“In 1815 Samuel Gist died, and Wickham of Richmond, Va. (in conjunction with his father-in-law, Page), who had been appointed Gist’s agent, proceeded to execute his will.  Accordingly through parties in Hillsboro, Ohio, 1,112 acres of land near Georgetown, and 1,200 acres west of Fincastle, in Eagle Township, were purchased for homes for these slaves.  These lands were covered with thickets of undergrowth and sloughs of stagnant water and were almost valueless at that time for any purpose other than pasturage.  Here in June, 1818, came nearly 900 persons, a part of whom located on the Georgetown lands, the remainder on the Fincastle purchase.  Their ‘comfortable homes’ lay in the wild region about them; the education they received was in the stern school of adversity.  As a matter of course, they did not prosper.  Some who were able returned to Virginia.  Others built rude huts and began clearing away the forest.  What little money they had was soon spent.  Scheming white men planned to get their personal property.  They became involved in numerous law suits among themselves, and so from various causes they were reduced almost to pauperism.  In later years their lands have been sold, so that at present but few families remain as relics of this once large settlement.  Among the first families that settled in this township were the following, most of whom had families: 

“Jacob Cumberland, George Cumberland, Samuel Hudson, Gabriel York, James Gist, Gabriel Johnson, Joseph Locust, James Cluff, ——­ Davis, Sol Garrison, ——­ Pearsons, ——­ Williams, Glascow Ellis, and Tom Fox.  ‘Old Sam Hudson,’ as he was familiarly known, was an odd character, and many anecdotes are yet related of him.  At one time he was sent to the State Prison at Columbus for making unlawful use of another man’s horse, and so it happened that a white man named Demitt accompanied him for a like offense.  Upon being interrogated as to his occupation, Sam answered, ‘Preacher ob de Gospel!’ Turning to Demitt, the officer asked, ‘What’s your occupation?’ ‘I clerk for Sam,’ was the shrewd reply.

“Richmond Cumberland (’Blind Dick’), Meredith Cumberland, Taylor Davis, Moses Cumberland, Ephraim Johnson, and Winston Cumberland were also born in Virginia.”—­History of Brown County, Ohio (edition 1883), p. 592.

During these years according to the letter below another group of Negroes found their way into Jefferson County, Ohio.

     Dear Sir: