ROANE COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA ****************************************************************** Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by: Sandy Spradling SSpradling@aol.com November 28, 1999 ****************************************************************** History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p. 542-544 Asa Harper, born in Tazwell County, Virginia (to be distinguished from Asa, born in Russell County, Virginia, son of John and Rachel (Taylor) Harper), settled on the head of Big Left Hand, in what was at that time Kanawha County, now Roane, near its boundary, between the years 1830 and 1840, lived there many years making a good farm and rearing at least three sons; such of his descendants as I have inter­viewed can not give us the name or family of his wife. This is the Asa Harper—fine engraver, &c.—arrested and carried before a judge sitting at Winfield, about the year 1844, to answer an indictment for counter­feiting the coin and bank notes of the money, &c.; an old citizen of IZoane, born in Russell County, Virginia, son of a family well acquainted with the Harpers, says he was a boy some ten to fourteen years old and attending court with his father at Winfield at the time of Asa Harper’s arraignment; that Harper made a great furore in court when told by the judge to stand up and answer “Guilty or not guilty to this indict­ment.” Instead of answering direct, “he took from under his coat bags of the coin and stacks of new bills; throwing them on the table in pres­ence of a thronged court room, he calmly said: ‘Here’s my share, judge, cover it with your larger one on which you have grown so great.’ ‘Sheriff, do your duty!’ shouted the judge; ‘take that man to jail; Harper, you’re guilty of contemlfl of court! It is this court’s order you be confined in the jail of this county to meditate on the gravity of this offense until such time as you have decided to order your action and conduct yourself with the respect due the majesty of the law and this court; at end of which time you may be again brought before this court to answer, first for this contempt.’” Most of the last of these words of the judge, Harper did not hear, nor anyone else, for the bailiffs were doing their duty and rushing Harper out; he was placed in jail at once, “there to meditate and decide a course of action;” but what his meditations and decision were we do not know. The next morning after, groups of men could be seen here and there earnestly discussing; Harper was gone from the jail; where, how? who aided? But Harper’s relatives and friends were searching for newly broken ground or recently made heaps and piles for his body, believing Harper 1-ad been murdered in the night and his body hidden; for several years in succession at intervals relatives from Russell County and from Pike County, Kentucky, and elsewhere not having word from Asa alive, came to Winfield and searched for his remains. And, our informants and we here, do not assert that the Asa, subject of this sketch, is the same Asa Harper of the Winfield court story. However, this Asa who settled in the then faraway forest at the head of Big Legt Hand, is said to have been a very skilled and beautiful engraver. The names of the four sons of Asa Harper of Big Left Hand, are as follows: Jordan Harper, who married Catherine, daughter of the Dodd family of Pocatalico, June 17, 1860; these raised four sons and two daughters, names and dates of birth we can give are thus: George Allen, born 1862, lives on Cotton now; Robert, 1866, lives on Cotton near George A.; James Asa, went to Kentucky some years ago; John Peter, whose resi­dence we can not give. The names of four daughters of Jordan Harper are Malinda, Clara, Oma and Ella. James, son of Jordan Harper, married Erslie Ann Cooper; Hezekiah, son of Jordan, married Margaret McGraw. HARPER: Armstsad and Asa. See Chapter IV, Harper District. Henderson Harper, born in 1822, son of an Armstead Harper, of Russell County, Virginia, who never came to Poca, and Rachel Bishop, who for a second husband married in Russell County, the Armstead Harper brother of Asa and the other Harpers who came here. Henderson arrived here about the year 1843, a young man it is observed. He was of medium size, rather deep chested, of the middle weight ahletic form, blue eyes and fair skin, and was soon called one of the best hunters and the formidable champion of the rifle at the “shooting matches,” which were target shootings at which the rewards to the best at each round consisted of turkey or deer, killed and brought in for the purpose, and first paid for by the contestants by equal con­tribution. He is the Henderson Harper mentioned in the chapter “The County,” as having killed the last of the panthers of Pocatalico country. He was religiously inclined and was a devoted Baptist. Henderson Harper was married twice, the first wife being Miss Gandee, daughter or granddaughter of Uriah Gandee, pioneer of Upper Middle Poca where Gandeeville is now (1926). To Henderson and his first wife were born one son and one daughter, named: The son, Armstead, the daughter, Mary, who married Clark Green of Poca country. The first wife having died, Henderson married for a second wife Debora Westfall, who was a sister of Noah West- fall, and of Barbara Westfall, who became the wife of Andrew “Andy” Stewart, of Reedy, pioneer family. To Henderson and Debora (Westfall) Harper were born, (all in Harper District at the large farm-home of Henderson, on the Flats west of Cox’s Fork), the following children, named in order of their ages: John L.; Rachel, married William Batten; William P., and Malinda, who married Richard Shouldis. of Harper District. Further: John L. Harper, son of Henderson and Debora, became a Baptist preacher, which work he followed for many years in Roane and near parts of adjoining counties. In later years of his life he was always spoken of as the Reverend John L. Harper. On September 14, 1869. as shown on the Roane county marriage records, which gave no ages at that time, John L. married Miss Melissa Hopkins, of Poca, she the daughter of Robert and Martha (Stalnaker) Hopkins, residents there at time of the marriage. See “Hopkins.” And they made their home and farm on Cox’s Fork and there reared their family, the names of whom, in order of births are as follows: Mary, who married Silas Ferrell; Robert, a blacksmith by trade; Jacob M., a lawyer of Spencer, who married Bessie Kester, of Belmont, W. Wa., year 1901, See Chapter City of Spencer; John Marshall, realtor of Parkersburg, married Miss Ida Monroe, see family “Monroe”; Martha married Dr. Noyes, see name “Noyes”; Lelia married a Mr. Walker; Aldie married Elliott Griffith; Eliza married a Mr. Ryerson, and Virgil is the youngest of the family.