History Of Forest Hill Community
Prepared by George Cottle, Sr.

Location
Forest Hill Community is situated on the waters of Bradshaw and Spruce Run. Starting at A. L. Campbell's, on Greenbrier River, three miles from Forest Hill and running to J. T. Campbell's, on a line from there including P. M. Garrison's; thence South West to and including W. L. Redmond's; thence North to and including C. G. Ramsey's; and thence Northeast by J. S. Canterberry's and including him to the starting point; it includes twenty-five square miles. It is inhabited by sixty-six families with a population of four hundred.
Points of Interest
One of the natural wonders of this community is situated on the farm of P. M. Foster, and is known as the "Seven Wonders". This is an immense rock in the shape of an inverted pyramid. It is about thirty feet tall, four by six feet at the base, and about twenty by thirty feet at the top. Tradition tells how it received its name. It is said that a man upon viewing this Wonder, wondered six times how it stood up and one time if it was supported by an oak which grew by the side of the rock. He said, "You are surely a "Seven Wonders".
This rock is covered with names and dates. Some of them are more than a hundred years old.
Another natural wonder of Forest Hill Community, is known as the "Devil's Den". This is situated on the line between J. H. Rogers and J. T. Canterberry's, and consists of a huge wash basin, writing desk, and a seat. This wonder is of sand stone formation.
The Mound Builders
We are led to believe by the evidence before us in the form of mounds, that the Mound Builders were the first inhabitants of this community.
There is a well preserved mound on the farm of A. M. Hutchinson, about one and a half miles north of the post office. It is twenty to thirty feet higher than the surrounding bottom. This mound, I believe, is a burial mound. When a few years ago the writer in company with the later Dr. F. Kyle Vass opened a similar mound situated on the farm of E. D. Ferrell, one miles southeast of the post office of Forest Hill, we found a few stone implements of warfare, such as spear points, arrow heads, a stone hatchet, a pistol. And a number of bones which were so much decayed that we were unable to tell whether they were human bones or bones of animals.
We don't believe that these mounds are the work of the Indians, as they are very much larger than any Indian graves we ever had the privilege of examining.
On the bank of the Greenbrier River within the bounds of this community stands what appears to have been a Sacrifice Altar of some prehistoric race of man. This altar was built of stone and was about eight feet high and about fifteen feet in diameter, circular in form. This was partly pulled down by Calvin and Omer Harvey in the year 1900, but the dimensions can plainly be seen today.
This altar is located about two hundred yards from the bank of the river and undoubtedly the stones were carried from the river, as it is situated on a bench by the mountain, on J. E. Milburn's farm just above the mouth of Little Wolf Creek. There are no rocks on this bench. This is just opposite the Ferrell farm on the Greenbrier River.
The young men in pulling down this Sacrifice Altar, which is on their father's farm, though they would find a buried treasure as they told the author, whom they took to view their work, but their treasure consisted of charred wood and bones. As to the antiquity or the origin of the mound builds we leave that to the Archaeologist. We know from the evidence that they have left, that they were once inhabitants of our Community.
Indians and Indian Traditions
That the noble Red man once made his home in this community will not be denied by any one who has tilled the field and has seen the evidence in the arrow heads, spear points and tomahawks that strew our valleys and hills.
On the banks of New River just above the mouth of Indian Creek there is a large rock standing alone and not connected with the cliffs, known as Indian Rock. On this rock are marked characters supposed to have been made by aboriginal inhabitants. No one knows the meaning of the characters. Near the end of this rock there is cut some kind of hieroglyphics in the shape and form of a turkey's foot. It is tradition in that region that the Indians had buried something of value there, and explorations have been made with a view to discovery; but nothing has ever been found to indicate what, if anything, was hidden at or near this ancient natural curiosity.
The Indians are a remarkable race of people. Their contrasts of character and the make up of their mental characteristics are unfathomable, and sometimes very rare indeed. You can sometimes read of one of these savage people with human sympathy and instincts, but in the great number of cases, they are cruel and heartless. Their cruelty seems to have been greatly intensified by coming in contact with the white people from Europe.
The Indian knew no mercy or pity. They were unknown words to him. He wished to see how much pain his captive would bear before he would cry for mercy. The cries of the captive at the stake was the sweetest music to him. We believe this was intensified by the treatment of whites to Indians, by such men as Jim Wiley, who cut a razor strop from the back of an Indian chief with as little qualm as out of the hide of an ox.
