The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-23
HISTORIC DOCUMENTS
FOUND IN OLD CABIN
Old Trunk in Mountains Of Floyd County Gives Up Letters and
Papers Once Property of &c neral LewisIee Tells How
to light Indians.
to Eight Indians.

Especial to The Richmond Virginian,)
ROANOKE, VA. July 23.--Covered
with the accumulated dust Of over a
hundred years, a number of letters
and papers, once the property of Gem
cral Andrew Lewis. of Revolutionary
fame. have been found in an ahan-
doned cabin on Bent Mountain, about
twenty miles from this place, which
! throw considerable light on that pc
Rod of the country's early history
when the settlers life was constant
ly menaced by the Indians.
The documents were in della pidac-
ed trunk, nearly dropping to pieces,
III one corner of the garnet. High
weeds Rid the cabin, moss covered It's
falling roof. while it's walls. gaping
and rotten, had long ceased to afford
shelter even from the light summer
dew.
When Mr.. w. w. Webb and his
friend, Mr.. Cole. entered the cabin
Sunday afternoon, they expected to
find nothing. but on searching the
trunk they brought To light the let
ters and documents. Specially inter
esting is the following from famous
Light Horse Harry Lee, whose fame
in the days OF the Revolution is
known to every reader of American
history. That letter Is as follows:
ITO the county clerk of Russell,
Russell county, 18th August. 1892:
"Sir,-~The distress which l suffer
In consequence of the destruction Of
family in New Garden the other
day has induced me in my ride
through this valley to examine into
the means of defense possessed by the
inhabitants. ! find that they are bad
In in
stances without ammunition; the arms
they have general unfit for immediate
use, and themselves fun of serenity
and extremely unattentiVe to their
safety, Notwithstanding the occasional
admonition they receive.
In this temper of the frontier in
habitants of this district 1t would re-
quire at least one thousand disciplined
troops to defend them completely
from their enterprising enemy, and
consequently fun protection cannot be
expected from the small corps at pres
ont employed in this service, unless
a change can be effected in the tenn
per and manner Of the people. To
effect this | beg leave TO furnish you
with some remarks which have occur
red to me and which I very much
wish you to impress gnd execute
among the inhabitants on the Clinch
river, within the limits IF this county,
and in Powel's valley
First. each housekeeper ought to
provide himself with q gun, for ey-
cry male in the family capable OF
using arms, together with some good
hints and a plentiful supply OF am
munition.
THE arms aHd ammunition should
he placed in some convenient place
In the house ready~to be seized at
moments warning. All the doors in
the house should be kept constantly
barricaded in the strongest manner,
except one for use, which should on
the approach of an enemy be barrt-
caded in the same manner, and there
fore every material requisite should
be prepared and at hand
Make Loop Holes.
Loop holes should be cut In ev-
cry part of the house in such man
ner as to be useful to those within
only. and the women and children In
case OF an attack should be put in the |
left or In the cellar.
All convenient places for the en-
envy to conceal himself in shot of the |
house should be removed,
If the family have four or five |
lads capable of using a gun, a boy !,
of twelve years is fully capable on |
such an occasion, and there should |
be any clubhouse contiguous to the /
dwelling house, the clubhouse should /
be prepared in the manner above de-
soribed. and one-third pf the family |