OLIVER TOWNSHIP.

     JANE McCLUNG - Now in her 86th year, was the daughter of Samuel and Sarah Clark, and was born in Rockbridge county, in the State of Virginia, on the 13th day of September, 1794.  Samuel Clark, her father, came to this country in the year 1806, and settled three miles north of West Union, on the farm now owned by David Strake, then a vast forest.  His eldest son, John, married Betsey Gaul.  Before leaving the State of Virginia he, with his young wife and two children, settled on Cherry Creek, one mile above where Harshaville now stands.  He sunk a tan-yard and worked at the business of tanning and dressing leather in connection with that of clearing up and opening out a farm.  His family consisted of seven sons and six daughters.  Of his sons, all are living except one, who was killed by being caught in a thresher.  His daughters are all dead but two.  His son John lives on, and owns the old farm.  Samuel, the next eldest son, married Nancy Brown, December 20, 1821 (an aunt of W. B. Brown, the Treasurer elect of this county,) and settled in the woods, one miles South of where Unity now stands, on the old county road leading from West Union to the mouth of Cherry Fork.  He was also a tanner, and went into business in connection with that of clearing out his farm.  He built upon his land a rude log cabin, and lived in the same for a number of years.  Afterwards he built a double hewed log house, one and a half stories in height.  It was at the raising of one of these houses that a young man by the name of Joseph Brown was killed by the falling of a heavy log, which struck him on the head, causing his death in a few days afterwards.  Mr. Clark continued the business of tanning for many years, doing a large amount of work for all the western and northern parts of the county, and was familiarly called "Uncle Sammy Clark, the tanner."  He was a strict adherent to the "Galvanistic doctrines," and was one of the ruling elders of the U. P. Congregation at Unity from the time of organizing until his death, which occurred Mar. 22, 1869. He was a man greatly beloved and respected for his many christian virtues.  His wife only survived a few years, and they now sleep side by side in the cemetery at Unity.  Their children all survive them, and are living within the heads of the Unity Congregation.  James, the second son, married Jane Young.  Their history is comprised in a few words.  To know them, was to love them.  They were not possessed of an excess of the world's goods, but were possessed of loving hearts, and raised a small family, consisting of three daughters and one son, and raised a small family, consisting of three daughters and one son, all of whom are dead, except one daughter.  Andrew, the fifth and last son, never married, and died at the age of fifty-three years.  His grave was the second in the cemetery at Unity.  He was a model of virtue and honesty.  Edward, the fourt son, married Sallie Baker, and settled on Milligan's branch of Cherry Fork, now Newton Tolle's farm.  About 1837, he sold out and moved to Logan county, Ohio.  After a year's stay there, he returned to Adams county, and settled in the woods, on the road leading from West Union to Hillsboro, near Hemphill's mills, five and a half miles north of the former place.  He was Justice of the Peace for many years in the township of Wayne, and was possessed of superior intellectual endowment - was one of the ablest debaters of the time in which he lived, and was a leader of the Democratic party, understanding its principles perhaps better than most of men of his day.  He cleared out his farm and worked at the carpenter trade, and raised a large family, consisting of five sons and four daughters.  W. R., the oldest son, edited the "Adams County Democrat," at West Union, for several years, with great credit to himself and the satisfaction of the party.  He retired from the editorial chair on account of failing health, and soon after fell a victim to that "fell destroyer," consumption.  Edward died June, 1862.  His widow is still living at the old home, with an unmarried son and daughter.  Mary, the oldest daughter, married Archibald Caruthers, a widower with two children.  They reared a family of five children, three sons and two daughters, all deceased but two, Hugh and Erwin the first of whom lives in Illinois, the latter in Oregon.  Frances, the second daughter, married James Clark, and lived for many years on Gift Ridge, near where now stands Quinn Chapel, in Monroe township.  At this place Mrs. Clark died, October, 1849.  Mr. Clark moved to Hamilton county, Indiana, about one year after the death of his wife, and if living, is still in said county and State.  There were eight children born to this couple, three sons and five daughters.  Of these, there are yet living one son and four daughters.  Sarah, the third daughter, was married to Robert Clark, and settled near the Old Bridge road, leading from West Union to Manchester, on what is now known as "Ellison's Ridge."  Their family consisted of five sons and three daughters.  There is now but two surviving members of this family, a son and a daughter.  Both reside on the old farm.  We now come to the history of Jane, the youngest daughter, and only surviving member of the family of Samuel and Sarah Clark.  She was joined in marriage to John McClung, by Rev. Wm. Baldridge, Jan. 4, 1827, and moved with her husband to his farm, then in the woods, in Liberty township, on the head waters of Eagle Creek, better known as Hill's Fork.  There they opened out their little farm, suffering many hardships and privations, such as are common to the early settlers.  Her husband and herself were among the original members of the Associate Reformed congregation at Cherry Fork, and continued to worship with the congregation for about twenty years, when they sold their farm and moved to the farm on which the widow now lives, (better known as "Caruther's farm.")  This farm is four mils north of West Union, and in Oliver township.  They united with the U. P. Congregation at Unity, shortly after its organization.  Her husband at Unity, shortly after its organization.  Her husband died Feb. 8th, 1873,  in his 88th year, and had been a member of the church for seventy years.  Their family consisted of two sons and three daughters.  All are now living except Samuel, the eldest son, who died June 29, 1869.  Both of her sons enlisted in Co. E, of the 70th Ohio Regiment, Colonel J. R. Cockerill, on the first day of November, A. D. 1861, and served for three years.  Her two youngest daughters live with her on the old farm.  The old lady's devotion to her government is only equaled by her devotion to her Lord and Master, which subject she loves to talk on above all others.

