USA > Virginia > Tazewell County > Tazewell County > History of Tazewell county and southwest Virginia, 1748-1920 > Part 28
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Fearing that he might be censured for not discovering and driving back the scalping party that murdered the Lybrook and Snidow chil- dren, Robertson declared that if his own life and honour, and the lives of all his relations, and the lives of all his well wishers had been at stake he could have done no more than he did do to prevent the horrible catastrophe at Lybrook's. He saw that all the border settle- ments were greatly endangered, and knew the importance of strengthening the defences on the line from New River to Cumber- land Gap. That he and his men were anxious for the safety of their own families, who lived in the Upper New River settlements, was shown by his writing Colonel Preston: "I suppose my helpless family is in great fear, and indeed not without reason."
Major Arthur Campbell, who was in charge of all the military forces and defences west of New River, was so solicitous for the safety of the settlements on the Clinch that, as soon as the news reached him of the Sinking Creek massacre, he sent express mes- sengers to Captains Russell and Smith bearing duplicates of the following urgent orders:
"Royal-Oak Augt. 9, 1774
Dear Sir -- I have this moment Received intelligence of several people being killed last Monday by the Indians on Sinking Creek about 10 miles from Colo. Prestons. This makes it necessary that we should be strictly on our guard lest some straggling party should visit us. Therefore endeavour without loss of time to get the inhabi- tants in your Company collected together in 2 or 3 convenient places for forts, and let them keep up strict and regular Duty until more
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men can be sent over to assist them which I will endeavor to have done with all possible speed. This alarm will retard the expedition at least a week, therefore all young men that chooses to do regular duty may be taken into pay. I expect an Express tomorrow from Colo. Preston after which you shall have further Instructions. Pray do everything in your power for the safety of the Inhabitants.
I am Dr. Sir, very sincerely yours Arthur Campbell
On his Majestys service
To Captain Daniel Smith on Clinch."
It seems that Captains Russell and Smith proceeded without delay to execute the orders sent them by Major Campbell. On the 24th of August, two weeks after transmitting the said orders to Russell and Smith, Major Campbell notified Colonel Preston that he had received a petition from the inhabitants of the Clinch Valley requesting that they be regularly employed in the service and also asking that the number then on duty be enlarged. Campbell wrote Colonel Preston that he declined to grant the petition "without orders from you;" but reported: "I let the Gentlemen know, that the inhabitants that strictly did regular Duty might be continued on the Lists until a sufficient Number of Draughts might arrive to complete the Companys and then I would recommend it to the Offi- cers to keep the best Woodsmen of ye Inhabitants in pay for the purpose of ranging in preference to any that might offer themselves from Holston or New River."
Major Campbell's apprehension that the Sinking Creek massacre would delay the march of the Lewis expedition to Ohio was well founded. The enlistment of the number of men called for from Fincastle County had been greatly retarded by jealousies and rival- ries among the militia officers of the Holston Valley. These dis- sensions had given much trouble to both Major Campbell and Colonel Preston ; and when they had about succeeded in getting the trouble under control the massacre of the Lybrook and Snidow children occurred. This horrible incident made many of the frontiersmen reluctant to go with the expedition and leave their families exposed to the scalping bands of Indians. The men of the Upper Clinch Valley had been doing much volunteer scouting and ranging service without compensation for such service, other than the protection of their own settlements, while the ranging parties sent out from the
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New River and Holston settlements had been receiving pay for their service. The war which was on hand involved the protection and welfare of all the settlements west of New River; and the men of the Clinch Valley very justly held that they should be regularly employed in the service, with compensation, as were the men of the more populous settlements on the Holston and New River.
On the 16th of August, Captain William Russell, who had given his fort at Castle's Woods the name of "Fort Preston," wrote to Colonel Preston from that place, notifying him that he was ready and anxious to march with his company "to the appointed place of Rondezvous" for the Lewis expedition. Captain Russell also said in his letter to Colonel Preston: "I hope Sir you will think it abso- lutely necessary to have two Captains to Command on Clinch at this Critical season, that ought to be ranging, besides those in the Forts, as Constant Guards to the Inhabitants."
