Coleman Family

FAMILY BACKGROUND

Michael 'Malcolm' Coleman was the son of James Coleman. It is presumed that James Coleman emigrated from Scotland and died in Pennsylvania.

Michael married Margaret about 1759 in Belleville, Wood County, Virginia (now West Virginia). Together, they had 6 children.

The following excerpt about Michael Coleman is from "THE COLEMAN BROTHERS, Revolutionary War Militiamen, Pennsylvania and (West) Virginia Pioneers and Their Descendants"

"MALCOLM COLEMAN was probably born near Carlisle, Pa. (Lancaster County - now Cumberland County, PA) in 1740. There is a possibility he was born in Scotland and immigrated with his parents as a child. In 1763 he was living near the Susquehanna River when the Indians killed his young brother. In 1773-1778 he was listed in the Bedford Co. Militia. In April 1787, Michael Coleman and family and son John and family from near Carlisle Pa. arrived at Fort Belleville (W)VA. It is recorded that he (MICHAEL) had performed garrison duty at Fort Pitt, Fort Harmer (Marietta), Fort Henry (Wheeling) and Fort Belleville (Virginia - present day Wood County, WV). They arrived with four other Scotch families. In February 1793. "A party composed of Malcolm Coleman and his son John, James Ryan and Elijah Rixley, left the garrison at Belleville for the purpose of getting a supply of meat. They descended the Ohio in a pioroque to the mouth of Big Mill Creek, then proceeded up that stream and encamped near the site of Cottageville. In a few days their boat was loaded with a supply of venison and bear meat. Meanwhile the creek had frozen over and they were not able to reach the Ohio. Thus detained, John Coleman and Elijah Rixley returned overland to the garrison for a supply of flour and salt. They were expected to return from the garrison on the morning of the third, and Malcolm and James prepared an early breakfast. While Malcolm was invoking the Divine blessing, the Indians in ambush poured a shower of balls upon them, and Coleman fell dead. Ryan, but slightly wounded, made his escape and conveyed his sad intelligence to Belleville. A party set out at once for the camp, and arriving there found, it plundered and the body of Coleman scalped and stripped of its clothing. The body was buried on the spot and the party returned to the garrison. From that time John Coleman became noted as an Indian hunter, never losing an opportunity to run down and kill every Indian that crossed his path in revenge for this wanton murder". In the town of Cottageville, there is a marker off the highway situated in a little road side rest area that reads: "Michael Coleman, member of a hunting party from frontier fort at Belleville, was killed and scalped by Indians at this point about 1793..."

Marker Location: WV Route 62 at Millsite Park, 0.4 miles past Cottageville, West Virginia

FAMILY INFORMATION

Click on the following link to view information on the descendants of Michael 'Malcolm' Coleman to the present. This report is generated by the Legacy Genealogy program.

Michael 'Malcolm' Coleman Family Descendant Book (1740 - Present) - a privatized (dates & places of living people omitted) 10 generation Descendant Book, with index, of Michael 'Malcolm' Coleman descendants (PDF)