Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-06-29
PIONEER DAYS OF TAzE-
WE'LL COUNTY, VA.

'ONNAbS1 bhNiA RoNh-LOA oCos bllt1 6luIl
ed for the hunting grounds.
They crossed Wolf Creek Mt OF
near the present ford, followed up
the Clear Fork to spot near the
present site OF Tazewell, then turned
north and crossed tie Big and Little
Stony Ridge and thence down the
Sandy for about twenty five miles.
About the third day of their journey
Capt Hurman proposed that his sous
should go ou5 and search for game
while he prepared the dinner. They
soon returned reporting numerous
indications Of game, and also pre-
scented him with pair of Indian leg
gins found at Il deserted camp fire.
The oil hunter, after making inquiry
rs to the probable number, at once
assumed comma'd aud made plans
for defence in case Of attack, eutreat
ed them to sell their lives dearly, for
ii captured they would be burnt at
the stake. "Now, my sons. what will
you do?" said he. They replied that
they preferred death to capture, and
Draper endorsed what the boys said.
Mounting their horses they retreat
cd, thinking n good run better than
a bad stand They had rctrc,tcd
about two miles on tho trail leading
over The mountain, when one Of the
bear dogs reared Oh his hind legs and
locking o"er II log began to growl
aud ac' III II nervous manner; at the
same instant several shots came frou
a neighboring clump Of trees, but
none took effect. The IIarunus at
once took to trees and began to do
lend Themselves, but Draper turned
his horse and fed ut full speed. His
horse soon fell from under him, but
being uniujured himself he continued
his light on foot
In the meantime shots were being
rapidly exchanged by Tho contest
am's. Capt. lInrinnn got the first
shot and an Indian fell never to rise
nSnin. George next succeeded in
disabling one, and his next shot kill
ed tho Indian who appeared to be
chief i'll command. Matthias, who had
hitherto remained moiionlcss behind
his tree, now claimed IL shot, and as
be dropped his smoking rifle laugh.
ingly rema! kcd, IL killed that deyil "
an Indian, noticing that George was
quito lame (ne was H,mo from white
swelling) and thinking that he was
wounded, laid aside his club and adj
vnncod to scalp him. George club
bed him with his empty riho and
they caught i'll II life or death strug
gle. Gcorge seemed to have been IL
good wrestler and succeeded in gel
ting what is called the ''hip lock-
aud threw the In,!iun violently to
the ground. The sava.n mas, IL tcs
ptluie effort to arise. M, ly this
tune s@Georgo had succeeded in re.
gaming his hunting XII: which had
slipped from his brlt during the
struggle. and pluneing it several
llpies into the Indians vitals he
jumped To his feet, Tho lndinn cxpir
ing almost instantly. There hainn
no more Indians in sight, the boys
became Interested about their father
whom they had DOT seen since the
Struggle began. They soon di.cov
cred linn bleeding freely from -
wonnd in his LEFT side The bow:
thinking that he was fatally wound.
ed he&hn to weep, bat he assured
them that it YVES only n snrface
wound and not serious. Tho arrow
striking rib just over his heart.
came ont about four inches from
where ii entered. The old man pull
ed the arrow through, saying, "Gcnt
be scared. my sons, I last d my soit
tie and it is not Internal; light my
pine: | waftdo fnkc smoke"
After dressing The wound, they
caught their horses and the little
party lookup tho trail for Abb's
Valley. They arrived at the cabin of
settler late Ill the might, and with
out ceremony entered the house, and
there, to their nstoni.hncnl, sat
Draper, who had drse,ted them at
tho first attack. Capt. Hrrman made
az attempt to shoot him, but his
cons prevailed on hini TO spare the
coWnrdS lie.
Matthias. Harmnn was soon after
killed by the Indians near Tie present
town Of Tazewell. The vest worn bv
I.Onpt iiarnan is still in possession cl
II descendant in Augusta county.
After The establishment of renee
with England, tie frcniiersmen re
ceived littlc if any further molesta-
sion by the indians.
As before stated, Tazcwell was
formed from Wythe and Russell, and
this necessarily caused some deranpe
ment in the courts. The magistrates
who had been acting under the au.
thority of the Wythe court met in
1900 and held the first court about
two miles east of the present county
seat. ~ John Ward was elected
clerk and Major Maxwell Sheriff. In
the following month the election for
county officers took place and The
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