Page Two
LENOIR NEWS-TOPIC, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1919
LENOIR, N. C.
mm JOIN PERKINS
Some Account of the Life and Times of "Gentleman" John
Perkins, of Lincoln; and of His Contemporaries, Successors
and Descendants; Together With a Glance at the History of
the Manners, Customs and Development of What Is Now
Caldwell County and of the Adjacent Country, During the
Latter Part of the Eighteenth and the Beginning of the
Nineteenth Centuries.
By W. W. SCOTT
(Continued from Last Week
'"Pleasant Valley Farm," on John's river, one of the richest and most
valuable plantations in Burke county, is in acreage and extent jut as it
was when John Perkins gave it to his son, Elisha 3rd, something over 126
years ogo, and undivided as to its broad acres, is the property in common
of four ladies, great-great-trranddaughters 0f John Perkins. Elisha Per
kins left a widow and one son, Alfred, of whom Col. Walton says: "Alfred
Perkins, a man highly esteemed for his probity, was a leading elder in the
Presbyterian Church. His death in the meridian of life was deeply regret
ted by all who knew him. He, like the older members of the Perkins fam
ily, was of the bone and sinew of the land. He married Mary, the youngest
daughter of Robert Caldwell, Sr., leaving at his death three children, Elisha
Alexander, Robert Caldwell and Elizabeth. Alexander reminds me very
much of his father, in character, form and face.
"So near approach we their celestial kind
By justice, truth and probity of mind."
Alexander and Robert bought the interest in "Pleasant Valley" of their
sister, Elizabeth, who married a Mr. Williams of Mississippi. Robert mar
ried first Miss Mary Neal of Hertford county and, second, Miss Emma Susan
Gordon of Chowan; he had no children by either wife. Alexander was
like his father in being a Presbyterian elder. He was captain of a company
of cavalry in the civil war. Somewhat late in life he married a sister of
his brother's second wife, Miss Juliana Gordon, who was the mother of the
four ladies who now own "Pleasant Valley" Mrs. Mary Perkins Kent, Mrs.
Emma Perkins McConnaughey and Miss Susan Gordon Perkins. These two
brothers, from their ba'byhood to the death of Alexander, lived together and
owned everything in common, and, at the death of Alexander, Robert en
tered into loco parentis to his brother's four daughters, who had never
known any difference, in love and affection, between the two. Although
Alexander was the older of this par nobile fratrum, as Judge McCorkle
justly calls them for the sake of euphony, they were in common parlance
always spoken of together as "Bob and Aleck" Perkins. The English
rule of primogeniture would assign the headship of the House of Perkins
in North Carolina to Mrs. Mary Perkins Kent, a charming and accomplished
lady, a graduate of Peace Institute, who was married to Horatio Miller Kent,
descended from Jehn Perkins through Parson Miller and his wife, Mary
Perkins Miller. The three other sisters, like their father and uncle, reside
together in the fine old home at "Pleasant Valley," Mrs. Forney being a
widow.
Robert Johnstone and Mary Perkins Miller
According to the records of the office of the Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General at Washington, Lower Creek postoffice, Burke county, N. C, was
established at Mary's Grove and Robert Johnstone Miller appointed post
master, May 23, 1826, which position he held until his death in 1834. The
postoffice was evidently created as a public convenience and not as a means
of personal emolument for Parson Miller, who derived from the office in
1833 an income of $11.86. Perhaps he derived more benefit from the priv
ilege the office conferred on him of franking his own correspondence, which
was large. This was a privilege belonging to all postmasters, and in his
case was all the more deserved because, as a Revolutionary veteran, he had
consistently declined to apply for a pension, and so did his widow after his
death. It is assumed that he availed himself of the franking privilege.
Upon Parson Mller's death James Harper, Esq., was appointed postmaster
of Lower Creek and moved the office a mile eastward to his large store at
Fairfield, located just a mile west of where the court house in Lenoir now
stands, and in 1841, when the town of Lenoir was established, the post
office was removed to that town and James Harper made postmaster. So
the present Lenoir postoffice may be said to be the lineal descendant of
the Lower Creek postoffice established at Mary's Grove in 1826.
