USA > Virginia > Washington County > Washington County > History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 > Part 34
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After the Indians had disappeared, she followed on very cautiously till she came to where the path forked. This perplexed her some- what, not knowing which to take. She finally took the left, which seemed to be the plainest, when a bird flew past, touched her shoulder and lighted in the other path. She kept on, however, but had pro- ceeded but a few steps when the bird repeated its singular action. This led her to stop and reflect, and, coming to the conclusion that the bird was the spirit of one of her murdered children come to
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guide her through the wilderness, she took the other path, which proved to be the right one, and led her through what is now known as Pound Gap. She eventually made her way into Castle's Woods, where many of her relatives resided and still reside.
After some years, Mrs. Scott married Mr. Thomas Johnson, for whom the county of Johnson in Tennessee was called. She raised a family of children, all of whom married and became useful and respectable members of society. She lived to an advanced age, and her ashes now repose on a little hillock near the old blacksmith shop, not far from the base of Clinch mountain at Hayter's Gap, in Rus- sell county, Virginia."*
In addition to the facts contained in this account as preserved by Mr. Coale, we are able to give from reliable documentary authority, the following :
"Another house stood by the residence of Archibald Scott. in which was a little girl eleven or twelve years old, with her brother some years younger than herself.
"Into this house the Indians did not enter for some reason, but shot through the door and killed the boy, whereupon the girl sprang out at a window and hid in a nursery of young peach trees till the Indians were gone. She then re-entered the house, laid out her dead brother, and sat by him all night, and till late the next day, when a party of men arrived to bury the dead."
The history of Washington county from this time henceforth, will be uninteresting as compared with that portion of our history with which we have been dealing.
In April of the year 1784, a number of depredations were com- mitted by the Indians in Powell's Valley and on the Kentucky road. A boy was killed and a girl taken prisoner in Powell's Valley, and a man and a woman and two children were killed in the winter of 1784, on the Kentucky road by a party of Cherokees under a young Indian chief by the name of Rattlesnake, and within the same year three men were killed near Cumberland Gap, by the Creeks, and a boy killed and scalped and an arrow left in his breast on Powell's river.
In the year 1783, the Governor and Council of Virginia authorized the building of a fort at Cumberland Gap, on the Virginia side of the line, which fort was erected under the supervision of Colonel
*Charles B. Coale.
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Joseph Martin in the fall of 1783. This fort was intended to be the residence of Colonel Joseph Martin, the Virginia Commissioner to the Indians, who of necessity had to remove from Long Island, then ascertained to be in the State of North Carolina. Into this fort there gathered about one hundred persons, and upon the out- break of hostilities, it was with difficulty that they could be prevented from breaking up. Captain James Shelby had been killed near this station on his way to Washington county, and a man had been killed on the north fork of Holston river on the 5th of April, and ten days afterward a man was wounded with arrows on the head waters of Clinch.
