From "HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY,"  Vol. I, pages 205-209.
Brant & Fuller, 1890.


THE ALDERSON FAMILY

The family of Alderson, which in more ways than one has been 
conspicuous in the early history of West Virginia, and of which Major 
J. C. Alderson, of Wheeling, is a descendant, originated in 
Yorkshire, England.  During the sixteenth century John Alderson was a 
Baptist minister at Yorkshire, and his son John, then a young man, 
became enamored of a young lady who for some reason was not 
acceptable to his parents, and in order to break off the relations 
not acceptable to his parents, and in order to break off the 
relations of the young couple, the son was given L200 with which to 
travel on the continent.  He did not leave England, however, on his 
contemplated travels, but in the course of time found himself on the 
coast at Liverpool without money and friends.  Falling in with a man 
by the name of Curtise, who was preparing to sail to America, the 
young and penniless Alderson was induced to embark with his new found 
friend. This man Curtise was the first settler of the territory which 
now comprises the state of New Jersey.  Nine years after coming to 
America young Alderson married a daughter of Curtise, and later 
followed in the foot-steps of his father and became a minister of the 
Baptist church.  He then, for the first time in ten years, wrote 
home, much to the delight of his parents, who thought him dead.  His 
father at once wrote him a congratulatory letter upon his being alive 
and well, and being a Baptist minister, sending him three large 
volumes of ecclesiastical works of great value which had been in the 
family for many years, and which were to be handed down from 
generation to generation of his descendants who became clergymen of 
the Baptist faith, which books are now in the possession of J. C. 
Alderson, who, while not a minister, is the surviving son of his 
father, Rev. L. A. Alderson.  Rev. John Alderson, the great 
grandfather of Major Alderson, built the first church in the valley 
of Virginia, at Lynnville, just above Harrisburg, which is called the 
Lynnville Baptist church.  In the same neighborhood settled the 
grandfather of President Lincoln, who was then known as Lonkhorn.  
Rev. Alderson was imprisoned some time about 1750 or 1760 in the old 
Faircastle jail, Bortetourt county, Va., for preaching the gospel and 
uniting people in marriage contrary to the laws of the church of 
England.  He was the first of the Alderson family to come west of the 
Allegheny mountains, and brought the first wagon across the mountains 
in 1770, making the journey from Faircastle to Alderson's Ferry, 
opposite what is now the town of Alderson, on Green Brier river, 
Green Brier county, Va., in that year.  This journey consumed 
eighteen months. In 1772 he built the first church west of the 
Alleghenies, which was known as the Green Brier Baptist church, and 
the beautiful white chapel which stands on the above site is the 
third erected on the old foundation.  The settlement of that portion 
of what is now West Virginia was sparse indeed, and the Indians were 
very hostile.  In planting corn the old minister was compelled to 
carry his musket for protection, and he preached the gospel 
throughout that country on Sundays, often taking two or three members 
of his church and going from twenty-five to thirty miles to preach to 
half a dozen people.  His son Joseph, grandfather of J. C. Alderson, 
was a leading character in Green Brier county, being known as 'Squire 
Joseph Alderson, and while he was not a minister he was a zealous 
Christian worker, and for over forty years he was moderator and 
presiding officer of every Baptist association held in that county.  
He gave freely of his means for the erection of churches and the 
support of the same, and it was often said of him, "That as long as 
'Squire Alderson would build the churches, pay the preachers and feed 
the congregations we will have preaching."  He represented Green 
Brier county in the Virginia legislature several consecutive 
sessions, and sunk the first salt well in the Kanawha valley, above 
Charleston.  His death occurred in 1845, and he left a handsome 
estate to his son, Rev. L. A. Alderson, father of Major Alderson, who 
was born in Green Brier county in 1812.  He graduated from the Ohio 
university at Athens in 1832, in a class of forty-five, with first 
honors.

