State

Historic* Fort Dobbs It ivns located about tuo miles north of Statesville and for quite a while repre¬ sented the state's western outpost of eivili- zalion. It was suhjeet to frequent attacks. By HARRY Ж. TICKER FOKT DOBBS, at оно time North Carolina’s western outpost of civilization, played a greater part in the French and Indian War than historians have given it credit. Erected on an “eminence" two miles north "f the present town of States¬ ville, it was here the pioneer settlers sought protection from the French ami their Indian allies, who ever and anon swept out of the Blue Kidge to pillagr and to bum. Few brief records, with here and there a tradition, are left to remind ns of the many brave men ami women who toiled and struggled for existence in the shadow of old Fort Dobbs. Today, the only trace of this colonial fort is n large depression in the earth, a few prized mementos, and four acres of laud preserved by the Fort I)obhs Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. With the fall of the incautious Braddock, the French and Indian War was brought to North Carolina. The Indians on the western frontier were not inattentive to the hostile attitude of the British government; and they deemed the opportunity favorable to assail the unprotected white «ettlers living west of the Yad¬ kin River. To re- pcl these in- v a s i о n s, the pioneer settlers demanded that North Carolina do something to protect them fro in t h c en¬ croaching * ’hero- keen. On November 3. 175-1. Govern¬ or Arthur Dohbs wrote the Board of Trade: "It will Im’ necessary to erect a fort be¬ yond our furth¬ est settlers to protect that frontier and our Indian allies.” A force was assembled on the fron¬ tier consisting of a few regular soldiers and neighboring militia ; hut by Janu¬ ary 1755, so many murders had been committed that n company of fifty soldiers was organized tinder Captain Hugh Waddell, of Wilmington, foi¬ lin’ defense of the frontier. The expedition was conducted with the greatest skill, ami effectually relieved the unhappy settlers. For seven years Waddell ami his men guarded the Yadkin country from invasion. By the unremitting vigilance of Waddell, many n treacherous Indian attack was repelled, and ample vengeance inflicted through the dis¬ persion of hands of both Catawbas and Cherokces; hut this service was not performed without the loss of many men. Purchase of Land It was in June 1755, that Governor Dohbs visited the western part of the province, passing through Salis¬ bury, on his way to select я site for the new fort, which was to bo located between Third and Fourth creeks, near the South Yadkin River. Sometime in July, the location was decided upon, ami the land was pur- It was here that the old fort was located. >’h;i'<-d from Fergus Sloan, who had secured his title from John Olyphant. The fort was constructed under the supervision of Captain Waddell "of large oak logs, good and substantially built. Its size was 53 feet long, lit feet wide, and 244. feet high, with an opposite wing 24 by 22 feet. All had three floors. One hundred muskets could be discharged from each floor." The fort was finished in the early part of 1756 and named "Fort Dobbs," in honor of Governor Arthur Doblis, who owned 200,000 acres of In ml among his "beloved Scotch settlers." Wlmt a great feeling of safety and protection the fort must have offered them* settlers ! They were now distant only a few miles from the strongest fortress in all Carolina; reputed to !-• guarded by about one hundred men. Just how many sought protection in the fort during those early days will never be revealed. But that it was a veritable place of refuge can he determined by an old record: "Our fort ! What a feeling of re- lief fills our hearts. How blessed it is to know there is a refuge of thick logs, with plenty of muskets and soldiers who know how to use them. We don’t go there often, yet it is ready there for us. So we thank God and take our flintlocks a n d lux's and go to the cornfields re¬ joicing." T h г о u g h- out the trying year of 175$, Fort I)ol>lis was indeed a city «if refuge, for set- tler> for *i «1 tance of a hun¬ dred miles sought safety here. Dr. Andrew Scott, к learned physi¬ cian. was sta¬ tioned there to watch over the (Coni, on p.