In September of the year 1784, a party of Shawnese Indians ascended the Sandy river and, passing over to the head of Clinch, divided into small parties to steal horses and annoy the settlers. One of these parties came to the present location of Tazewell courthouse, where they visited the home of Andrew Davidson. Davidson's fam- ily consisted of a wife and three children, two small girls and a boy and two orphan children by the name of Broomfield. Mr. Davidson was absent from his home at the time of which we are speaking. When the Indians appeared at the house they informed Mrs. David- son that she must go with them to their home in the West, and there being nothing else that she could do, she took up her youngest child, the Indians carrying the others, and began the journey. Mrs. Davidson received kinder treatment at the hands of the Indians than she expected, and proceeded on the way to their homes beyond the Ohio. But, when the Indians arrived at their homes they took Mrs. Davidson's two little girls, tied them to trees and shot them before her eyes. The boy was given to an old Indian squaw and was soon afterwards accidentally drowned, Mrs. Davidson was sold to a Frenchman living in Canada, where she was found by her husband after several years and returned to her home. - Another company of Indians at the same time killed William Whitley, who lived in Baptist Valley. They mutilated his body in a terrible manner ; his bowels were torn out and stretched upon the bushes ; his heart was in one place and his liver in another. Another company of this same band of Indians discovered Henry Harman and his two sons, George and Mathias, and George Draper hunting in a section of country through which the Indian trail led. Harman and his associates were not expecting Indians so late in the season, and early in the
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
morning they built their camp. Harman's two sons had gone out to see whether they could find game, when, to their surprise, they discovered an Indian camp but a short distance from their own. with every indication of the very recent presence of the Indians. They returned to camp and reported what they had found : where- upon the hunters immediately proceeded to return to the settlements. They had not proceeded far before they were fired upon by the Indians from behind a log. whereupon, the Indians immediately advanced on Henry Harman, who fell back to where his sons stood ready to meet the Indians. A right brisk fight took place, a description of which is as follows :
"The Indians immediately surrounded the white men, who had formed a triangle, each man looking out, of what would have been with men enough, a hollow square. The old gentleman bade Mathias to reserve his fire, while himself and George fired, wounding, as it would seem, two of the Indians. George was a lame man from hav- ing had white swelling in his childhood, and after firing a few rounds the Indians noticed his limping. and one who had fired at him. rushed upon him thinking him wounded. George saw the fatal tomahawk raised, and drawing back his gun prepared to meet it. When the Indian had got within striking distance. George let down upon his head with the gun, which brought him to the ground : he soon recovered and made at him again, half bent and head fore- most, intending, no doubt, to trip him up, but as he got near enough, George sprang up and jumped across him, which brought the Indian to his knees. Feeling for his own knife and not getting hold of it. he seized the Indian's and plunged it deep into his side. Mathias struck him on the head with a tomahawk, and finished the work with him.
"Two Indians had attacked the old man with bows, and were maneuvering around him, to get a clear fire at his left breast. The Harmans, to a man, wore their bullet pouches on the left side, and with this and his arm he so completely shielded his breast, that the Indians did not fire until they saw the old gentleman's gun nearly loaded again, when one fired on him and struck his elbow near the joint, cutting one of the principal arteries. In a second more the fearful string was heard to vibrate, and an arrow entered Mr. Har- man's breast and lodged against a rib. He had by this time loaded a gun, and was raising it to his face to shoot one of the Indians.
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when the stream of blood from the wounded artery flew into the pan, and so soiled his gun that it was impossible to make it fire. Raising the gun, however, had the effect to drive back the Indians, who retreated to where the others stood with their guns empty.
"Mathias who had remained an almost inactive spectator, now asked permission to fire, which the old man granted. The Indian at whom he fired appeared to be the chief and was standing under a large beach tree. At the report of the rifle, the Indian fell, throw- ing his tomahawk high among the limbs of the tree under which he stood.
"Seeing two of their number lying dead upon the ground, and two more badly wounded, they immediately made off, passing by Draper, who had left his horse, and concealed himself behind a log."*
Draper, as soon as the Indians had passed him, fled to the set- tlements and reported that Harman and his sons were killed. A number of people set out the next morning to bury the dead, when to their surprise they met Harman and his sons returning to their homes.
This same body of Indians sent three of their number into Abb's Valley, where resided Captain James Moore and John Poage. Near the home of Captain James Moore, they captured his son, James Moore, Jr., a boy, fourteen years old. They took the young man to a field where his father's horses were running at large, and tried to capture the horses, failing in which they proceeded on their jour- ney to the Ohio. When they came near their towns in Ohio, the Indians painted themselves black, but did not paint the boy. The chief sold young Moore to his half-sister, who afterwards sold him to a French trader at Detroit, where young Moore met a trader from Kentucky, who knew his father and whom he requested to write to his father and inform him of his situation. He remained in captivity until October, 1789, and returned to his home in Taze- well county three years after the murder and captivity of his father and family.
Early in the year of 1786, another party of Indians visited the home of Captain James Moore in Abb's Valley, an account of which visit has been preserved, which I give in full :
"In July, 1786, a party of forty-seven Indians, of the Shawnese tribe, again entered Abb's Valley. Captain James Moore usually
Bickley's History of Tazewell.
