But when we begin searching for ancestors, and we find accounts of their lives and adventures, we can sometimes see that same behavior, or strength, or weakness, flows like a stream through various members through the generations.
It is then we begin to get a sense of who we are, and why we do what we do.
Each of us are commanders of our own lives. We choose to follow the footsteps of our ancestors, or we reject them. But it helps us to know, of just what "stuff" it is that we are made.
My goal on this page, is to give "profiles" and "snippets" of information found on our ancestors.
As we begin to understand our ancestors, we begin to understand ourselves.
Enjoy!
A letter written to my Aunt Judy (Lillian Thompson Hall) some time about 1981-3,
by her cousin, Waveolene Curis Blass.
Waveolene's mother was Jeanetta Ann "Nettie" Thompson Curtis,
daughter of James "Jimmy" & Mary Elizabeth Allen Thompson.
This is how "Aunt Nettie" remembers her experiences.
Colonel James Patton
So much is written about Col. James Patton that I cannot document all the writings. I will attempt to include as much as possible in order to get a better picture of him.
Col. James Patton was a pioneer, and adventurer, explorer, a land holder, Indian fighter and father of many family lines originating in the south west Virginia area. Our focus will be his Thompson lines via his daughter Mary's marriage to William Thompson (Jr).
Following, not necessarily in order, but as much as possible, you will find several historically recorded accounts of this man.
From the "Trans-Allegheny Pioneers" by John P. Hale, ca 1886
From an account of Mrs. Floyd (Letitia Preston) who was born at Smithfield.
[Smithfield Plantation, Smithfield, Virginia]
pages xxv & xxvi
"...her concern is largely with the Patton Family and she traces the beginnings of that family from Ireland. In recording the death of Col. James Patton which occurred in connection with the Draper's Valley Massacre she records that he came to what was then the 'extreme western country, now of this State' and then to the area 'embracing the Blacksburg Lands and Smithfield'. She adds that 'Col. Patton tried to rally the settlers to defend the country from the inrods [sic] of the Indians on the frontier of Virginia'. This he was unable to effect. All the settlers from South Holston to South Roanoke left the country and went below Blue Ridge. Col Patton maintained his ground, as did Col. William Ingles, Phillip Barger and Phillip Lybrook on Sinking Creek, thence to Stouble Creek..[more]... Col. Patton, that morning, after having dressed himself in his uniform, and getting his nephew to sew up in the fob of his small clothes, thirty English guineas, told him to go to Sinking Creek to get Lybrook to help to take off a harvest which was then ready to cut. Preston went very early after breakfast, Col. Patton had sat down to his table to write. The Indian war-whoop was heard and some five or six of them surrounded the cabin to set it on fire. The Colonel always kept his sword on the table. He rushed to the door with it in his hand and encountered two of them (Patton was almost gigantic in size). He cut two of them down. In the meantime another worrier [sic]had leveled his gun, fired and killed the brave old pioneer. Patton fell; the Indians then ran off in the thicket and made their escape, before any pursuers could be brought together. Lybrook and Preston came through the mountains by an unfrequented route, arrived at Smithfield,[then called Draper's Meadows] where they found Patton, Mrs Draper, the mother of Mrs. Ingles, and the children buried. The whole settlement was destroyed"...
Later on page 30 this was written;
"Colonel James Patton, who had large landed interests hereabout, was here at this time, and with him his nephew, William Preston
"Whether Colonel Patton was only temporarily here, or was then making this his home, I do not know. He had command of the Virginia militia in this region, and had just brought up a supply of powder and lead for use of the settlements, which I believe, the Indians secured...
[The story goes on with the discription of his death during the Indian attack]
..."He was a man of large frame (he was six feet four inches in height), and herculean strength. He cut down two of the Indians with his sword, as they rushed upon him, but was, in turn, shot down himself by others out of his reach. He was a widower, sixty-three years of age, and full of health and vigor when he met his untimely death."
Another note for 1753 in this book on page 252 said, "Colonel James Patton and William Ingles taking up land, under the 'Loyal Land Company' on Peak Creek and in Burke's Garden."
From accounts found in,
"The History of Logan County" by Henry Clay Ragland, ca 1900,
he wrote, concerning lands in present counties of Wythe, Bland, Giles and Monroe;
"...1796, we find that the following large grants of land had been made to parties who had bought them up for speculation.
...In addition to these titles, there were surveyed for James Patton, February 20, 1795, 50,000 acres..."
In the book [to be named later] located in the library of the Logan Co Genealogy Library, located in the library of the Technical College of South Western West Virginia, located at Mudfork, just outside Logan, West Virginia, this was stated;
"The land which Colonel James Patton desired to hold for his Springfield tract on Back Creek of New River...", "...first surveyed...December 1748"
Also stated;...1750 Colonel Patton wrote in his Will, "I leave to my son-in-law [William Thompson Jr, who was also the executor of the James Patton Estate], a tract of land called Springfield joining to where the land on which Henry Patton lives containing about three [???]...aried to James Patton's daughter Mary, was to have the [???]...e lands to pay the quitrents, and to give his son James [???]..ep the whole estate clear for him until 1772..."
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