MISC: Interview with Nannie Sykes Kerr Dotson on Oct. 11, 1951 at Millard, VA ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net Submitted by Unknown May 1998 ********************************************************************* As published in the book entiled "Pioneer Recollections" by Hetty Swindall Sutherland - Interview with Nannie Sykes Kerr Dotson on Oct 11 1951 at Millard, Virginia I was born July 7 1882 at what is now Clinchco, Dickenson County, Virginia being the youngest of Noah and Susan Jane (Arington) Sykes. My grandfather was John Sykes, who lived on a farm near Lebanon, Russell County, Virginia. I do not know where he lived before he came to Russell County. His wife was Lydia Jane Hargis. I have been told that the Sykes are of Scotch descent and that we also have some Cherokee Indian blood in us, but I don't know how this came about. Both my Sykes grandparents died and were buried in Russell County. Their children were (as far as I know): Samuel Sykes lived on a farm in Russell County, Virginia. I don't remember his wife's name, but some of his children were: Boliver, Betty (married Andrew Hall, father of Levi), Catherine (married Judge H. A. W. Skeen - I think he was married twice), and Levi. John Sykes lived on a farm in Russell County Virginia. I do not remember the name of his wife nor the names of any of his children. Thursey Sykes married Naaman Kiser, and I believe they lived in Scott County, Virginia. I don't know the names of their children. Winnie Sykes married John Bartley and lived at Lookout, Pike County, Kentucky. Some of their children were Cordie, Dock (Preacher), Jane (married her first cousin, Levi Sykes - son of Samuel). Noah Sykes, my father, grew up in Russell County, Virginia. After his marriage, he moved to what is now Dickenson County, Virginia - at the ambrose Hay Place on Backbone Ridge - when my sister Caldona was a baby (she was older than Burrell) -about 1856. During the war, they moved to John's Creek in Kentucky. After the war, they moved to Ashcamp, in Pike Co., Ky and in a year or two father swapped land there to Billy Wright for his large tract of land at the mouth of Mill Creek, where Clinchco now stands. The family moved there in a one-room log-house, which Mr. Wright had built at the mouth of Old House Branch (which was so named because of this old house). Father added some rooms to it and lived there the rest of his life. Jasper Wright, a son of Billy, lived on a farm across the point from his father's farm, and later moved to Kentucky. Father built a water mill on McClure river about where Luther Saul's now lives above Clinchco. This mill was before I can remember. After a few years, he built another mill nearer home - just about whee the bridge over McClure goes to the railroad station. Here he ground grain for all the people in the community. He also had a saw mill run by water at the same place. It used a rip saw - run by water power. Brother Jim built his house in the bottom just beyond the mill, near where the railroad station now stands. My father just growed to mill. He was always around it doing something about it. He was a farmer and miller. Mill Creek got its name from this mill, which was on McClure River about a hundred yards above the mouth of Mill Creek. He married Susan Jane Arington, a daughter of Lewis and Sarah (Edwards) Arington. They both died at Clinchco and were buried on Graveyard Hill. Their children were Burrell F., Sara A. V., John A., James S., Irene S., Rachel J. B., Brice M., Minerva L., and Nancy Adeline (myself). I was the youngest child, born July 7 1852 at what is now Clinchco. I don't know anything about any of my ancestors being in the Revolutionary War or Indian Wars. I've heard the old folks tell a lot of Indian tales. (see below) Grandpa Lewis Arington came to Russell County from Franklin County, Virginia and settled on the Aaron Hendricks Farm, whre Governor Stuart later lived. The Aringtons were considered a fine family. They had plenty of sense and got along well with everybody wherever they lived. Brother Jim Sykes is 12 years older than I am, and he can tell you a lot more than I can bout the family. Here are some of the Indian tales I have heard. I don't remember the names of any of the whites or Indians involved in these stories. The old folks used to tell us children these tales while we sat before the fireplace at night. 1. In Indian times, the whites would put pickets out about the camp or fort to keep the Indians from slipping upon them. At one place, several of the pickets had disappeared. The officers placed a man on duty on night, with orders to shoot anything he saw moving. Pretty soon he noticed an old sow rooting in the leaves under the trees and it came closer and closer. He hated to shoot an old sow that would later make good meat. But he had his orders to shoot, which he did. At the crack of his rifle, the saw r'ared upon its hind feet and feel over backwards. It proved to be an Indian in an old sow's skin, and this was the way the Indians had been slipping up and killing an carrying away the other pickets. 2. A Musick was killed by the Indians near Honaker, and his wife and several children were captured. The Indians brought their prisoners over ig A Mountain and down Russell Fork River to Haysi, where they camped. Early next morning, the whites fired into the Indian camp and rescured the Musicks. They said at least one Indian was killed, but the rest escaped into the woods. I'be been told that Drayton Musick, who now lives near Haysi is a descendant of the Musick man that was killed near Honaker. He has other descendants living in Russell and Dickenson Counties. 3. Another Indian sotry was often told to us by the older folks. The Indians took a woman captive and took her into Kentucky. After a few days, they let her go and get firewood in the evenings. Each day she went further and further. Finally, she ran into the woods and tried to get back to her old home. At night, she hid in a hollow log. The Indians followed her with a dog. The dog got ahead of the Indians and went into the log after her, but she choked it to death. Spiders wove a web over the open end of the log. The Indians came and saw the spider web. They were so mad they struck the log with their tomahawks and went away. She got out next morning and found her way back to the settlements. She had little to eat in her travels. At one place, the path forked and while she was debating which way to go, a little bird fluttered in front of her and darted up stream. She was still undecided which way to go. The bird came back and fluttered away in the same direction. She followed the bird and got home safely.