 | CHAPTER VII. History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 |  |
WASHINGTON COUNTY, 1777-1786.
The Act of the General, Assembly of Virginia dividing the
county of Fincastle into three distinct counties, to-wit: Montgomery,
Washington, and Kentucky, was adopted by the General
Assembly of Virginia on the 6th day of December, 1776, and provided
that from and after the last day of December, 1776, the
said county of Fincastle should be divided into three counties.
And this Act defines the bounds of Washington county as follows,
viz.: "That all that part of said county of Fincastle included in
the lines beginning at the Cumberland mountains where the line
of Kentucky county intersects the North Carolina (now Tennessee)
line; thence east along the said Carolina line to the top of
Iron mountain; thence along the same easterly to the source of
the South Fork of the Holston river; thence northwardly along
the highest part of the highlands, ridges and mountains that divide
the waters of the Tennessee from those of the Great Kanawha
to the most easterly source of Clinch river; thence westwardly
along the top of the mountain that divides the waters of the
Clinch river from those of the Great Kanawha and Sandy Creek
to the line of Kentucky county, and thence along the same
to the beginning, shall be one other distinct county and called and
known by the name of Washington.[1]
"The eastern boundary of Washington county as thus defined was
altered by Act of the General Assembly of Virginia at its session
in the month of May, 1777, as follows: Beginning at a ford on
Holston river, next above Captain John Campbell's, at the Royal
Oak, and running from thence a due south course to the dividing
line between the States of Virginia and North Carolina; and
from the ford aforesaid to the westerly end of Morris' Knob, about
three miles above Maiden Spring on Clinch, and from thence, by
a line to be drawn due north, until it shall intersect the waters of
the Great Sandy river."
The Act establishing the county of Washington directed that the
county should meet at Black's Fort, in said county, on the last
Tuesday in January, 1777, which day in each month was designated
by said Act as County Court day, and a majority of the
justices so commissioned were authorized to designate the place
for holding said court and to elect a clerk for said court.
The power to appoint the first sheriff of the county was vested
in the Governor.
The territory included within the county of Washington as
thus established is now embraced in the following counties:
Washington,
Russell,
Scott,
Smyth,
Tazewell,
Lee,
Buchanan,
Dickenson,
Wise,
a territory sufficient in extent and wealth to constitute a great
State.
Governor Patrick Henry, on the 21st day of December, 1776, issued
a commission of the peace and dedimus for Washington
county appointing the following persons as justices of the peace
for said county:
Arthur Campbell,
Evan Shelby,
James Dysart,
John Anderson,
John Coulter,
William Campbell,
Daniel Smith,
William Edmiston,
Joseph Martin,
John Campbell,
Alexander Buchanan,
John Kinkead,
James Montgomery,
John Snoddy,
George Blackburn and Thomas Mastin,
and on the same day he issued his commission appointing the following
officers for the said county:
Sheriff—James Dysart,
County Lieutenant—Arthur Campbell,
Colonel—Evan Shelby,
Lieutenant-Colonel—William Campbell,
Major—Daniel Smith.
The first court of said county assembled at Black's Fort (now
Abingdon) on the last Tuesday in January, 1777, being the 28th
the county, on which day William Campbell and Joseph Martin,
two of the justices commissioned by the Governor, administered
the oath of a justice of the peace and of a justice of the
County Court in Chancery to Arthur Campbell, the first justice
named in said commission, and he afterwards administered the
aforesaid oaths to:
William Campbell,
John Campbell,
John Kinkead,
James Montgomery,
William Edmiston,
Joseph Martin,
John Anderson,
John Snoddy,
and George Blackburn.
The court thus assembled, constituting a majority of the justices
commissioned by the Governor, proceeded to the election of
a clerk, when David Campbell was elected clerk.
At the time Washington county was established by law Colonel
Arthur Campbell and Colonel William Russell represented
Fincastle county in the House of Delegates, and Colonel William
Christian represented the district in the Senate of Virginia.
Colonel Campbell and Colonel Russell resided in that portion of
Fincastle county afterwards included in the bounds of Washington
county. Colonel Russell and Colonel Christian had served with
General Washington in the Continental Army, while Colonel
Arthur Campbell had been a member of the Convention that
adopted the Constitution establishing the Commonwealth of Virginia,
which Convention elected General George Washington a
member of the Continental Congress which assembled in Philadelphia
in 1776. It is not definitely known who suggested the name
of Washington for the new county; and while the question is in
doubt, still it is reasonable to suppose that Colonel Arthur Campbell
was the author of the idea, as it appears from the proceedings
of the House of Delegates that he was designated by the House to
convey the information to the Senate of Virginia that the House
had passed the Act establishing the county.
But without regard to who suggested the name for the new
county it is a fact that this is the first locality in the United States
that was honored with the name of the "Father of Our Country."
The Act establishing the new county was agreed to by the General
was organized on January 28, 1777.
Tennessee and North Carolina historians insist that Washington
county, Tennessee, was the first locality in the Union to receive
the name of Washington, but, by an examination of the North
Carolina records, it will be ascertained that Washington districts,
North Carolina (now Tennessee), was not mentioned until April,
1777, and the county of Washington, North Carolina (now Tennessee),
was not established by the General Assembly of North
Carolina until November, 1777.
Black's Fort, the locality of the meeting of the first court of
Washington county, was erected in the year 1776 on the lands of
Captain Joseph Black, on the west bank or near the west bank
of what was then known as Eighteen Miles Creek, alias Castle's
Creek, by the settlers living in the vicinity, and about five hundred
other settlers who had fled from their homes west of Abingdon
upon the outbreak of the Indian War in 1776. It was one
of those rude structures which the pioneers were accustomed
to make for defence against the Indians, consisting of a few
log cabins surrounded by a stockade. The locality of this fort was
about twenty-five yards south of the Norfolk and Western railroad,
in the Knob road, and near the brick cottage, the property
of Charles F. Palmer.
In the fall of the year 1879, Captain Frank S. Findlay, while
excavating for a place for a turbine wheel near this place, discovered
a portion of an old wall constructed of rock and logs some five
or six feet below the surface, and in the wall was found an arrow
made from the heart of a white oak, with a sharp iron spike affixed.
This wall was a part of the old fort, and it is not improbable
that this arrow was sped there by an Indian. In the year 1796
a mill dam was erected about fifty yards south of this old wall.[2]
The first court of Washington county was in session two days,
January 28th-29th. The first day of the term was occupied in
qualifying the members of the court, the election of a clerk, the
qualifications of militia officers, as above given, and the granting
of letters of administration in several cases. Upon the second day
of the term the first matter of importance that received the attention
of the court was the appointment of William Campbell, William
to hire wagons to bring up the county salt allowed
by the Governor and Council, and to receive and distribute the
same agreeably to said order of Council.
Some people, in speaking of this order of the County Court,
have expressed surprise that such an order should have been entered
by the court of a county in which was located great beds of
salt, and, further, that the Governor and Council thus allotted
salt to this county.