The Mary's Grove plantation, which was given bv John Perkins to his
daughter Mary when she married Parson Miller, was not a part of any
grants made to him by Earl Granville, but was bought, either during or
After the Revolutionary war, from Isaac Baldwin, a Tory, who deemed it
expedient to leave the country. There was a "sprinkling" of Tories in the
western section and one quite prominent lived but a few miles southwest of
Marys Grove, Col. Veezy Husband, a brother of Herman Husband, for
whom was named Husband's creek in Caldwell, which runs through lands
once owned by him. Lower Creek runs through Caldwell, past Lenoir, to
the Catawba river, into which Lower creek, a Caldwell stream, Middle
creek (John s river) running along the line between Caldwell and Burke,
and Upper creek, in Burke all three in Burke in those days empty almost
together near the line between the two counties. Parson Miller resided on
the plantation from the date of his marriage in 1787 until 1792, during
TfoS P,eronihuree 0f his ehildren w"e born, moving back to Lincoln in
1792. In 1806 he returned to Mary's Grove, where he built the "hospitable
mansion, where he lived until his death. The grove in which the house
was situated was a magnificent collection of giant oaks and hickories; fifty
years ago it covered a space of at least ten acres, and, though diminished in
size now, is still a beautiful grove. During the first ten or fifteen years
of his residence at Mary's Grove Parson Miller was away a great deal on
missionary tours in North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina and Vir
ginia, and his excellent wife was the head of the house and the manager
of aiTairs.
In appearance Parson Miller is described as straight, dignified, above the
average height, being a little under six feet tall, and of a benevolent but
serious cast of countenance. He never gave up wearing "short-clothes"
knee pants and stockings and his silver knee buckles and shoe buckles are
In possession of a descendant now, in a very peculiar shape that of silver
spoons! The spoons are valued highly 'as relics, it is true, but they lack
the personal sentiment that would attach to the buckles.
These were their children:
(A) John Wesley.
He was born at Mary's Grove, Dec. 23, 1787. There are no data at hand
touching his history.
(B) George Oiman.
Born July 8, 1789, at Mary's Grove; died March 18, 1805, in Lincoln
ounty.
(C) Catherine Lowrance.
Born Nov. 15, 1790, at Mary's Grove. Married Rev. Godfrey Dreher, a
Luthern minister m South Carolina, in which State they have numerous
descendants of respectaibility.
D) Margaret Bothier.
Born Aug. 5, 1792. at Poplar Hill, near Island Ford, Lincoln county.
Married John Sudderth, a wealthy farmer on John's river. Their children
were:
(1) A nne, who married Robert McCombs in Cherokee county, where
numerous descendants reside, enjoying the respect of their neighbors.
(2) Sydney, who married a Miss Bristol of Burke, where their family
still lives.
(3) John, who married a Miss Shuford of Catawba.
John S. Haigler, a great-grandson of Parson Miller
(4) Margaret Bothier, who married Rev. John B. Powell, a much es
teemed Baptist minister in Caldwell, who belonged to the family founded
by an officer in Ferguson's army that was defeated by the colonists at King's
Mountain. In spite of their having been on the' royalist side in the Revo
lutionary war the Powells established themselves as a leading family in this
section, and one of them, in this instance, married the daughter of a rebel
veteran. Their children were:
(1) John M., who married Addie Dula; his history is set forth under the
head of Joseph Perkins. Besides Ward and Frank, the sons, there are two
daughters, Mrs. Jennings and Mrs. Throneburg.
(2) Horace, who married Miss Hartley. The husband is dead and the
widow lives with her family in Virginia.
(E) Sarah Amelia.