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kept five or six loaded guns in his house, which was a strong log building, and hoped, by the assistance of his wife, who was very active in loading a gun, together with Simpson, a man who lived with them, to be able to repel the attacks of any small party of Indians. Relying on his prowess, he had not sought refuge in a fort, as many of the settlers had ; a fact of which the Indians seemed to be aware, from their cutting out the tongues of his horses and cattle, and partially skinning them. It seems they were afraid to attack him openly, and sought rather to drive him to the fort, that they might sack his house.
"On the morning of the attack, Captain Moore, who had pro- viously distinguished himself at Alamance, was at a lick bog a short distance from his house, salting his horses, of which he had many. William Clark and an Irishman were reaping wheat in front of the house. Mrs. Moore and the family were engaged in the ordinary business of housework. A man named Simpson was sick upstairs.
"The two men who were in the field at work saw the Indians coming at full speed down the hill toward Captain Moore, who had, ere this, discovered them and started in a run for the house. He was, however, shot through his body and died immediately. Two of his children, William and Rebecca, who were returning from the spring, were killed about the same time. The Indians had now approached near the house and were met by two fierce dogs, which fought manfully to protect the family of their master. After a severe contest the fiercest one was killed and the other subdued.
"The two men who were reaping, hearing the alarm and seeing the house surrounded, fled and alarmed the settlement. At that time the nearest family was distant about six miles. As soon as the alarm was given Mrs. Moore and Martha Ivens (who was living in the family), barred the door, but this was of no avail. There was no man in the house at this time except John Simpson, the old Englishman already alluded to, and he was in the loft sick and in bed. There were five or six guns in the house, but. having been shot off the evening before, they were then empty. They intended to load them after breakfast. Martha Ivens took two of the guns and went upstairs where Simpson was, and, handing them te him, told him to shoot. He looked up, but had been shot in the head through a crack and was then near his end. The Indians then proceeded to cut down the door, which they soon effected. During
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this time. Martha Ivens went to the far end of the house, lifted up a loose plank, and went under the floor and requested Polly Moore (then eight years old), who had the youngest child, called Margaret. in her arms (which was crying), to set the child down and come under. Polly looked at the child, and clasped it to her breast, and determined to share its fate. The Indians, having broken into the house, took Mrs. Moore and her children-viz .; John, Jane, Polly and Peggy, prisoners, and having taken everything that suited then, they set it and the other buildings on fire, and went away. Martha Ivens remained under the floor a short time and then came out and hid herself under a log that lay across a branch not far from the house. The Indians having tarried a short time with a view of catching horses, one walked across on this log, sat down on one end of it and began to fix his gunlock. Miss Ivens supposing that she was discovered and that he was preparing to shoot her, came out and gave herself up. At this he seemed much pleased. They then set out for their towns. Perceiving that John Moore was a boy, weak in body and mind and unable to travel, they killed him the first day. The babe they took two or three days, but, it being fret- ful on account of a wound it had received, they dashed its brains out against a tree. They then moved on with haste to their towns. For some time it was usual to tie very securely each of the prisoners at night, and for a warrior to lie beside each of them, with toma- hawk in hand, so that in case of pursuit, the prisoner might be speedily dispatched.
"Shortly after they reached the towns, Mrs. Moore and her daugh- ter Jane were put to death, being burned and tortured at the stake. This lasted some time, during which she manifested the utmost Christian fortitude and bore it without a murmur, at intervals con- versing with her daughter Polly and Martha Ivens, and expressing great anxiety for the moment to arrive when her soul should wing its way to the bosom of its Saviour. At length an old squaw, more humane than the rest, dispatched her with a tomahawk.
"Polly Moore and Martha Ivens eventually reached home, as described in the narrative of James Moore.
