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This is the Jennie Wiley of Indian fame. She was captured by the
Indians on 10/1/1789 at Walker's Creek, Virginia. She witnessed the murder of
her brother and five children at the hands of the Indians (one of the children
is said to have been born after she was captured by the Indians.) She is said
to have been held in captivity for "several months" on the Little Mud Lick
Creek (Johnson County). She escaped at Harmon's Station and was reunited with
her husband Thomas Wiley. They went on to raise five more children, one of
which was Jane/Jain "Jenny" Wiley who married Richard
Williamson (son of Alden Williamson & grandson of Hugh Williamson). Thomas and
Jennie Wiley built a cabin at the mouth of Tom's Creek in 1800. This is in the
area of what is now River, Johnson County, Kentucky. Jenny's grave is in this
community. When Jenny and Tom were married, about 1779 in the vinicity of Walkers Station,
Bland County, Virginia...Tom had already raised a cabin on land he had
purchased from Matthias Harman on Walkers Creek. Jenny's father, Hezekiah, had
opposed the marriage, for reasons unknown. Tom and his brother Samuel had
migrated to America from Ireland. Jenny and Tom had four children, names
unknown, and Jenny was pregnant with a 5th when, on October 1, 1789 while Tom
was away, Indians attacked. They killed Jenny's 15 year old brother and 3 of
the children. The youngest child was spared and she was permitted to carry him
into captivity. Quickly the Indians traveled up Walkers Creek,
and by various paths to Brushy Mountain which they crossed to
Wolf Mountain and along the swollen Tug Fork River. After a
couple of days on the trail, the small child became ill, probably pneumonia
from overexposure, and was brutally killed by his captors. The party swam the
Tug and moved on to the brim filled Levisa Fork for a similar treacherous
crossing. Moving to the flooded Ohio River they found they were unable to
cross as they traversed the bank area down to the Little Sandy. At this point
they turned South and moved to the Cherokee Fork of Big Blaine. Jenny,
becoming ill from her pregnancy, gave birth to a new son, traditionally known
as Robert Bruce. Again she suffered the agony of watching another child being
slain before her eyes. From Cherokee, the party moved on to the cave above
Little Mudlick Falls in the present Johnson County Kentucky, where she was held
captive, until she escaped to Harman's Station in Block House
Bottom, the present site of the Bert Comb's Airport, between
Paintsville and Prestonsburg, along route 23.
After her escape, Jenny returned to her Walkers Creek home. Another 5 children
were born to Jenny and Tom and about 1800 they moved to the mouth of Tom's
Creek, known presently as River, Johnson County, Kentucky. The Creek was named
for Thomas Wiley. Tom died in 1810. The location of Thomas Wiley's gravesite
was said to be...."buried on a small flat upon the hill, about 150 feet above
the present highway Kentucky 581. The site is almost directly above and west of
the mouth of Tom's Creek." That 'flat' has been plowed, obliterating any sign
of Tom's grave as well as others buried nearby. Jenny is said to have had very dark hair, tall, handsome of form and face until
old age made her heavy and slow. She was very intelligent, a kindly disposition,
but firm and determined and a devout earnest Christian. |