Born" July 23 1784, at Poplar Hill, near Island Ford, and married, first,
Col. Sumpter of South Carolina, a relative of Gen. Sumpter: married, sec
ond, Rev. Joseph Puett, a Methodist minister. The children were:
(1) Robert Sumpter, who went to Virginia at an early age: no data at
hand.
(2) Caroline Sumpter, who married Albert E. Haigler of Lenoir. Their
sons, Elisha P. and John S. Haigler, were gallant Confederate soldiers, who
moved to Texas soon after the civil war and have become prosperous and
prominent citizens. John S. Haigler married Miss Sudderth, a great-granddaughter
of Parson Miller. Elisha married a Texas lady. Both have ions
and daughters: Sarah, who-married apt. Stowe of Gaston county. They
were married soon after Capt Stowe came out of the civil war and moved
to Kansas. Mrs. Stowe was a graduate of St Mary's, Raleigh, and was
one of the most accomplished women ever sent out from that great school.
She left one daughter, Caroline Sumpter, who inherited her mother's beautv
and talents and also went to St. Mary's. Her well-trained and beautiful
voice and her unusual gifts in the arts of drawing and painting early placed
her among the foremost of the galaxy of remarkably gifted and talented
women which the passing generation has given to Lenoir- She is married
to Carter Beverly Harrison of Williamsburg, Vs., a civil and raliroad con
structing engineer who later went into business and is one of the" leading
business men of Lenoir. They have a family of six Interesting daughters.
Mary, who married Samuel Hartley, one of the old-time- business standbys
of Lenoir. Both are dead, childless. Caroline and Amanda, twins. The
A daughter married
former married, first, John L. Powell of Catawba, and second, CoL Gard of
Florida. She is living in Lenoir, widowed and childless. Her twin sister,
Amanda, married Lewis Brown of Salisbury, who later moved to Asheville,
where they now live." Mrs. Gard and Mrs. Brown both graduated at St
Mary's, Raleigh.
(3) Mary Sumpter, who married Nelson A. Powell, a prominent manu
facturer and farmer of Lenoir, and a brother of Rev. John B. Powell, above
spoken of. Their children were George Sumpter Powell, one of the most
prominent business men and financiers in the State, with headquarters at
Asheville; and Lucy, who married her cousin, Tate Powell, of .Catawba, and
went to live in Mississippi and Florida.
(4) Elisha Perkins Puett, a Confederate soldier who died childless.
(5) Joseph Pinkney Puett, also a good Confederate soldier who survived
the war many years. He married Miss Sally H?;eler of Caldwell, and
raised a family of worthy sons and daughters. Htas widely known and
respected in the county as one of its most sterling citizens: John, Joseph,
Stella and Caroline.
(F) ELISHA PERKINS AND SIDNEY CALDWELL MILLER
Elisha Perkins Miller was born July 21. 1796, at Willow Hill, near White
haven church, Lincoln county. His wife, Sidney Caldwell, daughter of
Robert Caldwell of Burke, was born at Londonderry, Ireland, in 1801,
came to this country with her parents when she was six years old and died
in 1875. She was educated at Salem Female Academy. Her sister Alary
married Alfred Perkins and she was the aunt of Alexander and Robert
Perkins, of former Gov. Tod R. Caldwell and of Robert Caldwell Pearson,
at one time president of the Western North Carolina Railroad Company,
all of Burke. An older brother, Robert Caldwell 2nd, was a wealthy mer
chant in Petersburg, Va., who, dying unmarried in 1818, left his fortune
to his brother John and to his sisters. The considerable bequest left to
Mrs. Miller by her brother's will enabled her to assist Major Miller to
acquire the whole of the Mary's Grove property at the death of Parson
Miller. Under the proprietorship of Major and Mrs. Miller Mary's Grove
became and continued to be one of the notable sets of hospitality in Burke
and Caldwell for many years. Major Miller represented Burke county in
the biennial Legislatures of 1836, 183S and 1840. The Legislature of 1840
created the county of Caldwell from portions of Burke and Wilkes coun
ties and the county was founded in 1841. In 1842 Major Miller was elected
the first Clerk of the Superior Court for the county. He did not execcise
the functions of his office except by deputy, which was not a popular thing
to do, and in 1844 he was defeated by a rising young physician, Dr. J. C.