At the time this order was entered salt was a rare article and
exceedingly valuable, and was not known to exist in this country.
So difficult was it to supply the demands for salt that in the year
1776 the General Assembly of Virginia enacted the following law:
"Resolved that the Governor, with the advice of the Privy Council,
be empowered to purchase, on account of the public and at a
generous price, all the salt that may be imported into this country
in the course of the next six months, and that he be authorized
to issue his warrant on the treasurer to pay for the same: that
such salt when purchased be immediately stored in some convenient
and secure parts of the country, and distributed by order of the
Governor, with the advice of the Council, amongst the inhabitants
of the different counties, in such proportion as their exigencies
and the quantity procured may admit, regard being principally
had to such counties as are farthest removed from salt
water; and that the receivers of the salt do pay into the hands
of such persons as may be appointed for that purpose, at the time
of the delivery, so much per bushel, as the Governor, with the advice
of the Council, may judge reasonable; the money when received to
be paid with all convenient dispatch into the treasury, for reimbursing
the publick."
It was pursuant to the order of the Governor and Council, acting
upon the authority of this act, that the commissioners were
appointed. On the second day the court proceeded to appoint a
number of officers to take a list of tithables and of the quantity of
taxable lands in the county.
The following commissioners were appointed by the court to
do this work in the localities mentioned, to-wit:
Joseph Martin, on north side Clinch mountain, high as Glade
Hollow. John Kinkead, Glade Hollow to head of Clinch. John
![illustration](https://iiif.lib.virginia.edu/iiif/uva-lib:360791/full/!1600,1600/0/default.jpg")
Map of Washington County, Virginia
1870
Edmiston, Stalnaker's to Black's Fort, direct across. James Montgomery,
Black's Fort to Major Bledsoe's. John Anderson, from
Major Bledsoe's as low as there are settlers. At the same time
the court appointed the following constables: Rawley Duncan,
from Castle's Woods to lowest settlement. James Wharton, Castle's
Woods to Glade Hollow. James Laughlin, Glade Hollow, to upper
settlement Elk Garden. William Lean, head of Holston to SevenMile
Ford. Robert Brown, Seven-Mile Ford to Eleven-Mile Creek.
Christopher Acklin, Eleven-Mile Creek to Ford of Beaver Creek.
John Fain, Eleven-Mile Creek to Sinking Creek. James Steel,
Ford Beaver Creek to Amos Eaton's. At the same time the following
surveyors of roads were appointed: Alexander Wylie, from
county line to Charles Hayes. John Hays, from Charles Hays' to
Mill Creek. Jacob Anderson, from Mill Creek to Seven-Mile Ford.
Aaron Lewis, Seven-Mile Ford to Big Spring. Andrew Kincannon
from Big Spring to James Kincannon's. James Bryan, from
James Kincannon' to Joseph Black's. Andrew Colvill, from
Joseph Black's to Ford Beaver Creek. Benjamin Gray, Ford Beaver
Creek to Steel's Creek. David Steel, from Steel's Creek to
the meeting house. Amos Eaton, from meeting house to Fort
Patrick Henry. Thomas Berry, Watauga Road, James Bryan's to
James Montgomery's. William Young, Captain Montgomery's to
Isaac Riddle's. Cox, Isaac Riddle's to Ford of Holston.
The names as above given and the localities assigned to each are
important in this, that they definitely indicate the established
roads in the county at the beginning of our local government, and
define, with reasonable certainty, the extent of the settlements at
that time. Many readers will be surprised to know that the Virginia
authorities appointed officials and exercised jurisdiction over
the country (now Tennessee), as low down as Fort Patrick Henry,
thirty miles below Bristol. The explanation is that our people
supposed the Holston river to be the dividing line between the two
States, Virginia and North Carolina. At this time and for several
years thereafter, Virginia exercised jurisdiction, collected taxes
and gave protection to the settlers as low down as Carter's Valley
in Tennessee.
On the second day of the court, Isaac Shelby, Robert Craig, John
Dunkin and John Adair, were recommended to the Governor as
county, and they were commissioned accordingly. On the same
day the court recommended to Edmund Randolph, Attorney for
the Commonwealth, Ephraim Dunlop, as a proper person to act
as Deputy Attorney for the Commonwealth in this county, and he
was commissioned accordingly, and became the first practising
attorney for the Commonwealth in this county.
On the same day the court ordered that the house adjoining that
which the court is held in, be a prison, and that the sheriff be
empowered to employ some person to put it in the best repair he
can."
The statement has been made by a very worthy citizen of Washington
county of former days,[3]
"that the first court of this county
assembled in a grove on the hillside south of Greenway's store, but
in view of the above order of the court, this statement is inaccurate,
as the court was held within the stockade of Black's Fort, and
the house designated as a prison was within the same stockade.
At the time in question, the courts of the country undertook to
regulate the private affairs of the citizens to a much greater extent
than at the present time, which can be accounted for by the fact
that our people had just shaken off the heavy hand of monarchy
and established, for the first time, constitutional government.
As an example of the extent to which the private concerns of the
people were then regulated by government, the court of this county,
on the second day of its term, fixed the price of liquors as follows:
Rum, 16s. per gallon; Rye whiskey, 8s.; corn whiskey, 4s.; a bowl of
rum toddy, with loaf sugar, 2s., with brown sugar 1s.
And at the March term, 1779, it fixed the price of a warm dinner
at 15s.; cold dinner, 9s.; for a good breakfast, 12s.; oats or
corn at 4s. per gallon; good lodging with clean sheets, 2s. Stabblidge,
with hay or fodder, 2s., and good pasturage the same.
After the transaction of considerable business, on the afternoon
of the 29th day of January, 1777, the first court of the county
adjourned, to court in course, which was the last Tuesday in February,
being the 25th day of that month, on which day the court
assembled at Black's Fort, with several members present. The first
business of importance transacted was the qualification of Luke
Bowyer to practice as an attorney in this court, and, thereupon,
of his having murdered Thomas Jones. The court heard the
evidence and acquitted the prisoner. On the following day the
court proceeded to the examination of the same Edward Bond,
upon suspicion of his having stolen a small bay mare of the value
of fifteen pounds, and upon a hearing of the evidence against him,
he was held for trial at the General Court, at the capitol in the
city of Williamsburg."
The student of our early history must be impressed with this
fact, that our forefathers would give to the prisoner charged with
murder the benefit of every reasonable doubt, while, on the other
hand, they would give the prisoner charged with horse-stealing, the
maximum punishment prescribed by law, if there existed against
him a strong suspicion.
On the 26th day of February, 1777, the court proceeded to recommend
to the Governor of Virginia the militia officers for Washington
county, which officers were duly commissioned and were
as follows:
William Edmiston,
Joseph Martin,
James Montgomery,
Aaron Lewis,
Gilbert Christian,
James Dysart,
John Campbell,
John Anderson,
George Adams,
Andrew Colvill,
John Campbell, Royal Oak;
John Shelby, Sr.;
Robert Buchanan, Sr.,
John Duncan,
James Shelby,
Thomas Mastin,
John Kinkead,
William Bowen,
Robert Craig,
James Robertson, Watauga.
