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This is an annotated militia roster for southwest Virginia, from early 1774, based, in part, on Source:Hamilton, 1978, and presented in another article. The significance of this list is that it provides a good snapshot of the earliest settlers in Southwest Virginia. Hamilton's data has been converted into tabular format, and updated with additional information. Hamilton errored in some of what he had to say in his mini-biographies for some of these militiamen; the thumbnail sketches have been condensed, updated and revised as needed, without comment on Hamilton's original work. When this work is completed full articles about each person shown here will be prepared. Nothing, however, is really known about some of these individuals.
The following version has been alphabetized for convenience.
| Settler | Where he lived | Family and fate | Comment
| | John Anderson | Settled in Elk Garden in 1775 | son-in-law of Richard Price. | There were at least three John Andersons in the area at this time.
| | James Black | Cassells Run in 1772 | |
| | William Blackmore | Blackmore's Fort | Presumed to be a son of Capt. John Blackmore. |
| | John Blackmore | Blackmore's Fort | Came with his brother Joseph from Fauquier Co., Va.; rafted down the Clinch in 1779, joining Col. John Donnelson on the Holston River and together they rafted to the Nashboro settlement in Tennessee |
| | Joseph Blackmore | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Edward Blackmore | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | John Blackmore, Jr. | Blackmore's Fort | son of Capt. John Blackmore. married to Elizabeth Douglas; went in 1779 to Tennessee with his father. KBI'd in TN in 1781 or 1782. |
| | Nathan Brown | | |
| | James Burke | Copper Creek where he had 96 acres surveyed for him on April 8, 1774. He also had a 45 acre tract on Lewis Creek, recorded December 13, 1783. | | There was more than one James Burke in the area.
| | David Burney | | |
| | William Burney | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | James Bush (-Bef1820) | Castles Woods | came with wife Mary from Amherst Co. early 1770's. Ran mill on "Bush's Mill Creek." son, Austin Bush served as one of the Indian Spys. Daughters Mary and Ann were captured by the Indians, but were retaken in Floyd Co., Ky. by the Clinch Militia. Ann was tomahawked but survived, later scalped in a second attack, and still survived to rear a family. |
| | William Bush | Castlewood | Commanded a company of militia in Capt. Paulin's Co., under Col. John Bowman during the defense of the Kentucky station in 1778. Was in Kentucky in the year 1775, probably in Boonesboro |
| | Samuel Butcher | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | George Campbell | No data | |
| | James Campbell | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Henry Campbell | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | ? Campbell Jr | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | William Carr | Carr's Creek in Russell Co; Guest’s Station on the Indian Warpath. | 1782; widow, Hannah Carr moved her family in 1784 to Sumner Co., Tennessee |
| | John Carter | ). Down river from Blackmore's Fort about 1772 | brother to Dale Carter (KBI’d at Blackmore's Fort in 1774. Wife and five children KBI’d at his home in 1785 |
| | Dail Carter | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | David Cowan | settled in 1769 in upper Castlewood<td Left area c. 1786, and probably settled in Sevier Co, TN | Hamilton has him married to Jane, daughter of John Walker of Sinking Creek. Jane actually married William Cowan. David's wife is not known. |
| | William Cowan | Castles Woods | Captain in the militia; married Mary Walker, daughter of John Walker; brother of Samuel and Andrew; David Gass married a sister of William, Samuel and Andew; moved to Blount County TN about 1786, settling on Little River, near John "Indian Killer" Walker, belived to be his brotherinlaw. |
