INDIAN ATROCITIES ALONG THE CLINCH, POWELL AND HOLSTON RIVERS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA, 1773-1794

By Emory L. Hamilton

The Following is the unpublished manuscript, Indian Atrocities Along the Clinch, Powell and Holston Rivers of Southwest Virginia, 1773-1794, written by the late Emory L. Hamilton. The original manuscript consists of 255 pages and has 99 stories throughout, #59 missing from the original manuscript. For convenience, the individual stories have been seperated below. Special thanks goes to Rhonda Robertson for her contribution of the manuscript for publication on this website.

1. Scouts Patrolled the Sandy Passes to Guard Virginia'a Frontier Cabins
2. The First Massacre On Powell's River
3. The Henry Family of Tazewell County Massacred
4. Samuel Lammey Captured on Holston River
5. Two of Captain John Blackmore's Slaves Captured
6. The Killing and Capture of John Robert's Family
7. John Duncan Killed at Moore's Fort by Chief Logan
8. Capture of General Evan Shelby's Negro Girl
9. Dale Carter Killed At Blackmore's Fort
10. The Dreadful Year of 1776 on the Western Waters
11. One Mitchell Killed on the Wilderness Road
12. Killing of Jonathan Jenning’s Son and Negro Slave
13. Killing of Samuel Cowan at Houston’s Fort
14. Isaac Crissman Killed in Rye Cove
15. The Slaying of John Douglas at Little Moccasin Gap
16. Robert Elsom Killed on Clinch River at Gray's Island
17. Jacob Lewis and Family Killed On Stock Creek
18. Killing of Frederick Mongle
19. Killing of William Henry Creswell
20. Killing of William Parks in Powell Valley
21. Killing of Matthew Rowbottom
22. One Cook Killed in Powell Valley
23. John and Titus Benton Killed in Rye Cove
24. Bowman and Johnson Killed, James Bunch Wounded in Powell's Valley
25. The Capture of Jane Whittaker and Polly Alley
26. Killing of Fanny Napper and Her Children
27. John Evans, Captive
28. The Killing of Humphrey Dickenson
29. Attack on Henry Roberts' Home and Killing of David Roberts
30. Killing of Burton Litton and William Priest at Glade Hollow Fort
31. Captain John Dunkin, Solomon Litton and His Wife Taken Out of Elk Garden by the Indians
32. Killing of Richard Lynam in Powell Valley
33. William Ferrill Killed in New Garden
34. Indian Tragedies Against the Walker Family
35. Samuel Walker Slain, Anne Cowan and William Walker Captured
36. The Killing of the Phillip Phillips Family Near Hunter’s Ford
37. Killing of the Starnes Brothers and Michael Moyer
38. Killing of Jessee Evans’ Children
39. Massacre of the Roark Family of Tazewell County
40. The Killing of James Coyle
41. Capture of Ann and Mary Bush and Killing of William Dorton
42. Killing of Solomon Kendrick
43. Unnamed Killings in Powell Valley in 1781
44. Four Men Taken Prisoner from Fort Blackmore
45. Capture of Captain Abraham Bledsoe's Son
46. Capture and Rescue of the Ingles Family and Killing of Captain Thomas Maxwell
47. Two Sons of Captain Robert Moffett Captured
48. Eight Horsemen Killed in Powell Valley
49. John Brown Killed in Cumberland Gap
50. Cliff Overton Killed
51. Joshua Butcher and Son and Samuel Pepper Killed in Powell Valley
52. Captain James Maxwell’s Two Daughters Killed
53. Slaying of the Halbert McClure Family
54. Killing of Jessee Adams and His Family
55. William Long, The Indian Spy Slain
56. John Ingles Home Attacked Cox and Two Hunters Killed
57. Killing of Joseph Ray & Family Samuel Hughes and Scalping of Ann Neece
58. Unnamed Killings In Tazewell County
60. Unnamed Killings In Powell Valley in 1784
61. Capture of James Moore, Jr., in Abbs Valley
62. Richard Pemberton’s Fight With the Indians
63. Two Unnamed Families Killed and Captured in New Garden
64. Combs Family Killed and Captured in New Garden
65. Frederick Fraley’s Son Chased by Indians
66. Mrs. John Wallen Killed in Powell Valley
67. Capture of Hugh Logan and (One) Gibson
68. The Tragedy of Wallen’s Creek
69. Masscare of Captain James Moore and His Family in Abbs Valley
70. Dial and Thomas Killed In Tazewell
71. Unnamed Killings on Clinch and Holston Rivers
72. The Sugar Hill Massacre
73. John Carter’s Family Killed on Clinch
74. Two Carter Boys Taken From Rye Cove
75. Killing of Ambrose Fletcher’s Wife and Children
76. Henry Harman’s Fight With the Indians
77. Ginsang Diggers Killed on Black Mountain
78. Man Wounded in Powell Valley
79. Killing of Joseph Blackmore’s Children
80. Chief Benge’s Attack on the House of John Wallen
81. Massacre of Joseph Johnson's Family
82. John Frazier's Son Taken Prisoner
83. Killing of William Whitley
84. The Capture of Jenny Wiley
85. Killing of Captain Isaac Newland's Family
86. The Slaying of the Thomas Osborne Family
87. The Wives of Henry Hamlin Slain
88. Killing on the Kentucky Road
89. Frontier Stations and Conditions in 1791
90. Andrew Davidson's Family Killed
91. Daniel Harman Killed
92. Pendleton and McDowell, Farris and Wharton Families Killed
93. The David Musick Tragedy
94. Harper Ratcliffe Family Killed
95. Four Militia Soldiers from Powell Valley Slain
96. Gilbert Killed - Lusk Taken Prisoner
97. Ensign Moses Cockrell Attacked and Two of His Men Killed
98. Fraley Kills An Indian
99. Killing of John Davidson
100. The Last Indian Raid Upon the Western Frontiers of Virginia


A History of Robert "Bob" Benge Since Robert Benge was closely tied to many of the above stories, a history of his life is included here.



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