After leaving college he fitted himself for the ministry, studying 
with Rev. Dr. Jones, at Williamburg, Va., preaching his first sermon 
in the old Powder Horn church, the historical building in which Gen. 
Washington placed his powder to keep it dry during the revolution.  
Subsequently he was the pastor of the Grace Street Baptist church, in 
Richmond, Va., removing from that city to the Alderson plantation in 
Green Brier county, taking charge of the same and filling the pulpits 
of four different churches on alternate Sabbaths. As a farmer, he was 
successful, tilling 1,500 acres of land, and he was the first to 
introduce the wheat drill into that section of the country.  In 1853-
54 he organized the Green Brier Agricultural society, and was 
president of the same until 1858, when he removed to Atchison City, 
Kas., and built almost entirely out of his own purse the first 
Baptist church erected in the territory of Kansas, and also aided in 
building half a dozen others in northeastern Kansas.  He gave fifty 
good years of his life and a large portion of his fortune to the 
Baptist church and its work, both at home and in foreign lands.  He 
rarely ever accepted a salary for his services as pastor, and when he 
did it was devoted to foreign missions.  In 1838 he was married to 
Eliza Floyd, daughter of Capt. John Coleman, of Amherst county, Va.  
The ceremony was performed at "Locust Grove," the Coleman plantation, 
in July of that year, and it was on this plantation that Maj. J. C. 
Alderson was born, October 29, 1839.  Rev. L. A. Alderson died at 
Atchison, Kas., May 19, 1882.  His widow survives.  Maj. Atchison was 
reared on the Alderson plantation, and until his sixteenth year, was 
educated by private teachers in his father's family, subsequently he 
attended the Lewisburg academy, then caught by Prof. Custer. In 1858 
he went with family to Kansas, returning to Virginia in the spring of 
1859, having spent several months in Kansas and Missouri.  He then 
entered Allegheny college, where he was in the graduating class at 
the beginning of the late war.  He was the first one of the 150 
students and the third citizen in the county to volunteer in the 
Confederate army.  He became a member of the Green Brier cavalry, one 
of the finest bodies of men and horses in the army, so pronounced by 
Gov. Litcher, of Virginia.  This company was disbanded in the winter 
of 1861-1862, and immediately nearly every member of the same 
organized individual companies of their own.  Maj. Alderson organized 
a company, and was offered its captaincy, but declined and accepted 
the first lieutenancy, being attached, with his company, first to the 
Eighth, and then the Fourteenth Virginia cavalry, commanded by Maj. 
Gen. J. W. Sweeney, of Wheeling, until June 12, 1863, when that 
officer was terribly wounded at the battle of Opaqua, he receiving 
thirteen shots in his body, three of which passed entirely through 
him, his wounds rendering him unfit for further service the balance 
of the war.  Maj. Alderson was after this given command of Company A, 
as captain.  His captain succeeding to command of battalion.  During 
the winter of 1863-4 Maj. Alderson had command of the battalion, 
though he was not commissioned major. He participated in many fierce 
engagements, in three of which he lost over half of his command in 
each, and in two of which his command fought hand to hand with the 
enemy with sabers for almost half an hour.  Maj. Alderson carried the 
order which opened the battle of Gettysburg on the Confederate side, 
on July 1, 1864, having on that day been detached on Gen. Rhodes' 
staff, whose division opened that celebrated battle.  On the raids 
into Pennsylvania preceding and following the battle of Gettysburg, 
Maj. Alderson commnded and led the advance, and covered the retreat 
of the army.  His battalion was in Tennessee when they were ordered 
to join the army of the Potomac prior to the battle of Gettysburg, 
and while en route reached Lexington, Va., the same night the body of 
Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson arrived there for burial, and was requested 
by Col. Smith, in command of the military institute, at Lexington, to 
delay his march long enough to attend the funeral of Jackson the 
following day, and his command was the only body of soldiers who 
fired over the grave of the dead hero.  On the Pennsylvania raids 
Maj. Alderson was in the saddle for twenty-eight days and nights 
without over two or three hours rest at any one time, fighting every 
day and often at night.  On Hunter's Raid, at Lynchburg, Va., in 
June, 1864, he lost his general, William E. Jones, at the battle of 
Piedmont.  He fought Du Fay for ten days at Waynesboro, just below 
below Stanton, and that general slipped away on the second night and 
crossed the Blue Ridge into Amherst county, Va., but the confederates 
crossed at another gap and got ahead of Du Fay on Sunday morning, 
June 12th.  Gen. Imboden took command, in connection with his own and 
the command of Gen. W. L. Jackson, and the following morning, before 
daylight, Maj. Alderson asked permission to lead the advance, as he 
was acquainted with the county, which request Gen. Imboden granted 
with pleasure, at the same time giving instructions to the effect 
that when he met the enemy to select a good position to bring on a 
general engagement.  About 8 o'clock that morning the major met Du 
Fay's advance, commanded by Maj. Ringold of the first New York 
cavalry, and capturing the avance, he selected a commanding position 
for a general engagement, which he held unsupported until surrounded 
and compelled to surrender, all of which occurred in sight of his 
superior officer, Gen. Imboden, who made no attempt to prevent the 
catastrophe, but instead retreated, when had he advanced as he 
agreed, the enemy's command would have been captured.  The last of 
June, 1864, Maj. Alderson was brought to Wheeling as a prisoner, and 
on July 3d, following, was taken to Camp Chase, Ohio, where he 
remained until February 28, 1865.

