The Longhunters: Where were they from 1755 to 1768?

Here's a bit of a mystery that requires some research...where were the Long Hunter Skaggs from 1755 to 1768?  We have deeds, land surveys and road construction orders involving James Skaggs Sr., the father of the Long Hunters, from the late 1740s to 1754 in Augusta County, Virginia.  Then a gap of silence until 1769 when James Sr. appears on two deeds with sons Henry and James Jr.  Why the information gap from 1755 to 1768?

James Skaggs Sr., father of the famous Long Hunter brothers, settled in the New River area of what was then Augusta County, Virginia in the 1740s.  The following road order was in Augusta County in 1746:

19 November 1746: "The second road was ordered from Adam Harmon's on the New River, to the north branch of Roanoke, with these workers: George Draper, Israel Lorton and son, George Harmon, Thomas Looney, Jacob Harmon and three sons, Jacob Castle, John Lane, Valentine Harmon, Adren Moser, Humberston Lyon, James Skaggs, Humphrey Baker, John Davis, Frederick Sterling and his two sons."

Other records for James Skaggs include:

• The Augusta County, Virginia Will Book, volume 1, pages 276-278 notes that Thomas Ingles, James Scaggs and Ebeneezer Westcoat appraised the inventory of the estate of John Elswick and provided a report to the court on 28 November 1750. (Note: John Elswick was Archibald Thompson's father-in-law)
• The Augusta County, Virginia Deed Book, volume 3, pages 225-228 show that on 29 May 1751 Francis Reiley sold 100 acres in Augusta County on the Little River branch of Wood's River (a.k.a. New River) to James Skaggs.
• Augusta County, Virginia Surveyor's Records, volume 1, page 52 contains a survey for James Skaggs 82 acres of land in Augusta County lying on a branch of Meadow Creek, a branch of the New River, part of James Patton's order of Council 26 March 1751.
• The Augusta County, Virginia Deed Book, volume 6, pages 98-101 show that on 11 January 1754 James Ratlive sold 104 acres in Augusta County on the Meadow Creek branch of  New River to James Skaggs.

Then all is quiet for the Skaggs family in Augusta County until these records in 1769:

• The Augusta County, Virginia Deed Book, volume 16, pages 51-53 show that on 25 April 1769 James Skaggs Sr. and wife Rachel sold 100 acres on Little River branch of  New River to Henry Skaggs.  Witnesses: William Preston, Richard Whitt, James Skaggs, John Skaggs, Israel Christian, William Ingles and James Buchanan.

More:

• The Augusta County, Virginia Deed Book, volume 16, pages 48-51 show that on 26 April 1769 James Skaggs Sr. and wife Rachel sold 104 acres in Augusta County on the Meadow Creek branch of  New River to James Skaggs Jr.  Witnesses: William Preston, Richard Whitt, James Skaggs, John Skaggs, Israel Christian and William Ingles.

Why don't we have Skaggs records in Augusta County between 1755 and 1768?  We don't know for sure but here's some evidence:

The Archibald Thompson Diary: Archibald Thompson's sisters were married to Henry and Charles Skaggs.  On page 46 of his diary, Archibald Thompson wrote:

"Farewell to sweet Ireland wherein I was bred. (fancy scroll over and above the word Ireland)
Archibald Thompson
Maryland and Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia"

On page 79 he wrote:

"North Carolina
When midday storms are gone
and pasd Shall pleasant calm appear"

On page 5 Archibald Thompson wrote down the following birthdays:

Archibald Skaggs son of Charles and Lucy his wife was Born the 3 of January 1759
Rachel Skaggs daughter of Charles and Lucy his wife was Born the last day of August 1761
Nancy Skaggs was Born April the 22 1763
frederick Skaggs was born the 11th of December 1764
Mary Skaggs was Born September the 16th of September 1767
​Thomas Skaggs was Born December 16 1769

Those birthdays would likely have been when Archibald Thompson and Charles Skaggs were residing in the same general area since it appears that Archibald was recording these birthdays for posterity.

Archibald Skaggs in his 1832 pension attestation stated that he was born the 1st of January 1759 in South Carolina and "my parents moved to Virginia in Halifax County then moved to Little River near New River then Botetourt County, Virginia and afterwards Montgomery County..." The North and South Carolina border was uncertain in the backwoods counties at that time so I would consider what Archibald Skaggs attested consistent with Archibald Thompson's account.

On page 24 Archibald Thompson describes one of these moves:

February 2d 1769 I Removed my Self & family from Catherwood Creek in pitsylvinia County up to the Mountains on the head of Smiths River in the Same County & mad (made) 4 crops there
Archd. Thompson

More on page 25:

March 26, 1773 I Removed my family from the head of Smith River over the mountain to the mouth of Indian Creek & Cropt There with John Elswick & Jonathan one year then Removed up to Nathaniel Finches plantation October 1773 and lived there five years and then Removed my family to Henery Skaggs plantation [Montgomery VA] february ye 20th 1778 then Cropt there two years then Removed to Mr Edmond Vancils plantation made one Crop there 1781 and Removed my family to the head of the Shugar Run the last day of December 1781

Once again, I think Archibald Thompson's account is consistent with that of Archibald Skaggs.  So it's likely the Skaggs and Thompson families were moving together during this time period.

I currently believe that it's likely that the Skaggs family evacuated New River for somewhere in the Carolinas, likely near the North and South Carolina border.  When might this evacuation have occurred?  Archibald Thompson gives us a clue on page 102 of his diary:

June 1755 New River Brokeup
July 9th 1755 Brave Bradak Defatted Sertifyd (symbol) a true Copy
(symbol) Me Archibald Thompson

D 1755 (very small 1755 written within a double line)
(just below double line is a drawing which appears to be a branch with leaves staggered on either side of the stalk, with three curvy double lines flowing from end of bough)

​December ye 1st 1759 We was Discharged out of the Second Battallion of the Virginia Ridgement By an Act of Asembly From under the Comd of Col pechua and Capt Trockmorton and Lieut Richardson

Colonel William Peachey was commander of the 2nd Battalion of Virginia militia during the French and Indian War.  A letter from George Washington, then commander of the Virginia militia, to William Peachey is here.

Once again, I currently think it was likely that the Draper's Meadows Massacre was the trigger for the 1755 evacuation of New River settlements to safer areas.  The Skaggs family likely evacuated with Skaggs men joining the Virginia militia to fight the French and Indians.