History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870, Part 24

Author: Summers, Lewis Preston, 1868-1943
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Richmond, Va. : J.L. Hill Printing Company
Number of Pages: 936


USA > Virginia > Washington County > Washington County > History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 > Part 24


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79


This office he filled until the year 1831. a little more than fifty- one years. The bad feeling between the Preston and Campbell fam- ilies continued for many years, during which time there was a


268


Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.


resort to arms. A duel was fought and a member of the Campbell family wounded, but I am happy to say this feeling has long since died out, and the two families for many years have been intimately connected, socially and otherwise.


The settlers on the Holston and Clinch, during the years 1776- 1777, had been greatly harassed by the invasion of the Indians, and thereby prevented from making anything like a crop from their lands. They had also been required to furnish supplies to Colonel Christian and his army of two thousand men, upon their invasion of the Cherokee country, and the country was thereby greatly impoverished before the crops in the year 1777 were harvested. The good citizens, the relatives and friends of the settlers, living in Augusta county, contributed through Mr. Alexander St. Clair considerable sums of money, and provisions, for the relief of the settlers on the frontiers, and the County Court of this county, besides entering the following order, directed Captain William Campbell to have Mr. St. Clair to lay out the money in his hands for wheat.


"Ordered that Joseph Martin, John Kinkead, John Coulter, Gil- bert Christian, William Campbell and Thomas Mastin, who are hereby appointed as commissioners to distribute the flour con- tributed in Augusta county or elsewhere for the distressed inhabi- tants of this county, and to hire wagons to bring the same to this county."


This is the only instance save one, in the history of this county, that outsiders have been called upon to contribute to the support of the people of Washington county.


On the same day, the court entered an order appointing Robert Young, constable, from Amos Eaton's to Patterson's Mill, Castle- ton Brooks, from Patterson's Mill to lowest settlements down the river. These appointments were made to keep in touch with the advancing settlements.


At a meeting of the court on the 30th day of April, 1777, it was "ordered that the court be held as soon as the courthouse can be built, at the place formerly laid off for a town, upon the land given to the county by the honorable Thomas Walker, Joseph Black and Samuel Briggs.


At the time of the organization of the county, Dr. Thomas Walker, Joseph Black and Samuel Briggs agreed to give one hun-


269


Washington County, 1777-1870.


dred and twenty acres of land in the county of Washington agree- ably to a survey thereof made by Robert Doach for the purpose of establishing a town thereon, and for raising a sum of money towards defraying the expenses of building a courthouse and prison. This offer was made by the gentlemen mentioned to the County Court as an inducement to have them establish the county seat near Black's Fort and adjoining their other lands.


Tradition says that the court hesitated for some time in making a selection between Wolf Hills, (now Abingdon), and Shugarts- ville, (now Green Spring).


From a perusal of the orders of the County Court, it appears that a number of logs and other timber had been gathered at Mr. Black's for the purpose of building a magazine when, on the 27th day of August, 1777, the County Court ordered the sheriff to employ some person or persons, upon the best terms he could, to remove the logs and other timber at Mr. Black's for the purpose of building a magazine, to some convenient place where the town is to stand and there to be built for a courthouse."


"And likewise to build a prison fourteen feet square, with square timber, twelve inches each way, and a good shingle roof," with directions to line the side wall and under floor with two-inch plank, and put nine iron spikes in each plank, six inches long in lieu of a stone wall."


Pursuant to this order, the sheriff of the county let the contract for the building of the county courthouse to Samuel Evans; to Abraham Goodpasture, the building of a prison ; to G. Martin, the contract for making irons for criminals, and to Hugh Berry the contract for making the nails to be used in the building of the courthouse


The courthouse was built of logs and stood upon the lot occupied by the present residence of Mrs. James W. Preston. The jail ot prison (a fair description of which has been previously given), stood on the lower end of the present courthouse lot, a short distance from the street and north of the present courthouse.


On the 30th day of April, 1777, the County Court "ordered that Arthur Campbell, William Campbell, Daniel Smith, Joseph Mar- tin, William Edmiston, John Coulter and Robert Craig, gents, be appointed trustees to dispose of the land given to the county by the Honorable Thomas Walker, Samuel Briggs and Joseph


270


Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.