| | Samuel Cowan | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Person:John Crank:John Crank | Settled north side of Moccasin Ridge in 1774. He also owned 250 acres on both sides of the North Fork of Holston River and 396 acres on Copper Ridge | Died 1803 in Russell County | Not to be confused with the apparently unrelated Person:John Watts Crunk
| | Andrew Davis | settled near the mouth of Stony Creek in Scott Co. in 1772, | probably one of the four families who built Blackmore's Fort. |
| | Henry Dickenson | Settled at Castlewood in the early 1770's | came from Prince Edward Co. First Clerk of Russell Co. in 1786. At the battle of Kings Mountain. |
| | Humphrey Dickenson | settled in Castlewood in 1769 north side of the Clinch River | Brother of Henry Dickenson; KBI by Indians on a rock in Clinch River in 1778. |
| | Archelaus Dickeson | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | John Duncan | settled at Hunter's Ford in 1772 | KBI'd at Moore's Fort in 1774. In 1780 his widow, who had remarried sold her land and left the area for Kentucky. |
| | Joseph Duncan | | Hamilton notes that the name was difficult to make out, and that he had no information about this person. Possibly related to John Duncan, or may even BE John Duncan |
| | Rawley Duncan | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | John Duncan Jr. | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | John English (?-1797) | settled on Sugar Hill overlooking St. Paul in 1772 | In 1787, his wife Molly and two little sons were KBI'd. daughter married Jessee Fraley; sold his land on Sugar Hill to the French Baron Francois Pierre De TuBeuf in 1791. |
| | David Gass | Castlewoods in 1769 | born in Pennsylvania in 1729, settled in Albemarle Co., Va., in Albemarle militia in 1758. Came to Castles Woods in 1769, moved to KY in 1777, died in Madison County. After the death of his son in 1773, Daniel Boone and family lived lived in a cabin on Gass's land until he moved to Boonesboro in 1775. Gass followed 1777. Gass sold his home place on the Clinch to his brother-in-law, Capt. William Cowan, who in turn sold it to James Osborne, Gass died in Madison Co., Ky. |
| | James Green | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Henry Hamlin (1740-1818) | upper Castlewood, North side of Clinch River in 1769. | operated mill on Mill Creek, later Bickley's Mill. First wife, and some of his children were KBI'd in 1783. Later moved to Rye Cove, marrying 2) Mary "Molly" Blackmore Adams (first wife of Jessee Adams who was KBI'd on Stock Creek in 1782, along with his ten children. reek in 1782. Molly was the daughter of Joseph Blackmore. |
| | William Hays | Between Dungannon and Gray's Island on Clinch River c1770 | Came with Robert Elsom as stock tenders for Capt. William Herbert, Sr. of Wythe Co., Va. Elsom was KBI'd in 1777. |
| | William Hill | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Richards Hinds | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Thomas Johnson | In 1788 and 1796 purchased land in Rich Valley, on Young Creek | married Fanny Dickenson Scott after her husband Archibald Scott and children were killed by the Indians. later moved to Knox County, TN. | There may have been two men of this name in the area.
| | Andrew King | | |
| | Joseph Kinkaid | Castles Woods, across Clinch River from St. Paul | son of John Kinkaid; The Kinkaids moved to Ky. in 1779. Joseph and his brother James Kinkaid served in the frontier militia before their removal to Ky. |
| | Samuel Kirkham | No Data | |
| | ? Lewis | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Jamres Martin | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Silas? McClalland | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | John McCorkle | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Henry Moore | | | Possibly Henly Moore who was a militia sergeant and who was in command of Glade Hollow Fort in early 1774.
