USA > Virginia > Washington County > Washington County > History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 > Part 5
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Stephen Holston, when he had disposed of his rights to Davis, constructed canoes, passed down the Holston, Tennessee and Mis- sissippi rivers to Natchez, Mississippi, and thence returned to Vir- ginia, and settled in Culpeper county, where he lived in 1754; af- terwards, in 1757, he was captured by the Indians, but, making his escape, he returned to the waters of the Holston, and served under Colonel Christian upon the expedition to Point Pleasant in 1774, and in the expedition against the Cherokees in 1776. Many of his descendants are to be found in East Tennessee at this time.
At the beginning of the year 1753 two families resided on Back creek : James Reed, at Dublin, Va. (from whom Reed creek de-
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rived its name) ; two families on Cripple creek; James Burk, in Burk's Garden; Joseph and Esther Crockett, at the head waters of the South Fork of Holston river; James Davis, at the head waters of the Middle Fork of Holston river, and a family of Dunk- ards, by the name of McCorkle, on the west bank of New river near Inglis' Ferry. Of these facts we have record evidence. Many other families resided west of New river, of whom we have no record.
And thus closes the record of the first efforts made to explore and settle Southwest Virginia by the white man.
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CHAPTER IV.
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.
1754-1770. Thus matters stood at the beginning of the year 1754. Governor Dinwiddie, in this year, dispatched George Wash- ington on a mission to the French commander on the Ohio. Washington, accompanied by Christopher Gist, arrived at the French headquarters, which were situated near the present city of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he delivered the dispatches from Governor Dinwiddie, informing the French commander that war was inevitable unless he immediately withdrew from the coun- try.
The French commander denied the right of Governor Dinwiddie to give him orders in the premises, and declared his purpose to destroy every settlement made by the Virginians in the west.
To form some idea of the spirit of the American colonies in re- gard to the French settlements on the Ohio and their apprehen- sions therefrom, Governor Dinwiddie wrote to Earl Granville, in 1754, that the French intended to build forts, not only on the Ohio, but on Greenbrier, Holston and New rivers, and the French and Indians, he says, are now making incursions among our inhabi- tants in Augusta county, driving them from their homes.
Washington returned to Williamsburg and reported the result of his trip, whereupon the Governor of Virginia proceeded to raise a regiment under Colonel Joshua Fry and Lieutenant-Colonel George Washington. This regiment immediately proceeded to the west, and at Redstone, Western Pennsylvania, they encountered a force, composed of Indians and French, which they attacked, kill- ing ten and capturing the rest.
They proceeded to the Great Meadows, halted, and built a fort, to which they gave the name of "Fort Necessity." On the 3d day of July, 1754, a force of French and Indians, numbering about a thousand, under the command of Count de Villiers, vigorously assaulted the fort and attempted to take it. The siege lasted for nine hours, at the end of which time the French leader sent in a flag of truce offering to receive the surrender of the fort upon hon-
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orable terms, which offer was accepted, and the Virginians marched out next morning.
In the spring of 1755, the American colonies attacked the French at Nova Scotia, Crown Point, Niagara and on the Ohio river.
The attack on the French and Indians on the Ohio was com- manded by General Braddock, who had arrived from England early in that year with two royal regiments-the Eighteenth and Forty-fourth. Virginia sent 800 men to join Braddock, and the Virginia troops were commanded by Captains Waggoner, Cock, Hogg, Stevens, Poulson, Perrony, Mercer and Stewart. Brad- dock marched from Alexandria, Virginia, on the 20th of April, 1755, with 2,200 men, and on the 9th of July he reached the Monongahela river, where his troops fell into an ambuscade. Braddock was mortally wounded, and his army put to flight, with a loss of 777 men killed and wounded, and had it not been for the coolness and courage of Washington and his Virginia troops the entire army would have been destroyed.
The army retreated a hundred and twenty miles into the set- tlement, and the whole frontier of Western Virginia was thus left open to the ravages of the French and Indians. The French and Indians crossed the Alleghany mountains into the valley and to New river, killing and scalping, in the most horrible manner, men, women, and children without distinction, and thus ended the first year of the war.
On the 21st day of March, 1755, the County Court of Augusta county appointed George Stalnaker constable on the waters of the Holston and New rivers, and he built a stockade fort at Dunk- ards' Bottom, the name of which was, according to some writers, Fort Frederick, but there is some doubt about it.
In the month of February, 1755, William Wright, an ensign, who was stationed at Fort Lewis, near Salem, Virginia, by Major Andrew Lewis, accompanied by twenty men, marched to the head waters of the Holston river for the purpose of protecting the set- tlers, but his movements were so slow that he failed to accomplish anything, and, upon his return, he was reprimanded by the Gov- ernor of Virginia.