Black, and formerly laid off by Captain Robert Doach, and that they or any four of them shall sell the same and apply the money arising therefrom toward defraying the expenses of the publick buildings in this county."


Pursuant to this order of the court, the trustees therein named employed John Coulter to lay off a part of the streets and alleys of the proposed town, which service he performed and reported to the court and received his pay therefor.


The time when the new courthouse was first occupied cannot be definitely fixed, but must have been in the year 1778, and the new prison was not used or occupied until the year 1779.


On the same day the court directed David Campbell, clerk, to furnish blank books for keeping the public records, and ordered the sheriff to summons twenty-four of the most capable freeholders to serve as a grand jury, which grand jury met on the 27th day of May, 1777, at Black's Fort, and made the following indictments- to-wit:


Margaret Drummon for having a bastard child, and James Bryan for not having the road in good repair he was surveyor of. On the same day the court entered the following order :


"Ordered that it be certified that it is the opinion of the court, that the field officers for Washington county be recommended to His Excellency the Governor, to be continued and be in the office they have been commissioned to by his Excellency, which appoint- ments are approved of by the court of this county.


Major Anthony Bledsoe, upon his election as a member of the Legislature of Virginia, resigned his position as major of the forces stationed at Long Island and left for Richmond, and was suc- ceeded by Captain William Russell.


Major Bledsoe and Captain Cocke expected, upon the assembling of the legislature at Richmond, to have the pleasure of displacing the militia officers of Washington county and filling their positions with their friends and partizans, and Colonel Campbell, as a means to disappoint Cocke and Bledsoe in the accomplishment of their purpose, had the preceding order entered by the court of this county, which action had the desired effect, and as a result of it Cocke and Bledsoe preferred charges against Colonel Campbell, which charges were heard and dismissed by the Governor and Coun- cil, in the same year.


271


Washington County, 1777-1870.


The County Court during this year, upon motion of James Dysart, sheriff of the county, permitted Joseph Black, James Rob- erts and John King, to qualify as deputy sheriff's for this county, and during the same year, permitted Robert Campbell and John Campbell to qualify as deputy clerks for said county.


During the carly part of the year 1227, the court ordered the fol- lowing roads opened and established : "A road from James Kin- cannon's to William Kennedy's Mill. A road from Samuel Henry's up the South Fork of Holston, the way viewed by Robert Buchanan, Alexander McNutt and Robert Edmiston, pursuant to the order of the Fincastle court."


And, "on motion, John Anderson, Gilbert. Christian, James Elliott, James Fulkerson and William Roberts, were appointed com- missioners to view a road from George Blackburn's by James Ful- kerson's to the forks of the path leading to Kentucky and the mouth of Reedy creek."


In the fall of this year, the following orders relating to the roads of the county, were entered :


"Benjamin Gray and William Blackburn were appointed commis- sioners to view and locate a road from the courthouse to Shoate's Ford on Holston river on the 27th day of August, 1:17, and the report of the viewers establishing this road was confirmed by the court on the 30th day of September, 1777.


Josiah Gamble, Thomas Berry and Adam Keer were appointed commissioners to locate a road from the courthouse to Philip's Mill, on the Watauga road, on the 27th of August, 1277; their report was confirmed and the road established on the 30th day of September. 1777.


William Bowen, David Ward, Rees Bowen and James Fowler were appointed commissioners to locate a road from the Richlands by Maiden's Spring to the gap of the Laurel Fork of the north branch of Holston on the 30th day of September, 1977. and on the same day, John Finley, John Fowler and AAbraham Crabtree were appointed commissioners to locate a road from said gap down the valley to the head of Fifteen-Mile creek and on to the court- house.


On the same day. Albert MeClure. Thomas McCulloch and Joseph Martin were appointed commissioners to view a road from the foot of Clinch mountain where James Logan lived to the gap


272


Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.


of the mountain opposite the head of Fifteen-Mile creek. Their report was received and confirmed on the 18th day of March, 1778.