Captains:
David Beattie,
Samuel Hays,
David Ward,
Thomas Price,
George Freeland,
James Fulkerson,
John Berry,
Charles Campbell,
James Maxwell,
John Snoddy,
John Coulter,
Roger Topp,
John Anderson,
George Maxwell,
William Blackburn,
Andrew Kincannon,
John Frazier,
Alexander Wylie,
Charles Allison,
Joseph Black.
Lieutenants of Militia:
Thomas Whitten,
Solomon Litton,
Abraham McClelland,
John Loony,
James Elliott,
John Davis,
John Wilson,
James Shaw,
James Crabtree,
Robert Davis,
Rees Bowen,
Henry Dickenson,
William Rosebrough,
Josiah Ramsey,
William Young,
William Casey,
John Lowry,
William Neal,
Arthur Bowen,
Alexander Barnett.
Ensigns of Militia:
Colonel Arthur Campbell, immediately upon his qualification as
county lieutenant of Washington county, proceeded to organize the
militia of the county, and place the same upon such footing as they
would be able to repel any attack that might be made upon the settlers
on the frontiers, the most exposed part of which was in Carter's
Valley and the Watauga settlement in the vicinity of Elizabethton,
Tennessee.
On the 31st day of March, 1777, he requested James Robertson,
a captain in the militia of this county, residing at Watauga to furnish
him with a list of the settlers at Watauga, that he might know
their strength and give such orders as were necessary for their protection.
Captain Robertson furnished the list, whereupon Colonel
Campbell, in view of the danger in which the settlements stood,
directed Robertson to assemble the settlers in one or two places,
and he recommended Rice's and Patterson's Mills as the most proper
ones. "Let your company be at Rice's," said he, "and Captain
Gilbert Christian may come to Patterson's Mill."
There was to have been a complete suspension of hostilities
between the Cherokee Indians and the white settlers, from the
return of Colonel Christian, in the fall of 1776, until the month
of May, 1777, the time set for the negotiation of a treaty at Long
Island. Notwithstanding the fact that the Indians had agreed to
a suspension of hostilities, and that there were four hundred
soldiers stationed at Long Island, under the command of Colonel
were committed by the Indians. Several murders were committed
on the frontiers, and on the 10th of April, 1777, James Calvatt was
shot and scalped. The Indians who killed Calvatt were pursued
by Captain James Robertson and nine men, who killed one Indian
and retook ten horses, but, upon his return from the pursuit of the
Indians, he and his men were attacked by a party of Creeks and
Cherokees, who wounded two of his men and forced him to retreat.
At the same time two men were killed on Clinch river, and it
developed that the Indians had numerous parties out murdering
and plundering whenever possible. The Indians put the blame of
this trouble upon Dragging Canoe, the Indian chief, who, upon
receiving a wound at the battle of Long Island Flats, on July 20,
1776, had retired to the Chickamauga country and refused to
talk of peace.
In the spring of the year 1777, pursuant to the provisions of the
Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, an election was held
for members of the General Assembly from Washington county,
at which election Arthur Campbell and William Edmiston were
opposed by Anthony Bledsoe and William Cocke.
The qualification of electors voting at said election was as follows:
"Every free white man, who, at the time of the election,
shall have been for one year preceding, in possession of twenty-five
acres of land with a house and plantation thereon, or one hundred
acres of land without a house and plantation thereon, and
having right for an estate for life, at least, in the said land, in
his own right or in the right of his wife, was entitled to a vote."
This election was hotly contested and resulted in favor of
Anthony Bledsoe and William Cocke, two gentlemen who afterwards
became distinguished in the history of Tennessee, William
Cocke being one of the two United States Senators elected to represent
the State of Tennessee, at the date of its formation, in the
Senate of the United States.
Colonel Arthur Campbell and Captain William Edmiston, on the
20th day of May, 1777, filed a petition with the House of Delegates
of Virginia, setting forth that the petitioners, with Anthony
Bledsoe and William Cocke, were candidates at the last election of
delegates for the county of Washington; that on the close of the
poll it appeared that the greatest number of votes taken were in
to many votes being given in by persons who reside in North
Carolina and by others not entitled to vote; that they apprehend the
said Bledsoe is incapable of sitting as a member of the legislature,
he having a military command which excluded him by the constitution;
that the said Cocke is not possessed of such landed property
in the county as is required by law, not to mention some
instances of bribery and corruption practised contrary to the spirit
of the present government; that these matters give dissatisfaction
to what they believe to be a majority of the legal electors in the
said county; and submitting themselves to such determination as
shall be thought reasonable and just. Thus our county was honored
by a contested election in the dawn of its history, which must
have excited a good deal of feeling among the pioneers of the Holston
and the Clinch.
During the same session of the General Assembly, Mr. Banister,
chairman of the Committee on Privileges and Elections, reported
to the legislature that the committee had agreed upon a report and
had come to several resolutions thereupon, which they had directed
him to report to the House. Having read the report in his
place, he afterwards delivered it in at the clerk's table, where
the same was read and was as followeth—viz.:
"As to the first charge contained in the said petition against the
sitting members, as not having a greater number of legal votes than
the petitioners, it appears to your committee, from a certificate of
the sheriff of the county of Washington, that upon the close of the
poll, the number of the voters stood as follows—to-wit:
| For Mr. Anthony Bledsoe | 297 |
| For Mr. William Cocke | 294 |
| For Mr. Arthur Campbell | 211 |
| For Mr. William Edmiston | 144 |
It also appears to your committee by a line run by Colonel John
Donaldson between this State and North Carolina, as far as the
Holston river, that should it be continued in the same latitude to
where it would intersect the north fork of Holston river, a considerable
number of those who voted for the sitting members would be
left in North Carolina, and if allowed the right of suffrage in
the said county of Washington, would give them the greatest number
of legal votes.
It farther appears to your committee, from the information of
Thomas Walker, Esq., that from the most accurate observations he
has been able to make, the Great Island on the Holston river lies
in this State, and that, should a direct line run from where the
said Donaldson's terminated to the said island, the greater number
of voters living in the bend of Holston river would be taken into
the county of Washington, and that such line would in many places
intersect the river.
It appears to your committee from the information of Colonel
William Christian that he brought a writ of ejectment in the
County Court of Fincastle for a tract of land lying near the Holston
river, between the Great Island and the termination of Donaldson's
line; that the person who was in possession of the land and
defended the suit, pleaded to the jurisdiction of the court, which
was overruled and he obtained a judgment.
It farther appears to your committee, from the testimony of
James Thompson, that he acted as sheriff in the county formerly
Fincastle in the years 1774 and 1775, during which time he collected
levies and taxes from those people who reside on the north
side of the Holston river as low down as within about six miles of
the great island, which was esteemed the reputed bounds of Virginia.
As to the second article of charge contained in the petition
touching Mr. Bledsoe's holding a military command, it appears
to your committee that Mr. Bledsoe holds no other commission
than that of a major in the militia.
