Person:Heinrich Harman (2)

Henry Harman (Harmon) was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

Contents 1 Will Abtract 2 Records in Augusta County, VA 3 Information on Henry Harman		Welcome to Old Augusta Early Settlers Beverley Manor Borden's Grant Register Data Maps Places Library History Index
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Will Abtract

HEINRICH (HENRY) HARMAN, SR. Will dated Feb. 18th, 1804. Probated July 23rd, 1822. Will Book No. 1, p. 167.

Devises his property as follows: "First to my son, Elias; second to each of the lawful heirs of my son Daniel, deceased; thirdly, to my sons, Henry, Adam, George and Hezekiah, and to my sons-in-law William Neel (husband of Rhoda) and James Davis (husband of Louisa)...Fourthly, to each of the children of my son Mathias, deceased..." Appoints his sons Hezekiah and Elias as Executors. Vol. I, p. 273, p. 274. ^S6

Records in Augusta County, VA

From Chalkley’s Augusta County Records:

• Winn vs. Inglish's heirs--O. S. 48; N. S. 16. In 1771 Valentine Harmon took possession of a tract on Clinch River, in present Tazewell County and raised a cabin on it. In 1773 he sold to orator William Winn (Wynn) by writing executed September, 1800, acknowledged in Lincoln County, Ky. Orator lived on the land from 1773 until Commissioners sat to adjust titles, but a certain Wm. Inglish, since deceased, claimed the tract and got a certificate by a survey made for the Loyal County, which claim orator charges is fraudulent. Henry Harmon, Sr., had a son Henry Harmon, Jr.; also a son Hezekiah Harmon. William Christian and Daniel Trigg, executors of William Inglish; Abraham Trigg and Susannah, his wife, late Inglish; Bird Smith and Rhoda, his wife, late Inglish; John Gills (Grills) and Mary, his wife, late Inglish; John and Thomas Inglish, heirs and devisees of William; Henry Harmon, Sr., answers 27th October, 1804, that Obadiah Garwood made the first settlement in 1752. Henry was in the habit of collecting the men and fighting the Indians. On his return from such an expedition he called at his brother's (Valentine?), who lived near complainant. One of his sons named Daniel was killed by Indians. Henry Harman and Hezekiah Harman answer: In 1752 Obadiah Garwood and his two sons, Noah and Samuel, came from the Northward and settled; remained some time and then went to remove their families, but the Indian War broke out and the country became untenable. Valentine Harman removed to Kentucky about 1775-1776. William Inglish died in 1782 testate, leaving the land to his daughter Susannah, wife of Abraham Trigg. Jeremiah Pate deposes he helped the Garwoods improve the land. He says they were Samuel and his two sons, Obadiah and Noah. Thomas Pierie deposes 30th, May, 1805: Daniel Harman, Sr., is brother to Henry Harman, Sr., and uncle to Henry Harman, Jr., and his father-in-law and uncle to Hezekiah Harman. Jeremiah Pate, Sr., is a brother-in-law to Henry Harman, Sr., and an uncle to Henry Harman, Jr. Thomas Pierie's son married William Wynne's daughter. Col. James Maxwell deposes he went to Clinch in 1772. John Peerey deposes. Jesiah Wynne, son of William, deposes. Daniel Harman, Sr., deposes 30th May, 1805, that the spring he moved to the head of Clinch; Valentine Harman lived on the plantation where Henry Harman, Jr., now lives and Valentine sold to Wm. Wynne for a mare, a horse and a wagon. Samuel Walker deposes 30th May, 1805: In 1771 he came to the head of Clinch and met Valentine, who said he was coming to it or this country to see after "some Harres that run Hear." The following fall, deponent came again with Robert Moffitt. Shortly afterwards two men came out, viz: John Stutler and Uriah Stone, and the spring following, said Moffett moved his family out. Oliver Wynne deposes, son of William. Lawrence Murry deposes that the spring after the Chericee War he came into this country. William Wynne was in possession that and the next year, and then his son-in-law Peter Edwards was in possession 3 or 4 years, then Wynne occupied it one or two years, then a cropper named John Ridgel (Rigdgel) occupied it. Daniel Harman, Sr. (above), is brother of Henry Harman, Sr. Christopher Marrs, brother-in-law of Wm. Wynne, deposes Jeremiah Pate, Sr., of Little River in Montgomery County, is brother-in-law to Henry Harman, Sr., who is uncle to Henry Harman, Jr. Henry Harman, Sr., had one of his sons killed, skalped and massacred by the Indians in the attempt of settling the land who left a wife and four young children. John Peery (Blacksmith) deposes (there seem to have been two John Peerys).

