USA > Virginia > Tazewell County > Tazewell County > History of Tazewell county and southwest Virginia, 1748-1920 > Part 21
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Mrs. Draper was taken to Chillicothe, where she was adopted into the family of an old chief; and after six years of captivity was ransomed by her husband, John Draper, and brought back to her home on New River. She was kindly treated until she made an unsuccessful attempt to escape, which provoked for her the usual penalty, burning at the stake; but the old Indian, of whose family she had become a member, concealed her until he secured her pardon. Resigning herself to her cruel fate, she resolved to win the confidence and favor of the tribe. She taught the women to sew and cook, and nursed the sick and wounded so tenderly that the Indians pro- nounced her a "heap good medicine squaw." John Draper had been unwearied in his efforts to find and secure the release of his wife from captivity, but failed in every attempt to locate her, until 1761. In that year a treaty was made between the Indians and the whites and Mr. Draper attended the assembly with the hope of getting some
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information about his wife. The old Indian chief in whose family she was living was at the meeting, and Draper was at last rewarded with success in his search for his absent wife. A heavy ransom was demanded and paid, and husband and wife were happily reunited after a separation of six years. They returned to their home at Draper's Meadows, but in 1765 Mr. Draper exchanged his land at Draper's Meadows for a splendid boundary west of New River in the present county of Pulaski, to which place he moved, giving it the name of "Draper's Valley." A part of this land is still owned and occupied by Draper's descendants. Seven children were born to John and Betty Draper after she was rescued from captivity. Mrs. Draper died in 1774, the year of Dunmore's War, and John Draper two years afterwards married Mrs. Jane Crockett, a widow, by whom he had two daughters. He was a lieutenant in Dunmore's War and did gallant service at the battle of Point Pleasant.
In a little while after the division and separation of the Draper's Meadows captives, a party of Shawnee Indians and several French traders went to Big Bone Lick, which is about one hundred and fifty miles below the mouth of the Scioto River, in the present Boone County, Kentucky. The object of the Indians was to make salt and to hunt the big game that came to the Lick, while the French were along to buy pelts from the redskins. Remembering the efficiency Mrs. Ingles had shown as a salt maker at the salt spring on the Kanawha, the Indians took her with them to assist in the work. They also took along a Dutch woman, who was named Stump, whom they had captured in Pennsylvania near Fort Du Quesne. Mrs. Ingles, after much persuasion, gained the con- sent of the Dutch woman to join her in an attempt to escape and return, if possible, to their respective homes. The unhappy woman knew that if she made the desperate venture she would have to leave her infant daughter with the Indians; and that meant a sacrifice of her child, either by cruel death or permanent separation from it. But she realized that her first duty was to her husband and an effort to recover her little boys from captivity. So, she decided to abandoned her child. After placing "the dear little babe as cosily as she could in a little bark cradle, gave it her last parting kisses and baptism of tears, tore herself away, and was gone, never to see it again in this world."
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The two women started late in the afternoon on their long and perilous journey. They each had a blanket and a tomahawk, but no food or clothing except the scanty apparel they were wearing. With no roads to follow and without compass, they concluded to make their way to the Ohio and follow that stream up to the mouth of the Kanawha; and then journey up that river until they arrived at a point near Draper's Meadows. The route as mapped out was followed pretty closely, though it was rugged and wild, and many severe hardships were encountered. For the forty days that were occupied in making the journey, they had no food but nuts and berries, and a little raw corn. And they had no shelter at night but caves, hollow logs and an occasional deserted Indian camp.
Exposed to dangers innumerable and suffering from hunger almost intolerable, Mrs. Ingles was at last forced to desert Mrs. Stump, because the old Dutch woman was so crazed by starvation that she tried to kill her companion to appease her hunger. This occurred when they reached a point where East River flows into New River. Mrs. Ingles sought to divert the old woman from her murderous intention by proposing that they should draw lots as to which should dic, and Mrs. Ingles lost in the drawing. Then began a life and death struggle between the two. Mrs. Ingles succeeded in tearing herself from the grasp of the old woman, who had become exhausted by the struggle, and started again up the river. When she got beyond the vision of the poor old creature she concealed herself under the bank of the river until her dangerous companion passed by. She remained in hiding until night came on. The moon was shining, and she fortunately discovered an old canoe on the river bank. It was half filled with leaves and had no oar or paddle. But the resolute young woman, who had never handled a canoe, resolved to cross the river in the frail boat and pursue her journey on the east side of the stream, and thus avoid further danger from Mrs. Stump. She found a slab that had been torn from a tree by light- ning, and using this slab for a paddle she reached the eastern shore of New River in safety. The following morning Mrs. Ingles resumed her journey, and after traveling a short distance saw the old Dutch woman on the opposite side of the river. They were near enough to each other to have a conversation; and the old woman expressed great sorrow for her action the previous day. She plead with Mrs. Ingles to cross the river and continue the journey with her; but the young woman declined, and they .continued and com- pleted their journey on opposite sides of the stream.