As to the article of charge against Mr. Cocke, as not being a landholder
and resident in the said county of Washington, it appears
to your committee, from the testimony of James Thompson and
John Montgomery, that Mr. Cocke was possessed, under a survey,
of more than one hundred acres of land for one year preceding
the election, hath resided in the county formerly Fincastle, with
a family, several years, until some time in February last, when
Mr. Cocke moved part of his family out of the country for fear
of an Indian war, but continues there himself the greater part of
his time.
That the said John Montgomery was present when the poll was
closed and heard the sheriff proclaim the sitting members duly
elected.
As to the last article of charge respecting the bribery and corruption,
your committee came to the following resolutions:
Resolved, as the opinion of this committee, That the said
Anthony Bledsoe and William Cocke were duly elected to serve as
delegates in this present General Assembly for the county of Washington.
The said resolutions being severally read a second time, were,
upon the question severally put thereupon, agreed to by the House."[4]
While the people of Washington county, Virginia, may feel some
pride in knowing that our people explored East Tennessee and
furnished the rule of action by which her early settlers were governed,
on the other hand East Tennesseeans will find pride in the
fact that they furnished Washington county, Virginia, her first
representatives in the Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
This election was held at Black's Fort, the county seat of Washington
county, and every elector in the county was required to
attend and cast his vote in person, under a penalty, and we may
well imagine what a busy appearance the neighborhood of Black's
Fort presented that day, 946 men from Powell's Valley, Clinch
Valley, Holston, Carter's Valley and Watauga, Tennessee.
On the 29th day of April, 1777, the ancestor of a great many
people whose names have been honorably associated with the history
of Washington county appeared in court. He was not a
stranger to this section, nor was he a stranger to the members of
that court. He had long been a deputy surveyor, under William
Preston, surveyor of Fincastle county, and had previously thereto
surveyed for the citizens of Holston large and numerous tracts
of land. His name was Robert Preston, and on that day he presented
to the court a commission from the masters of William and
Mary College, appointing him surveyor of Washington county.
The position of county surveyor was at that time, the most lucrative
position to be found in any of the counties and was much
sought after. William Preston, of Smithfield, as well as Robert
Preston, had long been actively engaged by Colonel James Patton
and the Loyal Land Company, in surveying and locating their
grants of one hundred and twenty thousand and eight hundred
thousand acres of land in Southwest Virginia. For this reason
they had incurred the displeasure of many of the people of Southwestern
and his family, men who were ambitious and who felt it their
right to rule. Whether this was the reason for the action of the
court, or whether the reason is correctly stated in the order of
the court cannot be stated. The court entered the following order:
"Robert Preston, Gent., produced a commission from the Masters
of William and Mary College appointing him a surveyor of
Washington, and it is the opinion of the court that the same should
not be received, as it is issued by virtue of a prerogative from
the Crown of England."
If the order of this court correctly stated the motive of the
court, there can be no question that the court detested the Crown
of England and everything emanating therefrom.
Robert Preston appealed from this order of the County Court
of Washington county, to the General Court at Williamsburg,
which appeal was pending for some time, during which time, Robert
Preston produced a surveyor's commission from the Masters of
William and Mary College, dated January 23, 1777, to the County
Court, of this county, and desired to be qualified by the said court,
but his application was refused by the court, as there was an appeal
pending in the General Court for a refusal of the same character.
While the appeal of Robert Preston was pending in the General
Court, numerously signed petitions were presented to the General
Assembly of Virginia, praying that body to confer the power of
selecting county surveyors upon the County Courts of the several
counties, but Robert Preston seemed to have the ear of government,
and all petitions were rejected.
I cannot say what disposition was made of the appeal of Robert
Preston, but from an inspection of the records of the County Court
of this county, the following information is gathered: "Robert
Preston, Gent., produced a commission from Thos. Jefferson, Gov.
of the Commonwealth of Virginia, being dated the 22nd day of
December, 1779, appointing him Surveyor of the County of Washington,
and gave bond with James Dysart and Aaron Lewis, his
securities, in the sum of 20,000 pounds for the faithful discharge
of his office and took the oath of office."
This office he filled until the year 1831, a little more than fifty-one
years. The bad feeling between the Preston and Campbell families
continued for many years, during which time there was a
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 17761777,
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, Gilbert
Christian, William Campbell and Thomas Mastin, who are
hereby appointed as commissioners to distribute the flour contributed
in Augusta county or elsewhere for the distressed inhabitants
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, Castleton
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 hundred
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 Shugartsville,
(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 or
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 Martin,
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
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 appointments
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 succeeded
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 Council,
in the same year.
The County Court during this year, upon motion of James
Dysart, sheriff of the county, permitted Joseph Black, James Roberts
and John King, to qualify as deputy sheriffs for this county,
and during the same year, permitted Robert Campbell and John
Campbell to qualify as deputy clerks for said county.
During the early part of the year 1777, the court ordered the following
roads opened and established: "A road from James Kincannon'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 commissioners
to view a road from George Blackburn's by James Fulkerson'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 commissioners
to view and locate a road from the courthouse to Shoate's
Ford on Holston river on the 27th day of August, 1777, 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, 1777; 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, 1777, and on
the same day, John Finley, John Fowler and Abraham 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 courthouse.
On the same day, Albert McClure, 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
report was received and confirmed on the 18th day of March, 1778.
John Kinkead, Daniel Smith, Thomas Price and William Gilmer
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 punishment
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
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 returning
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 discovered
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 perfectly
satisfied that he was a man of fine sense and under the disguise
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
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 recommending
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."[5]
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 Commonwealth
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 companies.
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 Captain
Edmiston's and Captain Dysart's companies.
William Campbell to tender the oath of allegiance to those living
in Captain Aaron Lewis's company.
John Snoddy, to those in his own and Captain Adam's company.
John Campbell, to those in his own and Captain John Campbell'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 prosecution
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 Hopkins
was a counterfeiter and, at the May term of the County Court
in the year 1778, he was tried by the court on suspicion of his having
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, sentenced
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 William
Campbell, warning him that if he did not desist from his prosecution
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 distance
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, probably
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 Campbell
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, candid
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
stump of which was to be seen a few years ago, and may be there
yet for aught the writer knows.[6]
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 1779 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 Hopkins,
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 punishment
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 sacrifice
on the altar of their country. And so strong and healthy was
the Whig settlement in this county, in the years 1778-1779, 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
methods used were the most effective in dealing with the unprincipled
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 Washington
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 Martin,
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.
Daniel Boone, in March, 1775, undertook to mark out for a number
of North Carolina gentlemen a road from Watauga, Tennessee,
through the wilderness to Kentucky, which he did. The road
marked out by Boone, at this time, was from the Watauga settlement
near Elizabethton (Tennessee), to the Cumberland Gap, and,
from the Gap, it followed the Indian trace known as "the Warrior's
Path," about fifty miles, where it left the "Warrior's Path,"
bearing to the west to the "Hazel Patch" and to Rock Castle river.
