William C. Leach was born in Montgomery County, MD about 1790
or 1791,
the son of William Brooks Leach and Sarah Elizabeth Barnes. Nancy Leach
was likely born in the early to mid-1790s, also in MD.
Although they had the same surname, they were not related. Of William's early
life in MD and KY, nothing certain can be established except that he seems to
have received sufficient education to enable him to sign his name on various
documents later in life. At this point, the exact dates and locations of the
births of William and Nancy cannot be conclusively determined. These can be somewhat
refined with reasoning and a bit of speculation.
In the book The History of KY, there is
an entry for William F. (Francis) Leach, “… blacksmith and farmer, was born
in the eastern part of Ohio County, December 9, 1828, and was brought up on a
farm until nineteen years of age, when he learned the trade of blacksmith,
which
occupation he has followed since that time. In 1856 he removed to Morgantown,
Butler County, where he set up his business, and he has been for some years the
only permanent blacksmith of the town. August 16, 1859, he was married to
Sarah Anglea, the eldest daughter of William and Dulaney Anglea, of Ohio
County. The result of this union was three children: George W., Albert
Kelly and Annie Laura. Our subject owns a good farm of eighty acres of
land in the vicinity of Morgantown, with a pleasant and comfortable home in the town.
He is a first-class mechanic, a member of the Methodist Church, of the Masonic
fraternity, Lodge No. 280, Morgantown, Ky., a Republic in politics and an
upright citizen. His father was William C. Leach, who was born in Maryland, and
when quite young came to Kentucky and settled in Ohio County, and died in
1863. His mother's maiden name was Nancy Leach, but she was not a
relation to his father's people.”
Further, there
is a biography for Alfred K. Leach, the postmaster of Ohio Co. who, at the time
of publication, was the son of John and Nancy Leach.
John was said to have been born in Ohio Co. in 1802. John's parents were said
to have come from MD. The same source also identified that one Henry Clay Leach
was the son of another John (Nelson) Leach. John Nelson Leach was born in about
1807 in Ohio Co. He was the son of Leonard Leach. Of Leonard, it is stated that
he came to KY in 1799 and settled in Ohio Co. On the same page, another article
is devoted to Leonard H. Leach. Leonard was the son of Leonard and Mary (Cole)
Leach. The elder Leonard is said to have been born in Ohio Co. in 1802.
Furthermore, inspection of Ohio Co. deed records reveals transactions involving
Leach family members as early as 1801. From the above, it would appear that
there was a wholesale migration of the Leach family out of MD in the period
1799 to 1801. The 1850 Ohio Co. census would seem to further support this
dating, in that it includes a Joseph Leach, age 54, born in MD (1796), a James
Leach, also 54, also born in MD (1799), and last of all a John W. Leach, age
47, born in KY (1803).
The migration from MD
to Ohio Co., KY by the Leach family was part of a much larger resettlement from
that eastern state. It seems that a young Methodist preacher, Ignatius Pigman,
of some fame in both MD and VA came to Ohio Co., where he acquired titles to
a considerable
amount of land between 1785 and 1798.
Then he returned home to MD and sold the land to church members and friends.
These were probably people who had a desire to own more land than they could
possibly afford in densely populated MD.
Pigman
was either not into land dealing for profit (perhaps he wished to establish a
community of believers), or he was a poor businessman. In spite of his one-time
holdings of over 33,500 acres, by 1810 he was insolvent. Whatever the reason
for his financial downfall, his character seems not to have been the issue.
Those to whom he had sold land often honored him by naming a son Ignatius.
Included among those who paid this tribute was William C. Leach. One son of his
second marriage was named Ignatius.
Since
Pigman was said to have returned to MD and sold his holdings to members of his
congregation, locating his home also aids in placing William and his parents in
their native state. The 1790 MD census provides the needed insight. Ignatius Pigman
is a resident of Montgomery Co. It is in this same county that 5 Leach families
reside (Wm, Wm, Wm Jr, Thomas and Josiah). By 1800, Pigman is listed as
an Ohio Co. resident. This latter date tends to confirm the speculation above
regarding the Leach's arrival in KY right at the turn of the century.
The
journey over the Appalachian Mountains and eventually to the Green River valley
of western KY was arduous and very dangerous. The route and method of
transportation had been worked out by such early pioneers as James Harrod and
Daniel Boone. Their journeys led to the establishment of settlements such as
Harrodsburg and Boonesborough, KY, along tributaries of the Ohio River. Boone
pressed westward on subsequent journeys. Twenty years later, the MD pilgrims
journeyed over the mountains to Point Pleasant, VA (now WV).
This had been Boone’s preferred jumping-off spot on his journeys westward.
