I first wrote on Captain Eliphaz Shelton and his descendants in February of this year; since then, I have begun corresponding with his descendants Deborah Lee from the Willamette Valley in Oregon and Eric Shelton of Virginia. I have learned a great deal more from his descendants about the man who donated the land for the county seat of Patrick and this writing should be the most accurate and thorough summary of the Shelton Family of Patrick County.
On July 11, 1791, Captain Eliphaz Shelton executed a performance bond in penalty of 200 pounds (British currency) binding him to convey 18 acres of land to the county for a county seat. On October 10, 1791, he deeded this land to the county. It was located near the center of his 590-acre land grant. The Patrick County courthouse has stood on this land at the head of Main Street for 200 years. The Shelton home and family cemetery were located at the bottom of Main Street.
On July 21, 1763, Ralph Shelton, Sr. sold his land in Amelia County, and with his wife, Susannah “Mary” Daniel, and family, he moved west to Halifax County (that area now being Patrick County). There, he purchased 400 acres of land on the South Mayo River from Josiah Leake in 1771. Ralph Sr. had ten sons, five of whom were named: Ralph Jr., Crispen, John, Daniel, and James Roderick and all had served in either the French and Indian or Rev. Wars or both.
Ralph Jr. Shelton had eleven sons and four had served in the Revolutionary War. Eliphaz, James R., Roderick J., and Jeremiah. In most cases, all who served in the Revolutionary War from both Ralph Sr. and Jr. generations had served Captains in the Virginia Militias. Eliphaz Shelton took the oath of allegiance and was appointed Captain in 1779. Jeremiah furnished supplies to the county militia, John and Crispen were early militia captains, Daniel was a captain with Pittsylvania County Militia in 1778, and James “Roderick” was appointed Captain in 1777 and he served at King’s Mt. and Guilford Courthouse battles. Colonel Abram Penn of Patrick County was summoned to the aid of General Nathaniel Greene at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse during March 1781 and Captain Eliphaz Shelton and his men accompanied Penn.
On February 28, 1784, Eliphaz Shelton received a land grant of 590 acres from Governor Benjamin Harrison for payment of services during the Revolutionary War. This land bordered his father’s land on the north and his brother James’ land on the west. The progenitor Ralph Jr. Shelton died March 30, 1789, and was buried beside his wife, Susannah “Mary” Daniel Shelton in the Shelton cemetery at the foot of Main Street. Ralph had lived to see his land included in three counties – Halifax, Pittsylvania, and Henry. Two years later, this same land was in the newly formed county of Patrick. Eliphaz and his wife, Nancy Anne raised ten children at the home at the foot of Main Street in Stuart.
On March 13th, 1826, the following obituary appeared in “The Lynchburg Virginian” The original newspaper is held by Jones Memorial Library, Lynchburg, Virginia, which is located on the second floor of the Lynchburg Public Library. “At his residence near Taylorsville, in the county of Patrick on the 16th ult. after a protracted and lingering illness, Captain Eliphaz Shelton, passed away in the 86th year of his age. The deceased defended bravely the liberties of his country during the revolutionary war and at the period the excitable Tories so much disturbed the country, he shouldered his musket, and marching in the van, made every possible effort and exertion, both in bravery and skill, to immolate them. Patriotism and an ardent devotion to the cause of his country were the first principles of his character. He who writes this last tribute of respect to Captain Shelton knew him well and he knows that in the various characters of husband, father, master, and neighbor, no one was more indulgent, kind and hospitable. A very large circle of relatives are remaining to grieve his dissolution.”
Eliphaz and Nancy’s first child, Hannah, was born in 1778. She never married. According to the 1850 and 1860 census records, she was living in the town of Stuart with her niece, Nancy Newman Fitzgerald and her husband, James, who was the town blacksmith. Hannah died at the age of 82 and was buried in the Eliphaz Shelton cemetery.
Eliphaz and Nancy Asher’s second child, Philapenia was born in 1776; she married Robert Sharp of Patrick County on the 17th of August 1796. Philapenia and Robert had six daughters, Jane “Jincey”b. 1798, Lucinda “Lucy,” born in 1799, Sarah “Sally” b. 1801, Nancy Martha b. 1807, Frances “Frankie,” born in 1812, and Lavenia b.1814. The only son of the couple was Samuel C. Sharp b. 1805. He was very active in Patrick County government positions. He left with the early groups of Patrick County citizens to Missouri. There is a link to the cabin he built in Cass County, MO that is fascinating: https://www.casscolibrary.org/casscountyhistory/panel2.
