The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1900-09-06

OF receiving money ~
militia drafts and Col. Campbell re,
piled with counter accusations ana
much bitterness Of feeling resulted
between the two commands.
Capt. Lewis and one OF his oihcers'
the brave young man, Lieutenan,
Willoughby, also quarrelled, ana
Campbell defended Willoughby to
the Governor, charging Lewis with
arrant falsehood and malice aiore-
thought.
Capt. Crockett, one Of Lewis best
officers, resigned in June in order 70
accept the position of County CLERK
which was then vacant.
This left Lewis in command oil
three companies with hardly an
officer. =.
Among the Cherokees at this time
was a haIf.breed called Bench, who
figured in the Fort Scott affair. For
some reason he was very bitter
against the whites, and was person
ally responsible for a great deal oil
the mischief on the frontiers.
On April 6, 1894, according to the
state records, this half-breed led a
party of seven Indians within fifteen
miles of Abingdon and attacked the
home of Mr.. Livingston, numbering
nearly the whole family in a horrible
manner then retreated through "the
Stone Gap in Powell's mountain "
now called Little Stone Gap.
Bench's party was Immediately
: pursued by Lieutenant Vincent
Hobbs with thirteen men of the Lee
county militia and in the subsequent
attack Bench was killed by Hobbs
himself. He then released Mrs. Llv-
: ingston who had been taken captive
, She gives the following exciting
account of her adventures:
"April G, 1874. About 10 O'Clock
in the morning, as | was sitting II
NV house. the ferceness of the dog
barking alarmed me- | looked oui
and saw seven Indians approaching
the house armed and painted in
frightful manner No person was
F., then within, but child of ten years
. old. another of two years, and my
smoking infant. Ny husband anc
= his brother Harry had just beior'
walked out to a barn at some dis
lance in the field. My sister-in-law
=, Susanna, was with the remaining
children in an clubhouse. Old Mrs
y Livingston" (also spelled Loving
stone or Levingston) "was in tn
garden. | Immediately shut am
4 fastened the door They (the In
dians) came furiously up and tried t
y burst it open, demanding severa
times of me to open the door which
= refused. They then fired two guns
One ball pierced through the door bn
l. did Inc no damage. | then though
of my husbands rifle, took 1t down
> but it being double triggered, l wa
at loss. At length fired throug
u the door, but it not being well aimed
- | did no execution. However, tn
Indians retired from that place an
&c soon after | found that an adjoinin
house was on fire, and | and m
children suffered much from tn
. smoke. l opened the door and a
y Indian Immediately advanced an
. took me prisoner together with tn
= :, two children. | then discovered tina
=, ~ they had my remaining children l
- their possession, my sister Sukey,
's !, negro wench and her young child,
~ negro man of Edward Callihan's an
negro boy of our own about elgf
years old. They were fearful of &c
&c ing into the house | left to plunde
y y supposing that it had been a ma
~ that had shot at them and was yc
:" within. SO our whole clothing an
;! household furniture were consumed
:" the flames which was then please
IL to see rather than it should be Of III
to the savages.
, We were all hurried short di
lance where the Indians were vel
q" busy dividing and putting up
packs for each to carry his part
- the booty taken. l observed the
60 careless about the children, and mos
of the Indians being some distanc
of in front, called with low voic
10 to my eldest daughter, gave her IN
u Youngest child, and told them all
70 run towards neighbor John Russell
H. They with reluctance lett me, som
3 times hating, sometimes lookin
VI back. | beckoned to them to go OF
altho' | inwardly felt pangs not
;. ;, be expressed on account of our dol
-; full separation. The two Indians
!" the rear either did not notice tn
scene, or they were willing Il
y. children might run back.
That evening the Indians CROSSE
Clinch mountain and went as lar
Copper Greek, distant about elSl
miles.
Il c. ort oo,l,, IN Al