Following Boone’s example, the Marylanders cut down trees and built rafts for
themselves, their possessions, and their livestock for a journey of over 450
miles that would include rapids and the Falls of the Ohio at modern-day
Louisville. An oral tradition of long-standing recounts the only surviving
memory from that journey. As most major interior waterways were still plagued
by river pirates until almost the middle of the nineteenth century, Nancy
Leach’s parents decided to take their money and few precious valuables and
strap them to young Nancy under her dress, as in those days, not even
unscrupulous river pirates would dare frisk a child while looking for loot.
Nancy long recalled the journey in conversation with her daughter-in-law,
Rosannah Morris Leach. She claimed that not one thought was given to the fact
that she was on an open, tossing raft and weighted down like an anchor. Any
misstep would have surely sent her to her death. Fortunately, no such accidents
occurred, and the Leach family arrived with both daughter and their meager
wealth safe and sound.
did not record
a person's specific age). This would place his birth between 1765 and 1784. The
1820 census lists Leonard Sr. as being at least 45 years of age (a birthdate of
1765 or earlier). Combining these two records suggests that William's father
was born around 1765.
Life
in early Ohio Co. was undoubtedly rough and was still wilderness enough that
armed conflicts with Cherokees continued to be of concern almost right up until
1800. After that, "...save for an occasional band of friendly Cherokees, who
continued to visit the country as late as 1802 or 1803, the citizens were
uninterrupted, except by the needless alarm those friendly bands of redskins
gave the women and children. it was perhaps to be relieved from these false
alarms that some unprincipled white man shot one of their party. After that the
indians never returned to this locality, and most of the children thereafter
grew up unfamiliar with the appearance of a savage, until a straggling band
passed through the country a few years after the close of the War of 1812. All
of the (Indian) men had certificates showing that they
had fought bravely under General Jackson. Their progress was a great ovation.
Their camp was crowded with admiring and curious visitors who loaded them with
presents. This trip proved such a success that we soon had marauding bands of
braves, squaws, and papooses in quick succession, of whom the settlers soon
became weary. They treated them with less friendly attention, and the indians
gradually disappeared".
We
can also be certain that a series of events which took place in late 1811 and
early 1812 were significant in William's and Nancy’s lives. On December 16,
1811, January 23, 1812, and February 7, 1812, the greatest recorded earthquakes
to have ever struck the North American continent rocked their world.
The quakes were centered in southeastern Missouri near the small town of New
Madrid. The first quake in the series struck at 2:00 a.m. Near the epicenter,
the damage was almost total. Because of the sparse population, there was little
loss of life, but the effects on the landscape were permanent. The course of the
nearby Mississippi was changed, and Reelfoot Lake in western TN was formed (10
miles long, 2-3 miles wide), almost overnight. While no direct record exists of
the effect in Ohio Co., the intensity, only 120 miles from the epicenter, can
be assumed from the accounts from other more distant places. Riverbanks along
the Mississippi caved in as far away as Vicksburg. Chimneys were knocked down
in Cincinnati, OH. Bricks were reported to have fallen from chimneys in GA and
SC. The shock was felt from Canada to New Orleans. The shock of December 16th
was felt in Boston, 1,100 miles away, and frightened people badly in Washington,
D.C. Without a doubt, the panic and destruction in Ohio Co. would have been
widespread. Aftershocks were recorded in Louisville, KY, for two years. It may have
been days, weeks, or even months before the news from the outside world reached
this remote area. The quake would have been a significant moment in young
William’s and Nancy's lives and would have been the source of much discussion when
William met people from the "outside world" during his time in
service.
The
next great excitement came quickly with the outbreak of the War of 1812. One
resident later wrote of that period;
Ohio County then had a small portion of
Federalists - a group violently opposed to all measures of the administration.
They were also bitter in their denunciation of the embargo and a declaration of
war against England. This they called truckling to Napoleon and France; but
when war really commenced, instead of following their brethren in the North and
holding Hartford conventions and thwarting every measure of the government,
they joined in the almost universal enthusiasm, and, like the immortal Blake,
were for their country right or wrong. The people of Ohio County held mass
meetings at which speeches were made and resolutions were adopted teeming with
devotion to Kentucky and their country, no matter what the cost in
self-sacrifice.
It was resolved that the people should
wear nothing but homespun, and even recommended that the ladies should use
thorns as a substitute for pins, and otherwise abstain from every article of
English manufacture. The ladies of every neighborhood were ready to join
together and knit socks and gloves and make hunting shirts and other garments
for every new recruit. Certain individuals would go around and collect such
articles to send of to supply their friends and other soldiers in the army.