From Rock Castle river the road passed through the present county
of Madison (Kentucky) and on to the Kentucky river, at the mouth
of Otter creek. About one mile below the mouth of this creek,
Boone established headquarters and erected a fort, and called it
Boonesborough. Boone was followed by a large company in charge
of Richard Henderson, who claimed to own all the lands between
the Ohio and the Cumberland rivers, by purchase from the Cherokee
Indians, to which country he had given the name of Transylvania.
Benjamin Logan with a company of men from the Wolf Hills,
the two companies traveled together as far as Rockcastle river in
Kentucky, where Logan, not approving of Colonel Henderson's pretensions
or plans, left Henderson and traveled westwardly in the
direction of the Crab Orchard, and when he had reached the level
land he halted and built a fort which he called "Logan's Fort."
In this year, a large number of emigrants began to travel into
Kentucky, seeking homes, and, by the month of July, a considerable
body of people had gathered at Boone's Fort and Logan's Fort.
On the 4th day of July, 1777, one hundred Indians appeared
before Logan's Fort and laid siege to it, which siege continued
until the month of September. When the siege had lasted for
some time, Captain Benjamin Logan, with a number of friends,
slipped out of the fort by night and began an exceedingly hard and
dangerous trip to the settlements on Holston, to procure supplies for
the fort and reinforcements against the Indians. They traveled by
night and lay by during the day; but, finally reaching the Holston
at Wolf Hills, they secured powder and the assistance of forty riflemen,
and returned to the fort within ten days.
The riflemen from the Holston settlements were under the
command of Colonel John Bowman. Many of the men who went
to the rescue of their relatives and fellow-citizens in Kentucky at
this time subsequently made their homes in Kentucky, and Benjamin
Logan became a great man in the new State.
The road thus marked by Daniel Boone and Benjamin Logan
continued to be the passageway of many hundreds of settlers and
emigrants on their way to Kentucky until the year 1781, although
it was nothing more than a mere path or trace.
By the year 1779 great numbers of people were emigrating to
and settling to the westward of the Cumberland mountains. In
this year the General Assembly of Virginia passed an act for marking
and opening a road over the Cumberland mountains into the
county of Kentucky. The act in question appointed Evan Shelby
and Richard Calloway commissioners to explore the country adjacent
to and on both sides of the Cumberland mountains, and to
trace and mark the most convenient road from the settlements on
the east side of the mountains over the same into the open country
into the county of Kentucky, and to cause such road, with all
convenient dispatch to be opened and cleared in such manner as
report to the next session of the Assembly the distance, the practicability
and the cost of completing and making the same a good
wagon road. The act further provided that should the said Evan
Shelby or Richard Calloway refuse or be unable to act, then the
County Court of their residence should appoint his or their successor.
It provided also that a guard of not more than fifty men from
the county most convenient should attend said commissioners while
locating this road.
Colonel Evan Shelby declined to act as commissioner, pursuant
to the act of the Assembly above mentioned, and the County Court
of Washington county, in which he lived, on June 20, 1780, entered
the following order:
"Ordered that Captain John Kinkead be appointed in the room
of Colonel Evan Shelby, who has refused to act agreeably to the
Act of Assembly for marking and opening a road over the Cumberland
mountains into the county of Kentucke."
This appointment Captain Kinkead accepted, and, along with
Captain Calloway, effected the opening of a road through the
Cumberland mountains to Kentucky, and on the first day of December,
1781, a petition of John Kinkead was presented to the
General Assembly of Virginia "setting forth that agreeably to appointment
of the County Court of Washington he, in conjunction
with the other commissioner, proceeded to and effected the opening
of a road through the Cumberland mountains to Kentucky,
and praying to be paid for the service."
The road thus located by Captains Kinkead and Calloway, became
what was known as the "Wilderness Road," and for twenty
years subsequent thereto was the principal highway traveled by
an immense train of emigrants to the West. This road passed
through Abingdon, and that the present generation may be able
to locate this road, I give the stopping points, with the distances
between, along the road from Inglis' Ferry at New river to Cumberland
Gap:
| Miles. | |
| [7] From Hand's Meadow to | |
| Inglis' Ferry at New River | 12 |
| To Fort Chiswell | 30 |
| To Atkins' Ordinary | 19 |
| To Mid. Fork Holston | — |
| To Cross White's, Montgomery | 3 |
| To Col. Arthur Campbell's | 3 |
| To 7-mile Ford of Holston | 6 |
| To Major Dysart's Mill | 12 |
| To Washington Courthouse | 10 |
| To Head Reedy Creek, Sullivan county, N. C. |
20 |
| To Block House | 13 |
| To North Fork of Holston | 2 |
| To Moccasin Gap | 5 |
| To Clinch River | 11 |
| To Ford Stock Creek | 2 |
| To Little Flat Lick | 5 |
| To North Fork Clinch | 1 |
| To Powell's Mountain | 1 |
| To Wallen's Ridge | 5 |
| To Valley Station | 5 |
| To Powell's River | 2 |
| To Glade Spring | 4 |
| To Martin's Station | 19 |
| To Big Spring | 12 |
| To Cumberland Mountain Gap |
8 |
Thomas Speed traveled this same route in the year 1790, and
gives the names of the stopping points with the distances between:
| Miles. | |
| Inglis' Ferry | 20 |
| To Carter's | 13 |
| To Fort Chiswell | 12 |
| To the Stone Mill | 11 |
| To Adkins' | 16 |
| To Russell Place | 16 |
| To Greenway's | 14 |
| To Washington Co. House | 6 |
| To the Block House | 35 |
| To Farriss's | 5 |
| To Clinch River | 12 |
| To Scott's Station | 12 |
| To Cox's at Powell's River | 10 |
| To Martin's Station | 2 |
| To — | — |
| To Cumberland Mountain | 3 |
| To Cumberland River | 15 |
At this time five ferries were maintained across New river in
Southwest Virginia by land owners, to-wit: William Inglis,
Samuel Pepper, Cornelius Brown, Thomas Herbert and Austin &
Co., for the accommodation of travelers and emigrants, and the
General Assembly fixed the toll at four cents for each man and
four cents for each horse ferried.
Chief-Justice Robertson, of Kentucky, in speaking of the land
law enacted for Kentucky by the General Assembly of Virginia
![illustration](https://iiif.lib.virginia.edu/iiif/uva-lib:360817/full/!1600,1600/0/default.jpg")
year, used the following language:
"This beneficent enactment brought to the country during the
fall and winter of that year an unexampled tide of emigrants, who,
exchanging all the comforts of their native society and homes for
settlements for themselves and children here, came, like pilgrims,
to a wilderness to be made secure by their arms and habitable by
the toil of their lives. Through privations incredible and perils
thick, thousands of men, women and children came in successive
caravans, forming continuous streams of human beings, horses,
cattle and other domestic animals, all moving onward along a
lonely and houseless path to a wild and cheerless land. Cast your
eyes back on that long procession of missionaries in the cause of
civilization; behold the men on foot with their trusty guns on their
shoulders, driving stock and leading pack-horses; and the women,
some walking with pails on their heads, others riding with children
in their laps, and other children hung in baskets on horses,
fastened to the tails of others going before; see them encamped
at night expecting to be massacred by Indians; behold them in
the month of December, in that ever memorable season of unprecedented
cold called the "hard winter," traveling two or three
miles a day, frequently in danger of being frozen or killed by the
falling of horses on the icy and almost impassable trace, and subsisting
on stinted allowances of stale bread and meat; but now,
lastly, look at them at the destined fort, perhaps on the eve of
Merry Christmas, when met by the hearty welcome of friends who
had come before, and, cheered by the fresh buffalo meat and
parched corn, they rejoice at their deliverance and resolve to be
contented with their lot."
