Stages and Stage Drivers continued—Gen. Taylor approaching Cumberland—Early Coaches—The first Troy Coach on the Road—Mr. Reeside and Gen. Jackson—John Buck—Accidents—Kangaroo and Bob-tail Teams—John Mills and William Bishop—Celebration at Cumberland—David Bonebraker, Hanson Willison, and a long list of other old drivers—Billy Willis and Peter Burdine—Fare Rates—The Way Bill—The Landlords—Pilot and Pioneer Lines—Compensation of Stage Drivers—Hopwood’s Row—Withdrawal of the lines—The dignity of stage drivers, estimated by an old pike boy.

Scharts’ history of Western Maryland gives the following account of President Taylor’s ride over the mountain division of the road, when on his way to Washington to be inaugurated:

“President Taylor and his party were, in 1849, conveyed over the road under the marshalship of that most indefatigable Whig, Thomas Shriver, who, with some other Cumberlanders, proceeded to the Ohio river and met the presidential party. Among the party were statesmen, politicians, and office-hunters, notably Col. Bullet, a brilliant editor from New Orleans, who was to occupy a relation to President Taylor something like that of Henry J. Raymond to Lincoln. The road was a perfect glare of ice, and everything above ground was literally plated with sleeted frost. The scenery was beautiful; to native mountaineers too common to be of much interest, but to a Southerner like Gen. Taylor, who had never seen the like, it was a phenomenon. In going down a spur of Meadow Mountain, the presidential coach, with the others, danced and waltzed on the polished road, first on one side and then on the other, with every sign of an immediate capsize, but the coaches were manned with the most expert of the whole corps of drivers. Shriver was in the rear, and in the greatest trepidation for the safety of the President. He seemed to feel himself responsible for the security of the head of the Nation. Down each hill and mountain his bare head could be seen protruding through the window of his coach to discover if the President’s coach was still upon wheels. The iron gray head of the General could almost with the same frequency be seen outside of his window, not to see after anybody’s safety, but to look upon what seemed to him an arctic panorama. After a ride of many miles the last long slope was passed and everything was safe. At twilight the Narrows were reached, two miles west of Cumberland, one of the boldest and most sublime views on the Atlantic slope. Gen. Taylor assumed authority and ordered a halt, and out he got in the storm and snow and looked at the giddy heights on either side of Wills creek, until he had taken in the grandeur of the scenery. He had beheld nothing like it before, even in his campaigns in Northern Mexico. The President-elect was tendered a reception on his arrival at Cumberland, and the next morning he and his party left on the cars for Washington.”

At an early day there was a coach factory at or near the Little Crossings, where many of the first passenger coaches used on the road were made. They were without thorough braces, or springs of any kind. Their bodies were long, and the inside seats for passengers placed crosswise. They had but one door, and that was in the front, so that passengers on entering were compelled to climb over the front seats to reach those in the rear.

The first coach of the Troy pattern was placed on the road in the year 1829 by James Reeside, and tradition has it that he won this coach with a bet on Gen. Jackson’s election to the presidency. Mr. Reeside was desirous that Gen. Jackson should be the first person to ride in this coach, and accordingly tendered it to the President-elect when on his way to Washington, who true to his habit of refusing gifts, declined the proffered compliment as to himself, but consented that his family might occupy the coach. Charley Howell was the driver, and his team was one of the finest on the road. Many coaches were brought out on the road afterward from the Troy and Concord factories. These coaches cost between five and six hundred dollars each.

John Buck was one of the oldest and best stage drivers on the road. He lived in Washington, Pennsylvania, and drove on the old line in the life-time of Daniel Moore, and was a great favorite of that ancient stage proprietor. When Lafayette visited Washington in 1825, Mr. Moore was active and prominent in arranging for his reception at that place, and assigned John Buck to drive the coach in which the illustrious visitor entered the town. It was a proud day for the old driver, who shared with the hero of the occasion, the plaudits of the people. Buck subsequently became the senior member of the firm of Buck, Lyon & Wolf, contractors, who built most of the locks and dams on the Muskingum river, in the State of Ohio. This old firm was called the “Menagerie Company,” on account of the names of its members.