Thus, by the patriotism of the people, especially the women, Kentucky soldiers
were equipped and sent to the field without a dollars expense to the
government. Few, if any, of these soldiers received a dollar of pay until after
the close of the war, and then it was at the pitiful rate of eight dollars a
month.
The prices which people had to pay for
the actual necessities of life seemed almost fabulous. The writer, who was then
the errand boy of the family, remembers paying six dollars in silver for fifty
pounds of salt. it was so wet that the whole would not fill a half bushel
measure, and dripped so on the horse's side that what was called "the
bitter water" had to be washed off to keep it from taking off the hair of
the horse. In purchasing indigo he had to put his silver in one end of the
scales and get its equivalent in indigo in the other end. The few persons who
could afford to pay a dollar a pound for coffee could afford to drink it only
on Sunday mornings, yet, amid all these deprivations, there were no grumblings
or complaints at the war; no longing for peace except on just and honorable
terms.
Besides
several small parties and companies who joined the cavalry expeditions into the
Indian territory, Ohio Co. raised three companies during the war. One
accompanied General Samuel Hopkins up the Wabash River, the other Governor
Isaac Shelby to the Battle of the Thames, and another was under General Andrew
Jackson on this first trip down the Mississippi and later at the Battle of New
Orleans.
Though
relations with Indians in and around Ohio Co. had been satisfactory since about
1800 (to the white population that is) such was not the case north of the Ohio.
Back in 1795, the Treaty of Greenville had resulted in the Indians ceding
certain lands north of the Ohio in exchange for the establishment of what was
supposed to be a lasting border. By the close of the first decade of the 1800s,
another 100 million acres had been ceded, and still the pressure increased. The
Indians of IN and IL were caught in a squeeze between the relentless white man
in the east and the hostile Sioux and Chippewa to the west.
form a confederation of
Indians to offer armed resistance to the white encroachment and secure the
remaining territory. In 1811, with tensions running high and atrocities by both
sides mounting, troops under Harrison and the Prophet clashed at Tippecanoe
Creek. The Indian forces were soundly defeated, and the Prophet's Town was
burned. Not surprisingly, when war was declared with Britain in 1812, the
Indians joined forces with the British who promised them autonomy in return for
their support.
With
Tecumseh and his brother making menacing gestures along the Wabash, Illinois
Governor Ninan Edwards issued an urgent appeal to surrounding states for
volunteers. In the late summer of 1812, William Leach responded to this call
and signed up in the town of Hartford, KY. In September, he was mustered in at
Henderson, KY, as Private William C. Leach. Colonel Philip Barbour's company,
Captain Robert Barnett's 6th Regiment, KY.
Detached infantry Militia. He was to receive the grand sum of $6.66 per month.
The
KY troops were on their way to aid the IL settlers when they were diverted by
orders to rush to Fort Harrison in western IN (present-day Terre Haute). The
fort was being threatened by a large force of Indians and was manned by only
one company of regulars under Captain Zachary Taylor. The Indians fled upon
approach of the troops.
On
about the 10th of October, General Hopkins set out with a large
contingent of men, with the intent of assaulting Kickapoo and Peoria Indian
towns along the Illinois River. William's regiment remained behind to secure
the fort. After only four days into their expedition, trouble began. The guides
proved inadequate; food was scarce; suspicious prairie fires sprang up around
them; enlistments began to run out; etc. etc. By the 20th, the army
had become a mob and an open mutiny was in effect. General Hopkins was forced
to follow his men back to Fort Harrison, which they reached on the 25th.
After
General Hopkins' failed expedition, he organized another at Fort Harrison. This
force consisted of three regiments of KY militia under Colonels Philip Barbour
(William's outfit), Nicholas Miller, and Wilcox; a small company of United
States regulars under Captain Zachery Taylor, a company of Rangers, commanded
by Captain Beckers; and a company of scouts, led by Captain Washburne.
In
a letter dated November 27, 1812, and addressed to Governor Shelby of KY,
General Hopkins said;
march, that
we did not reach the Prophet's Town until the 19th.
On the morning of this day, I detached
three hundred man to surprise the Winnebago town lying on Ponce Passu creek,
one mile from the Wabash, and four below the Prophet's. This party, commanded
by General Butler, surrounded the place about break of day, but found it
evacuated. There were in, the main town, about forty houses, many of them from
thirty to fifty feet in length, besides many temporary huts in the surrounding
prairie, in which they had cultivated a good deal of corn.
