The Pauley Indian Massacre

Probably one of the most interesting Pauley stories, which is found in several versions and sources, is regarding the capture by Indians of John Pauley and his family and James and Margaret Handley Pauley. It is not presently known where John and James fall into my family tree or what became of the surviving child. Here is the story from the Handley Family website. “Margaret Handley, born February 28, 1753, married James Pauley on October 1, 1777. In the fall (September 23 by one report) of 1779 the Pauley party, consisting of John Pauley, wife and child, Captain James Pauley, Margaret and child, Mr. Wallace, and Brice Miller left Handley’s Fort near Union in Monroe County to go to Kentucky. They followed the trail down by Wood’s Fort, to New River, crossed the river near the mouth of Rich Creek, and were overtaken by the Indians about five miles from the mouth of East River near the present site of the town of Princeton, West Virginia. John Pauley, Mr. Wallace and the two children were killed. Margaret was dragged from her horse and knocked senseless by an Indian club and Captain James Pauley was mortally wounded. Believing that his wife and child were murdered, James Pauley, although mortally wounded, made his way back to Wood’s Fort, where he died the next day of his wounds. Margaret was taken to the Indian towns on the Miami, where she was adopted by Chief White Bark. A short time after she was taken prisoner, she had another child, John Pauley. She and her child were released and they returned to Union, Virginia, around 1785. A short time later she married Tridly Michael Erskine of Union, Virginia. He was a delegate to the Virginia State Assembly in the 1819-1820 term. He also served as a captain in the military. Margaret died June 3, 1842. Margaret and Tridly are buried in the Union Cemetery at Union, West Virginia.”  Union is in Monroe County, West Virginia, which is on the Virginia/West Virginia border, west northwest of Roanoke, VA. It is possible that James and John are brothers and the sons of Joseph I. Polley, son of Edward Polly, making them the brothers of my 4th great grandfather Jonathan but more research is needed to confirm this.