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"...
following the Treaty of 1763, Great Britain,
through the Virginia colony, had enacted
laws to deter such adventurous persons
as should be disposed to cross the mountains.
It was a forbidden country.
Nevertheless,
during the year 1766 at least seven men
made settlements in the region. All of
them, it should be borne in mind, defied
the proclama-tion which forbade settlement
and in a sense outlawed themselves in
so doing. Perhaps they hoped
to escape discovery and thought to remain
until the laws they were violating were
repealed. If such was indeed their
plan, they were not disappointed.
When the time came as the Revolution drew
to its close, they applied for and were
awarded homesteads where they settled
in 1766.
Two
of these pioneers were brothers, members
of the Merrifield family...Thomas
and Richard. Another brother,
Samuel, came later for at least
his request for a homestead so indicated,
in 1773..."
"Samuel
Merrifield, it is said, was a member
of the squad which accompanied Dr. Eckerlin
(or Eckarly) from Fort Pleasant to find
the corpses of the murdered Dunkards at
Dunkard Bottom in 1756. He was also
said to have been a member of a party
in 1756 from Fort George (now Petersburg)
on the South Branch which overtook a band
of Indians five or six miles above (later)
Ice's Ferry and killed serveral of them."
"...Indian
Sam was a brother of Dick and
Tom, the three brothers came to Fairmont
from Virginia. They came over mountains
with the York brothers, Jessie and Jeremiah
York. Nathaniel Springer and Alexander
the Scotchman. He and these others
hacked it out with old Bob Scodnay, Charlie
Poke, and Little Billy Burris on the Buchannon.
Indian Sam hunted with Sam Bingamon..."
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