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Editor's Note:
Readers of The Kentucky Explorer have been introduced to the
Rev. John J. Dickey in past issues. Remember that he was a traveling
preacher throughout the eastern part of the state during the
years between 1880 and 1925. He helped to establish numerous
churches and at least two colleges. He was also a teacher and
a newspaper editor. However, his most enduring gift to us today
may well be his diary that he kept faithfully during some 50
years of his later life beginning in the 1880s. In all, over
6,000 pages written in his own hand make up this interesting
digest.
In this journal of his, Dickey often wrote down accounts of events
daily. Much of the material concerns his day to day life. However,
during the late 1890s he began to gather family history on various
families he met in his travels. We are offering these interviews
to our readers in the hope that they will be appreciated in the
sense that Rev. Dickey intended. These interviews were written
word for word as they were given to Rev. Dickey. Nothing has
been changed.
Lital Hughes
Sexton's Creek
March 19,
1898
I was born in Lee County, Virginia, March 26, 1827. My father
was William Hughes. He was born in Washington County, Virginia.
Bounteville in about 1794. He was a soldier in the War of 1812.
He enlisted when he was 18 years old. He was in Col. Sharp's
regiment. Col. Sharp lived and died near Jonesville, Virginia.
Andrew Bailey of Lee County, Virginia, was a soldier in the same
war. Andrew Bailey came to Harlan County, and his descendents
are scattered through the mountains of Kentucky. One of the early
settlers of Lee County, Virginia, was Joseph Coger. He is the
grandfather of Fayette Rawlings wife. He was a doctor. He was
a strong man. Jack Coger, his son, was a good man. He was the
father of the Rawlings and lived on Wallen's Creek, Lee County,
Virginia. He removed to Sexton's Creek, Clay County, before the
war about 1854. Winston Huff, my wife's father, was born in Lee
County, also. His father, James Huff, was born in Ireland. He
was one of the first settlers in Lee County. There were Indians
then. James Huff was active as a leader in defending the settlers.
He was sheriff, a member of the Legislature, and a member of
Congress. Winston Huff was named for William Winston who was
the friend of James Huff when either in Congress or the Legislature.
My grandfather was Isaac Hughes. He was born in Ireland. He married
Alcey White, sister of General Hugh White. My father-in-law gave
his wife a Negro man. She gave him for 10,000 acres of land on
the waters of the North Fork of Powell's River, nine miles from
Jonesville. It extended to Yokum's Station. James Huff was in
the company that killed Benge. He lived to be 102 years old.
My grandfather lived and died on ________ land. It was valuable
land. He gave each of his children a farm. His descendants lived
in Tennessee and Missouri. His son, Eli Hughes, circuit clerk
of St. Louis, was a very wealthy man. I left Virginia soon after
I married. My wife lived in Harlan. My father-in-law, Winston
Huff, bought a farm on Sexton's Creek and gave it to us, and
we located on it December 27, 1857. Millard Hughes, our son,
was born September 18, 1858. He is now evangelizing in the Southern
Methodist Church.
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