Spouse: Richard "Fightin' Dick" COLLEY. Richard "Fightin' Dick" COLLEY and Lucrethia Cristinia"Crissa" COUNTS were married on May 17, 1813 in Russell Co., VA. Source:
Tom Colley
394 County Road 262
Hanceville, Alabama
35077-7302

E-mail: tcolley@@cneti.com


4 Richard Colley #777 (3.Thomas3, 2.Thomas2, 1.Thomas1) b.
cir 1793, Virginia, County of: Washington, Bur: Mullins Cemetery, m.
May 17,1813, Lucrethia Cristinia (Crissa) Counts #833, b. Dec 11,1793,
Cleveland, Virginia, County of: Russell, (daughter of John Counts Jr.
#843 and Margaret (Peggy) Kelly #844) S(C14, Bur: Colley Cemetery, d.
Dec 6,1855, Sand Lick, Virginia. Richard died Mar 16,1858, Grassy
Creek, Bucanan County, Virginia.13 Richard Colley: #777

Richard Colley first appears as a head of household in the 1820
Census of Virginia, he is a resident of the Lebanon District of
Russell County. Richard was known as "Fighting Dick Colley" and was
the first permanent settler of the Dickenson County territory. He
served in the War of 1812. He was a noted hunter and farmer and lived
most of his life near Sandlick. Sources describe him as "a medium
sized man with square shoulders; fast tempered, hard drinking and hard
fighting." Living in his household in the 1850 Russell County,
Virginia Census was: Elizabeth Ramey (age 14), Harvey Ramey (age 7),
Catherine Colley(age 8), Jefferson Pressley (age 4), and Joshua
Pressley (age 2). Richard is listed as age 54 and a farmer, the value
of real estate owned was listed as $400.00 in 1850.

"SOME DESCENDANTS OF JOHN COUNTS OF GLADE HOLLOW" By: Sutherland
(p185) states that the children listed in the above Census are
"Grandchildren reared by Richard and Christina" and also that "Harvey
later took the Colley name." The 1850 Census also states that
Elizabeth Ramey was born in Kentucky; the other children were born in
Russell County, Virginia. Census also notes Catherine Colley is
"Deaf."

Richard served with Capt George Kindrick's Infantry Co., 72nd. Reg..

Estate recorded Russell County, Virginia Will Book 7, p 187-8,214.

10 Dec 1859; Russell County, Virginia; Inventory of Richard Colley's
estate by Drewry Puckett, Andrew Owens, Harvey Deel & James Sutherland
[WB 7:187] Sale bill of same [WB 7:188]; Estate Settlement [WB 7:214]
Lucrethia: Christinia Colly died at age 61y 11m 25d in Russell County,
Virginia; d/o John & Margaret Counts; death reported by husband,
Richard Colley.[Ln 27 of 1855; Register of Deaths].
Children:
16.iJames Colley #834 b. Mar 1,1815.
17.iiMary Anne (Pop) Colley #872 b. Sep 4,1816.
18.iiiJoshua Colley #853 b. cir 1819.
19.ivJohn Colley #873 b. cir 1820.
20.vMatilda Colley #874 b. cir 1822.
21.viMargaret Jane (Pud) Colley #875 b. cir 1827.
22.viiSarah (Sap) Colley #876 b. cir 1829.



Prior to marriage, Dick Colley was the caretaker of a large boundary of mountain land belonging to Andrew Hebern at Sandlick, to which they moved and made their home. Here in the midst of the Sandy Basin wilderness they became the first permanent settlers in what is now Dickenson Co. Dick literally blazed a trail from the Clinch Settlements across Sandy Ridge and through a virgin wilderness fifty miles to the very border of Kentucky, and made his indelible mark as a community builder during its catalysmic change from a wilderness to a farming community. He was the moving force that secured the first public road to Sandlick. He owned and operated the first water mill in that section. In 1852, he was appointed one of the commissioners to divide Russell County into eight voting districts, and his home was established as one of the two voting places in the 4th (Sandlick) district. He did not perfect title to any land, but his sons owned many thousand acres in this section which he settled and helped to improve. In 1936, Hawk Fuller [E548], remembered his grandfather, "Fightin' Dick", as "medium sized, not large, but big square shoulders, bald-headed and smooth shaven." In a biography (Some Sandy Basin Characters - 1962) EJS stated: "Dick Colley was strong of limb, heart and temper. It took all that to conquer the wilderness. No one ever questioned his bravery, nor did anyone who ever felt the wallop of his bruising fist soon forget its crushing power. His hot temper, often unleashed and terrible, swung him from one personal encounter into another with his neighbors ... He was often wobbly with hard liquor, his heart and strength carried him through ... It seemed that he had more fights with John Fuller than any other man ... One day they met in the woods, and as usual got into a quarrel. John managed to get the first blow which knocked Dick almost unconscious. While Dick lay on the ground, John danced around him singing ...