Courtships, like marriages were short. If the squaw accepted the presents of the man, it was understood she agreed, and without further ceremony she went and joined him in his hut, not even notifying her people. The principals which were to govern their future conduct were well understood. He was to do the fighting and hunting while she did all the work.
This community was a howling wilderness inhabited by the Indians before the coming of the whites. Our community was owned or controlled by the Six Nations, and as we cultivate the soil. We find evidence of their former sojourn here. We have no authentic history of their existence, but do have of their raids.
The Indian's religion was one of his peculiar characteristics. He worshipped the evil spirit to appease his wrath. He believed in a hereafter or a "happy hunting ground" where the brave warrior with many scalps of his enemies would forever be happy and contented. When he died they buried all his possessions with him. If he owned a gun, dog, pipe, bow, and arrow, they were buried with him. He was placed with his head to the East, instead of the West as the whites bury their dead. The Indian thinks that the sun at setting possesses the night in the happy hunting ground of the departed brave. Just on the edge of this community is an Indian burial ground, it is among cliffs and rocks, but you can go under the cliffs on D. C. Vass's place near Marie, W. Va., and can find all kinds of broken pottery, which proves that Indian women have been buried there in large numbers, showing that there has been a large Indian settlement near.
Near this Indian burial ground was a marked oak tree, having a picture of a turtle cut and burnt in it. The tree is gone now but the mark could plainly be seen just a few years ago. Three Shawnee Indians and two white men came here from Ohio in the year 1834 and dug an immense trench between this tree and another for a distance of about thirty feet and about eight or ten feet deep. This trench can be plainly seen today. These facts were told the author by his grandmother, who was raised near there and had the story from her parents who were witnesses of the event.
Up on Greenbrier River, on J. W. Ferrell's land is the remains of a frontier fort on the bottom between the J. W. Ferrell place and the river. In 1913 J. W. Ferrell took the author and showed him the outlines of the fort, and in proof that it was built by the whites, he told me that his grandfather settled that place and cleared the land told him that the outlines of the fort were plainly marked out and from the pieces of dishes it looked to him as if it had been burned. He said you could find buttons and dishes there to this day. He said there were a number of graves up on the hill when his grandfather came there, but the graves are marked with rough stones and they are laid with the head to the West, and marked thus, so I am led to believe that we have a fort in our midst whose history is lost. I have searched all the historical works available and am not able to get any other evidence. I am planning to make some further examination of this old fort site.
Indians Raids
On October 19, 1763, we see a band of thirty Shawnee braves crossing New River at the Mouth of Indian Creek. They have discovered the foot-prints of a white man, who has been on the river hunting, they take the trail and ascend Indian Creek to the mouth of Bradshaw Run. They have on their "war paint" and are armed with bows and arrows with the exception of two who carry rifles. One we notice is too light in color for an Indian and we decide that he is a Frenchman, and he is one of the two who are carrying rifles, the other is the famous Cornstalk. After travelling up the Creek for about a mile they come to a small clearing, with a log cabin in the center. They hide in the thick woods until they see their victim coming to the spring, which is situated at the foot of the hill near where they are hidden, when the Frenchman recognizes the man as one of his old pals, whom he is very anxious to see. The man is warned by a noise, so the Indian shoots him to keep him from getting away, but the wound is not serious, though painful. The wounded man started to run toward the cabin, and the Indians after him, but instead of entering the cabin, he dashes by with the Indian after him. He was soon overtaken and knocked down and bound with withes. They traveled on up the little run for about two miles where they stopped to camp. Here they held a council and condemned their captive to death by burning at the stake, which sentence they executed the next morning. The man that they burned at the stake was Bradshaw, and the place of execution was on W. N. Allen's place near Glendale school house, where he was buried by scouts from Fort Young which was located within the present town of Covington, Va.
This man Bradshaw was supposed to have been a pirate and to have buried an immense sum of gold at or near C. L. Lowe's place where he then lived. Bradshaw was an Englishman and settled on C. L. Lowe's place about the year 1758. He took up the first land title in this community. He was a free booter, is the report of tradition, and that he buried an immense amount of gold, but if he had gold buried it has never been found to the best of our knowledge. Bradshaw's title was a tomahawk right, or corn right. We have failed to find any record of a title from The British Crown.