Newland. In 1842 and 1844 the county was represented in the lower house
of the Legislature by William Dickson, a Whig friend of Major Miller. In
1846 and in 1848 Major Miller represented Caldwell in the lower house
of the General Assembly. In 1850 his nephew, Tod R. Caldwell of Burke,
was a candidate for the State Senate for the 46th district, and Major Miller
supported his old friend, John Hayes of Caldwell, for the lower house,- who
was elected. In 1852 he was again elected to the lower house. In 1854
he was defeated for the Legislature by a margin of six votes by Gen.
Cornelius Clarke, a Democrat. In 1856 he was again defeated by a small
majority by Gen. S. F. Patterson, I believe. In 1858 he was elected to
the State Senate for the 46th district. In 1860 his failing health took him
out of politics and early in 1861 he died. For 25 years he was a man of
great popularity in Burke and Caldwell counties and exerted a wide influ
ence upon Whig politics in the western section of the State. Judge Mc
Corkle calls him the "father of Caldwell county," a title which he perhaps
deserves, for it is probable that but for his exertions, the creation of the
county would have been delayed several years. Elisha P. Miller had six
sons and one daughter living at the beginning of the war; all the sons were
in the Confederate army and were good soldiers:
(1) Robert Caldwell Miller was born in 1821 and died in 1873. As n
very young man, in 1841-2-3, he was Deputy Clerk of the Superior Court
of Caldwell county under his father, who was the first clerk. He was a fine
business man and at one time was engaged in the manufacture of tobacco
with Richard V. Michaux of Burke. When the collapse of the Episcopal
school at Valle Crucis, in Watauga county (it was then Ashe county) came,
Mr. Miller bought the property of the school, something like 2,000 acres,
and turned it into a stock farm. He married Lucy Kendrick Abernethy, a
ward and kinswoman of Bartlett Shipp of Lincoln, and had one son, Robert
Caldwell. Both mother and son died within a few years. He was a member
of Company F, 41st Regiment (cavalry) N. C. State troops, Capt. Perkins'
company. Susan Fenimore Cooper, daughter of James Fenimore Cooper,
in her "Memoir of William West Skiles; a Sketch of Missionary Life at
Valle Crucis" (New York: James Pott & Co., publishers, 1890), which de
scribes the missionary work of the Episcopal Church in Ashe county, after
the failure of Valle Crucis as a school and mission station, makes the fol
lowing reference to Mr. Miller:
"The property, heavily encumbered with debt, was sold, both land and
stock, by the representatives of Dr. Ives to Mr. Robert Miller, the grandson
of a Church clergyman of the olden time, who now worked the former mis
sion ground as a farm. He was very kind to Mr. Skiles. The little office,
or library, became the home of the missionary, who slept there, taking his
meals, without charge, at Mr. Miller's. From the herd which had been so
long his care the good Deacon reserved a favorite horse for missionary
work, and several pet cows; and for these Mr. Miller also provided liber
ally. The missionary took all the care of the horse on himself. Henry, a
fine, spirited roan, was already a sort of brother missionary, carrying his
master faithfully, by night and day, over many a rugged path on errands
of duty, or charity. The cows were reserved for the benefit of poor parish
ioners. ... In the summer of 1853 a fellow-laborer in the good work came
to assist Mr. Skiles, Mr. George N. Evans, a layman from Lenoir. He was
received very kindly by Mr. Miller, who gave him two rooms in his own
house, a front room with a fireplace and a bedroom adjoining, both com
fortably furnished. A particular horse was placed at his disposal. For
these conveniences and three bountiful meals daily the charge was three
dollars a month ! . . . Across the valley from the farmstead in the meadows
beyond the little, stream, labourers might be seen saving hay for a herd of
fifty cattle. Near the buildings in the home field some twelve or fifteen
sleek, straight-backed, small-tailed calves were seen gambolling and feeding
Night and morning a procession of twelve or fifteen sleek, glossy Durham
cows came home to be milked. Of the milk and butter from this fine herd
no recount was taken; what was not eaten at table, or used for cooking, was
left freely to the negroes. On the mountain was a large herd of fine. Dur
hams, grazing at vi'l. Every Saturday Mr. Miller went up to the Alpine
pasture to salt the herd; occasionally, for a holiday, Mr. Skiles and Mr.