John Kinkead, Daniel Smith, Thomas Price and William Gil- mer were appointed commissioners to locate a road from the north side of Clinch mountain, over Clinch mountain, to Robert and James Logan's and Halbert McClure. Thomas McCulloch and Joseph Martin were appointed commissioners to locate a road from the foot of Clinch mountain at James Logan's to the courthouse.


William Casey, Robert Harrold and Samuel Staples were appointed commissioners on the 26th day of November, 1777, to locate a road from the mouth of Harrold's creek to the courthouse, and on the same day, Francis Cooper, John Dunkin and James Davis were appointed commissioners to locate a road from the North Fork of Holston to the Castle's Woods road through Little Moccasin Gap; this last road was established by order of the court on the 18th day of March, 1778.


We give this information in regard to the roads established in the year 1777, as it is always of interest to the citizens to know the time and circumstances attending the opening of our public roads.


The State authorities in the month of October, 1777, made a requisition upon the authorities of Washington county for thirty- three men for the continental service, which requisition was promptly complied with.


During the summer of this year, all the western settlements were visited by numbers of Tories from the eastern portion of the State and from the disaffected portions of North Carolina, and were greatly troubled by their presence in this, that they usually joined themselves in bands and traveled about through the settlements, stealing horses and robbing the Whig sympathizers ; and oftentimes, in accomplishing their purposes, committed the offence of murder, and, from all appearances, in the fall of this year it looked as if they would be able to give the settlers a great deal of trouble, unless in some manner restrained.


The people living on Holston undertook to restrain these Tory sympathizers by a resort to the courts and by inflicting the punish- ment prescribed by law, and, in so doing, Isaac Lebo, Jeremiah Slaughter and William Houston were indicted, tried and convicted for conduct and conversation evidencing a disposition inimical to


273


Washington County, 1777-1870.


the cause of America. Their goods were confiscated and they were fined and imprisoned.


The British government had spies scattered throughout the country, carrying messages between its officials and the Indians living to the south and west of the Holston settlements, and the situation was fast becoming exceedingly precarious. One of these spies was captured and punished by Colonel William Campbell and some of his friends, in this year, when Colonel Campbell was return- ing to his home from preaching, in company with his wife and two or three gentlemen. The circumstances were as follows: "When Colonel Campbell had gotten within a few miles of home, he dis- covered a man walking, with a little bundle on a stick thrown over his shoulder. When the man got within some hundred and fifty yards of Campbell, he turned obliquely off from the road. As soon as Campbell discovered this, he turned from the road in a direction to intercept him. When the man discovered that he was about to be intercepted by Campbell and his companions, he broke and ran with all his might towards the river. The pursuers galloped after him and as there was no ford there they jumped off of their horses and ran across the river and overtook their game in an ivy cleft. They carried him back to the road. When they got back several other men fell in company with them. The spy, as I will now call the man, was dressed very shabbily. Colonel Campbell asked him why he turned from the road. The spy appeared very silly and offered some flimsy excuse. Campbell propounded a great many other questions to him. The fellow pretended to have very little sense and said that he was a very poor man and was going to the back settlements where there was plenty of land. From the many questions Campbell proposed to the spy he became per- fectly satisfied that he was a man of fine sense and under the dis- guise of a fool. Campbell informed him that he believed him to be a man engaged in some vile service and he must be searched, to which the spy had no objection. His bundle was searched, in which was found nothing but some old clothes. Campbell informed him he must pull off all the clothes he had on and put on the suit he had in his bundle. In his pocket they found a pass and some other old papers, all badly written. Every part of his clothing was examined very minutely, but nothing could be found. Campbell remarked to the spy that he had a very good pair of shoes on and


274


Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.


