SKAGGS/SCAGGS
FAMILY HISTORY

Skaggs Cemetery (looking toward the road) showing tombstone of J.W. Skaggs in center foreground.  Photographed By:   Lindell King 2006

Hand carved tombstone of J.W. Skaggs Photographed By:  Lindell King 2006

JAMES W. SKAGGS was the great, great, great, great grandfather of Esther M. Carroll.  He was born in Kentucky in 1790 & is possibly the son of Nancy Mayse & Rev. James Skaggs. James W. served as a private under Henry Renic, Captain Thomas Moss's Company, 5th regiment, Kentucky Mounted Militia in the War of 1812. James volunteered in Hart County, Kentucky on 31 July 1813 and mustered into service at Newport 31 August 1813 and continued in service for a term of three months being honorably discharged at Temestone, Kentucky on 1 November 1813.

On 8 October 1819 James Skaggs was married to his distant cousin, Celia Scaggs, in Green County, Kentucky. They eventually became the parents of eight children including one adopted son. In 1830 the James Skaggs family was residing in Morgan County, Indiana. By 1840 they had moved to Crawford County, Missouri. James died in Crawford County circa 1855. His will dated 23 August 1854 states:

Wife, Sealy Skaggs, farm & personal property for benefit of following named children, to wit: [no punctuation] Thomas Jefferson James Halbert and Seely Toadvine-she being a lawful heir. Should wife marry, personal property sold and divided between before named children including Henry Willis Brazeal on condition he stays with the family until he marry or become 21. Wit: James A. Simpson and Martin Earney. Filed 21 May 1855

Children of Sealy & James W. Skaggs:

Mary A. "Polly" is my great, great, great grandmother. She was born in 1822 in either Kentucky, Indiana or Illinois. On 8 November 1842 she married Richard Webb HUITT in Washington County, Missouri. Polly died sometime between 1860 – 1870.

Narcisses was born in 1825. On 26 May 1842 she married Morris Toadvine in Crawford County, Missouri. Narcisses is believed to have died in 1849.

Jeremiah V. was born in 1826 possibly in Tennessee. ON 25 January 1847 he married Mary Jane HUITT in Crawford County, Missouri. Jeremiah died 1869 – 1870.

Sarah Jane was born 6 May 1831 in Indiana. On 25 February 1849 she married George W. HUITT in Crawford County, Missouri.

Stephen was born 1834 in Indiana. He married Minerva HUITT on 29 January 1850 in Crawford County, Missouri.

Henry Willis BRAZEAL was born 1836 in Indiana & adopted by Sealy & James W. Skaggs. On 2 February 1862 Henry married Eliza HUITT.

Thomas Jefferson –  Thomas Jefferson SKAGGS was born 1842 in Missouri. On April 7, 1864 in Steelville, Crawford County, Missouri he married Eliza D. EVANS. They became the parents of three children. Thomas Jefferson Skaggs married his second wife, Sarah Jane Mallow, 27 July 1873. They became the parents of eight children. (see below for additional info)

James Halbert was born 5 June 1844 in Missouri. On 5 April 1866 in Crawford County, Missouri he married his first wife Julia ODELL. His second wife was Nancy Caroline PULLMAN. James Halbert is buried in Buffington Cemetery, Reynolds County, Missouri.

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Thomas Jefferson SKAGGS  (Information on the Thomas Jefferson Skaggs family was provided by: Etta Skaggs Reid.)   Thomas Jefferson SKAGGS was born 1842 in Missouri. On April 7, 1864 in Steelville, Crawford County, Missouri he married Eliza D. EVANS. They became the parents of three children:

James Andrew born 1864. He married Sealy TOADVINE. James is buried in Dillard
Cemetery. (James Andrew and Sealy were first cousins. Sealy's mother, Narcissus Skaggs Toadvine, was sister to Thomas Jefferson Skaggs)

Marion who was born 1866. He married Emma DUNLAP. Marion died in 1927 & is buried in Czar Cemetery.