| | William Moore | Moore's Fort | May have married sister of Andrew, William and Samuel Cowan. To Kentucky about 1780; settled at Crab Orchard in Lincoln Co., Ky. with John Snoddy; |
| | Joseph Moore | Castles Woods 1769 | brother to William Moore; built Moore's Fort with brother William in 1774, having come there in 1769. Both moved ato Lincoln Co., Ky c 1780 |
| | William Mountz | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | John Mountz | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | James Naale (-1777) | | More commonly known as James Naul |
| | Benjamin Nicholson | Settled on Clinch river near Gray's Island | came to the area about 1772; His home is referred to as Nicholson's Fort. He married Jemima Darnell; Moved to Clarke co KY in late 1790's |
| | Michael Oscer | | of French extraction,son of Michael Auxier, Sr., died on Copper Creek in 1780; brother of the Simon Oxer; Moved to Flyod Co KY; Died on Kinniconick Creek in Lewis Co., Ky. | variable spelling of name Oscer, Auxier, Oxer
| | George Oscer (-1809) | | married to Dorcas Shelly (-1824), brother of Michael Auxier. died in 1809 in Montgomery Co., Ky, son James Auxier (1892) applied for a pension based on the Revolutionary War services of his father. | Auxier
| | James Overton | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Phillip Phillips | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Thomas Pittman | Powell Valley before 1782. on land land lying on the Ky. Road near the Rock house. | probably a brother of Joshua and William Pittman; William Pittman was one of the Long Hunters, |
| | Samuel Porter (?-1820) | near Temple Hill Cemetery Castle's Woods | Came from Pennsylvania in 1769. Married sister of Captain John Dunkin; brother-in-law of Solomon Litton. Left the Clinch with the Dunkin, Litton, Laughlin and other families in 1779, settled on Licking River near Ruddle's Station Kentucky. These families were captured in 1780 by the British and Indians, held in Detroit and Montreal until the end of the Revolution. Returned Castles Woods, where Samuel died. |
| | Patrick Porter | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Samuel Porter Jr | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Samuel Ritchie | Gray's Island/Ritchie's Fort on the south side of Clinch River in 1772 | son of Alexander Ritchie, Sr. who came from Henrico Co., Va., Married Ann, the daughter of Patrick Porter but separated in 1793, taking Francis Kendrick as common law wife. Member of the first Court of Scott Co.; Justice of the Peace and active in the political life of Scott Co. for many years |
| | Alexander Ritchie | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | William Russell, Jr. | Castles Woods | son of Captain William Russel |
| | Edmund Smith | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | John Smith | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | John Snoddy (c1739-1814) | Moore's Fort | Married Margaret Walker, daughter of John Walker who lived at the "sink" of Sinking Creek; brother-in-law to Patrick Porter, and the Cowan brothers, Andrew, William and Samuel; Probably went with Boone to KY in 1775, returning to Castlewoods in 1776, where he acquired Moore's Fort tract. Relocated again to KY after 1780, dying in Madison Co., Ky |
| | Richard Staunton | settled very early on Staunton's Creek in Scott Co., Va. | In the early 1750's, Richard was living with his father Thomas Staunton at Poplar Camp in Wythe Co. Thomas Staunton sold his land to Capt. William Herbert and moved to North Carolina. Richard Staunton died on Staunton's Creek and seemed to have had no family. |
| | Obediah Terrell | Copper Creek and Moccassin Creek area | One of the Long Hunters. Eventually moved to Obey's River in Tenn. "He was a chunky, small sized man with a club foot." (Draper Mss. 55-62) |
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| Settler | Where he lived | Family and fate | Comment
| | Henry Moore | | | Possibly Henly Moore who was a militia sergeant and who was in command of Glade Hollow Fort in early 1774.
| | James Naale (-1777) | | More commonly known as James Naul |
