The text on the McConnell grant indicated that he had had some sort of relationship to the tract of land across State 80 to the west. That specific tract of land was never granted by the Commonwealth of Virginia to McConnell. There is also mentioned in the text of George McConnell’s grant LO 50–341 that Solomon Litton had had some sort of attachment to land south of the George McConnell track in the southwestern corner of that intersection. Neither McConnell or Litton ever received grants for the land in the southwestern corner of the intersection.  This situation usually meant that these men had registered surveys for these properties, and may have actually lived there, but had not used the surveys to get land grants. 

The story of Solomon Litton is illustrative of the then current events on the local frontier. Litton was part of the original garrison at the Elk Garden Fort. In 1780 he and a fellow militiamen from Elk Garden Fort, John Duncan, were dispatched to do duty on the Kentucky frontier, where they were captured by British led Indians, and forced to walk 300 miles to Detroit. There Litton was given as a slave to an Indian named Big Fish, and was taken to an Indian village about 20 miles north of Detroit. 

From his captivity in Michigan in 1781 Litton wrote his family in Elk Garden the following letter:   

 “To my Kinsmen at ye Fort Elk Garden in ye Washington County Virginia, John Litton, Father and James McLaughlin, Brother-in-law. Explaining my long absence of communicay due to being taken from the tilling of my field, by several breeds of savages on ye 26 June 1780 as a captive of the Shawnee’s commanded by British Gen. Harry Bird, under His Majesty out of ye Canada. My family all were marched a foot, 300 miles to ye Fort Detroit where I was sold to a savage called Big Fish as a slave, is my reason. I have been seperated from my family not knowing whence they were being held. I am fearful of their demise? 

“The urgency of this dispatch, if delivered, to have you take power of attorney to save and secure my property together with that of Capt. John Duncan, also a prisoner of the enemy in ye Canada, from seizure by ye Commonwealth of Virginia before taxes. I had in ye spring marked out 400 acres joining Fran Berry ye Copper’s Creek near ye Fort Martin. I am now fearful of sustaining it due to my absence. Present this dispatch to ye Attorney at Law all at Abington or Blaksfort and take whatever steps needed to secure our states there. 

“Ruddles and Martin's forts were cannon balled and after surrender most inhabitants were massacred. Brains of infants on trees, some crushed under cart wheels. Ye older inhabited were gutted and drawn to the pleasure of ye spectators. Ye lasses were raped and scalped by ye savages. Fort burned and stock and fowl slaughtered. A horrible massacre not yet equaled in this country. On ye 27th June we marched down ye Licking 70 miles to ye big Miami (down the Ohio) thence, up ye Miami to ye head of, thence overland 18 miles ye Glaise (Auglaize) thence down it ye Lake Erie, put aboard ye boat Goge, floated across ye River Detroit thence put    ... Continued, Page 10