Interesting Finds

THE HISTORY of PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY VIRGINIA
CHAPTER VII THE CHEROKEE WAR---WESTERN EXPLORATION
p. 86

Here is a story about a John Yates from the 1750's:
John Yates being sworn deposed, that he in company with one Philip Preston were rideing along the road together not having heard anything about the Indians, or suspecting anything about them. He heard a Gun fired close behind him, and turning about discovered three Indians close at his Heels, That they could have made their Escape, But on the Indians calling out Cherrockees and holding out their hands in token of friendship, and fearing to be fired at should they attempt to Escape, they stopped; The Indians came up to them and Shook hands, and then instantly pulled them off their Horses, beat them with Sticks, Stripped them naked, took all they had from them, pointed their guns at them, and Ordered them to run which Order they instantly Obeyed.

THE HISTORY of PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY VIRGINIA
CHAPTER XIII THE REVOLUTION--THE SOUTHERN CAMPAIGN
page 173

The mail post was an important branch of the service at Peytonsburg. Because of the winter's mud of the more eastern roads the main mail route from the north to the south led by Peytonsburg. Dispatch riders would arrive with important mail and it was the duty of the post commandant to forward the same without delay, and in order to do this it was necessary to keep at the post a number of express riders. James M. Williams served one year as a dispatch rider at Peytonsburg; other express riders as shown by the Claim Records were Sherwood Thompson, William Norton, Drury Smith, Matthew Stone, Samuel Harris, William Shelton, Edward Ware.

THE HISTORY of PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY VIRGINIA
CHAPTER XV CLOSE OF REVOLUTION--END OF THE CENTURY
pps. 205-206

That famous lodge of the Order of Masons to which General Washington belonged was organized at Alexandria in 1788; a lodge was also organized at Pittsylvania Court House on September 15, 1788, Pittsylvania Lodge, Number 24. Lodges were numbered in the order of their organization, the first being at Norfolk in 1741. There were present at the first meeting of Lodge No. 24, Colonel Haynes Morgan, Daniel Lovell, Tavenor Shelton, William Shelton, Fred Shelton, Leroy Shelton, John Markham, Thomas Lankford, James George, Jr., Thomas Hoskins, Peter Presley Thornton and Richard Johnson. Officers were chosen as follows:

Master Mason--Haynes Morgan. Senior Warden--Daniel Lovell. Junior Warden--John Markham.
Secretary-- William Shelton. Treasurer Tavenor Shelton. Dean--Thomas Hoskins. Junior Dean--Frederick Shelton. 

Other first members were: John Wimbish, Thomas Tunstall, Crispen Shelton, Nathaniel Hunt, William Ware, Thomas Todd, William Tunstall, Jr., John Clement, John Bennett, Jeremiah White, George Perkins, Joseph Carter.

The following year a lodge room was built on the land of Charles Lewis in which the first meeting was held Nov. 4, 1789. That lodge room has long since passed away and Pittsylvania Lodge No. 24 today owns a substantial brick building, the second floor of which forms their commodious assembly room.

From "PASSPORTS OF SOUTH EASTERN PIONEERS--1770-1823"
by Dorothy Williams Potter
Cherokee Indian Agency Passports, page 119,
Chickasaw Agency; 01 June 1807

Sir-A traveller, by the name of JOHNATHAN DAY reported to me, a few days since, on his way to Natchez, that he had lost a bay mare near the mouth of Tellico River on the 20th April. The owner, Mr. Day, is a poor man with a family and the loss of his horse would injure him materially.

contributed by Elaine Randall English