A New Headstone for Capt. John McDowell: 1714-1742
Donation protected
Echos of the brogue voice of Ulster---
"Heer Lyes the Body of John Mack Dowell," now grow faint...
Captain John McDowell's original stone (of which was crudely cut and inscribed) has well endured its primitive nature and the test of time and elements since it was first erected in 1743 (276 years ago.)
But, day by day, season by season, the original inscription on the stone is fading away.
This campaign has been established, by and for descendants, family and friends, of the McDowell Family.
Its goal and intent; to raise the necessary funding for the procurement and placement a new memorial headstone for Captain John McDowell (1714-1742.)
Captain McDowell is buried in the McDowell Burial Ground (McDowell Cemetery) on Timber Ridge, located just north of Lexington, VA.
A short history and bio, by Leo McDowell, follows:
Upon settling in Virginia, John McDowell (b. 1714), the son of Ephraim, had taken an oath on 28 February 1739 at the court of Orange County (Frederick County), Virginia "that he imported himself, Magdalene his wife, and Samuel his son, as well as John Rutter, his servant, at his own charge from Great Britain in the year 1737, to dwell in this colony, and that this is the first time of providing their rights in order to obtain land pursuant to the royal instructions." It is this Capt. John McDowell that received his Captain’s commission from Governor William Gooch of Virginia at the behest of the other settlers of Borden’s Tract.
Captain John McDowell was killed in the first Settler-Indian confrontation on 14 December 1742 during the "Massacre of Balcony Downs" near Balcony Falls in Rockbridge County, Virginia. The spot where this incident occurred is now called Battle Run Creek as a result of this event. In early December 1742, the Delaware tribe of the Iroquois Nation, specifically the Onandaga and Oneida bands, were en route to meet the Catawba Indians when Capt. John McDowell and his company of militia (33 men, which included his father Ephraim - 70 years old at this time! - and his brother James) were sent out to escort the Delaware Indians away from the White settlements. Captain John McDowell’s Company of Militia in 1742: John Aleson, Humble Beaker, David Bires, David Breenden, Gilbert Camble, James Camble, John Cares, John Cosier, Hugh Cuningham, James Cuningham, Joseph Finney, Michael Finney, John Gray, William Hall, James Hardiman, Henry Kirkham, Joseph Lapsley, ?Long, ?Long, Alexander McClewer, Halbert McClewer, John McClewer, Alexander McClure, Moses McClure, Frances McCowan, James McDowell (brother of Capt. John), Ephraim McDowell (father of Capt. John), Andrew McKnab, John McKnab, Patrick McKnab, Sam McRoberts, Loromor Mason, John Matthews, William Miles, John Miles, Mitchell Miller, James More, Edward Patterson, Irwin Patterson, John Peter Salley, Thomas Taylor, Charles Quail, Thomas Whiteside, Malco Whiteside, Richard Wood, Sam Wood, William Wood, Robert Young and Mathew Young.
It was the Indian custom to provide and be provided food and drink when being visited or visiting. Since none was offered to them by the Virginians, they simply "helped themselves" to food, drink, horses, and whatever else they found at the various homes and settlements they came across. If a white man had visited an Indian village, he would have been treated according to the same aforementioned Indian custom. The Virginians, unaware of this, assumed the Indians to be "raiding" and were less than hospitable. The Indians had been given passes of clearance through Pennsylvania and were to be provided food and drink during their "safe" passage. However, these passes were not recognized, much less, honored by the Virginia settlers.
After entertaining the Delaware with whiskey, Capt. John and his men were escorting them away from the settlements near the Salling Plantation (present-day Glasgow) which the Indians had lingered near during the past week. During the escort, one of the lame Indians in the rear of the group, lagged behind and walked off into the woods. An escorting militiaman fired a shot at the Indian, a war cry when up and a 45 minute battle ensued between the Indians and the militia led by Capt. John McDowell near the south branch (now known as Battle Run creek) of the North River (now known as Maury River). Seventeen-odd Indians and eight of the militia company were killed, including Capt. John McDowell. He and the other dead militiamen were later brought back draped across horseback and buried near Capt. John’s home "Red House" of Timber Ridge near present day Timber Ridge Church in the family graveyard near Fairfield, Rockbridge County, Virginia.
