Mayo Fort near the VA-NC border
As we cover 1759 in this year of 2023 we run into a plea on 1 March 1759 for compensation of land, houses, supplies commandeered to make a Fort that Colonel George Washington had visited on 10 Oct 1756.
Here is some history on that fort.
GW left Winchester 29 Sept 1756 to do a southern tour. But it is not until 2 March 1759 that the owner of that land petitions for compensation. The Militia had confiscated his land and wood, and tearing down a house to erect a fort, paying him nothing up front, nor asking permission.
A council of war held on 27 July 1756 at Augusta Court House decided where to build a whole series of Forts. This fort which had no name but which we dubb Fort Mayo, was one of the forts in that list to be built. We imagine the militia came in fast on this land owner to build the fort. So almost 3 months later Colonel George Washington visits these forts, the last one on his southern tour being Fort Mayo on 10 Oct 1756.
This picture was painted in the 1930s conceptualizing what the artist imagined how Fort Loudoun Winchester VA looked. But this could have been how the stockade fort Mayo appeared.
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Compiled and authored by Jim Moyer 3/13/2023, updated 3/15/2023, updated 3/18/2023, posted Sunday Facebook on Fort Loudoun Winchester VA page on 3/19/2021 . . . updated 3/21/2023
Table of Contents
Landowner's plea for compensation on Fort Mayo, 1 March 1759
Compensation given by House of Burgesses 3 March 1759
Colonel Washington's letter written from Fort Mayo, 10 Oct 1756
A local historian's write up of Fort Mayo with map links provided by this blog author
Three of the forts were built in what was Halifax County at that time. One was on the Blackwater River in present Franklin County; one (Fort Trial) was built on the Smith River in present Henry County and one (Fort Mayo) was built on the North Mayo River in present Patrick County on the land of John Frederick Miller.
This is why the fort and the river are so named.
Interesting that House of Burgesses misspells the Mayo name as May.
Landowner's Plea
Thursday, the 1st of March, 32 Geo. II, 1759
[meaning the 32nd year of King George II reign - He's got a little over a year and a half yet.]
House of Burgesses records:
Also a Petition of John Frederick Miller, setting forth, That by Order of the Commanding Officer of the Militia of Halifax County, a Fort was erected on May's River [Mayo River] , on the Petitioner's Land, which enclosed his Dwelling House and other Houses, and was garrisoned by a Company of Militia, who, to render it more secure from the Approaches and Attacks of the Enemy, cut down a large Orchard, burnt one House and 1600 Fence Rails, and made use of 518 Feet of Plank about the Fort, besides doing him many other Damages, by which Means the Petitioner has lost all Benefit of his Plantation, which is still in the Possession of the Militia and Rangers, and praying the Consideration of this House.
House of Burgesses session
3rd Session page 55, February 22, 1759, to April 14, 1759
#98 (p.72)
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This is why the fort and the river are so named.
Interesting that House of Burgesses misspells the Mayo name as May.
Info on William Mayo's surveying for William Byrd II --
The Dover edition, first published in 1967, is an unabridged republication of the work first published by the North Carolina Historical Commission on 1929. It contains a new introduction by Percy G Adams.
A masterpiece of American prose and history, here is an early 18th-century account of surveying expedition. Official, printed account by Byrd on facing pages with private manuscript of secret-history, telling scandals, bawdy exploits of commissioners among Indians, settlers. Map, reproduction of manuscript pages. Introduction by Percy Adams.
COMPENSATION
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Friday, the 2d of March, 32 Geo. II, 1759
Resolved,
That John Frederick Miller ought to be allowed the Sum of £20. 6. 8, as a Satisfaction for the Damage done his Plantation, Houses, and Crop, and for the Materials made Use of in building the Fort, in his Petition mentioned.
House of Burgesses session
3rd Session page 55, February 22, 1759, to April 14, 1759
#101 (p.75)
10 October 1756
Letter From George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie
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Colonel George Washington writes his first letter at the southern most destination on his trip. He is in old Halifax County, nowadays Patrick County. So his letter states he writes from the Fort in Halifax. This fort is known as Mayo Fort, Captained by Samuel Harris.
