USA > Virginia > Washington County > Washington County > History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 > Part 26
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To do. for ex officio services for 1777-1778, 15.0
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
Allowed for pillory and stocks, 25.0
By 1464 tithables ( 15s. per tithable. 1,098.9
At this same court the following order was entered :
"Ordered that the main road be cut according to report of Joseph Black, Andrew Colvill and James Piper, viewers from the courthouse to the Twenty-Mile creek, and that Andrew Colvill be surveyor from the courthouse to the west side of Spring creek. and that the tithables formerly ordered work upon the same."
The Pillory-Used in this Section in the Early Days.
The road was opened pursuant to this order, the location of which was about the same as that of the present road from Abing- don to Papersville, Tennessee.
At the May term of court. 1729, the Attorney for the Common- wealth filed an information against John Yancy, a citizen and hotel keeper, living in the town of Abingdon, charging him with the offence of enclosing his sheep in the courthouse, upon which inform- ation divers witnesses were sworn and examined, and the defendant heard in his defence, whereupon, the court fined the defendant twenty shillings and the costs.
At the same court, the prison erected by Abraham Goodpasture was, by order of the court, used, but not received. On the same day the court entered the following order :
"Ordered that David Carson and Joseph Black lay off the prison
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
bounds, exceeding five acres and not more than ten, and take in the water, and David Carson was paid six pounds for his services."
On the 19th day of August the court entered the following order :
"Ordered that Arthur Campbell, Anthony Bledsoe, Daniel Smith, Joseph Black and John Blackamore be appointed examiners of the bills of credit of this State and the other United States, agreeably to the act of the Assembly entitled "An Act for more effectually guarding against counterfeiting of the Bills of Credit, Treasury Notes and Loan Office certificates."
In the early summer of this year, the Tories living near the head of the Yadkin river, North Carolina, and on New river and Walk- er's creek in Montgomery county, Virginia, began to form into a body, with the intention of destroying the Lead Mines on New river, robbing the well affected citizens of that county, and then forcing their way to the headquarters of Lord Cornwallis, who was at that time in the Carolinas. There was every prospect that an insurrection would take place, and, notwithstanding the untiring efforts of Colonel William Preston, the county-lieutenant of that county, he was unable to quiet the disaffected, or to protect the well- disposed citizens. As a last resort Colonel Preston called upon the officials of Washington county for assistance, when Captain William Campbell, with about one hundred and fifty militia from this county, all well mounted, turned out and proceeded to suppress this, a new kind of enemy to the people of Washington county. The name of Captain Campbell was such as to strike consternation into the rank of the Tories, who dispersed upon his approach and offered no open resistance. The militia from this county were then dispatched in small detachments and had active business for several weeks pursuing, taking and imprisoning Tories. The militia sub- sisted themselves and their horses upon the grain and stock of the Tories, and compelled all Tory sympathizers who were old and unfit for service to give security for their good behavior, or to go to jail. The young, effective men were pardoned on condition of their serving as faithful soldiers in the armies of the United States during the war, as an atonement for their crime. Colonel Camp- bell and his men saw hard and active duty during this time, but lost no lives nor had any of their men wounded.
Captain Campbell and his militia from this county were ably seconded in their efforts to suppress the Tory sentiment then exist-
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
ing in Montgomery, by Colonel Walter Crockett, Captain Charles Lynch, Captain Robert Sayers and Captain Isaac Campbell. Cap- tains Sayers and Campbell each commanded a company of men numbering twenty-eight and thirty-five respectively, at this time, and were not satisfied with a suppression of the Tories in Mont- gomery county, but thereafter proceeded to perform the same service in parts of Surrey and Wilkes counties, North Carolina.
Captain Campbell and his men, in dealing with the Tories of Montgomery county, applied the same methods used so effectively in Washington county, of which we give one instance, that the reader may understand the methods used.
