The Ferrells were considered to be wealthy land owners and influential people in their time. Valentine was a work hand for the Ferrell family when he met Amanda and the two of them fell in love.

Valentine and Amanda were married young, she about fifteen and he about eighteen. Amanda's parents were much opposed to the marriage so they ran away to get married. The story goes that the Ferrells put all of Amanda's possessions outside the home and both were told that they were disowned by the Ferrell family and that they were never to come back. It is not known if the Ferrells gave Amanda anything before she left, but it is known that Richard Ferrells will, probated in Russell County, Virginia, on 4 Mar 1862 stated that in addition to what had already been given, Amanda and four of her sisters were to receive one dollar and no more.

The young couple started across the Mountain from Virginia to Pruden, Tennessee to where some of their relatives lived. When it became dark and they could find no place to sleep, Amanda took off her worsted petticoat and filled it with leaves and they lay down in the woods to sleep. Oh, the love of a new bride and groom. The lonely woodland was probably never so blessed with so sweet a bride and groom. Amid all the splendor of nature, there slept those two noble ones, at the beginning of a life together.

Amanda's wealthy parents never forgave her for marrying a poor boy. But her descendants are so glad she obeyed her young heart!

After being in Tennessee almost two years, Valentine enlisted in the Union Army at Tazewell, Claiborne County, Tennessee, on 9 Aug 1861, and mustered in at Barbourville, Kentucky, on 17 Aug 1861. He served as a Private in Company C of the first Regiment of East Tennessee Volunteers, also known as the First East Tennessee Infantry Regiment. The First Regiment served most of the time with 2nd Infantry Regiment. They took part in skirmishes at Cumberland Gap and occupied the area for a time; The first regiment was also involved in the Battle of Murfreesboro (Battle of Stone's River) in TN. Valentine was musterted out of the First Regiment of Tennessee Infrantry at Nashville, Tennessee, on 17 Sep 1864.

Valentine's grandsons have told the story about how their grandfather and other Union Troops took a Rebel Riverboat by surprise, near Chattanooga, Tennessee. They overpowered the Rebel's quietly, with axes, and set the riverboat adrift and on fire.

While Valentine served in the Army. Amanda kept things going at home. A story has been handed down about the time that a soldier arrived at Amanda's home during the period of time that her husband was away. Amanda feared rape, physical abuse and perhaps robbery, so she grabbed an axe and hit the intruder over the head and left him badly injured on the ground and possibly dead. However, the soldier didn't die and was able to crawl away, but she saw him again.

Valentine and Amanda went to what was later called Bostic's Mountain in Virginia. (An area on Cooper's Ridge in the Clearfork Valley, and it was accessible from Valley Creek and Straight Creek. The TVA Map of this part of Claiborne County, Tennessee, shows a Bostic Cemetery; This is where Valentine and Amanda are buried.

They worked hard and in a few short years owned the whole mountain. The mountains were covered with big beautiful thick timber and under the ground was coal. Valentine said there was enough coal in the ground to make all his family wealthy. Valentine and Amanda died only three days apart. It was thought by some, that they were poisoned.(This was during the time when the land companies were trying to buy property in the Valley.) Valentine had acquired considerable acreage; in excess of 1,000 acres. Some of the deeds were never registered at the County seat of Claiborne County. It is said that the land company representatives tricked some of the land owners out of their property because they could not read or write, and a land owner might think he was signing a right-of-way for moving logs, when in reality he was signing over the deed to his property. Their wealth fell into the hands of relatives, Maynard King and Lee Bostic. Valentine and Amanda died leaving eight children. Henry, the oldest helped to raise the younger children. (Some of the above stories are handed over the years and part was written by Paul Bostic.)