Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-07-15
The Great Valley Of Virginia.
OLD AUGUSTA.

James Leslie came from the north of Ireland,
from the sa me neighborhood that James Allen
and Rev. Joo Craig came from, and about the
same time He built first In the bottom near
the present spring, not then discovered, where
several children were born The house 10
which his grandson William, and his two sis
ters now live, was covered in, and the chimney
was near the comb OF the roof, when the family
and the worku1en were alarmed by an incursion
of Indians on Lewis creek-and saw the house
of Rev. Jno Craig. which occupied the site of
Col. Asher w. Harman's house, in flames.
when they fed across to Christians Creek, to
what is called the Irotter farm, which the peo-
pie Of tbst vicinity focked to as one of shelter
and protec ion from the Indians. There were
paths through the forest, from the direction
of old Paddy Crawford S farm, the grandfather
of Mrs Mary Moorman, and where she now
lives, through the Leslie farm, and on towards
South River, beaten by the Indians. in their
forays through the Valley Many Indian rel
les were picked up at different times, some of
which msy yet be preserved-of of which a no.
ticeable enc, white stone of two to three
inches in diameter, with hole through if, and
a haxen cord in it, that vas given to Rev. VIM.
Brown, d. D., when be boarded in the Nelson
family. He had large family. His son John
was in the Revolutiohn-m married a Miss
Thompson, and died 10 WythevilIe 81 years
ago, leaving large family. Mollie married
Jno. Robertson, brother to Capt. Billy father,
and grandfather of Mrs Chas A. Stuart, of
Greenbrier-had two children, who removed to
Ohio The old people died and we're buried at
Messy Greek. and the funeral was preached by
Rev. Betj Erwin.
Isabel married Joseph Gamble. removed to
Kentucky, and left four or FIVE childreu
Dolly married a Waddell-went to Ohio, and
left three children.
James married McCune, who was in the
Revolution. and left three children.
Betsy married Wilson. who was in the
Revolution, and removed to Tennessee.
Sally lived at the old homestead and died
single, at the age OF 50
Nancy married a Woods (Jameg) and went
to Kentucky.
Margaret married Rogers and went to Ken
lucky.
Samuel, whose history has been touched
upon, was born in 1882 and died Feb. 5th,
1929 He made five Or six expeditions against
the Indians on the Ohio, after participating, as
before stated, in the battle Of Point Pleasant,
when he was few months over II years old
At that battle he carried one of the Lewis off
the field and hid him under bank. after he
was mortaly wounded He was in Capt
Mathew company at that battle, who lived at
the Nelson farm. In the next expedition be
made to the Ohio, two Of the men had crossed
over to the Ohio side, and on their return, in a
skiff, one of them was killed by the Indians
This so exasperated the men composing the ex-
pedition, that they shot Cornstalk in cold blood,
who had come in to treat and manifested a
disposition to be friendly. On one of these ex-
peditions he was taken very i'll, reached Mr..
Kincaid' in Greenbrier, lay there six weeks,
and was hauled home from there in sled. Be,
sides GuiIford, he was at Cowpens, Stony Point,
Horseshoe and others, and In the Regiment
commanded by Col. Geo. Moffett. James Les
lie married Betsy, daughter of Jpo Stuart and
Mollie Morrison, of County Down. ireland, who
came into the Valley in advance of his family,
first settled mile or two south of Harrisonburg
and sold goods, and pedded awhile in Augusta,
and made money to return and bring in his
family-which he did very eary-and settled
on the Humbert farm, on Middle River. But
to return to bis SON. in-law, Samuel Leslie, who
raised family of several children, James, Viii
liam, Sally, Betsy, Polly, &c.
His son. James, married grand daughter of
Alexander Crawford and Molly McPheeters,
his wife, who lived below Buffalo Gap, near the
house of the late VIM CraWford-now Baxter
Crawford's. 'They were both killed by the In-
diaDs in a raid they made early in 100 He
was shot in his own house, and the house
burned down over him. She, in attempting to
make her escape was killed with tomahawk,
short distance from the house. None of their
children fell into the hands of the savages All
except two had been sent to a neighboriug fort
for security, the other two if at home at the
time by some means effected their escape -
The body of Mrs. Crawford and the bones Of
her husband were buried in what is called the
Glebe graveyard, lear the North Mountain,
| upper end of Augusta county, Va. " Where is
that spot?)-From the manuscript history Of
the McPheeters family, page TO- James
| died on the 10Th OF May, 1873, leaving fam
| iy of six children. He was remarkable man
and had been all his long lite of 7S years great
reader, and studiously and carefully preserved
every almanac and newspaper taken since his
marriage, over fifty years ago. He has, per.
haps, every paper from Spectator" Office, is
sued in that period with all of Clays ant
Webster's speeches, files Of the National In
telligeneer, Sun. Religious Telegraph, now Oh
! server, &c. Mrs. Thornton Berry, Miss Sallit
and Betsy and William, On the old farm, art
the survivors of the family. They have many
interesting heir-looms of the past, among which
is fine flax linen table cloth, and a number O
pairs of pillow slips, made more than 100 year
ago by their mother, with horn spoon brough
from Ireland, much older. 1t is well to stat
that Dave Hunter and Phil. Sheridan s bum
mers did not reach their house during the lat
Confederate struggle for Independence. Davit
Hanger first married a sister of Amos Cosby
ond than Pollin Leslie and removed to Wash