Editor's Note: We continue our series of interviews taken from Dr. John J. Dickey's famous diary. Dr. Dickey of Fleming County, founder of several schools and churches, traveled throughout Eastern and Central Kentucky some 100 years ago, interviewing older residents. In most cases, he wrote down their very words while compiling a diary of several thousand pages. Each month we include a few lines from this remarkable man's diary, which he kept faithfully for over 50 years. James Richardson Tuggle Benjamin Tuggle, my uncle, was a soldier in the War of 1812. When about to run the gauntlet, he crowed like a chicken. At that time, Tecumseh said a man who was game to crow at such a time should not be hurt. My father and G. M. Adams used to go horseback riding to Philadelphia to buy goods, and bring them down to Maysville, Kentucky, on flatboats, and thence on bringing them further on pack horses and wagons. Green Adams, the Congressman, was a son of Randolph Adams. Harvey Lucas (Manchester, Kentucky) I do not know what became of Chandler and his wife during the night. I proposed the men to give Mrs. Chandler a dollar each. They refused, saying they had fed Larkin too often for that. I gave her a dollar. Chandler was a soldier, but happened to be home. Since the war, he was drawing a pension, and I learned that he is comfortable. This gives an idea of how people sometimes lived. Mrs. Nancy Roberts William Gilbert, son of Wallace Gilbert, lives on Richland, in Knox County. He tells that his father's brother's other children were: Felix; Haywood; Asa; Hamilton, my father; Jane, of Knox Jones; John Gilbert, who died 30 years ago on Red Bird; and William Gilbert. Felix married a Snavely in Virginia. Haywood married a Smith. My father married a Henson, a sister of old Bob Henson of Flat Lick; a wealthy and well-known man, and a great horse trader. He drove horses south, went to California in gold times, and came back. He went with Garrard on the trip, who also took stock. T. T. Garrard The Davidsons lived on the Middle Fork, also in Clay. Clay Davidson went to help those on the North Fork. William Asher, grandson of Dillon Asher, told me that his grandfather came to Red Bird in 1800. John Gilbert began trapping when he first came to these parts. He caught the beavers out of the Beaver Dam on Red Bird, where Carter Holton now lives, just above the mouth of Spring Creek on the right hand side. He also went to the Middle Fork and caught all the beavers at the mouth of Long's Creek. A Renfro once owned the site of Pineville, but a Gibson, who came from Virginia, owned the site before him. James and Dough Garrard, and Hugh White pooled their issues, and the salt works were in force when the war broke out. They had an agent to sell for all, usually about 50 cents. Grant said of the salt claims of Goose Creek people, "It is just a claim and ought to be paid and would be paid someday, but this is not the time to do it." Salt was worth $1 a bushel when the works were closed down by the order of General Buck. Mr. Thompson of Louisville was the commissioner who took the proxy in 1863. William B. Eversole (Cutshin, Kentucky) My great-grandfather's name was Jacob Eversole. My grandfather's children were: John; Peter; Woolery; Joseph; Abraham; Sallie, who married Deevers; Nancy, who married John Smith; and Polly, who married Thomas Smith. My grandfather died when I was young. I can remember him very distinctly. He was small and low of stature. My grandmother was taller, very active, industrious, and energetic. John Eversole, son of Jacob, lived and died near where he was born. Roland Eversole, of Harlan, is his son. Roland's son, Green, is a lawyer at Harlan County Courthouse. One of Roland's sons is now superintendent of schools in Letcher County. Some of this branch lives in Wolfe County. Peter Eversole lived and died in Clay County. He did not have the usual (line) vine of the family. Abraham Eversole, son of Jacob Eversole, lived and died in Owsley County on Buffalo. He had a large family, viz.: John, William, Woolery, Elijah, Lewis, and James (ex-judge of Clay County). John lives in Clay County. Woolery Eversole was my grandfather. He married Lucy Cornett. They had children, as follows: William; Elizabeth; Joseph, my father; John, the major, father of Joe; Harry; George; Clark; John; and Abraham. Shadrick Duff John was in the South with a drove of horses at that time. He did not hear of the calamity till he reached home. His wife told him of it, before he got off his horse, whereupon he went to the grave and stuck his riding switch in the fresh dirt. It grew to be a tree, and it stands there today. Delaney Barger (Hyden, Kentucky) Henry Gay came about the same time, and he settled on the mouth of Gay's Creek. Ratliffs and Bowlings settled there about the same time, also Peter Devees. |