Capt. Vincent Hobbs, Jr.

"Vincent, the son of the immigrant, distinguished himself as an Indian fighter and as a Captain in the Revolutionary army, but his most distinguished feat was that of killing the Indian Benge who had terrorized and murdered settlers in Southwest Virginia.

While attending court at Jonesville, Virginia Vincent Hobbs was informed that Benge was then making his thirteenth raid. Gathering several friends he left Jonesville immediately and soon took up the trail of the Indians. At Little Stone Gap near Norton, Virginia Vincent Hobbs killed Benge with an ounce ball bear rifle, thus ending for all time the Indian raids in Southwest Virginia. For this feat of bravery and in recognition of his splendid leadership the Virginia Legislature voted him a silver mounted rifle.

Vincent Hobbs was never married, so he was free to travel. His love of adventure and hunting took him westward where in an encounter with the Indians in Tennessee he killed Buck Elk, an Indian Chief. From Tennessee he went to Missouri where he lived for a few years, but later came back to Tennessee where he died."

◦In the meantime news of the disaster to the Livingstons swept across the frontiers. When it reached Lee Courthouse, court being in session, immediately adjourned. Lieutenant Vincent Hobbs called upon the bystanders for volunteers to make instant pursuit. Thirteen men responded. Do they find the trail and trust to the speed of their horses to overtake the marauders? Not Lieutenant Vincent Hobbs! He is a backwoodsman as well as a soldier. He knows every pass in the mountains. With the unerring judgment of a hunter he dashes forward to Stone's Gap, where the Indians will cross Cumberland Mountain. He reaches the Gap. The Indians have already passed. He takes the fresh trail, comes upon two hunters—the two sent out by The Bench on the 8th—and kills them. The main party has not yet passed. Back to the Gap. Fortunately they are in time. They secrete themselves in ambush, and wait. Calendar of Virginia State Papers, Vol. VII, pp. 111, 112; Summer's “Southwest Virginia,” pp. 441-443.

The Bench broke camp on the morning of the 9th, crossed Powell's Mountain, and is at this very moment approaching Stone's Gap. He comes within the ambuscade. Bang**** Bang**** At the first fire The Bench and three of his warriors fall dead. Mrs. Elizabeth Livingston and her guard are some distance in the rear. He orders her to run, which she performs slowly. He attempts to kill her; she breaks the force of the blow with her arm, and, seeing her friends approaching, grapples him. He throws her back over a log, at the same time aiming a blow at her head, which renders her senseless; in which condition she lies for an hour, but finally recovers.25 Lieut. Vincent Hobbs sent The Bench's scalp to the governor of Virginia, and the Legislature voted him a silver-mounted rifle for his gallantry.

Note: Capt. Hobbs led his small band of settlers that killed the half-breed Indian Chief Benge in present Wise Co., VA from Yokum's Station, "forever freeing the frontier from the Indian scourge. All of Hobb’s men lived in and around Turkey Cove and most of them were members of the militia in Captain Andrew Lewis’ (Jr.) Command, which again might suggest that some militia was stationed at this fort."

More Information

• Luther F. Addington, Chief Benge's Last Raid, Historical Sketches of Southwest Virginia, Publication 2-1966

Sources

• Emory L. Hamilton, "Frontier Forts of Southwest Virginia" in Historical Sketches of Southwest Virginia, Number 4, 1968, pages 1 to 26

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