Book Purge - The Land that is Pulaski County, Virginia - Part II

Smith, Conway. The Land that is Pulaski County, 2nd edition, Pulaski, VA: Pulaski County Library Board, 1981.

p. 144 In 1790 Wythe County was formed from a part of Montgomery. The land that was to become Pulaski County now lay in both Montgomery and Wythe. 

Montgomery's county seat was moved from Fort Chiswell to Hans Meadows. Some two years later the village was renamed Christiansburg. The conty seat of Wythe County, shortly after its establishment, became known as Evansham - now Wytheville. . . . 

The line between Montgomery and Wythe was run by Gordon Cloyd, son of Joseph Cloyd of Back Creek. Montgomery court records show that on 6 June 1792 he was allowed 20 pounds for running the line. . . .

p. 148 The most lucrative occupations in southwestern Virginia during the late 1700s were land speculation, farming, surveying and merchandising. Joseph Cloyd's family on Back Creek became involved in all these pursuits. The Cloyds were rapidly becoming the largest landowners in the area. And, as we have seen, Joseph's son Gordon became county surveyor of Montgomery County. In 1792 Joseph Cloyd, with his three sons, Gordon, Thomas and David, launched a new venture - merchandising. 

Their store was located some two mile nothwest of New Dublin Church. The store's old journals are headed "Springfield."  Springfield was the name of a 4,000 acre tract on Back Creek - originally par of the 10,000 acre King's grant acquired by James Patton. Springfield Plantation had passed to James Patton's daughter and her husband, William Thompson, from whom the Cloyds acquired considerable land. . . .

p. 149 At the time the Cloyds opened their store, McCorkle's Store at New Dublin was in the process of closing.  McCorkle's had been the only store in the present Pulaski County area. While the Cloyds were in business on Back Creek, John Allen and James Reed began merchandising at New Dublin - and the Ingles opened a store at Ingles' Ferry. Just across the Wythe County line at the Sayers' settlement a store is believed to have been in operation. Christiansburg and Evansham (now Wytheville) also had their merchants. So the Cloyds were not without competition. Cloyd's Store remained in operation from 1792 into the early 1800s. During this period the transition was being made from British to American currency. Bookkeepers recorded the British pound symbol perfectly, but had trouble making the American dollar mark. 

In connection with their store the Cloyds operated a blacksmith shop, sawmill and shoeshop. They employed a Mr. Daley and two slaves - John and Sam - to make shoes at two shillings a pair for labor. At this time the shilling had a value of about 16 2/3 cents. 

Much trade was done by barter. Customers received credit for farm products, raw skins, farm work, driving cattle, hauling merchandise, spinning, weaving, tailoring, sawmill work and distilling. 

Hunters bartered deerskins at the store, receiving 25 cents per pound credt for red and 20 cents for gray skins. Bearskins and raccoon skins were also good for credit at Cloyd's Store. . . . 

p. 150 But much merchandise came from afar - hauled in covered wagons over muddy, rutted raods. Costly materials and wearing apparel came from New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Metal products came from Richmond and from a foundry six miles beyond Lynchburg. Salt was hauled in from Saltville.  

Prices were low on most items. A few examples: a pound of tobacco cost 20 cents - a Barlow pocketknife, 25 cents - a butcher knife, 21 cents - a Dutch scythe, $1.15 - a spelling book, 25 cents - and a pair of spectacles sold at from 35 cents to 85 cents. 

Items sold at Cloyd's Store were essentially the same as those handled earlier by McCorkle's Store at New Dublin (referred to in a preceding chapter [blog post]. But there was one notable exception - books were coming into demand. Numerous sales of Bibles, Testaments, almanacs, hymnbooks histories, spelling books and "Home Books" are recorded in the store's journals. . . .

As the Cloyds were farmers as well as merchants their old journals show prevailing farm prices around the cloes of the eighteenth century. In that era wheat sold at from 33 1/3 cents to 50 cents per bushel. Corn brought from 25 cents to 50 cens per bushel. Two-year old steers sold from $4 to $11 a head; and sheep sold at less than $2 a head. The low price of livestock was due to the inaccessibilty of markets. Driving herds of livestock on foot to the Baltimore markets was risky and costly. So the local supply of livestock exceeded the demand. 

p. 151 As the economy moved from the eighteenth into the nineteenth century the dollar had good purchasing power - but wages were low. A day's pay for reaping, with a hevay Dutch scythe under a hot summer sun, was fifty cents.