Information on Henry Harman

Henry was called "Old Skygusta" by the Indians.

From "Bickley’s History of Tazewell County":

On the 12th of November, 1788, Henry Harman, and his two sons, George and Mathias, and George Draper left the settlement, to engage in a Bear hunt on Tug River. They were provided with pack horses, independent of those used for riding, and on which were to be brought in the game. The country in which their hunt was to take place, was penetrated by the "war-path" leading to and from the Ohio river; but as it was late in the season they did not expect to meet with Indians.

Arriving at the hunting grounds in the early part of the evening, they stopped and built their camp; a work executed generally by the old man, who might be said to be particular in having it constructed to his own taste. George and Mathias loaded, and put their guns in order, and started to the woods, to look for sign, and perchance kill a buck for the evening repast, while Draper busied himself in hobbling and caring for the horses.

In a short time, George returned with the startling intelligence of Indians! He had found a camp but a short distance from their own, in which partly consumed sticks were still burning. They could not, of course, be at any considerable distance, and might now be concealed near them, watching their every movement. George, while at the camp, had made a rapid search for sign, and found a pair of leggins, which he showed the old man. Now old Mr. Harman, was a type of frontiersman, in some things, and particularly that remarkable self-possession, which is so often to be met with in new countries, where dangers are ever in the path of the settler. So taking a seat on the ground, he began to interrogate his son on the dimensions, appearance, etc., of the camp. When he had fully satisfied himself, he remarked, that, "there must be from five to seven Indians", and that they must pack up and hurry back to the settlements, to prevent, if possible, the Indians from doing mischief; and, said he, "if we fall in with them, we must fight them."

Mathias was immediately called in, and the horses repacked. Mr. Harman and Draper, now began to load their guns, when the old man observing Draper, laboring under what is known to hunters as the "Buck Ague", being that state of excitement, which causes excessive trembling, remarked to him, "My son, I fear you cannot fight."

The plan was now agreed upon, which was, that Mr. Harman and Draper should lead the way, the pack horses follow them, and Mathias and George bring up the rear. After they had started, Draper remarked to Mr. Harman that he would go ahead, as he could see better than Mr. Harman, and that he would keep a sharp lookout. It is highly probable that he was cogitating a plan of escape, as he had not gone far before he declared he saw the Indians, which proved not to be true. Proceeding a short distance further, he suddenly wheeled his horse about, at the same time crying out, "Yonder they are - behind that log." As a liar is not to be believed when he speaks the truth, so Mr. Draper was not believed this time. Mr. Harman rode on, while a large dog, he had with him, ran up to the log and reared himself upon it, showing no sign of the presence of Indians. At this second, a sheet of fire and smoke from the Indians’ rifles, completely concealed the log from view, for Draper had really spoken the truth.

Before the smoke had cleared away, Mr. Harman and his sons were dismounted, while Draper had fled with all the speed of a swift horse. There were seven of the Indians, only four of whom had guns; the rest being armed with bows and arrows, tomahawks and scalping knives. As soon as they fired, they rushed on Mr. Harman, who fell back to where his two sons stood ready to meet the Indians.

They immediately surrounded the three white men, who had formed a triangle, each man looking out, or, what would have been, with men enough a hollow square. The old gentlemen bid Mathias to reserve his fire, while himself and George fired, wounding, as it would seem, two of the Indians. George was a lame man, from having had white-swelling in his childhood, and after firing a few rounds, the Indians noticed his limping, and one who had fired at him, rushed upon him thinking him wounded. George saw the fatal tomahawk raised, and drawing back his gun, prepared to meet it. When the Indian had got within striking distance, George let down upon his head with the gun, which brought him to the ground; he soon recovered, and made at him again, half-bent and head foremost, George sprang up and jumped across him, which brought the Indian to his knees. Feeling for his own knife, and not getting hold of it, he seized the Indians’ and plunged it deep into his side. Mathias struck him on the head with a tomahawk, and finished the work with him.

Two Indians had attacked the old man with bows, and were maneuvering around him, to get clear fire at his left breast. The Harmans, to a man, wore their bullet pouches on the left side, and with this and his arm he so completely shielded his breast, that the Indians did not fire till they saw the old gentleman’s gun nearly loaded again, when one fired on him, and struck his elbow near the joint, cutting one of the principal arteries. In a second more, the fearful string was heard to vibrate, and an arrow entered Mr. Harman’s breast and lodged against a rib. He had by this time loaded his gun, and was raising it to his face to shoot one of the Indians, when the stream of blood from the wounded artery flew into the pan, and so soiled his gun that it was impossible to make it fire. Raising his gun, however, had the effect to drive back the Indians, who retreated to where the others stood with their guns empty.