William Robinson (not “Billy”) suffered an “upset” at Somerfield, in 1832, with a full load of passengers going west. The stage coach had but one door, and to bring up the door side to the Endsley tavern, in Somerfield, it was necessary to wheel around. Robinson turned his team with such rapidity as to overturn the coach, and the passengers were all tumbled out in a pile, but none of them were seriously hurt. Wash. Alridge threw a coach over on the Conway hill, near Somerfield, inflicting a severe spinal injury upon a passenger who lived in Cincinnati. The sufferer was cared for at the tavern in Jockey Hollow, kept at the time by Aaron Wyatt. The stage company (old line) paid the injured passenger a considerable sum in damages, without suit. A passenger by the name of Merrill, of Indianapolis, had a leg broken by the upsetting of a coach at the turn of the road, above Somerfield; Samuel Jaco was the driver. William Roach, a well known driver, was killed in an “upset” at the Little Crossings bridge, about the year 1837. This seems to have been a different accident from that which occurred near the same place in 1835, related in the sketch of John Marker. Marker witnessed the accident of 1835, and states that the driver who was killed at that time was James Rhodes. David Stinson, an old driver, was killed by an “upset” on Woodcock Hill. Woodcock Hill is a short distance west of Thomas Brownfield’s old Mt. Augusta tavern, and is the highest peak on the road in Fayette county, Pennsylvania. Charley Howell upset in 1835, coming down the Winding Ridge Hill, and was badly hurt. He had a leg and arm broken, and was nursed at Connelly’s tavern, in Petersburg, for many months before he recovered.

In 1834 or 1835, Mr. Stockton transferred a number of stage teams and drivers, from the Baltimore and Washington City road, to the National Road. Two of these teams ran in and out from Somerfield. One called “the Kangaroo team” was driven by John Mills. They were large, dark bays, and much admired by lovers of fine horses. Mills knew how to handle them. He was a superb driver. Another of these “transferred” teams was driven by William Bishop. The horses in this team were light bays, all “bob-tails,” and notwithstanding there was but one good eye in the whole team, and all were “sprung in the knees,” it is asserted by many old pike boys that this unique and “blemished” team was the fastest on the road. It was brought out from the Baltimore and Washington road by Charles Howell, who drove it a short time before it was turned over to William Bishop. Bishop was a capital reinsman.

The preservation of the National Road was considered so vital to the general welfare by everybody living upon its line and adjacent to it, that the deepest interest was manifested in the success of every measure proposed for its benefit. There was no powerful and paid “lobby” around the halls of Congress when the Cumberland Road was the highway of the Republic, as there is at this day, but all measures planned and presented for its preservation and repair, were carefully watched and guarded by such statesmen as Henry Clay, Daniel Sturgeon, Andrew Stewart, T. M. T. McKennan, Lewis Steenrod, W. T. Hamilton, and Henry W. Beeson. The following from a Cumberland paper published in that place sixty years ago shows the popular feeling in behalf of the road at that date:

“The citizens of the town on the 21st of May, 1832, in demonstration of their great joy growing out of the appropriation made by the National Government for the repair of the Cumberland Road, made arrangements for the celebration of that event. In pursuance of that arrangement, Samuel Slicer illuminated his large and splendid hotel, which patriotic example was followed by James Black. In addition to the illumination, Mr. Bunting (our famous ‘old Red’), agent of L. W. Stockton, ordered out a coach, drawn by four large gray stallions, driven by George Shuck. The stage was beautifully illuminated, which presented to the generous citizens of this place a novelty calculated to impress upon the minds of all who witnessed it the great benefits they anticipated by having the road repaired. There were also seated upon the top of the vehicle several gentlemen who played on various instruments, which contributed very much to the amusement of the citizens and gave a zest to everything that inspired delight or created feelings of patriotism. They started from the front of Mr. Slicer’s hotel, and as they moved on slowly the band played ‘Hail Columbia,’ ‘Freemasons’ March,’ ‘Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine,’ ‘Washington’s March,’ together with a new tune composed by Mr. Mobley, of this place, and named by the gentlemen on the stage, ‘The Lady We Love Best,’ and many others, as they passed through the principal streets of the town. On their return they played ‘Home, Sweet Home,’ to the admiration of all who heard it.”

David Bonebraker was a stage driver of good reputation, and a general favorite. While his name would import otherwise, he was a careful driver and never during his whole service did he break a bone of man or beast. He was a large, fine looking man, and drove between Somerfield and Mt. Washington as early as 1831, and for a number of years thereafter.

