Jefferson County, WV

Col. Moses Shepherd
Picture from "The Old Pike"

Moses Shepherd was the fifth in descent of his family to take a prominent part in the warfare, defence and growth of the Virginia frontier. He was the great-great grandson of Jan Van Meter, the Indian trader, the first white man to cross the Blue Ridge; great grandson of John Van Meter, called him "John the first of Berkley", who with his brother Isaac, received the grant of 46,000 acres of land from Governor Gooch in 1730; the grandson of Capt. Thomas Shepherd, founder of Shepherdstown and the son and comrade of Col. David Shepherd, commandant of Forts Henry and Shepherd and County Lieut. of Ohio Co. and Colonel of Virginia Military.

Moses Shepherd proved himself a worthy descendant of these pioneers. He was the youngest son of Col. David Shepherd and Rachel Teague born in Shepherdstown, Nov. 11, 1763. His only brother was killed at the siege of Fort Henry, Sept 1, 1777. He had three sisters, Elizabeth m. Maj. Wm. McIntire, the paymaster of Fort Henry and Shepherd; Sarah, m. Francis Duke; and Ruth, the youngest daughter, married Capt. John Mills, who was given a land grant where they lived and were buried, which is now known as the Steenrod farm. The grandchildren and great grandchildren of the three sisters finally inherited the estate of Lydia Boggs Shepherd Cruger.

Moses was 7 or 8 years of age when his father moved his large family to the plantation lying between Big Wheeling and Little Wheeling Creek and lying beyond middle Wheeling Creek. On a beautiful site near the bank of Big Wheeling Creek was built Fort Shepherd by Col. David Shepherd. This fort became the neighborhood refuge. Moses became skilled in all the lure of woodcraft, familiar with the Indians and an expert hunter. After seven years of this prosperous, happy free life, there was an unexpected rising of the Indians, incited by the British; Fort Shepherd was entirely destroyed by the Indians and only the mill was spared, and that because it afforded them much pleasure and amusement to make the great wheel run. It was located where is now the Monument Place.

When Col. Shepherd was ordered by Gen. Hand to take command of Fort Henry, he moved his large family there, including the husbands of his daughters and their children. Even the women and girls shared the work of defending the fort, loaded the guns, made ammunition and burned their hands with hot bullets. In this siege the women bore as important and almost as dangerous part as the men.

Lydia Boggs Shepherd Cruger
Picture from "The Old Pike"

Lydia Boggs was also in the fort, and as brave as the others. This frightful experience was probably one of the bonds that drew Moses Shepherd and her together. After the siege, the Shepherds went to Catfish Camp (Wash., Pa) where they stayed five years. Col. David and Moses rebuilt Fort Shepherd.

In 1796 Moses built upon the site of Fort Shepherd (now Elm Grove, Ohio County, WV) the handsome mansion of stone now historic and variously called "Shepherd Mansion", "The Stone House", & now "Monument Place". The last, perhaps the most important work of his life, was his connection with the building of the great highway which was to rival the classic Appian Way & bind the east to the west, the celebrated Cumberland Road, now called the National Road. It is the only highway of its kind ever wholly constructed by the United States Government. It extends from Cumberland, Md. to St. Louis.

The inception originated in 1806, during Jefferson's Presidency. Until the Railroads were extended beyond the Allegheny Mountains, this was the one great highway. Most of the great men of that period passed over that road; Jefferson, Harrison, Clay, Gen. Houston, Polk, Taylor, & Benton, & many more; all made a point of stopping at Shepherd Mansion. Great fortunes & reputations were made by the building of the National Road. Col. Moses Shepherd was one of these men. He constructed many miles of this famous old road and several of the stone bridges. Henry Clay was the chief advocate in Congress for securing funds for building the road, which was the bond of sympathy that united Henry Clay & Moses Shepherd in a firm friendship. Near the ancient Shepherd Mansion stands a timeworn monument to Henry Clay erected by Moses & Lydia Shepherd...

Monument Place

Monument Place, Elm Grove, Ohio County, WV
Picture from Library of Congress, Taken after 1933

On a picturesque eminence, near the monument, overlooking Big Wheeling creek, stands the ancient and historic Shepherd mansion, stone building erected in 1798, and now known as "Monument Place," the delightful and hospitable home of Maj. Alonzo Loring. In the olden time, when the National Road was the bustling highway of the Republic, the handsome and luxurious stage coaches of the period, frequently bore Henry Clay and other eminent men of his day to the Shepherd mansion, where they reveled in Old Virginia hospitality.

