Nicholas County in the Civil War

The Carnifex Connection

On my trip to West Virginia in 2002, my son and I visited the Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park in Nicholas County. This link will give you an account of the battle: The Battle of Carnifex Ferry. Alternatively, you can use this link to learn more about the park and the battle.

One of the reasons I wanted to visit was because I was working on my McVey book, and the house that was on the site of the battlefield had been owned by Mary Ann McVey Patterson and her husband Henry Patterson/Patteson. They were the grandparents of West Virginia governor Okey Patteson. The home on the site now is a reconstruction, but the original house is shown in the second photo. I cannot now locate it on the West Virginia Culture website or I would provide a link.

Below is a short pedigree of Governor Okey Patteson. Our common ancestors are Samuel Lewis McVey and Jane Paxton. I am descended from Thomas, a brother of William Steele McVey.

Here is some information about some of the people in the chart. These comments were originally included in my book about the McVey Families of West Virginia.

Okey Patteson

Information compiled by the West Virginia State Archives indicates that Okey Patteson was raised at Mount Hope in Fayette County, West Virginia. He attended West Virginia Wesleyan College and the Carnegie Institute of Technology. After graduation, he sold automobiles and real estate in Mount Hope. A hunting accident in 1932 forced the amputation of both legs below the knees. From 1935 to 1941, he served on the Fayette County Court and served as County sheriff from 1941 to 1945. He was state Democratic campaign manager for Clarence Watson Meadows in the 1944 gubernatorial election. Later, Governor Meadows named Patteson as a personal assistant. During his term as governor, Patteson was responsible for the relocation of the state School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Nursing to Morgantown. His administration was responsible for the creation of the position of state Tax Commissioner and gave cities the power to levy sales taxes. After his term as governor, Patteson returned to Mount Hope to his real estate business but was soon named general manager of the West Virginia Turnpike Commission, which had been organized in 1952. Later he opened a real estate business in Charleston and became president of Raleigh County Bank. Governor Arch Moore (Jr.) named Patteson to the Board of Regents in 1969.

Leonidas C. Patteson

He lived at Kessler's Cross Lanes in Nicholas County, West Virginia. Later, he and his wife moved to Dingess in Mingo County. This is where their son Okey was born.

Henry P. Patterson

Census records for 1860-1880 list Henry Patterson as a farmer in Nicholas County, Virginia/West Virginia. His real estate holdings were valued at $1500. Some of Henry's descendants later changed the spelling of their name to Patteson.

Mary Ann McVey Patterson

The 1850 Fayette County census shows Mary's parents, William Steele McVey and Elizabeth Carnifex McVey, living next door to William Carnifex, age 66, and Nancy Carnifex, age 57. Apparently Mary Ann lived in Fayette County at least until her marriage to Henry Patterson in 1853.

The following information found in History of Nicholas County, West Virginia, by William Griffee Brown, p. 300, relates to this Mary A. McVey: "Mary A. McVey, granddaughter of William Carnefix, married Henry Patterson, and they settled on the site of what is now Carnefix (Ferry) Battlefield State Park, and this land was given her by William Carnefix." [Note spelling variation.]

William Steele McVey

William married Elizabeth Carnifex in 1833 in Fayette County. They had four known children, at least two of whom died before adulthood. There is record of William applying for a license to keep a tavern in Fayette County in 1837 with his brother Thomas. At this time, the James River and Kanawha Turnpike (now Rt. 60) was heavily traveled, and travelers needed places to stay.

In 1847, William purchased 300 acres on the waters of New River in Fayette County. The 1850 Fayette County census records him as William S. McVay, millwright. On one side, his neighbor was Jacob Koontz, father of Elizabeth Koontz, William's sister-in-law. On the other side, his neighbor was William Carnifex, 66, who was his father-in-law. John Carnifex, age 73, was living in the McVey household, relationship unknown. In addition, Esther Paxton lived in the home and was listed as a pauper. This individual was probably related to Jane Paxton, mother of William Steele McVey.

Panorama of Fayette County, by John Cavalier, states that William S. McVey was the postmaster at Clifty post office in 1854. In the 1860 Fayette County census, William was listed as a merchant.

There were several in the family who died around the same time, and the cause may have been typhus.

William S. McVey and his wife Elizabeth Carnifex McVey are buried in a cemetery overlooking Meadow river, about 5.9 miles out Sunday Road and then a mile or so out a dirt road on the right.

Nearby, as shown by the 1860 Nicholas County census, lived Mary Ann's cousin, Isabella McVey, daughter of Alexander, with her husband, William G. Miller.

The Patterson property later became a state park because it was the scene of the Battle of Carnifex Ferry during the Civil War. During the battle, the Patterson home was used as military headquarters. The home has been preserved and is located within the park.

Elizabeth Carnifex

The Carnifex surname has many spelling variations. The spelling used here is the same as the spelling at Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park in Nicholas County, West Virginia.

William Carnifex

"In 1832 William Carnifex sold his farm of several hundred acres to Henry Crist and went to Carnifex Ferry where he built a mill. In the deed was reserved the burial ground since known as the Crist Cemetery. A few graves were there at that time." (History of Fayette County, West Virginia, by Carden and Peters). His will is available online at Ancestry.com and provides a lot of information about his family.

Do check out the links at the top of the page to learn more about the Battle of Carnifex Ferry.

The links below are for Amazon.com products related to the battle.