he believed he would examine them. He took out his pocket knife and ripped off the bottom soles of the shoes, and under each of them he found a letter written by the British commander, addressed to the King of the Cherokee Indians. The letters were written on very fine paper and were enveloped in bladder so as to render them water-proof. The Indians were informed that the whites had rebelled against their king, that a large army had been sent against them, which would in a short time subdue them. The Indians were exhorted to send their warriors in every direction and harass the whites as much as possible. They were reminded of the injuries they had received from the whites and were told that as soon as the rebels were subdued, they would be amply remunerated for all the land that had been taken from them and for whatever other losses they had sustained from them. The letter wound up by recom- mending the bearer to the king as a man of sense and honesty and as one in whose counsels they should place implicit confidence. After the letters were read, a council was held and it was unanimously agreed that the spy should be hanged. Colonel Campbell informed the spy that he had but a short time to live and he had as well make a full and candid confession of everything connected with his trip. The spy said that he had been promised by the British commander a large sum of money to carry these letters to the Indians and to incite them to do all the mischief they could possibly accomplish. Soon after this confession the spy was taken by Campbell and his companions and swung to a limb."*


At the August term of the County Court of 1777, the situation had become so alarming that the court thought proper to require all the citizens of the county to take the oath of allegiance to the Com- monwealth and directed that George Blackburn tender the oath of allegiance to all free male inhabitants living in the bounds of Captain James Shelby's, Robert Craig's and Andrew Colvill's com- panies.


James Montgomery to tender the oath to those living in his own and Captain John Shelby's companies.


Arthur Campbell to tender the oath of allegiance to all in Cap- tain Edmiston's and Captain Dysart's companies.


William Campbell to tender the oath of allegiance to those living in Captain Aaron Lewis's company.


*Capt. John Redd's MSS.


275


Washington County, 1777-1870.


John Snoddy, to those in his own and Captain Adam's company.


John Campbell, to those in his own and Captain John Camp- bell's companies at Royal Oak.


John Kinkead in his own and Captain Dunkin's company.


Daniel Smith, to those living from the upper part of Captain Dunkin's company to the county line, and to John Coulter was assigned the duty of tendering the oath of allegiance to all free male inhabitants in the bounds of Captain Gilbert Christian's company and Captain James Robertson's company at Watauga.


The members of the County Court of Washington county were zealous Whigs and were so aggressive in the enforcement of their views, that it was with difficulty that a Tory could make his home anywhere within the bounds of this county without being prosecuted to the full extent of the law. A majority of these men did not recognize any distinction between an Indian who would scalp his wife and children and a man with a white skin who would lend his influence to a government that would offer every inducement to the Indian to murder and plunder the white settlers.


Colonel William Campbell was particularly aggressive in his pro- secution of the Tories to be found within the county, and, by reason thereof, was the object of special hatred on their part.


At this time there lived in Washington county two men by the names of Francis Hopkins and William Hopkins. Francis Hop- kins was a counterfeiter and, at the May term of the County Court in the year 1728. he was tried by the court on suspicion of his hav- ing counterfeited. erased and altered sundry treasury notes; the currency of this Commonwealth, knowing the same to be bad. He was found guilty, fined fifty dollars lawful money of Virginia, sen- tenced to six months in prison, and was ordered to be confined within the walls of the Fort at William Cocke's (now C. L. Clyce's), on Renfro's creek, alias Spring creek, until the county gaol was completed. He was conveyed to Cocke's Fort, but. within a short time thereafter, made his escape and began a series of very bold and daring depredations upon the Whig settlers of the county. He organized a band of Tories, whose occupation was to steal the horses of the settlers and intimidate the citizens whenever possible. He went so far as to post notices at and near the home of Colonel Wil- liam Campbell, warning him that if he did not desist from his pro-


276


Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.


secution of the loyal adherents of George III, a terrible calamity would befall him, either in the loss of his property or his life.


