Bogan-Pfahler-Kehrer-Reber-Volkmer

From the obituary of son, Desbery Johnson

His father, James Johnson, moved from Virginia to Pennsylvania about the year 1762. Here, Desbery and his twin brother Griffith were born. Soon the Indians began to ravage the country, and James, with his wife and three children were compelled to retrace their steps over the hills of Pennsylvania to Virginia for safety, carrying the three children on their back.

His father (James Johnson) was a prisoner with the Indians three years and was released after the treaty of Virginia. After his release he was met by the son at Cincinatti O., after an absence of twenty years. At the age of twenty-six he became of member of the Presbyterian Church, with which he stood identified until his death, a period of seventy-six years"

Another Source Says: James Johnson was a Pennsylvania Ranger in the Revolutionary War and lived to be 107 years old. Several stories of the frontier life of this family are available. Resident of West Virginia during Revolutionary War. May have been born 1732. In his religious affiliations James Johnson was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and several of his sons were ministers.

James Johnson lived in Ohio from 1785 to 1839.

Among the "intruders" driven out by the troops of Colonel Harmar at Fort McIntosh was Thomas Johnson, a brother of James Johnson. Not many of the settlers left, and if they did they soon returned with others. If James Johnson's family was not one of those expelled in the spring of 1785, they arrived in the summer or fall of that year. He sold his farm in Westmoreland County, Pa., "with the expectation of acquiring larger possessions farther west" to provide for his "large family". Crossing the Ohio river he "bought some improvements on what was called Beach Bottom Flats, two and a half miles from the river" about three or four miles up Short Creek. He expected to hold the land "by improvement-right under the Virginia claim".

In 1793, when he was passed sixty years of age, James Johnson was sent out from Fort Henry block house at Wheeling, Virginia, with Capt. William Boggs, Robert Maxwell, Joseph Daniels and a ___ Miller to explore the headwaters of Stillwater Creek, now in Harrison County. At night they were surprised by the Indians. Capt. Boggs was scalped after being shot. His companions fled, Johnson and two others succeeding in reaching the block house.

The same year while in camp on McIntire Creek with ___ McIntire and John Layport, two neighbors, the Indians attacked them. James Johnson was captured after a hard struggle but his two companions were killed. He was taken to Sandusky and cruelly punished by the savages. Forced to run the gauntlet, he barely escaped with his life. Finally it was decided to burn him at the stake. After the fagots had been lighted and the red men were dancing about him torturing him, a heavy rainstorm put out the fire. This was taken as a sign of disfavor on the part of the Great Spirit and he was given his freedom as a favored prisoner. He lived two years with the Indians on the lookout continually for a good opportunity to escape. Not until the defeat of the Indians by General Wayne at Fallen Timbers in 1795 was he released in accordance with the terms of the treaty which followed. On one occasion British traders sought to obtain his liberty but without avail. When he finally returned home he was so emaciated, hairy and tattered that his own wife and children did not recognize him. James never tired of telling his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren about his experience with the Wyandotte Indians. In the family annals it vied in interest with the Johnson lads, and as time passed accumulated many embellishments to the original tale.

After 1795, James Johnson settled down as a contented farmer. From Wells township on Short Creek in Jefferson County, he changed his residence several times to improve his economic condition and at last located in Washington township, Harrison County, where he lived until his death in 1839. Like most men of that day he bought and sold land.

From the Collection of Harrison County, Ohio p58

Thomas E. Crawford, for forty years pastor of Nottingham Church, in his book of " Keminiscences," published at Wheeling in 1887. gives the following account of an Indian light which took place within the present boundaries of Harrison county more than a hundred years ago:

The earliest visit of white men of which we have any account, into the territory of which this county was ultimately formed, was in the fall of 1793, when Capt. William Boggs, Kobert JMaxwell, Joseph Daniels, «b»_____Johnson«/b», and ____Miller were sent out from the old blockhouse [Fort Henry], located on the ground afterwards occupied by the city of Wheeling, West Va. These men were Indian scouts and spies. Theymade their excursion from the mouth of Wheeling creek up to the dividing ridge, and crossed over on the evening of the second day after they left the river, to the headwaters of Stillwater, venturing rather far into the interior with so small a force. This little band of daring men struck up a fire and camped at a spring on the banks of a stream, near to the place where the old Crawford brick house now stands. The party prepared and ate their supper, and being much fatigued with the journey of two days through an unbroken wilderness, they lay down to rest around the burning embers of a camp fire, not expecting an enemy near, for they had seen no recent traces of the red man from the time they left the Fort. Soon they were wrapped in sleep, only to be awakened and startled by the hideous yell of Indians, followed by the report of fire arms. A ball took effect in the knee of Captain Boggs, which so crippled him that he was unable to flee. He called to his companions, " ]\Iake your escape, if possible, and leave me to my fate," which they did, leaving their brave leader to perish at the hands of a terrif)le and cruel foe. Three out of the four that fled arrived safely at the block-house, and reported the disaster that befell their expedition. Measures were immediately taken, and a company of men was sent out in a short time to seek for the remains of Mr. Boggs. After much precaution in travel, the party found the place where the spies had encamped on that fatal night, and soon discovered the mutilated body of their captain ; took up the remains and buried them a few rods northeast from the above-named spring, on one of the tributary streams of Big Stillwater, which ever after has been called "Boggs' Fork," from the name of this adventuring but imfortunate man. It is to be regretted that all traces of the grave of this brave and trustworthy soldier have disappeared. Prove to be son of Anona Pfahler and Chester Bogan (married 16 Nov 1916, Crawford Co, OH) Born 15 May 1917 (North Robinson, Crawford Co, OH) Died 23 Mar 2006, Bucyrus, Crawford, Ohio