1860 ORIGINAL HANDWRITTEN 44 PAGE ACCOUNT OF THE MURDER OF THE MOORE FAMILY AND THE CAPTURE OF MARY BY THE INDIANS OF TAZEWELL VIRGINIA DIFFERING FROM THE 'CAPTIVES OF ABB'S VALLEY' AS TOLD BY REVEREND JAMES MOORE BROWN

On offer is a fascinating, significant original 44 page manuscript relic of Western Virginia Americana and the early troubled times between pioneers and Indians. Enclosed within an envelope inscribed: "The Captives of Abb's Valley" (not the account as written by "Rev. James Moore Brown".) Tad Humphreys for with is an 1860s [previous holders of the article date the item 1830 to 1860 and we hold with the latter] handwritten account of some of the events in the Indian War in Tazewell County, Virginia. The 6½ x 3¾ inch pages appears to have been removed from a booklet, the text block held barely by string and it also appears incomplete starting mid sentence but the narrative is early so we suggest the cover sheet forming the first page and last page are lost, some loose pages. There is also some loss to the front page and the second as the lower right corner is torn away and a loss of a few words. Some chipping and loss too, but just a bit. This will not deter historians and researchers from find this retelling of significance as it differs from an account written in 1854 as mentioned previously by the Reverend Brown. This retelling is filled with details and is closely written at times minutely. The story revolves around the Moore family massacre, the subsequent kidnapping of the Mary Moore and her two companions by Indians in Tazewell County Virginia in the 1780s and their later escape and even recounts how the young woman was sold to a white man named Stobwell and much more. Some of the account is so intimate we can only speculate the writer this account was incredibly knowledgeable of the details. Here is a snippet from the very start: '….[Indians] who surrounded it & cut down the door. Providentially however several men had that evening called at Mr. Poag's house & were lodging with him & the Indians finding the house more strongly defended than they expected did not…. The men in the house were well armed but had set their guns all together some of which were double & some single triggered. In the hurry of alarm they all appear to have gotten hold of the wrong guns and though several favourable opportunities were afforded for firing with advantage they were unable to discharge their guns.' Save for the mentioned defects it is very legible in a clear hand the with not a word wasted on describing the specifics of this awful tale and is overall Fair.