HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY, VIRGINIA By ROBERT M ADDINGTON PRIVATELY PRINTED 1932 COPYRIOBT1 1932, BY ROBERT M. ADDINGTON NANUPACTU&EP COMPtETI BY KINGSPORT PRESS, INc. ICINOltOaT1 Tt:NNllSll Unilld S1att1 of A1ntr1ta R. M. ADDINGTON Tltc Autlror To THE GOOD WOMEN OF MY NATIVE COUNTY, BOTH LIVING AND DEAD, WHOSE INDUSTRY, VIRTUE, PATRIOTISM, AND CHRISTIAN CHARACTER HAVE CONTRIBUTED SO MUCH TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HIGHER AND BETTER THINGS OF LIFE THIS BOOK Is RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • xi SOME IMPORTANT DATES IN SCOTT COUNTY HISTORY • . • • 1 SCOTT COUNTY TERRITORY • • • • • • • • • • 4 SOME COUNTY GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES • • • • • • • 10 THE MURDER OF ]AMES BOONE AND HENRY RUSSELL , , , 14 ISAAC CRABTREE, SURVIVOR OF THE ]AMES BOONE PARTY , , 16 THE KENTUCKY PATH • • • • • • • • • • • 17 DANIEL BOONE IN THE CLINCH RIVER VALLEY . , , , 30 THE BLOCKHOUSE ON THE HOLSTON , . , , . , , 38 Bro MoccASIN GAP IN H1sToRY • • • • • • • • • 39 FORT BLACKMORE , , , , • , • , • • , • • 43 A PEACEABLE INDIAN INVASION , • , • • , • , , 91 HENRY HAMLIN • • • • • • • • • • • • • 92 THE RYE COVE • • • • • • • • • • • • • 93 PORTER'S FORT , . , , , . , 103 FORT HOUSTON ON BIO MOCCASIN CREEK , , , , , , 109 THE OLD KILLGORE FoRT HousE: DoRTON's FoRT • • • 113 THE INDIAN ATTACK UPON THE LIVINGSTON FAMILIES . 115 PETITION OF CtTIZENs NEAR Bio MoccAstN GAP • • • • 123 BENGE1S ATTACK UPON THE HousE OF JOHN WALLEN • • 125 THE FIRST COURTS The First County Court . 128 The First Superior Court . 133 The First Court of Enquiry Held for the 124th Regiment 133 SCOTT COUNTY MATl'ERS North and South Battalions . · 135 The Selection of the County Seat . • . • . 135 The First Courthouse . • . 136 Various Civil Districts into Which the County Has Been Divided . • . • 13 7 Tavern Rates . • . 140 Roads . 141 V vi CONTENTS PAGE County Expenses, 1820 • • • • . • . • • • 141 Ferries . 142 The County Court and Bank Notes . • . 143 WAR OF 1812 . • • • • . 144 SCOTT COUNTY IN THE CIVIL wAR AS SHOWN BY COURT REC· ORDS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 144 THE Oto-TIME ScHOOL IN ScoTT CouNTY • • • • l 5S Free Education as Administered by the Old-Time School Commissioners . 185 The First Free Schools in the County . 186 BOATING ON THE CLINCH AND HOLSTON , , . , , , 189 THE VIRGINIA & SOUTHWESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY , , 194 SCOTT COUNTY NEWSPAPERS • . , • . • • , 197 SCOTT COUNTY IN WAR TIMES • • • • • • • 200 OLD HOME MANUFACTURES • • • • • • • • • • 222 THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON , , • . • , . • 244 SOCIAL LIFE, GAMES, CUSTOMS, AND SUPERSTITIONS • • • 246 Hunting . 249 An Old County Court Day . 251 The Scott County Centennial in 1915 . 253 SOME OLD CHURCHES • • • • • • • • • 2S 7 The Nickelsville Baptist Church . 257 The "Addington Frame" Baptist Church . 261 The Stony Creek Baptist Church . 264 The Sulphur Spring Baptist Church, Later Called Dar- thula . 266 Hunters' Branch M. E. Church, South . 267 The Camp Meeting . 268 SHOEMAKER COLLEGE • • • • • • • • • • • • 270 SCOTT COUNTY IN 1830; 1840; 1930 . , , . , . 271 Description of the Natural Tunnel . 275 An Old Settler's Story about the Natural Tunnel . 276 "A Perilous Moment" . 277 Classification of Industries . • 279 Agriculture in Scott County . 280 Highways . 281 THE RYE CovE TORNADO • • • • • • • • • • 283 THE INDIAN CAVE AND THE "FORTY•NINERS" • • • • • 285 INTERESTING COURT ORDERS • • • • • • • • • • 287 CONTENTS vii PAGE BroORAPHICAL SKETCHES James L. Shoemaker . • . 291 Jonathan Wood II . • . • 293 Jonathan Wood . 294 James P. Curtis . • . 29S George McConnell, Sr. 296 Fayette McMullen . .. 297 Dr. J. B. Wolfe . • 298 John McKinney . • 299 John Anderson . 301 Rev. Robert Kilgore . 303 Rev. Reubin Steele . • 304 A. L. Pridemore . • • 305 Thomas, Joseph, and Norris Carter . 306 Elder David Jessee . 307 David Cox . • . 308 Judge Martin Byrd Wood . 309 Emmett W. McConnell . • . • 310 Supt. \V, D. Smith . • 312 L. R. Dingus . • 314 Rev. Frank Y. Jackson . 316 Com. Riley F. McConnell, U. S. Navy . • 318 Sylvester P. McConnell . 320 George Talmage Starnes . 32 2 Dr. Bayard T. Horton . 324 John Preston McConnell . 327 W. D. Smith, Jr. 332 Charles Cromwell Addington . • . • 334 Henry Clinton Wood . • • • 337 Rufus Adolphus Ayers . 339 H. S. K. Morison . • • • . • 341 Rev. James B. Craft . 343 Patrick Hagan • . • • , .345 J. B. Richmond . • . • . 347 Memorial Page to Gus N. Addington . • 349 INDEX . • • . • 351 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FACINO PAO& R. M. Addington, the Author . Frontispiece l\f onument Marking Site of Block House Erected by Dr. Slave Quarters (Kane Estate) . 42 Wm. A. Pusey of Chicago . 38 Big Moccasin Gap • . 42 Indian Mound, Fort Blackmore. 52 Site of Fort Blackmore in Cane Field Just Beyond Man . 52 Monument Marking Site of House in \Vhich First Court Was Held . 106 Fans of Fall Creek, Site of First Mill in the County . 106 The Old Kilgore Fort House . 