Leonard Huff (abt. 1750)

Born about 1750 in Virginia [uncertain]

Ancestors

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Biography

Leonard Huff/Hoff (c 1750 - ) is believed to be the son of Leonard Hoff/Huff Sr. (c 1721 - 1788/1800 prob. Cocke County, Tennessee, which had been established in Oct 1797 and was formed from a part of Jefferson County, Tennessee) and Elizabeth ____.

He was probably the person who served in 1774 in Dunmore's War and the Battle at Point Pleasant with the Indians, rather than Leonard HUFF, Sr. In the Battle at Point Pleasant, he was promised one acre of land if he continued to defend the place.

One Leonard HUFF in March 1783 was bound for good behavior for twelve months and one day from 14 Mar 1783. This sounds like a court punishment for a younger person. Leonard HUFF, Jr, was probably the person remaining in Montgomery Co, VA, 9 June 1790, when he paid taxes from Laurel and Meadow Run on Little River. John HUFF was nearby and taxed the same day.

Other Notes

NOT suggesting a match-up among or of specific individuals named Leonard Huff (there were quite a few), nor any suggestion of particular generations or time periods. For future reference, investigation, getting a "bigger picture" view, etc.:

There is at least one "tall tale" about one Leonard HUFF.^[1] It may tend to cast some doubt upon the above interpreations, in that the Leonard who migrated to Cocke County, Tennessee from southwest Virginia may not be the same person (nor that there was a father and son relationship) as the Leonard Huff who apparently remained in Montgomery County, Virginia (in the Bent Mountain area that later became a part of Floyd County when that county was formed in 1831).

Descendants have claimed that the Leonard of the family legend was a son of Joseph HUFF, "referred to in family lore as Joseph Huff I, one of three brothers who came to what would become Cocke County from Botetourt County, VA. Of the other two, Peter Huff settled alongside the French Broad River between Newport and Bybee and [Rev.] John Huff established his home in Del Rio." According to family legend, that Leonard HUFF went out one morning and abruptly left, returning to his family--some seven years later--as abruptly as he had left. He had moved in with the Indians and had an Indian wife. One version of the story was said to have claimed that when he returned, he brought his then current Indian wife with him. It was also said that finally, to everyone's relief, he loaded his household on a flatboat and went downriver, never to be heard from again.

Sources

1. ↑ "The Legend of Leonard Huff," by Duay O’Neil SMHP Editor, Newport Plain Talk, 25 Oct 2018. Full text available online at http://www.newportplaintalk.com/article_12d252db-f78e-54b1-b776-ccdb456cba20.html

• Max Huff, Leonard Huff of VA, TN, & NJ, /28/95