Captain Russell clearly saw that the passes at the heads of the several branches of Sandy River were not being properly guarded at a time which he pronounced a "critical season." And he sug- gested that Captain James Thompson, who had been appointed to command a company stationed at Fort Blackmore, in the present Scott County, should be transferred to a command "towards the head of the River." The anxiety of Captain Russell for the protection of the inhabitants at the head of the Clinch was so great that he made the following personal appeal to Colonel Preston: "Should I be granted a Command, and it be agreeable to you and Capt. Thompson, should be proud if it could be your pleasure to appoint him towards the head of the River, as that will give him a more Immediate opportunity of securing the Inhabitants about his Father's, and even his own."
Captain Thompson was a very near and dear kinsman of Colonel Preston. Thompson was the grandson of Colonel James Patton, and Colonel Preston was nephew of Patton. But this strong per- sonal appeal to the county lieutenant of Fincastle County did not procure two Captains with companies for the head of the Clinch; and Captain Daniel Smith was retained in command of the upper stations in the Valley.
Colonel Preston surely must have believed that the pioneers had settled on the headwaters of the Clinch with a resolute purpose of remaining there; and that they would not only be able to take care of themselves, but would also afford a strong barrier against Indian
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incursions into the Holston and Reed Creek settlements. Captain Russell's letter of the 16th of August was well calculated to strengthen this conelusion in Preston's mind. When Russell gave the number he would take with him on the Ohio expedition he said: "There are about thirty that will certainly go with me; and Capt. Smith says Wm Bowen has four that will go with me." These four were, William Bowen and his two brothers, Reese and Moses, and David Ward; and the four made good by going and doing valiant service on the expedition. There were others from the Upper Clineh Valley who were at Point Pleasant, whose names will be mentioned in succeeding pages.
In the meantime Captain Daniel Smith proceeded to carry out the orders of Major Campbell to gather the inhabitants in the forts, and to enlist men regularly for the several stations in his charge. Lists of the garrisons at the Maiden Spring Fort and Thomas Wit- ten's fort at the Crab Orchard were left among the papers of Colonel William Preston; and they are worthy of a place of honor in a his- tory of Tazewell County. I copy them from Thwaites' Dunmore's War:
At The Maiden's Springs Station 26th. Augt 1774.
Mr. Robt. Brown, Sergeant till 23rd Sept then Joseph Cravens. Henry Willis
Joseph Cravens
James MClehany discharged 19th. Oct. 55 days
James Cravens
John Jameson listed 29th Augt disch. 19th Oeto 53 days James Rogers
Thomas Brumly listed 22nd Augt disch. 19th Oet. 60 days
AndW Lammy listed 16th. Augt 4th Sept Saml. Fowler came in his room
John Flintham listed 14th. Augt. disch. 19th. Oct. 68 days James Douglas M. S.
John Newland W. )
Samuel Paxton W. } listed Sept 14th. discharged 22nd. 8 days Philip Dutton W.
John Cravens 23rd. Sept. M. S.
Rees Bowen Aug. 26- Sept. 2
David Ward Aug. 26- Sept. 2
Robt. Cravens Nov. 1st. - Nov. 18
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Rees Bowen and David Ward were discharged on the 2nd of Sept. so that they could go with Captain Russell on the expedition to Ohio; and Robt Cravens enlisted as a member of the Maiden Spring garrison after he returned from Ohio.
At The Upper Station (This was Witten's Fort. - Auth.)
Mr. John Campbell Ensign
Isaac Spratt 1 Sergeant 25th. Sept. went away
listed
15 Augt.
George Dohorty without leave Andw. Steel Oct. 18th disch 64 days John Hambleton disch 18th Oct. 64 days Alexr. Grant deserted 8th. Sept. - David Bustar (Bruster) Wm. Thompson
29th Augt.