On the 20th, 21st, and 22nd, we were
embarked in the complete destruction of the Prophet's Town, which had about
forty cabins and huts, and the large Kickapoo village adjoining below it, on
the west side of the river, consisting of about one hundred and sixty cabins
and huts - finding and destroying their corn, reconnoitering the circumjacent
country, and constructing works for the defense of our boats and army. Seven
miles east of us, on the Ponce Passu creek, a party of Indians were discovered.
They had fired on a party of ours, on the 21st, and killed a man by he name of
Dunn, a gallant soldier in Captain Duvall's company. On the 22nd, upward of
sixty horsemen, under the command of Lieutenant-colonels Miller and Wilcox,
anxious to bury their comrade, as well as gain a more complete knowledge of
their ground, went to a point near the Indian encampment, fell into an
ambuscade, and eighteen of our party killed, wounded and missing ... On the
return of this party, and the information of a large assemblage of the enemy,
who, encouraged by the strength of their camp, appeared to be waiting for us,
every preparation was made to march early and engage the enemy at every risk;
when, from the most violent storm and fall of snow, attended with the coldest
weather I ever saw or felt at this season of the year and which did not subside
until the evening of the 23d, we were delayed until the 24th. Upon arriving on
the ground, we found the enemy had deserted their camp before the fall of the
snow, and passed the Ponce Passu. I have no doubt but their ground was the
strongest I have ever seen. The deep, rapid creek spoken of was in their rear,
running in a semicircle, and fronted by a bluff a hundred feet high, almost
perpendicular, and only to be penetrated by three steep ravines. If the enemy
would not defend themselves here, it was evident that they did not intend
fighting at all.
After reconnoitering sufficiently, we
returned to camp. and found the ice so accumulated as to alarm us for the
return of the boats. I had fully intended to have spent one more week in
endeavoring to find the Indian camps; but the shoeless shirtless state of the
troops, now clad in the remnants of their summer dress - a full river of ice -
the hills covered with snow - a rigid climate, and no certain point to which we
could direct our operation - under the influence and advice of every staff and
field officer, orders were given and measures pursued for our return on the
25th.
Page -7-
the corn etc., we could find,) besides many smaller ones. The enemy have
been sought in their strongholds, and every opportunity afforded them to attack
or alarm us; a march on the east side of the Wabash, without road or cognizance
of the country, fully one hundred miles perfected; and this has been done with
a naked army of infantry, aided by only about fifty rangers and spies. All this
was done in twenty days. No sigh, no murmur, no complaint."
While
there were no major victories or even significant engagements by William's
outfit, the service which they performed was nonetheless important. They
assembled at a time when it appeared that the Indians were poised to strike out
against settlements and forts on the frontier. Because of the presence of the
troops, the feared assault never materialized. Instead, the army was able to
burn the Prophet's own town without resistance and, even more importantly, they
destroyed important provisions just as the winter was about to start.
The
following account by an Ohio Co. resident at the time of the War of 1812 gives
an indication of how the news of the burning of the Prophet's Town may have
been received back home. After William returned to civilian life, the War
continued for almost two years. He may have celebrated with the crowds
mentioned below, or he may have been part of similar festivities in another
nearby town.
"During the War of 1812 the citizens
were so patriotic that they had to burn an old vacant house - and there were
quite a few in Hartford then - whenever they heard of a victory.
The writer recollects the old Nathaniel
Wickliffe building which stood where the Lyon House (later the Commercial
Hotel) now stands. This old Wickliffe house had all disappeared except the
frame of the roof, which rested on the ground, leaving the A-shaped garret
intact. A celebrated victory had been reported, and this old roof had been
selected for a bonfire. Being very dry and combustible it was soon covered with
flames. Patriotism and courage grew with the fire. Who would run through the
roof? Several performed the feat successfully. The effect of the liquor on the
crowd had increased in at least an equal ratio with the heat of the fire. Then
old Major James Johnson, a stout, athletic man, was not to be outdone in feats
of daring. He started through, stumbled and fell, rose again, and by a
desperate effort got through, but terribly exhausted and singed. It is due to
the old Major's memory to say that he was by no means an intemperate man. In
early times - when they used the pure essence of corn, which did not make men
mad and vicious, but inspired them with unbounded patriotism and benevolence -
it was not uncommon for the best of men to become a little fuddled on an
extraordinary occasion.
The Writer does not now remember all of the victories
thus celebrated. The old courthouse and jail were burned to celebrate the news
of Perry's victory which had taken place on September 10, 1813. Another
building was burned on the lot now occupied by Mr. Sandefer's residence, and
another near what is now the home of John Thomas, but the last and most
important bonfire was the old Crowe Tavern. This was quite a large building. It
had been vacant for some time and was much out of repair. The Samuel Isaac and
David Morton house then occupied the ground near by, and to all appearances
would be greatly imperiled; but it was the last waste building in Hartford, and
the battle at New Orleans, on the eighth of January, 1815 was too great a
victory
Page -8-
not to be celebrated by a bonfire, so the torch was applied to the
vast pile, and the country was illuminated for miles around."