| | John Snoddy (c1739-1814) | Moore's Fort | Married Margaret Walker, daughter of John Walker who lived at the "sink" of Sinking Creek; brother-in-law to Patrick Porter, and the Cowan brothers, Andrew, William and Samuel; Probably went with Boone to KY in 1775, returning to Castlewoods in 1776, where he acquired Moore's Fort tract. Relocated again to KY after 1780, dying in Madison Co., Ky |
| | William Moore | Moore's Fort | May have married sister of Andrew, William and Samuel Cowan. To Kentucky about 1780; settled at Crab Orchard in Lincoln Co., Ky. with John Snoddy; |
| | Henry Hamlin (1740-1818) | upper Castlewood, North side of Clinch River in 1769. | operated mill on Mill Creek, later Bickley's Mill. First wife, and some of his children were KBI'd in 1783. Later moved to Rye Cove, marrying 2) Mary "Molly" Blackmore Adams (first wife of Jessee Adams who was KBI'd on Stock Creek in 1782, along with his ten children. reek in 1782. Molly was the daughter of Joseph Blackmore. |
| | Samuel Ritchie | Gray's Island/Ritchie's Fort on the south side of Clinch River in 1772 | son of Alexander Ritchie, Sr. who came from Henrico Co., Va., Married Ann, the daughter of Patrick Porter but separated in 1793, taking Francis Kendrick as common law wife. Member of the first Court of Scott Co.; Justice of the Peace and active in the political life of Scott Co. for many years |
| | Nathan Brown | | |
| | John Duncan | settled at Hunter's Ford in 1772 | KBI'd at Moore's Fort in 1774. In 1780 his widow, who had remarried sold her land and left the area for Kentucky. |
| | Andrew King | | |
| | Henry Dickenson | Settled at Castlewood in the early 1770's | came from Prince Edward Co. First Clerk of Russell Co. in 1786. At the battle of Kings Mountain. |
| | Samuel Porter (?-1820) | near Temple Hill Cemetery Castle's Woods | Came from Pennsylvania in 1769. Hamilton says he married a Married sister of John Dunkin, but Samuel is believed to have come from PA, not Culpepper Co, VA where John Duncan was born; brother-in-law of Solomon Litton. Left the Clinch with the Dunkin, Litton, Laughlin and other families in 1779, settled on Licking River near Ruddle's Station Kentucky. These families were captured in 1780 by the British and Indians, held in Detroit and Montreal until the end of the Revolution. Returned Castles Woods, where Samuel died. |
| | John Crank | Settled north side of Moccasin Ridge in 1774. He also owned 250 acres on both sides of the North Fork of Holston River and 396 acres on Copper Ridge | |
| | David Cowan | settled in 1769 in upper Castlewood<td Left area c. 1786, and probably settled in Sevier Co, TN | Hamilton has him married to Jane, daughter of John Walker of Sinking Creek. Jane actually married William Cowan. David's wife is not known. |
| | Michael Oscer | | of French extraction,son of Michael Auxier, Sr., died on Copper Creek in 1780; brother of the Simon Oxer; Moved to Flyod Co KY; Died on Kinniconick Creek in Lewis Co., Ky. | variable spelling of name Oscer, Auxier, Oxer
| | William Russell, Jr. | Castles Woods | son of Captain William Russel |
| | Thomas Johnson | In 1788 and 1796 purchased land in Rich Valley, on Young Creek | married Fanny Dickenson Scott after her husband Archibald Scott and children were killed by the Indians. later moved to Knox County, TN. | There may have been two men of this name in the area.
| | Humphrey Dickenson | settled in Castlewood in 1769 north side of the Clinch River | Brother of Henry Dickenson; KBI by Indians on a rock in Clinch River in 1778. |
| | James Bush (-Bef1820) | Castles Woods | came with wife Mary from Amherst Co. early 1770's. Ran mill on "Bush's Mill Creek." son, Austin Bush served as one of the Indian Spys. Daughters Mary and Ann were captured by the Indians, but were retaken in Floyd Co., Ky. by the Clinch Militia. Ann was tomahawked but survived, later scalped in a second attack, and still survived to rear a family. |
| | James Burke | Copper Creek where he had 96 acres surveyed for him on April 8, 1774. He also had a 45 acre tract on Lewis Creek, recorded December 13, 1783. | | There was more than one James Burke in the area.
| | Benjamin Nicholson | Settled on Clinch river near Gray's Island | came to the area about 1772; His home is referred to as Nicholson's Fort. He married Jemima Darnell; Moved to Clarke co KY in late 1790's |
| | John Anderson | Settled in Elk Garden in 1775 | son-in-law of Richard Price. | There were at least three John Andersons in the area at this time.