A few entries taken at random from the Cloyds' journals from 1799 through 1804 show the prevailing wage scale of that era:

• Dr. Joseph Cloyd - paid James Miller for weaving 39 yds. linen 3.96
• Cr. [credit] Mary Gordon - by spinning for E. Cloyd 1.50
• Cr. Polly Miller - by weaving 27 yds. linen 2.25
• Cr. George Wysor - by building a smokehouse for G. Cloyd 13.00
• Cr. Benjamin Burton - by 6 days moving 3.00
• Dr. David Cloyd - paid D. Sommers (David Summers) for making a "Coat Wastcoat & Breeches" 3.94
• Cr. Low Born - by your son Isaac three days droving from Blueston $1.50
• Cr. John Carper - by 48 days cow driving 24.00
• Cr. Miss Anney Miller - by weaving 48 yds. cotton 5.50
• Cr. Isaac Hutson (Hudson) - by reeping two days and a half 1.25
• Cr. Mrs. Rachel Mares - by weaving two coverlids 3.34
• Cr. David Summers - making a great coat for D. Cloyd 2.00
• Cr. Isaac Hutson (Hudson) by sawing 1500 feet plank & some skantling 2.50
• Cr. George Summers - by distilling 23 gallons brandy for G.C. 3.87

In the old days when Cloyd's Store was in operation there were no banks in the area. When a farmer needed money he went to the store for a loan. Numerous journal entries show money loaned and notes paid. 

Among the accounts found on the Cloyd's old account books are a "Land Warrant Account" and a "Negro Account." The Land Warrant Account shows purchases of warrants for land in Kentucky. Veterans of the French and Indian War and soldiers of the Continental Army during the Revolution were awarded bounty-land warrants. Many of these veterans, not wishing to move to Kentucky, sold their warrants - and the Cloyds were ready buyers.  In the "Negro Account" purchases of slaves were recorded. The Cloyds were not slave traders; but as their land holdings increased they had need for more slaves. 

p. 153 During the twenty years following the Revolution the population of southwestern Virginia had increased rapidly. Many new families had moved into the land that would later become Pulaski County. But no Federal census material of this era exists. Both the 1790 and 1800 US census returns for Montgomery County - the first Federal enumerations ever made - were burned during the War of 1812. Names of freeholders in the area appear on early Montgomery and Wythe County deed books and tax lists. But deeds to land were often not recorded promptly upon the land being transferred. Some of the folks trading at Cloyd's Store were not land owners; some were minors; some owned no taxable property; and others may have lived in the area only a short time before moving west. . . . 

Cloyd's store drew its customers largely from the present Pulaski and Giles area. A few came from east of New River, a few from newly formed Wythe County, and a scatering from greater distances. 

p. 154 Names of most families living south of Draper Mountain do not appear on the old account books fo Cloyds' Sotre - the Allisons, Bells, Boyds, Calfees, Drapers, Jennings, Lindsays, Triggs and others. These families lived near the Great Road which passed through present Pulaski County. This ancient route crossed he river at Ingles' Ferry. It passed New Dublin and the preesnt site of Newbern, then turned soutwesterly through Draper's Valley - on into Wythe County. So, for families living near the Great Road, it was more convenient to trade at Ingles Ferry, New Dublin and in Wythe County - rather than at Springfield Plantation. 

Here are the names of those who raded at Cloyd's Store from 8 January 1799 to 21 December 1804. The names are given as they appear on the store's journals No. 2 and No. 3. Many of our early citizens could not read and write, and the store's bookkeeper was not adept at spelling. Some names are obviously misspelled - the same name often spelled several different ways. Variations in spelling of family names are included . . . 

