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William Dorton, Sr.
b.1730
Facts and Events
Will Abstract
- Washington County, VA Wills
- Page 40. William Dorton
- His estate to his wife Elizabeth, and to his children William, Moses, Edward, Sally.
- Witnesses: John Damron, William Dorton, Jr.
- Date of will and probate not stated.
- Source: Annals of Southwest Virginis, Summers, pg. 1344.
Will Transcript
- Washington County, Virginia
- Will Book 1, Page 40
- Written 29 Mar 1782
- In the name of God Amen I William Dorton, Sr. of the County of Washington and State of Virginia, being very sick and weak in body, but of perfect mind and memory Thanks be given unto God and Calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make this my last Will and Testament that is to say principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul to God who gave it and my body to the earth, to be buried in decent Christian burial at the direction of my Executor nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God and as discharging such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give demise & dispose of the same in the following manner and form.
- First, I give and bequeath to Elizabeth my dearly beloved wife the plantation we now live on containing two hundred acres of land and all the plantation tools and household furniture as long as she lives single and at her decease falling to my son Edward Dorton.
- Likewise I give to my son William Dorton Ten pounds that he was owing to me that I do discount. Likewise I give to my son Moses Dorton two hundred acres of land lying between my line and my son William Dorton's line likewise two horses and three head of cattle.
- Likewise I give unto my son Edward Dorton, two head of horse beasts & four head of cattle.
- Likewise Sally Dorton my Daughter I give two head of horse beasts & four head of cattle and likewise a childs part to my wife of two head of horse beasts and three head of cattle and at her decease this is to be divided among them all.
- I revoke all wills before named, willed and bequeathed ratifying & confirming this and no other to be my last willl and testament.
- In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand & seal this Twenty Ninth Day of March one thousand and seven hundred and eighty two, signed sealed published pronounced & declaared by the said William Dorton as his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names.
- (Signed) William Dorton
- Teste
- John Damron
- Wm Dorton, Jun
Estate Records
- Washington County, VA
- On 17th of June, 1783, the will of William Dorton was produced in court and proved by the oaths of John Damron and William Dorton, Jr., and ordered to be recorded.
- Source: Rootsweb: "Capture of Ann and Mary Bush and Killing of William Dorton", by Emory L. Hamilton.
Notes
The "one Dorton" whom James Fraley says the Indians killed, was probably old William Dorton, who built Dorton's Fort, about one mile southeast of Nickelsville, VA, in the present Scott Co., on what was later known as the Combs Farm.
William Dorton, Jr, was one of the party who went in search of the Indians led by the half-breed Benge when they murdered and captured the Livingston family, the last raid on the Virginia frontier in 1794.
New information has come to light that proves that the "one Dorton" who was killed was not old William Dorton, but rather a son of William Dorton, and brother of Edward Dorton. This is proven in the Revolutionary Pension application statement of Edward Dorton in 1833 in Floyd Co., KY. There is a conflict in the dates between James Fraley's statement and Edward Dorton's statment, however, Edward Dorton stated that Michael Auxier, a Litton (This was Burton Litton) and William Priest were also killed. The administration of Burton Litton's estate was granted to his wife Elizabeth on 17 Aug 1779 which is prior to the date given by James Fraley. Isaac Crabtree in his Revolutionary pension statement gives the date of these killings as about the last of May 1778.
- Source: Rootsweb: "Capture of Ann and Mary Bush and Killing of William Dorton", by Emory L. Hamilton.
Image Gallery
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source).
- Ancestry.com.
Chief Benge, the red-headed Cherokee
by IRENE ERWIN MOORE, For the Logan County Genealogical Society
In the later part of the 18th century, the white settlers began to move westward and take up land for homesteading. The Indians felt they were encroaching on their hunting grounds, so this led to conflict between the white settlers and the Indians.
Bob Benge was the son of a white man named John Benge and Elizabeth Watts, a half breed Cherokee mother. John Benge was first married to an Elizabeth Lewis ca. 1758, d/o William Terrell and Sarah (Martin) Lewis.
The Lewis’, the Martins, and John Benge all had business ties to the Cherokee, with whom they carried on a lively commerce in trade goods.
John and Elizabeth moved to the Yadkin River area and had three children. Each year he would load up his horses with goods to trade with the Indians. He would travel the length and breadth of Cherokee country making trips to the Cumberland River in Tennessee and into northern Georgia as well as the Cherokee lands west of the Smokies, called the over hills.
The Cherokee were the most powerful tribe in the southwest covering some 40,000 square miles. The Indians highly esteemed this provider of European trade goods. So much so, that the peace chief Onitostah gave his sister in marriage to John Benge, her name was Elizabeth Watts.
They sat up housekeeping at the Cherokee town of Chota. There were three children born to them. Bob, Lucy, and Martin. For a period of some years John cohabitated with both Elizabeth Lewis Benge, and Elizabeth Watts Benge, each in her turn depending on which end of the trade route he happened to be on.