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Mrs. Ingles was now within thirty miles of Draper's Meadows, but was so exhausted from hunger and exposure that she began to despair of ever reaching her desired destination. At many points on the eastern shore of New River the cliffs project very closely to the edge of the water, and it was with great difficulty that she passed along the rocky shore. Struggling on, she at last reached the immense cliff just below Eggleston's Springs. This cliff pro- jects out to and overhangs the river, and is 280 feet high at the highest point. There are no shelving rocks for footholds along the base of the cliff, and Mrs. Ingles was unable to pass around it as she had the cliffs further down the river. There was snow on the ground and the water was icy cold, but the brave woman tried to wade around at the base of the cliff. The water is very deep up to the cliff's edge, and could not be waded. She had to pass the night on the bare ground, shivering and hungry. The following morning, with almost superhuman effort, she climbed over the giant cliff. It took her all day to accomplish what proved to be her final mighty struggle to reach her husband and home. Dr. Hale thus relates what immediately followed the scaling of the cliff.
"Mrs. Ingles, after getting to the bottom of the cliff, had gone but a short distance when, to her joyful surprise, she discovered just before her, a patch of corn. She approached it as rapidly as she could move her painful limbs along.
"She saw no one, but there were evident signs of persons about. She hallooed; at first there was no response, but relief was near at · hand. She was about to be saved, and just in time.
"She had been heard by Adam Harmon and his two sons, whose patch it was, and who were in it gathering their corn.
"Suspecting, upon hearing a voice, that there might be an intended attack by Indians, they grabbed their rifles, always kept close at hand, and listened attentively.
"Mrs Ingles hallooed again. They came out of the corn and towards her, cautiously, rifles in hand. When near enough to dis- tinguish the voice-Mrs. Ingles still hallooing-Adam Harmon remarked to his sons: 'Surely, that must be Mrs. Ingles' voice.' Just then she, too, recognized Harmon, when she was overwhelmed with emotions of joy and relief, poor, overtaxed nature gave way, and she swooned and fell, insensible, to the ground.
"They picked her up tenderly and conveyed her to their little cabin, near at hand, where there was protection from the storm, a rousing fire and substantial comfort.
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"Mrs. Ingles soon revived, and the Harmons were unremitting · in their kind attentions and efforts to promote her comfort. They had in their cabin a stock of fresh venison and bear meat; they set to work to cook and make a soup of some of this, and, with excellent judgment, would permit their patient to take but little at a time, in her famished condition.
"While answering her hurried questions as to what they knew about her home and friends, they warmed some water in their skillet and bathed her stiff and swollen feet and limbs, after which they wrapped her in their blankets and stowed her away tenderly on their pallet in the corner, which to her, by comparison, was 'soft as downy pillows are,' a degree of luxury she had not experienced since she was torn from her home by ruthless savages, more than four months before.
"Under these new and favoring conditions of safety and comfort, it is no wonder that 'nature's sweet restorer' soon came to her relief and bathed her wearied senses and aching limbs in balmy, restful and refreshing sleep."
How tenderly and sweetly has the lineal descendant of Mrs. Ingles told of her dramatic arrival and reception at the cabin home of her former neighbors and friends, Adam Harmon and his two sons. And what a splendid tribute he has paid to the gallantry and kindness of heart of these rugged pioneers of the New River Valley. They were the kindred of the Harmons who were among the first settlers in the Clinch Valley; and hundreds of their relations are still here.