[;ist is abstracted]

• Adams, Addair, Alderson, Aldridge, Alford, Alsup, Anders, Anderson
• Bailey, Baker, Bane/Baine, Barnett, Beane/Bean, Beenyard/Beanard, Bennett/Benniott, Black, Blankenship, Bogle, Bonham, Bower, Brawley, Brown, Burch/Birch, Burk, Burress/Burross, Burton
• Bruce/Bruse - Vinson, Garland
• Cain/Kain, Caddall, Caldwell/Caldwall, Carper
• p. 155 Casper, Cecil/Cecill, Chipley, Clay, Coburn, Collins/Collines, Compton, Conley/Connoley, Copley, Cox, Crockett, Crow, Currin, Curry
• Cloyd - David, Gordon, James (Botetourt), Joseph, Joseph Jr., Polly, Thomas
• Davidson, Davis/Davice, Dawson, Daye/Day, Dills, Dingess, Dixon, Duff
• Ealey/Eley, Eaton/Eaten, Elom, Evans/Eavin
• Fannon, Farley, Fisher, Fletcher, Flummer, French
• Galt, George, Gordan, Grant, Gross/Grose, Guthrie
• Hack, Hail, Hall, Hammons, Hance, Hanshoe/Hasho/Hanshew, Harbison, Harmon/Harmin,, Haven/Havens/Havin/Havins, Heavener/Heavoner/Heviner, Hedge, Helms/Helm, Helvie/Helvy, Henry, Hickman, Hill, Hineback, Hix/Hicks, Hoge, Holmes, Hornbarig, Holdervy, Howe
• p. 156 Hozier/Hosier, Hudson/Hutson, Hufford, Hughes
• Ingles, Ingram
• Johnston/Johnson, Justice
• Kear, Keeling/Kealing, Keisling, Kelly, Kent, King, Kiplinger, Kirk, Krum/Crum
• Lambert, Lain/Lane, Lasley, Laughlin, Law, Lester, Lesley/Lestley, Leyburn, Leywell, Lickliter/Leakliter, Louther, Lowmen, Luster, Lybrook
• Madden, Mairs/Maires, Marcom/Marcam/Markom, Marrs, Marin, Milam/Milum, Miller, Michell/Mitchel, Montgomery, Moore, Morgan, Mullett, Muirehead/Murehead, Munsey/Muncey/Muncy, Mustard
• McCaley/McCally/McCalley/McCallee, McClelen/McClelan/McClelands, McCommes, McCorkle, McCoy, McDonald, McGavock, McKinzee, McLaughlen/McLauglen/McGlaughlen/McLoughlin/McLaughlin, McLenen
• McDowell - William
• Neel, Nicewander, Nuckles
• Oar, Oney
• p.147 Pacer/Peaser, Pane, Patton, Pawley, Pearis, Peasor, Peck, Pedan, Pelphrey/Pelphry, Pepper, Perdue, Pickens, Pine/Pines, Pink, Piper, Poff/Poffe, Powell, Powers, Preston, Price
• Rains, Rankin, Reatherford, Reyburn, Riggle, Ritter, Runnels, Russel/Russell, Rowland
• Sayers, Scott, SEmmons, Severs, Shannon, Sharp, Shearman, Shell/Shull, Shepherd/Shephard, Shufflebarger, Simkins/Simpkins, Simmons, Simpson, Skiles, Slone, Smith, Snavely, Snodgrass, Sollust, Stafford, Stewart, Stinson, Stitter, Stobough/Stobo, Staley/Straley, Stuart, Suiter, Summers
• Speers/Speer/Spears - Amos, Andrew, Joseph, Robert Sr., Samuel 
• Taylor, Thom, Thompson, Thrift, Tiller/Teller, Toney, Trinkle, Trollinger/Trolander
• Vanmeter, Vermillion
• p. 158 Waggoner, Walker, Wall, Whipple, White, Whitley, Whitten, Whitticher/Whiteaker, Wilburn/WIlborn, Williamson/Wiliamson, Wray, Wygal, Wysor

p. 159 The old Cloyd mansion on Back Creek has been designated a Virginia Historical Landmark. The beautiful old home is located near Route 100 just south of Little Walker Mountain. . . . 

