Hawkins county suffered much less from Indian depredations than some othr sections of the State. A few instances of massacres and robberies are mention by Haywood, but most of these occurred in what is now Hancock County. the comparative immunity of this section from Indian attacks was due partly to the position of the county and partly to the vigilance of the settlers, who had taken eveyr precaution for the protection of themselves and families. The Indians made several incursions into Carter’s Valley, but finding the people in the forts and prepared for them they retreated without doing serious damage. On one occasion the families that had gathered into the fort at Big Creek, because greatly in need of salt, and a young man, Joab Mitchell, volunteered to go and and procure a supply. While upon his return he was attacked by a part of Cherokees and mortally wounded. He succeeded, however, in reaching the fort, and his remains were interred in that depression which has since borne the name of Mitchell’s Hollow. In December, 1787, William english was killed by the Indians, and two of his children carried into captivity. The county court records of 1790 contained the following entry: "Whereas it has been represented to the court by Thomas King, that Matthew English and Elizabeth English, orphan children of William English, who was taken and killed by the Indians in December, 1787, at which time the aforesaid children were carried into captivity by the Indians, supposed to be of the Wyandotte nation, and are yet in captivity. Thomas King therefore represents that the said orphans might be recovered if there was property sufficient for that purpose. Ordered by the court that James blair and William Patterson do receive from the said Thomas King or from any other person the property belonging to the estate of the said William English, and the same apply as they shall think best for the redemption of the said orphans, and Thomas King was discharged therupon of said property.