HER EARLY RECOLLECTIONS.

     She says that the first water mill in the county that she can recollect, was Hemphill's, on West Fork of Brusk Creek, above the month of George's Creek, opposite to which the old Stone House stands, on the West Union and Jacksonville road.  This mill was built about the year 1808.  The Stone House was built in the year 1896, by Andrew Ellison, who was a full cousin to her father, Samuel Clark.  She says the scaffolding was still up when their folks arrived in this country in 1806, and that Mr. Ellison had received an injury from a fall from the scaffold, about the time the house was being completed, of which he never afterwards fully recovered.  Andrew Ellison was the father of John Ellison and Andrew Ellison  John was elected to the Legislature, and served as member with no little distinction.  He was also Sheriff of the county for a term of years, and officiated at the hanging of David Becket, which she thinks took place in November, 1808.  John was the father of A. B. Ellison, now of Manchester, and of the late John Ellison, of the firm of Ellison & Co., bankers of Manchester.  Of the third son, William, she cannot tell anything about.  Andrew, the brother of John, she never knew much of his history, he left the county when young and went into business and became wealthy.  The oldest daughter of Andrew Ellison was named Sarah.  She died when quite young.  Isabel, or Ibby, another daughter, was married to the  Rev. Dyer Burgess, and lived in West Union on a farm now occupied by R. W. McNeal.  Both of the daughters died childless.  His daughter, Margaret, married Adam McCormick.  They also lived at West Union, and both of them fell victims of that death dealing scourge, cholera, during its visit to that place in 1848.  These parents never had but one child, Joseph, by name, and well remembered by the citizens of the county as a "brilliant man and fine lawyer."  She says of the daughters of John and sisters of A. B. Ellison, that Mary was married to William Ellison, late of Manchester, but now dead.  The present Auditor, R. H. Ellison, is one of their children.  William Ellison was a man highly respected by all who knew him for his many christian virtues.  Mary, his widow, still lives at their old

