The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1894-01-25
REVOLUTIONARY TINES.
INCIDENTS WHICH OCCURRED IN
STOKES AND FORSYTH.
Where Col. Joseph Winston, Col. Ben
JaInin Forsyth and Many Other He
roes Eirst Saw the Light.

a writer l. j. b.. In the DanDury
Reporter Post, gives an interesting re-
view of the revolutinary incidents
which occurred in Stokes county, be-
fore Forsyth was SLICED off" Here's
his 'story''-in full:
''Truth is stranger than fiction"
Old Stokes has her full share of ro-
manic scenery. And her history in
the days of the early pioneer would
fill volumes that would interest the
people of the present day.
1t will be remembered that the
| Sauratown Mountains and Town Fork
| creek derived their names from tribe
| of Indians who inhabited their cOun-
| try $50 years ago. Their trails are
| still visible in many places. Danope-
haW was the great chieftaIn or The
Sauratown Indians. His town was
/, located in the fork of Dan River and
| Town Fork creek. Beads and other
Indian relics are still found on the
| old site where the town stooG. The
| Dan and Haw rivers derived their
names from Danopehaw, the Saura-
tC wn Chieftain.
| Stokes county was founded A. d.
| 1889; was named in honor OF Col. John
| Stokes, who had his right hand severed
by a cavalry sabre in the Revolutiona-
the county seat. The hardy pioneers
migrated from other counties, settled
! here, Subdued the Indians and killed
the snakes. The ladies in those days
were trained to use the deadly rifle
| and only needed more extended field
to become as renowned as the great
Joan of Arc. Their descendants
should do something to preserve their
| memory
Here is where Col. Joseph Winston,
Col. Benjamin Forsyth and many
other heroes first saw the light. When
the War of the Revolution between
King George III, and the Colonies was
going on the people were as they are
at the present day. There were peO-
pie here loyal to the King through
! pure motives and there were Tories
who wanted to live by theft alone.
In those days there lived substan-
tiaI Wing at the John Clay ton place,
near Bethlehem, ia what is no"
known as Forsyth county, by the
name Of Ambrose Black lii uc
year 1880 troop II Torres made raiG
on Blackburn. They pillagod his
house: taking his wearing apparel.
500 in silver aud other valua Dies. One
of the Tories took Black burns hat
and replaced it with an old SLOUGH
hat. Blackburn stamped the hat and
remarked that he wished it was the
/ heart of every Tory IN the land. When
the Tories started with their plumber
dog, belonging to the Tories, jump
ed on Black burns dog. Blackbu
cheered the Wing dog, which was the
victor, and told the Tories thdo was
the way he intended to whip them
Blackburn went the same night to
Col. Joseph WinStOn'S, two miles
northeast Of the present town of Ger
manton. The Colonel invited him in
He refused, told Winston he had no
pants. The Colonel gave hlm pair
OF buckskIn pants ana d spare guu
Winston sent out runners, got tOgeJh
ers some of the hardy yeUmary of the
neighbOrhood and went IN pursuit of
the Tories. They were Joined by Col.
Jack Martin, of Rock House fame.
They traced the Tories to the Tory
Den" at the foot of Moore's Knob.
The Tories were gone, leaving fire
and from the accumulation OF beef
bones it seemed they had made that
their headquarters for Considerable
time.
They continued the chase and on
the second day met boy north vi the
Quaker Gap carrying bread tray.
Col. Winston asked the boy if he had
seen anything of the Tories. be re-
| piled that he had not, that he had
| been to return some meal. Winston
| believed the boy knew the where
| abouus of the Tories, and ordered his
| hands up. The youngster declared he
had made d true statement. Winston
ordered him hung up with the same
results. The latter then told the boy
he would hang him up and leave him
if he did not tell. The boy, believing
he would do so, said they were in
camp about mile away. Col. Win
StOn's party were creeping cautiously
I 1o mn hnT how
were discovered Winston's horse
was shot, when running fight en-
sued. All the Tories were killed in
the fight save Capt s., their CImmau-
der. He was made prisoner and par
| doned on the spot Capt. S. was an
Englishman, sent by the British au
thorities to arouse the Tories Black
burn found the man with his (3ldck
burn's) clothes on and the 500 in sill
: yer on his person. Blackburn danced
jig on the breast Of the dead Iory.
Blackburn lived TO see British tyr
amy blotted out of the land. He
lived to ripe, old age and was much
respected by all who knew him.
The Tories were very troublesome.
. They plundeEed the country, drove
the peoples cattle to the British ar
my and sold them for British gold,
They knocked five horses on the head
fer Joshua Cox in one night.
The WInstons, McCrams, Forsyths,
Tilleys, Gainses, Letherges and Black
burS were substantial Wings in those
days.
The writer CLEANED the above from
different histories. He is greatly in
debted To Mr. William King, a man
of advanced age au1 high character
and Veracity, fOI several valuable ira
dItionS IN regard 10 the state of 2f
fairS in those Gays.