ID: I31686
Name: Henry SKAGGS
Sex: M
Birth: 08 JAN 1723 in Maryland
Burial: "High on a hill in the woods he loved on Mr. Bishop's farm, Green Co. KY (now Hiseville-Park, Barren Co. KY)
Death: DEC 1810 in Green Co. KY
Note:
Henry was one of the "Long Hunters" who gained fame for their hunting trips and exploration of Kentucky and Tennessee.

He served in the Revolutionary War in at least one major campaign,that of Kanawha River.

His name is recorded in a multitude of records in several counties inVirginia and Kentucky. From these records we can determine that Henrywas living in New River, Pulaski Co. VA in 1770, in Fincastle,Botetourt Co. VA. from 1773 to 1780. He was living in Russell Co. KYin 1787, on Pitman Creek in Nelson Co. KY in 1791, and at Brush Creekin Green Co. KY from just after 1791 until his death. That part ofGreen Co. KY later became a part of Barren Co. KY.

In the "SW Virginian", vol. 1, #3, Wise Co. VA, page 29 is atranscription of a petition asking the House of Delegates of Virginiato place a line "fixed along Clinch Mt. and Montgomery line to theCarolina line" to separate them from Washington County. Theseinhabitants include those of Clinch River, Moccason Creek, PowellsValley, North Branch of Holstein River and others and is datedDecember 9, 1785. Among those signing the petition were Henry Skaggsand three of his sons, David, John, and Solomon. Also signing thepetition was Henry's father-in-law, JohnThompson.

Henry is mentioned in the book, "The Life of Daniel Boone" written byLyman C. Draper, a noted historian. An exerpt from the book reads asfollows: "Henry, Charles, and Richard Skaggs, and three otherbrothers were grandsons of an Irishman who fled from Ireland ofLondonderry in 1688-89, when so many of the Scotch-Irish raceemigrated to the shores of the New World. We find his adventureousdescendants, natives of Maryland, living on the frontiers of New Riverand sharing largely in the toils and hardships of the Long Hunters in1770-71.

In June1775, we find Henry helping pilot Col. Thomas Slaughter andothers on an exploratory tour of the Green River country.

Draper also wrote, "Henry Skaggs and brothers were a noted family ofhunters and nothing but hunters, and keeping pace with the advancingsettlements, they pushed forward to Clinch River and were forting in1777 at Shadrach White's Station in the neighborhood of the MaidenSpring Fork of the Clinch...In 1779 Henry Skaggs, accompanied byupwards of twenty men, started for Kentucky, were attacked by Indiansin Powell's Valley and lost part of their horses. All of the menreturned save Skaggs, his son John, a mere youth, and a man namedSinclair. With eleven horses, they went to the Green River country tohunt, and during the succeding winter Sinclair got lost, probablydrowned in the Green River and young Skaggs sickened and died, andamidst the severities of the season a hollow log was his burial place. His father was left alone to finish the hunt and return home with thehorses, pelts, andfurs. He settled on Pitmans Creek in the GreenRiver country within present Taylor County, Kentucky in 1789 with hischildren and connections around him sharing freely in the Indiandifficulties of the times, and there he died in 1808 04 09, agedupwards of eighty years. Possessing a large and bony frame, he wasbold, enterprising and fearless. His brothers Charles and Richard whoalso settled in that region, lived to a good old age."

Robert L. Kincaid, in his book, "The Wilderness Road" wrote thefollowing: "One of the early leaders in these hunting expeditions wasa man by the name of Walden. On one of his first trips he wasaccompanied by his father-in-law William Blevins, his brother-in-lawJack Blevins, Henry Skaggs, Walter Newman, Charles Cox, and about adozen other trained woodsmen. The party spent about eighteen monthson the trip and ranged as far as the vicinity of Cumberland Gap. Thearea was a hunter's paradise abounding in deer, buffalo, beaver,otter, mink, and small game for their daily food supply. They broughthome a large supply of pelts and hides. In 1763, Walden and his partyagain went on a Long Hunt, passing through Cumberland Gap this timeand going as far as the present town of Crab Orchard, Kentucky."Kincaid also mentions in his book that Henry Skaggs fought in theRevolutionary War against the British.