Mathias, who had remained an almost inactive spectator, now asked permission to fire, which the old man granted. The Indian at whom he fired appeared to be the chief, and was standing under a large beech tree. At the report of the rifle, the Indian fell, throwing his tomahawk high among the limbs of the tree under which he stood. As soon as the Indians retreated, the old man fell back on the ground exhausted and fainting from the loss of blood. The wounded arm being tied up and his face washed in cold water, soon restored him. The first words he uttered were, "We’ve whipped them, give me my pipe." This was furnished him, and he took a whiff, while the boys scalped one of the Indians.

When Draper saw the Indians pass him, he stealthily crept from his hiding place, and pushed on for the settlement, where he reported the whole party murdered. The people assembled and started soon the following morning to bury them; but they had not gone far before they met Mr. Harman, and his sons, in too good condition to need burying. Upon the tree, under which the chief was killed, is roughly carved an Indian, a bow and a gun, commemorative of the fight. The arrows which were shot into Mr. Harman, are in possession of some of his descendants.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Henry Harman, in Find A Grave.
2.   Ancestor #: A050817, in Daughters of the American Revolution. Genealogical Research System.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} History of Bland County, Virginia. (Radford, Virginia: The Corporation, c1961)
   p.139-144.

   Excerpt: He owned lands in Tazewell and other counties in Southwest Virginia as early as 1754, and moved to one of these tracts, probably the large estate near High Rock, now Bland County, in 1775, moving to Holly Brook in 1790.

4. ↑ (#03100) , in North Carolina. Division of Archives and History (Raleigh, North Carolina). Records of the Moravians in North Carolina. (Raleigh, North Carolina: Edwards and Broughton Print., 1922-1969, c2002)
   VOL. 1: 1752-1771, pg. 250.

   1762. October 3. Our neighbor, Henry Hermann, and his brother-in-law, Ulrich Richards, brought their children to us for baptism, and we could not refuse their request, so at noon Brother Ettwein baptised little Daniel Hermann, and Brother Groff baptised little Anna Richards.

5. ↑ #29191413 Capt. Henry "Old Skygusta" Harman, Sr, in Find A Grave.
   • Photographs of monuments depicting 1788 battle with Black Wolf.
6. ↑ ^6.0 6.1 Harman, John Newton, and George W. L. Bickley. Annals of Tazewell County, Virginia, from 1800 to 1922: in two volumes. (Richmond, Virginia: WC Printing Company, 1922).
7.   Chalkley, Lyman. Before the Gates of the Wilderness Road: The Settlement of Southwestern Virginia
   pg. 191.

   Among the very early settlers under the Loyal Company, were members of the Harman family. The general course of business under that company and the trials of settlers may be gathered from depositions relating to their early settlement. In 1751, Henry Harmon and his uncle, Valentine Harmon, were on a hunting expedition when they camped on Sinking Creek of New River, in the present Giles County, and Valentine made what was called an improvement by killing trees. In 1754 he procured a survey under the Loyal Company. In the same year Valentine made a contract with a Dunker, George Hoopaugh, who, it was alleged, was poor and lived on Valen- tine's charity, that George should go and live on the place as tenant. In 1757 Valentine was killed by Indians, in the presence of his nephew, Daniel Harmon, and Daniel was taken prisoner, but escaped. No one but George Hoopaugh (Hoopack) lived on Sinking Creek at the time. He continued living there until 1775, when he moved off because of fear of the Indians. He returned, however, when he claimed the land as by settlement and made a conveyance of it. Although the grantees of the large tracts were speculators on a large scale, yet the same was not generally true of the settlers. While they were, no doubt, influenced by the prospect of rich lands at a small price, yet as a rule they were looking for a place for bona fide settlement, to make their abiding place, establish their households and pursue their fortunes. They were following upon the footsteps of numerous traders, hunters and trappers who had traversed the wilderness, back and forth, named its hills and streams and acted as prospectors and guides, but their mission was ended with the coming of population. The land speculator was not popular. The titles were but badly recorded and became matter of dispute as the lands became more valuable. These troubles became frequent about 1800, when nearly every piece of land was subject of controversy in courts in some form.

8. ↑ ^8.0 8.1 The Harmons
9.   The Harman Family
10.   McDowell and Wyoming Co, WV Families and Individuals