Ann Neece

ANN BUSH, b. Abt. 1763, Amhurst Co. Va.; d. Bef. 1801, Breathitt Co. Ky..

ANN BUSH (JAMES4, PHILIP P.3, JOHN2, ABRAHAM1) was born Abt. 1763 in Amhurst Co. Va., and died Bef. 1801 in Breathitt Co. Ky.. She married HENRY NEECE Abt. 1779. He died in Breathitt County Kentucky.

Notes for ANN BUSH: Lewis Preston Summers book Southwest Virginia 1746-1786 , Washington County 1776-1870 gives the following account of the scalping of Ann ( Bush ) Neece.

 "Early in the year 1783, about twelve years after the first settlement at Castle's Woods, a party of northward Indians invaded the settlement and attacked the fort at Hamblin's Mill.  This fort was erected by Henry Hambling, one of the first settlers in that section , in the year 1776, with the assistance of Henry Dickinson, Charles Bickley, William Robertson, William Russell, Patrick Porter*, Henry Neece*, William Wharton, Humphrey Dickinson, Frederick Fryley, James Bush*, Archelas Dickinson, Samuel Ritchie*, Jerry Harrold, Richard and William Long* and William Bowlin, the first settlers in that section.  The home of Henry Hamblin had, previously to this time, been twice invaded by Indians, and in the spring of the year 1782, his entire family, with the exception of a little boy, who was carried into captivity, were killed and scalped, and now this fort was again assailed by a company of Indians Numbering seventeen.  The Indians first appeared in the community at the house of Joseph Ray, whom they killed and scalped along with several of his family and a neighbor by the name of Samuel Hughes, who happened to be at Ray's house at the time; besides killing these persons they made several others prisoners before they reached the fort.  As they approached the fort they met a young woman by the name of Ann (Bush ) Neece, whom they tomahawked and scalped and left for dead. "they then approached the fort and were discovered by Simon Oscher, Henry Dickenson and Charles Bickley, who happened to be working at a mill near by.  The Indians observing them about the same time and the white men being unarmed, their situation was a fearful one.  It was now to be a struggle which party should get to the fort first.  Charles Bickley remarked, "Boys, follow me," and they all started for the fort a full speed, the Indians halting fire upon them.  They got safely into the fort through a shower of balls, without receiving a scratch, thus literally running the gauntlet.  There were two guns in the fort, and with these Ocsher and Dickenson, each, killed and Indian.  The balance of the savages knowing nothing of the strength of the fort, and their guns being empty. hastily picked up their fallen companions and fled into the woods.  Some hours after their departure, and while there were still apprehensions of their return by the few persons in the fort, Ann Neece was seen slowly approaching, as bloody as if she had been dipped in a pool of gore, with streams jetting from her head apparently as numerous as had been the hairs of her head before she was scalped, each jet about the size of a hair.  She recovered and raised a family, and some of her descendants are still living in Russell county."

Scalped twice and kidnapped by Indians http://vagenweb.org/wise/sketches/bushfamily.html