Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-02-13
From the Harrisonburg Republican
THE DESTRUCTION AND CAPTIVITY THE FAMILY OF
ia NJ e S NJ o ORE,
OF TAZEwELL COUNTY. VA
OF TAzEwELL COUNTY, VA.

In my boyhood, Mr.. Editor, nothing was
more interesting than the narrative of our IA
theirs respecting their conflicts with the In
dams. In one OF these, feel special inter-
est and having recently endeavored to en-
body IT. with your permission will present
1t to the readers of the Republican,
The parents of JAMES MOORE. Senior.
were among those who, during the persecu-
tons under Charles II, emigratcd from Scot
land 10 the North of Ireland: the descend
ants of whom, in this country come under
the general name of aScotch Irish'' From
Ireland. MIR. M. emigrated to Virginia, and SET
tied on Walkers Creek, in Rockbridge coun-
ty. There he married JANE Waller, an
emigrant from the same country, who was a
lineal descendant of Joseph Allen and Sam
uel Rutherford, distinguished PRESBYTERIAN
clergymen in Scotland-the latter having been
member of the Assembly Of Westminster
Divines. After marriage, Mr. nj. continued
III The same neighborhood, and lived on the
plantation now owned by Mr.. James Youel :;
and there James Moore, whose family is the
subject OF this sketch, was born. When the
latter grew up he married Martha Poag of the
same county, and settled few miles South
west of the Natural Bridge, at place long
known as "NewelPs Tavern There. their
three eldest children, John, James and Joseph.
were born.
Mr.. Samuel Walker, cousin of Mr.. Moore.
and others, had been out in the Southwestern
part of the State, collecting ginseng and on
ms return he gave such an account of the fer
tillty OF the soil, and specially of its adapted
ness to the growth of stock, that MIR. M. was
hrst induced to visit it, and about the year
lT75, to remove and settle there This set
Element was in Apps Valley, Tazewell coun-
ty, on the waters G. Blue Stone, a branch of
New river. The valley received its name
from Absolem Loony, who first explored it..
1t was out OF the common track by which
the savages made their incursions on the set
Elements, and 1t was hoped that he would here
dwell IN safety /; but in this, as the sequel
VIII prove, he was sadly disappointed. At
this time there were no Indians East of the
Ohio river, and no settlement of the whites
west OF the Allegtaneys, anti the former were
determined that these mountains should be an
eternal barrier between them. Hence their
incessant efforts to crush every attempted set
Element on the forbidden territory.
With the aid of an old Englishman by the
name OF John Simpson, Mr.. Moore built his
cabin, cleared piece Of ground, and with his
plous wife "a member Of the PRESBYTERIAN
Church) erected his altar to Cod and there
he resided until the sad catastrophe we are
about to relate.
Alter the Indians found out that few fam
HES had settled here, they made an incursion
from their towns West of the Ohio nearly
every summer, at which time the settlers were
compelled to go into forts. On one of these
occasions they came to the house of Mr..
John Poag, about two and a half miles distant
from that of Mr.. Moore On the night of the
attack, several men being there, one of them
remarked that they must "keep look out for
Indians, for he heard an unusual noise in imi-
tation of owls, and which he supposed to be
the signal of different parties approaching the
house" After this all the lishts were exlin-
guished, and about ii o'clock the attack was
made. One Of the men in tie dark seized
gun which was not his own; and being
double fingered, of which fact he was moi
aware, pressed the muzzle against an Indian,
ano IN attempting to shoot broke the triggers.
shorty afterwards the Indians retired, and
ana not renew the attack After this most Of
the families retired to the more thickly settled
parts OF what are now Rockbridge, Bote.our,