Henry and Mary are mentioned in the "Archibald Thompson Diary".Archibald's sister Mary married Henry Skaggs and his sister Lucymarried Henry's brother, Charles Skaggs. On page 10 in the diary,Archibald mentions the births and dates of some of Henry and Mary'schildren, Sollomon, David, Silvanus, and Mary. On page 25 he alsomentions that he spent some time at the Henry Skaggs Plantation. Theentry reads as follows: "...removed my family to Henry Skaggsplantation February 20th, 1778, then cropt there two years..."

Henry is mentioned in the book "Stories of Early Days" by CyrusEdwards, page 208. The author related that "Henry Skaggs, the LongHunter, came to the home of his grandfather, Cader Edwards, in Nov.1765, asked for lodging and remained until spring. (Cader Edwardslived next door to Henry's brother, Richard Skaggs). This wasrepeated every winter thereafter until 1769, when Henry Skaggs wentwith a group of explorers in 1770-71, trapping beaver at the bigbeaver dam on Barren River, near the big spring at the Adolphus Deppplace. (The author noted that this was the first arrival of the whiteman in Barren County). Henry Skaggs told Cader Edwards that ifanything ever happened to him to "bury me high on a hill in the woodsI loved, whereever I die." After a wild turkey hunt he spent thenight at his friend Mr. Bishop's. A sudden illness overcame him andhe died there. A huge tree stands as a sentinel at the head of thegrave, not far from Mr. Bishop's house. (In 1921 his grave stood atthe residence of J.W. Irwin, near what is now the Park Post Office.)"This information was provided by Dan Betts <danbetts@home.com>. Hiswebsite can be found on RootsWeb.

"The Kentucky Explorer" magazine, October1999 issue, features anarticle about the efforts of the South Central Kentucky HistoricalSociety to mark forgotten cemeteries in the area. The article has aphoto of society volunteers who placed a sign on or near the burialplace of Henry Skaggs, located on the property of former KentuckyGovernor Louis Nunn, at Hiseville Park, KY in Barren Co. KY and verynear the Green Co. KY boundary.

Henry's will is recorded in Green Co. KY Will Book 1, p. 56-57. Itreads as follows: "In the name of God Amen, I Henry Skaggs of theCounty of Green and state of Kentucky do make this my last Will andTestament in manner and form following (To wit) I leave all my Estateboth real and personal to my beloved wife to be enjoyed by her duringher life, and after her death, the tract of land where on I now live Igive to my grandson John Skaggs, son of James Skaggs; my Negro man BobI give to my son David Skaggs; my Negro woman Lucy I give to SylviaRoark; I give to my daughter Sarah Skaggs a Negro girl Rachel; I giveto my son James Skaggs the rest of my Negros, Jinney, and all herchildren, except Rachel and her further increase should she have anyduring either my life time or the lifetime of my wife. The ballanceof my estate is to besold, and I give one dollar to Stephen Skaggs,Lucy Stacy, Rachel Ray, Nancy D. Spane, Polly Combs. What I have leftto each of my children is in addition to what I have heretofore given. Lastly, I do appoint my son James Skaggs and Elias Barbee Executorsto this my last Will, revoking all others heretofore made by me. Intestamony whereof I here unto set my hand and seal this fifth day ofApril in the year of our Lord 1809. (Signed) Henry Skaggs, in thepresence of Elias Barbee, John Barbee, Larkin Durret, James Rafity,and William Barbee.

At the County Court held for Green County on the 4th Monday inDecember 1810, This will was produced into court and proven by theoath of Larkin Durret, James Raffirty, and John Barbee, and ordered tobe recorded which is done accordingly by Clerk John Barret, DC.