We had another Indian raid through this community in the autumn of 1767. This raid was against Cook Fort which was outside of this community, but was the only refuge for the few settlers in this and adjoining communities. The following is a story of Indian cunning and strategy that took place within Forest Hill Community. The settlers had been warned of the approach of the Indians by the scout or hunter Pitman. They had been housed up in the fort for several days without seeing or hearing anything of the savages, so one morning John Cook, a young man, wanted to go out to kill a wild turkey, as he said that he had heard gobbling for three or four days. He was warned again by the scout, that it wasn't safe to leave the fort for fear that the Indians were only waiting for just such a chance to take scalps. He said, "Who's afraid of Indians", and prepared to leave the fort before day break the next morning. He went but never returned. Still the turkey kept calling and the scout decided to find, if he could, what had become of John Cook, so instead of waiting to leave the fort in the morning as cook had done he left the fort just after dark, and crossing the creek he made a detour around the place where the turkey made a habit of calling, the place where Cook had gone to kill the turkey. Just at daylight the next morning he heard a noise as he cautiously raised his head from under the log where he had spent the night, to see an Indian making his way to a log just a little below him on the side of the hill. As it wasn't light enough for accurate shooting, the scout decided to watch and see what the cunning savage was up to. The savage crawled into a patch of thick weeds by the side of a log, put his rifle over the log, and began to call like a turkey. The scout was able to solve the mystery as to the fate of John Cook. Deciding the time for him to act was at hand, he cautiously raised to his knees and took quick aim and shot the savage in the back of the head killing him instantly, he then proceeded to look for the body of Cook, whose scalp he saw hanging to the belt the Indian wore. He soon found the body hidden in some leaves, and then returned very cautiously to fort, as he did not know how many savages were near him in the woods. It was later learned that the Indian killed by Pitman was a noted war chief. The savages retired from the fort discouraged by the loss of their leader and the men from the fort brought in the body of Cook and buried it near the fort. This fort was on the farm of Squire James Keatley near the post office of Indian Mills, or just above the Squire's on the Creek.
The last Indian raid in this community was in 1783, this time the Indians came as usual up New River, Indian Creek, and Bradshaw Run to the farm now owned by C. D. Bolton, then the home of William Brown, who lived just across the road from the present site of O. D. Bolton's cattle scales, where you can still see the mound of earth where the cabin stood. This cabin was burned by Indians who came to the house in the absence of the men folks and set fire to the flax in the roof and burned the house. The old lady Brown was a very fleshy woman and when the Indians came to the house and found her alone and the men gone then set fire to the house and carried her away. The men came home and found the house burning and followed the Indians to Paint Creek at an old Indian Camp. They were preparing to burn Mrs. Brown at the stake, as she was so fleshy they decided not to be bothered with her any longer. The Indians had everything ready for the bonfire. When the men fired on the Indians they rescued her. These men were the Farley scouts from Fort Culbertson. Mrs. Brown was the grandmother of Allen F. Brown of Marie, W. Va.
There was one Indian battle on the edge of this community which I think should be given here in connection with Indian raids. Captain Paul immediately following the last raid mentioned began a pursuit of the Indians with twenty men from Fort Young, passing out at the head of Dunlap's Creek, descending Indian Creek and New River to Piney River, without making any discovery of the enemy. On Indian Creek they met Pitman who had been running all the day and the night before to warn the garrison at Fort Young, Covington, Va., of the approach of the Indians. Pitman joined in the pursuit of the party which had killed Carpenter; but the Indians apprehending that they would be followed had escaped to Ohio by the way of Greenbrier and Kanawha Rivers. As Captain Paul and his men were returning they accidently met with the other party of Indians, which had been to Catawba and committed some depredations and murders there. They were discovered about midnight, encamped on the north bank of New River at the Mouth of Indian Creek opposite the Island. Excepting some few who were watching three prisoners, whom they had taken at Catawba, and who were sitting in the midst of them, they were lying around a small fire wrapped in skins and blankets. Paul not knowing that there were captives among them fired into their midst, killing three Indians and wounding several others, one of whom drowned himself to preserve his scalp. The rest of the party fled hastily down the river and escaped. In an instant after the firing, Paul and his men rushed forward to secure the wounded and prevent further escapes. One of the foremost of his party seeing, as he supposed, a squaw sitting composedly awaiting the results; raised his tomahawk and just as it was descending Captain Paul three himself between