"Several incidents in this narrative have been left out. When the Indians set fire to the house and started, they took from the stable the fine black horse Yorick. He was a horse of such a vicious nature that no one but Simpson could manage him, The Indians had not
Washington County, 1717-1870.
proceeded far when one mounted him, but soon the horse had him on the ground and was pawing him to death with his feet : for this purpose a few strokes were sufficient. Another mounted him and was served in like manner. Perfectly wild with rage, a very large Indian mounted him, swearing to ride him or kill him. A few plunges and the Indian was under the feet of the desperate horse. his teeth buried in his flesh, and uttering a scream as if he intended to avenge the death of his master, he had just dispatched the Indian when another, running up. stabbed him, and thus put an end to the conflict. 'Alas ! poor Yorick.'
"It is said that Mrs. Moore had her body stuck full of lightwood splinters which were fired. and she was thus tortured three days before she died.
"When Martha Ivens and Polly Moore were among the French they fared much worse than when among the Indians. The French had plenty, but were miserly, and seemed to care little for their wants. The Indians had little, but would divide that little to the last particle."*
In April, 1286. Mathias Harman and Benjamin Thomas, two scouts employed by the authorities of Russell county, visited the house of a man by the name of Dials, now in Tazewell county. Dials kept liquor for sale, and Thomas and Harman were soon intox- icated. Mrs. Dials was making preparations for dinner, when Dials and Thomas left the house to obtain wood. When they reached the mouth of a lane about two hundred yards from the house, they were fired upon by a party of six or seven Indians; several of the shot struck Dials, and one of the warriors pursued him, in the direction of his house. When they approached the house the Indian gave up the pursuit, as he was aware of Harman's presence at the house. and Dials reached the corner of the house, where he fell dead against the chimney. Thomas was fired at. but was not shot : he was, how- ever, during the pursuit, knocked down by the Indian, sealped and left for dead. Thomas died seven days thereafter.
. Harman, who was very much intoxicated at that time, ran out of the house, mounted his horse and pursued the Indians, challeng- ing them to stop and fight. which they declined. About this time some Cherokee Indians killed two men near the the end of Clinch mountain. The militia from the surrounding country combined
*Bickley's History of Tazewell.
-
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and marched within fifteen miles of their town, when they sent for Old Tassel, The Hanging Man and other Indian chiefs, to come to them, which they did, and informed the white people that this murder was done by two or three Indian fellows who lived in a town called Caw-a-tie, about twenty miles below Chote, and that they had been hired to do so by an old fellow from Chickamogga, who had two sons killed by the white people last spring. The Indian chiefs informed the white people that their desire was for peace, but the white people answered that they would have their lands, to which the Indians replied that they had no right to give them their land, whereupon the whites immediately marched into their towns, which they destroyed, along with a part of their corn, and killed and shot several Indians. About this same time, William Martin, a son of Colonel Joseph Martin, was killed by the Creek Indians while on his way to Georgia, and a whole company of settlers, except a woman, were killed near Chickamogga; and a son of Tom Wallen was shot near his father's home, but made his escape.
The settlers on the Blue Stone (now in Tazewell county, Va.), being the principal sufferers by the Indian invasions, in August of this year forwarded a petition to the Executive of Virginia, stating their position on the frontiers and asking for protection against the Indians, "from whose cruelties they had lately been great sufferers. The settlement had become much weaker on account of these attacks and was not able to protect itself longer without prompt aid from the government. Upon the approach of danger, the inhabitants are required to betake themselves and families to the forts, thus expos- ing their effects and property to the marauders, and, being few in number and scattered, they are unable to pursue and punish their enemies. Unless some suitable and regular method for the defence of the county be adopted at once, they should be obliged to abandon their homes, and thus expose to the savages the more interior parts of the country."
In answer to this petition, the Governor of Virginia directed the county-lieutenant of Russell county to call out forty men for the protection of the frontiers of the county and three sets of spies, one for the upper part of the county, one for the lower part of the county, and another at Castle's Woods. The frontiers of Russell county, at
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this time, were 140 miles in length, extending from the Montgom- ery county line to Martin's Station in Powell's Valley.
