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HINDMAN DURING THE CIVIL WAR

By David R. Smith
Reprinted in part from The Troublesome Creek Times
July 30, 1997
© 1997 Knott Historical Society

Many know that before the county seat of Knott became Hindman, it was called McPherson, but few know that it was called Cornett's Mill before, during and after the Civil War. It was named for the first known settler of the Forks of Troublesome Creek, Samuel Cornett.

Samuel Cornett, born Saturday 4 March 1809 to Mary (Everidge) and William Cornett. His father, William, was a Revolutionary War veteran, serving in 1780 as a private for six months under Capt. Anthony Winston's Company, Colonel Skipps Virginia Regiment.

On 1 March 1832 Samuel married Polly Adams and later settled at the forks of Troublesome Creek, building his home on Lot No. 21 (where the present Knott Circuit Clerk's Office is located). Samuel's farm in 1843 was taxed at $475 and his nearest neighbor, David Calhoun, Sr.'s, farm was taxed at $749. When Samuel would sit outside his farm house after a hard day's work on the farm, and look unto the hills, he saw the "branches of primitive oak and poplar interlocked, their topmost twigs bathing in equal sunlight." His garden and pasture was located in what is now known as Duke's Branch. His grist mill was probably located below the Forks to utilize the maximum amount of water to run his grist mill, to irrigate his bottoms, and to prevent the danger of the dam breaking and flooding his home.

Samuel passed away 24 years before Knott County was formed. Sadness of his death hovered over the hamlet of Hindman (probably in the cemetery known as "Old Graveyard Hill" and "Old Graveyard Field" in the deed books, and located on the grounds where the Knott Historical Society is presently located.) R.S. Brashear served as Administrator of Samuel's estate, and was paid for the services he rendered in 1860 for "10 days advertising for sale and conducting same."

On 7 August 1848, itinerant Methodist minister, Rev. W. B. Landrum, rode in "company of Brother King," and they "dined at David Calhoun's on the waters of Troublesome, and staid all night at Andrew Martin's, on the waters of Beaver." It is probably that Samuel and his family attended the Methodist meeting held at David Calhoun, Sr.'s, home that fall.

Samuel's daughter, Rachel, married Peyton Madison Duke, a peddler from North Carolina. According to the Duke's history, Peyton came from North Carolina at the age of 15 (ca. 1848) "driving the first wagon that ever got into the area," and then he acquired some land and became a farmer." Peyton first shows up on the Letcher Tax Lists in 1858.

The Civil War broke out not long after Samuel's death, and Peyton, his brother James M. Duke, enlisted in Co. "B" 13th Ky. Cav. Regiment on 21 August 1862 under Captains David Jesse Caudill and George Hogg. Captain Caudill was wounded on 14 Oct. 1862 in the Skirmish of Big Leatherwood by James Clayburn Jones. Less than three months after the Duke brothers enlisted, on 1 November 1862, two of Samuel's sons enlisted, namely, Pvt. Joesph E. and Pvt. William G. Cornett. They enlisted in Co. "A" of the same Regiment under Capt. Hiram H. Stamper. On November 2, 1862, Peyton was promoted to 2nd Lt., by the men in his company.

On July 7, 1862, Pvt. Joseph E. Cornett was captured at Gladesville, Va., along with Capt. Stamper, and later he died in Camp Chase Prison in Ohio on 10 August 1863. His remains lie buried in that cemetery to this date.

On 20 July 1863, Peyton was suffering from "nephritis, a bladder disease," and was termed "unfit for duty." His resignation papers, signed by Hiram T. Strong, A.A. Surgeon, were approved at Abindgon, Va., Gen. Preston's Brigade. Peyton returned to his home on Cornett's Mill (Hindman).

His brother James was captured in Letcher County on 4 August 1863, and was placed in the Louisville Military Prison on 24 August 1863. He took the oath of allegiance and joined the 3rd Ky. Batty., of the Federal Army on 25 August 1863.

The week before James' capture, Samuel's son, William G. Cornett, was captured at Booneville, Ky., and later confined at Rock Island Prison in Illinois.

Cornett's Mill was not impervious to the war. Peyton was captured at his "home, in Cornett's Mill, Letcher Co., Ky." on 14 June 1864, though no longer a soldier in the war. Just a week prior to his capture, Gen. John Hunt Morgan and his raiders had passed through waht is now known as Hindman. According to Charlotte (McClure) Cody, journalist, the Cody home was at one time a fort for the Union Army, and this would seem to be a time when the Union forces had captured the Cornett's Mill area. (During this time the home she referred to may have been that of Samuel's daughter, Jane Cornett, who married George Childers.) It is interesting to note that during Peyton's 15 month imprisonment, he went by Pvt., not 2nd Lt., the later of which would have provided him with better accomodations.

On 28 October 1864, William G. Cornett, took the Oath of Allegiance at Rock Island Prison and was released.

On Feb. 23, 1865, Peyton's Captain, David Jesse Caudill, was promoted to Lt. Col. of the 13th. He was the brother of Col. Benjamin Everidge Caudill of the same Regiment. On 24 March 1865, 1st Lt. George Hogg, was elected Captain of his company while a POW in Pt. Lookout, Md.

On 14 Jan. 1867, S.R. Brashear made a motion to order "Paton M. Duke be notified to appear in Court next term to show cause why he has not returned an Inventory of Samuel Cornett, dec'd. Estate."

Lt. Col. D.J. Caudill was a deputy County Clerk in Wise Co., Va., and married Margaret S. Frizell there on 4 Oct. 1867. Lt. Col. Caudill's death came on the morning of 10 April 1907, he was found "hanging from his barn loft by harness reins."

After the death of Peyton's first wife, he married Nancy Jane Madden on 6 August 1872.

On 17 February 1874, the first known post office was established at McPherson, at the forks of Troublesome, with Peyton Duke as its first postmaster. According to Dr. John Wesley Duke, Peyton was a postmaster in 1859, which he gave up when the Civil War began (which has not been documented at the time of this writing).

The photo above was taken prior to Peyton's death on 26 December 1894. Though Knott County did not have a Hall of Fame during his lifetime, the citizens of McPherson named two streets after him. Duke's Branch, where the Historical Society is located, was once his farm and pasture land, and the street leading back onto Main Street was namef after him also. In 1885 and 1887 he donated land to the Hindman Methodist Episcopal Church, South.





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