the assailant and his victim receiving the blow on his arm, exclaimed "It is a shame to hurt a woman, even a squaw".Recognizing the voice of Captain Paul, the woman named him. She was a Mrs. Katherine Gumm, an English woman who had come to the country some years before; and who previous to marriage, had lived in the family of Captain Paul's father-in-law, where she had become acquainted with him. She had been taken captive by the Indians on the Catawba a few days before, when her husband and two only children were killed by them. When questioned why she had not cried out or otherwise made known that she was a white prisoner, she replied, "I had as soon been killed as not, My husband is murdered, my children are slain, my parents are dead and I have not a relative in America. Everything dear to me here is gone, I have no wishes, no hopes, no fears, I would not have risen to my feet to save my life".
When Captain Paul came on the enemy's camp he silently posted his men in an advantageous situation for doing execution and made arrangements for a simultaneous fire. To render this the more deadly and efficient, they dropped on one knee and were preparing to take deliberate aim when one of them (John McCollan) called to his comrades, "Pull steady and send them all to hell". This ill timed expression of anxious caution, gave the enemy a moments warning of their danger and is the reason why greater execution was not done.
The Indians had left all their guns, blankets and plunder; these together with the three white captives were taken by Captain Paul to Fort Dinwiddie, (Staunton, Va.). This raid and battle took place in the fall of 1764 according to Captain Paul's letters and was the same party discovered by Swope, Pack, and Pitman. This seemed to be a favorite camping place for Indians according to a letter written by Captain William Christian at Roanoke, Va., October 19, I763 as follows: "Being joined by Captain Hickenbotham with twenty-five of the Amherst militia we marched on Tuesday last, to Vinston's Meadows where our scouts informed us that they had discovered a party of Indiana about three miles off. Night coming on prevented our meeting them, and next day, being rainy made it difficult to follow their tracks. As they were on their return, Captain Hickenbotham marched to join Captain Ingles down New River, I with 19 men and my ensigns took a different route in quest of them. We marched next day on their tracks until two hours before sunset when we heard some guns and soon afterwards discovered three large fires, which appeared to be on the bank of Turkey Creek where it empties into New River. Upon this we immediately advanced and found they were on an island. Being within gun shot we fired on them and loading again we forded the Creek. The Indians after killing Joseph Kimberlain, a prisoner they had with them made but a slight resistance and ran off. We found one Indian killed on the spot, and at a little distance, four blankets shot through and very bloody. We took all their bundles, four guns, eight tomahawks and two mares. They had several other horses, which being frightened by the firing ran off and were lost. The party consisted of upwards of twenty Indians. By the tracks of blood, we imagined several of them were wounded." This affair occured October 12, 1763.
Ratliffe Mystery
During the building of the Big Bend tunnel in 1872 a peddler by the name of Ratliffe disappeared and was never heard of after. He had on his person $375.00 and left the tunnel accompanied by Harry Gill, who lived in the mountains back of Bradshaw's Run in Forest Hill District. Mr. Henry Milburn saw the peddler and Gill cross the Greenbrier River near his place and they went on in the direction of Gill's. That night a Mr. Lowe who lived in the neighborhood heard the cries of distress of some one appealing for help. At first he thought the cries came from his father's, and he ran in that direction on Bradshaw's Run, but discovered that the trouble was in the mountains. The cries ceased and later in the night a great fire, was seen in the direction of Gill's. The next day it was learned that Gill's stable had burned during the night, claimed to be accidental. The peddler was never seen or heard of afterwards, and no evidence could be found of his except a piece of his trousers was found in a hollow hickory tree in the neighborhood of where the stable was burned, with a hole near the waistband, indicating and appearing to have been made by a bullet. No arrests were made, as no evidence could be found for certain that Ratliffe was dead.
A few years ago this same Harry Gill died and during his last illness the neighbors ame in to attend him and administer to his wants, and during this last illness he seemed to be in great despair, although perfectly sane in mind, and he would cry out, "There is Ratliffe! Take him away!" Finally he secured a pair of scissors and demanded to know if Ratliffe was gone. He kept hold of this weapon until his death. People were present at his death who were not in the state at the time of the disappearance of the peddler, and had never heard of him or of the circumstances. Gill lived to be an old man, and was in later years elected constable. Whether Ratliffe was killed was never known. The foregoing is taken from Judge Miller's History of Summers County.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE FAMILIES OF FOREST HILL COMMUNITY
Isaac Tincher's Family