Near the old Shepherd mansion stands an antiquated sun dial. covered with the marks of time, and bearing on its south face this inscription :

"The noiseless foot of Time steals softly by,
And ere we think of Manhood age draws nigh."

On the north face of this dial appear the names and the figures:

" Moses and Lydia Shepherd, 1820."

Col. Moses Shepherd died in 1832, and his widow subsequently married Gen. Daniel Cruger, whom she also survived many years. They are all now dead, and their mortal remains mingle with their native dust, in the cemetery attached to the "Stone Church," near Elm Grove. A handsome monument stands at their graves bearing the following inscriptions:

On one side, Sic Transit Gloria Mundi : Sacred to the memory of Col. Moses Shepherd, who departed this life April 29th, 1832, in the 69th year of his age."
"To him the country owes a large debt of gratitude, as well for his defense of it, when a frontier settlement, as for his recent public services in aiding the extension and construction of the Cumberland Road through Virginia."

The obverse side tells the story of the second husband, as follows:
"Sic Transit Gloria Mundi: Sacred to the memory of Gen. Daniel Cruger, who died July 12th, 1843, in the 64th year of his age."

A third side perpetuates the memory of the twice bereaved widow as follows:
"Sic Transit Gloria Mundi: Lydia S. Cruger, wife of Gen. Daniel Cruger, formerly Lydia S. Boggs, first married Col. Moses Shepherd: Born Feb. 26th. 1766 : Died Sept. 26th, 1867, in the 102d year of her age."

High up on the granite shaft is chiseled on two sides the picture of a log cabin, and at the door appears a female figure in sitting posture, with a dog in repose at the feet, while in the back ground is seen the representation of a martial group, with branches of a palm tree overhanging the whole design.

A short distance west from widow Goodings, Samuel Carter kept a tavern as early as 1830. It was a brick house on the south side of the road, a resort for pleasure seekers from Wheeling, and a well kept house. This house was subsequently kept by William Strawn.

About one mile west of Carter's, Michael Blackburn kept a tavern in the olden time, and was well favored with custom. It was a stone house on the north side of the road.

Next comes Steenrod's, two miles out from Wheeling, a brick and stone building on the south side of the road, and a widely known old tavern. Daniel Steenrod, the old landlord, owned the property, and was a man of intelligence and much influence. His son, Lewis, represented the Wheeling district in Congress during the prosperous era of the road, and, as before stated, was one of its most zealous champions. Lewis Steenrod, a grandson of the old landlord, is at this time (1892), High Sheriff of Ohio county, West Virginia, and on November 18th of this year, executed Maier, the murderer. Daniel Steenrod kept the old tavern last mentioned as early as 1825, and probably before that date, and continued throughout the whole period of the road's great career as a national highway. He died April 27th, 1864, aged eighty years. The property still remains in the Steenrod family.

A short distance from Steenrod's,on the north side, was "Good's Bottom," now called Pleasant Valley, doubtless by reason of the frantic iconoclasm, which has lain its ruthless hands on so many old and familiar names. At Good's Bottom there was a race course in early times, and it was here, and previous to 1840, that the celebrated horse "Tariff" lost his laurels. "Tariff" was owned by Thomas Porter, a farmer and stockman of Claysville. Joseph White, the well known marble dealer of Uniontown, a native of the vicinity of Claysville, was a witness of the discomfiture of "Tariff" on the old race course at Good's Bottom. [Source: "The Old Pike", by Thomas Brownfield Searight, 1894]

H.R. 175
A Bill
For the relief of Moses Shepherd.
1 -- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
2 -- of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That
3 -- the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized
4 -- to settle, upon principles of equity, the accounts of Moses
5-- Shepherd, of Virginia, lately engaged as a Contractor, in
6 -- making part of the road from Cumberland, in Maryland, to
7 -- the State of Ohio; and that the balance which may be found
8 -- due to the said Moses Shepherd, be paid to him, out of any money
9 -- in the Treasury, not otherwise appropriated.

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