Blackmore Family

Two of Captain John Blackmore's Slaves Captured
                      By Emory L. Hamilton
                                
     From the unpublished manuscript,
Indian Atrocities Along the Clinch, Powell and
Holston Rivers, page 10.

     On Friday, September 23, 1774, Logan,
the Mingo Chieftan, and his Indians made an
attack on Ft. Blackmore in Scott County. They
captured two Negro slaves (1), the property of
Captain John Blackmore, and Logan, himself was
in pursuit of a third when the timely aid of Capt.
Blackmore prevented the Negro's capture. The
Indians then forced one of their Negro captives to
march back and forth, in full view of the fort, near
a quarter of an hour. The Indians with a superior
number, no doubt, were hoping to provoke the
defenders of the fort to sally forth to rescue the
slaves. Captain (James) Looney was in command
of the fort at this time and had only eleven men
under his command. The Indians, before taking
their departure from the neighborhood, shot down
a number of cattle and horses, thus inflicting a
heavy property loss on Blackmore and his
neighbors.(2)

(1) Letters of Captains William Christian and William
Russell, shown later in this mss., it seems probable that
Blackmore's slaves were later restored to him,
Thwaites & Kellog, Dunmore's War, page 305.
(2) R. M. Addington, History of Scott County, page 53.

Contact: Rhonda Robertson at: rsr@mounet.com
        


		Killing of Joseph Blackmore's Children
                      By Emory L. Hamilton
                                
     From the unpublished manuscript,
Indian Atrocities Along the Clinch, Powell and
Holston Rivers, page 176.

     One of the Blackmore's resided on Clinch
and the Indians attacked his family April 6, 1789,
killing a son and daughter, and another son who
ran for the river leaping into the stream some 50
or 60 feet. His companion was shot dead on the
spot. (J. S. Hind, in the West Christian Advocate,
November 1, 1859, Draper MSS 5 C 13.)
     The above writer is referring to the
children of Joseph Blackmore, for Captain John
Blackmore, builder of Blackmore's Fort, had in the
year 1779, left for the area for settlement on the
Cumberland in Tennessee. Joseph Blackmore was
a brother of Captain John, and owned the adjoining
farm to the old Fort tract to the south and down
Clinch River. This writer gives the impression that
four persons were killed in this attack, yet Bishop
Francis Asbury, who visited at the fort in 1790,
gives the impression that only two persons were
slain. Asbury makes this entry in his Journal:
     1790, Wednesday, April 28. We have had
cold weather and severe frosts for two nights past.
We had a dreary ride down to the ford of Clinch,
through a solitary plain. We rode down to
Blackmore's Station, here the people have been
forting on the north side of the Clinch. Poor
Blackmore had a son and daughter killed by the
Indians. They are of the opinion here that the
Cherokees were the author of this mischief. I also
received an account of two families having been
killed, and of one female that was taken prisoner,
and afterwards retaken by the neighbors and
brought back.
     Friday, 30. Crossed Clinch about two
miles below the fort. In passing along I saw the
precipe from which Blackmore's unhappy son
leaped into the river after receiving the stroke of
the tomahawk in his head; I suppose, by measure
of my eye, it must be between fifty and sixty feet
descent. His companion was shot dead upon the
spot. This happened on the 6th of April, 1789.

NOTE: Hannah Byrd, wife of Richard Byrd and
daughter of Joseph Blackmore was born 1755, also
Mary who married (1) Chadwell, (2) Jessee Adams
(3) Henry Hamlin and was herself killed by
Indians.

Contact: Rhonda Robertson at: rsr@mounet.com

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