and John McDowell, who lived on Timber Ridge (now Rockbridge) summoned his neighbors to watch, and, if need be, resist the savages. The whites fell into an ambush, near the junction of the North river and the James, and at the first fire McDowell and eight of his companions were slain. The Indians, alarmed at their own success, fled precipitately, and were not pursued. The people of the neighborhood gathered on the field of slaughter, and, says Foote, "took the nine bloody corpses on horseback and laid them side by side near McDowell's dwelling, while they prepared their graves, in overwhelming distress."
John McDowell's grave may still be found in the family burying ground near Timber Ridge church, marked by a rough stone. He has been mentioned heretofore as one of the first settlers in Borden's grant. His son, Samuel, was Colonel of militia at the battle of Guilford, and the ancestor of the Reids, of Rockbridge; and his son, James, who died in early life, was the grandfather of the late Governor James McDowell. His only daughter, Martha, married Colonel George Moffett, of Augusta, a gallant soldier of the Revolution, whose descendants are numerous in this county and elsewhere.
At the April term, 1746, of the County Court, John Nicholas having declined to act as prosecuting attorney, the court recommended Gabriel Jones "as a fit person to transact his majesty's affairs in this county." Mr. Jones was accordingly appointed, and duly qualified at the next court.
At May term, 1746, John Preston proved his importation from Ireland, with his wife, Elizabeth, William, his son, and Lettice and Ann, his daughters, at his own charge "in order to partake of his majesty's bounty for taking up land."
Foote speaks of John Preston as "a shipmaster in Dublin." Brock says he was a ship carpenter. He came to the county in the year 1740, with his brother-in-law, James Patton, who was a brother of Preston's wife. He resided for a time at Patton's place, Springhill, but about the year 1743 he removed to the tract known as Spring Farm, adjacent to Staunton, and there, in a house near the site of the present city water works, he lived and died. He and other Presbyterian people of Staunton and vicinity, of his day, worshipped at Tinkling Spring church, and