Henry's will was contested in Green Co. KY Circuit Court Case #5389,Jun 1815 by his daughters Nancy Despain and her husband Peter, SylviaRoark and her husband Reubin, Mary Combs and her husband William, andRachel Ray and her husband Thomas VS. Elias Barbee and James Skaggs,executors of the will; Mary Skaggs, widow of Henry Skaggs; and DavidSkaggs, Solomon Skaggs, Stephen Skaggs, Lucy Stacy and her husbandJohn, Sally Skaggs, children of Henry Skaggs; and John Skaggs, son ofJames Skaggs and grandson of Henry Skaggs. The complaint stated that"Henry Skaggs departed this life leaving your orators (the plaintiffs)heirs to part of his estate and that the deceased intended by a willto have devised his estate in such a manner as it might be wellunderstood and for that purpose appointed Elias Barbee and JamesSkaggs in said will to be his Executors and to act for the benefit ofall the legatees named in said will, but said will either being souninteligible as that said Executor could not act properly on saidwill or otherwise they have so mistaken said will so as to do greatinjustice to your orators and have acted contrary to the last will andwish of the testator and your orators veryly believes that the will isso vague and uncertin that it cannot be acted upon so as to do justiceto the parties according to the true intent and meaning of thetestator which will and the inventory and appraisement of said estateyour orators prays may be taken and read as a part of this bill andthat the said executors Elias Barbee and James Skaggs may be madedefendants to this bill and that your honors may by a decree of yourhonorable court make nul and void said will or otherwise if yourhonors should be of opinion that the said will can be understood so asto be acted upon your orators prays your honors to compell the saiddefendants to do justice according to the true intent and meaning ofthe deceased and compell the different legatees to act according tothe justice of the case, to wit, David Skaggs, Solomon Skaggs, StephenSkaggs, John Stacy and Lucy Stacy his wife all of whom your oratorsprays may be made defendants to this bill and your orators fartherstates that Mary Skaggs the wife of the deceased was left inpossession of all the estate real and personal and has so wasted theestate or want of proper care and through neglect so as to depriveyour orators from the benefit of their part of the estate when thesaid Mary Skaggs who is also made defendant hereunto was left in fullpossession of one tract of land the rents of which would have morethan doubly supported her and also one valuable negro fellow named Bobwhose labour alone with good management would have supported her andone other negro man named Ned whose labour was entirely sufficient tohave supported her and your orators farther states that the deceasedwas none indebted and left several other negroes sufficient to supporther and her daughter Sally Skaggs who is also made defendant hereuntoall of which land and negores are now and have been in the possessionand in the use of said defendant Mary Skaggs and if the will is notrevoked the land to remain hers during her life and then to descend toJohn Skaggs son of James Skaggs which John Skaggs isa lso madedefendant hereunto. And your orators would farther state that if thewill is not made nul and void that they were and are entitled to alarge share of the property of the deceased as ill appear from thewill and inventory and the right of the increase of one negro womanwhich at present is three negroes all of which goods have been sold atpublic sale and otherwise made way with except the three negroesmentioned as the increase and they have in no accounted to yourorators for any part of the estate when it was the wish and desire ofthe testator that the said defendant Mary his wife should be freelyand honourably supported and that proper care should be taken by theexecutors and the defendant Mary and that after her suppoet thebalance should be for your orators and that nothing should go towaste, but your orators state that there is a total neglect and in thedefendant Mary Skaggs want of care which is much to the damages ofyour orators. All which actings and doings are contrary to equity andgood conscience and tend greatly to injure your orators in tenderconsideration whereof and as your orators are with out remedy atcommon law and only relievable at equity before your honors wherefrauds are detected and hardships relieved against may it please yourhonors the premis considered to grant the Commonwealths writ ofsubpoena ad responendum by which the defendants may be compelled ontheir corpal oaths true and perfect answers to make it all andsingular the premises as perfectly and as fully as if they were againrepeated and interogated and that the Honourable Court may appointcommissioners to adjust and settle the said estate and that by a finaldecree of the Honourable Court they may make nul and void the saidwill as being too vague to be understood so as to do justice orotherwise decree to your orators such part of the estate as to themdoes justly belong and grant an injunction all waste of said estate infurthergranting to the defendant Mary Skaggs the wife of the deceaseda full and honourable support out of the estate and such other andfarther relief as to equity doth belong and your orators as in dutybound shall ever pray. (Signed) John Emerson, Attorney forComplainants"




Father: James SKAGGS b: 1700 in On board a ship from Ireland
Mother: Rachel [SKAGGS]

Marriage 1 Mary THOMPSON b: 18 AUG 1739
Married: ABT 1756 in Wise Co. VA
Children
Has No Children Sarah SKAGGS b: 1757
Has Children Nancy SKAGGS b: 1759 in Green Co. KY
Has No Children John Thompson SKAGGS b: 04 DEC 1760
Has Children Lucy SKAGGS b: 05 DEC 1762
Has Children Solomon SKAGGS b: 15 JAN 1766 in Washington Co. VA
Has Children David SKAGGS b: 28 APR 1767 in VA
Has Children Sylvia SKAGGS b: 18 FEB 1769
Has Children Mary "Polly" SKAGGS b: 19 DEC 1771
Has Children Rachel SKAGGS b: 1774
Has Children James SKAGGS b: ABT 1775 in Green Co. KY
Has No Children Stephen SKAGGS b: 1784 in Green Co. KY