"There is a beautiful little valley known by the name of "Black Lick," nestling among the mountains of Wythe county, which, being remote from highways and environed by uninhabited forests, afforded shelter for a number of Tories, who made frequent forays upon the neighboring settlements and then concealed themselves in this remote and quiet retreat. Their hiding place becoming dis- covered, General Campbell's men surrounded it, captured about a dozen and hung them upon two white oaks which, spared by the woodman's ax for the righteous office they had performed, were still standing a few years ago, and were long known by the name of the "Tory Trees."*
At the time in question, Captain Charles Lynch, of Bedford county, was manager for the Commonwealth at the Lead Mines on New river, and, as a result of the visit of Captain Campbell to Montgomery county in this year, he thereafter adopted Campbell's method of dealing with Tories and wrong-doers ; and, ever after. during the war, when any of the inhabitants were suspected of wrong doing or treasonable conduct, they were dealt with accord- ing to what was termed "Captain Lynch's Law," and from this man and this occasion originated the term "Lynch Law," as it is prac- tised throughout the nation, under peculiar circumstances, at this day.
Upon the return of Captain Campbell and his men from Mont- gomery county, considerable complaint was made by the Tory inhab- itants of that section of Virginia, and efforts were made to prose- cute Campbell and his associates, but the Legislature of Virginia, recognizing the valuable services of these patriots, in October of
*Chas. B. Coale.
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
that year passed an Act exempting them from all pains and pen- alties by reason of their acts, which Act of the Assembly is as follows :
"Whereas divers evil-disposed persons on the frontiers of this Commonwealth had broken out into an open insurrection and con- spiracy and actually levied war against the Commonwealth, and it is represented to the present General Assembly that William Camp- bell, Walter Crockett and other liege subjects of the Common- wealth, aided by detachments of the militia and volunteers from the county of Washington and other parties of the frontiers did by their timely and effectual exertion suppress and defeat such conspiracy ; and whereas the necessary measures taken for that purpose may not be strictly warranted by law, although justifiable from the imme- diate urgency and imminences of the danger; be it therefore declared and enacted, That the said William Campbell, Walter Crockett and all other persons whatsoever concerned in suppressing the said conspiracy and insurrection, or in advising, issuing or executing any orders or measures taken for that purpose stand indemnified and clearly exonerated of and from all pains, penalties, prosecutions, actions, suits and damages on account thereof; and that if any indictment, prosecution, action or suit shall be laid or brought against them, or any of them, for any act or thing done therein, the defendant or defendants may plead in bar, or the general issue, and give this act in evidence."*
In the summer of this year, at the instigation of British agents, Dragging Canoe and his band of Indians, living at Chickamauga, were induced to undertake a campaign against the Virginia and Carolina frontiers. While making preparations for the campaign, James Robertson, who was then at Chote, received information of their intended invasion and immediately informed the leaders on the Holston. Upon the receipt of this information it was decided that the militia of the two governments should unite, and carry on an active expedition against these Indians. Colonel Evan Shelby, of Sapling Grove (now Bristol), was selected to command the expedition. The forces from the two States assembled at the mouth of Big Creek on the Clinch river (near Rogersville, Ten- nessee), on April 10, 1779, Captain Isaac Shelby being in command of the forces from Washington county, Virginia. At this point the
*10 Hening Statutes, page 195.
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
entire army, consisting of several hundred men, volunteers from the settlements, and a regiment of twelve-months' men, under the com- mand of Captain John Montgomery, intended as a reinforcement to General Clark in the Illinois, temporarily diverted from that objeet for use in this campaign, embarked in canoes and boats, and descended the Tennessee river to the home of the Chickamoggas. The Indians were completely taken by surprise and fled in all directions to the hills and mountains, not offering any resistance. Forty Indians, at least, were killed, and their towns were destroyed, their horses and cattle driven away, and their corn and provisions, as well as twenty thousand pounds in value of stores and goods. carried off. Thereupon, the troops destroyed their boats and canoes and returned to their homes on foot. Thus it was that one of the cherished hopes of the British ministry was foiled and the prospects of the Colonies exceedingly enhanced.
