The petition of sundrey inhabitants of Clinch River, Moccasin Creek, Powells Valley, and others, citizens of Washington County humbly represent that your petitioners are situate from the line of Montgomery as it crosses near the source of Clinch River, down the same eighty miles; thence to the extreme settlements of Powells Valley forty more.
     The greatest proportion of your petitioners have to travel from twenty-five to fifty miles and some, eighty to a hundred; moreover are generally interrupted by Clinch Mountain and the north branch of the Holstein river; the former affording very difficult passes; the latter much danger and difficulty in crossing it in spring and after considerable rain. Contiguous to its southern bank a chain of hills almost as difficult as Clinch Mountain; so that great difficulty arises to your petitioners - not only in attending courts, but general musters and courts martial. And from the extent of schasm between our small settlements make it
exceeding difficult to arrainge companies without subjecting some to travel fifteen or twenty miles to private musters, and to difficulties in the militia law that principally affect your petitioners. These are evils, small indeed, compared to the feelings we constantly undergo when obliged to leave our helpless families exposed at so very great distance to obey the laws of our country. And however evident the may appear to us, will not certainly on our failure of duty, plead our excuse, a circumstance alone whereby sufficient to claim the honored respect of the Legislature to remove the grievance. 
    We therefore pray your Honorable House will take our case into consideration and divide the county. We further pray a line may be fixed along Clinch Mountain with Montgomery line to the Carolina line; or with the line at present dividing this county into two regiments to the aforesaid Carolina line; thence with the said line to Cumberland Mountain, including the extent of county between Cumberland Mountain and Montgomery line, and Clinch Mountain as the aforesaid regimental line, etc. for the new county; and southeast of the said Clinch Mountain remain Washington County. And we, your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray, etc., etc.

H. Smith
David Ward
Alexander Barnett
Andrew Cowan
Samuel Robinson
Charles Bickley
James Leith
Moses Damron
Lazarus Damron
John Damron
Edward Stapleton
Isaiah Stils
Jams Osburn
James McKenny
James Bush
James Wharton
David Cox
Ben Graves
Thomas Price, Jr.
John Baker
James Smith
Joel Gallaher
Thomas Prater
William Gilmore
Charles Hays
William Vaughn
William Smith
Shadrack Montz
Edward Smote
James Alley, Sr.
James Alley, Jr.
Samuel Alley
Peter Alley
John Alley
Hosea Alley
David Alley
Patrick Porter
Christopher Cooper
Samuel Stallard
Alexander Ritchie
Thomas Carter
John Carter
Norris Carter
John Carter, Jr.
David Young
Ambrose Fletcher
Richard Fletcher
Joseph Blackmore
William Duncan
Alexander Ritchie, Jr.
William McDuck
Hamelton Crockett
Joseph Blackmore
Townsend Duncan
Samuel Haddox
James Duncan
John Duncan
Patten Nicholson
Benjamin Nicholson
William Bowland
Abraham Hayter
James Gibson
John McCulloch
James Harris
Henry Dickson, Jr.
John Kinkead
Arthur Bowen
William Hammond
Robert Benher
Archelas Bromley
Jonathan Cunningham
William Gilmore
Charles Hays
William Smith
Jonathan Langdon
Henry Dickinson
_____ Shelley
Phillip Shelburn
(name illegible)
(name illegible)
Edmond Pendleton
(name illegible)
John Trayer
James Davidson
Samuel White
Peter Macintosh (?)
Patrick Rishley (?)
Champ Farris
Samuel Davidson
William Davidson
Samuel Davidson
John White
Jacob Castle
Jonathan Wood
James Osborn
Joseph Castle
William Houston
James Ovelton
Zachariah Fugate
William Fugate
Coleby Fugate
Charles Dever
Samuel Haddox
Silas Enyart
Alexander Crockett
Edward Young
John Wright
John Jackson
James Elkins
Drury Elkins
James Jones
David Musick
Henry Skaggs
David Skaggs
Electius Musick
(name illegible)
John Belsher
Henry Mack (?)
William Prater
Jonathan Prater
Daniel Nelson
Johnson Nelson
Lyles Dolesbury
(name illegible)
Edward Covill (?)