The New river settlers were not permitted to escape the ravages of the Indians and the French, for on the 8th day of July, 1755, the day before Braddock's defeat, a considerable party of Shaw-
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nese Indians fell upon this settlement and wiped it out of exist- ence. Colonel James Patton, Casper Barrier, Mrs. George Draper and a child of John Draper were killed. Mrs. William Inglis and her two children, Mrs. John Draper and Henry Leonard were taken prisoners. Mrs. Inglis was taken to Ohio, thence to Bone Lick, Kentucky, whence she and an old Dutch woman made their es- cape, and, after many days, returned to her home on New river.
This invasion occurred on Sunday, the 8th day of July, 1755. Colonel Patton, accompanied by William Preston, was on a visit to the New river settlement, and was detained by sickness at the house of William Inglish. William Preston, William Inglis and John Draper were away from the house at the time. Mrs. John Draper, who first discovered the Indians, ran to the house, secured her infant child, and attempted to make her escape by the opposite side of the house, but she was detected by the Indians, and, having one of her arms broken, the child fell to the ground. She then took the child in the other arm and continued her flight, but was soon overtaken, the child taken from her, and its brains dashed out upon a log by the Indians. Colonel Patton, at the time of the attack, was seated at a table writing, with his broad sword beside him. He immediately arose, and killed two of the Indians be- fore he was shot by others beyond his reach.
The Indians then plundered the premises and began a hasty re- treat.
On their retreat they passed the house of an old man by the name of Philip Barger, whom they killed by severing his head from his body, and carried it off in a bag. It was several days before efforts were made to overtake the enemy and rescue the prisoners, as Vause's Fort was the nearest point from which help could be obtained.
Mrs. Inglis and the other prisoners were carried by the Indians to Ohio. Mrs. Inglis was absent from her home about five months, when, in the month of December, 1755, she reached the house of Adam Harmon on New river, whence she was taken to a small fort at Dunkards' Bottom, on the west side of New river, where she was found on the next day by her husband and her brother. The other captives, with but few exceptions, were either rescued or redeemed and returned to their homes after many years.
The body of Colonel James Patton was buried at Draper's
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Meadows. Colonel John Buchanan sent a company of men to pursue the Indians, but they did not succeed in overtaking them, and thus occurred the first Indian massacre of the white inhabitants of Southwest Virginia.
About ten miles west of where Christiansburg now stands, and near the former residence of Captain Jacob Kent, about two and a half miles east of Lafayette and on the head waters of the Roa- noke river, there stood a small fort that in those days was known as Vause's Fort, and this was the nearest place of refuge for the settlers on New river.
In the fall of the year 1755, about a hundred French and Indians came upon the New river, and assaulted and captured this fort and killed or carried into captivity twenty-four persons, not a single person escaping. This was a private fort, constructed by the settlers for their own protection, and was built of logs and easily captured.
As best I can ascertain, at the time of this invasion James Burk, who had settled in Burk's Garden in the year 1753, was captured with his entire family; they were all either killed or car- ried into captivity.
A register of the persons who were killed, wounded, and taken prisoners in the years 1754, 1755, and 1756 on the New river, Reed creek, and Holston rivers has been preserved, and is as fol- lows : 1754, Stephen Lyon, Holston River, killed. October. John Godman, Holston River, killed. Benjamin Harrison, Holston River, killed.
1755,
Burk, Holston River, prisoner ; escaped.
May 3.
Mary Baker, Holston River, wounded.
June 18. Samuel Stalnaker, Holston, River, prisoner; escaped.
Samuel Hydon, Holston River, prisoner.
Adam Stalnaker, Holston River, killed.
Mrs. Stalnaker, Holston River, killed. A servant man, Holston River, killed. Mathias Counie, Holston River, killed.
Michael Houck, Holston River, killed.
June 19. July 3. James McFarland, New River, killed. John Bingeman, New River, killed. Mrs. Bingeman, New River, killed.
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Adam Bingeman, New River, killed. John Cook. New River, killed. Henry Lin, New River, killed. A young child, New River, killed. Nathaniel Welshire, New River, wounded. Dutch Jacob, New River, wounded.
His wife, New River, prisoner ; escaped.
Frederick Stern, New River, wounded.
Mrs. Bingeman, Jr., New River, wounded.
Mrs. Davis, New River, wounded.
Isaac Freeland, his wife and five children, New River : prisoners.