home in Manchester, and is respected and loved by all, and especially the poor and needy.  The first white child  born in this county was John Clark, cousin to our informant, born in Manchester, Mar. 17th, 1791.  He was the son of John Clark and Margaret, formerly Margaret Ellison, sister the Andrew Ellison, who built the Old Stone House on Lick Fork.  John Clark and his wife, Margaret, settled on the old Ridge Road, leading from Manchester to West Union, on the farm owned and occupied by widow Nixon.  They settled there about the year 1793, and raised a family of thirteen children, all of whom are now dead except one, James, well known to many of the old citizens of the county, now a resident of Hamilton county, Indiana, and in his 86th year.  His youngest daughter is the wife of John Clark, near Harshaville.  She is the only member of the family living in this county.  Samuel Clark, and his wife Sarah, parents of Jane McClung, were born in the county of Tyrone, Ireland.  Her mother's maiden name was Sarah Lamma, and her grandmother's name was Wilson.  Her brother, John Clark, was born in Ireland, and crossed the "briny deep" when a child with his parents.

     W. B. BROWN - The ancestors of Mr. Brown, were of German origin.  His father, whose name was James, was the fourth generation of a family, that each succeeding generation had but one son, and that son's name was each time "James."  Mr. Brown's grandfather was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, where he married Jane Reed.  They moved to Manchester, Adams county, revious to 1800, where they remained a year or two, then came to Cherry Fork, and settled on the farm now owned by J. W. Baldridge, Jr., about two miles below North Liberty.  Here they both lived and died.  Mr. Brown died in 1804, and is the second person buried in the Cherry Fork cemetery, as elsewhere stated.  Mrs. Brown died Mar. 13th, 1824, and is buried there also.  James Brown, of this family of children, is the father of W. B. Brown, and was born 1802.  He grew up on the old homestead, and was married to Maria Baker.  He became the owner of the old homestead, where he lived until his decease, Mar. 22, 1832.  He reared a family of four children, three sons and one daughter.  William B., born Mar. 24, 1824, James R., born May 17, 1826, Jacob N., born Oct. 19, 1828, Mary J., born Mar. 4, 1831.  William B. Brown, the subject of our sketch, who is the eldest of these children, married Ellen Ralstin, Apr. 12, 1848, settled about a mile from Unity, and engaged in the tanning business.  He followed this business until the fall of 1850, when he removed to Unity, and in 1851, engaged in the mercantile business which he carried on until 1874.  He was succeeded by his sons, James W. and Henry H. Brown.  Since that time Mr. Brown has devoted his attention to the saw and flouring mill which he had owned for some years before.  He has had a family of six children, five sons and one daughter.  James W., Henry H., Louis R., N. M., Mary M., and Cary H., besides Hermes C.,  who died at 18 months.  Henry H. married Ruth McIntire, Louis R. married Ella Smith, N. M. married Belle Humes.  Henry H. and James W. are engaged in the mercantile business in Unity.  Louis R. is farming in Iowa.  Mary M. and Carey H. are not married, and reside with their parents.  Mr. Brown has acted a prominent part in the public affairs of the township and county in which he lives.  Hed was the most influential person in procuring the location of the Grace's Run and Dunkinsville pike, took a leading part in securing the organization of Oliver township.  He was elected township Treasurer, consecutively, for twenty-six years, and was last fall (1879) elected county Treasurer.  Though liberal towards others in religious or political matters, his religious opinions are expressed in the creed of the U. P. church; while in politics, he has always adhered to the principles of the Democratic party.