Leo McDowell
http://leomcdowell.tripod.com/id32.htm
"Heer Lyes the Body of John Mack Dowell," now grow faint...
Captain John McDowell's original stone (of which was crudely cut and inscribed) has well endured its primitive nature and the test of time and elements since it was first erected in 1743 (276 years ago.)
But, day by day, season by season, the original inscription on the stone is fading away.
This campaign has been established, by and for descendants, family and friends, of the McDowell Family.
Its goal and intent; to raise the necessary funding for the procurement and placement a new memorial headstone for Captain John McDowell (1714-1742.)
Captain McDowell is buried in the McDowell Burial Ground (McDowell Cemetery) on Timber Ridge, located just north of Lexington, VA.
A short history and bio, by Leo McDowell, follows:
Upon settling in Virginia, John McDowell (b. 1714), the son of Ephraim, had taken an oath on 28 February 1739 at the court of Orange County (Frederick County), Virginia "that he imported himself, Magdalene his wife, and Samuel his son, as well as John Rutter, his servant, at his own charge from Great Britain in the year 1737, to dwell in this colony, and that this is the first time of providing their rights in order to obtain land pursuant to the royal instructions." It is this Capt. John McDowell that received his Captain’s commission from Governor William Gooch of Virginia at the behest of the other settlers of Borden’s Tract.
Captain John McDowell was killed in the first Settler-Indian confrontation on 14 December 1742 during the "Massacre of Balcony Downs" near Balcony Falls in Rockbridge County, Virginia. The spot where this incident occurred is now called Battle Run Creek as a result of this event. In early December 1742, the Delaware tribe of the Iroquois Nation, specifically the Onandaga and Oneida bands, were en route to meet the Catawba Indians when Capt. John McDowell and his company of militia (33 men, which included his father Ephraim - 70 years old at this time! - and his brother James) were sent out to escort the Delaware Indians away from the White settlements. Captain John McDowell’s Company of Militia in 1742: John Aleson, Humble Beaker, David Bires, David Breenden, Gilbert Camble, James Camble, John Cares, John Cosier, Hugh Cuningham, James Cuningham, Joseph Finney, Michael Finney, John Gray, William Hall, James Hardiman, Henry Kirkham, Joseph Lapsley, ?Long, ?Long, Alexander McClewer, Halbert McClewer, John McClewer, Alexander McClure, Moses McClure, Frances McCowan, James McDowell (brother of Capt. John), Ephraim McDowell (father of Capt. John), Andrew McKnab, John McKnab, Patrick McKnab, Sam McRoberts, Loromor Mason, John Matthews, William Miles, John Miles, Mitchell Miller, James More, Edward Patterson, Irwin Patterson, John Peter Salley, Thomas Taylor, Charles Quail, Thomas Whiteside, Malco Whiteside, Richard Wood, Sam Wood, William Wood, Robert Young and Mathew Young.
It was the Indian custom to provide and be provided food and drink when being visited or visiting. Since none was offered to them by the Virginians, they simply "helped themselves" to food, drink, horses, and whatever else they found at the various homes and settlements they came across. If a white man had visited an Indian village, he would have been treated according to the same aforementioned Indian custom. The Virginians, unaware of this, assumed the Indians to be "raiding" and were less than hospitable. The Indians had been given passes of clearance through Pennsylvania and were to be provided food and drink during their "safe" passage. However, these passes were not recognized, much less, honored by the Virginia settlers.
After entertaining the Delaware with whiskey, Capt. John and his men were escorting them away from the settlements near the Salling Plantation (present-day Glasgow) which the Indians had lingered near during the past week. During the escort, one of the lame Indians in the rear of the group, lagged behind and walked off into the woods. An escorting militiaman fired a shot at the Indian, a war cry when up and a 45 minute battle ensued between the Indians and the militia led by Capt. John McDowell near the south branch (now known as Battle Run creek) of the North River (now known as Maury River). Seventeen-odd Indians and eight of the militia company were killed, including Capt. John McDowell. He and the other dead militiamen were later brought back draped across horseback and buried near Capt. John’s home "Red House" of Timber Ridge near present day Timber Ridge Church in the family graveyard near Fairfield, Rockbridge County, Virginia.
Leo McDowell
http://leomcdowell.tripod.com/id32.htm
Organizer
Timothy McDowell
Organizer
Denver, CO