Bridgeman's son and daughter and a stranger, New River ; prisoners.
Lieutenant Wright and two soldiers, Reed Creek, killed.
July 12. 30. Colonel James Patton, New River, killed.
Caspar Barrier, New River, killed.
Mrs. Draper and one child, New River, killed.
James Cull, New River, wounded.
Mrs. English (Inglis) and her two children, New River, prisoners ; escaped.
Mrs. Draper, Jr., New River, prisoner. Henry Leonard, New River, prisoner.
Aug. 12. 1756, Feb. John Lee, Reed Creek, killed.
Morris Griffith, Vause's Fort, prisoner ; escaped. Robert Looney and a Dutchman, Reed Creek, killed.
March.
Michael Motes, Reed Creek, killed.
Patrick Smith, Reed Creek, killed.
Moses Mann, Reed Creek, prisoner. Valentine Harman and one son, New River, killed. Andrew Moses, New River, killed.
June 25. Captain John Smith, Fort Vause, prisoner ; escaped. Peter Looney, Fort Vause, prisoner ; escaped. William Bratton. Fort Vause, prisoner ; escaped. Joseph Smith, Fort Vause, prisoner. William Pepper, Fort Vause, prisoner.
Mrs. Vause and two daughters, a negro, and two young Indians and a servant man, Fort Vause, prisoners. Ivan Medley, and two daughters, Fort Vause, prisoners.
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James Bell, Fort Vause, prisoner.
Christopher Hicks, Fort Vause, prisoner. Cole, Fort Vause, prisoner. Graham, Fort Vause, prisoner.
Benj. Daries, Fort Vause, prisoner.
Lieut. John Smith, Fort Vause, killed.
John Tracey, Fort Vause, killed. John English, killed.
Mrs. Mary English, Fort Vause, prisoner. Wm. Robinson, Fort Vause, wounded.
Thomas Robinson, Fort Vause, wounded. Samuel Robinson, Fort Vause, wounded. Robert Pepper, Fort Vause, wounded.
John Robinson, Fort Vause, killed.
John Walker, Fort Vause, prisoner."*
1757. Feb.
In July of this year, Richard Pearis, who was located on the Hols- ton river carrying on a trade with the Cherokee Indians, addressed a letter to the Governor of Virginia requesting a grant for the lands on the Long Island in the South Fork of the Holston river. In reply the Governor encouraged Pearis to believe that he could obtain a grant, and wrote him as follows: "I am surprised the inhabitants on Holston river should submit to be robbed by a few Indians. Let the Chickasaw know that I greatly approve of his conduct and have a real esteem for him." This last sentence in the Governor's letter had reference to a Chickasaw warrior who had resented the murder of one of the white settlers.
At the time of which we write the Virginia colonists, and the Cherokee and the Chickasaw Indians were exceedingly friendly, and through the agency of Richard Pearis, who was a great favorite with the Indians, the Governor of Virginia subsequently sought to en- list the Cherokee and the Chickasaw Indians in the war against the French and the Northern Indians.
SANDY RIVER EXPEDITION.
For the purpose of avenging the massacre of the settlers upon the New river, the Governor of Virginia enlisted a hundred and thirty Cherokee Indians, to whom were joined four companies of-the Rang-
*Col. Wm. Preston diary in L. C. Draper Manuscript.
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ers of West Augusta, for the purpose of invading and destroying the Shawnese towns at the mouth of the Big Sandy and on the Ohio river. The command of this expedition was given to Major Andrew Lewis.
This force consisted of two hundred and sixty-three white men, commanded by Captain Peter Hogg, with forty men; Captain William Preston, with thirty men; Captain John Smith, with thirty men ; Captain Samuel Overton, with forty men; Captain Obadiah Woodson, with forty men; Captains Robert Breckenridge, Archibald Alexander, John Montgomery and - Dunlap commanding eighty-three volunteers, and Captain Richard Pearis commanding a hundred and thirty Cherokee and Chickasaw In- dians.
This force was rendezvoused at Fort Lewis, near Salem, Va., whence they marched in Feb. 1756, for the Indian towns. They traveled from Fort Lewis, near Salem, to the New river, which they crossed at the Horseshoe Bend; they thence descended the New river to the mouth of Wolf creek, thence up Wolf creek to its source, thence to Bluestone river, thence to the head of North Fork of Sandy, which they reached on the 28th day of February, 1756; thence down the Sandy to the Great Burning Springs, at which point they saw the rawhides of several buffaloes hung upon bushes to dry. At this time provisions became very scarce and a famine was threat- ened, but this little army was saved by the bravery and firmness of Major Lewis.