'Poor old Dick he died of late;
Straightway he went to Heaven's gate.
There he met the Devil with a club,
And drove him back to Beezlebub!'

By the time John had finished his song Dick felt he could handle him,
and got
up and won the fight."

He became a famous hunter and many thrilling tales about his hunting prowess are still recalled - the most famous being the time he killed a bear with his bare hands. He was a member of Capt. George Kendrick's Company of Infantry, 72nd Reg, in Russell Co., and was called into active service on Feb 4 1815, but the war of 1812 soon ended and he saw no further active service. He died while visiting his son Joshua on Grassy Creek and is buried there in the Mullins Graveyard. Christinia preceded her husband in death and is buried in the Colley Graveyard at Sandlick, just opposite the mouth of Lick Creek. - Some Descendants of John Counts of Glade Hollow by Elihu Jasper Sutherland Children were: James COLLEY, Mary Anne "Pop" COLLEY, Joshua "Josh" COLLEY, John COLLEY, Matilda COLLEY, Sarah "Sap" COLLEY, Margaret Jane "Pud" COLLEY.

Spouse: William James KEITH. William James KEITH and Malissa Elizabeth COUNTS were married on Apr 7, 1834 in Saint Genevieve County, Missouri.²⁰⁹ Children were: James Peter KEITH, Rebecca Elizabeth KEITH, Nancy Agnes KEITH.

Spouse: Andrew WOODRUFF. Andrew WOODRUFF and Malissa Elizabeth COUNTS were married on Mar 11, 1858 in Harmony Township, Washington County, Missouri.²⁰⁹

Spouse: Emberson Green BREWER. Emberson Green BREWER and Malissa Elizabeth COUNTS were married in 1822 in Tippah County, Mississippi.^209,346,347 Children were: Unknown BREWER, Unknown BREWER, Unknown BREWER, Unknown BREWER, Milicia "Malissa" BREWER, Unknown BREWER, Unknown BREWER, Malissa Ann BREWER, Durant Green BREWER, Unknown BREWER.

Spouse: Living.

Spouse: John SINGLETON. John SINGLETON and Margaret COUNTS were married about 1780.⁷⁰

Spouse: Zachariah KEITH. Zachariah KEITH and Margaret Peggy COUNTS were married on Jan 16, 1808 in Grainger County, Tennessee.^{209,211,212,213} Children were: Nicholas KEITH.

Spouse: John Nicholas SUMMER. John Nicholas SUMMER and Martha Elizabeth COUNTS were married on Mar 13, 1806 in Newberry District, Abbeville County, South Carolina.^82,693 Children were: Susannah SUMMER, Living, Living, Living, Jacob SUMMERS.

Spouse: Plesant Miller JOHNSON.

Spouse: Roy Hilton WRIGHT. Children were: Eugene "Gene" Ernest WRIGHT, Myrtle Mae WRIGHT, Living.

Spouse: Living.

Spouse: Unknown BOEN-BOWEN. Unknown BOEN-BOWEN and Mary COUNTS were married in 1798.²⁰⁹

Spouse: John Isaac MCDANIEL. John Isaac MCDANIEL and Mary Ann COUNTS were married on Jun 5, 1824 in Tippah County, Mississippi.²⁰⁹ Children were: James William MCDANIEL, Rebecca MCDANIEL, Rachel MCDANIEL, Margaret Greenfield MCDANIEL, Martha Ann MCDANIEL, Elizabeth MCDANIEL, Jackson Van Buren MCDANIEL, Sarah C. MCDANIEL, John B. MCDANIEL, William MCDANIEL, Isaac N. MCDANIEL.

Spouse: Henry Harrison KINARD. Henry Harrison KINARD and Mary Anna COUNTS were married about 1828 in South Carolina.⁸² Children were: Living, John Martin KINARD.

Spouse: Jacob Walter FULMER. Jacob Walter FULMER and Mary Magdalene "Molly" COUNTS were married about 1823.⁸²

Spouse: Henry SUMMER. Henry SUMMER and Mary Magdalene "Molly" COUNTS were married about 1813.⁸² Children were: Living, Living, Living.

Spouse: Jesse EVANS. Jesse EVANS and Nancy Ann COUNTS were married on Apr 20, 1825 in Countstown, Grainger County, Tennessee.^{209,211,213,694} Children were: David H. EVANS, James Madison EVANS, John W. EVANS, Sarah Jane EVANS, Summerfield EVANS, George EVANS, William EVANS, Rufus EVANS.