It was by this route and in this manner that many of our citizens
traveled to their new homes in Kentucky and throughout the
West, and it was for the protection of travelers on this route that
the county officials of Washington county, Virginia, expended a
great deal of effort and money, the Indians, for many years subsequent
to 1775, waylaying this route, murdering the emigrants
and stealing their horses and plunder.
The ministers of the Gospel, being Presbyterian in belief, kept
step with the advance of the settlers upon the frontiers. The settlements
had scarcely reached the vicinity of Jonesboro, Tennessee,
been educated at Princeton, with great energy and with a determination
to make his home on the frontiers, appeared upon the
scene, after having walked through Maryland and Virginia, driving
before him a horse loaded with books. He was greatly appreciated
by the people among whom he had cast his lot, and he, in
turn, exercised a wonderful influence upon the early settlers of
East Tennessee.
In this year, 1777, through the influence of this preacher, a
Presbyterian log church was erected near Jonesboro, Tennessee,
to which was given the name of "Salem Church." Near this
church soon thereafter he erected a school-house which afterwards
became Washington College, this church and school being the
first erected in the State of Tennessee.
On the 26th day of November, 1777, the county court of this
county proceeded to make a statement of the county levy for the
year 1777, which statement was as follows:
| "To Abraham Goodpasture, for building the prison, |
£450 |
| To Samuel Evans, for building a house to hold court in, |
|
| To John Coulter for laying off the lots of the town, |
|
| To Clerk for ex officio services, | Tobacco, 1,000 lbs. |
| To Clerk, for public services, | Tobacco, 1,300 lbs. |
| To a blank record book and alphabet, | £5 |
| To carriage for do. from Williamsburg, | 7s. 6d. |
| To Wm. Young, for old Wolf Head, | |
| To the Sheriff, for ex officio services, | |
| To Sheriff, for whole of his public services, | Tobacco, 12,000 lbs. |
| To building of pillory and stocks, | |
| By 890 tithables, at 8s., | £356 |
| To Hugh Berry, for making 1,760 nails for courthouse roof, |
£5 |
| To G. Martin, for making irons for criminals, |
From an inspection of this county levy, it will be seen that our
first county government was very frugal and economical. Many
readers will not understand how it was that a part of the county
early days, money was exceedingly scarce, and the House of Burgesses
of Virginia, as early as the year 1772, enacted a law permitting
the inhabitants of this section of Virginia to discharge
all secretaries', clerks' and other officers' fees in tobacco at the rate
of eight shillings and four pence for every hundredweight of gross
tobacco. And this law remained in force for a decade thereafter.
The Governor of Virginia, on the 23d day of July, 1777, issued
a new commission of the peace and dedimus for this county,
directed to
Arthur Campbell,
William Campbell,
William Edmiston,
Joseph Martin,
James Dysart,
John Anderson,
John Coulter,
George Blackburn,
Isaac Shelby,
John Dunkin,
Gilbert Christian,
Evan Shelby,
Daniel Smith,
John Campbell,
Alexander Buchanan,
John Kinkead,
James Montgomery,
John Snoddy,
Thomas Mastin,
Robert Craig,
John Adair,
Thomas Caldwell,
and, on the 25th day of November, 1777, this commission was
produced and read, and, thereupon, pursuant to the said dedimus,
the said Arthur Campbell took the oath of a justice of the peace
and a justice of the County Court in chancery, all of which oaths
were administered to him by John Kinkead. Thereupon, the said
Arthur Campbell administered the same oaths to:
John Kinkead,
John Coulter,
James Montgomery,
Robert Craig,
John Dunkin,
and thus was constituted the second County Court for Washington
county.
In the fall of this year, General George Rogers Clark traveled
from Kentucky over the "Wilderness Road," on his way to Richmond,
in company with a young lawyer by the name of John
Gabriel Jones, and reached Mump's Fort in Powell's Valley about
ten days subsequent to the killing, by the Indians, of a settler by the
he usually stopped at the nearest house when dark overtook him,
for which he usually paid, at the small cabins, a shilling and sixpence
for breakfast, bed and feed for horse. On his way he became
acquainted with Captain William Campbell, whom he found a very
agreeable companion.
The object of this journey to Richmond on the part of General
Clark was to secure the approval of the Governor of a plan that he
then conceived to be feasible and that would be of great value to
the American Colonies. He sought the consent and assistance of
the Governor in equipping and carrying on an expedition against
the British posts at Vincennes and Kaskaskia in the Illinois county;
and there can be but little doubt that he discussed this question
with Captain Campbell, at the time of his visit to Holston.
He succeeded in obtaining the consent and authority of the
Governor to enlist three hundred and fifty men from the counties
west of the Alleghany mountains, to be used upon this expedition,
of which number four companies were to be raised in the Holston
and Clinch settlements, and Major W. B. Smith was dispatched,
in the year 1778, to recruit men for that service in this section.
There seems to be a conflict among historians as to the number
of men raised in this section by Major Smith for this service, one
giving the number as amounting to four companies; another, as
one company.
The men recruited for this service were not informed of the purpose
for which they were intended, until they had reached the falls
of the Ohio (now Louisville).
The company of recruits from the Holston settlements did not
suppose, when they entered the service, that they were to be taken
upon such a long and dangerous expedition, and when they were
informed of the purpose for which they were to be used, they
objected to proceeding any further and left the camp of General
Clark and returned to their homes. This is the one disagreeable
circumstance connected with the history of our people. These men
were recruited from a country where the people were brave and
adventurous, and it is hard to account for their conduct upon this
occasion. We are sorry to state that, by their conduct, they deprived
this portion of Virginia of the honor of sharing in the wonderful
expedition and conquests of General Clark.
While the company, as a whole, refused to go upon this expedition,
a few of the men joined other companies and took part in the
expedition; and their names, so far as I have been able to gather
them, are as follows:
Low Brown,
Solomon Stratton,
John Lasly,
Nealy McGuire,
William Peery.
