They were given self-descriptive names like Minute Men of the Cove, The Hopewell Rifles and The Chicken Raiders and while hesitant to go into war, these hundreds of men from Blair and Bedford counties turned out in full force when the soldiers flexed muscle to the south and east.

While the Morrisons Cove residents showed up to build the mountain gap fortifications known as Wilkinson Forts named for Woodbury resident John Wilkinson, who supervised construction, interest waned when it came to manning the potential access points.

This chore likely would result in physical contact and the takin...