Martha "Mattie" Palestine was born 7 July 1868. She married Thomas Henry MARTIN 22 March 1891. Mattie died 5 September 1910 & is buried in Skaggs Cemetery.

Thomas Jefferson Skaggs married his second wife, Sarah Jane Mallow, 27 July 1873. They became the parents of eight children:

Etta Mae was born 12 June 1874. On 11 June 1893 she married Nathan Franklin MARTIN. Etta died 25 September 1948 & is buried in Freeman Cemetery.

Effie C. was born 1877. She died in 1880 & is buried in Doniphan, Missouri.

Sarah "Ollie" was born 9 August 1879. She married Seldon N. Eaton on 2 February 1899. Ollie died 22 November 1914 & is buried in N. Eaton Cemetery.

Milford Cornelius was born 15 February 1881 in Palmer, Washington County, Missouri. On 1 September 1901 he married Catherine Elizabeth MARTIN daughter
of John Harrison Martin and Louiza Freeman. Milford died 30 April 1968 & is buried in Depew, Oklahoma. (This is Etta Skaggs Reid's line.)

Monti birth date unknown. Died with father in 1886.

Ida birth date unknown. Died with father in 1886.

Minnie  birth date unknown. Died with father in 1886.

Osa Lee  born 22 August 1886. Married 24 February 1907 to Julia Victoria OLIVER. Osa Lee died 4 February 1972 & is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Dent County, Missouri.

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THE SKAGGS FAMILY - From the Morgan County [Indiana] Gazette - 22 April 1971

    In Morgan County, Indiana there are at least two main branches of Skaggs - The Green Township Skaggs and The Jackson Township Scaggs.  There are a few by that name who have not been identified as belonging to either branch as yet.
    Several variations of the name are encountered:  Skaggs, Skeggs, Scags, Scaggs, but despite these differences, all are believed to have a common ancestry.  Even for any particular person, the spelling has often varied, depending on the scribe who might be writing the name as it sounded to him.  The practice evetually has become pretty well established that the Green Township branch is spelled Skaggs while the Jackson Township branch is spelled Scaggs.
    There are many descendants of that name in Morgan and surrounding counties as well as many descendants of other names by marriage.
    All these families have an interesting background.  The first Skaggs in the New World is said to have been an Irishman, RICHARD SKAGGS, whose name appears in Virginia in 1658.   He had a son, first name unknown, who was known in 1688 and a grandson, JAMES SKAGGS who was living from about 1700 to 1769.  James married Rachel whose maiden name is not known.  They had several sons in the Revolutionary War whose service was on the frontier where they engaged in scouting and skirmishes with the Indians who were allies of the British.
    The early Skaggs descendants moved about considerably, it seems - some to Maryland, some to the Carolinas, some to southwestern Virginia; later to Tennessee or Kentucky and finally to Indiana about 1820 and thereafter.  About 1828 they arrived in Morgan County, here it looked good - a garden spot midst verdant hills and fertile valleys - and here they stayed, few ever venturing elswhere unto this day!
Their story will be divided into three parts:  Part 1. Skaggs Frontiersmen, Part 2. The Green township Skaggs, Part 3. The Jackson Township Scaggs.

