Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-06-29

Incidents of Border Life in Virginia.
RELATED BY MRS. LETITIA FLOYD IN
LETTER TO HER SON, COLONEL
BENJAMIN RUSH FLOYD.
Continued from June 22.1
"The summer of 1857 Colonel Preston
had been appointed commissioner to
make treaty. with the Shawnee and
Delaware Indians at the&mouth of Big
Sandy river. branch of the Ohio.
Colonel Thomas Lewis, of Rocking
ham county, was likewise commits
sioner. Lewis, believe, did not ac-
company the party. The treaty, I think,
was made with Oconostoto,f who was
now very old, and chief called Corn
stalk.t Colonel Preston endured sim
gular hardships in this expedition. He
had TIED his moccasin somewhat too
tightly the string chafed the instep of
one of his feet, which produced partial
modification. The skill of physician
by the name of DIR. Thomas Lloyd saved
his life. Lloyd had been purchased by
Preston year or two previously. Find
ing him man of fine education, with
great knowledge of medicine. the Doc
tor was made the companion, and died
many years thereafter, the firm friend
of Preston's family. On Colonel Pres
tons return from the mouth Of Sandy
river which ran through a rugged re-
gion; they got so entirely out of food
as to be compelled to eat the buffalo tugs
which were tied on their packs, and
hence the stream was named by Colonel
Preston the Tug Fork of Sandy The
county of Fincastle was laid off from
Rockbridge county about the year 1764.
Colonel Preston obtained the surveyors
place, which determined him to leave
Staunton. He settled at Greenfield,
near Amsterdam, a valuable estate yet
in the possession of his and-daughters.
Having some business to transact in Au-
gusta Court in the month of May, he
left his family at Greenf field early in the
morning. Mrs. Preston was startled by
the firing of two guns, in quick success
sion, at a neighbours house within half
a mile of hers. Very shortly after
wards Mr.. Joseph Cloyd rode up on his
plough horse, with the gears on, telling
Mrs. Preston that the Indians had killed
his brother John and shot at him, but
missed him, although his shirt was pow
der burnt. They had gone to the house,
and he expected they had killed his
mother. Mrs. Preston sent a young
man living at her house to Captain
Francis Smith, who commanded email
fort at Craig's creek. to bring his troops
to pursue the Indians She wrote
letter to him. which was free from
tremor or trepidation. She then sent
white man and two negro men to Mr.
Cloyd's, where they found Mrs. C1ovd
tomahawked in three places, all the
household destroyed, and the money
carried off. Mr., Cloyd had large sum
of gold slowed away. Mrs. Cloyd was
perfectly in her senses, and told all the
circumstances of the savage revelry, in
getting drunk, ripping up the feather
beds, and one of them taking corn
cob and wiping the blood from her tenn
Piles, exclaiming, poor old woman /"
She died the next morning. After this
irruption of the Indians there appeared
to be pause in their depredations L
think about the year 1858 an expedition
was ordered by the Governor of Vir-
ginia, Lord Botetourt,t and the COM.
mand given to Colonel Byrd, who PEN
etrated as far as the Tennessee line
What his success was l am unable to
state. 1 think, however, the settlements
remained insecure.
"In 1773 Colonel Preston became pos
sessed of Draper's Meadows, now Smith
field. The county of Botetourt was di-
vided, and Colonel Preston determined
to follow the surveyors office. Whilst
Colonel Preston lived at Greenfield,
Colonel John Buchanan determined to
leave his residence near Pattonsburg
and removed to Reed creek to settle st
Anchor and Hope. splendid estate
which Colonel Patton had given to his
daughter Margaret On his journey he
stopped at Greenfield, took sick, and
| dioA of ffor oro1x oHo5 Whi1ct
on his death bed he desired Mrs. Pres
ton to take charge of his daughter Jane.
then ten years old This was done.
Colonel Buchanan made Colonel Pres
ton the executor of his immense estate.
A long and unbroken friendship existed
between them. Buchanan is favorably
mentioned by Washington During
Colonel Preston's residence at Green
field, in the year ITO. a young gentle
man by the name of John Floyd was
introduced to him by Colonel Joseph
Cabell, of Buckingham county, as very
well qualified to assist as q deputy in
the surveyors office.
1T was always rule with Colonel
*Ihe The memory memory Of M Mrs. Floyd was here evi-
| movement and took place in 1756 1t was known
as the SANDY Creek Expedition" and the
| bAOh1y was " oO dcCOAnp pllsn60 Oy Ln6 lOTCc VI
arms. The expedition was unaer the conduct
of Major Andrew Lewis, 0nder whom were
Captains William Preston Peter Hogg John
Smith, Archibald Alexander, Breck enridge
Woodson, and Overton. There were also the
volunteer companie- of Captains Montgomery
and Dunlap, and party of Cherokee Indians
under Captain Paris. The expedition proved
abOrtive in results. The period between Bon
quets treaty in Ireland open war in l774 though
one of nominal peace, was one of frequent COL
liston and hostll1ties. and more lives were sac
rtf1ced on the frontier by the Indians than dur
ing the whole of the year l774, including the
battle of Point Pleasant-CampbelPs History
of Virginia. PIP. 489 80. See also Virginia His
torical Register, communication of Lyman C..
Draper, vol. ". PIP. 1924.
IA treaty was made with Oconostoto by
which lands were ceded on the 18th of March. |.
1775.
ia treaty was concluded by Governor Dun
more with Cornstalk after the battle of Point
Pleasant in IVA.
*Governor Francis Fauquier Botetourt did
not arrive in Virginia as Governor until No
vember, ,1765-Campbell, PIP. 500 l.
tSparks's Life and Writings of WASHINGTON
vol. H., PIP. 100. 1914. 2O3.
tSixty persons had been murdered by the In
dians in Augusta county. In June, 1858, the
Virginia troops were augmented to 1000 men.
divided into two regiments, one under WASH
ingtOn, who retained command of the whole
force and the new regiment under Colonel VIII.
liam Byrd, the third of the name and title in
Virginia. The Virginia troops formed part of
the expedition against Fort Du Quesne under
General Forbes. After reverse in which Ma
jor Grant and Major Andrew Lewis were made
prison ers-of the virginia troops sixty-two
killed and two wounded and of tho r., ri; =,