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Pocahontas in the olden days - For several years in the distant part this section was terrorized by two outlaws, or horse thieves. They committed various acts of thievery and lawlessness, ravaging the country and causing much fear and indignation among the citizens especially during the civil war when so many of the men were away from home. They caused William
REED to move his home on Laural over into Abb's Valley. The enraged
citizens finally decided to put a stop to it at all hazards and by shrewd and united effort caught the
villains. Near the site of the present Coaldale Tunnel strong men bent over some good sized saplings, tied their victims with a strong rope around the neck, tied the other end of the rope to the saplings and let them fly back with the
villains hanging by the neck. There are two graves on the St. Clair place near Pocahontas, and there is a sort of tradition that these are the graves of the horse thieves, but this may not be true. Others say that one of the men was a federal officer. Out beyond the machine shops near Pocahontas are "Peeled Chestnuts" a familiar name to one who has ever spent much time in this section, but it may not be generally known that the
Indians are responsible for the name. It is said on good authority that they used the peeled chestnuts as a sign or guide to them in their travels through this section to and from points in Ohio. Their trail led from some point southwest of here, possibly in Pulaski County on up New River, via Bluefield, Graham, Falls Mills, the lower end of Abbs Valley and out by Peeled Chestnuts. This section was termed by them "The valley of sweet waters" on account of the delightful water,
Chillicothe was their rendezvous in Ohio. The well known Pinnacle Rock contains some of the Indian
hieroglyphics. The above information is vouched for by Col. James S. BROWNING, who came to this section from Richmond on February 28, 1865, moving to Mrs.
BROWNING's farm in Abb's Valley. He had graduated at Emory & Henry College in the class of 1876, entering the legal profession after graduation. For a few years before coming to Pocahontas he had been private secretary to Governor Cameron. The discovery of the rich coal deposits on Mrs. BROWNING'S land led him later on to discontinue the practice of law in Pocahontas and develop in coal. In this business attempt he was successful, although somewhat overshadowed by his powerful rival, the Southwest Virginia improvement Company. some of the varied experiences would form an interesting story. The Colonel was an inveterate "scrapper" in the legal sense of the term and according to the opinion of his best friends was hardly satisfied unless he was in some legal battle.
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