Robert Sharp served with the Virginia Militia in the War of 1812 and died on the 16th of June 1814 in Norfolk, Virginia, while walking home to Patrick County barefoot. According to the National Archives record #11450, Philapenia received a war widow pension for Robert’s service in the war, he had served as a medical assistant/orderly/physician during the war. His grave has never been found. Philapenia passed away on the first of February 1857 and was buried in the Eliphaz Shelton cemetery.
Philapenia and Robert’s daughters both married men from the Wayside community of Stuart. Lucy married Samuel Lafayette Gilbert on the 5th of March 1823, and they raised at least eight children near Wayside Community church. Lucy and Samuel are buried at the cemetery at Wayside Church. Frankie married Armistead “Street” Newman on the 10th of January 1837, and they also had eight children. Frankie and Street are buried at the Mitchell, Beasley, Rodgers Cemetery in the Peters Creek community.
The third child of Eliphaz and Nancy Shelton was Claiborne, born in 1777. By 1832, his wife, Elizabeth, had died and he went with his son, Haman, and family to Independence, Jackson County, Missouri to farm. Sadly, he died in 1833.
The fourth child of Eliphaz and Nancy Shelton was Archibald, born in 1777. Archibald married Miss Rhoda Nowlin on the 28th of November 1797. Rhoda was the daughter of James Edmund Nowlin and Ursula Patterson Nowlin of Stuart. Archibald served in the 6th Virginia Regiment during the War of 1812 and was able to return to Patrick County, but he died in 1816, leaving Rhoda with seven young children to raise on her own. Rhoda died on the 28th of July 1854, and she was buried with Archibald at the Eliphaz Shelton Cemetery.
The fifth child of Eliphaz and Nancy, was named Elizabeth b.1780 and died young.
Eliphaz and Nancy’s sixth child, Sarah “Sallie” was born in 1781. Sallie married Rhoda and Samuel Nowlin’s brother, Francis Nowlin, on the 19th of February 1801. Sallie and Francis had five children before Sallie passed away in 1818. Sallie was also buried in the Eliphaz Shelton cemetery.
Nancy Elizabeth Shelton was the seventh child born to Eliphaz and his wife, Nancy. Daughter Nancy was born in 1783 and married Elam Newman in Patrick County on the 16th of February 1804. Nancy and Elam Newman were the parents of Armistead “Street” Newman mentioned earlier in the column, along with at least six more children. Nancy and Elam’s daughter, Nancy Newman Fitzgerald was the one who took care of her aunt Hannah Shelton.
The eighth child of Eliphaz and Nancy, Frederick, was born in 1784. Frederick married Miss Winifred Jones in Patrick County on the 6th of February 1809. Frederick also fought in the War of 1812 but returned to Patrick County where he passed away in December of 1813. Frederick was also buried in the Eliphaz Shelton cemetery.
The ninth child of Eliphaz and Nancy Shelton was Olive Amanda Shelton was born in 1785. Olive married Samuel Nowlin on the 19th of January 1809 in Patrick County. Samuel was also the son of James Edmund Nowlin and Ursula Patterson Nowlin. I’m starting to see a lot of double first cousins here! Olive and Samuel moved west and settled in the township of Little York in Washington County, Indiana.
The youngest and tenth child of Eliphaz and Nancy Shelton was Hudson, born in 1790. Hudson also served in the War of 1812 in Captain Abraham Staples company of Virginia Militia. Hudson married Miss Lucy Murphy on the 9th of February 1813; the couple raised their eight children in Patrick County.
Rumors came back to Patrick County about a potential good life in Missouri. Community meetings were held, questions were raised, and answers were given about how it was possible to “sell out’ in Virginia, load necessities onto a wagon, gather the families, and head west! After the 1830 Patrick County census was taken, serious plans were made and the first groups from the region left for Missouri together as groups in 1831 and 1832…there is always safety in numbers!