On the 17th day of March, 1985, the Indians visited the house of John Wallen, about fifteen miles from Martin's Station, and killed and sealped his wife, and a Mrs. Cox was shot at by three Indians. On the 24th day of March two families were captured by three Indians in New Garden, about twenty miles from Abingdon. the two families consisting of fifteen persons.
In the fall of this year the smallpox broke out in the Indian nation, spreading rapidly and causing so much distress that the "Raven of Chickamogga," the chief of the Chickamogga Indians, addressed a peace talk to the Virginia Commissioner, which was as follows :
"Brother,-I am now going to speak to you about powder. I have in my towns six hundred good hunters, and we have very little pow- der. I hope you will speak to my elder brother of Virginia, to take pity on us, and send us as much as will make our fall's hunt. He will hear you. We are very poor, but don't love to beg, which our brother knows, as I have never asked him for anything else before. I thank him however for all his past favors to the old towns. I hope he will not refuse this favor I ask of him, I have taken Virginia by the hand, and I do not want to turn my face another way, to a strange people. The Spaniards have sent to me to come and speak to them. I am not going, but some of my people have gone to hear what they have to say. I am sitting still at home with my face towards my elder brother of Virginia, hoping to hear from him soon. I will not take of any strange people till I hear from him. Tell him that when I took hold of your hand, I looked on it as if he had been there. The hold is strong and lasting. I have with this talk sent you a long string of white beads as a confirmation of what I say. My friendship shall be as long as the beads remain white.
"A STRING."
Colonel Martin was disposed to listen to the professions of the Indians and was making preparations to furnish them with the pow- der which they requested, when a party of Indians appeared upon the Clinch and chased a son of Frederick Fryly and ran him until within sight of his father's house. Numerous signs of Indians were discovered down Sandy river, and the whole of the frontiers was
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
thrown into great disorder. In July of the year 1785, several mer- chants from Baltimore opened a very large store at North Fork, two miles below the Long Island of Holston, this being the first store opened in that section of the country. At the election held in the year 1785, for Washington county, Colonel William Russell and Andrew Kincannon, were elected to represent Washington county, in the House of Delegates. One of the first measures proposed by Col- onel Russell, upon the assembling of the General Assembly in the fall of that year, was a bill having for its purpose the division of Washington county, which bill was favorably reported and after- wards, on January 2, 1786, passed by the General Assembly of Vir- ginia and approved by the Governor. By this bill it was provided that, from and after the first day of May, 1786, the county of Wash- ington shall be divided into two distinct counties, that is to say : all that part of said county lying within a line to be run along Clinch mountain to the Carolina line, thence with that line to the Cumber- land mountain, and the extent of the country between the Cum- berland mountain, Clinch mountain and the line of Montgomery county, shall be one distinct county, and called and known by the name of Russell, and the residue shall retain the name of Washing- ton. The same bill directed the first court of said county to be held at the house of William Roberson in Castle's Woods, on the second Tuesday in May, 1786.
Pursuant to this Act of the Assembly, the first court of Russell county assembled at the house of William Roberson, in Castle's Woods, on May 9th, which court was composed of the following gentlemen :
Alexander Barnett,
Henry Smith,
David Ward,
Andrew Cowan,
Thomas Carter,
Samuel Ritchie, Henry Dickenson, John Thompson,
and, subsequently within the same year, the following gentlemen were commissioned and added to the court:
Charles Bickley, James Wharton,
Richard Price, John Frazer,
William Martin, Charles Cocke,
Christopher Cooper, John Tate,
John Bowen.
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
At the same time the following officers qualified :
Sheriff. David Ward.
Deputy Sheriff's, Robert Craig, Charles Carter and John Carter.
Clerk County Court, Henry Dickenson.
Commissioners of the Revenue, Samuel Ritchie and Patrick Por- ter
County Surveyor, Henry Smith.
County Lieutenant, Alexander Barnett.
Colonel of Militia, Henry Smith.
Lieutenant-Colonel of Militia, Andrew Cowan.
Major, Charles Cocke.
Captains of Militia.
David Ward, William Thompson,
William Dorton,
Charles Bickley,
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