Colonel Shelby, while making preparations to conduct this expe- dition against the Indians at Chickamogga, dispatched John Doug- lass to the settlements on Clinch river, pursuant to the orders of Colonel Russell, but Douglas was waylaid and killed by the Indians and his horse ridden off.
When the expedition against the Chickamogga Indians was decided upon, Colonel Evan Shelby dispatched John Hutson to the Indian town with letters to Colonel Joseph Martin, advising him to remove from the Indian country to the Great Island, agreeably to the Governor's instructions, but, unfortunately, Hutson was drowned in the execution of that business, and his widow, Eleanor Hutson was allowed by the General Assembly at its fall session in the year 1779, the sum of twenty-four pounds for the present relief of herself and children, and twelve pounds per annum during her widowhood.
"In the summer of 1779, the Indians visited the home of Jesse Evans, who lived near the head waters of the Clinch river, and destroyed his family. On the morning of the day in question, Jesse Evans left his house, with five or six hired men, for the purpose of executing some work at a distance from home. As they carried with them various farming implements, their guns were left at the house, where Mrs. Evans was engaged in weaving a piece of cloth. Her oldest daughter was filling quills for her while the four remain-
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
ing children were either at play in the garden or gathering vege- tables.
The garden was about sixty yards from the house, and, as no saw- mills were in existence at that day in this country, slab-boards were put up in a manner called "wattling" for palings. These were some six feet long and made what is called a close fence. Eight or ten Indians, who lay concealed in a thicket near the garden, silently left their hiding places and made their way, unobserved, to the back of the garden. There, removing a few boards, they bounded through and commenced the horrid work of killing and scalping the chil- dren. The first warning Mrs. Evans had was their screams and cries. She ran to the door and beheld the sickening scene, with such feelings as only a mother can experience.
Mrs. Evans was a stout, athletic woman, and, being inured to the hardships of the times, with her to will was to do. She saw plainly that on her exertions alone could one spark of hope be entertained for the life of her "first born." An unnatural strength seemed to nerve her arm and she resolved to defend her surviving child to the last extremity. Rushing into the house she closed the door, which being too small, left a crevice, through which in a few moments an Indian extended his gun, aiming to pry open the door and finish the bloody work which had been so fearfully begun. Mrs. Evans had thrown herself against the door to prevent the entrance of the savages, but no sooner did she see the gun barrel than she seized it and drew it in so far as to make it an available lever in prying to the door. The Indians threw themselves against the door to force it open, but their efforts were unavailing. The heroic woman stood to her post, well knowing that her life depended upon her own exertions. The Indians now endeavored to wrest the gun from her; in this they likewise failed. Hitherto she had worked in silence, but as she saw no prospect of the Indians relinquishing their object, she began to call loudly for her husband, as if he were really near. It had the desired effect; they let go the gun and hastily left the house, while Mrs Evans sat quietly down to await a second uttack, but the Indians, who had perhaps seen Mr. Evans and his workmen leave the house, feared he might be near, and made off with all speed.
While Mrs. Evans was thus sitting and brooding over the melan- choly death of her children, anxious to go to those in the garden, but
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
fearing to leave her surviving one in the house, exposed to a second attack, a man named Goldsby stepped up to the door. Never did manna fall to the hungered Jew more opportunely, yet no sooner did he hear her woful tale than he turned his back upon her and fled as if every tree and bush had been an Indian taking deadly aim at him. Such were his exertions to get to a place of greater safety that he brought on hemorrhage of the lungs, from which he with much difficulty recovered.
