Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/195

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

ment to the troops. In December, 1782, he joined in an attack on a lot of British barges off Accomack Bay, but the Americans were defeated and Cropper was wounded and taken prisoner. Subsequently he was a member of the house of delegates (1784- 1792). In the war of 181 2 he served as colonel of militia, and in 1815 he was com- missioned brigadier-general of the Twenty- first Brigade. Served in the state senate from 1813 10 1817, and in 1816 was president of the Virginia branch of the Cincinnati Society. He was a g^eat friend of Gen. Washington, and spoke always in most affectionate terms of the great commander. He died at his residence. January 15, 1821. His daughter, Sarah Corbin, married Major John Wise, speaker of the senate, and was mother of Gen. Henry A. Wise.

Kenton, Simon, born in Fauquier county, Virginia, in March, 1755, of Scotch and Irish parents. He did field labor, and in his sixteenth year, in a quarrel arising from a love affair, severely wounded his rival, and fled to the mountains. At Cheat river he changed his name to Simon Butler, and with George Yeager and John Strader en- gaged in hunting. In 1771 went exploring tc •*Kaintuckce," and later, while hunting along the Little Kanawha, they were at- tacked by Indians and retreated to the Green Briar. Kenton was afterward a spy for Lord Dunmore, at Fort Pitt. Later he again explored Kentucky, and planted the first corn there. The settlement was re- peatedly attacked by Indians, and Kenton is credited with saving the life of Daniel Boone. In 1778 he was captured by In- dians, and after being tortured was doomed to death, but was saved by Samuel Girty. He was afterward to be burned, but through

intercession of Chief Logan was held for ransom, and subsequently escaped. He traveled to Vincennes and joined Gen. George Rogers Clark, who made him cap- tain of a company of volunteers at Harrod's Station. After defeating the Indians the company was disbanded, and Kenton, learn- ing that his foeman of years ago had sur- vived his wounds, resumed his proper name, and returned home. In 1784 he founded a settlement at Limestone, and g^ve to Arthur Fox and William Wood a thousand-acre tract on which they laid out the town of Washington. In the Indian war of 1793, Kenton served as major. He was now one of the wealthiest men in Kentucky, but owing to his ignorance of legal proceedings, was reduced to poverty. In 1802 he settled at what became Urbana, Ohio, was made brigadier-general of militia, and served under Gen. Harrison in the battle of Mo- ravia township. He died in Ohio, in April, 1836.

Parmale, Elisha, was born at Goshen, Connecticut, Februar}" 22, 1755, graduated from Harvard in 1778, and in 1779 came to Virginia because of his health and taught in Surry county. In July 1779 he came to Williamsburg, Virginia, and became a mem- ber of the Phi Beta Kappa fraternity of William and Mary College. On December 5. 1779, the society refused him permission to establish a society "to be conducted in a less mysterious manner than the Phi Beta Kappa." They thanked him, however, for his zeal, and granted him leave to establish a branch at Harvard, to be called the Ep- silon, and one at Yale to be called the Zeta, and from these the fraternity spread to many colleges in the North. He settled in Lee, Massachusetts, and was given a church

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