     MARTHA HARSHA - Mrs. Harsha was born at Chambersburg, Cumberland county, Pa., Mar. 22, 1810.  She was the daughter of William Buchanan.  Her parents removed to Washington county, Pa., in 1812, where she married Paul Harsha, May 22d. 1831.  In 1844, she came with her husband to Adams county, who settled near where Harshaville now stands.  Mr. Harsha who appears to have been an energetic business man, bought up large quanties of land in the neighborhood, including the land on which the village that bears his name, is located, and with it the

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mill, then owned by Samuel Wright.  This mill Mr. Harsha afterwards rebuilt and carried on successfully to the time of his death.  When Mr. Harsha first settled here the country was comparatively new, but by his enterprise, he soon made a great improvement in his appearance, by developing and bringing out its resources.  These parents reared a family of six children.  William B., Jane, D. H., James W., N. P., and Elizabeth H. Harsha.  But four of them now survive.  William B. has become the proprietor of the Harsha mills; D. H. is the proprietor of the Campbell mills, in Scott township; James W. died at the age of nineteen; N. P. died during the rebellion, at Memphis, Tenn.; Elizabeth H. married C. S. Patton.  Paul Harsha was born Apr. 1, 1809 (1800?), died Apr. 1 ,1876, aged 76 years.  His widow occupies the old homestead.

     N. C. PATTON - This gentleman's ancestors were natives of Rockbridge county, Virginia.  His father, John Patton, was born there, June 9, 1787, where he married Phebe Taylor, who was born Feb. 2, 1794.  They came from that place in 1814, and first stopped near North Liberty, where they stayed a short time, then bought land on Cherry Fork, about two miles above Harshaville, to which they moved, and cleared up a farm on which they lived and died.  They reared a family of seven children, four sons and three daughters, named Martha, James T., John E., Lurissa, Margaret A., Nathaniel C., Elizabeth Ann, Nancy, Phebe, Carolina, and William Henry Patton, and an adopted child named Phebe G. Finley.  Of these children, three died in early years, two after arriving at the years of maturity, as, also, the adopted child, Phebe G. Finley.  The survivors are John E., Lurrissa (Mrs. Casky), Nathaniel C., Elizabeth Ann (Mrs. Morrison), and William H. Patton.  Nathaniel C. Patton, who is the subject of this sketch, was the sixth child.  He was born in Adams county, Feb. 26, 1826, where he grew up to manhood.  He married Mar. 17, 1847, Mary Ann Thompson, daughter of Daniel Thompson.  She was born Feb. 28, 1824, near Eckmansville.  They are the parents of six children, Marion M., John M., Mary A., Anabel, Lizzie, and Emma Z.  Two of these are dead.  Mary A., who died at four years, and John M., who died in his country's service.  Marion M. is married and lives on Cherry Fork; the others remain at home.  John M. Patton enlisted in Co. D., Capt. Laird, 191 Regt. O. V. I.  He died at Harper's Ferry.  Apr. 23, 1865, from cold taken in a case of measles.  His remains are interred in Cherry Fork cemetery, near North Liberty.  Mr. Patton now owns a farm of 260 acres.  Soon after his marriage, he moved on to this land, then almost a wilderness, but by persevering industry, he has improved it, brought it into a high state of cultivation, and so adorned it by beautiful buildings, that it is now one of the prettiest farms in the county.

     GEO. A. PATTON, HARSHAVILLE - John Patton, father of Geo. A. Patton, was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, in 1798.  His parents removed in 1800, to Ohio, and settled in Liberty township, near the old Governor Kirker homestead.  They afterwards removed and settled on what is now known as the Ramsey Duffey farm, two and a half miles north of North Liberty.  Here John grew up to years of maturity, and about 1820, married Miis Jane McCagne.  After his marriage, John S. Patton settled about a mile and a half south of Harshaville, on a farm now owned by the Harshas.  From this place he removed to the McCagne farm, two miles north of Bentonville.  In 1828, he bought land two miles south of Eckmanville, and moved to it, where his wife died, Mar. 31, 1835.  He married for his second wife, Sarah Morrison, of that vicinity.  Mr. Patton also died, Mar. 1877.  There were born to Mr. Patton by his first marriage, four children, two sons and two daughters, named George A., Mary J., Nathaniel Thomas, and Martha, who all grew to years of maturity and married.  But two of them now survive; George A. and Nathaniel Thomas.  By his second marriage, he raised five children, three sons and two daughters, Robert S., Carey S., Eliza, John H. and

Sarah.  Sarah died at the age of 12 years.  The rest are all living and married.