Mrs. Ingles remained several days resting and feasting with her hospitable and delighted friends, the Harmons. The elder Harmon, over the protest of his guest, actually killed a nice young beef, that had been fattened on the wild pea vine, to procure a small piece of meat to make her some beef tea, which he had heard was a par- ticularly good diet for invalids. As soon as Mrs. Ingles thought herself sufficiently recuperated to travel, she was placed on a horse and Adam Harmon mounted another, to accompany and protect her ; and they went to Draper's Meadows, some fifteen miles distant. On arrival they found that the settlers at that place had been alarmed by a report of another invasion by the Indians, and had fled to the fort at Dunkard's Bottom for safety. Without delay Mrs. Ingles and Harmon traveled on to Dunkard's Bottom, and got there on the evening of the same day they started from Har-
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mon's home. Mrs. Ingles was pleased to meet again a few of her old friends, but was sadly disappointed at not finding her husband, and her brother, John Draper, at the fort. The next morning after Mrs. Ingles arrived at Dunkard's Bottom she prevailed on Adam Harmon to go in search of the old Dutch woman. He found her near the mouth of Back Creek, about where the village of Bell Spring is now situated, and took her up to the fort. Before a great while, Mrs. Stump found an opportunity to go to Winchester, and from that point she journeyed on to her home in Pennsylvania.
Some weeks previous to the arrival of Mrs. Ingles at Dunkard's Bottom, her husband, and her brother, John Draper, had gone on a journey to the Cherokee towns in Tennessee, to see if they could get any information through these friendly Indians of their wives and children who had been captured at Draper's Meadows. Ingles and Draper failed to accomplish anything by their trip to the Cherokees, and were returning heavy-hearted to the settlements. The night Mrs. Ingles reached Dunkard's Bottom, the two disap- pointed, weary men stayed all night at a point about three miles west of the fort, near where the town of Newbern, in Pulaski County, was afterwards located. The following morning they went very early to the fort to get their breakfast, and were joyfully surprised to find Mrs. Ingles there. Mr. and Mrs. Ingles had remained at the Dunkard's Bottom Fort but a short time when information was received of another impending incursion by the Shawnees; and they went to Vass' Fort, some twenty miles east of Dunkard's Bottom, where they believed they would find greater safety. This fort was located on the east side of the Alleghany Mountains, on the headwaters of Roanoke River, and about one mile west of the present village of Shawsville, in Montgomery County.
It was in the spring of 1756 that Mr. and Mrs. William Ingles went to Vass' Fort. They had been there but a few weeks when Mrs. Ingles had a presentiment that the Indians were going to attack the place. She was so greatly alarmed that Mr. Ingles took her east of the Blue Ridge to a fort in Bedford County, which was near the Peaks of Otter. Strange to say, the very day they started across the Blue Ridge the mental premonition of Mrs. Ingles was fulfilled. The attack on Fort Vass was made in the summer of 1756, or about one year subsequent to the massacre at Draper's Meadows, and was even more horrible in its consequences. Dr. Hale, whose kindred were the chief sufferers in this second tragedy
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in what is now Montgomery County, Virginia, from well authen- ticated tradition thus describes the terrible incident :
"John and Matthew Ingles, the younger brothers of William Ingles, were at this fort. John was a bachelor. Matthew had a wife and one child. Before the attack was made, but after the fort was surrounded, an Indian climbed a tall poplar tree which com- manded a view of the interior, to take an observation. He was discovered and fired on from the fort, and it is the tradition that it was the rifle of John Ingles that brought him down.
"Matthew Ingles was out hunting when the attack was made; hearing the firing, he hastened back, and tried to force his way into the Fort, to his wife and child; he shot one Indian with the load in his gun, then clubbed others with the butt until he broke the stock off ; by this time the gun-barrel was wrenched from his hands, when he seized a frying-pan that happened to be lying near, and, breaking off the bowl or pan with his foot, he belabored them with the iron handle, right and left, until he was knocked down, overpowered and badly wounded. The tradition says that he killed two Indians with the frying-pan.
"His bravery and desperate fighting had so excited the admi- ration of the Indians that they would not kill him, but carried him off a prisoner. He was either released or made his escape some time after, and returned to the settlement, but never entirely recovered from his wounds. He died at Ingles' Ferry a few months later. His wife and child were murdered in the Fort as was his brother John."