Isaac Tincher was one of the first settlers of this community. He settled near Bradshaw's Run on the C. D. Bolton farm, just below the Fleshman road, he settled here early in 1835. He married a Kincaid. They had the following children, Della, Flora, and E. Ann, the former two died before they were grown. E. Ann married Theodore R. Webb and to this union was born the following children, O. L., E. L., Gertrude, Lilly, and Mattie. O. L. Webb married a Lowry and resides at Forest Hill. He has been a very successful merchant in Beckley, Hinton and Princeton, but is now a farmer. E. L. Webb married a sister to O. L. Webb's wife and is an enterprising farmer of Buck, W. Va. Lilly married S. T. Lowry and resides at Rocky Camp in Monroe County. Gertrude married N. P. Stover, but she died a few years ago leaving one son Lacy Stover residing with his aunt at Rock Camp, Monroe County, W. Va. Mattie married J. H. Rogers and resides on the old home place. They have two children Marcus and Eveline. Theodore Webb died on March 19, 1921, but his widow is still living at the old home place with her youngest daughter.

Saunders' Family

Wattie Saunders came to this community from Bedford County, Virginia, about 1825 and settled on the land now owned by G. E. Cottle and J. W. Lilly's heirs, on top of the mountain at what is called the Zeddock orchard. He married a Martin and reared the following children, Flemming, Martha Rice, Robert W., and Jackson P. Flemming married Rhoda Woodrum and reared one child a daughter who married John Shumaker, Flemming and Rhoda are dead. Shumaker was a blacksmith at this place, but moved away several years ago.

Jackson P. Saunders

Jackson P. Saunders, son of Wattie Saunders, was born February 9, 1832, was married to Elizabeth Garton in the fifties and died on February 28, 1910. He was a member of Colonel Edgar's Battalion until he was paralyzed in 1863 which made him a cripple for life. He was a Christian gentleman and he reared the following children, Emily E., Mildred B., P. J., O. E., and Loue. Emily E. married John J. Cottle in October, 1880 and reared the following children, G. E. , Ada, and Rose. Emily died April 2, 1923. Mildred married L. A. Ellison and reared the following children, W. F., L. M., P. J., E. D., and Fred. Penbrook Saunders married Ermma Barnette and resides in Pittsburgh, Pa. O. E. Saunders resides with his niece Rosa E. Lilly. Loue Saunders married J. O. Perdue in 1890 and now resides on the place settled by Phillip Vass. She has the following children, Jesse L., Homer, Willie, Vennie, Jewel, and Norville. Elizabeth M. Saunders wife of Jackson Saunders died November 21, 1921. The majority of the descendants are still living in this community.