     GEORGE A. PATTON, who is the subject of this sketch, is the oldest son of John Patton, by his first marriage.  George A. Patton was born near Bentonville, Adams county, Sept. 20, 1826.  He lived with his parents until he was twenty-three years old, when he bought a lot in Harshaville, on which he erected a small building, in which he opened a store, Nov. 13, 1849.  In the summer of 1850, he erected the dwelling house in which he now resides, and November 13th, of the same year, he married Miss Jane McIntire, daughter of General William  McIntire.  On July 15, 1863, Morgan and his men, as they moved through Ohio, on their ever memorable raid, passed through the village of Harshaville, and pillaged Mr. Patton's store of goods to the amount of about $2,000.  In 1867, the building in which he had sold goods so many years was removed and its place supplied with a more capacious establishment, one more suitable to the requirements of his enlarged business.  These parents have had born unto them eight children, three sons and five daughters, named Mary Catherine, Sarah Albertine, William McIntire, Martha Belle, John Carey, Espie Jane, Andrew Elvas, Adelina George.  Three of them are dead.  Sarah Albertine, William McIntire, and John Carey.  Three of them are married.  Sarah Albertine married John P. Casky, a farmer on Cherry Fork, where she died.  Mary Catharine married William McVey, who lives in Cincinnati.  Martha Belle married William McVey, who lives in Cincinnati.  Martha Belle married Oscar B. Kirkpatrick, a farmer near Harshaville.  Mr. Patton has been engaged in the mercantile business for thirty years, and from a small beginning, has by strict integrity and honest dealing, accumulated a handsome property, and secured the confidence and respect of all who know him.

HARSHA MILLS.

     The first mill in Oliver township was built at this point.  In 1817, General Samuel Wright, one of the early pioneers, put up a log building for a mill, which he run until 1824, when he built a frame.  He, in 1819, started a carding machine, which he carried on until 1833, when it was discontinued.  The mill he continued to run until 1846, when he sold it to Paul Harsha.  There was, down to this time, but one pair of burrs, but Mr. Harsha, being a man of enterprise, the next year, 1817, put in two additional pair of burrs.  In 1858, he removed the old frame building, and put in the present substantial one.  Mr. Harsha died in 1876 and his son, W. B. Harsha, became the proprietor of the mills, which are still carried on with their accustomed energy.

MURDER OF WILLIAM H. SENTER AND HIS WIFE.

    In 1855, there lived about a mile and a half southeast of Unity, a man named William H. Senter, and his wife, Nancy Senter.  They were some forty-five or fifty years of age, honest, quiet, inoffensive, simple hearted people.  They were without children, and in this retired place, were peacefully living in their humble log cabin, when a young man named Alexander Milligan made his appearance in the neighborhood, sometime in the fall of that year.  Milligan seemed to be rather looking for a piece of land, became acquainted with Senter, and after a while contrated for his farm, agreeing to pay him $1,000, the first of December.  He then made his home with Senter, and perhaps worked some in repairing the farm.  About the latter part of November or first of December, Senter and his wife were missing from the neighborhood.  Milligan stated he had paid them their money, had bought their personal property and they had left, and he did not know where they had gone to.  Suspicion was presently aroused, Milligan was arrested and a pretty thorough search instituted, when the mangled bodies of Senter and his wife were found buried in the spring run, near the milk house, with a lot of logs piled over the place.  An examination showed that their heads had been crushed with an axe, and their bodies than dragged with their night clothes only on, to the place of concealment.  Their hair was matted with burrs, showing that they had been dragged through a burr patch between the house and spring.  Milligan was indicted, and at the November term of Court, 1856, convicted a murder in the second degree, and sentenced to the penitentiary for life.  After serving a few years, he became insane and died.  Who Milligan was, or where his ancestors lived, was never known.  The court that tried this case were:  Judge, S. F. Norris.  Attorneys for the State, J. W. McFerren Prosecutor; assisted by J. McCormick and T. J. Mullen.  Counsel for prisoner, J. M. Wells, Thomas McCanslen, J. H. Thompson and J. R. Cockerill.  The jury were, George W. McGian, Jefferson tp.; Daniel Kenyon, Greene; Starling C. Robinson, Greene; Michael Roush, Sprigg; Simeon Dunn, Jefferson; James Abbott, Greene; Samuel H. Phillips, Sprigg; James M. Vandergrift, Sprigg; John Scott, Jefferson; John Plummer, Sprigg; James M. Middleswart, Monroe; Joseph McKee, Greene.

