Litton Family

Killing of Burton Litton and William Priest
                      at Glade Hollow Fort
                      By Emory L. Hamilton
                                
     From an unpublished manuscript,
Indian Atrocities Along the Clinch, Powell and
Holston Rivers, pages 60-62.

     Burton Litton, brother of Solomon Litton,
was a son of John Litton, and this family were
early settlers of the Elk Garden section of present
Russell Co., VA. At the time of his death, Burton
Litton had a brother, James Litton, and wife,
Elizabeth. (1) Burton Litton was a member of
Captain Daniel Smith's militia company in 1774,
while that part of Russell County was then
Fincastle Co.
     Of William Priest little is known, except
that he lived on Priest Mountain, at Elk Garden. He
served in the militia company of Captain Daniel
Smith, at the Elk Garden Fort from the 13th of
August to 18th of November, 1774 (2), along with
a Thomas and David Priest, who were probably
brothers, or maybe sons. During this term of
service, sometime between August and October of
1774, he was paid for 7 days as an Indian Scout.
(3) The only court record I find relating to him was
in the court of Fincastle Co. On November 2,
1773, where he, along with others was appointed to
view a road from the Maiden Springs settlement
into the Great Road, the latter perhaps, being the
Fincastle main road leading from the east to the
western country.
     The details of this killing are best told in
the words of Isaac Crabtree in his pension
statement filed in Overton Co., TN, September 27,
1832. Isaac was born in Baltimore Co., MD in
1757. (4) Crabtree says: 
     "...In the next year, 1778, he again turned
out a volunteer ranger, he thinks about the last of
May, and went to the Elk Garden Fort and joined
Captain John Kinkead (Kincaid) and ranged
about that fort. He states that Colonel (then
Captain, later Colonel) Daniel Smith came to the
fort and took him and several other men, making
ten, and went down Clinch, and as they came to
Glade Hollow Fort, they met about the same
number of Indians. He, and Burton Litton and
William Priest were some distance in front of the
others when they met the Indians. The Indians
were laying in ambush in two sink holes (5), and
on each side of the Trace (6) and when they arose
and placed themselves in a fighting attitude and
fired on him. When the firing commenced Colonel
Smith, and the balance of the men with him,
wheeled and ran. He, and his company kept their
ground waiting for them to come up, until the
Indians, or some of them, were within 30 or 40
yards of affiant and the balls flying around him
like hailstones from a thunder storm. He began to
think it was time to take care of himself, seeing by
this time the whole of his company had taken
flight and left him. He retreated a short distance
and was closely pursued by the enemy, an dhe
wheeled to see how close they were to him and
saw one within thirty yards. He immediately
raised his gun and taking aim at his breast, he
fired, and the Indian fell back and uttered some
coarse, loud noise. He then overtook some of his
company and tried to rally them, but without
effect. They continued their retreat and two of
them were killed while they were running before
him. He then began to mend his gait and soon
overtook the foremost men and went by Col.
Smith, but was unable to rally. Thence the two
men killed were the two who went in advance of
himself, Burton Litton and William Priest.
     Burton Litton, was a brother of Solomon
Litton, who along with Captain John Dunkin, was
captured by the Indians in 1780 at Riddles' Station
and carried to Canada, where they were held until
the end of the Revolutionary War.
     At a court held for Washington Co., VA,
on August 17, 1779, is entered this order:
     "On motion of Elizabeth Litton and James
Laughlin (7), administration is granted them on the
estate of Burton Litton, deceased, who made oaths
thereto with John Kinkead and Samuel VanHook as
securities."
     Appraisers of the estate were, Thomas and
Richard Price, James Scott and John Lewis.
 
(1) Washington Co., VA Order Book 1, page 69 &
Survey Entry Book 1, page 75.
(2) Draper Mss 6 XX 106
(3) Draper Mss 5 XX 2
(4) Crabtree statement also in Draper Mss 3 DD 40
(5) There are huge sink holes around the upper end of
Glade Hollow.
(6) This suggests that Glade Hollow Fort lay on the
Kentucky Trace.
(7) James Laughlin was a brother-in-law of Burton
Litton, having married his sister, Elizabeth Laughlin.

Contact: Rhonda Robertson at: rsr@mounet.com

Captain John Dunkin, Solomon Litton and His
          Wife Taken Out of Elk Garden by the Indians
                      By Emory L. Hamilton
                                
     From an unpublished manuscript,
Indian Atrocities Along the Clinch, Powell and
Holston Rivers, pages 63-65.

