"The first trial held in the new court-house in Independence was that of the four negroes who were engaged in the fight of which an account is given below:
    "An account of a fight or massacre that occurred with the BARTLETT family, John CLEMENTS, William B. HALE and Currin C. HALE and four runaway negroes, on the grounds now occupied by the FRIES Company, which fight or massacre took place on Monday morning, about 10 o’clock, August 11, 1851.
    "William BARTLETT and Elizabeth PASCHEL¹, his wife, moved to New River, Grayson county, VA., in 1834, with their two sons and one daughter—Samuel BARTLETT, Alfred G. BARTLETT and Matilda BARTLETT, wife of Cyrus WILCOX.
    "William B. HALE moved to the adjoining farm east on the river, with his son, Currin C. HALE, about 1838.
    "John CLEMENTS moved to the mill west of Wm. BARTLETT’s, on the river, about 1847.
    "In the Year 1849 two men came into the county of Grayson by the names of BACON and COOK. These men claimed to be Methodist preachers from Ohio. They traveled over the county and preached. But it was soon known that they were "abolitionists" and that they were interfering with the negroes, talking with and advising them to run away and go to Ohio, and that they would help them get through.
    "On Sunday night of the 10th of August, 1851, four negro men started for Ohio. Two of them, Simon and Lewis, belonged to John REEVES, and the other two, Jack and Henry, belonged to a man named COX.
    "These negroes got a canoe, armed themselves with butcher knives and scythe blades, and started down the river for Ohio. Their instruction from BACON was to travel down the river at night and lay by in the daytime, and that he would meet them at the Kanawha Falls and take them across to Ohio. They reached the falls near the CLEMENTS’ mills about daylight Monday morning, August 11, 1851, tied up their canoe and went into the woods and found the negroes in camp for the day.
    "Mr. CLEMENTS sent Calvin BOBBITT for help to take the negroes. Samuel BARTLETT, Alfred G. BARTLETT, Cyrus WILCOX, William B. HALE, Currin C. HALE and Leftrick HILL came, with guns and a bulldog, and demanded their surrender.
    "At once two commenced the fight, the other two running for the river. Samuel BARTLETT was struck with a scythe blade and his head cut open. John CLEMENTS was cut on the head. Alfred G. BARTLETT was struck on the head, cut on the wrist, and his thumb nearly cut off in his efforts to keep off the blows.
    "The fight was then between A. G. BARTLETT, Cyrus WILCOX and the two stout negroes. WILCOX seized one of the negroes and threw him to the ground. Alfred shot at the other, but failed to hit him, and the negro ran to WILCOX and stuck the butcher knife through his neck, just missing the jugular vein. BARTLETT struck the negro Simon across the back with his gun barrel, having broken the breech of his gun in the fight.
    "In this severe and desperate struggle BARTLETT and WILCOX so disabled these two negroes that they surrendered. The other two were pursued by W. B. and C. C. HALE. Several shots were fired at them without effect. Curin HALE struck at one with his gun barrel and bent it. Jack threw a rock and struck William HALE on the neck. The other did not attempt to fight, but ran into the river and was caught by the bulldog.
    "Thus the bloody struggle ended for the day. Sam’l BARTLETT lived about six hours. John CLEMENTS afterwards died in Nebraska of his wounds. Cyrus WILCOX recovered; also Wm. HALE and Alfred BARTLETT. Only two are now living who were in this bloody and dangerous fight—Alfred BARTLETT and Currin HALE [1902]. HALE lives in Nebraska. BARTLETT remained at the old home until he sold to the FRIES M’f’g Co., and now lives near-by. He has by his energy and enterprise reared a large and respectable family, and amid his affliction and disabled condition continues as one of Grayson county’s best citizens.
    "Two of the negroes left at the camp--Simon and Lewis--revived, tied up their wounds and started again for Ohio, but after several days were captured in Bland county--one in a house stealing something to eat--the other in a corn field stealing corn. The other two--Jack and Henry--went back to their home. They were all brought to Indepedence and tried in court. Henry was released, as he did not fight. Simon, Lewis and Jack were condemned to hang, and were executed on Friday, Nov. 1, 1851, at Independence, Grayson Co., VA.
    "After this massacre the county was in a state of excitement and men gathered from Old Town, Elk Creek, Knob Fork and other places to search for the man BACON, who had caused the trouble and bloodshed, as he had told these negroes to fight their way through. BACON was found at Amos MOORE’s, but before the men could catch him he ran to Iron Mountain and got away. If he had been caught he would doubtless have been hanged at once. Cook had disappeared before this time.
    "The foregoing facts are known to many of us, but have not gone into history.
    "We therefore desire these facts to be placed by the hands of Alfred BARTLETT in the corner-stone of the church, to be laid at Fries on Nov. 21, 1902, as this M. E. Church, South, is being built on the former BARTLETT estate and on the ground where Sam’l BARTLETT lived at the time of his being killed in the fight.
    "Given under my hand, and by the assistance of Alfred G. BARTLETT, an eye witness and actor in this distressing piece of history. Written on the 16th day of Nov., 1902.

    "BEN FLOYD NUCKOLLS, Minister of M. E. Church, South."

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ENDNOTES

¹ William BARTLETT md. Elizabeth PASCHALL Mar. 15, 1808, Warren Co., NC.