William
was discharged on December 23, 1812, at Henderson, KY, on the Ohio River just
below its confluence with the Green River. His military file notes that he had
65 miles to travel back to his place of residence and noted that he was sick.
No doubt, the trip home was slow. It’s likely that William travelled back home
by boat, up the Green River to Ohio Co.
Having
fought for his country, William returned home to Ohio Co. and soon married Nancy
Leach.
The bond was put up by William Leach and William Leach on December 21, 1813,
with the minister, Thomas Taylor, to return December 23rd (Thursday). The Leach
family, having little imagination when it came to men's names, leaves us
guessing as to the identity of the second William Leach. Was it her father,
brother, or perhaps a relative of his? Unfortunately, in those days nothing
else was recorded regarding the couple or their families.
Judging
from the available records, the couple enjoyed about 30 years of marriage. The
family Bible that belonged to one of their children (Leonard) was passed down,
and it records the following list of children born to William C. and Nancy.
The
first of the children born to the couple was a daughter, Salle B. It was said
that she was born on June 22, 1813.
Salle was followed by the birth of the first son, John H., on March 10, 1817.
John was followed by a sister, Lucinda, on December 6, 1818.
Another son, Leonard Washington, was born on April 15, 1821.
The third son, Richard, was born on June 27, 1823. A fourth son, William F., was
born on December 9, 1829.
A fifth son, Joseph, was born on February 14, 1834.
Their last known child, daughter, Mary Caroline, was born February 2, l837.
What
exactly happened to Nancy is unknown. The 1840 Ohio Co., KY census seems to
indicate her presence (only the head of the household was listed by name), but
she was clearly gone by the end of the decade.
Ohio
Co.’s tax records provide a general view of the family’s financial health. Like
many older records, they are incomplete and do not always allow positive
identification of an individual with a common name or an individual in a family
that aggressively recycles the same few names. In the case of William Leach,
both concerns exist: William is a very common first name, and the Leach family
reused a handful of first names, no doubt in sincere tribute to a late
ancestor. Thankfully, some individuals steadfastly used their middle initial as
a means of distinguishing themselves. This was the practice of William C. Leach
and is very helpful up until the time that the next generation of young men
named William C. begins to take their places in society. Tax records were
reviewed from 1846 through 1866. Files for certain years, as will be noted,
have been lost. Files for other years contain individuals named simply William
Leach or, alternately, William Leach Sr. Details of the records of these years
must be carefully reviewed to see if it is the same person already identified
as William C. In more than one case, this is so. All other, non-matching cases
were ignored.
The
1846 Ohio Co. tax rolls show that William owned 50 acres on Caney Creek in the
eastern part of the County, worth just $200. The land was worked by one white
male older than 20. He also had one slave older than 16. The slave was valued
at $400. William had five horses or mares, worth $150 in total, 13 cattle, and
two children older than 5 but less than 16 years. In total, the farm operation
was valued at $750.
The
tax rolls for 1847 list a William Leach. When comparing the data with 1846, the
size of the property, age of the white male, and presence of one slave confirm
this to be William C. Leach. He owned 50 acres on Caney Creek in the eastern
part of the County, worth just $150. The land was worked by one white male
older than 20. He also had one slave valued at $500. William had five horses or
mares, worth $100 in total, and 16 cattle. In total, the farm operation was
valued at $750.
The
same critical details exist in the 1848 tax list. He owned 50 acres on Caney
Creek in the eastern part of the County, worth just $200. The land was worked
by one white male older than 20. He also had one slave older than 16. The slave
was valued at $500. William had six horses or mares, worth $170 in total, 11
cattle, and two children older than 5 but less than 16 years. In total, the
farm operation was valued at $870.
The
1849 tax record for William was little changed from prior years, with the same
property and the same valuation of that land. As before, the land was worked by
one white male over 20 and one slave (age not specified). The slave was now
valued at $500. William owned four horses or mares valued at $100 (in total)
and 12 cattle. There was just one child at home older than 5 but less than 16.
The farm operation was valued at $800.
That same year, on November 27th, the 58-year-old William remarried,
taking 33-year-old, KY-born Mary Ann Crowe as his bride in an Ohio Co.
ceremony.
Mary
Ann bore him five children. The first of these was Silas Dyer, born about 1851.
The
1851 tax list noted a drop in the farm valuation to $100. There is still just
one white male over age 20, one white child between 5 and 16, and one slave
(now valued at $500). William has three horses ($100) and eight cattle. The
total farm valuation was $750.