     Solomon Litton, who was a brother of
Burton Litton killed at Glade Hollow Fort, his wife
Martha Sharpe Litton and Captain John Dunkin
were taken from Elk Garden by the Indians,
transported to Canada (Detroit), where they were
held until the end of the Revolutionary War. The
details of how they were captured and whether
there were other people taken at the same time the 
records do not show. The date that Solomon Litton
settled in Elk Garden is unknown, but it must have
been quite early. He served under Captain Daniel
Smith as a militia soldier from August 29 to
November 6, 1774, guarding the Glade Hollow
Fort. (1) The Washington Co., VA, Court
recommended him for an Ensign of the militia for
that county February 25, 1777, and for a
Lieutenant on August 19, 1778. The earliest court
record found pertaining to him is in Botetourt Co.,
VA, where he sells personal property to William
Carvin on March 5, 1770. (2) It may have been
about this date that he left the Tinkers Creek
section of Botetourt, where he supposedly lived,
before he came to the Elk Garden section.
     At a court held for Washington Co., VA,
March 20, 1781, this interesting order was
recorded: "On motion of James Litton (3) and John
Laughlin (4) and by consent of the court they are
appointed Guardians of the estates of Captain John
Dunkin and Solomon Litton, prisoners of the
enemy in Canada, and to use all legal methods for
saving and securing the said estates, whereupon
they together with William Davison and John
Vance entered into and acknowledged their bonds
for eight thousand pounds for the faithful
performance of the same."
     R. M. Addington, History of Scott County,
Virginia, page 391, says:
     In 1778 while the Revolutionary War was
raging and the American patriots were being
assailed by the British soldiers on the one hand
and the Indians on the other. Litton, his wife, and
two daughters were captured by the Indians and
carried to Quebec, at which place they were held
until the close of the war, when they were
exchanged. Elizabeth Litton, one of the captured
girls, became the wife of Joseph Shoemaker, both
of whom died in Lafayette County, Missouri.
     In the above paragraph, Mr. Addington
had been misinformed on the daughters of Solomon
Litton being captured, as will be shown by the birth
dates listed below, taken from the family Bible of
Solomon Litton, which in 1947 was in the
possession of Miss Pauline Pyle, of Lebanon,
Russell Co., VA.
     Solomon Litton was born December 22,
1751. Died 1844. On May 24, 1774 he married
Martha Dunkin, sister of Captain John Dunkin,
who was born September 27, 1756. Their children
were: John, born November 11, 1775; Thomas,
born September 27, 1777; Burton, born April 2,
1780; Solomon, Jr., born August 28, 1783;
Elizabeth, born March 1, 1785; Hiram, born
March 29, 1787; James, born August 18, 1789;
Mary, born April 21, 1792; Alexander, born
November 8, 1795; Caleb, born March 2, 1797;
and Jenny, born February 20, 1801.
     In the 1850 census of Russell Co., VA,
Solomon Litton, Jr. is shown as having been born
in Detroit, in 1783, while his parents were being
held by the British, but some members of the
family deny this saying the church records at Elk
Garden show him as having been born at "Litton
Hill" in Elk Garden, upon which the church stands.
(5) If Solomon Litton was captured in 1778, as Mr.
Addington states, then, if any children were taken
it could only have been the sons, John and Thomas.
Also if he remained a prisoner of the British until
Solomon, Jr., was born in 1783, then certainly
Burton, who was born in 1780 must have also been
born in Detroit, also.
     Captain John Dunkin, at the time of the
capture, also lived in the Elk Garden section of
Russell Co., VA. He served at the Glade Hollow
Fort from the 29th of August to the 6th of
November, 1774, as a Sergeant, (6) under Ensign
Henley Moore. He was appointed a Captain of
Militia by the Washington Co., VA, court no
February 26, 1777. In this year he led a company
of militia into Powell Valley to guard the settlers in
bringing in their personal property after the valley
had been evacuated because of Indian depredations.
Dunkin eventually moved out of the Elk Garden
section to Spring Creek, just outside Abingdon,
VA, where he died in 1817. (7)
     John Dunkin had two daughters named
Sally and Peggy who married brothers of the name
Laughlin. Since both the Littons and Duncans had
married into the Laughlin family there was close
relationships between the three families. Old James
Laughlin of Elk Garden had daughters, Ann
Dunkin and Polly Porter.
     John Dunkin was appointed to the
Washington Co., VA, court July 23, 1777, took the
oath of office on November 25, 1777, and served
on the bench until November 18, 1778. The last
reference I find pertaining to him is on April 21,
1779, when William pitman was recommended for
a Lieutenant of militia in John Dunkin's company.
It may be that Pitman was appointed to the
company after Dunkin had been captured by the
Indians, as it appears Duncan and Litton were
captured in 1778, although I have not found a
definite date for their capture.

(1) Draper Mss 6 XX 106
(2) Botetourt Co., Deed Book 1, page 83
(3) Father of Solomon Litton
(4) Married Solomon Litton's sister, Elizabeth
(5) Letter to Mr. Canie B. Litton, Virginia Beach, VA,
dated December 10, 1965.
(6) Draper Mss 6 XX 106
(7) Draper Mss 1 XX 13

Contact: Rhonda Robertson at: rsr@mounet.com

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