Haman Shelton, born in Patrick County in 1799, was the son of Claiborne Shelton, son of Captain Eliphaz Shelton, farmer and supporter of Patrick County before and after the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. Haman’s family had been friends and colleagues of the Harvey and Frederick Fitzgerald family. Hamon had been struck by one very nice young woman in their household, Miss Priscilla Sarah Fitzgerald. Some courting took place and in the three years after the war, love grew and so did excitement about life in the west in Missouri. By the 26th of September 1819, Haman had married Miss Priscilla Fitzgerald in Stuart, Virginia.
Priscilla was the daughter of Harvey Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gazaway Fitzgerald of Patrick County. Several of Priscilla’s brothers and their families lived in Patrick County their entire lives: Thomas; James; Leonard; and Madison Fitzgerald. Harvey and several of the sons and relatives had served in the wars and they understood the desire to leave. Large Patrick County family groups were signing up for the wagon train west and plans were shaping up.
People from very prominent families locally were leading the charge to make the plans to move west and close out their farms and businesses in Virginia. By 1820, babies started to arrive in the Haman Shelton household. By the time they left for Missouri in 1832, the family included 7 children, one an infant. (This family was found in the 1830 Patrick County Census and in the 1840 Jackson County, Missouri Census.) In the Claiborne Shelton family, all of his descendants had planned to head west except for Harbert Shelton’s family. Their father, Claiborne was coming, Priscilla’s younger brother, Harvey Lee Fitzgerald, and cousin Sam Sharp.
Most of the pioneers from the Patrick County area originated from hard-working Virginians looking for a new life and opportunities, including the family names of Phillpott, Lyon, Tuggle, Newman, McAlexander, Newman, Nolin, Sharp, Carter, Penn, Critz, Shelton, Staples, Cassell and Harris. As Cass County, Missouri historical accounts explained, “Each group loaded their ox-drawn wagons for the two-month trip and followed the Blue Ridge Mountains down the Wilderness Road, through the Cumberland Gap, across Kentucky, up the Mississippi to St. Louis, west on the Boonslick Trail to what was then southern Jackson County.” This effort was the beginning of a new life for many of the Patrick County families; however, the Shelton family was eventually headed to the “Promised Land” in Oregon!
The Shelton family knew this trip required funds, planning, supplies, etc. From the time they reached Missouri, they were working on the next steps to prepare for the treacherous trip to Oregon. First, they would stick with friends near Jackson County, Missouri and build up new farmland, do their research regarding the trip, and make some good connections. The Sheltons stayed in Jackson County for 12 years, then moved to the St. Joseph area to make more connections with those who were westward bound and to secure more land and build wealth for the trip west in 1847. This included collaboration with approximately 400 Baptists from central Missouri who had been permitted on the 1847 James Curl Wagon Train.
The following is an account written by Roy Shelton in 1962 about his great grandparents, Haman and Pricilla Fitzgerald Shelton. “I am writing the account of Haman Shelton Sr. and his family, who came to Oregon in 1847. My great grandfather Haman Shelton was born in Patrick County, Virginia on February 22, 1799. He lived there until manhood and married Priscilla Fitzgerald, a neighbor girl in 1819. Pricilla was born on December 26, 1797. Haman and Priscilla from 1819 to 1843 had 13 children.”
Shelton continued, “They left St. Joseph, Missouri in April of 1847 by ox team, with 11 of their children. (Son, William stayed behind and arrived in 1853 and daughter, Elizabeth, died before the 1847 wagon train to Oregon left in early spring.) They tried to make 10 miles per day. They arrived in the Willamette Valley in the last days of August 1847. They averaged 13 miles per day. Their journey across the plains was very hard work, getting the oxen over the ground, camp, cook, and eat. With the Holy Bible, prayer every night, they plodded on. They had no Indian trouble as their scouts were of the best.”
“When they reached The Dalles, Oregon Territory, they were confronted with three ways to reach the Willamette Valley. One was to make log rafts and put everything on the rafts and float them down the Columbia River to the Cascade Rapids, take everything off the rafts and portage six miles around the rapids, rebuild the rafts, and float on down to the Willamette River to Oregon City. The second way was to ford the Columbia River, at The Dalles and go down to Fort Vancouver on the north bank of the Columbia, which was mountainous and rough.”
