The Minor Family of Somerset

uried in New Cumberland, Virginia at the top of the hill above t
he fort.
Thefollowing three paragraphs were compiled and documented by M
r. Stanton Chapman Crawford, May 1, 1951...........
"Captain" George Chapman is said to have served under George Was
hington at Valley Forge. Frank A. Chapman transmitted to S.C. Cr
awford his battle sword and a copper button, silver plated. A si
milar button is preserved at Mt. Vernon. This button was part o
f a uniform usedin the Revolution. On the outer margin are engr
aved the initials of the thirteen colonies, while at the cente
r are two letters "G.W.", standing for George Washington, and i
n a circle around this are the words "Long Live the President"
. Although he is known in the family histories as "Captain", th
e official military rosters list only "George Chapman, Fifer". T
he War Department says that "The Revolutionary War records in th
is office are far from complete".One suggestion is that in civi
l life George may have been a boat captain.
Captain George Chapman's people originally came from "Eastern Vi
rginia, off thePotomac", and he held land near Fredericksburg
, Md. George Chapman is said to have been living in Back Creek
, Berkeley County, near Martinsburg, W. Va., (then Virginia) in 178
2. He bought 218 acres on the Potomac in 1773 and sold land on B
ack Creek in 1790. A Virginia census of about 1782 shows tha
t a George Chapman of Fairfax County, Virginia, reported six whit
e and 21 black persons,one dwelling and five other buildings
. A paper signed on Sep 15, 1783, by George and Johanna Chapma
n in Berkeley County, Virginia (later W. Va which was formed from F
rederick County, in 1773) authorizes one Edward Beeson to sell som
e lots and "4 acres and a brick house in the neighborHood of Mar
quis Hook, on ornear the River of Delaware in the County of Che
ster and State of Pennsylvania.". This would seem to indicate th
at George came from that section of the country and was disposin
g of his holdings there. In fact, Mrs. Esther S. Schmidt report
s that "George Chapman was the eldest son of William Chapman, wh
o was the eldest brother of George Chapman, weaver of Chichester
, Chester County, Pennsylvania, who bought land in Aston Townshi
p, Chester County in 1750 anddied in 1757, leaving an heir Gill
ey (Gilead) Chapman who was unmarried. George Chapman of Berkele
y County inherited the two acres his father had boughtin Asto
n Township in 1750 and sold them through Ed. Besson his attorne
y in1783. The tax list of Aston Township, Chester County, 1766
, lists a George Chapman, Freeman, but no other Chapmans were li
sted for Aston Township, ChesterCounty prior to 1783".
The next thing we hear of George, he was taking the "Rutherfor
d Patent" in 1793. This Grant of 1,000 acres was originally secu
redfrom Thomas Jefferson, Governor of Virginia, Dec 23, 1779. I
t ran for two and a half miles along the Ohio River at the prese
nt site of New Cumberland, West Va., and extended two miles inla
nd. George Chapman purchased this tract (then only 804 acres) fo
r $2,000 on Oct 15, 1793. On it he built a blockhouse known as "
Chapman's Fort" for protection against the Indians. This fort, l
ocated in Clay District, Hancock County, was held by his wife si
ngle-handed atone time when he went back to Maryland to settl
e some affairs. One story is that a hired man, contemplating rob
bery, came to the house one evening and told her to flee to th
e nearest neighbors with her children, as there were Indians pro
wling about, and he feared they would attack. Mrs. Chapman, susp
ecting his statement, drew down a gun from the wall and said, "I
f there is any Indian about, you are the one, and if you don't q
uit the place, I will shoot you". The man fled and was never see
n afterwards. She remained there unmolesteda week until the ret
urn of her husband, who shared her belief that the man himself h
ad planned mischief. They lived upon tht