Notes for Benoni Mitchell: From the Hacker's Creek War Veterans record book located in the Lewis county courthouse:
BENONI enlisted on March 15, 1862 as a private in the Union infantry - 10th Reg WV Infantry Company C (at age 47). Buried on November 18, 1802 in Old Harmony cemetery in Jane Lew (1.6 miles southeast of Jane Lew on Route 7).
Bond for BENONI MITCHEL to marry Miss SUSANNAH LIFE both of this county. Bondsmen: BENONI MITCHEL and JOSEPH MITCHEL (Old Bk 4, pg 99) November 11, 1837 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book on Benoni Mitchell House:
THE BORDER SETTLERS OF NORTHWESTERN VIRGINIA FROM 1768 TO 1795 EMBRACING THE LIFE OF JESSE HUGHES AND OTHER NOTED SCOUTS OF THE GREAT WOODS OF THE TRANS-ALLEGHENY WITH NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIVE ANECDOTES BY LUCULLUS VIRGIL MCWHORTER PUBLISHED FOR JUDGE J. C. MCWHORTER
1915 The Republican Pulishing Company
1) Jesse Hughes was married to Grace Tanner. 2) Jesse Hughes sold his land to his brother-in-law, James Tanner. (p. 211) 3) Rev. John William Mitchell purchased the erected house, but it had not been completed by Tanner when Rev. Mitchell bought it. (p. 467) 4) John A. *, son of Benoni Mitchell, owned the house and provided the author with construction details which are printed on p. 467. 5) In 1915 (when the book above was published) it had not been occupied for years. 5) Judge McWhorter lamented the fact that when the book was published, it had been torn down.
*I cannot confirm that John A. is correct as a son of Benoni, as I have John W., who died at the age of 4. I am awaiting some more information that might clarify this.
Chapter XVI "In Chapter XXI reference is made to the vast amount of stone used in the chimney and in "chinking" the Tanner house near West's Fort. This fort-like house was erected for a private dwelling, yet was sufficiently strong to resist the assaults of the Indians. In the construction of a fort where it was expected at times that an entire settlement would take refuge, the building would be on a more colossal scale. If Bush's Fort was built with two such chimneys as that of the Tanner house ………….."
p. 467 (1) Notes on Chapter XXI
(1) This was the farm owned by the late Benoni Mitchell, whose father purchased it from Tanner. The large two-story hewn log house still standing in a good state of preservation, was erected but not completed by Tanner. It is a fine specimen of the fort-like residence of Virginia border days. The crevices between the heavy oak logs are still firmly chinked with stone and mud. The massive stone chimney built inside the west end of the house is the most remarkable feature of this interesting relic of an era forever past. It is made of irregular cobblestone laid in clay mortar, and measures sixteen feet wide at back. On the ground floor, it is built in the shape of a half-diamond, each angle measuring ten feet across. In each of these is a huge open fireplace, each facing a separate room. The largest of these fireplaces is four feet high by five feet wide; the other is four by four feet. They are about two feet and six inches in depth, but evidently were much deeper when first built, false backs having been built in. The spans, or arches, are composed of stone. On the upper floor the shape of the chimney was modified to that of a half hexagon. The two side walls measure each five feet across, while the center face is six feet, in which is a good sized fireplace. The chimney is twenty-eight feet high and carries its width of sixteen feet to the garret, where it narrows to eight feet. At the top it measures six feet by two and one-half feet.
The original front door was removed only a few years ago. It was a massive affair, made of black walnut boards crossed diagonally and fastened together with hammered nails. The boards had been cut with a whipsaw, or, as some declared, hewed with an axe only. The door was three inches thick, and was hung on ponderous iron hinges that reached nearly across its entire width , and were secured in place with heavy hand-forged iron clinch-nails. The house, as it stood for many years, has three rooms on the ground floor and two on the second floor.
It is now owned by Mr. John A. Mitchell, a son of Benoni, and who gave me the above measurements. The house has not been occupied for the last few years. It is in a splendid state of preservation; if steps are not taken to continue this, it will soon go the way of all such landmarks. Hacker's Creek would do well to organize a society looking to the perpetuation of not only this, but many other objects of historic interest in the valley.
Lament -- Since this note was written, the Tanner house has been dismantled.
More About Benoni Mitchell and Susannah Life: Marriage: 18 Aug 1837, Lewis, W. Va.
Children of Benoni Mitchell and Susannah Life are:
Benoni Mitchell (b. 19 Feb 1815, d. 16 Nov 1902)
Notes for Benoni Mitchell: