Author: Roger Thomas Johnson
My name is Roger Thomas Johnson and I am the eighth generation descendant of Captain John Cox who served in the Regulators during the Revolutionary War.

Prior to the Revolutionary War, in February of 1756, Delaware Indians attacked and burned his family home near McDowell's Mill, in what is now Franklin County Pennsylvania. John and his older brother Richard were taken prisoners. John Craig, their brother-in-law was also captured while trying to rescue John and Richard. After many months of hardship and starvation, all three escaped in August of 1756.

After this ordeal, John Cox, his brothers David and Joshua and John Craig, migrated to Virginia. They fought in the French and Indian Wars from 1756 to 1763 and qualified for land grants for their services. They took the land grants near the New River in Virginia on the border of North Carolina. During the Revolutionary war John Cox built and commanded a fort on the New River. He and his brother David fought in the battle of King’s Mountain and John was wounded at Whitsell’s Mill.

Between 1777 and 1783 he obtained land grants in Wilkes County North Carolina, near the present town of Scotsville. He died in 1818 and was buried on his land near Scotsville.

Another notable ancestor is Dr. Arabas B. Cox who wrote “Footprints in the Sands of Time: A history of Southwestern Virginia and Northwestern, North Carolina.” It contains an account of the battle of King’s Mountain, has recently been reprinted and can be found in it’s entirety at new river notes.com. Thank you very much for your time.