“The third way was to go overland on a road that was little known in 1847. In 1845, Samuel Kimbrough Barlow, a sturdy pioneer from Kentucky, was wagon master of his train and trail boss. The Dalles was full of wagon trains, so Barlow decided to follow an old Indian trail to Tygh Valley and on to Wamic, White River over the Barlow Pass, around the south side of Mount Hood to Laurel Hill, to Government Camp, and zigzag to Oregon City. The terrain was so rough, and the hills were so steep, it is a wonder they ever made it, but make it they did, with broke wagons, fresh graves, lots of their cattle dead, some abandoned their belongings to save themselves. When Haman and his train reached the Dalles in July 1847, this was the third way he and his companions could get to Willamette Valley and the Promised Land.”
Shelton concluded his great grandfather’s story, “Haman and his companions, being of sturdy stock and wishing to get to the valley as soon as possible, to get shelter built before winter, decided to go the Barlow Trail. In July 1847, they left Fort Dalles to Tygh Valley and over the Pass. There was no Pass. Just mountains, rivers, and steep bluffs. I’ve heard Grandfather tell of falling trees and with rope tied to the tip of the tree to the wagon, and using this for a drag, or brake, would ease the wagon down in the steepest places.”
The entire Shelton family finally reached Oregon City and on up the Valley. They settled seven miles east of Scio. The time being the later part of August 1847. A campsite was decided on the north bank of the South Fork of the North Santiam River, later designated as Thomas Creek.
In the 1970’s, a plat of survey was given to the Col. Abram Penn Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution that showed the 18 acres of land given for the site of the courthouse and the town. The Eliphaz Shelton home and family cemetery are clearly marked on the survey too. These plats had been given to the chapter by a descendant of Eliphaz, James H. Martin, of Bluefield, W. Va. The Colonel Abram Penn DAR chapter voted to donate the plats to the Patrick County Historical Society and Museum.
On page 303 of Tombstone Inscriptions of Patrick County, Virginia, published in 1984, Mr. O.E. Pilson states the following: “Eliphaz Shelton Cemetery, located at the foot of Main Street in Stuart. Except for a few crude field stones markers with no inscriptions, there is nothing now left of this cemetery. According to Mr. W.R. Shelton, Jr. of Columbus, Ohio, a descendant, the following are buried here: Ralph & Susannah Shelton, parents of Captain Eliphaz Shelton; Captain Eliphaz Shelton, and wife, Ann; Archibald Shelton and wife, Rhoda; Archibald was the son of Eliphaz; Hannah Shelton, oldest child of Eliphaz & Ann; Peany Shelton Sharp, daughter of Eliphaz and Ann; Sally Shelton Nowlin, daughter of Eliphaz & Ann and her husband Francis Nowlin; Frederick Shelton, son of Eliphaz & Ann. There may be others. The remaining undisturbed graves are probably those of the Shelton slaves.”
The location of this cemetery, dating back to 1787 and full of American Revolution and War of 1812 patriots has become of great interest to me. I have spent six months trying to find out what happened to this invaluable piece of property and have received nothing but bad news. Several people reached out to tell me that the cemetery was overlooking the Mayo River on the ridge between the trailer park (1960’s-1990’s) and the back of Curtis Carter’s childhood homeplace.
From what I have discovered, the landowner, (now deceased) was aware of the cemetery and it was dug up, in order to make room for the bypass road named Wood Brothers Drive at the bottom of Main Street. The remains of these patriots and early settlers were taken to the largest perpetual-care cemetery in Patrick County. According to this cemetery, which has changed ownership, there are no records of burials from the Eliphaz Shelton Cemetery ever taking place. I am sick at heart that no respect or regard was given to these early settlers, patriots, and likely, enslaved Africans.
I know there is a way these brave pioneers can be honored and remembered for all the contributions they made to Patrick County; they donated the land for the town, for goodness sake! There certainly is no way to make up for the destruction of a family cemetery, but I would love to hear from other like-minded individuals who think there should be some sort of memorial to Eliphaz Shelton and his family. I want to especially thank Deborah Lee for corresponding back and forth from Oregon to ensure that I get this family story complete and correct. Woody may be reached at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or (276) 692-9626.