James Wright
Robert Montgomery
Matthew Kincannon
Samuel Vance
Abraham Donelson
John Fowler
James Bradley
John Kennedy
Alexander Montgomery
Edward Smith
John Bowers
Johnny Davis
Samuel Young
Joseph Fugate
James Daniel
William Oney
George Belsher
Patrick Kendrick
Jessee Gray
Henry Hamlin
William Rogers
John Chase (?)
Jessee Elkins
Archibald Prater
George Roberts
John Enyart
Alexander Kirk
George Gibson
Adam Hop (illegible)
Edward ?
(name illegible)
John Campbell
David Cain
(name illegible)
Joseph Hensley
John Lathim
Robert (illegible)
James Montgomery
Robert Carden (?)
John Campbell
J. P. Black
Henry Dickenson
James Craig
George Clark
Hays Branson (?)
(?) Hensley
William Long
Benjamin Jones
Anse (?) Price
John Lewis
George Hatfield
Marsheck Stacy
John Stacy
Thomas Conway
Jared Bowland
George Asberry
Henry Asberry
John Wells
Thomas Green
Joseph Hatfield
Ennis Smith
Eli Smith
Joseph Hatfield
Enous Smith, Jr.
Thomas Cameron
John Lewis
Charles Neil
Harrison Wilson
Richard Wilson
Soloman Skaggs
Jeffrey Hildreth
Robert Higginbotham
Adam Lash
John Asberry
James Brown
Wyatt Daniel
James Young
Samuel Vanhook
William Jameson
Shady White
Dudley Young
John Green
(?) Bristow
William Asberry
James Pack (?)
Francis Browning
Charles Price
(name illegible)
James Landers
John Gibson
William Price
George Puckett
Zachariah Henderson
David Price
Daniel Price
Thomas Johnston (?)
Alexander Scott (?)
Henry Hamblen
John Bristor
Michael Sord
Abraham Beavers
William Robertson
George McCoy
Jacob Robertson
Robert McCoy
John Wagg
David Calhoon
Joseph McFarlan
Robert McFarlan
John English
Robert Craig
Thomas Bird
William Bird
William McPike (?)
John Wilson
Joseph Meredith
Benjamin Oney
Richard Oney
John Deskins
James Fugate
John Fulton
John Henry
John Vandyke
Abraham Millard
Charles Millard
Matthew Raimy
James Rogers
William France
Jessee Jackson
Jessee Vermillion
John Wells
James Shewmaker
John Gibson
John Shewmaker
George Robinson
William Hearlson
John Raney
John Thomson
Abraham Childress
John Webb
Richard Fields
Joseph Perrin
William Bruster
Michael Bruster
Thomas Francis
Thomas Tate
David Young
John Thompson
William Elsom
Alldon Williamson
William Evans
John Short
Benjamine Alderson
Thomas Short
William Runion
John Hatfield
William Thompson
Richard Thompson
William Johnson
Valentine Choat
Thomas Wallin
Stephen Wallin
Robert Tate, Jr.
Robert Tate, Sr.
Frederick Friley
James Friley
Martin Friley
Caleb Friley
John Friley
William Friley
William Orsborn
Thomas Orsborn
Lewis Walter
Edward Stapleton
Isiah Stil
William Porter
Joseph Whitey
John Tate
William Blanton
Edward Givens
Thomas M ?
Richard Henderson
Thomas Habos ?
Ephraim Hatfield
Zachariah Price
Isaac Elam
John Cowan
? Colvill
Edward Kelley
Joseph Hider
James Craig
Elijah Smith
William Edmisson
James Ryland ?
Jeremiah Coles
Abraham Hayter, Jr.
James (name illegible)
Solomon Litton
James Fullen
Alexander McFarland
William Preece
Joel Barker
Drury Puckett
Dale Barga (?)
Michel Allerd
James Price
Simeon Preston?
John Borum
Samuel Ritchie
William Crabtree
John Garrison
Jeremiah Puckett
James Jackson
Meshack Stacy
Alexander Martin
William Gilmore
Andrew Colvill


     Historical Sketches of Southwest Virginia, published by the Historical Society of Southwest Virginia, publication 13 - 1979, pages 26 to 30