Hi to all,
In trying to organize my millions of printouts from various sources, I
came across this one, pages 97 and 98 from a Book entitled "A History of
Highland County, Ohio" (unfortunately the author's name escapes me as does
the publication information...) which I viewed at Salt Lake's Family History
Library some time ago. I thought I'd post this for those who may be
interested (surnames in caps are my addition):
"James CARLISLE emigrated from Loudon county, Virginia, in 1800, to the
neighborhood of Chillicothe, and removed from there to Highland county in
June, 1805. John RICHARDS came with him. CARLISLE settled on the farm
afterwards owned and occupied by his son Beaty, where he continued to
reside till his death in 1832. CARLISLE was a celebrated tobacco planter
and manufacturer. He was probably the first who made a regular business of
it, which he commenced in 1805, and continued to the day of his death. His
manufacture of tobacco was for many years pretty much the only kind in use
throughout most of Southern Ohio, and was as confidently called for in the
stores as is now cavenish or six plug. It was put up in large twists of two
or more pounds in weight and was exceedingly strong. The CARLISLES lived in
a camp for about six months after they came to their land. Mr. CARLISLE
erected his cabin on a hill overlooking the bottom to the north. This hill
was much infested with rattle snakes at that time and they killed large
numbers. About a year after he settled there, during the summer season,
when the tobacco needed attention, the family left home one day, leaving
John and James CARLISLE, lads of eight and six years of age, to work in the
tobacco patch. They were engaged in suckering the plants, beginning at the
top and running their hands to the lower leaves, detecting the suckers by
their touch, when James cried out that he was bitten by a rattle snake. The
snake had been coiled up under the lower leaves of the plant, unperceived by
the lad. This was a most alarming condition for the boys. They were well
aware of the fatal effects of the bite, but did not know what to do and
there were none near to advise them. But James, with the courage of a true
backwoods boys, rapidly settled in his own mind the course to be pursued.
They had taken an old dull tomahawk out with them for some purpose and James
peremptorily ordered his brother John to take it and cut his hand off, at
the same time laying it on a stump and point to the place where it was to be
cut at the wrist. This, John positively refused to do, giving as his reason
that the tomahawk was too dull. This was no time to discuss the matter, and
James could not cut it himself, so they compromised on the wounded finger,
which John consented to cut off. It had already turned black and swollen
very much. John made several ineffectual efforts to cut off the finger
which was the first finger of the right hand, but only hacked and bruised
it. James, however, held it steady and encouraged his brother to proceed,
saying it must come off or he should soon die. John finally got it hacked
off, but in his fright and anxiety he cut off the thumb also, this,
however, not being affected by the poison, was replaced by Gus Richards, who
was something of a surgeon and it finally grew on again. Mr. James CARLISLE
is yet living in Missouri, and there are hundreds of the citizens of this
county who well recollect seeing his mutilated hand and have heard the story
of it.
"The cabin built by Mr. CARLISLE was of round logs and they spent a year
or two in it without making all the cracks tight with chunks and daubing.
During the second summer they had a kind of shed out of doors for cooking
purposes, and candles and oil being scarce they generally went to bed in the
cabin without light. One night the family had all retired except Nannie, a
girl about twelve or thirteen years old, who was to sleep with her mother
that night in order to accommodate a guest who, owing to the scarcity of
beds, had to sleep with Mr. CARLISLE. They had been talking of snakes
before they went to bed and when Nannie got in beside her mother and laid
her head on the pillow she remarked she felt something crawl under it, but
she was told it was all fancy. After another minute or two she said she
believed there was a snake under the pillow, but they laughed at her and
told her she was thinking of the snake stories she had heard during the
evening. She insisted, however, that there was something moving under her
pillow--either a snake or a rat--and she would not lie there any longer, and
accordingly she raised her head in the act of getting up, when something
struck her head, not unlike a whip. She leaped out of bed and cried she was
snake bit. The snake then rattled, and as it turned out had only struck
Nannie with its tail in its efforts to extricate itself from beneath the
pillow. The whole family were on the floor in an instant and the snake was
heard rattling as he moved off towards one corner, making his escape. All
was black darkness, but they managed to pursue the snake by the noise he
made with his rattle and finally killed him in the yard. They supposed the
snake had come in during the day and crept into the bed to take a nap.
Nannie afterward married Thomas BUCHANAN.
"George RICHARDS and Gus RICHARDS came a short time before and Walter
CRAIG and Michael METZGAR had settled on the waters of Rocky Fork, southeast
of the present town of Hillsborough, some two or three years before CARLISLE
moved up."