Volume 2 , Issue 9

History of Highland County, Virginia

This article was found amongst my Grandmother Constance's paper clippings when she was collecting information for her application into DAR back in the 1950s.  I don't know the name of the newspaper it came from or the year, but guess it to be around mid-April and somewhere in Virginia near Augusta County, Monterey, Fort Dinwiddie, and Covington because of some of the ADS.  It has an AD for the "Strand Theatre" in Covington, Virginia for the movie "In Old Chicago" being shown on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (April 25, 26, & 27).  My mother went to see "In Old Chicago" in 1938 in Oklahoma.  So I'm guessing that is when this article was written.  If anyone out there that is good at piecing that information together, PLEASE -- Let me know what you come up with. Thanks!

By - Samuel Willson Sterrett

The log house of the frontier was built with reference to possible attack. It was usually near a spring. The door could be strongly barred. The windows were too small for a man to crawl through. There were loopholes in the walls through which the garrison could fire. If possible, it was not too near a spot where the enemy could find cover. Houses in this region still stand and in some instances are still occupied. In the walls of these are "shooting holes" covered by weather boarding which was afterward laid on.

Against an attack in open day by a few foes and with Previous warning of the attack, the holders of a house had a chance. But against a large party, especially if aided by darkness and the firebrand, the odds were too great. so in time of special anger the cabin was abandoned and the family took refuge in the nearest fort.

During the winter season the settlers were quite safe. The Indians were not inclined to maraud while food was scarce and after the forest leaves had fallen.

Only one actual stockade seems to have been built in Highland. It stood in the Bullpasture bottom midway between the Clover Creek Mill and the residence of L. M. McClung. It was on the land of Wallace Estill, whose house appears to have stood a few yards beyond the southern angle. It is tradition that the "fort meadow" has never been plowed. This will account for the remarkable clearness with which the outline of the fort may be traced, even though every vestige of log has crumbled into dust.

The stockade was about ninety feet square, and was placed diamond-wise with reference to the valley. At each angle was a bastion ten feet square. Inside the western angle was a powder house about twelve feet square. A few yards beyond the southern angle stood a house, probably Estill's dwelling, about eighteen feet by twenty-two with an annex twelve feet square. Under the main portion of the house was a cellar. Toward the river from the east corner of the stockade are plain traces of a short, covered way leading to a small ravine, once the river channel. Thus the fort was evidently built under the direction of some person who understood the principles of fortification. The walls, in accordance with the custom of the time, were built of logs set firmly into the ground and rising to a height above of ten or twelve feet.

The fort was built in accordance with orders from Dinwiddie to Washington. Andrew Lewis obeyed instructions by marching on October 6, 1754, and within the next month he built a fort. February 12, 1755 the Governor ordered him to garrison his fort with an ensign, a corporal, and eighteen privates.

It is rather singular that the name of so important a structure as regards Highland County, of course should be forgotten. From a letter written by Joseph Carpenter it is conjectured that its name was Fort Nelson. This, however, is only a surmise.

The stockade was never assaulted, though on one occasion arrows were thrown at it from a hill across the river. The distance was to great for the missiles to take any effect.

In the fall of 1755, Washington came from Fort Cumberland on a tour of inspection and went at least as far as Fort Dinwiddie. He must have come by way of the Clover Creek fort as there was no other direct road. This was the only visit ever paid to Highland County by George Washington.

There is knowledge of only two battles in Highland in 1763. An Indian band exterminated the Greenbrier settlement, ambushed and defeated a party under Captain Moffett at Falling Springs in Bath, passed over to the Cowpasture, and there burned the Dougherty. The band divided, the smaller party returning and the larger making a destructive raid on the Kerr's Creek settlement. On its return the party camped near the Back Creek. A pursuring party under Captain Lewis, Dickinson, and Christian overtook the Indians and nearly effected a surprise. It was decided to attack at three points. Two men sent in advance were to fire if they found alarm. They fell upon two Indians, one leading a horse, the other holding a buck upon it. To avoid discovery they fired, and Christian's men charged with a yell. The other parties were not quite up, and retreating in the direction whence there was no noise, the Indian escaped with little loss aside from the stolen goods which sold for $1,200. Only one white is said to have been killed.

But the Indians who escaped were overhauled on Straight Fork, four miles above the State line, their whereabouts being betrayed by their campfire. All were killed but one, and the cook's brains were scattered in his pot. Their carrying poles were seen here many years later, and ancient guns have been found on the spot.

The region of Bath and Alleghany suffered severely. Fort Lewis and Dickinson were both assaulted.

After the collapse of the French power the Indians were humbled by expeditions sent against them. By the treaty of 1764, they were required to give up their captives, and thirty-two men and fifty-eight women and children were thus returned to their Virginia homes.

The Indians were kind to the captives they adopted, and when the latter had been taken in childhood they were usually so unwilling to part with their dusky companions that force had to be used. Hunting parties followed the rescues for days to keep their former companions supplied with food.

Not until Wayne's victory in 1795, after a period of more than thirty years, was there the assurance that danger from the Indians was a thing of the past.

The Highland County of 1754-64 was a young, thinly peopled frontier community, compelled to live within reach of the stockaded fort, compelled to use watchful care with the help of large dogs, last at any moment the stealthy foe might approach through the deep woods, kill or maim the adults of the family, regardless of the age or sex, and carry away young children who, though spared, might yet be lost to the parents. All this was a heavy item in the cost of subduing the wilderness.

It might seem as though the troublous years of 1754-58 would have worked an entire suspension in the buying and selling of the land. Yet, transactions in this line took place, and when a time of comparative safety returned they increased. When the War for Independence broke out, there was a considerable population in these valleys. Favored localities were the head of the Cowpasture and Bullpasture Rivers, the Crabbottom, and the vicinity of Vanderpool Gap.

From 1764 until 1774 there was once more, nominal peace with the Indians. But the prersistent pressure of the whites led to some mutual outrages, and war broke out in the summer of 1774. Governor Dunmore led a force down the Ohio from Wheeling, while General Andrew Lewis with the militia of the Valley reenforced by a few troops from Bedford and Culpepper, marched down the Great Kanawha, reaching Point Pleasant early in October.

The Virginia forces being divided, the Indians attempted to surprise and overwhelm Lewis, intending then to dispose of the Governor and his army. Had they succeeded the effect on the border settlement would have been like another Braddock's defeat. The influence on the Revolution, which broke out the following year, would have been serious indeed.

The battle at Point Pleasant was well contested on both sides. At the close of the day the result was thought by some of the whites as no better than a drawn battle. Yet, the Indians were disheartened, and agreed to a peace which lasted until they were stirred up by the British in 1778. The army of Lewis returned in November.

A number of Highland men were undoubtedly killed or wounded, but with the possible exception of Captain Wilson, who was killed, we are ignorant of their names or number.

The War of the Revolution began only half a year after the battle of Point Pleasant. Being almost wholly of Scotch-Irish stock it goes without further saying that the pioneers of Highland were zealous supporters of the American cause.

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