Evans went with him. After reaching the wild open pasture the usual call
would be g'ven. and in a moment the great creatures would come running
jumping, leaping, in their uncouth way, surrounding the visitors, their
kindly faces and large dark eyes all turned towards their friend, the farmer
. . . It was a regular habit with Mr. Miller to take gun and hounds with him
to the "salting." A deer was almost invariably roused on returning and
the crack of the rifle, with the baying of the hounds, was often heard from
the pastures where the herd was feeding. The cattle heeded these sounds
very little and were seldom alarmed by them, being familiar with the
sounds. In one year, at this date, about 1854, seven deer were killed within
the limits of Valle Crucis. . . . There were great fishermen, as well as
hunters, in the valley. A brother of Mr. Miller was a very skillful angler
The finest of brook trout were on table almost every day during the season"
Occasionally he. would go to. particular points on the mountain streams'
familiar to him, equipped with rod and flies, and return in the evening with
perhaps fifty or sixty trout, some of them nearly a foot long. Mr Miller
was something of a naturalist; rather too much so for the comfort of his
friends. Among his pets was a live rattlesnake, a near neighbor of the
missionary. He kept it in a cage on the porch. On one occasion when Mr
bkiles and Mr. Evans were passing through the porch after supper they
heard Mr. Miller callm gout in surprise.: "Why, what are you doing here?"
It was the rattlesnake with whom he was conversing. The creature was
crawling about at leisure, having crept through the slate of his cage, flat
tening himself to an incredible degree to accomplish the feat. Mr Miller
a at dl8co.mpotsed, took the snake by the neck with, a pair of tongs'
and with the other hand held the tail, rattles and all, and coolly replaced
in the cage. On another occasion he was seen riding past the office with a
bag of trout at his side, and over one shoulder a pole, with a live rattlesnake
attached to it He had seen the snake, caught it, tied it with a strip of bark
to a tree until he had caught trout enough, and then fastened it to a pole
neck, body and tail and, carrying the pole over one shoulder, rode auietlv
home with the deadly reptile at his back." uer, roue quietly
(To be Continued Next Week.)
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187
A Rat That Didn't Small AfUr B4ng
DmcI for 3 Months
"I swear it was dead at least 3
months,1' said James Sykes, Butcher,
WesMeld, N. J. "We saw this rat ev
ery day. Put a cake of RAT-SNAP
behind a barrel. Months later my
wife asked about the rat Remem
bered' the barbel, looked behind it
There was the rat dead, not the
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$1.00. Sold and guaranteed by Bern-hardt-Seagle
Co., Lenoir Hardware &
Furniture Co., Ballew's Cash Phar
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About the tim elovs lets ud on a
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C V N.-W. RAILROAD SCHEDULE.
Effective June 22. 1919
ChtUr and Lanoir
Train No. 10 Ar. Lenoir 12:55 p.m.
Train No. . 9 Lv. Lenoir 1:15 p.m.
' Lenoir and Edgemont
Train No, 64 Ar. Lenoir 10:10 .m.
Train No. 64 Lv. Lenoir 1:80 p.m.
Train No. 55 Ar. Lenoir 7:20 awn.
Train No. 55 Lv. Lenoir :, 8:80 .m.
The tallest and shortest people in
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Quito, Ecuador, with a population,
of 80,000, hos no hotels.
The News-Topic $1.50 the year.