The land around Cripple Creek is relatively flat, with rolling hills and farms, including dairy farms.
Fort Chiswell [Chisel] was along the New River. William Martin,
son of General Joseph Martin, indicates that the early settlements west
of the New River extended about 100 miles straight west: The French War being over & the Indians at peace, the frontier,
which had long been pent up by the war, began to expand. From this
point, Ft Chisel, westward, there was a pretty open country, varying
in width from 30 to 80 miles for a great distance, (bordered on each
side N. & S. by mountainous regions) a good deal of which is now
comprised within the counties of Wythe and Washington Va. and Sullivan
- Washington and Carter Tenn. Within this region, emigration began,
and continued to flow, slowly (once in a while interrupted by Indian
wars) & until the outbreak of the Revolution. At this time, the
settlements had advanced to the neighborhood of the Long Island of
Holston, and formed a kind of peninsula, more than 100 miles from Ft.
Chisel. It may be remarked, that, at this time, there were no settlements
to the N. or S. of this whole bounds, except there an there a squatter
to hunt etc. Thus isolated, and the war coming on (all the western
Indians taking part with the enemy,) they, the Indians, commenced and
continued, with short intervals, as desolating war, on those
frontiers, for many years. History has told something of those wars,
but not one fourth of the suffering and privations. The prowess and
daring of these people never can be told. Finding themselves thus
situated, far removed from succor, owing to the claims the Government
had on all its resources, to support the war against the common enemy
they were obligated, of necessity, to rely on themselves alone for
protection, annoyed as they were by the Cherokees (then a powerful
people, on their front & south quarter) and by the Shawnees and other
tribes, no less powerful, on their north. They finally sustained
themselves. This was a remarkable race of men, generally poor, but of
the enterprising, chivalrous description, and well fitted for the
occasion on which, from circumstances, they were called to act. Every
man considered himself a soldier - had his horse and his rifle, which
he knew well how to use. Always ready to join at short notice, his
fellow on any emergency. This was general, all having a common
interest, and that the most vital, their homes, their families, and
every thing most dear to man. * * * One body of them lived immediately on the Tenn. River, south side,
say 50 miles up and down. These were called the Lower Settlements.
East of them, some 50 miles, and beyond the Unica or great Smoky
mountain, commenced the Valley Towns or middle settlements. Beyond
this valley, pretty wide, going E., there is a range of hilly, broken
country, say 20 miles, was another Settlement, called Over Hills. Thus
were they, at the time referred to, located and denominated. These
later resided on Tugalo & Senica rivers, and more than 100 miles from
East to West, and perhaps 50 or 60 from North to South. These three
divisions, altogether, were powerful in numbers, and well skilled in
the arts of Savage warfare. * * * And I believe, that all the outbreaks of the Cherokees, after
Christian's Campaign of 1776, might be traced to the intrusions of the
whites. [Letter dated 7/7/1842 from William Martin to Lyman Draper, Draper Manuscripts, 3 XX [Tennessee Papers] 4]
Charles Cocke first appears in the 1772 List for Captain Herbert's Military District. At the time, this District was in Botetourt County. We know this is our Charles Cocke because, in his Pension Application, he states that he served under Captain Herbert at the Battle of Point Pleasant. It is likely that, like his father-in-law John Ewing, he was living along the Cripple Creek, which is west of the New River and now in Wythe County, Virginia.
In 1773, Fincastle County was formed from Botetourt County. In 1773, Charles and Ellender Cocke appeared as witnesses for Samuel Newell in the Fincastle County Court, for which they were compensated in tobacco. Both Charles Cocke and Samuel Newell's brother James Newell, Jr. appear in the 1772 List for Captain Herbert's Military District and earlier records indicate that the Cocke and Newell families lived near each other in Lunenburg County in 1750. So it is not surprising that Charles would appear as a witness on behalf of Samuel Newell.
In a deposition made in 1811, Charles indicated that, in 1775, he was on the East Fork of the Blackwater Creek, a Branch of the Clinch River. The present town of Blackwater is located to the southeast of Jonesville, in what is now Lee County, Virginia. Unfortunately, the deposition does not indicate whether he was living there, or just visiting. Like his father-in-law, John Ewing, Charles may have continued to live in Cripple Creek, while attempting to claim land further west.
In 1776, Fincastle County ceased to exist. The Cripple Creek area became part of Montgomery County. Charles Cocke apparently continued to live in this area during the first half of the revolution. On 13 Sep 1777, he took the oath of loyalty in Montgomery County. According to his Pension Application, he served in the Company of Captain Henry Francis. This Company was composed of men from along Cripple Creek. Although Charles Cocke later moved further west, John Ewing remained in Montgomery County and his will was probated there in 1788. In 1790, the Cripple Creek area became part of Wythe County, which was created from Montgomery County.