Red Coats, and Timber Wolves, and Bears, Oh My!

Abraham Bope was my 4 times Paternal Great Grandfather born in Rockingham County, VA in 1763.  According to the Daughters of the American Revolution  (DAR) records and the Revolutionary war plaque on his grave, Abraham was a Patriot in the Revolutionary War and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, VA in 1781. The war continued in other theaters, but this victory at Yorktown basically ended the battles in the Colonies. Abraham was only 18 years old. 

Surrender of Lord Cornwallis
by John Trumbull
Depicting the British surrendering to French (left) and American (right) troops, 1820                                                                                                               

Abraham moved from Virginia to Ohio with his family.  Abraham was about 40 at the time of the move. The Bopes settled in the north-eastern part of Pleasant Township, Fairfield County, Ohio. The area was still mostly wilderness, and the essentials such as food and warmth were scarce. 

 There is a family story that  happened shortly after the Bopes settled in the township. One night Abraham  was returning  from a neighbor's when he was chased by wolves. He fired his rifle, but failed to frighten them away.  Unable to scare them by firing his rifle he decided to climb a  small tree. He reloaded his rifle, and fired again but the unwelcome guests would not leave. Abraham started yelling for help and was eventually heard by nearby neighbors who came to his call. Getting as close as they could to communicate with Abraham, and finding that the wolves were not relenting or leaving their potential prey, the neighbors suggested that he stay in the branches all night and hope that when daylight came the wolves would leave.

 When daylight appeared, the wolves fled, and he was able to leave his unpleasant night lodging. Abraham was a great hunter and many wild animals of the forest succumbed to his trusty rifle, but not these wolves on this night.

Timber Wolves were in Ohio in the 1800s. I would have stayed in that tree too. Scary! 

Another story told in the history books of Fairfield County, Ohio was about a bear discovered near the Bope`s house. Abraham took his favorite old Virginia dog and his gun, and went after the bear. His first shot wounded the bear and made him savage. The dog went after the bear, and was picked up by the Bruin. The bear was about to press the last breath of life out of the dog, when Abraham went to his dog's rescue. The bear instantly dropped the dog and started chasing after Abraham. The Bruin fastened his teeth in the garments of the frightened man. At this moment Mrs. Sybilla Bope, Abraham`s wife, arrived, and after assessing the situation, advanced on the beast in a threatening manner. The bear seeing this, released his hold on Abraham`s garments, and made for Sybilla. 

There was a hickory-tree close by that had been broken by a storm, the upper end of the trunk still resting on the stump twenty feet from the ground, and the top lying on ground, thus forming an inclined plane of about forty-five degrees. Abraham called to his wife to run for her life; but she being still young and full of vigor, began the ascent up the fallen tree. The dog by this time recovered his breath, and came again to defend his master. In the meantime, Abraham had re-loaded, and shot the bear broadside, without however, bringing it down.
 
The bear placed his back against a tree and stood upright, so he could use his powerful paws. While standing there turning his head in all directions to be able to see if anyone was approaching, he caught sight of Sybilla perched on the stump twenty feet above him. In an instant he made for the stump, and began the climb after Sybilla.  Abraham, realizing that from the positions of all the participants, wife, dog, and bear and  he in this drama was the absolute master of the situation. He shot a ball into the Bruin. The bear fell dead at his feet. Seven balls were said to have been lodged in his body before he finally died.

The picture on the left is a brown bear (Grizzly) and the picture on the right is a black bear. The story identifies the bear as a Bruin or brown bear, but I cannot find any proof that there were brown bears that far east in the early 1800s. Black bears are not always black in color and they are in Ohio currently, so it is possible that the bear in the story was a black bear. Brown or black, bears are scary and I wouldn`t want to see one outside of a Zoo. 

The Bope`s bravery gene did not get passed down to this Girl!