Reference to Davidson's of County Down who emigrated to Virginia. "Historical Sketches of Southwest Virginia" 1968 http://www.newrivernotes.com/swva/hssv-4.htm > Davidson's Garrison > While not on the waters of either the Clinch, Holston, or Powell > Rivers Davidson's Garrison; on the waters of Bluestone River in > present day Tazewell County, contributed to the defense of the upper > Clinch and Holston Rivers in preventing entry by the Shawnee toward > the headwaters of both streams. The fort located on Cove Creek, > about 3 miles from it's mouth, which stream is a tributary of the > Bluestone River, and the Bluestone settlement is often mentioned in > military correspondence during the troubled Indian days, but never > Davidson's Fort, which seems strange, as the head of the Clinch and > Bluestone settlements were wide open to the Sandy War passes, and > also from the fact that state militia was stationed at this fort. > > The fort was built by the Davidson family who were direct emigrants > from County Down, Ireland, first settling on Jackson's River in > Augusta County, Virginia, later moving to Crab Creek in Montgomery > County and from thence to Cove Creek in Tazewell County. In this > family there were at least three sons, William born in County Down, > Ireland, in 1759, his brothers Joseph, born in 1767, and Andrew > Davidson. Both William and Joseph served in the militia at their > fort, and it is from the pension statement of William, that we draw > our information and the knowledge that such a fort really existed. > In his pension statement filed in Tazewell County, Virginia, he > states: > > " The company stationed in Davidson's Fort in the spring of 1777 was > divided into 3 or 4 companies, and when the spys would come in and > report Indian signs, it was the duty of the companies to go in turns > in pursuit of them. He says the settlement where he lived in > Montgomery (now Tazewell) County was very weak and from 1777 to 1786 > they had to call on the country to the east for assistance, and that > a company was sent in each of the aforementioned years from the > eastern part of Montgomery County, part of which were stationed in > the garrison with him. That they usually went on their spying > missions from Davidson's Fort across Bluestone River, across the > Dividing Ridge between the waters of Bluestone and Guyandot, and > around this ridge between the Bluestone River and Davidson's > Garrison. (27)