The army then proceeded from the Burning Springs to the banks of the Ohio, where they remained for two days. Seeing no evidences of Indians, they began to retrace their steps, and by the time they had reached the Burning Springs on their return, the hunger of the men had become so great that the hides of the buffaloes, which had been hung upon the bushes, were cut into tugs, and the men de- voured them as the only means of preserving life. It is said that from this circumstance the Tug Fork of Sandy river received its name. Thus this expedition ended disastrously for the settlers. The Indians were correspondingly elated and immediately ad- vanced upon the settlements east of the Alleghany mountains, com- mitting many murders and carrying off many prisoners.
The Governor and Council of Virginia agreed to build a number of forts for the protection of the western settlements, and, among
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the number, Fort Vause, which had been destroyed by the Indians a short time previous. The building of the fort was to be under the supervision of Captain Peter Hogg, and was to be at least one hun- dred feet square in the clear, with stockades at least sixteen feet long, and was to be garrisoned by seventy men. Immediately upon the erection of this new fort, many of the settlers returned to their homes at and near the fort. About this time companies of Rangers were organized for the purpose of running down and capturing marauding Shawnese Indians wherever they should be found. A journal of one of these expeditions has been preserved, which we here publish as a relic of the past.
An extract of a Journal "Concerning a march that Capt. Robert Wade took to the New River" in search of Indians, Saturday, 12th of August, 1758 :
Capt. Robert Wade marc't from Mayo fort, with 35 men, in order to take a Range to the New River in search of our Enemy In- dians. We marcht about three miles that Day to a Plantation, Where Peter Rentfro formerly Lived and took up Camp, where we continued safe that night-Next morning being Sunday, we con- tinued to march about three or four miles, and one Francis New . returned back to the Fort, then we had 34 men besides the Capt- We marcht along to a place called Gobeling Town, where we Eat our Brakefast-& so continued our march till late in the after- noon, and took up Camp at the Foot of the Blew Ledge where we continued safe that night-Next morning being Monday, the 14th, Inst. we started early and crossed the Blew Ledge and Fell upon a branch of the Little River, called Pine Creek, ---
We followed the sd: Creek down to Little River, and crost the Little River & went to Francis Easons' Plantation where we con- tinued that night. Our hunters brought a plentiful supply of Ven- ison-Next morning being tuesday the 15 Inst. we marct. down to Richard Rattlecliffs' plantation on the Meadow Creek, where we continued that night-Next morning being Wednesday the 16th. Inst, we Sent our Spyes and hunters to Spy for Enemy Signs, & to hunt for provisions. But the body of the Company Tarryed there- At Night they came in with a plenty of Venison, but could not dis- cover any fresh sign of the Enemy-Next morning Thursday the 17th Inst, we sent out hunters as usual, & in the afternoon some of them came in & informed us that they had seen signs of Indians
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at Drapers' Meadow, that had been a catching of horses that Day, and that they had gone a straight course for Blackwater-upon that we began to get in Readyness to persue them next morning- but one of our men not coming in that night disappointed us- next morning Being Fryday the 18th. Inst. Some of the men were sent to Look for the man that was Lost-& the Rest remained there, for we counted it imprudent to Leave the Place before we knew what had become of the lost man-so we tarryed Till the Day was so far Spent that we could not make anything of a march that Day. So the Capt. said that he and some more men would go to view the sign, and See what they could Discover. The Capt. and Wm. Hall and Adam Hermon, and two or three more went off & Left the men under my Command and ordered that we should be in Readyness for a march as soon as he returned-Soon after the Captain was Gone, the man that was Lost Came in & Informed us that he had been lost in a Creek of the Little River-But when the Captain came to the place where the sign was Seen, he Tels us that he saw a Shoe track among them, which caused them to believe that it had been white men after their horses-So the Captain nor none of the men, that was with him returned that night, But went a hunting-Next morning being Saturday 19th Inst. the Captain not coming gave us a great deal of Uneasyness-tho we Bore it with so much pa- tience as we could 'till about noon, for we lay under great appre- hensions of Danger-I ordered the men to keep a Verry Sharp Look out, and Likewise to be in order to march next morning, by Sun Rise,-I was Determined to stay that night & if the Capt: did not come, to march off after him-Soon after we had come to a con- clusion about it Some of the men Spyed five Indians Very near to us, for the place where we was, was grown up with weeds so that we could not Se them, nor they see us 'till thay came Verry near us-I was a Lying down in the house when I heard the news-I Rased up and presented my Gun at one of the Indians, But I heard some of our Company that was in another house, Cry out, Don't Shoot-
