John Skaggs, father of Zachariah?

Many researchers speculate that Zachariah Scaggs was related to Old Peter Scaggs in some way, either his father or his brother.  If so, we would like to know who Zachariah's father was.  There is evidence that Zachariah Scaggs likely had a father named John.

UPDATE: The Skaggs DNA Project has demonstrated that Zachariah Skaggs was NOT the father of Old Peter.

 

The record of the land sale to John Charlton by Zachariah provides some information:

Early Adventures On The Western Waters Volume 2 by Mary Kegley, p. 67:
John Charlton, assignee of Zacharia Skeggs, heir to John Skeggs, commissioner`s certificate,150 acres on the branch of Meadow creek (New River). Settled 1774.
Sept.23, 1780 Montgomery County, Va.

Also, there is a record of the subsequent survey for the land.  The land surveyed to 112 acres, not the 150 estimated at the time of transfer to John Charlton.

Early Adventures On The Western Waters Volume 1 by Mary Kegley, page 309:
1782 John Charlton, 112 acres on branch of Meadow Creek, on Commissioner's certificate, assigned by Zachariah Scaggs, heir-at-law of John Scaggs.                  

The same act that allowed bounty land for service in the French and Indian War also allowed the settling of land claims from the colonial period to 1779, especially for land that had been settled but for which no legal title had been obtained.  Most of this land was on the western frontier of Virginia and persons who had settled on unclaimed land prior to 1778 were eligible to obtain preemption certificates.  Commissioners were appointed to apportion the land, therefore in these cases you see references to settlement dates and commissioner's certificates. 

Since Zachariah was heir-at-law for a John Scaggs on a land sale to John Charlton in 1780, we need to look for a John Scaggs old enough to be father of Zachariah (a John born in the 1720s at the latest) and who died prior to 1780.  Also, this John settled the property in 1774, so we should be looking for Johns in Montgomery County in the 1774 – 1780 time frame.

Let’s take a look:

Lord Dunmore’s War was declared in 1774 against the Indians.  An army from Virginia marched to Point Pleasant and defeated the Indians in a decisive battle on October 10, 1774.  Zachariah and two Johns were in this army, or possibly a single John was enlisted twice, once for two separate engagements during the war.

Dunmore's War (commenced 10/10/1774 at Point Pleasant)
General Andrew Lewis' Army (Battle of Point Pleasant)
Reuben Skaggs
Zachariah Skaggs
Captain James Robert's Company
Charles Skaggs, Sergeant
Aaron Skaggs
John Skaggs
John Skaggs ( two Johns here)
Captain Joseph Cloyd's Company
Charles Skaggs
Richard Skaggs
Captain William Leftwich's Company
Thomas Skaggs
Sergeant Henry Skaggs' detachment (12 men, total)
Henry Skaggs, Sergeant
Aaron Skaggs
Richard Skaggs
Moses Skaggs
Nine or more of the above were from Fincastle County, Virginia

The 1777 Montgomery County, VA loyalty list has three John Scaggs:  a John, John Jr., and John (Gourd Head).  John Jr. is called that not because he was the son of John, but because he was a younger generation than John and Gourd Head.  Also, he was likely too young in 1774 to be in Lord Dunmore’s War.  So we need to sort out these three John Scaggs:

1. There was a John Scaggs, brother to Henry the “Long Hunter,” wounded at the battle of King’s Mountain in 1780.  Some believe his nickname to be “gourd head.”
2. A second John Scaggs, son of Thomas Scaggs of Wolf Creek, born c. 1762 and married Catherine Hicks on February 14, 1786, died c. 1839 in Monroe County, VA.  He would have been too young to be in Dunmore’s War, so he is likely the John Jr. referred to in 1777.
3. An unknown John Scaggs, the John referred to in 1777.  This is our candidate for Zachariah’s father.

 So who was this John, where did he come from and what happened to him?  We have some clues.  There are Skaggs family stories that the Long Hunter brothers came from Maryland.  We know the Meadow Creek area of Montgomery County was first settled in the mid-1740s through land grants to James Patton.  We do know that the Thomas Scaggs of Wolf Creek, father of the John Scaggs #2 above, was born on October 22, 1728 in Prince George’s County, MD to a Richard Scaggs and Mary Brashear ("Maryland, Births and Christenings, 1650-1995," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F48W-PYN : accessed 08 Jan 2013), Richard Scaggs in entry for Thomas Scaggs, 22 Oct 1728; citing reference , FHL microfilm 14304.).

 

If we go back to Maryland and look we find a John Scaggs born August 5, 1721 in Kent County, MD ("Maryland, Births and Christenings, 1650-1995," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F4Z1-QVY : accessed 08 Jan 2013), John Skags, 05 Aug 1721; citing reference , FHL microfilm 14452.).  This John was born early enough to be father of Zachariah and he doesn’t show up again in Maryland.  Perhaps he moved to Virginia in the 1740s?  Who knows, but he’s a good candidate for additional research.

In 1755 the New River settlements on the Virginia frontier were attacked by Indians as one of the initial battles of the French and Indian War.  The following day General Braddock was defeated at Fort Duquesne and the New River settlers had to be evacuated to the Carolinas to avoid being taken captive or scalped.  The British eventually defeated the French and signed a peace treaty in 1763.  It took another year or two for the Indians to settle down. 

John SCAGS on Peter Perkins 1767 List of Tithables in Pittsylvania County, Va.
Zachariah SCAGS on John Wilons 1767 List of Tithables in Pittsylvania County, Va.
Charles SCAGGS on Peter Copland 1767 List of Tithables in Pittsylvania County, Va.

John, Zachariah and Charles Scaggs show up in Pittsylvania County, VA tax rolls in 1767 when it was carved from the existing Halifax County.  This John could be either Zachariah’s father or Charles’ (a Long Hunter) brother, however note the differences in spelling.

1769 Apr. 26, John Skaggs is listed as a witness for a land transaction by James Skaggs and wife Rachel to James Skaggs Jr. 104 acres for 100 lbs. origenaly patented to a Samuel Ratlive on Aug 27, 1753

This John is likely a Long Hunter since James was father to the Long Hunter brothers, including John (John #1 above, Gourd Head).

1773. A list of delinquents* returned for the year 1773 includes ARON SKEGS, Sr., ARON SKEGS, James SKEGGS (little), and John SKEGGS (little).
* This likely means the men were on one of their long hunts in Kentucky / Tennessee.

This John SKEGGS (little) implies a John Skeggs, Sr. present in 1773.  John Skeggs (little) would have been John the brother of the Long Hunters (“Gourd Head”).

Montgomery County Va., Christiansburg Courthouse- 1776 from Botetourt and Fincastle
Copied, by Va., Archives, and photostated, from bonds, etc., Dec 1936.
3-26-1786- A344, Rachel Skeggs daughter of Jno. Skaggs & Ruth Bishop,
married Wm. Lester, son of Martha & Abner Lester.

This record from the Virginia Archives indicates that Rachel Skeggs, daughter of John Skaggs and Ruth Bishop, was married to William Lester, son of Martha and Abner Lester on March 26, 1786.  So John Scaggs had a daughter Rachel likely born sometime in the mid-1760s.  It also indicates he had a wife, Ruth, who was known as Ruth Bishop at the time of Rachel’s marriage.  This would be consistent with Ruth as a remarried widow of John Scaggs.