| Notes |
- Name Prefix: Mr.
REFN226
!Nauvoo Btz for dead Bk A Albert named Aunts &Cousins
!Petty Papers Vol 10 #2 pg 39 "Kty Baptists" Vol 1 by Spencer Statesthat the father in la w to Ralph Petty was James McClure.
Other possiblesiblings or children: Alexander McClure, Sarah McClure(md H. Kinkaid), John Mc Clure.
Some of these names are on the 1790 Clark Co., KY tax lists.
Possible given name: James
Slaying of the Halbert McClure Family
By Emory L. Hamilton
From the unpublished manuscript,
Indian Atrocities Along the Clinch, Powell and
Holston Rivers, pages 111-113.
On the 20th of September, 1782, Colonel
Arthur Campbell wrote to Colonel William Davies
(1), saying:
On the 11th instant a party of Northward
Indians penetrated as far in this county as the
settlements on the head of Moccasin Creek, which
is within ten or twelve miles of Abingdon, attacked
a family of fourteen in number, (of course secured
in the interior part), killed the husband on the
spot, captivated the wife and six (6) of the
children, three of whom, after being a short space
in the enemies hands, was most inhumanely
murdered. One, a young woman, so long survived
the blows as told the tragic tale. Two made their
escape the first day and night. The old woman and
one child, with a considerable booty in horses,
household goods, etc., was carried forward three
days, some distance down the Sandy River.
When part of our duty, with a
perseverance in purpose, through a most rugged
and difficult way that does them honor, overtook
the Indians and wounded several of them;
recovered unhurt, the two remaining captives,
with the Indian's baggage and plunder they had
taken.
Just seven days before the above letter was
written, Campbell, had on the 13th of September,
1782, written to Col. Preston thusly: (2)
By a few lines received from Major
Dysart, (3) I am informed that the Indians have
murdered Halbert McClure's family, near our
Courthouse, and some other persons, the number
there unknown.
Captain John Carr, who was born on
Carr's Creek in Russell Co., VA, September 6,
1773, and once lived as a boy on Moccasin Creek,
wrote to Dr. Lyman C. Draper, in 1854 from
Sumner Co., TN (4) saying:
...After that time (1776) my father moved
near the head of Moccasin Creek. The Indians
came and killed part of a family and carried off
others as prisoners. This family lived within about
two miles of my father. Their names were
McClure. Sally, the oldest daughter was to be
married the next day after the attack was made by
the Indians. The father McClure was killed, also
a son of his by the name of Moses, and Katherine,
a grown girl, and John McClure, his oldest son
was wounded, but afterwards recovered.
Sally McClure made her escape from the
Indians the first night. She met the party who were
in pursuit of the Indians, as might be expected,
her intended husband was among them. His name
was Kincaid, who married her shortly after her
return.
James Oxer, who once lived on the Clinch,
filed a Revolutinary War pension claim as the only
living heir of his father, George Oxer, who was an
Indian spy on the Clinch and who died in
Montgomery Co., KY, in October 1809. In the
claim filed in Warren Co., Indiana, in 1858, he
states:
That his father served on the Clinch and
was married to Dorcas Shelby (Shelley) who died
in Kentucky in 1824; that his father was in a
skirmish with the Indians in which Captain
(Alexander) Barnett (5) recaptured the McClure
family of Virginia, and placed them in the care of
his father George Oxer.
Joseph Smathers who once lived in this
vicinity before emigrating to Kentucky, tells a very
confused version of this incident to the Rev. John
D. Shane, (6) in which he says:
McClure's lived at the head of Little
Moccasin Gap. McClure's cabin had a wooden
chimney (7) on it. They (Indians) had gotten
between the chimney and cabin. They had learned
to say the old man's grace. (Perhaps a table grace
or prayer they overheard). His daughter was to
have been married in a few days. He (the father
McClure) came and fell on his knee and begged
them to desist and was shot dead. They
tomahawked and scalped a daughter and tread on
her, and left her for dead, but she came to and
lived. Two other daughters were taken off. One
was the bride. They taunted her about her groom
and mocked the grace the old man said. There
never was half as much mischief done (by Indians)
on Holston as on Clinch.
Halbert McClure had settled in 1773, near
the head of Moccasin Creek in Washington Co., in
Rich Valley, on a 400 acre tract of land opposite
and a little east of Cabin Creek Ford and Bromley
Gap on the southside of the North fork of Holston
River. He assigned this tract of land to John
Kinkead in 1781. (8) He was one of the appraisers
of the estate of Benjamin Estill on April 17, 1782,
and was a Juror in Botetourt Co., at a court on 15th
of May, 1771.
(1) Virginia State Papers, Vol. III, page 316-17.
(2) Draper MSS 9 DD 38
(3) Major James Dysart, first Sheriff of
Washington Co., VA, lived east of Abingdon, on
Route U. S. 11, at Book Hall (still standing). He
died in Rockcastle Co., KY, in 1831. Was one of
the Long Hunters and also at the Battle of Kings
Mountain where he commanded a company
(4) Draper MSS 6 XX 99
(5) Alexander Barnett was County Lieutenant of
Militia for Russell Co., VA, after its formation in
1786, and was a militia officer serving on the
Clinch, while the territory was still Washington
Co., VA.
(6) Historical Collection of Rev. John D. Shane,
Draper MSS 12 CC 96-7.
(7) Early settlers often built this type chimney. It
was laid up of sticks of wood, pen fashion and
daubed with clay. They were called "stick and clay
chimneys".
(8) Washington Co., VA Entry Book 1, page 10 &
70.
Contact: Rhonda Robertson at: rsr@mounet.com
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RNT Family History
Abt 1738 - 1782 (44 years)