Legends of the Skyline Drive and the Great Valley of Virginia

She often thought of her home over seven hundred miles from the Indian towns and determined to make her escape. She confided her resolves to the other woman who at first objected to going. At last she convinced her the time was at hand, if ever, for them to leave. She left her infant son one night, and with her friend, stole away from the camp. They lived for days on berries and nuts. They finally killed small game and after many adventures reached the home of a settler forty long days later.

Mrs. Draper's friend lost her mind, tried to kill her and then left her. Mrs. Draper reached the homestead of Adam Harmon on New River. There he heard her crying in his cornfield and went out to see who it was in such distress. He and his family cared for her and made her rest before she was taken back to her family.

The Ingles families moved up higher on New River and built another fort near the present city of Radford, Virginia. This was at Ingle's Ferry.

Botetourt County was cut from Albemarle in 1770, and William Preston was made surveyor of the lands. This was a well-paying position. He had fallen in love with Miss Susannah Smith who lived in Eastern Virginia in Hanover County. He built a house for her and called it Smithfield in her honor. Soon the Pattons, Peytons, Prestons, the Thompsons and many others were coming to build homes near them.

When the Prestons moved to Smithfield they took a young orphan boy with them, Joseph Cloyd. His father had died when he was very little and his mother had been killed by the Indians. He grew up with the other pioneer boys and girls and later settled on Back Creek. This home is near where Pulaski stands today and thus began another settlement. He was the father of General Gordon Cloyd and they founded a long line of honorable citizens in our country.

As one goes on he hears many strange tales of other explorers and settlers. For instance there is the sad story of Colonel John Chiswell who found rich lead mines near New River in what is now Wythe County. For some unknown reason, he had killed a man in a personal encounter and was put in jail to await trial.

In the meantime, the Virginia Council decided to develop the mines and a fort was ordered to be built. Before the trial came off and before the fort was built, Colonel Chiswell died.

Colonel William Boyd was made supervisor of the building of the fort and he named it for his friend, Colonel Chiswell. Soon settlers began building homes around it, for the climate and rich grazing lands made it an ideal spot for homesteads.

The settlers pushing southwest from Roanoke built a fort and named it for a Mr. Vass. The Indians attacked them and several were killed. This was near where Christiansburg is now located. It was near Vass's Fort that General Washington, Major Andrew Lewis and Captain William Preston had a narrow escape from an attack by the Indians.

Washington County

In 1754 only six families were living in the early settlement west of New River. Two of these were in Pulaski, two on Cripple Creek in Wythe County, one in Smyth County and the Burke family in what is now Tazewell County. The Indians gave the settlers so much trouble that any further attempts to settle was given up until after the French and Indian War.

A small fort, called Black's Fort, was built when the settlers moved into the Valley around where Abingdon stands. Like most of its kind, it was built of logs, and a few log cabins were built within the stockade. Here to these cabins within the fort came the settlers whenever the warning reached them that the Indians were coming.

Near the fort lived Parson Cummings, called the Fighting Parson. He was an Irishman who had come to the Valley from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He fought against the Cherokee Indians in 1776 with Colonel Christian. He first settled in Fincastle, but soon drifted farther south. It was he who drafted the Fincastle Resolutions on January 20, 1775 and served on the Committee of Safety for Washington County.

On one occasion, when the settlers were residing within the fort, food became very scarce. Someone had to go back into the clearing and bring in supplies. Parson Cummings and a few other men started off with a wagon to get them. They had not gone far when they reached Piper's Hill. A party of Indians surprised the little band and one of them was killed. Everyone made a dash for the bushes. The Parson was very stout and he was wearing a large powdered wig which was considered in those days necessary to the cloth. This made him more conspicuous and of course a target for the Indians.

One Indian ran after him, brandishing his tomahawk. The Parson dodged under a bush and as he left it, his wig was caught by a low hanging limb. The Indian took for granted that it was the Parson's head and made a bound to get it. When he took it in his hands, he was surprised to find no head there! He was disgusted and angry and threw it upon the ground exclaiming, "D—d lie," and doggedly gave up the chase. And thus the Parson escaped. The man who was killed was later buried in Abingdon and one may read his name, "William Creswell, July 4, 1776" on the crude stone which marks his grave.

Dragon Canone was the name of the Cherokee Indian who led his warriors against the white militia. Both white and red men fought with tomahawks and both hid behind trees. Sometimes this brave militia went forth to battle without any higher commanding officer than captain. Three such officers were John Campbell, James Shelby and James Thompson.

Let us look for a moment at what those settlers were denied. They did not have flour or salt until an order was made:

"Jan. 29, 1777. Ordered that William Campbell, William Edmundson, John Anderson and George Blackburn be appointed commissioners to hire wagons to bring up the county salt, allotted by the Governor and council, and to receive and distribute the same agreeably to said order of the council."

Later on Colonel Arthur Campbell rode with seven hundred mounted soldiers against the Cherokees. History gives him the credit of being the first to experiment in attacking Indians on horseback. He destroyed fourteen of their towns and burnt fifty thousand bushels of their corn after giving his men enough for their own horses.

Hungry Mother State Park

The pathetic legend is told of the pioneer woman in Tazewell County who was carried off by the Indians and was massacred some distance from home. Her small child was left to die of exposure and starvation in the mountain wilds and was at last rescued by a hunting party. The child was pulling at the mother's body, trying to rouse her and was muttering, "Hungry, mother—hungry, mother" when he was found.

That is the origin of the name of the mountain which is not far from Marion, and the peak of the mountain is called "Molly's Knob" in memory of the pioneer mother.

The State has created a beautiful park on Hungry Mother Mountain. Cabins have been erected to house the visitors, a stream has been dammed up to provide a lake—and most astonishing of all to the mountain folk who enjoy their park is the sandy beach. The sand was hauled 375 miles from Virginia Beach to its present location.

Swimming, sailing and canoeing are popular water sports; saddle horses are available and hiking is a favorite occupation. Ample picnic grounds have been provided. Crowds from nearby towns enjoy a day at the Park and the cabins are in great demand from the vacationists in Virginia and surrounding States.

White Top

Iron Mountain has lost that name and today is known far and near as White Top. The visitor looks down five thousand feet below and can see into Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky. The top is bald, rocky and about three hundred of its sloping acres are covered with a fine white grass. In summer one sees hundreds of wild flowers, sturdy evergreens, similar to Norway spruce, called Lashhorns, berries and many small animals.

Wilbur Waters, the hermit, is one of the most colorful characters in the great Southwest and many adventures he had with wild animals. Wilbur's mother was an Indian who died when he was very small. His father, who lived in North Carolina at the time, apprenticed the boy to a shoemaker to learn that trade. The little boy, no doubt homesick, could not stand his new home. He ran away and from that time on made his own living. When he heard how the wolves were making havoc for the settlers in and around Abingdon, he came to get the rewards offered for their heads. He built himself a rude shack on White Top, and if one would read real adventure tales, let him read Wilbur Waters which relates many stirring ones.

Every summer during August a festival is held at White Top where mountain music is played and folk dances are held. John Powell, the noted Virginia composer, is especially active in the preservation of folk music and he has been instrumental in attracting people of influence to the celebration.

The major highways lead to within a comparatively short distance of White Top and the State Highway Department assures the traveler of good secondary roads which are passable in any kind of weather.

Another feature of the festival usually is the presentation of at least one play by the group of Broadway players who summer at Abingdon and conduct the famous "Barter Theatre."

Visitors who include White Top and the Barter players in their itinerary will be delighted with the diversified entertainments found there.