"Captain Robert W. Saunders"

Captain Robert W. Saunders was born June 8, 1828 in Bedford County, Virginia, and was of English descent. He died on October 20, 1904. Early in life he located in the territory of Forest Hill District. His first wife was Lina Miller, by whom he raised three children, Lewis, Rebecca, and Mable. All are dead, dying from diptheria during the war. The second wife was Sarah E. Meadows, daughter of Robert Meadows who lived near the old church on Greenbrier River. Their children were Edward Lee, Josephine, who married A. A. McDowell, A. H. and C. E. Saunders. His third wife was Sallie A. Harvey, a daughter of Allen L. Harvey. Robert W. Saunders was a Captain during the Civil War in the Confederate service. His sons are prominent farmers of this community. Captain Saunders was a man of property, and one of the founders of the county.

Webb Family

Martha Rice married Warnie H. Webb to which union was born the following children, William, Elvira, Elverton, Theodore, Thomas, George, Malvelia, Eliza, and Giles. William was a confederate soldier belonging to Colonel Edgar Battalion. He was captured at the battle of Cold Harbor near Richmond, Virginia, and was taken as a captive of Elmira, N. Y., where he died of typhoid fever. Elvira married a Lively and left here a number of years ago. Elverton married a Smith and resides at Willow Bond, Monroe County, W. Va. He died in 1923. Theodore's history is given elsewhere in this History. Thomas Webb married a Cardon, a sister of I. G. and J. M., to this union was reared one child, a daughter who married, A. L. Campbell one of the most successful farmers of this community. Thomas Webb and wife have been dead a number of years and are buried at Greenbrier Springs. George Webb left here for the West just after the Civil War and when last heard of, about fifty years ago, was in Noaks County, Missouri. Eliza married a man by the name of Gore of Bramwell, W. Va., who has been dead a number of years. Malvelia Webb married a Redmond and moved to Texas where he made his home. He has been dead for several years. Giles Webb was never married but died of tuberculosis and is buried a the M. E. Church at Forest Hill by the side of his father and mother.

Michael Family
Allen Michael married a Smith and became one of the early settlers of this community settling on the head waters of Spruce Run on the land now owned by S. J. Michael. Allen Michael reared the following children, Mary Anne, Steward, Luncinda, and Elija. Mary Anne is a very estimable maiden lady who is still living on the old home place with her nephew S. J. Michael. Steward Michael married an Allen and reared the following children, John, S. J. Henry, and Rebecca. John, son of Steward, married a Snodgrass and resides in Mercer County. S. J. Michael married Janie Allen and reared the following children, Blasnche who married C. Shumate and lives near Bozoo, W. Va.; Hester who married C. Akers and resides near Mt. Hope, W. Va.; F. M. who married a daughter of D. B. Light and is a member of the mercantile firm of Michael Brothers of Forest Hill; W. E. who married a daughter of J. W. Ferrell and is a member of the firm of Michael Brothers of Forest Hill; Maude who married D. B. Lowe an enterprising farmer of the community; Pansy who married a Harvey of Wykle, W. Va.; and Clarice who married Carl Martin a member of the firm of Martin and Son of red Sulphur Springs, General Merchants. Henry Michael a son of Allen's married a Lilly for his first wife and upon her death married for his second wife a Stiller of Hinton. He is an employee of the C & O R. R. and has been for a number of years.
Woodrum Family