Seeing herself thus left to the mercy of the savages, Mrs. Evans took up the gun she had taken from them and started with her remaining daughter to Major John Taylor's, about two miles dis- tant, where, tired and frenzied with grief, she arrived in safety. She had not been gone a great while, when Mr. Evans returned and, not suspecting anything wrong, took down a book, and was engaged in its perusal for some time, till finally he became impatient and started to the garden, where he supposed Mrs. Evans was gathering vegetables. What must have been his feelings when he reached the garden to see four of his children murdered and scalped. Seeing nothing of his wife and eldest daughter, he supposed they had been taken prisoners ; he therefore returned quickly to the house, seized his gun and started for Major Taylor's to get assistance and a com- pany to follow on and try, if possible, to overtake them. Frantic with grief he rushed into the house to tell his tale of woe, when he was caught in the arms of his brave wife. His joy at finding them was so great that he could scarcely contain himself; he wept, then laughed, then thanked God it was no worse. As is common in such cases in a new country, the neighbors flocked in to know the worst, and to offer such aid as lay in their power. They sympathized as only frontiersmen can sympathize, with the bereaved parents ; but the thought of having to bury four children the next morning was so shocking and so dreadful to reflect on, that but little peace was to be expected for them. Slowly the reluctant hours of night passed away, and a faint gleam of light became visible in the east- ern sky. The joyous warblers were gayly flitting from branch to branch and carrolling their sweetest lays, while the sun rose above the mountain summit, shooting his bright beams on the sparkling dewdrops which hung like so many diamonds from the green boughs of the mountain shrubbery, giving, altogether, an air of gorgeous beauty which seemed to deny the truth of the evening's tale. The
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
light clouds swimming in the eastern atmosphere, brilliantly tinted with the rising sun,
And the gentle murmur of the morning breeze, Singing nature's anthem to the forest trees,
seemed to say such horrid work could not be done by beings wear- ing human form. But alas! while nature teaches naught but love, men teach themselves lessons which call forth her sternest frowns.
A hasty breakfast was prepared and the men set off to Mr. Evans's house to bury the murdered children. With a heart too full for utterance, the father led the way, as if afraid to look at those little forms for whose happiness he had toiled, and braved the dangers of a frontier life. But a day ago he had dandled them on his knees, and listened to their innocent prattle ; they were now monuments of Indian barbarity.
Turning a hill the fatal garden was instantly painted on the retina of the fond parent's eye, to be quickly erased by the silent tears which overflowed their fountain and came trickling down his weather beaten face.
The party came up to the back of the house at the front of which stood the milk-house, over a spring of clear water, when, lo! they beheld coming up, as it were from the very depth of the grave, Mary, a little child only four years old, who had recovered from the stun- ning blow of the tomahawk and had been in quest of water at the familiar old spring around which, but a day before, she had sported in childish glee. The scalp that had been torn from the skull was hanging hideously over her pale face,which was much besmeared with blood. She stretched out her little arms to meet her father, who rushed to her with all the wild joy of one whose heart beats warm with parental emotions! She had wandered about in the dark from the time she had recovered and, it may be, had more than once tried to wake her little sisters on whose heads the tomahawks had fallen with greater force. This poor, half-murdered little child lived, married and raised a large family."*
In the spring of the year 1779, at the election held for members of the General Assembly of Virginia, Isaac Shelby and David Campbell were elected and served the people of Washington county for this year. During this year General E. Clarke, of Georgia, was compelled to take refuge in the settlements on Watauga and Hols-
*Bickley's History of Tazewell.
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
ton, and. while in the settlements, repeated to the hardy frontiers- men many of the dastardly deeds committed by the British forces in their invasion and subjugation of South Carolina and Georgia. As a result, many of the citizens of these settlements returned with him to his home in Georgia to assist in avenging the wrongs of their fellow countrymen and, in addition thereto, creating through- out Southwestern Virginia and the Holston settlements a lively interest in the affairs to the south of the settlements.
The officials of Washington county, Virginia, from the first organ- ization of the county until this time, had, without question, exer- cised their authority as low down as Carter's Valley, upon the sup- position that all that portion of the country was in Virginia, but. on the 30th day of September in this year, an occurrence took place in Carter's Valley, between William Cocke, lately a represen- tative from Washington county in the Legislature of Virginia, and Alexander Donaldson, a deputy for Arthur Campbell, that resulted in greatly curtailing the territory included within this county. The circumstances connected with this transaction are best stated by the order of the County Court of Washington county, Virginia. entered on the 20th of October, 1779, which is as follows :
"The complaint of the sheriff against William Cocke for insulting and obstructing Alexander Donaldson, deputy sheriff, when col- lecting the public tax about the thirteenth day of September last. and being examined saith ; that, being at a point on the north side of Holston river in Carter's Valley, collecting the public tax, the said William Cocke, as he came to the door of the house in which said sheriff was doing business, said that there was the sheriff of Virginia collecting the tax, and asked him what right he had to collect taxes there, as it was in Carolina and never was in Virginia : that he said the people were fools if they did pay him public dues. and that he dared him to serve any process whatever ; that he. said Cocke, undertook for the people, upon which sundry people refused to pay their tax and some, that had paid, wanted their money back again."