Two William Leach families appear in the 1852 Ohio Co. tax list, making
positive identification impossible.
However, a review of both assessments shows that neither household owned a
slave. How she left her term of bondage is unknown. She may have been released,
sold, fled, or died. Perhaps further research into Court Orders or local
newspapers may yet reveal how her story of captivity ended. Ohio Co. tax lists
are not available from 1853 through 1856.
A
second son, Ignatius B., was born March 28, 1852.
Bounty Land Applications and Grants
During
this time of the growth of his second family and growing turmoil in the nation,
William sought to reap the benefits of his earlier military service. Just prior
to the War of 1812, during the War, and again shortly thereafter, the US
Congress passed laws providing inducements for men to join the armed forces and
stay for a long period of time, for the relief of the disabled, and for the
relief of the families of those killed in service. The laws provided that every
non-commissioned officer, soldier, or surviving heir of a soldier killed in the
War could receive land in IL, AR, or MO provided that the soldier had been
honorably discharged. The land was referred to as "bounty land". The
amount of land granted appears to have been dependent upon one's rank. Later,
in 1842, a law was passed permitting qualified veterans to receive bounty land
in any state or territory in which land was available. As before, the amount of
land depended upon the rank that a soldier had held.
William
applied, having to eventually submit his original honorable discharge
certificate to convince the Pension Office of his service. He finally received
forty acres under warrant 43,648, issued February 25, 1852, in compliance with
the act of Congress of September 28, 1850. Like many veterans, he had no desire
at this stage of his life to move to the frontier and be remote from family and
friends. So, William quickly sold his land through a network of lawyers who
acted as land brokers. He sold the land for an unspecified sum to Walter M.
Paish. Paish redeemed the warrant at the Palmyra, MO land office in Marion Co.,
January 3, 1853, just to the northwest of his home in Knox Co., MO.
A
subsequent act of Congress in 1855 reduced the qualification requirements and
increased the award acreage. So, on March 3, 1855, William appeared with his
friend, Hedgman Simpson, before the Ohio Co., KY Court Clerk, Robert Mosley, to
make an application for the additional land. William provided a sworn statement
regarding his receipt and disposition of the 40 acres under the 1950 Act and
then made his request. Simpson provided an affidavit that affirmed William to
be who he claimed. For unknown reasons, a second, almost identical letter of
request was sent off in May of 1855, this time with Simpson and Wesley Phipps
attesting to William’s identity. On May 21, 1856, William appeared before C.
Lawton, Police Judge of Hartford, KY to provide an explanation why his
application made under the 1850 statute had been signed but the 1855
application had only been attested to with his mark. This he explained was due
to sickness and disability. In 1856, his labor at reapplication paid off and he
obtained an additional 120 acres on May 15th under warrant number
73,778. This warrant was sold (also for an unspecified sum)
to Edward W. Jack, a land broker, who redeemed it at a land office in
Stillwater, MN in 1858.
recorded little other
than his entry into service and his unit designation. While William received
little in the way of financial compensation for his service of less than 6
months ($26.88), it seems astounding to us to know that for a relatively short
stint he received two grants for a total of 160 acres.
Years of Quiet Before the Storm
As
William’s efforts to secure Bounty Land began to pay off, his family continued
to grow. A third son, John Denham, was born in 1853 or 1855.
The
fourth son, Warren Crown, was born to the couple on December 16, 1856.
The
1857 Ohio Co. tax records include just one William C. Leach family. The related
property details (50 acres in Caney Creek, valued at $200) ensure that this is
the correct individual. As before, there is just one white male over 21, three
horses valued at $150, five cattle, and 20 hogs older than six months. There is
one child between 6 and 18 at home. In a new category, William reported that he
had $5 in gold or silver on hand. Despite the gap of several years and the sale
of two Land Warrants, the family’s financial circumstances have not visibly changed.
The 1858 Ohio Co. tax data is unavailable.
William
was again clearly identified in the 1859 Ohio Co. tax lists. The family
continued to live on their 50-acre Caney Creek farm. Its valuation has dropped
to $100. There is one white male over 21 on the farm and three children between
6 and 18 (probably Silas, Ignatius, and John). He owns two horses ($150), seven
cattle ($40), and 20 hogs older than six months. In the last year, the farm
produced 2,000 pounds of tobacco. The total tax value for the farm was set at
$290.
Their
final child, Sarah E., was born in 1860.
$200.