REMINISCENCES.

     In the earlier days of the settlements here wild beasts and game of all kinds fairly swarmed through the forests.  It was a perfect paradise for hunters and daring spirits who delighted in wild, dangerous adventures.  Wolves and bears were often caught in traps.  Gen. Samuel Wright, one of the pioneers, was a man of stout frame, and a great hunter.  He, one morning, found a wolf caught in a trap.  This animal, for some reason, he desired to take home alive.  In cogitating upon some way to do it, he approached too near to it, and was attacked, by it.  With a tremendous blow of his powerful fist, he knocked the beast down.  Where there is a will, however, there is a way.  The general, by getting poles over the wolf's neck, pinioned him down, and with cords, tied his legs and mouth.  Mr. Wright was on horseback, and tied his legs and mouth.  Mr. Wright was on horseback, and the next thing was to get the wolf on the horse.  To do this, he found a tree blowned out by the roots, that had not fallen quite flat, but remained at something of an angle.  To this tree he pulled his wolf, and placed it far enough up the log to be on a level with his horse's back, then he mounted his horse, road him up beside the fog, pulled the wolf on before him and carried it home alive.  This occurred on the farm now owned by Mr. Harsha.  It was carried about one and a half miles.  Mr. Wright on another occasion, attacked an old bear with two cubs, and single handed, with an axe killed them all.

     J. H. B. CRISWELL - James Criswell, father of J. H. B. Criswell, was born in Hartford county, Maryland, Apr. 16th, 1791.  In the year 1818, he, with his two brothers and one sister, emigrated to Ohio, and settled in Adams county, one and a half miles N. E. of Unity, in what is now Oliver township, on the property now owned by W. C. Dunn and George Freeland.  On the 11th of March, 1819, he married Isabella Edgar, daughter of James Edgar, of York county, Pennsylvania.  He raised a family of five children, four of whom grew to years of maturity, and are yet living.  Mary, William, J. H. B. and Eliza E.  Mary married David Clark; William and Eliza E. are yet single.  J. H. B. Criswell, the fourth child, was born in Oliver (then Wayne) township, in 1826, where he grew to years of manhood, after which he went to Pennsylvania, where he remained some fifteen years, when he returned to Ohio, in 1866, and purchased the farm on which he now lives.  On the 9th of June, 1868, he was married to Miss Elizabeth A. McCourtney of York county, Pa., and settled down on the farm on which he now resides.  This farm, which lies on the Grace's Run and Dunkinsville pike, about one and a half miles east of Unity, has been put in a good state of cultivation by Mr. Criswell, who has improved and beautiful it by good buildings, where he now lives, surrounded by the comforts of life.  Mr. Criswell was the first to introduce Sulphur Phosphate of li__ first tried the experiment on wheat, by using two hundred and fifty barrels to the acre, on eight acres, in a field of fifteen, which was attended with satisfactory results.  He continued his experiments some time before many others would venture to try it, but now the use of these fertilizers has become general all over the county, no less than five hundred tons being shipped to Winchester alone in 1879.