Name: Isaac Crabtree
Given Name: Isaac
Birth: 21 Aug 1757 in Deer Creek, Baltimore (Hartford) County, Maryland
Death: 5 Mar 1849 in Clinton County, Kentucky
Event: Revolutionary War
Change Date: 12 Aug 2010 at 19:37
Isaac was a member of the House of Representatives. ISAAC CRABTREE, served in the Virginia Militia as did his brothers. In 1773 he was the lone survivor of the James Boone Massacre. A small group of settlers led by Daniel Boone's son, James, was attacked by Indians. This attack convinced Daniel Boone to postpone his settling Kentucky until the Indians became less hostile.
Fought in the war of 1812
Census: 1776 Spy and Indian Scout in Revolution. 1773 only white man who escaped Shawnee Indian Massacre. 1803: in the first group selected as Wayne Co. trustees. 1806: Elected as Rep. to Ky. Legislature. 1878 Resident at Boonsborough.
Event: Land 1780 in Most Daniel Boone biographies. In September of 1773, Daniel Boone with his family and his brother Squire Boone.
Isaac became a Longhunter and was seen in the company of the famous pioneer Daniel Boone on hunting expeditions.
Isaac and Negro slave were the only survivors of the Indian Massacre in Lee Co. Va in 1773. Isaac Crabtree. once lived in Pulaski Co. in the early days (1799-1800). While still a teenager, Isaac almost caused an Indian war on the Virginia frontier. The Governor of Virginia offered a reward of $50 for Isaac's arrest. Isaac was born in 1757 on the banks of Deer Creek in Baltimore County, Maryland to William and Hannah (Whitaker) Crabtree III. In approximately 1758, William Crabtree III moved his large family down the Valley of Virginia into Bedford County where they lived on Cub Run and Maggotty Creek. By 1772, they had moved to the vicinity of what was known as Wolf Hills (now Abingdon). The family lived on the "Big Salt Lick" or "Big Lick" which was later to become Saltville and presently lies in the County of Smyth. In those days, it was in Washington County, Isaac became a Longhunter and was seen in the company of the famous pioneer Daniel Boone on hunting expeditions. In Sept. of 1773, Daniel Boone, with his family, his brother Squire Boone, and a number of other families an hunting companions, set out for Kentucky from Castle's Woods in Washington Co. Virginia. Running low on supplies, Daniel sent his son, James Boone, and two other young men back to Castle's Woods to obtain more supplies. There, they obtained the supplies and picked up several more traveling companions, two of whom were Isaac Crabtree and his brother John Crabtree. They camped for the night on the banks of Wallen Creek, only about two miles, from Boone's main encampment, not realizing that they were so close to the others. As dawn came on Oct. 10, 1773 a party of Indians swooped down upon the unsuspecting men. They tortured and killed all but one slave who hid in a wood pile, and Isaac who managed to escape. Isaac was hit in the back with an arrow as he awoke and fled into the woods. His brother also was wounded as he fled. John Crabtree was never seen again. Isaac wondered for three days until he finally made his way back to Castle's Woods. This incident haunted Isaac for months and his grief and hatred for the Indians increased. The next spring, during a festival held at Sycamore shoals in what is now Jonesboro, Tennessee in which the whites intended to sign a treaty with the Cherokee, Isaac shot and killed Cherokee Billy, the nephew of one of the Chiefs. Isaac later stated that he recognized Cherokee Billy as one of his assailants at the massacre. The "infamous" act almost caused a war on the Virginia frontier with the Indians. In the Draper Manuscripts, there are quite a few references to this shooting, although in most instances, Isaac is shown in a bad light. Isaac continued solitary hunting expeditions against the Indians. In July of 1774 he stood trial for this killing, but was never convicted. During Dunmore's War, he served under Capt. James Thompson against the Indians.
In 1775 he scouted in Kentucky and was at Boonsbrough for a time. He returned to Virginia, where he enlisted in the army during the Revolutionary War. He served under Captain Aaron Lewis and Capt. James Thompson. Isaac “guarded the frontiers against the Indians" who were allied with the British. He and several of his brothers were in the Cherokee Expedition in Sept. of 1776, known as Christian's Campaign. The militia marched to the Cherokee towns in Tennessee, destroyed them and burned crops, and scattered the Cherokee warriors.