Lucinda daughter of Allen Michael married W. C. Woodrum a son of one of the first settlers of our community and reared the following children, Henry, Judson, Walter, Lonnie, Linda, Jennie, Jamie, and William. Henry and Walter reside with their widowed mother on the old home place neither being married to date. Judson, first married Zora Seldomridge and upon her death he married again. He is an employee at the C & O shops at Hinton, W. Va. Lonnie married David Iddings and resides near Marie, W. Va. Lindia married Will Allen and resided near Clayton until her death a few years ago. Jennie married Oat Meadows and resided near Greenbrier Springs until her death a few years ago. James married as his first wife a Bowyer, who reared the following children, Lomer, who has been dead for several years; Annie who married Geo. Shanks, a baggage man on the C. & O. , and is located at Huntington, W. Va.; Edgar who married Jessie Perdue, but after a short married life secumbed to the great white plague; and Minnie who married W. F. Ellison and resides at Bellepoint where her husband has a position with the C. & O. R. R. Co. James Woodrum upon the death of his first wife married Collie Hoback and resided near New Hope Church until his death a few years ago. Will Woodrum married a Hudson but passed to the great beyond some ten or fifteen years ago.

Cottle Family

George Cottle was born in Highland Scotland about the year 1795 and came to Virginia in 1834 and started overland from Williamsburg to settle West of the Alleghany Mountains. He brought his household goods in an ox wagon, and his wife and two children rode horse back, Harvey the son rode behind his mother for the distance, although only six or seven years old, but he was paralyzed at the end of the journey from the hips down and was never able to walk after that. His legs dwindled away until they were not much larger than an infant's legs. George Cottle settled on the C. D. Bolton place, just this side of the Ford Hollow and just above the road. There his first wife died who was also Scotch Irish. She died about the year 1838 and is buried in the Brown graveyard just across the road from where they lived. After the death of his first wife he married a Lowe, a sister of aleck Lowe's and resided in this community until '68 or '69 when he moved to Putnam County, W. Va. He reared the following children by his first wife, Harvey and Susan. Harvey Cottle left this community with his father but settled at Raleigh Court House, Beckley, W. Va. Here he was married twice. After the death of his first wife he married a Croftree. He ran a shoe shop here for years. He had no children of his own but we have been informed that he reared J. H. Peters, who is one of the leading educators of Southern, W. Va. Susan Cottle married a Sarver and moved from this community to Giles County, Virginia.
George Cottle reared the following children by his second wife, Madison, Wash, John, J. S., James, Thomas, Giles, and Martha. Madison Cottle married Bynthia Lewis and lived for several years on the N. M. Lowry farm, just below the old Cottle school house. He moved away from here a number of years ago, to Alderson, W. Va., where he was killed by a C. & O. train. He reared the following children, Lewis, James, William, Becky, Ellen, Martha, and Mary. Lewis Cottle left here when he was first grown and settled in Texas but returned to this county and died about twenty years ago and is buried at the Fairview Baptist Church at this place. James Cottle became a C. & O. conductor and was killed by passenger train No. 4 at Thurmond in 1903. He is also buried at Forest Hill by his mother and brother. He left a widow who was Jennie Hudson before their marriage. William Cottle married a Garten and is an old C. & O. engineer. He resides in Hinton. The family of Madison have all left the community. Wash Cottle son o f George Cottle Sr., married a Lowe and entered the confederate service in Colonel Edgar's Battalion. He was killed at the Dry Creek fight in 1862 and is buried on the battle field. He had no children. His widow is buried in the Shanklin grave yard on the Vina Bolton farm. John J. Cottle married a Wood and reared one child, John J. Jr. He also was a member of Colonel Edgar's Battalion and was in the battle of Dry Creek, but just after the battle he took typhoid and diptheria from the effects of which he died in the fall 1862. His son John J. Jr., was reared by Robert Wood on top of New River mountain overlooking Crump's Bottom and Fort Culbertson, as also was the author born on New River Hills on the Mercer County side on June 24, 1881, but has resided in this community most all of the time since he was four years old and in which community he has taught since the fall of 1901. He served as Justice of Peace for ten years. In 1902 he was united in marriage to Leona L. Lilly who died on October 3, 1917. He was married in the fall of 1921 to Faye Allen. James Cottle, son of Geo. Cottle Jr., left here with his parents and went to Putnam County but later went to Paint Creek in Raleigh County where he married a Stover. He reared a family and lived on Maple Fork, where he died about eight years ago. Giles Cottle son of George Cottle Sr., went to Fayette County where he married and reared a family. He is still living to the best of our knowledge, but we understand he has lost his sight. Martha, daughter of George Cottle Sr., married Mose Taylor and first settled the Lewis Simms place now the Everett Simm's Place.
Crawford Family

