Skip Harman - Dec 9, 2003   Viewers | Reply to this item
   
Jeanette, I have a letter written by Winifred Triplett Harper, wife of Stelman Harper, son of Minor and Clara Cooper Harper,   dated 19 Nov 1974. It was sent to Kathryn Degler Arbaugh, g-daughter of Henry Harper and Clara Bland. From the letter: Jacob, the eldest son of Philip Harper, was naturalized in 1764. He married Margaret Simmons and they were the parents of 14 children. Her grandson, Ezekiel Harper, a famous Civil War Confederate Scout, confirmed to Mrs. Elsie Byrd Boggs, in her book "The Harmans and Allied Families of Pendleton County", that Margaret had been captured by the Indians and taken into Ohio and lived with them for several years. She broke away from them and made her way, under cover of darkness, to her home in the Mouth of Seneca area.
Moses Harper was one of their children and he twice married; first to Abigail Hinkle, of whom eight children were born. 3 died as infants, 3 went to Iowa and Kansas, Moses Jr., was injured and a semi-invalid. One son, Aaron, stayed in Pendleton County.
Moses' second wife was Phoebe Conrad, they also had eight children.All remained in Pendleton County except Isom, who went west.Jacob Conrad Harper was one of the eight and married Susan McDonald. Susan was only 14 and when her mother found out she was so incensed that she was determined to marry at such a young age, that she hoped that she would have 20 children, the prphecy proved true.
They were living atop Allegheny Mountain at the outbreak of the Civil War near the border of Randolph and Pendleton County. The area was split by political allegience and Jacob tried to remain neutral. However the Federal troops felt that he favored the Confederates and started to haul him away as a prisioner of war. Susan followed and implored the officers to release him to care for his large family, they relented and he returned to his home.
Jacob and Susan were Presbyterians and Jacob helped to raise funds and do carpentry work on the construction of a new church at Harman, Wv.
When their eldest son married, Jacob set him up in the butcher shop business in Davis, Wv.
Also is listed the 20 children and a small discription of their life after the picture was taken.
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