He and his company of militia under Colonel Daniel Smith were attacked at Glade Hollow Fort in 1778. Isaac gives an account of this attack in his Revolutionary War Pension application. It is also believed that Isaac may have been at the Siege of Boonesborough after he was discharged from the army. There are evidences that he was there, although some believe that the Crabtree who was there may have been Isaac's brother, William. "Crabtree" is said to have been one of the men who met with the Indians outside of the fort and who "shook them off like little children" when they were betrayed and attacked.
From there, Isaac moved to the "old settlement of Kentucky" where he lived on Upper Howards Creek in Clark County and served as Captain of the 17th Regiment of Militia. Isaac was there from 1794 through 1799 according to Clark County, Kentucky tax lists. In 1799, he moved to the area now part of Wayne County, Kentucky. He owned land in what was then Cumberland County, Kentucky and PULASKI County, Kentucky. Isaac is found on the 1799 Cumberland County tax lists with his brother Abraham Crabtree who owned land on Bear Creek and Sulphur Creek (Abraham moved back to Virginia where he died in 1838). Isaac owned land adjoining Joshua Jones in Elk Spring Valley (now Wayne County, then Pulaski County).
Pulaski County Court Orders dated 24 Sept 1799 state:
"On motion of Joshua Jones for leave to erect a dam in the Elk Spring Valley, he owning the land on one side there of the stream and Isaac Crabtree and Robert Beaty the proprietors of the land on the opposite side against which the said Joshua Jones wishes to abut his dam..."
Joshua Jones built a mill there. He also built an iron furnace or "bloomery" at a site called "Furnace Mountain". Isaac Crabtrees owned land adjoining Joshua Jones Furnace. A number of references are found in Wayne County records which mention the "furnace by Isaac Crabtree". Furnace Mountain still bears that name. It is only about a mile from Monticello, Kentucky to the west.
Isaac became one of the first Trustees of Monticello and helped in laying out the town. In 1806, he was elected to the Kentucky State Legislature as a Representative from Wayne County. In approximately 1816, Isaac moved south to Tennessee where he owned land in Roane County (now Morgan County) on Clear Fork of the Emery River (1817 survey). From there he moved to Overton County, Tennessee where he lived until about 1839. In Overton County, he received a number of Tennessee land grants. In 1839, Isaac, having become "old and feeble" returned to Wayne County, Kentucky where he lived with his son, John Crabtree, on Hancock's Fork of the Cumberland River. They were actually living in Clinton County, Kentucky on the Wayne County line near Poplar Mountain.
Note from Dianne Kimbler
Isaac and a Negro slave were the only survivors of the Indian Massacre in Lee County, VA in 1773 that also took the life of one of Daniel Boone's sons.
Isaac served in the Revolutionary War as a scout and spy. Isaac enlisted in 1775 and served under Captains Aaron Lewis, John Montgomery, and James Crabtree, also Colonel's Russell and Daniel Smith.
In 1832 Isaac applied for a pension.
1776-6 months, Private under Capt. John Montgomery, Col. Russell's Reg. against Cherokee Indian towns.
1777-4 months, Private, Spy Capt. James Crabtree's Co.
1780-4 months, Spy, Capts. John Kincaid & James Thompson, & Col. Daniel Smith. Also, several short tours and guarding of the frontier.
TN Pension Roll of 1835
$53.33 ANNUAL ALLOWANCE
$159.99 AMOUNT RECEIVED
DECEMBER 17, 1833 PENSION STARTED
Biography of Isaac Crabtree
Contributed by LaVelda Faull , Jan 2000
Father: William Crabtree b: 22 Dec 1726 in Baltimore County, Maryland
Mother: Hannah Whitaker b: 26 Mar 1729 in Kingsville, Baltimore, Maryland
Elizabeth 'Sally' Pike b: Abt 1757 in Hartford County, Maryland
- Change Date:
25 Sep 2005
- Squire Crabtree b: Abt 1781 in Virginia
- Rees 'Rhesa' Crabtree b: Abt 1783 in Virginia
- Jacob N. Crabtree b: Aft 1784
- John Whitaker Crabtree b: 7 Apr 1786 in Virginia
- William Humderston Crabtree b: Abt 1790
- Elizabeth Crabtree b: 1 Aug 1790 in Virginia
- Isaac Chrisman Crabtree b: Aft 1792
- Mark Crabtree b: Abt 1794
- Job Crabtree b: Abt 1796 in Virginia
- James Crabtree b: Abt 1798