Nicholas Gibson

Nicholas Gibson Story - Written by Phyllis (Dye) Slater in 1992

• Death Notes
  • In the spring of 17--the family of a Mr. GIBSON were engaged in making sugar at a camp near where the Beverly and Morgantown turnpike crosses Sugar Creek (from which it took its name)and while Mr. GIBSON was absent at the Westfall Fort at Beverly, there were a party of indians made an attack upon the family and captured all but one boy named John who made his escape by some way. The indians murdered two or three of the children and set out for Detroit, Mich.with the mother and an infant child at her breast and a small boy named Nicholas. After a few days the indians dashed out the brains of the child against a tree. The mother died a short time after reaching Detroit, from the exposure and the milk in her breast, which left the boy still in the hands of the indians. The father died in a few years of grief. Several years since there was to be seen the sign of a hog's nest in the meadow now owned by M.L. Nestor, of Meadowville, that was owned by this family and stayed at that place for several years and had made a large mound of alder brush for its bed, that is rememberd by many of our citizens. After Nicholas GIBSON had grown to be almost a man, Mr. Smith, grandfather of Uncle John HARRIS, and his brother Henry SMITH heard of him being at Detroit, and concluded to go and bring him home (he being a relative of these gentlemen). They walked to Detroit and brought him home with them. He had been with the indians from his boyhood and learned their customs. It was for some time that he would not wear anything but the breach clout(cloth) and when any clothing of their fashion was put upon him he would tear them off. It was his delight to make bark canoes and spend hours at a time on the river where Beverly now stands. For some considerable time they had to watch him to keep him from running off and he still kept up his indian habits. When they brought him back he could not speak but very few words of English but after a few years they sent him to school and he learned very fast and he became a useful and intelligent man.He married a repectable lady and had a large, and repected family. He was elected to the General Assembly of Virginia from Randolph County and served two years; was also sheriff of Randolph one term. He moved from Randolph to some of the wester counties of th;e state. (Braxton). It is strange that a man can have his character so changed in a short ime, from that of an untutored savage to that of an intelligent and trustworthy man. Dated Jan.20, 1878; As related by Uncle John HARRIS of Glade....from Phyllis Dye Slater of Wheeling,W.Va. I am his ggg grand daughter. Nicholas went to Olney Illinois and is buried there. He was in the Rev. War.