid there lay my mother dead and striped naked, her head skined, and we lifted her and laid her between two rocks and laid some rocks over her and followed on after the Indians”.
They followed the Indians and on the second
day “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 Indians...”
The girls were rescued. Rescued by her brother and at least 19 others
Martha and Charles Kenison/Kinnison settled on White
Pole which would later be Greenbrier County.
Much has been written about the Battle of
Point Pleasant giving varied accounts of events leading up to the battle. The
southern division, alone, is said to have had eleven hundred men while Lord
Dunmore added another fifteen hundred. I do not think there is a clear roster of all
that were there, and certainly not of the Native tribes, beyond their leaders.
Reading the lists of those known participants, more than several surnames are
included from both my hubby’s and my lineage. How sad that there is no true
list for the Native Americans who lost their lives.
In the Fall 1774 calls went out to militia to
protect the frontier. Charles Kinnison
joined the Botetourt Company. They would
be known as the Greenbrier Volunteers and would march to Point Pleasant under
John Stuart’s Company. They would make that 194/204 mile march on
foot. It is said to have been a
fatiguing nineteen day march.[iii] John Stuart’s company was flank movement that successfully made
Cornstalk retreat.
“There stood the combatants-terror, rage, disappointment and despair riveted upon the painted faces of one, while calm resolution and unbending will to do or die were marked upon the other…The rifle and the tomahawk now did their work with dreadful certainty…”
Wounded and exhausted Charles Kinnison would
survive and make it home to his family having several more children. In his
70’s Charles Kinnison and Martha Day
Kinnison would make a estimated 254 mile trip, from Virginia, to Pike County,
Ohio between 1810 (where he appears on the Bath County census) and 1817 where
his will was probated in Pike County, Ohio. Son, Nathaniel (m. Polly
Slavens) purchased land from Asa Mounts the same year in Pike.[iv] Charles daughter Sarah “Sally” married Reuben
H. Slaven in Bath County and migrated to Pike County. Son Charles Kinnison Jr.
also migrated to Ohio settling at Berlin Cross Road in Jackson County.
Martha acted as administrator of the estate of
her husband and received $30.00 for her
dowry. She also collected two notes on
behalf of her husband but it took two years to receive the money. It is not known how much longer Martha lived
after 1820.[v]
Charles
older brother, Edward Kinnison appears in Lord Dumore’ War, as
well as being in the Battle of Point Pleasant with his brother Charles.[vi] He first appears on a survey in Frederick
County, British America in 1750.[vii] He had land on Cacapon in Hampshire before
settling in Greenbrier. He made it back
to Greenbrier after his military service.
The Cacapon 400 acres are again mentioned in 1774 and 1778, described as
adjoining William Poage and Lazarus Barclay.[viii] Both he and his Lazarus
Barkley were exempted from county and parish levies in 1793[ix]. Usually exemption is due
to age, and he is said to be buried in McNeel Cemetery, Pocahontas County.
Their brother, Jacob Kinnison, entered the
military at the age of 19. His pension[x] gives details of his
service including time at Point Pleasant in 1777/8. He was at Point Pleasant ten months. By his own words he stated he resided at
Little Levels, Greenbrier. Besides a
stint at the fort, by then, at a much quieter Point Pleasant, by May 1778 he
had been relieved and his next service was to guard the frontier settlements of
Virginia against hostile Indians. He
lists his service as an Indian Spy, guarding Ellis Fort in the Little Levels of
Greenbrier. He states that he was
generally out from three to four days each week and that an oath was
administered to him as a Spy. (1778-9).
His last tour as Indian Spy was from May 1782 to October, a total of
five years military service. Jacob married Dorcus Hughes in Greenbrier 1 April
1788. He was 77 years old when his pension was filed in 1834.
The youngest brother was Nathaniel Kinnison.
He entered Military service, at the age of 18, in the 13th Virginia Regiment, in
James Neal Company. as a private showing on the Muster Roll for 20 July
1777. The 13th Regiment was
formed 16 September 1776 and organized 12 Feb 1777at Fort Pitt with
recruitments from various areas including West Augusta District.
He is shown as one of five that deserted 25 August.
Nathaniel had signed for a term of 3
years but received 5 months pay at 12 pounds 10 shilling. Yet he appears again in a list of Volunteers
under Captain Willing in Virginia Continental Volunteers from Fort Pitt in the
Expedition Under Capt. James Willing Against Fort Panmure at Natches 17-19 Feb
1778.[xi]
Nathaniel Kennison also appears “taken prison
April 1, 1778” part of Captain Willings
company of Marines with the following written statement saying … received the
above men...from Capt James Willing with orders to proceed to Illinois and Fort
Pitt which men are disposed of (death and desertions excepted) ...such as end
of 3 June 1779 having joined service in Virginia...in the Illinois Department under
my command...signed in prescense (as spelled) of Brigadier General Clark at
Fort Nelson 16 May 1782. [xii]
After his rather rocky service Nathaniel
Kinnison returned to Virginia. In May
1783 he received 300 pounds for killing of a wolf and appears on the Greenbier
tax list with 3 horses. In 1790 Bath
county was formed from Greenbrier. He appears
in Bath as surety for the wedding of Hannah Kinnison and Robert Barkley 8 April
1793.
