The Indians, on their hasty retreat, stopped at the house of Philip Barger, an old man, cut off his head and carried it in a bag to Lybrook's. Preston and Lybrook had gone back to Draper's Meadows by a different route from that taken by the Indians, and thus they escaped.
In letters written by Governor Dinwiddle on the 11th of August (nine letters were written by him the same day) he referred to Colonel Patton's death. To Colonel David Stewart, of Augusta, he wrote that Patton "was wrong to go so far back without a proper guard." He hoped the wagons with ammunition did not fall into the hands of the Indians; but he could not conceive what Patton was to do with ammunition "so far from the inhabited part of the country." Writing to Colonel Buchanan at the same date, he expressed regret that the men sent by Buchanan "after the murderers, did not come up with them." This is the only information we have of any pursuit.
Colonel Patton's will was admitted to record by the County Court of Augusta, at Staunton, at November term, 1755. It was executed September 1, 1750, and witnessed by Thomas Stewart, Edward Hall, and John Williams. The following are extracts:
"I commend my soul to God who gave it, hoping, through his mercy and the merits and intercession of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to be eternally happy. My body I commit to Providence, but if convenient to where I resign my last breath, to be buried at the Tinkling Spring, where my wife now lays. * * I order ten pounds to be paid to the Rev. John Craig, minister at ye Tinkling Spring, as his stepans due from October, 1740, until October, 1750, out of the money now due me by y't congregation, which money I have advanced for them to build their meeting-house, &c. Providing I do not pay s'd £10 before my death. I leave ten pounds out of the aforesaid debt when collected, to be layed out by the minister onley for a pulpit and pulpit cloth."
The testator divided his estate between his two daughters, Mary, wife of William Thompson, and Margaret, wife of Colonel John Buchanan, and their children. The Thompsons thus acquired Springhill and about 3,000 acres known as "Indian Fields," on the waters of Holston river. William Thompson and wife had a life estate in the property, with remainder to their
