Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-02-27

learned and which can not be kept
from observation. Whilst u resident
of Virginia, in the year 1774, the Earl
of Dunmore, then Governor of Virgin
ia, appointed him captain of a mill
tia company in the county Of Dun
more. On the Gath December, TIT,
Governor Caswell, of North Carolina,
gave him commission of Lieutenant
Colonel of the Washington regiment
of militia, under the command of Col
onel John Carter.
The LonN Island of Holston is about
three miles in length, in the main Hols.
ton river, just above the point, where
the North Fork joins it. In the fork
betN cen the two rivers, and about five
or six miles above the junction, stood
Heaton's Station. Just above the is.
lands were fiat lands, with few bushes
and saplings, but otherwise open, lying
between the two rivers. The substance
of the intelligence which the iuhabi.
tants of Holston received from Thomas
and Fallin was, that body of 700 In
| dians had assembled, and had divided
themselves into two parties, one destin.
ed by way of the mountains in a cir
cuitous road, to fall on the settlements
of Watauga, and above; the other, a
body of $50 men, commanded by the
Dragging Canoe, was ordered to break
up the settlements in the fork and
above; and thence to proceed north
wardly into Virginia. Alarmed by this
information, and for the fate of the un-
protected inhabitants, five small COM
panies raised chiefly in Virginia, as
seubled under their respective captains.
the eldest of whom in commission was
Captain Thompson. They marched to
Heaton 8 Station, where fort had been
built, by the advice of Captain William
Cooke, in front of the settlements, and
there halted, as we'll to protect the peo
plein the station as to procure informa-
ton by their spies and scouts, of the
position of the enemy; of their num-
bers; and of their designs, if possible.
In day or two it was ascertained,
that the Indians, in body of three or
four hundred, were actually on their
march towards the fork. A council
was Immediately held to determine
whether it was most advisable to await
in the fort the arrival of the Indians,
with the expectation that they would
come and attack it, or to march out in
search of them and fight them wherever
they could be found. 1t was urged in
council by Captain Cooke, that the In.
dians would not attack them in the
station, enclosed in their block houses,
but would pass by them and fall upon
the settlements in small parties, and
that for want of protection the greater
part of the women and children in the
settlements would be massacred. This
argument decided the controversy, and
it was determined to march out and
meet them. The corps consisting of 40
men, marched from the station and
took their course down towards the
Long Island, with an advance of about
twelve men in front. When they reach
ed what was called the Island Flats,
the advance guard discovered small
party of Indians coming along the road
meeting them, and Immediately fred
upon them; the Indians fled, and the
white people pursued for some time,
but did not meet the enemy. A halt
was then made, and the men were
formed in line. A council was held
by the officers, in which it was con-
cluded, that probably they would not
be able to meet with any others of the
enemy that day; and as evening was
drawing on, that it was most prudent
to return to the fort. Whilst the line
was thus formed, some persons made a
remark unfavorable to one of the cap
tains. on the score of his personal firm,
ness; he soon heard it, and the corps
having commenced its returning march,
in the same order as they. had marched
forward, the captain whom the remark
implicated, being at the head of the
right line, after going a small distance,
halted and addressed the troops in de
fense of himself against the imputation.
The whole body collected into crowd
to hear him. After the address was
over, the offended captain took the
fead of his line, marching on the road
that leads to the station. But before
all the troops had fallen into The ranks,
and left the place where they had halt
ed, it was announced that the Indians
were advancing in order OF battle in
their rear. Captain Thompson, the
senior officer, who on the returning
march, was at the head of the left line,
ordered the right line to form for battle
to the right, and the line which he
headed to the left and to face the enemy
In attempting to form the line the head
of the right seemed to bear too much
along the road leading to the station
and the part of the line further back,
perceiving that the Indians were en-
deavoring to outflank them, was drawn
off by Lieut.. Robert Davis as quickly
as possible, and formed on the right
across the fiat. to a ridge and prevented
them from getting round the flank
This movement of Lieut.. Davis cut of
a part of the right line, which had kept