As before, there is one white male over 21, but not only two children between 6
and 18 (Silas is now over 18). William has two horses and seven cattle (as
before) but only four hogs older than six months. Over the last year, the
family produced 250 bushels of corn. The total tax value of the farm was set at
$330. The 1860 non-population census (commonly known as the agricultural
census) provides some insight into the economics of the household just before
the outbreak of the Civil War. While William, age 70, has five young men at
home, four are under 10. That considered, his productivity is impressive. He
had 40 acres under cultivation with an additional 10 wooded acres. The cash
value of the farm was $200, somewhat low, reflecting its small size. He owned
$5 worth of farm implements. This was low compared to surrounding farms. Of the
40 farms recorded on the same page, one had implements valued the same as
William, and one had a lower valuation. They had one horse, four milk cows, two
working cattle, five other cattle, five sheep, and seven swine. The total
estimated value of his livestock was $370. The farm produced 200 bushels of
Indian corn and 700 pounds of tobacco and six pounds of wool, 10 bushels of
Irish potatoes, five bushels of sweet potatoes, and 100 pounds of butter. The
value of animals slaughtered in the past year was estimated at $40.
The
chaos of the Civil War did not deter the annual tax assessment. The 1861 tax
assessment noted the farm valuation had not changed.
There was still just one white male over 21 at home and two children between 6
and 18. They now have only one horse, five cattle, and four hogs. In the past
year, they were able to produce 700 pounds of tobacco and 100 bushels of corn.
The total tax value of the farm was down to $270 (probably reflecting the fewer
cattle, the single horse, and the lower farm productivity.
The
last three children of William and Mary Ann were born at a time that William's
health was failing. On documents dated 1855 and 1856 related to his land bounty
applications, it is noted that he was so ill as to be unable to sign his name.
The
1860 census lists William's real estate as being worth $200 and his personal
property as being worth $525. By 1862, William C.'s life was almost over. In
January 1862, he appeared on a short list of “old persons (released) from
paying the County levy”.
In early1863, William died. On February 16th of that year, the County
Court Orders noted;
On the motion of Wm. M. Miller. Esq., it
is ordered that he be and he is hereby administrator of the Estate of Wm. C.
Leach, dec. intestate - who thereupon took the oath and entered into Bond to
the Commonwealth of KY with William P. Allen and Leonard W. Leach on his being
approved by the Court.
Ordered that Jos. S. Arnold, John W.
House and Marvin Sinclair be appointed appraisers of the estate of Wm. C.
Leach, dec., any two of whom may act being first duly sworn, to appraise in
current money, the slaves, if any and personal estate of said deceased as
proscribed by law and report to this Court in due form.
The
1863 tax assessment provides one view of William’s finances just as his
Administrator would have been working to settle the estate. The family still
owned the 50-acre Caney Creek farm ($150), two horses ($75), eight cattle
($25), one hog, and 150 bushels of corn. The total valuation was $250.
In
April 1863, the Court noted that the inventory of William’s estate and a list
of sales had been completed. These had been approved and filed in Court
records.
No copy of William’s will has been found. Such a document would give insight
into his personal possessions and how they were distributed. Ohio County Court
Settlement records do provide a look at his financial condition at the time of
his death. His court-appointed administrator, Miller, reported that William had
$20 in cash when he died. An estate sale seems to have been ordered in 1863
that netted $86.76. This brought his total worth to $106.76. Miller then
advised the Court of outstanding debts and settlement costs. These included the
following:
|
Dr
Wm J. Berry’s note
|
$22.49
|
|
H.
Thomson’s acct
|
$3.00
|
|
J.
M. Tilford’s acct
|
$18.00
|
|
R.
J. David’s note & acct
|
$7.25
|
|
J.
M. Tilfor’s note & acct
|
$20.16
|
|
Nathan
Liken’s acct
|
$16.80
|
|
Lucinda
Crowder’s acct
|
$1.30
|
|
Tax
Receipt for 1862
|
$1.60
|
|
Ja’s
Thomas’ coffin acct
|
$5.00
|
|
Appraiser’s
claim
|
$2.00
|
|
R.
S. Morely’s fee bill
|
$4.00
|
|
Allowance to ??? for services
|
$10.00
|
|
Allowance
making this statement
|
$2.00
|
|
Recording
this settlement
|
$1.50
|
The
way that the list was structured, it appears that the last four items were
administrative, meaning that his Doctor’s bill and Court costs consumed almost
40% of his estate. The debts totaled $115.13. The estate was $8.37 short.
Miller’s report was submitted to the Court on July 1, 1865.
Two days later,
Court records note that, “The following settled accounts having laid over
one Term for exceptions being at this Term approved are ordered to be recorded.
… Wm M. Miller Admin of Wm C Leach Decd…”.