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Honble Sir,
This day, within five miles of the Carolina line, as I was proceeding to the southermost Fort in Halifax;1 I met Major Lewis on his return from the Cherokees, with seven men, and three women only of that nation. The causes of this unhappy disappointment, I have desired him to communicate, that your Honor may take measures accordingly. This account is sent by Express, to give the earliest notice, while the Assembly are sitting.2
Founders Online Footnotes:
1. This was Capt. Samuel Harris’s fort on the Mayo River. See GW’s Proposal for Frontier Forts, enclosed in GW to Dinwiddie, 9 Nov. 1756.
2. For Andrew Lewis’s sojourn in the Cherokee country to build a fort and recruit warriors, see Dinwiddie to GW, 23 April 1756, n.6, and 20 Aug. 1756, n.1.
Source:
Old Fort Mayo
Source:
The land on which Fort Mayo was built was originally owned and lived on by the family of John Frederick Miller, probably of German origin, who moved here around 1750.
The threat of Indian raids from the West at about that time prompted the Government at Williamsburg to order a string of forts built from the Potomac River to the North Carolina line. Young George Washington was charged with having the forts built and garrisoned.
Three of the forts were built in what was Halifax County at that time. One was on the Blackwater River in present Franklin County; one (Fort Trial) was built on the Smith River in present Henry County and one (Fort Mayo) was built on the North Mayo River in present Patrick County on the land of John Frederick Miller.
George Washington, then 24 years of age, visited the three Forts in October 1756. He spent at least one night [ 10 Oct 1756 ] at Fort Mayo and wrote several letters from here, which are yet in existence. He was rather critical of what he saw. After his reports were received at Williamsburg, the Colonial Government decided to permanently garrison only one of the forts. Fort Mayo was the one chosen.
Troops were kept at Fort Mayo all during the French and Indian War. They saw considerable action in defending the area against Indian raids. In the beginning, the fort was under the command of Captain Samuel Harris. Samuel Harris had been quite active in Halifax County affairs. He had served as sheriff of the County, a justice of the County Court, and was active in the affairs of the Church of England, the Established Church. He, however, fell under the influence of the Baptist missionaries who were active at that time and changed his military uniform for one of the clergy. He spent the remainder of his life as a Baptist missionary and is one of those responsible for the rapid rise of the Baptists in this section of Virginia.
After the War ended, [actually after Fort Duquesne fell ] John Frederick Miller wrote a letter [ 1 March 1759 ] to the Colonial Government in which he complained of the damages rendered to him by the fort. He stated that they had destroyed his apple orchard, burned his fences and damaged him in a number of other ways. He was awarded some damages.
Some years after the War, John F. Miller seems to have moved to present Halifax County, and he sold his land to a land dealer by the name of John Marr, who seems to have lived on the land for a time. John Marr's wife, Susannah, was a sister to Elizabeth Perkins Letcher Hairston, the wife of Col. George Hairston.
Some time after 1800, the land came into the possession of Marr's nephew. Harden Hairston, the third son of Col. George and Elizabeth Perkins Letcher Hairston. Harden Hairston married Sally Stovall Staples, daughter of John Staples on June 1, 1808. Apparently, they lived on the Old Fort land until they moved to Lowndes County, Mississippi about 1843. All of their nine children appear to have been born at Old Fort.
Harden Hairston served as Master of Transportation for the Southern Division of the American Army during the War of 1812. He served as "Gentlemen Justice" of the Patrick County Court from 1823 to 1842. Four children died while they lived at Fort Mayo and are buried in the cemetery enclosed by a rock wall. One son is said to have been killed by lightning.
The third child, Samuel Harden Hairston, graduated from William and Mary College, where he studied law. He served on the staff of Gen. Jeb Stuart, his cousin, during the Civil War. He was killed in 1870 when the gallery of the House of Delegates in the State Capitol in Richmond fell.