By 1761, John Benge’s double dealing had been exposed. Elizabeth Watts was living as the wife of William Dorton, and Elizabeth Lewis Benje married John Fielder and her daughter Sarah Benge had married a James Fielder. John Benge continued to live out his life among the Cherokee.
Bob Benge was born ca. 1760. He was born into the Cherokee culture, and formed a strong life long bonding with his mother’s brothers. When his mother moved to the Yadkin and lived in the white society it confused him.
Bob grew up as a redheaded Cherokee, speaking perfect unaccented English. His two halves of his being were at war with each other throughout his youth. He lived part of his youth with his mother’s Dorton family on the edge of the frontier in Castles Wood, three miles from Dickensonville, Russell Co. Va. toward the Glade Hollow Fort at Lebanon. Later that year the Dorton’s moved further down the valley of the Clinch River toward the Cherokee to build their own blockhouse, Dorton’s Fort in present Scott Co. Va.
William Dorton Sr. became a man of local prominence, and a captain of the Russell Co. Militia. He and Elizabeth had five children, William Jr., Moses, Sally, Edward, and a brother name unknown, who was killed by Indians in 1777 while scouting for the Militia in Powell’s Valley. Bob Benge spent part of his youth with them until almost puberty when he decided he was definitely an Indian. He ran away back to his uncles who helped to rear him. His mother sent his half brother Moses Dorton to bring him back, to no avail, he just ran off again.
While there, he roamed the hills and countryside learning it as no other person. Though he ran away twice, through the ensuing years of conflict, Benge was seen numerous times wistfully standing on the hill overlooking the Dorton’s Fort.
Benge had a sidekick called Whitehead Hargis. He had also lived among the white settlers and could keep Benge informed as to which families would prove most lucrative to raid for such as horses or slaves that could be sold to the French to the north.
There was constant conflict between the Government Militia and the Cherokee because of broken promises and treaties. Benge was very friendly with the Shawnee Indians, who had their towns north of the Ohio River. He went on hunts with them and frequently visited their villages till some people often thought he was a Shawnee.
Bob Benge settled down to raise a family. He and his brother Martin married Lowery sisters, Jenny and Eliza, while their sister Lucy married the Lowery girls uncle Major George Lowery who was assistant chief of the Cherokee Nation. Bob and Jenny had eight children, Mary, Eliza, John, Robin, McLemon, Young Benge, Pickens, and Sarah. These children were born into constant turmoil.
In retribution for Chickamaugan raids into the Holston settlements 1776 and 1777, the Holston Militia planned a major offensive against the Indian towns for the Spring of 1779. The Chickamauga Cherokee were taken by complete surprise and the Militia swept through their towns, burned 11, killed live stock, and at least 40 Indians and 300 horse pack loads of supplies the British had sent in were destroyed. Bob Benge’s hatred for the settlers only burned deeper.
October 19, 1781 Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown Va., ending the fighting in the American Revolution. In the Spring or early Summer of 1782, the Cherokee caught William Dorton Sr. away from his blockhouse, and perhaps not knowing who he was, killed him. His son William Dorton Jr. took over his fathers role in the community. It is a twist of irony that Elizabeth Watts Benge-Dorton may have lost both of her husbands within the span of a year as old trader John Benge died in 1783. Moses Dorton, whose mother Elizabeth (Watts) Benge Dorton sent him to bring back Bob Benge when he ran away to his uncles, grew tired of being referred to by his neighbors as “one of those Benge-Dortons”, moved to Kentucky where he changed his name to Dalton.
After 1788, there were no more military campaigns or large-scale battles between militias and the Indians. The Cherokee fell back on the tactics that had always served them best, the small raiding war party that could infiltrate, terrorize and escape unscathed, Benge, his uncles, his brother, and his Shawnee allies, with Hargis leading the way.
Benge usually made a couple of raids each year. He circled and dodged around never leaving the general vicinity of Southwest Virginia. Moccasin Gap was the major choke point of traffic. On July 17.1793, he captured a Negro woman belonging to Paul Livingston and carried her off. Two days later she escaped and returned to her home. Benge was at the bottom of numerous atrocities in Southwest Virginia.
April 6, 1794, found Chief Bob Benge and six warriors resting behind the brow of a hill to the rear of the home of Peter and Henry Livingston. At the first light of dawn, the brothers had gone to the barn some distance from the house when Benge and his crew attacked the home taking Peter’s wife Elizabeth and others captive. The Livingston’s alerted the militia and joined immediately in the search of Benge and his captives.
On April 9, 1794, the militia led by Vincent Hobbs Jr. set up an ambush for Benge. He was shot at Big Stone Gap, near what is now the town of Appalachia. His scalp was sent to the Governor as proof of his death. Colonial Arthur Campbell of the Holston Militia wrote to the Governor requesting, if the government would permit, it should give a silver inlaid rifle to Vincent Hobbs Jr. as a reward for his part in ending the raids on the white settlements. This rifle was an artifact in the Hobbs family for many years.
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