REV. JOHN FOUQUOY MURPHY was born on Jun 12, 1752 in Halifax, Virginia. He died on Aug 14, 1818 in Warren, Kentucky, United States. He married Rachel Cook, daughter of William Cook and Margaret Jones-Green, on Feb 08, 1774 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. She was born on May 17, 1753 in Culpepper County, Virginia. She died on Feb 03, 1832 in Warren County, Kentucky.
John's parents were Rev. William Crawford Murphy Jr. and Mary Hodges Murphy. In 1767, Rev William Murphy would married his 2nd wife Sarah Barton Murphy.
In 1792, Rachel while visiting her brothers Joseph and Hosea, she survived the Cook family Massacre at Innis Bottom Creek, Ky that killed her two brothers.
Rev. John Fouquoy Murphy and Rachel Cook had the following children: WILLIAM4 MURPHY was born on Feb 16, 1776. He died on Mar 04, 1846. HANNAH MURPHY was born in 1778. She died in 1853 in Pettis County, Missouri. She married Thomas Ferguson on Dec 12, 1796 in Franklin County, Kentucky. Notes for Hannah Murphy: A member of the Baptist church, she was sober, orderly and upright in her conversation and deportment. JOHN MURPHY was born on Jun 12, 1782. He died on Apr 17, 1831. SETH MURPHY was born in 1785. MARGARET MURPHY was born on Aug 19, 1785. She died on Mar 02, 1864 in Monmouth, Polk, Oregon. She married Elijah A. Davidson on Feb 04, 1802 in Kentucky. RACHEL COOK MURPHY was born in Apr 1788. She died on Jun 10, 1874. ISAAC T. MURPHY was born in 1790. He died in Warren County, Illinois. He married (1) NANCY HALEY. HOSEA MURPHY was born in 1796. He died on Aug 24, 1819. (named after deceased brother of Rachel’s) JOSEPH MURPHY was born on Dec 10, 1797. He died on Mar 09, 1876 in Warren County, Illinois. (named after deceased brother of Rachel’s)He married Julia Haley in Warren County, Illinois.
"John and Rachel Cook Murphy were living in Eastern Tenn., they lived south of the Cumberland Gap and Indian ambushes along the Wilderness Road in Kentucky were so frequent in the late 18th century that travelers would wait for days on the Tennessee side of the Gap, until a sizable group with sufficient guns would discourage any attacks.
But, John was off fighting with the OverMountain Men in the war. His family was left behind in the Holston River Valley of Eastern Tennessee. They were short of provisions so Rachel had to take the baby on horse-back and had to go many miles to the mill for sack of grain and other necessities. Traveling on horseback was usually over a single path created over hundreds of years by woodland buffalo, deer and elk, and now by pioneers, hunting parties of Cherokee and Shawnee. The route was dangerous and exhausting as it wound its way through a maze of narrow-ridged mountains and steep-sided valleys. Often travelers were required to ford rivers, confronted by thick patches of cane (bamboo) and dense growths of laurel and rhododendron, and without protection against the worst of weather.
She left the older children on their own and told them not to be frightened and forbid them to go outside when night comes. They were not to wonder off too far from the cabin during the day. Death was never far off living isolated in the wilderness, when neighbors got as close as 5 miles, settlers felt crowded. Pioneers were all too acquainted with constant grief and sense of loss. Many diaries include “on the morrow we shall bury them. We shall weep for them. But we must go on and survive. We shall overcome this perilous wilderness.
With Rachel not at home, after dark the children heard what they thought was their mother calling and they started to out but the eldest son William said, "No, that is not Momma's voice", and would not let his litter sisters, Margaret and Rachel - to run out to meet her. For he knew it was a panther stalking the night. She soon came to know the sound and it’s deadly potential. The panther never attack her, but when her father John was riding through the woods a panther sprang at him, but a neighbor who was with him shot and killed the panther.
Young William would be sent for the cows and he was so afraid of the wild things he'd bode his little sister Peggy (Margaret) to go with him, though his mother had forbidden him taking her because she was too small. Once some wild animal frightened the horse and Peggy fell off and he thought for a time he'd killed Peggy so he never slipped off with her again.
Indians and panthers were their constant concern. One time, when Rachel got so near out of food that she had only a little piece of bacon and the milk from one cow. She went out and followed the cow, hoping at least she could cut for greens and cook for their dinner. While she was getting the greens she found a wild turkey that was dead, but still warm but she was afraid to take it for food for fear of poisoning her children.” – excerpts from Mrs. Fenton of Monmouth, Oregon who was granddaughter of John Eckles Murphy, brother of Margaret Murphy Davidson.
Following is a copy of a letter written by Rev. John Murphy, on July 20, 1810, to his relatives and friends in Murphy’s Settlement in the Louisiana Territory from Glasgow, Warren Co., Ky.: "Brothers, Friends and Acquaintances: I have nothing uncommon to write, but wish to inform you of our present state of affairs, which is about this: As to bodily health I neither see nor hear of much complaints; as to religious matters there appears to be some division in the different places of this state. There is also considerable dissension among the Baptists and some among other sects about slave holding. For my own part I prefer to stand opposed to that system, because I fully believe it to be contrary to the law of nature, contrary to sound reason, contrary to good policy, contrary to justice contrary to republican principles, and, above all, because it is in direct opposition to the Scripture directions. Neither does it accord with the principles of humanity.
Isaac Murphy called on us last spring and tarried about a week, and then went on his way to Holston. I suppose Joshua Barton and his family are in their usual state of health. I have very little expectation of ever seeing your part of the country on account of my age and infirmity of body. But if I never see any of you again, my heart's desire and prayer is that you may all be saved in the day of Jesus Christ, when he shall come to gather his jewels in this world; that your names may be found written in the book of life. I would further exhort each one to be earnestly engaged to seek the one thing needful which is the salvation of their precious and immortal souls, and not to let the things of time and sense have over much room in your minds, but try to seek the love and favor of God while time and opportunity is with you, lest before you are aware it should be gone, finally and eternally gone.”
Rachel Cooke was born 17 May 1753 in Warren Co., Kentucky. She died 3 Feb 1832 in Warren Co., Ky. Rachel married John Fanquoy Murphy on 8 Feb 1774 in Culpepper County, Virginia. In 1792, Rachel while visiting her brothers Joseph and Hosea, she survived the Cook family Massacre at Innis Bottom Creek, Ky that killed her two brothers.