110 Copper Creek Valley . 114 County :Money in the Civil \Var . 143 Courthouse, Gate City . 283 Wreck of Rye Cove Schoolhouse . 283 PAOE W. D. Smith . 312 L. R. Dingus . 314 Frank Y. Jackson. 316 Riley F. McConnell . 318 Sylvester P. McConnell . 320 George T1lmage Starnes . 322 Bayard T. Horton . 324 John Preston McConnell . 327 W. D. Smith, Jr. 332 Charles Cromwell Addington. 334 Henry Clinton \Vood. .. 337 Rufus Adolphus Ayers . 339 H. S. K. Morison . 341 James B. Craft . 343 Patrick Hagan . 345 James Buchanan Richmond . 347 Memorial Page to Gus N. Addington . 349 ix PREFACE The year 1915 marked the one hundredth anniversary of the organization of county government in Scott. A number of leading citizens in various walks of life thought that this anniversary should be fittingly observed with appropriate ceremonies. The movement, when brought to the 1\ttention of the public, met with general approval. Supt. W. D. Smith arranged to have the school children of the county take large part in the celebration and, as an aid in interesting the school children in the coming celebration, I was asked to prepare a brief outline of the county history, which I did, calling it, "A Syllabus of Scott County History." It was distributed to the teachers of the county for use in their history classes. Out of this event has grown this attempt to prepare a larger and more comprehensive history of my native county. If incentives were needed, they would be abundantly furnished in the fact that my ancestors have been living in this part of Virginia since 1785, most of this time within the limits of Scott County, and by long residence and intermarriage my people have become akin to the greater part of the popu­ lation. Having taught school many years, a generation or two of my former pupils are now living in the county, so that in a very peculiar way Scott County people are my people. Some years ago I undertook to gather data under the handicap of being unable to finance the cost of procuring material except in a limited way-just a little at a time. This caused delay, but I feel assured, however, that the work has lost nothing on account of it, for it has permitted a wider search for data. I have endeavored to make it as accurate as available material would warrant. How well I have succeeded, remains to be seen. I make no claim to originality; I have gleaned wherever xi •• XII PREFACE I could find anything that pertained to Scott County history. Much of it has been taken from original sources, and much from the works of others. I have endeavored to assemble between the covers of this book as much of the available data as I could find. In case the matter hll~ heen quoted, effort has been made to give the author : 'OJ~ : credit for the same. I have given rather large place to Daniel Boone and the Kentucky Path, for which I make no apology. Boone not only carved out the most available route from the settlements on the Holston to Kentucky, but, historically speaking, he left the plainest trace for the historian of this section to follow, since almost his every movement was chronicled and the records preserved for posterity. There may have been other pioneers as deserving of mention as he, bµt none stand out in such bold, clear outline on the threshold of our county history as does he. An interesting chain of circumstances made it possible for him to render very important service to Fort Blackmore at a critical time in its history. These circumstances I. have briefly sketched. Many miles of the Kentucky Path lay through Scott County territory, and s9me of the thousands who traveled that Path, growing tired of going west, turned aside and settled in Scott County territory. Thus a thin line of log cabins stretched all the way from the Blockhouse to Kane's Gap in Powell's Mountain on account of the Wilderness Road. In the preparation of this work I have leaned heavily upon the Draper Manuscripts as a source of information. In fact, for much of the early history of this section, these papers are about the only available source, in so far as I know. These Manuscripts are now owned by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, and I wish to express my appreciation of the uniform kindness and courtesy shown me by the officials of that Society in all of our business relations. I am also greatly indebted to the Virginia State Library for courtesies extended to me. The Virginia state papers were a great source of information. Dr. H. R. Mcilwaine, Dr. Earl G. Swem, and Mr. Morgan P. Robinson, the archivist, were very helpful to my sons who searched for material both PREFACE Xlll... in the State Library, and in the Library of William and Mary College. In all matters of genealogy I have consulted my friend, Mr. I. C. Coley, whose knowledge of such matters is well known throughout the county. And sometimes, when I grew discouraged and thought the pressure of other duties too great to continue the work, one of Dr. John P. McConnell's encouraging letters would be received, and I would take heart and work with renewed energy.