Human History: The Frenchman's Settlement
In May 1791, Pierre-Francois Tubeuf left
France to settle in the mountains of southwest Virginia. Although
he represented himself as a baron fleeing from the French Revolution,
Tubeuf was in fact a hard core capitalist who had already burned his
bridges in his home country. He had taken advantage of a
developing wood shortage to turn a profit on coal mines just outside
the capital, forcing the miners to work twelve to fourteen hour days
without leaving their posts even to relieve themselves. Tubeuf’s
tyranny over his workers finally led to an uprising in which the coal
baron was badly beaten, losing an eye and injuring an arm and
leg. The time had come to explore the New World.
Although Tubeuf
could not have known that his French coal operation would turn so
savage, he had still been planning ahead. Covering his bases, he
had bought the rights to 55,000 acres of land in what is now Wise
County and the surrounding area from a London-based speculator.
The speculator assured Tubeuf that his new land was full of coal seams.
However, the
speculator refrained from warning Tubeuf about the people who already
laid claim to the land --- folks who probably descended from American
Indians, Melungeons, and white settlers. These people had small
farms and settlements tucked into the mountains where they grazed cows
through the woods and broke their cornfields up into patches that were
less noticeable to the European settlers. The native people may
have also been snake handlers, rubbing their hands with crushed morning
glories so that the hallucinogenic juices made them feel invincible and
gave them the courage to grab onto live rattlesnakes.
Of all the
dangers in his new home, Tubeuf knew only of the snakes, tales about
which had spread quickly from North America. Poisonous snakes
terrified the coal baron, so he bought a special pair of boots reputed
to be impenetrable to snake bites. Then he gathered his older
son, his “niece” (who was later discovered to be his mistress), and his
household servants and set off to the New World. His wife, Marie,
was left in Paris, hostage to the creditors who had lent Tubeuf funds
for his ill-fated French mining operation.
Two years
later, Tubeuf finally reached Sugar Hill. In the intervening
period, he settled in Abingdon but was prevented from traveling to
“his” property by fear of American Indians. Once he felt safe
enough to do so, Tubeuf built a cabin atop Sugar Hill and proceeded to
survey the surrounding land. In the process, he worked hard to
eradicate other inhabitants, burning their corn fields and houses,
killing a neighbor’s cow, and sending armed servants to chase men,
women, and children through the woods.
The natives
retaliated, killing Tubeuf’s dogs, horses, and cows. Servants
were scared away by men “bearing vicious snakes in sacks”, and dead
rattlesnakes began to appear with regularity on the cabin’s
doorstep. But Tubeuf did not budge.
Finally, Tubeuf
was killed under mysterious circumstances on Election Day, 1795.
Two to twelve men --- who may have been white, American Indian, or
Melungeon --- clubbed Tubeuf to death, possibly injuring his family and
stealing his livestock. Half a dozen different accounts muddled
the tale. His son originally spoke of visiting horse-buyers
killing Tubeuf, then changed his story to include American
Indians. Tubeuf’s “niece” disappeared the day of his death, only
to show up forty years later with a grown son, who was reputed to be
Tubeuf’s bastard, along with a story of American Indians murdering the
child’s father. A neighbor went so far as to suggest that Tubeuf
was killed by “the long arm of his Jacobin enemies.” The mystery
remains unsolved.
Whatever the
manner of Tubeuf’s death, his work did not die with him. The
mixture of American Indians, Melungeons, and white settlers who once
farmed the land Tubeuf laid claim to were slowly assimilated into the
population and disappeared from public record --- folks were ashamed to
admit to non-white ancestors. The coal in Wise and surrounding
counties was mined. Only the Frenchman’s settlement fell into
disrepair and eventually crumbled until only a foundation and chimney
can be seen as you walk the trails of Sugar Hill.
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