Part I:
SKAGGS FRONTIERSMAN

   From 1658 to 1761 very little has been found about the migrations of the Various Skaggs families. However, near the end of that period records of their living in southwestern Virginia begin to appear. After 1761 they are found in the vanguard of the slow but steady stream of pioneers into Tennessee and Kentucky.
    Robert L. Kincaid,in his book, The Wilderness Road, tells about the Long Hunters who pushed farther and farther west after 1761, traveling long distances in unexplored country for months at a time in their quest for pelts which could be sold or traded at home. In the meantime it was up to their wives and children to do the farming and gardening.
    One of the early leaders in these hunting expeditions was a man by the name of Walden. On one of his first trips he was accompanied by his father-in-law, William Blevins, his brother-in-law, Jack Blevins, HENRY SKAGGS, Walter Newman, Charles Cox and about a dozen other trained woodsmen. The party spennt about eighteen months on the trip and ranged as far as the vicinity of Cumberland Gap. The area was a hunter's paradise abounding in deer, buffalo, beaver, otter and mink and small game for their daily food supply. They brought home a large supply of pelts and hides.
    In 1763, Walden and his party again went on a Long Hunt, passing through Cumberland Gap this time and going as far as the present town of Crab orchard, Kentucky.
    The news of their successful hunts soon spread and led others to venture on similar trips. In June, 1769, a party of hunters gathered at Fort Chiswell as the starting point for their hunt. Among the leaders was RICHARD SKAGGS. They went as far as present Nashville, Tennessee. In the following year, 1770, a large party passed through Cumberland Gap, ranging as far as Green River and the Barrens in Kentucky where many Skaggs later settled.
    In May, 1769, Daniel Boone and his party followed the Wilderness Road through Cumberland Gap into Kentucky but at Hazel Patch turned northward to the site of Boonesborough which he would later establish as a settlement. By the year 1775 the branch of the Wilderness Road that pointed toward Louisville, Kentucky was known as the SKAGGS TRACE and was named for three Irish brothers, HENRY, CHARLES AND RICHARD SKAGGS. Long Hunters who had spent much time in the region according to Kincaid, page 113. There is also a stream known as SKAGGS CREEK.
    During the Revolutionary War, the Indian allies of the British waged war against the Kentucky settlers. Beginning in 1777 the fighting was bitter bringing much loss of life and hardships to the people. Several Skaggs were in the war, at least three of them being killed. Virginia and Kentucky Skaggs in the war included JAMES, JOHN, RICHARD, WILLIAM, ARCHIBALD, HENRY, CHARLES, MOSES, JACOB, JORRE AND AARON [SKAGGS] and a few with the same names as some of the above. MOSES and AARON [SKAGGS] are said to have been killed and also a PETER SKAGGS. Several of them received pensions later according to the records.
    The Draper Manuscripts include a statement that "A number of Skaggs brother came to Green County, Kentucky, most of them very early, long before any settlement, and then they became the earliest settlers. JAMES, HENRY, JOHN, CHARLES AND RICHARD SKAGGS left records in Green County, while MOSES AND AARON [SKAGGS] were said to have been killed there." Note: In 1798 Barren County was split off Green County.
    The Skaggs brothers, sons of JAMES AND RACHEL SKAGGS are believed to have been HENRY, CHARLES, RICHARD, JAMES,JR., AARON, MOSES and possibly JOHN SKAGGS. Many of their descendants still live in Kentucky but as early as 1820 there were three Skaggs in Indiana and at least one is known definitely to be from Kentucky.

[Part 2 & 3 are very lengthy & are not included on this webpage.  Copies of all of the articles may be obtained from the Morgan County Public Library, Martinsville, Indiana, 46151.]

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THE SKAGGS CONNECTION
NEWSLETTER

    The pioneer Skaggs family which came from Virginia to Kentucky in the early 1700's then later to Indiana, Missouri & other places has an extremely interesting and adventurous history.   Some were associated with Daniel Boone, some were "Long Hunters", some were Indian fighters and some were scalped and killed by Indians.  One rode with Quantrill, and some were moonshiners.  Some were devout Baptist preachers - one Rev. Skaggs was unable to sit up during an illness but being held up he preached for an hour then laid down and died.  Others weren't so devout - another Rev. Skaggs abandoned his wife and eloped with his neighbors wife!
    Each issue of the SKAGGS CONNECTION newsletter which was established by Sally Heller in 1995 is packed with interesting stories about many branches of the Skaggs line.  Information for the newsletter is contributed by Skaggs family members and researchers from all over the United States - NEWSLETTER DISCONTINUED - NOVEMBER 1999.  Sally Heller passed away December, 1999 - we all miss her.

 

SKAGGS FAMILY PAGE HOSTED BY SKAGGS DESCENDANT WANDA SPARKMAN

SKAGGS FAMILY RESEARCH SITE

 

 

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