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... In the Autumn of 1775, Capt. James Moore removed with his family from Rockbridge county to Abb's Valley, having cleared some land the preceding spring, and raised a crop of corn. A short time afterwards, his brother-in-law, Robert Poage, settled near to him in the same valley. The place was exceedingly secluded, and these two families were ten or twelve miles from any other settlement of whites. As this had been a favorite hunting ground of the Indians, they often visited it.
Indeed, there was scarcely a ear in which these families were not compelled to leave the valley and take shelter in a fort in the Bluestone settlement. In the spring of 1782, the Indians attacked the house of Robert Poage at night.
They burst the door open, but finding that there were several men in the house (there happened to be three besides Mr. Poage), they did not attempt to enter the house, but after watching it for some time, went off; and the next morning killed a young man by the name of Richards, who had been living for some time at Capt. Moore's. He had gone out early in the morning to put some deer skins to soak in a pond about a quarter of a mile from the house; and whilst engaged at the pond, he was shot and immediately scalped. At this time the families forted again in the Bluestone settlement; and soon afterwards Mr. Poage removed to Georgia.10 ...
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[cos1776 note: Abb's Valley was named after Absalom Looney, a neighbor and kinsmen of Capt. James Moore who was married to Martha Poage, sister to Robert. It was located on the waters of the Blue Stone branch of the New River in Tazewell county, Virginia.]