Thomas Crawford was a native of Monroe County, born near Lindside, but moved from that country long ago and settled near the Greenbrier River in the Dog Trot community. He was a man of worth and good citizen. He left the following children, now residents and citizens of Forest Hill District. Henry Crawford, the oldest son, is one of the enterprising farmers of Forest Hill. He married Eliza McNeer, a daughter of richard McNeer. A. T. Crawford another son, married Laura Boude, a daughter of Samuel K. Boude, and sister of Walter H. Boude, ex-clerk of the circuit court. J. Walter, another son married a daughter of William Redmond of near Indian Mills. J. Walter Crawford was a prominent minister in the Missionary Baptist Church. He was an invalid for a number of years. He was patient in his suffering, which was closed by his death May 27, 1916. Another son, John W. married Lucy Bumgardner and resides at the old home place. He also left one daughter, who married Charles Lively of Monroe County. There are no better citizens than these Crawfords of Forest Hill.

Hutchison Family

The Hutchison family is a family of the oldest settlers of Forest Hill District, and consisted of two brothers, who settled in that district many years ago, and were the sons of Jacob Hutchison. James A. and John Maston. James A. was a Missionary Baptist, while John M. was very prominent in the Methodist Episcopal Church, both brethern being active in church affairs, and were consistent Christian pioneers. James A. was known since the war, as Major Jim Hutchison, having been a major in the Virginia Militia before the war. After the war he was township treasurer of the school fund. They were born in Forest Hill district in what was then Monroe County, their father moving from Augusta County and settling in Forest Hill many years before the war. Major James A. Hutchison left surviving him Alonza M., Wellington, Lewis, J. E., and T. M. A. M. Hutchison was for eight years assistant assessor of Summers County, filling one term as deputy for John Lilly; the others as deputy for W. C. Dobbins. He was also like his father, a consistent Christian of the Missionary Baptist denomination, and has filled the position of moderator for the Greenbrier Association for a number of years. Wellington was a farmer near Forest Hill, but is now residing with his son E. O. Hutchison of Hinton. The last Lewis Hutchison was a farmer of near Indian Mills. J. E. is a prominent minister in the Missionary Baptist church. The late T. M. Hutchison was postmaster and merchant at Forest Hiull until a short time before his death which occurred in February 1919. James A. Hutchison also left four daughters, Eliza A. and Mildred J., who resided at the old home until their death. Mary C., who married William Gillispie, resided at Talcott until her death. Louisa A. married William A. Goode of Forest Hill district. John M. the other brother, left two sons, James A. and Richard A. who both emigrated to Jackson, Ohio where they resided until their death. He also left four daughters. Josie, who married M. A. Wikel, Caroline who married James M. Allen, Sarah who married Wilbur R. Ramsey, and Tillie, who married John Wykle. Josie had the following children, John, James, and Thomas. They are all non-residents of this community. The mother of the foregoing children died the fall of 1889. Caroline left the following children, J. F., G. W., W. N., J. A., Jannie, Sallie, Mattie, Emma, and Mackie. Sarah left the following children, B. M., Ramsey of Thurmond, W. Va., Eliza Watson of Buck, W. Va. Tillie has the following children, Evert, Myrtle, Chester, Amy, John and Essie. She resides near Buck, W. Va.