esolutions on January 20, 1775 and served on
the Committee of Safety for Washington County.

On one occasion, when the settlers were residing within the fort, food
became very scarce. Someone had to go back into the clearing and bring
in supplies. Parson Cummings and a few other men started off with a
wagon to get them. They had not gone far when they reached Piper's Hill.
A party of Indians surprised the little band and one of them was killed.
Everyone made a dash for the bushes. The Parson was very stout and he
was wearing a large powdered wig which was considered in those days
necessary to the cloth. This made him more conspicuous and of course a
target for the Indians.

One Indian ran after him, brandishing his tomahawk. The Parson dodged
under a bush and as he left it, his wig was caught by a low hanging
limb. The Indian took for granted that it was the Parson's head and made
a bound to get it. When he took it in his hands, he was surprised to
find no head there! He was disgusted and angry and threw it upon the
ground exclaiming, "D--d lie," and doggedly gave up the chase. And thus
the Parson escaped. The man who was killed was later buried in Abingdon
and one may read his name, "William Creswell, July 4, 1776" on the crude
stone which marks his grave.

Dragon Canone was the name of the Cherokee Indian who led his warriors
against the white militia. Both white and red men fought with tomahawks
and both hid behind trees. Sometimes this brave militia went forth to
battle without any higher commanding officer than captain. Three such
officers were John Campbell, James Shelby and James Thompson.

Let us look for a moment at what those settlers were denied. They did
not have flour or salt until an order was made:

"Jan. 29, 1777. Ordered that William Campbell, William
Edmundson, John Anderson and George Blackburn be appointed
commissioners to hire wagons to bring up the county salt,
allotted by the Governor and council, and to receive and
distribute the same agreeably to said order of the council."

Later on Colonel Arthur Campbell rode with seven hundred mounted
soldiers against the Cherokees. History gives him the credit of being
the first to experiment in attacking Indians on horseback. He destroyed
fourteen of their towns and burnt fifty thousand bushels of their corn
after giving his men enough for their own horses.

Hungry Mother State Park

The pathetic legend is told of