ANDERSON COUNTY NEWS
November 9, 1929
“Dutch Valley Settlers”
W. J. Smith
Old Uncle Billy Robbins settled on the rocky hill near the old school house, in a cedar glade. The new school house stands just below the old one. He had two sons, Billy and Sam, and three daughters, but I have forgotten their names. Young Billy Robbins was a Lieutenant in the Federal Army during the Civil war. The girls worked like men.
There is a grave yard on top of a hill beyond the school house. The Robbins family lies there now. Billy Robbins was sheriff after the war, and he was a good one, too. I saw him arrest a man by the name of Brooks after he had shot and killed Captain Ragel in Clinton. Brooks still held the pistol in his hand when Robbins went to arrest him. He was a nervy man. The Robbins family was made of good people.
A little lower down the valley uncle Samuel Done settled. He was a Methodist preacher. He organized a church and built a house for the purpose. He reared S D Leinart, who married Sarah Hoskins.
In the time of the war a company of Joe Wheeler’s men made a raid up the valley. Uncle George Baker stepped out of his house unaware of the soldiers. He had picked up his gun to go squirrel hunting. Just as he stepped out into the yard they shot him down. They went on up the valley and met Captain Wilson and Carr Davis. They fired upon the two men, killing Captain Wilson and hitting Davis in the side. He jumped the fence, ran through a cornfield and escaped in the woods. He was bleeding from wounds, and was sick. He lay down and the little dog he had with him licked his wounds and stopped the blood. He somehow made his way home to Morgan county, and he kept the dog as long as he lived.
Uncle George Baker and Captain Wilson were laid to rest side by side. Their burial place is by the side of the road on top of a hill near the old where Billy McKamey lived.
The soldiers went up and called on uncle James Ross. He was lying on the bed, but he started to get up, and they shot him as he was putting on his pants. The bullet knocked one eyeball out. They thought he was dead, and proceeded to search for his money. But they did not find it; it was hidden in his garden. Mr Ross got well and lived for years after the war. He was a good man and a useful citizen.
Submitted by Brenda Foster
ANDERSON COUNTY NEWS
A local newspaper
In the 1920’s, Jasper Smith wrote articles for the Anderson County newspaper about the different areas of the county. They are being shared with you because of the genealogy that was written in some of the articles.