Hanson Willison was early on the road as a stage driver, and none of his fellow drivers excelled him in skillfulness. He drove a brief period between Uniontown and Brownsville, but for the most part in and out from Cumberland. He is still living in Cumberland, proprietor of the American House livery stables, and doing a profitable business. He retains the habits of the early days of the road, generous almost to a fault, perfectly familiar with the road’s history, his memory is well stored with its exciting incidents and accidents. Hanson Willison and Ashael Willison before mentioned, are brothers.

The few remaining old folks who witnessed the exciting scenes of the National Road in its palmy days, will readily recall the following old stage drivers: John Griffith, William Witham, George Lukens, Wash Alters, Hank Smith, John Heinselman, Barney Strader, John Munson, West Crawford, James Chair, William Roberts, Vin Huffman, John Windell, a small, thin faced man, with rings in his ears, one of the earliest drivers, William Saint, who was also a blacksmith, and worked, occasionally, at his trade in Uniontown. He went to Texas before the civil war, and died there. Lewis Gribble, son of John, the old wagoner and tavern keeper. He went to Virginia, drove stage in that State, and died there. John Sparker, John Snell, David Oller, Joseph Henderson, a steady-going man, mentioned among the old tavern keepers in connection with the “Gals house,” David Armor, William Armor, Samuel Oller, and William Dickey. The Ollers, the Armors, Dickey and Henderson were of Washington, Pa. Jacob Snyder, subsequently manager and proprietor of the Shipley house, in Cumberland. William and George Grim, John Zane, James Schaverns, Joseph Vanhorn, John McIlree, Jesse Boring, John Munson, John Ruth, David Jones, Benjamin Miller, subsequently tavern keeper in the old Mannypenny house, Uniontown. An early line of stages stopped at Miller’s. James Mannypenny, Thomas Fee, Walter Head, educated for the ministry, Thomas and Edward McVenus, William Totten, William Vanhorn, Spencer Motherspaw, James Griffith, Abram Dedrick, William Fowler, Thomas Chilson, William Jones, Andrew Heck, John Fink, William Irwin, James Sampey, subsequently and for many years owner and manager of the tavern at Mt. Washington, where the Good Intent line changed horses and passengers often stopped for meals; Isaac Newton, Robert Jackson, a young man of diminutive size, from one of the New England States, whose father came and took him home; James Dennison, subsequently tavern keeper at Claysville and at Hopwood; Isaac Newton, died at Mt. Washington when John Foster kept the tavern at that point; Matthew Byers, Hugh Drum, John Hendrix, Alexander Thompson, William Hart, Charles Kemp, Ben Watkins, Ben Watson, John and Andrew Shaffer, Garret Clark, Garret Minster, John Ferrell, James Lynch, John Seaman, James Reynolds, John Bunting, Lindy Adams, Leander Fisk, James Derlin, Aaron Wyatt, James Andrews, Alfred Haney, Wash Bodkin, William Crawford, Charles Cherry, William Hammers, Addis Lynn, Harry, Nelse and Jack Hammers, Nimrod, Joseph, Jack and William Sopher, John and Joseph Pomroy, William and Watt Whisson, John McCollough, William Miller, son of Charley, the old tavern keeper west of Hillsborough; Robert McIlheney, John McMack, Thomas, Joshua and William Boyd, John Parsons, Matthew Davis, one of the oldest, and still living at Brownsville; John W. Boyce, George Wiggins, brother of Harrison, the old fox hunter of the mountains; Robert Bennett, William White, David Reynolds, James McIllree, Fred Buckingham, Thomas and William Noble.

William Noble died in Washington, Pennsylvania, Jan. 26, 1894.

Robert McIlheny, after relinquishing the reins and whip, became an agent for the sale of the celebrated Hayes buggies, of Washington.

John Parsons left the road to take charge of a hotel in Bridgeville, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania. Alfred Haney went South, became baggagemaster on a Southern railroad, and was killed in an accident. Charley Cherry had the manners of a savage, and was called “the big savage man,” but it is not known that he ever wantonly shed the blood of a fellow being.

James McIlree drove between Washington and Wheeling.

Hugh Drum was called “Mickey Murray.” He lingered for a while on the road after its glory departed, and pushed out for New York, where he engaged to drive an omnibus. What became of him in the subsequent shifting sands of time is not known, but presumably he has gone to the unknown world.

MATT. DAVIS.