In October, 1864, he, with others, were placed under retaliation for 
the treatment of Federal officers confined at Andersonville prison, 
they being placed on one-third rations, and not permitted to buy or 
receive anything from outside.  The major was offered, but declined, 
a parole at the hands of President Lincoln, but in February, 1865, 
his father, through friends in congress, secured a special exchange, 
and he again started for the Confederate front to join his command, 
and with his command was within a few miles of Gen. Lee when he 
surrendered.  The major and his command cut their way out on the 
morning of Lee's surrender.  The major was paroled by Gen. Ohley at 
Lewisburg about one month after Lee's surrender, and the following 
fall he went to Kansas.  He was express messenger on one of the first 
coaches sent out from Atchison to Denver over the Smoky Hill route, 
and the following winter he was placed in charge of the middle 
division of the road, extending from Fort Ellsworth, Kas., to Fort 
Wallace, Col., a distance of 250 miles through the heat of the Indian 
and buffalo country.  The Cheyennes and Rapahoes made almost weekly 
raids upon the road, killing men and passengers, burning stations and 
wagon trains and coaches, carrying off goods and driving off the 
stock.  They absolutely destroyed 175 miles of the major's division 
three different times during one winter.  A carpenter in the major's 
employ resembled him so closely that the Indians killed him, taking 
him for the major, and placed a board over his grave with his name 
upon it.  So fierce were the attacks of the Indians that the major 
and his men were forced to corrall the wagons and coaches and fight 
them for days at a time.  Altogether he was in charge of the road for 
two years, during which time he had many encounters with the Indians; 
he and a party were caught in a northwestern storm when the 
thermometer fell to thirty-five degrees below zero, and the party was 
in the snow storm for about five days, the last four days and nights 
being spent without food.  The major then settled near Atchison on 
Alderson Grove, which he had purchased from his father, on this there 
were planted 4,000 cottonwood trees, and it was the finest grove and 
plantation in Kansas.  At the Centennial in 1876, one of these 
cottonwood trees was exhibited which measured twenty-four inches in 
diameter.  This magnificent grove could be seen for fifty miles in 
almost any direction, and the example set by the major was followed 
by almost every farmer in Kansas.   Rev. Alderson planted about 2,000 
walnut trees on his plantation, and they measured from 8 to 12 inches 
in diameter.  For two years Major Alderson operated this plantation, 
and then engaged in the insurance business at Atchison, and in 
December, 1869, he located in Wheeling, where he has since resided, 
and has been engaged in the insurance and real estate business ever 
since.  In 1882, in connection with Rev. C. P. Masden and Rev Ed. W. 
Ryan, he founded Mountain Lake Park, a religious and literary retreat 
in Garret county, Md., on the B. & O. railroad.  The major also owns 
large quantities of land in the southern part of West Virginia in 
connection with J. F. Paull, of Wheeling.  Major Alderson has always 
been in politics, but only in the interests of his friends, as he has 
never sought an office.  Gen. Mathew appointed him a director of the 
West Virginia penitentiary, which position he held for eight or nine 
years, having been reappointed by Gov. Jackson.  Gov. Wilson 
appointed him commissioner to the centennial in 1876 for West 
Virginia, and also to the centennial of the Ohio valley in 1888, and 
as such secured Judge G. L. Cranmer to deliver the lecture on West 
Virginia.  He was appointed a commissioner from West Virginia to the 
centennial of the inauguration of Washington in New York, and was 
honored with the appointment as a member of the staff of the 
commanding officer of that occasion to represent West Virginia.  
Major Alderson was married February 26, 1874, to Miss May Price, 
daughter of ex-Governor and ex-United States Senator Price, of 
Lewisburg, W.Va.     

  
(Linda Fluharty)