| | David Burney | | |
| | George Oscer (-1809) | | married to Dorcas Shelly (-1824), brother of Michael Auxier. died in 1809 in Montgomery Co., Ky, son James Auxier (1892) applied for a pension based on the Revolutionary War services of his father. | Auxier
| | Obediah Terrell | Copper Creek and Moccassin Creek area | One of the Long Hunters. Eventually moved to Obey's River in Tenn. "He was a chunky, small sized man with a club foot." (Draper Mss. 55-62) |
| | Joseph Kinkaid | Castles Woods, across Clinch River from St. Paul | son of John Kinkaid; The Kinkaids moved to Ky. in 1779. Joseph and his brother James Kinkaid served in the frontier militia before their removal to Ky. |
| | Thomas Pittman | Powell Valley before 1782. on land land lying on the Ky. Road near the Rock house. | probably a brother of Joshua and William Pittman; William Pittman was one of the Long Hunters, |
| | William Cowan | Castles Woods | Captain in the militia; married Mary Walker, daughter of John Walker; brother of Samuel and Andrew; David Gass married a sister of William, Samuel and Andew; moved to Blount County TN about 1786, settling on Little River, near John "Indian Killer" Walker, belived to be his brotherinlaw. |
| | William Bush | Castlewood | Commanded a company of militia in Capt. Paulin's Co., under Col. John Bowman during the defense of the Kentucky station in 1778. Was in Kentucky in the year 1775, probably in Boonesboro |
| | David Gass | Castlewoods in 1769 | born in Pennsylvania in 1729, settled in Albemarle Co., Va., in Albemarle militia in 1758. Came to Castles Woods in 1769, moved to KY in 1777, died in Madison County. After the death of his son in 1773, Daniel Boone and family lived lived in a cabin on Gass's land until he moved to Boonesboro in 1775. Gass followed 1777. Gass sold his home place on the Clinch to his brother-in-law, Capt. William Cowan, who in turn sold it to James Osborne, Gass died in Madison Co., Ky. |
| | Joseph Moore | Castles Woods 1769 | brother to William Moore; built Moore's Fort with brother William in 1774, having come there in 1769. Both moved ato Lincoln Co., Ky c 1780 |
| | Samuel Kirkham | No Data | |
| | George Campbell | No data | |
| | James Black | Cassells Run in 1772 | |
| | John English (?-1797) | settled on Sugar Hill overlooking St. Paul in 1772 | In 1787, his wife Molly and two little sons were KBI'd. daughter married Jessee Fraley; sold his land on Sugar Hill to the French Baron Francois Pierre De TuBeuf in 1791. |
| | William Hays | Between Dungannon and Gray's Island on Clinch River c1770 | Came with Robert Elsom as stock tenders for Capt. William Herbert, Sr. of Wythe Co., Va. Elsom was KBI'd in 1777. |
| | Joseph Duncan | | Hamilton notes that the name was difficult to make out, and that he had no information about this person. Possibly related to John Duncan |
| | William Blackmore | Blackmore's Fort | Presumed to be a son of Capt. John Blackmore. |
| | John Blackmore | Blackmore's Fort | Came with his brother Joseph from Fauquier Co., Va.; rafted down the Clinch in 1779, joining Col. John Donnelson on the Holston River and together they rafted to the Nashboro settlement in Tennessee |
| | Andrew Davis | settled near the mouth of Stony Creek in Scott Co. in 1772, | probably one of the four families who built Blackmore's Fort. |
| | John Blackmore, Jr. | Blackmore's Fort | son of Capt. John Blackmore. married to Elizabeth Douglas; went in 1779 to Tennessee with his father. KBI'd in TN in 1781 or 1782. |
| | Richard Staunton | settled very early on Staunton's Creek in Scott Co., Va. | In the early 1750's, Richard was living with his father Thomas Staunton at Poplar Camp in Wythe Co. Thomas Staunton sold his land to Capt. William Herbert and moved to North Carolina. Richard Staunton died on Staunton's Creek and seemed to have had no family. |
| | John Carter | ). Down river from Blackmore's Fort about 1772 | brother to Dale Carter (KBI’d at Blackmore's Fort in 1774. Wife and five children KBI’d at his home in 1785 |
| | William Carr | Carr's Creek in Russell Co; Guest’s Station on the Indian Warpath. | 1782; widow, Hannah Carr moved her family in 1784 to Sumner Co., Tennessee |
| | Alexander Ritchie | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Joseph Blackmore | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Edward Blackmore | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Samuel Butcher | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | James Campbell | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Henry Campbell | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Person:Patrick Porter (1) | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Person:James Green (1) | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | William Hill | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | John McCorkle | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Person:Samuel Cowan (1) | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | William Burney | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Edmund Smith | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | William Mountz | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | John Mountz | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Phillip Phillips | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | person:Rawley Duncan (1) | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | James Overton | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Silas? McClalland | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | ? Campbell Jr | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Person:Charles Kilgore (1) | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | John Smith | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Samuel Porter Jr | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Archelaus Dickeson | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | James Martin | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | ? Lewis | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Richards Hinds | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | Dail Carter | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
| | John Duncan Jr. | | | Not incuded in Hamilton's Article
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