Edward Sharp 7th. Sept. listed. disch. 21st. 14 days
Michael Glaves. 6th. Sept. went away without leave 7th. Octr.
James Fullen 5th. Sept. disch. 21st. 16 days
James Edwards 5th. Sept. went away without leave 30th. Sept. John Williams 7th. Sept. disch. 16th. 9 days
Thomas Potter 5th. Sept. went away without leave 7th. Oct. came back.
Levi Bishop 8th. Sept. Do Do 22d. Sept.
Robert Manford (Moffett) 8th. Sept.
Alexander Henderson 15th. Sept. went away 12th. Oct.
Francis Hambleton 15th. Sept. went out without leave 25th. Sept. came back
John Crafford 15th. Sept. discharged 24th. 10 days
Isiah Hambleton 15th. Sept. 22nd. Sept. went away without leave
Benjamin Rediford 15th Sept. 25th. Sept. Do
George Vant 15th. Sept. 26th. went away, came back Oct. Ist.
Andw Branstead 15th. Sept. 26th. Do
James Mitchell 15th. - Sept. 26th. Do Do
Rowland Williams Do
Mr Thomas Whitten senr appointed Sergeant 26th. Sept.
Thomas Whitten jur Octo. 1st. John Grinup Do. Francis Hynes Do.
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History of Tazewell County
Samuel Doack listed Octo. Ist. went away 12th. Oct.
Thomas Rogers Do. Do.
John Lashly Do.
Do.
Wm. King Octo. 1st.
Thos Meads Do.
Jacob Kindar Do
Daniel Henderson
Oct. 10th.
Peter Kinder
Jonathan Edwards in his brothers room 6th. Oct.
Christian Bergman 5th. Oct.
Michael Razor 24th. Octo.
Jeremiah Whitton 27th. Oct.
It may seem strange that so many of the men who were stationed at the Witten fort "went away without leave." There was but one man marked as a deserter; and it is, no doubt, a fact that all those who absented themselves from the post did so bceause it was neces- sary to save their corn crops. The officers at the station were evi- dently without authority to grant leaves of absence, but, knowing the necessity for the men going home, acquiesced in their departure and did not class them as deserters. This conclusion is supported by the fact that some of the absentees returned to duty without reproof from their officers.
Along with the lists of the men who were stationed at the Maiden Spring and Crab Orchard forts, was a list of the persons who acted as scouts in the Upper Clinch Valley during the summer and fall of 1774. This list was also found among the papers of Colonel Wil- liam Preston, and is as follows:
Scouts.
William Bowen
Aug. 12th
James Fowler
Thos Maxwell
10 days June 11th
Rees Bowan
David Ward
John Kingkeid 17 days
Wm. Priest
7 days
John Sharp 10 days
Wm. Crabtree
Samuel Hays
Robt. Davis 15 days of his time to go to Robt. Moffet.
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William Wynne's fort at Locust Hill was not garrisoned by a regularly enlisted force. However it was protected by a volunteer garrison, composed of the Wynne's, Harmans, Peerys, Butlers, Evans', Carrs, and other settlers of the neighborhood. This was at that time the most thickly settled community within the bounds of the present Tazewell County ; and the fort was so favorably situated that its defence was easy.
T.H .- 19
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History of Tazewell County
CHAPTER IX.
FINCASTLE MEN CALLED FOR OHIO EXPEDITION-INDIANS INVADE CLINCH AND HOLSTON SETTLEMENTS.