"On a quiet and beautiful Sabbath in the spring time of the year 1780, General Campbell accompanied by his wife (who was a sister of Patrick Henry), and several of their neighbors, attended a religious service at a Presbyterian house of worship known as Ebbing Spring Church in the upper end of this county. As they were returning to their homes they happened to be conversing about the audacity of the Tory who had been so bold and defiant in his declarations and was suspected of having posted these notices above referred to. Just as they arrived at the top of a hill, a short dis- tance west of the present residence of Colonel Hiram A. Greever, they observed a man on horseback on the opposite hill, coming towards them. General Campbell was riding beside his wife, with an infant on before him. One of them remarked that the individual meeting them was the Tory of whom they had been speaking, prob- ably now on a horse-stealing expedition, as he was observed to be carrying a rope halter in his hand. Hearing this, Colonel Campbell, without halting, handed the infant over to its mother and dashed out in front. Seeing the movement and recognizing the man whom he so much feared and hated, the Tory wheeled his horse and started back at quite a rapid gait, pursued at full speed by Colonel Camp- bell and one of the gentlemen of the company, whose name was Thompson. Never, it may be presumed, either before or since, has such a dashing and exciting race been witnessed upon that long level between the residences of Colonels Greever and Beattie. As they reached the branch at the base of the hill a little west of Colonel Beattie's, Colonel Campbell dashed up alongside the fleeing Tory, who, seeing that he would be caught, turned short to the right down the bank and plunged into the river. As he struck the water, Colonel Campbell, who had left his companion in the rear, leaped in beside him, grasped the Tory's holsters and threw them into the stream, and then dragged him from his horse into the water.


At this moment Mr. Thompson rode up. They took their prisoner out on the bank and held what may be termed a drum-head court. The Tory, who, bad as he was, had the virtue of being a brave, can- did man, at once acknowledged the truth of the charge preferred against him and boldly declared his defiance and determination to take horses wherever he could find them. But he was mistaken in his man, for in less than ten minutes he was dangling from the


277


Washington County, 1777-1870.


limb of a large sycamore that stood upon the bank of the river, the stump of which was to be seen a few years ago, and may be there yet for aught the writer knows .*


After the sudden taking off of Francis Hopkins, as above detailed, William Hopkins continued his depredations upon the Whig settlers and resorted to arms, for which offence he also was arrested in the year 1729 and committed to the gaol of this county for trial, but escaped therefrom, whereupon, the court entered the following order on the 16th day of June, 1779 :


"Washington county ss. On motion of Ephraim Dunlop, Deputy Attorney for the Commonwealth, that the estate of William Hop- kins, who had been taken and committed to the gaol of this county for treasonable practices against the United States of America, in taking up arms under the British Standard and who had broken the gaol and escaped. be sold and the money deposited in the treasury, it appearing to the court that the said Hopkins has no family, and that he has no stated place of abode,


"Ordered that the sheriff seize and sell all the estate of the said Hopkins which shall be found in his bailiwick and that he keep the money accruing from such sale in his hands until the General Assembly shall determine how the said money is to be expended."


Ordered that the clerk of the court transmit this order to the Speaker of the House of Delegates at the next session of the Assembly.


The good citizens of the county organized themselves into bands called "Regulators." and patroled the county and meted out pun- ishment to the offenders according to the enormity of their conduct. The citizens, following the example of their leaders, adopted, in dealing with Tory sympathizers. measures of such a character that this county was comparatively free from Tory influences during the entire war, and numbered among her citizens only such persons as were willing and ready to offer their lives and property as a sacri- fice on the altar of their country. And so strong and healthy was the Whig settlement in this county, in the years 1778-1:19, that numbers of our citizens were called upon to assist in suppressing an uprising of the Tory sympathizers in the county of Montgomery.


The mode of procedure adopted by our Revolutionary fathers, in dealing with this matter, may not meet with the approval of some


*Charles B. Coale.


278


Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.


at this day, but it is evident to the student of our history, that the methods used were the most effective in dealing with the unprin- cipled men who had chosen, with the assistance of the Indians, to commit all manner of depredations and outrages upon the frontier settlements.


In the county of Montgomery, persuasion and good treatment were used on this character of citizens and resulted in what might be termed an insurrection, a deplorable state of affairs that could not be remedied without the assistance of the patriots of Washing- ton county and the application of their methods in the premises.


In Washington county stern justice was meted out speedily and effectively, to all violators of the law, which policy was approved by the body politic and had the desired effect.


In the month of July, 1777, the Government of Virginia decided to appoint a superintendent or Indian Agent for the Cherokee Indians, which position was conferred upon Captain Joseph Mar- tin, and the agency was located at the Long Island in Holston river. Captain Martin, upon his appointment as Indian Agent, proceeded to build a large store house on the island, for the purpose of depositing such goods as the government might send out for the Indians and for the accommodation of the Indians when at Long Island on business with the Indian Agent.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.