From the diary of Colonel William Preston, which is published in the papers of Lyman C. Draper, and from other sources the fol- lowing appears to be an accurate list of the persons killed, wounded and captured at Fort Vass :
Lieutenant John Smith, John Ingles, John Robinson, and Mrs. Matthew Ingles and child, killed; William Robinson, Thomas Robin- son, Samuel Robinson, and Matthew Ingles, wounded; Peter Looney, William Bratton, Joseph Smith, William Pepper, Mrs. Vass and two daughters, James Bell, Christopher Hicks, -- Cole, - Graham, Benj. Davies, and John Walker, prisoners. It is probable that all the wounded were carried off as prisoners. Some of the captives made their escape, but whether this happened while en route to the Ohio country or after arrival at the Indian towns is
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not known. Those who made their escape were: Captain John Smith, Peter Looney, William Bratton and Matthew Ingles.
There are several excellent reasons for giving, as I have done, a somewhat extended account of the massacre at Draper's Meadows. It was the first serious outrage committed by the Indians upon the pioneer settlers of Southwest Virginia; and was typical of quite a number of similar tragedies that were later to be enacted in the New River, Clinch River and Holston River valleys. It also furnished, in the persons and characters of Mrs. William Ingles and Mrs. John Draper, excellent types of the noble pioneer women who came to this section with their husbands and fathers to do their part in transforming a dense wilderness region into a land of beautiful homes, to be occupied by a thrifty and intelligent people.
The Draper's Meadows massacre was also an important event in connection with the history of Tazewell County, as Colonel James Patton was the central and commanding figure of this first murder- ous assault by the Indians upon the pioneer settlers of Southwest Virginia. He was the first man to organize and bring an exploring and surveying party to the section of Virginia west of New River. This was in 1748, and, as has been previously related, he then visited Burke's Garden, and in 1750 and 1753 had surveying done on the headwaters of Clinch River, and in Abb's Valley. He thus prepared the way for those who came to settle in what is now known as Tazewell County.
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CHAPTER V.
HOLSTON VALLEY INVADED BY INDIANS-THE SANDY EXPEDITION.
In the summer of 1755, just about the time of the attack upon Draper's Meadows, a scalping party of Shawnees made an incursion into the Middle Holston Valley. They attacked the more exposed settlements, killed several settlers and captured others. Captain Samuel Stalnaker, who then had his cabin home some four or five miles west of the present town of Marion, Smyth County, Virginia, was made a captive, and Mrs. Stalnaker and Adam Stalnaker were killed. The presumption is that they were the wife and son of Samuel Stalnaker. He was the man whose house Dr. Walker and party helped to "raise" in March, 1750, while they were en route to Cumberland Gap and Kentucky. Stalnaker and the other pris- oners were taken through or across the Clinch Valley by the Indians on their return to their towns in Ohio. This is evidenced by the journal of Colonel William Preston who commanded a company in the expedition of Colonel Andrew Lewis, known in history as the "Sandy Expedition," and which was made in the months of February and March, 1756. While traveling down the stream that Colonel Preston called "Sandy Creek," on Sundy the 29th of February, 1756, he noted in his journal: "This creek has been much fre- quented by Indians both traveling and hunting on it, and from late signs I am apprehensive that Stalnaker and the prisoners taken with him were carried this way." Captain Stalnaker made his escape from the Indians, but when, where, or how is not recorded in any history, nor is there any record showing what was the fate of the other prisoners.
There were a number of persons killed, wounded, and captured on New River and Reed Creek by the Shawnees who persisted in sending scalping parties to those sections in the summer and fall of 1755, and in February and March 1756. It was to avenge the outrages inflicted upon the settlers in the New River and Holston valleys, as well as the massacre at Draper's Meadows, that the "Sandy Expedition" was projected. The purpose of this expedi- tion was to march to the Ohio River and punish the Shawnees, by killing as many of them as possible, and to destroy their towns.
Colonel Andrew Lewis was commander of the expedition, and his forces consisted of about four hundred men, including one hun-
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dred, or more, Cherokee and Chickasaw Indians, who had been induced to become allies of the Virginians in the French and Indian War. This small army was composed of Augusta County militia and four companies of volunteers. The several military companies were commanded by Captains Peter Hogg, William Preston, John Smith, Samuel Overton, and Obediah Woodson; and the four volun- teer companies were under the command of Captains Robert Breck- enridge, Archibald Alexander, John Montgomery, and - --- Dunlap. The Indians had been recruited by Captain Richard Pearis and were commanded by him.