After sending his order of the 12th of July to Colonel Andrew Lewis, directing him to raise a body of men and march to the mouth of the Kanawha and build a fort there, Lord Dunmore went to the fort at Winchester, Virginia. From that place the governor wrote Lewis on the 24th of July, 1774, notifying him that conditions were so serious in the Upper Ohio Valley that he had determined to go to Fort Dunmore (formerly Fort Pitt) at Pittsburg, and from that place conduct an expedition down the Ohio River, to strike the Indians a blow that would break up their confederacy. Governor Dunmore directed Lewis "to a raise a respectable body of men" and join him at the mouth of the Kanawha as quickly as possible. He also wrote Lewis: "I wish you would acquaint Colº Preston of con- tents of this Letter that those he sends out may join you, and pray be as explicit as you can as to the time and place of meeting."
In the last days of August, Captain William Russell began his march with the Clinch Valley contingent, about forty men, to join the other Fincastle troops at a point on New River. About the 1st of September the Fincastle troops, some two hundred in number, under the command of Colonel William Christian took up their march and on the 6th of September arrived at the appointed place for assembling, the Great Levels of Greenbrier, then named Camp Union. The next day, the 7th of September, Colonel Christian wrote Colonel Preston that Colonel Lewis said that the number of men who had come to the camp exceeded his expectations, and that not more than 100 more men should be sent from Fincastle County to join the expedition. John Floyd and others were still engaged in enlisting companies of men to go on the campaign; and Colonel Lewis was afraid he could not secure and convey enough provisions for the subsistence of the number of men that had already assembled. There was another serious trouble upon Colonel Lewis. He had a small supply of powder, only one-fourth of a pound for each man who carried a gun, about six shots to the man. This was a very small supply of powder for such a dangerous expedition, and shows how desperately daring were the mountaineer pioneers. No doubt
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Colonel Lewis recalled the Sandy Expedition of 1756, which was under his command and had to endure such terrible hardships from a lack of provisions and ammunition. He wiscly determined to take no more men with this expedition, his second effort to reach the Shawnee towns, than could be furnished with ample supplies of provisions and ammunition. From a report made to Colonel Preston, Lewis then had with him about 1400 men. His little army was com- posed of volunteers and militia from the counties of Augusta, Bote- tourt and Fincastle, a company of volunteers from Culpeper County, commanded by Colonel John Field, and a company from Bedford County, under the command of Captain Thomas Buford. The men from Augusta were commanded by Colonel Charles Lewis, brother of Colonel Andrew Lewis; the Botetourt troops by Colonel William Fleming; and those from Fincastle by Colonel William Christian, as previously related.
The day the Fincastle troops arrived at Camp Union, the 6th of September, they found that Colonel Charles Lewis had marched with about 600 Augusta troops toward the mouth of the Kanawha. Colonel Christian wrote to Colonel Preston: "His business is to proceed as far as the mouth of Elk & there to make canoes to take down the flour. He took with him 500 Pack Horses carrying 54,000 pounds of flour & 108 Beeves." Colonel Christian then stated that he had been apprised by Colonel Andrew Lewis that he would start with the Botetourt troops in a few days, and leave the Fincastle troops at Camp Union to bring up the rear some days later. Christian thought this would greatly dissatisfy his men, as they were eager to be with the advance troops. On the 12th of Septem- ber, Colonel Christian wrote Colonel Preston: "Colº Lewis has just marched with Colo Fleming and the Botetourt Troops, with an addi- tion of Capt Shelby & Capt Russell's companies from Fincastle and has left under my care the remaining part of the Fincastle men, a few Culpeper, Dunmore (Shenandoah) and Augusta men, and ordered me to stay for the return of the pack horses that went with Ch: Lewis, which I shall look for along this day week. I have dis- patched Mr. Posey towards Staunton to hurry out all the flour pos- sible by that time and several persons are employed in gathering beeves. There is gone on 72,000 wt of flour. There is now here about 8 thousand, and 130 horse loads to be here tomorrow night, 96 loads at the Warm Springs which I have to send back for, & I suppose there is between 30 and 40,000 weight beyond the Springs.
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History of Tazewell County
I purpose to march this day week with all that can be had or a day or two after if possible."
