Fraley Family History & Genealogy

George Washington Fraley "Wash" born April 16, 1837, Floyd County, KY, to Daniel Fraley and Mary Hatfield Fraley. GW is listed on his father's Daniel Fraley 1850 Floyd County KY Census.
George W married First Mathilda Yates, March 1,1860 in Floyd County, KY. George and Matilda's first son, William was born in Dec. 1860.
G W enlisted in the 5th Kentucky infantry, Co A. "Twelve Month Men", on October 16 1861, for the Confederate States of America.
George served under Col. A.J. May "Morgan County", and Capt. Thomas R. Worsham. He served under Col. May at Piketon, when the Federal's moved against Piketon. The 5th infantry used squirrel rifles, shotguns, and flintlock muskets against the Federal's.

During the cold months the regiment, including GW, in southeastern Ky endured chilling rains, winds and snow. George was there in Feb. when the regiment participated in the Battle of Middle Creek, and in May, under Col. Marshall, they defeated General Cox at Princeton, VA. The twelve months men, covered a lot of ground, while marching and counter marching on the borders of Kentucky, West Virginia, from Princeton, VA to Bristol, Tennessee, guarding Mountain passes and salt works against raiders. They were called Col. Marshall's foot calvary.
When it was time to re-enlist or muster out in October of 1862, Most of the twelve month men, along with G W Fraley, proposed that they would re-enlist for the war, and could furnish their own mounts, is they were permitted to go into the mounted service. General Marshall refused them, so when the regiment arrived in Salyersville, three hundred and forty three men, including George Washing Fraley were mustered out of the service. GW was mustered October 16, 1862, and took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States Government on August 12, 1864.

After the service George and Matilda's Daughter Mary Elizabeth was born in Floyd county in 1862 and son James in 1864. Matilda could have died at the time of James birth, or shortly after.

George married second, Charlotte Yates March 5 1869 in Wayne County W VA. Charlotte was the daughter of James Yates and Elizabeth Neal Yates.

George and Charlotte "Lottie" were on the 1870 Lawrence County, Ohio Census in Perry Twp. , with Wm, Mary E., and James. They lived three houses from his brother Samuel and Polly Fraley. Their first born John was born in Lawrence County, Ohio. By 1875 GW and Lottie were back in Floyd County, KY., where my gg grandfather James Monroe Fraley was born.
George and Lottie were still in Floyd County, Ky in 1880.
By 1890 they were living in Johnson County, KY. George was an itinerate laborer. He worked cutting timber and making cross toes for the railroad. He was a coal miner and a pole man on the Sandy and Licking River, as well as a farmer and a preacher.
George and Lottie raised eight Children of their own as well as his three children from his first marriage.

In March 1898, while at the home of son, James Monroe Fraley and Laure B Salyers Fraley, Lottie passed away of the Flux, outside of Salyersville in Magoffin Co Ky.

April 24,1914, in the matter of CSA Pension claim of Emily J Poe, Widow of Meredeth Poe, Co F & D, 14th Ky Inf, George Washington Fraley appeared in court in Magoffin Co Ky, being duly sworn, declared that he was well acquainted with Steve Stone, first husband of Emily J Poe, the claimant, and knows that said Steve Stone died on January 28,1898, and that said claimant married Meredeth Poe several years after her first husbands death. That he is well acquainted with the claimant. She was called Jane Risner, and her maiden name was Risner, and she was called by that name after her first husbands death, although she was the widow of the said Steve Stone at the time. She was married to the Soldier Meredeth Poe. G.W.Fraley signed his Mark, with Nannie Hackworth and Anthony Hackworth's signatures as witnesses.

George filed his applicant for CSA pension August 27,1914, and the pension was granted on August 28,1914 by B.C. May, Judge of the Floyd County Court. George stated he was living in Brainard, Ky at the time.

In 1918 George moved with his son James Monroe, and family to Harden Co Ohio, This is where he enjoyed fishing with his grandson Rice Fraley and telling him family stories.
In 1920 George was living in the household of his daughter Bell and her husband Wiley Salyers in Harden County Ohio.

My uncle Tom Fraley, youngest son of James Monroe, told me one time that George died while fishing on a river, May 22,1923 in Alger, Ohio. His funeral was held in son, James home May 23 1923. George Washington Fraley is buried in the Preston Cemetery in Marion two., Hardin Co Ohio, next to his granddaughter Sadie Fraley.

My Great Uncle Rice Fraley told this story to my Aunt Lucy Dudek.
Uncle Rice Fraley, while fishing with his grampa George Washington Fraley, when they were fishing on a river bank in Ohio, was told this story.
James Fraley, born 1759, and his brother Dan b 1790, migrated from Russell County, Va to Floyd County Ky, where they raised their families.
Daniel," G.W. Fraley's dad," lived on land inherited from GW's mother, Polly's father. GW told Rice that Daniel was a old Melita man.
Dan and his brother, James, being a old Melita man , and former Indian scout, during the Revolution, would leave their families and be gone in the mountains for Weeks at a time, and my gramma Polly, being a true pioneer woman, took care of their home and children, while Grampa was gone.
James and Grampa Dan hunted Indians and were paid twenty-five cents per scalp by the Indian agent at Pt. Pleasant, Ohio.
On one of their trips, after collecting their bounty, the two brothers started for their homes, on the Big Sandy River area of Floyd County, Kentucky.
After parting ways, Daniel was in site of his cabin, when without Daniel knowing, a big black bear had started following and tracking him. When Dan was within earshot, he began calling to his wife Polly and children, as he usually did, to announce his home coming. When Polly saw Dan come into view, she also saw the black bear, and realizing that Dan did not know he was being stalked by the bear, who was fastly closing the gap between him and Dan, Polly began yelling for Dan to run. Polly then opened the front and back door of the cabin,( which was a shotgun cabin, with a Straight path from the front to the back door.) Polly yelled to Dan to enter the cabin and climb to the loft. Dan running as fast as he could and got into the loft without the bear seeing him. The bear in hot pursuit ran in the front door and straight out the back door of the cabin. Polly quickly closed and put the bars on the doors.

Story told to Rice Fraley born May 17 1914, Floyd County Ky., when Rice was about ten years old, by his grampa George Washington Fraley, son of Daniel Fraley, who was a son of Frederick Fraley.
Uncle Rice said he used to go fishing with his grampa G W Fraley when they lived in Ohio. They would sit on the river bank and fish and G W would tell him stories, about his father Daniel and his Grampa Frederick Fraley.
G W told him that Frederick, along with one of the older sons, walked a long distance from their home carrying a canoe. Frederick was about nine years old. The mother and seven brothers stayed behind at their home in in Pennsylvania. Fred and my uncle put the canoe in the head of the Ohio River, (Now the Pittsburgh). They went down the river to Virginia, in the company of a Indian scout.
Going by canoe, and over land carrying the canoe, Fred found where he wanted to bring his family in Virginia.
Fred and my uncle built a cabin and then returned the same way to Pennsylvania, to move his wife and children to Virginia. Grampa G W said they endured many hardships with this move.
Was this just a story told by a grampa to his grandson while fishing? Or was it a verbal history? No one can prove how Frederick Fraley reached Virginia.
This was told to my Aunt Lucy Dudek by my great Uncle Rice Fraley.