Supplies for this expedition were purchased upon the Holston,
as is evidenced by an order of the court entered on the 17th day of
March, 1779, which order is as follows:
"Whereas twenty-six forty dollar bills were found in the possession
of Captain Thomas Quirk, and, on the examination of the
court of Washington county, were supposed to be counterfeit, the
said Captain Quirk delivered the said bills to the sheriff in the
presence of the court, and it appears by the oath of the said
Thomas Quirk and Andrew Colvill that the said Thomas Quirk
received these bills of James Buchanan, commissary for the Illinois
service, to purchase bacon. Whereupon, it is ordered that the
sheriff take or send the said bills to the Board of Auditors for
further proceedings, according to law. A list of the bills is given,
which bills are signed by D. Summers and G. Brown and dated
April 11, 1778."
At the election held for Washington county in the spring of
the year 1778, Arthur Campbell and Anthony Bledsoe were
elected members of the House of Delegates, and William Fleming,
of Botetourt, a member of the Senate, in the General Assembly
of Virginia.
In the spring of this year, Captain James Dysart and Lieutenant
Samuel Newell were placed in command of two companies of militia
to range, during the summer, along the frontiers in Powell's
and Clinch Valleys, as a protection against the Indians. Early in
the month of May, before the departure of these ranging parties,
a man by the name of Whitesides, a large, active man, left his
home near Elk Garden Fort for Glade Hollow Fort, where he had
a horse running on the range. While hunting for his horse about
two miles from Glade Hollow Fort, he was captured by nine
Indians, who pinioned his arms back, loaded him with their extra
plunder and some meat cut from the carcass of a dead horse, and
opportunity to attack Glade Hollow Fort, which was in a wretched
state of defence, seven men only being in the fort.[8]
These men were engaged daily in bringing salt-petre dust from
a cave at some distance from the fort, to make salt-petre, upon the
discovery of which, the Indians resolved to take the fort the next
time the men went out.
They tied Whitesides' feet and left an Indian to guard him,
while the others sought a more convenient place to attack the fort
when occasion offered.
In the meantime the Indian who had charge of Whitesides,
thinking they were too much exposed to view, untied his feet and
made him creep further into the brush and, laying down his gun,
sat down before Whitesides to tie his feet again. At that moment,
Whitesides seized the gun, and, although his arms were pinioned,
gave the Indian such a blow over the head as broke the gun to
pieces and felled the Indian to the ground and, perhaps, killed him.
Whitesides then sprang to his feet and gave the alarm to the men
near the fort, who ran back to the fort with all speed, but
Whitesides ran past the fort towards the Elk Garden fort,
carrying all the Indian's plunder on his back. The eight
Indians who were waylaying the fort, hearing the alarm,
ran back, and finding their companion, perhaps lifeless, pursued
Whitesides; and while doing so, met about forty men in
plain view of the fort, on their way to act as rangers; on
whom the Indians fired and killed two. The rest fled ingloriously,
each one in his way, spreading the alarm that the fort was taken.
Upon receipt of this news at Black's Fort, Captain Samuel Newell,
with eighteen men set off for Glade Hollow Fort. They ran
about twelve miles that evening and waded the North Fork of
Holston just before night, but were forced to stop when night set
in, as they had no trace they could follow in the night, and, in
many places the weeds and grass were waist high. They arrived in
view of the fort next morning between eight and nine o'clock, and
upon reconnoitering, found the fort had not been taken. When the
occupants of the fort saw them, they ran out to meet them. The
next day, Captain James Dysart, with eighteen men, arrived at the
fort.
During the same year, in the lower end of this county, a young
man by the name of Fulkerson was killed when driving up his horses
from the range, and Thomas Sharp was fired at and badly wounded,
but, being on horseback, he made his escape and recovered from
his wounds. Jacob Fulkerson and a young man by the name of
Callahan were both killed this year, while hunting their cattle in
the range.
On the 23d day of April, 1778, the court entered the following
order:
"Ordered that Colonel William Campbell be appointed to distribute
the county salt to the most necessitous of the frontier
inhabitants of Clinch and the lower settlements of Washington
county below the mouth of the North Fork, such a quantity
reserving as he shall judge sufficient for the militia on duty, also
selling at such rate as will be sufficient to discharge the first cost
and expenses."
"Ordered that Isaac Lebo be permitted to go towards the Moravian
Town for salt, and that he return within the term of three
weeks."
Isaac Lebo is one of the same men that had, previously to this
time, been arrested, tried and convicted of treasonable practices
against the Commonwealth, and this, no doubt, was an excuse
offered by him for an opportunity to communicate with his Tory
friends in the South.
On the 21st day of May, 1778, Samuel Newell qualified as Deputy
Sheriff for the county and gave and filed a bond for the due collection
and accounting for the taxes of the county of Washington,
and entered upon his duties as first tax collector for the county,
under the law of Virginia. It was the duty of the County Court
to recommend to the Governor the names of the three magistrates
named first in the Commission of Peace, from which list the Governor
commissioned a sheriff for the county, and on the 20th day
of April, 1778, the court recommended Arthur Campbell, William
Campbell and Daniel Smith as fit and proper persons to execute
the office of sheriff for the county of Washington. From this list
the Governor commissioned Arthur Campbell as sheriff of the
county, and he qualified as such on the 16th day of February, 1779,
with Evan Shelby, Andrew Willoughby and Andrew Kincannon
as his securities. During this and the succeeding year, the following
Newell, Christopher Acklin and Alexander Donaldson.
At the March court 1779, Harry Innes and Rowland Madison
qualified to practice law in the courts of the county. Harry Innes
afterwards moved to the county of Kentucky, where he became
distinguished in the annals of that State. At the same term of
the court, Daniel Smith, Robert Craig and John Campbell were
appointed commissioners of the tax, the land owners having failed
to attend and elect commissioners. At this term of the court, David
Campbell resigned his position as Clerk of the Court, and John
Campbell was appointed to succeed him, which position he occupied
until the year 1824, during which time he faithfully discharged
his duties and retained the respect and confidence of the people of
this county. David Campbell, who resigned his position as Clerk
of the Court on the 15th day of August, 1780, obtained a commission
from His Excellency, Thomas Jefferson, appointing him attorney-at-law,
and qualified as such in the court of this county, but,
soon thereafter, he removed to Campbell's Station, Tennessee, in
which State he won distinction in his profession and became the
first Chief Justice of that State.
From the orders of the court at this term, it appears that Samuel
Evans had not completed the courthouse, pursuant to contract, and
Joseph Black was directed to agree with Evans as to the amount
he should receive for the work that he had done upon the courthouse;
and the sheriff was directed to agree with some person to
finish the courthouse.
At the April term of this court, a statement of the county levy
was made for the year 1779, which is as follows:
| "Ephraim Dunlop, for services as State's Attorney for the year 1777 and for the year 1778, |
£200.00 |
| Abraham Goodpasture, for building prison, | 500.00 |
| Samuel Evans, for building courthouse, | 100.00 |
| Abraham Goodpasture, finishing courthouse, | 100.00 |
| Arthur Campbell, for three blank books for the Clerk, | 15.00 |
| To do. for the body of the law for use of the Court, | 5. |
| To do. for cash paid Hugh Berry, nails courthouse, | 5. |
| To do. for 60 lbs. iron furnished for nails courthouse, | 5. |
| To window glass for courthouse, 12 lights @ 9s., | 5.8 |
| To do. for ex officio services for 1777-1778, | 15.0 |
| Allowed for pillory and stocks, | 75.0 |
| 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."