This shows that the expedition was amply provisioned; and the future accomplishments of the little army proved that it had sufficient ammunition, received from sources that the records pre- served do not disclose.
August the 25th, 1774, Colonel William Preston sent the fol- lowing written orders to Major Arthur Campbell, looking to the defence of the settlements on Clinch River:
"Sir-Agreeable to the Conclusion come to by a Council of the Militia Officers of this County, the second of this month, for the Denfence of the Frontiers, in the absence of the Troops, I ordered Capt. Thompson with sixty men to guard the lower settle- ments on Clinch, which duty I suppose he is upon by or before this time; & as the upper Settlements are still uncovered, I would have you appoint Capt. Daniel Smith to that Service, with such Officers as you think proper; & there must be thirty men draughted from Capt. Herberts & the late Capt. Doacks Companies. The men are to be disposed of along that Frontier as was agreed on at the meeting of the Officers above mentioned.
"I would also request that you would examine carefully into the number of scouts on that quarter, and, if you see it necessary, to abridge them. You will likewise make enquiry, how they, & each of them, have performed the trust reposed in them, and make report to me accordingly."
Wm. Preston
(To Major Campbell) Aug. 25th 1774"
Up to this time no substantial help had been given to the inhabi- tants of the Upper Clinch Valley for the defence of the dangerous frontier on which they were living. The list of men stationed at Witten's fort at Crab Orchard, published on a preceding page, indi- cates that a few men were sent from the Holston Valley in com- pliance with the order of Colonel Preston. It is certain that Ensign John Campbell, who was a brother of Major Arthur Campbell, and Issac Spratt and Levi Bishop were from that Valley as they were then living on the north and south forks, respectively, of the Holston River, within the bounds of the present Smyth County. The inhabi-
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tants of the Holston Valley were more in dread of Indian incur- sions than were the settlers on the Clinch, and there was good reason for their fears. They had no forts on the North Fork of Holston, and there were but two on the Middle Fork of that river, Campbell's fort at Royal Oak, and Thompson's fort at Town House (Chil- howie). If the men from the Holston region had gone to the Clinch to perform garrison duty, they would have been compelled to leave their families unprotected, or to place them in Campbell's or Thomp- son's fort. Therefore, it is not surprising that so few of them went to the forts on the Clinch for service.
While the Lewis expedition was marching to the Ohio Valley, small bands of Shawnees and Mingos began to invade the Clinch and Holston valleys and make murderous attacks upon the inhabitants. The Indians kept spies hovering about Lewis' little army as it marched to the Ohio; and took advantage of the absence of the men, who were with the expedition, to kill and rob the unprotected people left in the Clinch and Holston settlements. The first attack by the Indians upon the settlers in the Upper Clinch Valley was made on the 8th of September, 1774. On that day a band of 12 or 15 Indians were in Thompson Valley, and about daybreak killed John Henry and his wife and three small children. Bickley, in his His- tory of Tazewell, has related the incident in very interesting style, and his account of the occurrence will be quoted in succeeding pages of this volume, along with his accounts of all the massacres that were committed in Tazewell County by the Indians. Dr. Bickley made a mistake as to the date of the Henry massacre, placing it in May, 1776.
Henry was living in Thompson Valley, on the southside of Rich Mountain, a short distance east of Plum Creek Gap, upon land now owned by Archie Thompson. He had settled there in the month of May preceding. In a letter dated, "Royal Oak, Sept. 9th. 1774," Major Arthur Campbell made a report of the attack upon the Henry family, which he said occurred the morning of the previous day, that is the 8th of September, 1774. Henry was standing in his door when two Indians fired at him, inflicting a mortal wound. He realized that he could do nothing for the protection of his wife and children and Major Campbell says: "He immediately ran to the woods; and shortly after, accidentally met with Old Jno. Hamilton who concealed him in a thicket until he should go and alarm the Fort, and bring him assistance. Hamilton had the courage to go
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History of Tazewell County
to Henry's House; but saw nothing, either of the Indians, or of the woman and children." The woman and three children had been killed and scalped and piled up a short distance from the house, and in that way escaped Hamilton's notice, which caused him to report their capture. Hamilton was one of the enlisted men at Witten's fort at the Crab Orchard, which was about three miles distant from the scene of the massacre; and his name appears upon the list of the garrison as "John Hambleton."
