Middleburg the Oldest Settlement, Cont»d p-2-
while he and George Braiming were crossing the creek. Mr. Beasley*s horse
had stopped to drink, and an Indian hiding at the edge of the water shot him
with an arrow and killed him. Branning was not harmed as he was the Interpreter
for the Indians.
Boll Creek was named for a settler hy the name of Bui man who was killed hy
the Indians while he was plowing.
Tears later a boarding house at Balden was managed by an old woman by the
name of Snowden. She was the delight of the children because she wore a wig.
She had been scalped, when the Showden home had been attacked by the Indians.
Mr. Snowden had been killed, Mr*. Snowden had been shot through the side and
hand and her children were taken by the heels and slung against the trees.
Mrs. Snowden was left to die, but was found by the white men that were tracking
the Indians.
These first settlers lived on wild meat and rice which they beat in a mortar.
On night George Branning, one of the oldest settlers, and his two brothers,
Bill and Bob, were eating supper by their camp fire, when an Indian shot an
arrow from across the Creek and killed Bob. The other brothers then threw
water on the fire, so they could not be seen.
One of the battles of the Civil War was fought between Green Cove Springs
and Middleburg, three and one-half miles east of the old town. It was called
the battle of Tiger Head. Cep tain Dicklson, it is said, was leading the Con¬
federate soldiers. The Yankees won the fight, and among the southern soldiers
that they captured was Wash Branning. He was to be shot in front of Mrs.
Bill Knight •* house. There were two Knight girls, Sue and Hhoda. The Yankee
guard allowed Branning to go to the door of the Knight house to give Sue his
old-fashioned gold watch. He handed it to her, jumped the high gate, tore