"Ordered that the conduct of William Cocke respecting the obstructing, insulting and threatening the sheriff in the execution of his office be represented to the Executive of Virginia.
"Ordered that if William Cocke be found in this county that he be taken into custody and caused to appear before the justices at the
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
next court to answer for his conduct for obstructing the sheriff in execution of his office."
As a result of this difficulty, the General Assembly of Virginia and North Carolina at their sessions, in the year 1779, appointed Dr. Thomas Walker and Daniel Smith, on the part of Virginia, and Richard Henderson and William B. Smith, on the part of North Carolina, commissioners, to run the line between the two States, beginning where Fry and Jefferson and Weldon and Churton ended their work, near Steep Rock creek, if found to be truly in latitude 36 degrees 30 minutes North, and to run thence due west to the Tennessee or the Ohio river. The commissioners ran the line with- out trouble for about forty miles, when they disagreed, the North Carolina commissioners claiming the true line to be about two miles north of the place at which the commissioners were then stationed. The Virginia commissioners proceeded to run the line to the Mis- sissippi river and made their report. Nothing further will be said upon this subject at this point, but it will be separately treated in another part of this book. Suffice it to say that the line, as ascer- tained by the Virginia commissioners, deprived Washington county of from one-third to one-half of the territory supposed to lie within Washington county ; and the North Carolina Legislature, at their fall session in this year, established Sullivan county, North Caro- lina, afterwards Tennessee, and the government of that county was organized at the house of Moses Loony in the month of February, 1780.
Isaac Shelby, one of Washington county's representatives in the Legislature of Virginia, qualified as county lieutenant and Ephraim Dunlop, Washington county's deputy attorney, was appointed State's attorney for the new county.
The act of the General Assembly of North Carolina erecting the county of Sullivan recites that the then late extension of the north- ern boundary line of the State from Holston river, that lies directly west from a place well known by the name of Steep Rock, makes it evident that all the lands west of said place, lying on the west and northwest side of said river Holston have, by mistake of the settlers, been held and deemed to be in the State of Virginia; owing to which mistake they have not entered said lands in the proper offices. It recites also, that by a line lately run, it appears that a number of such settlers have fallen into the State of North Carolina, and it
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
makes provision for the security of their lands and improvements. These were the first lands taken from the county as originally formed.
In the fall of this year Andrew Colvill, a citizen of Wolf Hills, was commissioned as escheator for Washington county, and Evan Baker was appointed deputy commissary on the western side of the Blue Ridge, agreeably to the order of the Governor and Council.
On the 22d day of March, 1780, the County Court of this county entered several important orders, among the number being one fixing the county levy for the year 1779, at twenty dollars for each tithable, and appointing John Campbell, David Carson and Alex- ander Montgomery commissioners of the tax for that year, and James Dysart, Robert Craig and John Kinkead commissioners to collect that portion of the tax that was payable in commutable articles.
Robert Craig and Aaron Lewis were recommended to the Gov- ernor as fit and proper persons for coroners of Washington county and were commissioned as such, and
Benjamin Estill,
David Watson,
Alexander Montgomery,
Thomas Montgomery,
John Latham,
David Ward,
Joseph Black,
Robert Campbell, and
Alexander Barnett,
were recommended to the Governor as fit and proper persons to be added to the commission of the peace for Washington county, and were commissioned as such.
These recommendations were made in view of the fact that quite a number of the members of the court of this county had been lost to the county when the State line was run and Sullivan county, North Carolina, was formed.
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