William
was buried in the old Hatler (or Leach-Hatler) Cemetery. The cemetery is
located just off Highway 505 in Ohio Co. between Rosine and Horse Branch. The
gravesite is on property owned by the Morris family. William's son, Leonard
Washington, married into the Morris family (Rosannah), and the land appears to
have been in the family for several generations.
six months. Over the last
year, she grew 500 pounds of tobacco and 100 pounds of corn. Almost certainly,
the labor to run the farm has fallen to the boys.
The details reported in 1865 are similar to 1864. The valuation of the 50-acre
farm remained at $200. She owned three horses, valued at $150, bringing the
total for the farm to $350. There are 4 children at home between 6 years and
20.
Tax records have not been researched after 1865.
Mary
Ann lived almost two more decades. In 1870, Mary and the children (Dillis,
John, Warren and Sarah) lived on and worked on the old family farm. The farm
was valued at $200, as it had been most of the time for several decades. Mary’s
personal estate was valued at $150. The family was joined by an 18-year-old
female farmhand, also a Leach.
John, Warren, and the farmhand all attended school. By 1880, Warren took over
the farm, now in the Rosine District. Mary lived with him along with his
brother, John.
Mary died sometime in 1885 in Rosine. She is buried in the Leach (or
Leach-Hatler) Cemetery in Ohio Co.
By
the 1890s, the memory and reverence for the old soldier had not died in his
local community. In late 1894, the leading local paper, the Hartford
Republican, reported that Elder J. W. Keown would preach the funeral of Eliza
Stewart at ‘the old Wm C. Leach graveyard’.
William C. Leach Nancy (Nanci) Leach
Lucinda Linsey Leach (Morris) John H. Leach
Leonard Washington Leach William Francis Leach Mary Caroline Leach (Crowe)
John Denham Leach Warren Crown Leach
Joseph Leach Dillis Dyer Leach
Sarah (Mary) Elizabeth Leach (Dehart)
Marriage Certificate
Page -17-
- 1790 MD census;
Leach families were living in Ann-Arundel (1), Baltimore (3), Cecil (1),
Montgomery (5), Prince Georges (1), and St. Mary's (2) counties.
- 1810
Ohio Co., KY census, pages 74 and 81.
- 1820
Ohio Co., KY. census, p.8.
- 1830
Ohio Co., KY census, p. 241
|
Name
|
Males
|
Females
|
|
William
C. Leach
|
1
- 40-50 years
1 - 5-10 years
3 - 0-5 years
|
1
- 30-40 years
2 - 5-10 years
|
- 1840 Ohio Co., KY
census, p. 35.
|
Name
|
Males
|
Females
|
|
William
C. Leach
|
1
- 50-60 years (William C.)
1 - 10-15 yrs (probably Wm. F.)
1 - 5-10 yrs (probably Joseph)
1 - 0- 5 yrs (unknown)
|
1
- 40-50 yrs (Nancy)
1 - 20-30 yrs (Salle B. or Lucinda)
1 - 0- 5 yrs (probably Mary Caroline)
|
- 1850
Ohio Co., KY census, p. 122.
- 1860
Ohio Co., KY, census, p. _______
- 1870
Ohio Co., KY, census, p. _______
- 1880
Ohio Co., KY, census, p. _______
- Book,
KY in the War of 1812, by Anderson Chenault Quisenberry, pages
28-30, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore 1969.
- Book, War of
1812, Benson Lossing, Harper and Brothers; NY; 1868: pages 336-337.
- Book, War of
1812 Genealogy, Dr. George K. Schweitzer, 1983.
- Book, The KY
Land Grants, compiled by Jillison. Part 1, p. 224. Genealogical
Publishing Company, Baltimore, 1971.
- 1800 Ohio Co., KY.
tax list, page ________
- Ohio Co. Deed Book
A, p.83, October 6, 1801. William and Sarah Leach swap lands with Ignatius
Pigman.
- America: Changing
Times to 1877,
John Wiley and Sons, 1979, p. 297-298.
- Book, History
of Indiana, Dillon. p. 501-505.
- Is Mary Ann’s
death covered in the papers
- Research in
Montgomery Co., MD.
- Research Ignatius
Pigman.
- The following was
noted on the Mongomery Co., MD GenWeb, "I am searching for any
information on William LEACH and his wife Martha. According to the DAR
Patriot index, he was born in 1718 and died in Montgomery Co., MD in 1779.
His wife Martha received his Revolutionary War pension. His son William
left Montgomery Co. in 1799 with his three sons, William B., Leonard, and
John and their families, and came to Ohio Co., KY. Ercie J. Leach eleach@Charleston.Net"
