Indian Attack

To the east, on Dogue Neck, "Certain Unknown Indians" attacked the house of Thomas Barton about 3:00 P.M. on Sunday, 16 June 1700, killing eight persons with "arrowes & Wooden Tommahawkes." The neighboring Piscataway Indians denied making the attack and blamed the Wittowees. The Indians involved probably were angered by colonial encroachment on their land and may have been encouraged by the French. Lt. Col. George Mason wrote Gov. Francis Nicholson that "this murder was the Horrablest that ever was" in present-day Fairfax Co., then part of Stafford Co. Mason increased the number of militia patrols, but the Indians escaped.