Nathaniel Kinnison died in 1794 giving all his land to brother
Jacob with the stipulation he give suitable maintenance for their aged father
and mother during their life (not named*)[xiii]. He even gave his
father a gray horse and sister Hannah a black mare.[xiv] [xv]His final appraisal
included slaves.
This compiler believes that several researcher’s incorrectly attribute (because of repetitive
use of given names) the Nathaniel who
died in 1794 as son (not brother) of
Charles. Further documentation traces Nathaniel and Polly Slavens to Ohio then back to Virginia showing up in
1821 at Mill Run.[xvi]
Charles Kinnison had honored his brother
by naming his eldest son Nathaniel (estimated birth abt 1783).[xvii]
There is yet a 3rd Nathanial. Nathaniel’s
brother Jacob Kinnison also named a son born in 1796 after the elder Nathaniel,
as well. In 1826 Jacob sold 118 acres of
a 235 acre grant of his brother’s to his son Nathaniel, being land left to him
by Nathaniel’s will in 1794.[xviii]
Sometimes it takes just one tiny piece of
evidence, for genealogists, to put the puzzle in order. For years, researchers puzzled over the parentage of the Kinnison
issues of Virginia. They had enough to ascertain them as grandchildren of
Edward Kinnison/Kennison of Chester County, Pennsylvania who had four sons and
two known daughters.
Edward Kinnison born the 1st day
4th month of 1705 in Chester County, Pennsylvania , is son of Edward
Kinnison and Mary Green/Greenaway.[xix]
He appears in the will of his father Edward 4
July 1736 in Chester, County, Pennsylvania, British America. He along with siblings James, Mary and Hannah
received only one shilling at their father’s death. He appears in a tavern petition in 1737 with
his mother, Mary, in 1737[xx] Eleven years later he appears in a road
order in Frederick County, Virginia, 8 March 1748, along with his son Edward
Jr.(Edward b. c. 1725) and Nathaniel Kinnison (est. b. 1727). They along with
others are requesting a road from William Hugh’s plantation (near Gore, VA). He (and unk. Wife) are the unnamed parents in
Nathaniel’s October 1794 will in Bath County, Virginia, age 89. The 1790
Virginia Census is actually a compilation from tax lists circa 1782. (The elder Kinnison would be exempt by age
paying tax by this time. Son Edward born 1725 continues to pay tax until he
also is exempt in 1793.)
James Kinnison born 12 day 10th month 1712 Chester County[xxi], is one of the brother’s
of Edward (s/o Edw.). The same year that
brother Edward and nephews request a road in Frederick County, Virginia, James
is witness to the will of Simon Moon in the same county.[xxii] His sister, Hannah, was also in Frederick
County at that time and witnessed the Moon will along with James Kinnison and
husband George Hobson.
Brother, William Kinnison was born 13th
day 1st month 1711.[xxiii] William and another
brother Charles were to receive the remaining property of father Edward at
their mother’s death. Their parent’s
estate was not discharged until 1750. By the time of the discharge brother
Charles has died. In the meantime,
William married Elizabeth Cunningham in Chesterfield, Burlington County, New
Jersey and eventually migrated to Shrewsbury.
Patriarch, Edward Kinnison of Chester
County, Pennsylvania was born about 1675 and a devoted Quaker. When he was 22,
he was seriously ill for 26 weeks. The
court paid John Sanger for keeping him during his illness. By the time he married Mary Greenaway the 11th
day 10th month 1703 he already owned several lots in Chester. His intentions of marriage were recorded in
several minutes of the Quaker faith.
Edward is cited as a brickmaker when he
purchases 2 ½ acres from James Sunderland in 1702.[xxiv] He acted as constable in West Chester in 1710
and had a tavern license for many years.
The Kinnison home and property are part of the White Horse Tavern and
Inn properties. In 1728 the family crops
burnt and representatives of Goshen MM came to his relieve stating it was
“sustenance of his family…”[xxv] He died 4 July 1736 in Chester County. As stated before in this publication he left
his estate to his wife during her lifetime, after her death to go to son’s
William and Charles. The property was
not discharged until October 1750.[xxvi] The property was not disposed of until March
1754. The Pennsylvania Gazette, 19
February 1754 gives an excellent description of the property:
“To be sold by publick vendue on the premises 20 Mar, a plantation, situated in Whiteland township, in the Great Valley, Chester Co near the sign of the White Horse, on Conestogoe Road, containing 200 acres of land about 100 acres cleared, and under good fence, 20 acres of good meadow, well water'd, with dwelling house, good spring house, barn, stable and small orchard, the woodland well timber'd. The title and conditions of sale will be made known at the time and place aforesaid, where attendance will be given by Willian Kinnison.”
Mary was a servant to William Branton/Brinton,
also of Quaker faith, prior to her marriage.[xxvii] She, along with William appear on a petition
of the White Horse Tavern and Inn in 1737.
The Goshen monthly minutes states that Mary Kinnison, widow of Edward
Kinnison, was disowned on August 17, 1743.
She moved into the colony of Virginia and joined the Church of England.[xxviii] This places mother, son’s Edward and James,
and sister Hannah, along with grandchildren all in Frederick County, Virginia
in the 1740’s.
[i]
Compiler’s 5th great grandfather