On his way to the fort, Hamilton met John Bradshaw, whom Bickley says had settled in the valley, two miles west of the present town of Tazewell, in 1771. Bradshaw had been alarmed by discov- ering some Indian signs in his corn field that morning and had started over to Rich Valley, in the present Smyth County, where his family had gone on a visit. He struck out through the woods, passed by the Henry home, and at a point about three miles from the scene of the tragedy came upon a place where twelve or fifteen Indians had breakfasted, as shown by provisions they had left, and other signs. From that place he followed the tracks of the red men a short distance and found they were directing their course toward the Rich Valley. He made a rapid journey to that valley and gave warning that night to as many of the settlers as possible; and they began to gather at a Mr. Harrison's who lived on what Major Camp- bell called "the main path to Clinch in the Rich Valley, opposite to the Town-House." Other inhabitants of the valley fled to the fort at Royal Oak; among these was the wife of Ensign John Camp- bell, who was in charge of the garrison at Witten's fort; and Archi- bald and John Buchanan with their families. The families of the two Buchanans made a narrow escape from the Indians. These Buchanans were brothers, and cousins of Colonel John Buchanan, the surveyor. John Buchanan lived in the Locust Cove, and his wife was a sister of Colonel Buchanan. Archibald Buchanan, lived near the mouth of Cove Creek that empties into the North Fork of Holston. He afterwards moved to the present Washington County, and is the ancestor of most of the Buchanans who now live in Taze- well County, his brother John being the ancestor of the other Taze- well Buchanans. After murdering the Henry family, the Indians, evidently, crossed Clinch Mountain into Poor Valley and passed over Brushy Mountain into the Locust Cove; and then traveled down Cove Creek to where it enters the North Fork of Holston River. A short distance above that point, about a mile above the mouth of
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Cove Creek, they made Samuel Lammey a captive. They must have come upon Lammey alone, as his family had been sent to Camp- bell's fort at Royal Oak, after the warning given by Bradshaw to the Rich Valley settlers. The Indians then started on their home- ward journey, crossed the Clinch Valley, with their prisoner, passed through Roarks' Gap, and followed Dry Fork to its confluence with Tug River.
The next attack made by the Indians also occurred within the bounds of the present Tazewell County. There were three Indians in the attacking party, and they were evidently a part of the band that massacred the Henrys and went over to Rich Valley. It was the custom of the Indians when they made hostile visits to the border settlements to break up into small bands and scatter their attacks upon the cabins of the most isolated and unprotected inhabitants. This plan made escape easier from pursuing parties sent out by the settlers. On the 13th of September, five days after the Henrys were murdered, three Indians made an attack upon a soldier who was out hunting or scouting about half a mile from the fort at Maiden Spring. The Indians shot at the soldier, but failed to hit him. He shot one of them so severely that the wound proved fatal. Major Arthur Campbell, in reporting the affair to Colonel Preston, said: "A party of our people happened to be within 300 yards when the guns were fired; they soon were at the place of action, and give the remaining two Indians a good chase. The wounded fellow found means to get into a large cave or pit within 70 or 80 yds. of the place where he was shot; in which it is supposed he is dead, as he fell when he was shot, and bled a good deal. I have one of the plugs now in my house that burst out of his wound a few steps from the tree he stood behind when he was shot. The pit is to be searched by means of letting a man down in it by ropes with lights, as our men are anxious to get his scalp." This cave is about a half mile South of Maiden Spring and the Bowen homestead.
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