Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-05-10
PIONEER SETTLERS-THE HARTMAN
FAMILY.
Something of Their History in Connection
With Settlement of this Section
and Battles With Indians.
HoLLYBRooK, VA, |
April 10th, 1900. !

April 10th, 1900. !
WILLIAM 1NGLEs, JR.
Dear Sir Replying to your letter Of
inquiry concerning the ancestors OF COL
King +. Harman, and whether or not
related to the Adam Harman, who, with
his two sons, is represented in the Trans
Allegheny Pioneers, as having rescued
Mrs. Mary Draper Ingles when escaping
from the Indians.
1t will doubtless be gratifying to him to
learn not merely the names Of his ances'
tors, but at least some condensed outline
of their character and history.
We are indebted for important data, IN
the history of the Harman family, to the
correspondence of Mrs. Louisa Richard
son, of Covington, KY. with Prince Bis
marck, of Germany. She writes me that
she has in her possession an autograph
letter to her from the renowned Prince
to the effect that number of Harmans
were distinguished as soldiers in the Ger
man wars; that one of them fell with
his chieftain Gustavus Adolphus COM
manding the Protestant armies, at the
famous battle of Lentzen; that at a later
period two of them left the banks Of the
Danube and migrated to America; one OF
whom it appears settled in Virginia and
the other in North Carolina-the latter
of whom was named Henry Harman.
He settled for a time near Moravlan
Town (now Salem N. CO., and in that
locality, married Nancy Wilburn, by
whom he raised, partly there and partly
in Virginia, seven sons and two daughters.
Prior to the year 1855, after having many
battles and skirmishes with the Indians
on the waters of the Dan River and Its
tributaries, he purchased and removed
with his family to the tract of land known
as Buchanans Bottom, now owned by
Mai. John Cowan, and with bis sons
cleared and inclosed a small part and
ranged and grazed their stock on said
tract. The writer has seen the written
title papers by which be transferred said
estate.
On account of his courage and skill in
surprising and defeating the Indians In
their murderous raids upon the white set
Elements, Henry Harman had been ap'
pointed by King George to command the
"King's Militia and to defend "Hls
Majesty's Colonies" Fragments OF his
Commission, signed by John Blair z.
president of the Colony and with the
seal thereof, are now in my possession,
but unfortunately the figures showing the
date of this commission and the year OF
ellis Majesty's reign" are torn or rather
worn off. 1t is of course probable that
this date was subsequent to the massacre
of Col. Patton by the Indians at Draper's
Meadows, in July 1855.
The thrilling and wonderful story OF
the capture at Draper's Meadows, of Mrs.
Ingles and Mrs. Draper by the Shawnee
Indians, and the heroic escape of Mrs.
Ingles from the savages, is well told by
the gifted author of the Trans-Alleghenny
Pioneers, but he has placed the rescue OF
Mrs. Ingles at point on the East bank
of New River at the site Of the New River
White Sulphur, or Eggeston's Springs,
in Giles county, Va, and ascrlbes her
rescue to Adam Harman, and bis two
sons "Bespeaking from every descen-
dant of Mrs. Ingles, now and forever,
proper appreciation and grateful remem-
brance of the brave, tender hearted, SYM
pathetic, noble Adam Harman."
AS there is not trace of evidence or
reliable tradition, that any of the Har-
man family ever owned or occupied the
New River Springs property, we were
greatly surprised when we first read that
abatement in the Trans-Allegheny Plo-
neers, and believing it to be erroneous as
to the place referred to, and in part, as
to the parties etfecting the rescue OF Mrs.
IngIes, proceeded to make enquiry on
the subject, and had the luck to meet
with Mr.. Asa Chumbley, one OF the
"oldest inhabitants" who states positive
ly that he has often seen the cabin on
the Buchanan's Bottom tract, MOntgom'
ery county, Va, in which Mrs. lngles
was rescued, and that remains of the cab
in can be seen to this day; and that the
rescue of Mrs. Ingles was effected not by
Adam Harman and his two sons, but by
Henry Harman and his two sons, Adam
and George Harman, who ranged and