According to the above certificate, the first settlement it seems, was made within the present limits of Scott County by Thomas McCulloch at Fort Houston, on Big Moccasin Creek. Houston and his neighbors erected a fort upon his land. This fort afforded a place of safety for the earliest settlers in this portion of Big Moccasin Valley. Even settlers as far away as the Rye Cove, it is alleged, fled to Fort Houston in times of danger. (Judge Wood's Letter, Draper Manuscripts 4 C 27.) Fort Houston stood near the place where the brick residence on the Grigsby farm now stands. One of the earliest settlers in the neighborhood of Fort Houston was Jonathan Wood. One hundred and eighty-five acres of land, near the lands of William Houston were surveyed for him December 15, 1774. Jonathan Wood, with his wife and stepson, James Osborn(e), emigrated from eastern Virginia to his land on Big Moccasin, in the year 1773. (Note: Jonathan Wood was born near the Potomac River in eastern Virginia, [Loudoun Co., which was a heavy German area. This raises the possibility that WOOD is an Anglicized German name - sysop note ) in the year 1745, and died at his home on Big Moccasin Creek in 1804. He married the widow of Solomon Osborn, in 1767. His wife's maiden name was Davidson. She had one son named James, by her first husband. Her first husband was killed by the Indians. [This would have been in Loudoun Co. and I can't believe there were Indians there at that date ] Jonathan Wood had three sons and one daughter, named respectively John, Henry, Jonathan, and Polly. Henry Wood, the second son of Jonathan, Sr., was born the 18th day of May. 1773, near Fort Houston, on Big Moccasin. This record is taken from Henry Wood's Bible, and it fixes the fact of Jonathan Wood's residence on FORT HOUSTON ON BIG MOCCASIN CREEK pg. 111 Big Moccasin in February, 1773. Judge Wood, in his History o/ the Wood Family in Virginia, gives the date of Jonathan Wood's immigration to Big Moccasin Valley as 1770. He built his residence near Fort Houston, on the rite known to the present generation as the Skillern Wood farm.) Some years after the completion of Fort Houston, a band of Shawnee Indians made their appearance in the settlement. The settlers, on learning of the enemy's approach, lost no time in fleeing to the fort. The Indians then surrounded the fort, and, to all appearances, commenced a regular siege. This they continued for three days when suddenly they disappeared, going toward the northwest. While in the neighborhood, however, they inflicted much damage by stealing whatever they could lay hands on. While this three-day siege was in progress, one of the men in the fort, whose house was in sight of it, and only a short distance away, determined to go home for some purpose. Realizing the foolhardiness of the attempt, his friends tried to dissuade him from going, but were unable to do so. He had proceeded but a short distance from the fort gate when he was fired on by the Indians and mortally wounded. Seeing this, Jonathan Wood, in great danger to his own life, rushed out to the rescue of his wounded neighbor. Several shots were fired at him but fortunately none of them took effect. He succeeded in bringing the wounded man into the fort where he died that night. At another time the Indians made a raid into the settlement of Fort Houston. By this time, Jonathan Wood had built a very large smokehouse upon which he had placed a round roof. This roof, owing to its unusual shape, gave the building a peculiar and striking appearance which at once attracted the attention of the Indians. Observing it curiously from a distance they fired several shots into it, while one who could speak English remarked that "The big man lived in it. Fearing, it seems, that the smokehouse might conceal some danger of which they did not know, they did not approach very close to it, and soon departed without doing any do whatever. But the round roof smokehouse seemed to lost its novelty, and consequently ill power to afford the owner protection, for the next time the Indians came into the neighborhood, they burned Jonathan Wood's dwelling and all of its contents. Wood and his family, in the meantime, had taken refuge in Fort Houston. On still another occasion, the Indians came to the home of Jonathan Wood, and, on approaching the house, so frightened his horses and cattle that they left off grazing and ran to the house. Wood war absent from home at the time, and no one was at the house except his wife and a Negro slave who had only recently been imparted from Africa. The Negro, although acquainted with savage life in the jungles of Africa, seemed as much frightened as the horses and cattle, and sat upon the fence, making queer gestures and jabbering his unintelligible language. Either the uncanny actions of the slave or the mystery of the round roof smokehouse must have changed their purpose far they went away without attacking the house or doing other damage. This was the last visit of the Indians to the neighborhood of Fort Houston. Jonathan Wood was a soldier in the Revolution. He was present at, and participated in, the battle of King's Mountain. He always believed that he fired the fatal shot at Colonel Ferguson in that battle. It is said that standing by his horse, and resting his gun upon his saddle, he fired seven times, taking deliberate aim each time. He had a bearskin cover for his saddle and near the close of the battle one of the enemy's bullets, striking the bearskin close to his head, threw hair and dust into his eyes. Thus blinded, he stumbled and fell, whereupon, being observed by some of his comrades who preceded him on their return home, it was reported that he had been killed in battle. Henry, the second son of Jonathan Wood, married Sally Lawson August 14, 1194. More than two years after his marriage he lived with his father near Fort Houston. In 1797, he purchased a large tract of land in Big Moccasin Valley, about three miles east of Gate City, and now known as the Dr. Moore farm. Soon after moving to his new home, while driving his cows, Henry Wood saw an Indian skulking among the trees. On seeing Wood, however, the Indian sprang behind a large tree and disappeared This, according to Wood, was the last Indian ever seen in that immediate neighborhood. Wood furthermore states that it frosted throughout the summer of 1816, thereby making such an unfavorable season that the corn did not mature. The 1817 crops were produced by planting 1815 seed. Henry Wood was twice elected a member of the legislature of Russell County, of which the section where he lived was a part. As a member of the General Assembly, he was present at the burning of the Richmond Theater, in 1811, but escaped without injury. He was Commissioner Revenue of Russell County in 1811, and again in 1813; he was also a justice of the peace of Russell and Scott Co. after its formation. He was sheriff of Scott County a number of years. Jonathan Wood was the first surveyor of Scott County after its formation. The compass which he used in surveying is now in the possession of John J. Wood, one of his descendants. The land which he owned is in the possession of his direct descendants. THE OLD KILLGORE FORT HOUSE: DORTON'S FORT Dorton's Fort was located on the Combs farm, about one mile southeast of Nickelsville. It seems to have been built sometime about the year 1790, and therefore, was not so much exposed to the dangers of Indian attack as the forts erected at an earlier date. In fact, there is neither traditional account nor written record of any attack having been made upon it by the savages. Protected, as it was, by the forts in Castlewood, Porter's Fort, Blackmore's Fort, Rye Cove, Fort Patrick Henry, and Fort Houston, not to mention others to the east of it, Dorton's Fort enjoyed an immunity from Indian attack seldom experienced by the more exposed places on the frontier. Although Dorton's Fort was singularly free from Indian attack, it was not entirely free from Indian visitation. More than once the settlers in its vicinity were forced to seek safety within the walls of its rude stockade. It may be said, in this connection, that as the danger of Indian attack became less, stockaded forts were less frequently and strongly built. In 1790, strongly built houses were taking the places of forts in this section. One of these fortified houses, in an excellent state of preservation, still stands at the ford of Copper Creek, about two miles west of Nickelsville, VA.