I Stopt at that and askt them what they were & I beleive they said Cheroke, but Stood in amaise, & Reason they had, for I suppose there was 20 Guns presented at them, we went up to them & Examined them-they said they were Cherokees, I made signs to them to show me their Pass, But they had none,-They had with them 5 head of horse Kind & Skelps, that appeared to be white
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mens-4 of the horses appeared as tho' they had been Lately taken up, but the other was very poor-The Indians began to make ready to go off, but I made Signs to them that they must not Go that night, But they seemed very intent to go-but we would not agree to it-Some of the Company insisted to fall upon them and Kill them, for they said they believed they were Shawnees, & that they were Spyes-and was doubtful that they had a superior number Some where nigh-But I said I was determined to keep them till the Capt : came, without they would go by forse, and if they would we would fire upon them-2 of the men went off after the Capt : who soon met some of the Company, who told them that they had been hunting & that the Capt: would soon be in ; who accordingly- came soon after & we informed him how things had happened in his absence & in what manner the Indians appeared ; that they had no pass and that they had white Skelps-After Capt: heard the opinion of the peo- ple, he past sentence of Death upon them; but there was one Abra- ham Dunkleberry, hunter that we let off who said they were Chero- kees, yet he agreed that they were Rogues ; which seemed to put the Capt : to a stand, but we had their Guns taken from them & a guard kept over them that night-next morning Being Sunday 20th Inst, upon what Dunkleberry had said the Capt : let them have their Guns' & let them go off-which displeased some of the Carolina men-so much that they swore if they were not allowed to kill them, they would never go Ranging again, for they said it was to no purpose to Rang after the Enemy, & when they had found them, not to be allowed to kill them-which you must think is very hard for us to be compel to Rang & then let the Enemy have Liberty to Kill some of us, before we Dare to Kill them-at that Rate we may all be Kill'd, and never Kill an Indian, for if there is enough of them to overcome us, then they are Enemy, But if we are too numerous for them they are friends.
Upon consideration of their having no pass, nor white man, & by reason of their steal of horses, they did not appear any waise Like friends, so the Captain told them to be Easy, and after Dunkleberry was gone, we would go after them and Kill them. So Dunkleberry packt up his skins to go off & we marcht after the Indians-we overtook them and past them, Because the Capt: said they were in such order that we could not kill them all, but would wate for a better opportunity-They were going toward the New River-so the
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men that had been acquainted Knew of 2 fords & they Emagined they would eross at the upper ford-But we lade an Ambushkaide at each ford, the Capt: & myself and a partie of men at the upper ford, and a partie of men at the Loer ford & the Capts : orders were to fire at them as they Crost the River-But after we had placed our- selves and sat awhile 2 or 3 of the men came from the Loer Ford & informed us that two of the Indians had Crost at the Loer ford, and they did not fire at them because they were not altogether. So the Capt. and the men went towards the Loer Ford & as we went along we saw 4 of the Indians; we did not fire at them; the Capt: con- cluded to ly by awhile and let them all get together & then follow them and kill them-soon after the other Indians followed them, the Capts : orders was for 12 of the best men to follow them and Kill them and the remainder of the Company to go to the Dunker Fort which was about half a mile below us & the Capt: took such men as he Lik'd and set down to conclude how we should follow them-the way the Capt proposed was to Dog them till night and then ly By till the Brake of Day and then Fall upon them and Kill them-he said if we fired upon them in the day, some would get away-but we did not approve of his skeems, and told him the Ill Consequence that attended it, but he still insisted upon that way of proceeding-At length we desired him to go down to the fort with the rest of the men, & let us go after the Indians, to which he con- sented, and went off to the fort and we after the Indians-
The men that followed them were Adam hermon, Daniel Her- mon, Wm. Hall, Ric'd Hall, Jun'r, Tobias Clapp, Philip Clap, Joseph Clapp, Benj. Angel, David Currie, Ric'd Hines, James Lyon & my self-13 of us-We followed them and overtook them at a peach orchard-jest as they were leaving it, we watched our oppor- tunity, and fired at them and followed them up till we Killed 4 of them, and wounded the other-we Skelpt them that we killed, & then followed the other-he bled verry much, he went into the river and to an Island-but we could not find where he went out- some of the men left looking for him, and some went after the Indian horse-but myself and 4 or 5 more, we Sercht the Island till late in the afternoon, & when we came to the Fort the Capt. and men were a handling the Indians' goods & after a while the Capt: told me we were all to be sworn-so we Tarried there that night- Next morning being Monday 21st Inst. we packed up in order to
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