The historic home was built by Colonel Joseph Cloyd on land acquired from William Thompson, son-in-law of James Patton of the Wood's River Company. Joseph Cloyd moved his family to Back Creek in 1773 - and, like other early settlers, lived in a log cabin for a number of years. Various dates have been cited as to when the Cloyd mansion was built. The most accurae is probably that given by Dr. James L. Kent, who wrote some excellent historical sketches of the era. Dr. Kent, a descendant of Joseph Cloyd, wrote of his ancestor: "He, his wife Mary Gordon Cloyd, a daughter, and sons - Gordon, Thomas and David - lived in their log cabin until the completion of their splendid brick home in 1790." So the old mansion is perhaps the first brick structure ever built in the present Pulaski County area. . . . 

p. 160 The construction of the Cloyd mansion suggests that Colonel Cloyd may have considered the possibility of attack by Indians when he built his fortress-like home. By 1790 Indian raids had long been a thing of the past in the present Pulaski County area. But on the western border of Virginia small Shawnee war parties were still harassing the frontier. 

The walls of the old mansion are some two feet thick. Outside doors are of two thicknesses of wood, studded with rows of large-headed nails inside and out. Locks are massive - eleven by six inches - with knobs only on the inside. The keys are huge - suggestive of dungeon keys.

A two-story stone barn back of the mansion has wide embrasures around the entire top floor with narrow ventilator openings which would serve as loopholes in event of attack. The windows on the barn's lower floor are equipped with steel bars sunk into the stone.

Joseph Cloyd had grown to manhood on Virginia's wild frontier. He remembered the Indian attack on his boyhood home east of the Alleghenies - where his mother was brutally murdered. After settling on Back Creek, Cloyd was active in defending the frontier against marauding Indians. As a militia officer he led his men in pursuit of Shawnee raiders in the present Giles, Bland and Tazewell areas.

Colonel Cloyd was nearing fifty when he built his handsome home on Back Creek. His life on the frontier had been crowded with adventure. He was now a wealthy man - ready to live out his remaining years in peace. Perhaps his experience with Indian raiders prompted him to build his home so it could be defended should an emergency arise. 

p. 161 The handsome old brick home stands on a hill, surrounded by gently rolling bluegrass farmlands. Nearby is the stone springhouse - where the old Cloyd spring still provides clear, cold water. . . . 

On a hill across a vale is the family cemetery, enclosed by a massive stone wall with an iron gate. Here, Colonel Joseph Cloyd - early settler and hero of the Revolution - sleeps beside his wife Mary Gordon Cloyd. Mary Gordon, descendan of devout Scotch Presbyterians, is said to have influenced her husband to give the land on which the New Dublin Presbyterian Church now stands.  The weathered inscription on her tomb states that she was the first contributor to the founding of the church and a constant member. 

There are a number of graves in the old cemetery - some beneath massive crypts, some marked by upright stones, and some unmarked. An inscription on Mary Gordon Cloyd's crypt, "Date of birth and death lost," suggest that the crypt was placed above her grave some years after interment. 

The inscriptions on the gravestones of Colonel Cloyd and his three sons give dates of births and deaths:

Colonel Joseph Cloyd, the settler, was born in 1742, and died 31 August 1833 - aged 91 years

Gordon Cloyd, Joseph's oldest son, followed his father's footsteps as a military man. He was active in the state militia - reaching the rank of major general shortly before his death. The inscription on his tomb reads, "Gen. Gordon Cloyd - Born Mar. 9, 1771 - died May 4, 1833."

Thomas Cloyd, the second son, was born 21 August 1774 and died 27 July 1849.

Part of the inscription on the tomb of David Cloyd, the younger son, is no longer readable. But the year of his birth and death are discernable: Born (?) 1776 - died (?) 1848.

To the north of the Cloyd home Back Creek meanders through a green valley. Across the valley rises Little Walker (or Cloyd's) Mountain. It was at the foot of the mountain that the bloody Battle of Cloyd's Farm was fought near the close of the Civil War. The Cloyd home was used as a hospital by the Union forces after the battle. Dark stains, believed to be bloodstains, are [p.162] visible on the original pine flooring in some of the rooms. The stone barn, back of the mansion, carries the deep scar of a cannon ball fied by Northern artillery. But the old mansion was undamaged. 

p. 210 Heads of Families Living in Pulaski County in 1840 [abstracted]

• Breeding - Spencer, Margaret, William, James
• Cloyd - Thomas, David, Joseph
• Draper - George, John
• Galbraith - Thomas, Bertram
• Odell - Abraham Sr., Abraham Jr., Jacob
• Runion - James, Stephen, William
• Spears - Amoss (?)
• Tipton - William, Joseph