The fourth child, Peter Constant Hairston, became a physician in Mississippi.
Nicholas Edward Hairston was educated at Harvard, and moved to Mississippi. He married Kiziah Staples, daughter of Col. Samuel Staples of Patrick County.
Robert Andrew Hairston was educated at the University of North Carolina and moved to Alabama. J.T.W. Hairston born at Old Fort in 1825, graduated at Virginia Military Institute and was a Major in the Confederates States Army. Elizabeth Perkins Hairston, oldest daughter, born in 1809, moved to Lowndes County, Mississippi, as did another sister.
The exact location of the Fort Mayo and of the Harden Hairston home are not known with certainty. One researcher spent some time trying to determine the location of the fort came to the conclusion that it was probably located in the vicinity of the present home there. Some think that it may have been nearer the river.
This page was written by Mr. O. E. Pilson for the 1996 Hairston Reunion - hairston.org
Note: There are four children (Martha, Mary, Robert and Ruth) of Hardin Hairston and his wife Elizabeth Perkins buried on this property in a small cemetery surround by a rock wall.
Copyright © 1996-2022 by Robert E. Hairston, Jr. All rights reserved. robert@hairston.org Site last updated on 23 Dec 2022; 7,510 people. Website's 26th year.
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Source
.Compiled and authored by Jim Moyer 3/13/2023, updated 3/15/2023, updated 3/18/2023, posted Sunday Facebook on Fort Loudoun Winchester VA page on 3/19/2021 . . . updated 3/21/2023
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Research Notes to add later
Compiled by Jim Moyer in March 2019, last update 4/9/2019
Colonel George Washington first learns of the attack in southern Virginia, 12 July 1756 from Lt Gov Dinwiddie
I have Acct that a number of French & Indians have invaded Augusta & committed horrid Murders &ca2 as usual I have order’d out Part of the Militia of four Counties to oppose them & to repell their Violences, & I am in hopes they will be able to drive them over the Mountains; but I think we shall be in continual Alarms of this kind, unless an Expedition is undertaken to drive them from the Ohio. I have wrote fully to Lord Loudon on this Subject;3 I believe he is arriv’d at N. York tho’ I have not any acct thereof as yet.4
2. A party of more than one hundred Indians and about twenty-five French Canadians, led by François-Marie Picot de Belestre, attacked Ephraim Vause’s fortified house near the headwaters of the Roanoke River on 25 June 1756. The defenders, no more than twenty-five men led by Capt. John Smith, were soon forced to surrender, and the place was burned to the ground. Smith, whose son Lt. John Smith, Jr., was killed in the affray, was carried into captivity with, among others, his son Joseph, Ens. Peter Looney, and Ephraim Vause’s wife, two daughters, and four servants. Vause himself was away from home at the time of the attack. The fullest accounts of this incident are two unsigned and undated drafts of letters or reports written shortly after the event and directed to Dinwiddie. One was from the senior officer of the Augusta County militia, John Buchanan, and the other was from Capt. William Preston, who arrived on the scene with a party of men on 26 June too late to come to the aid of the people in the fort (WHi: Preston Papers, 1QQ, Reel 100 [June 1756]). Nearly a year later at Niagara, N.Y., Looney escaped from his captors. He reached Albany, N.Y., on 12 July 1757, “from whence he proceeded to this City [Philadelphia], and is now gone to Virginia, where his Parents live. He was born in this Town, and is about 23 Years of Age. Captain Smith, he said, was given to the French, and sent to Canada in the Spring” (Pennsylvania Gazette [Philadelphia], 28 July 1757). John Smith was later sent to England in an exchange of prisoners. He returned to Virginia early in 1758. His son Joseph died in captivity.
3. Dinwiddie wrote to Loudoun, on 1 July 1756, about the need to launch an offensive against the French and Indians in the Ohio Valley, not about the loss of Vause’s fort.
4. Loudoun did not arrive in New York until 23 July. See Thomas Gage to GW, 10 May 1756, n.4.
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