![illustration](https://iiif.lib.virginia.edu/iiif/uva-lib:360827/full/!1600,1600/0/default.jpg")
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 Abingdon
to Papersville, Tennessee.
At the May term of court, 1779, the Attorney for the Commonwealth
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 information
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
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 Walker'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 subsisted
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 Campbell
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 existing
Lynch, Captain Robert Sayers and Captain Isaac Campbell. Captains
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 Montgomery
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 discovered,
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."[9]
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 according
to what was termed "Captain Lynch's Law," and from this man
and this occasion originated the term "Lynch Law," as it is practised
throughout the nation, under peculiar circumstances, at this
day.
Upon the return of Captain Campbell and his men from Montgomery
county, considerable complaint was made by the Tory inhabitants
of that section of Virginia, and efforts were made to prosecute
Campbell and his associates, but the Legislature of Virginia,
recognizing the valuable services of these patriots, in October of
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 conspiracy
and actually levied war against the Commonwealth, and it is
represented to the present General Assembly that William Campbell,
Walter Crockett and other liege subjects of the Commonwealth,
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 immediate
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."[10]
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, Tennessee),
on April 10, 1779, Captain Isaac Shelby being in command
of the forces from Washington county, Virginia. At this point the
settlements, and a regiment of twelve-months' men, under the command
of Captain John Montgomery, intended as a reinforcement
to General Clark in the Illinois, temporarily diverted from that
object 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 expedition
against the Indians at Chickamogga, dispatched John Douglass
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 remaining
The garden was about sixty yards from the house, and, as no sawmills
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 children.
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
attack, 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 melancholy
death of her children, anxious to go to those in the garden, but
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 distant,
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 company
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 eastern
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
with the rising sun,
Singing nature's anthem to the forest trees,
seemed to say such horrid work could not be done by beings wearing
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 stunning
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."[11]
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 Holston,
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 throughout
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 organization
of the county until this time, had, without question, exercised
their authority as low down as Carter's Valley, upon the supposition
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 representative
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 collecting
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
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 without
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 Mississippi
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 ascertained
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 Carolina,
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 northern
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
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 Alexander
Montogmery 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 Governor
as fit and proper persons for coroners of Washington county
and were commissioned as such, and
Benjamin Estill,
Alexander Montgomery,
Thomas Montgomery,
John Latham,
Joseph Black,
David Watson,
Aaron Lewis,
James Fulkerson,
David Ward,
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.
By far the most important order entered by the court on this day
was the following:
"Ordered that it be recommended to the county lieutenant of
this county not to call a general muster the ensuing month, on
account of the apparent danger from the enemy and other distressing
circumstances of the county."
The army of Cornwallis was fast approaching the southern border
was stimulated into life and became a source of uneasiness and
trouble to the back settlements. At this time General Rutherford,
of North Carolina, made a requisition upon Sullivan and Washington
counties in North Carolina for the aid of their militia in the
defence of the State. Cornwallis was meeting with but little
obstruction in his march and contemplated nothing less than the
overrunning of North Carolina and the invasion of Virginia. It
was this state of affairs that produced the alarm among the settlers
in Washington county.
At the April court, 1780, William Campbell was recommended by
the court and commissioned by the Governor, as colonel of the
county militia, in the place of Evan Shelby, who had become a
citizen of the State of North Carolina. Daniel Smith was commissioned
lieutenant-colonel, and William Edmiston major. At the
same time the following militia officers were recommended and
commissioned:
James Crabtree,
William Edmiston,
David Beatie, Jr.,
William Edmiston, Jr.,
Alexander Barnett,
David Beatie,
Charles Cocke,
Captains of Militia:
and previously to this time and during the years 1778 and 1779,
the following captains of militia were commissioned:
George Maxwell,
Thomas Caldwell,
William Neil,
James Fulkerson,
Robert Edmiston, Jr.,
William Bartlett,
William Edmiston,
Humberson Lyon,
William Davison,
Joshua Buckner,
Joseph Scott,
Lieutenants of Militia:
and in the year 1778-1779, the following:
William Blackburn,
Levi Bishop,
Hugh Crawford,
Solomon Litton,
William Rosebrough,
William Pitman,
John Davis,
Moses Loony,
James Leeper,
Roger Topp,
Samuel Newell,
John Lowry,
George Finley.
Robert Campbell,
James Houston,
Andrew Goff,
Hugh Campbell,
John McFerrin,
Nathaniel Dryden,
Daniel Davison,
William Blackmore,
Ensigns of Militia:
and in 1778-1779:
John Sawyers,
Rees Bowen,
Patrick Campbell,
John Steele,
Thomas Sharp,
George Teeter,
Samuel Vanhook,
William Crockett.
I give the names of the officers of the county militia from the
formation of the county to this time with considerable particularity,
as we know that every officer at the Battle of King's Mountain,
from Washington county, was made up from this list. And it is
more than probable that all the officers whose names (with very few
exceptions) have been given were present on that occasion.
At the county court held on the last Tuesday in April of this year
John Yancy and Christopher Acklin were licensed by the court to
keep ordinaries in the town of Abingdon, being among the first
ordinary keepers in the town of Abingdon
At the June term of this court there seemed to have been a little
trouble among the gentry, which is evidenced by the following orders
entered by the court on that day:
"Ordered that James Kerr be fined two hundred pounds for insulting
Joseph Scott in open court.
"Ordered that William Robinson be fined two hundred pounds for
insulting Joseph Scott.
"Ordered that Joseph Scott be fined two hundred pounds for
flashing a pistol at James Kerr in the court yard.
"Ordered that James Kerr be fined twenty pounds for insulting
James Montgomery."
At the same term of the court Robert Irvin qualified as deputy
for Arthur Campbell, sheriff of Washington county.
The following order entered by the court on August 17th is given,
because it designates the first settler at the head of Little Moccasin
creek.
"Ordered that John Snoddy, gent, give Alexander Barnett a list
of tithables to work on the road from the mouth of Harrold's creek
During the summer of this year the militia of this county was
kept on the move in consequence of the threatened invasion of the
British forces from the South. In the months of August and September
one hundred and fifty men from Washington county saw
active service on New river, about the Lead Mines, and over the
mountains in North Carolina, under Colonel William Campbell, to
prevent and suppress any attempted insurrection among the Tories
in those quarters.
The Cherokee Indians, in September of this year, began to give
evidence of an unfriendly disposition, and every indication pointed
to an Indian war, when the Governor of Virginia directed Colonel
William Campbell to take command of an expedition against the
Cherokee Indians, and it was left to his choice whether to take the
troops down the Tennessee by water or on horseback. If the men
went on horseback they were to be paid for such pack horses
as might be lost without fault of the owner.
| CHAPTER VII. History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 | |