This expedition was assembled at Fort Prince George, after- wards called Fort Lewis, four miles west of where Salem, Roanoke County, is now located. Captain William Preston was placed in charge of the vanguard, and began the march on "Monday ye, 9th day of February, 1756;" and in his journal says :
"In persuance to ye orders of Major Lewis, dated the 9th inst., I marched from Fort Prince George, with my two Lieutenants, 2 Sergeants, 3 Corporals, and 25 Privates." On Wednesday, the 11th, they arrived at New River, at Ingles' Ferry, where they found the Indian allies in camp; and Captain Preston says: "As we marched by the Cherokee Camp we saluted them by firing off guns, which they returned in seeming great joy and afterwards honored us with a war dance."
Major Lewis with the main body of his white force, arrived at New River and reviewed all the troops on Friday, the 13th; and on Saturday, the 14th, Captain Dunlap joined them with a company of twenty-five volunteers. This completed the military force that was encamped at Fort Frederick, which was the name then held by the fort at Dunkard's Bottom. On Sunday, the 15th inst., James Burke, who had fled from Burke's Garden, arrived at the camp and gave information that Robert Looney had been killed by the Shaw- nee Indians near the home of Alex Sawyers, on Reed Creek.
The expedition had been organized to go to Ohio to look for the Shawnees and destroy their towns; but Major Lewis and his little army were about to come in contact with small bands of these Indians at a point only some sixty miles distant from Fort Prince George, the starting place, and right in the settlements on Reed Creek. As a matter of precaution, on Monday, the 16th, forty Indians and sixty white men were sent out to range the woods about Reed Creek; and on Thursday, the 19th, the army broke camp and
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started on its perilous and disastrous journey. As this was the first military expedition of white men that entered and passed over the territory now embraced in Tazewell County, it is an event of special interest in connection with the history of the county. Therefore, I will reproduce that part of Captain Preston's journal which shows the route pursucd and what transpired while Lewis and his men were marching through this particular region. The following are the entries made by Captain Preston.
"Thursday 19, Left Fort Frederick at 10 o'clock: 27 loaded pack horses, got to William Sawyers: camped on his barn floor.
"Friday 20, Switched one of the soldiers for swcaring, which very much incensed the Indian chiefs then present. Advanced to Alex Sawyers, met the Indians who went out with the first division, and Lieutenant Ingles, who informed us of the burial of Robert Looney. Some of our Indians deserted.
"Sat. 21, Major Lewis, Capt. Pearis and the interpreter went to Col. Buchanan's place (Anchor and Hope), where they met the Indians who had deserted us, and induced them to return, which they did.
"Sunday, 22, marched to John McFarlands." (McFarland lived in Black Lick on the head of Reed Crcek.)
"Monday, 23, marched over the mountain to Bear Garden, on North Fork of Holston's river. Lost sundry horses.
"Tuesday 24, Crossed two mountains and arrived at Burkes Garden. Had plenty of potatoes, which the soldiers gathered in the deserted plantations.
"Wednesday 25, Remained in Camp.
"Burke's Garden is a tract of land of 5,000 or 6,000 acres as rich and fertile as any I ever saw, as well watered with many beautiful streams and is surrounded with mountains almost impas- sible.
"Thursday 26, Marched early, crossed three large mountains, arrived at head of Clinch. Our hunters found no game.
"Friday 27, Lay by on account of rain. Hunters killed three or four bears.
"Saturday 28, passed several branches of Clinch and at length got to the head of Sandy Creek where we met with great trouble and fatigue, occasioned by heavy rain, and driving our baggage horses down said creek, which we crossed 20 times that evening. Killed three buffaloes and some deer.
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There were no settlers in the territory which now constitutes Tazewell County when the Sandy Expedition passed through Burke's Garden and the Clinch Valley. If James Burkc had formed an intention to become a permanent settler, he abandoned such intention when he fled from the Indians, never to enter Burke's Garden again as a resident.
I am at a loss to understand what Captain William Preston meant by the entry made in his journal on the 24th of February, 1756, stating that they: "Had plenty of potatoes which the soldiers gathered in the deserted plantations." This entry would justify the conclusion that there was more cleared and cultivated land there at that time than tradition has placed to the account of James Burke's industry. It might also warrant the belief that other persons had been living there besides Burke. The plantations, however, men- tioned by Captain Preston may have been what the first settlers called "patches."
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