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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 01836 8115
GC 976.801 H21BAA
History of -. Rlardin Gouarr TENNESSEEX
1
Former Resident Has Seen 1-20 Half Of Nation' History
He was a little more than a year old when the United States celebrated its Bicentennial in 1876.
Between then and now, 102-year-old Robert Fulton Brazelton has seen the unfolding of half the nation's history and has traveled over almost all the country.
Born in the Hurricane community between Milledgeville. and Saltillo on Nov. 24, 1874, Brazelton is the son of a Confederate Army captain and a first cousin of B. G. Brazelton, who wrote the 1885 "History of Hardin County".
At age 26, he moved to Arkansas, worked as a printer and farmer, rearing four sons and four daughters. In 1943, Brazelton moved to Akron, Ohio and worked four years before retiring.
He returned to work in 1950 when he began welding in a son's welding shop, retiring a second time in 1964 when he and his wife moved to Phoenix, Ariz.
Over the years, Brazelton has seen "just about every state in the union except for two or three little ones up in the Northeast. I. found out there's a whole lot of beautiful country in these United States-I've enjoyed so much beautiful stuff."
Although he is generally happy and healthy, Brazelton's ad- vancing years have chipped away bit by bit. His hearing isn't what it used to be and cataracts removed eight years ago severely limit his sight. A few months ago his wife died at age 91.
Brazelton is proud of his family, which has stretched to its fifth generation. He has eight children, nine grandchildren, 20 great- grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Awarded Made Dubin for his excellency in Spelling. driving school
tement ending August 217058
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Hardin's
DISTRICT MAP OF HARDIN COUNTY.
A HISTORY
OF
HARDIN COUNTY,
:
TENNESSEE.
BY B. G. BRAZELGON.
. NASHVILLE, TENN. : CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN PUBLISHING HOUSE. 1885.
4
~>PREFACE .~
IN the preparation of this little book our aim has been to present things in a style that would prove a source of pleasure to the young as well as to the old.
Notwithstanding the gathering up of the facts contained in this book has cost us some time and labor, yet it has proved a source of great pleasure.
We believe the youths of to-day should be made acquainted with the history of the County in which they live, as well as the State; and with this idea in view, we have been prompted to write the present work.
In order to appreciate fully the blessings and advantages of the present age, it is necessary to study the pages of history and compare past days with those in which we live. History points out the causes of improvement, and places the reader upon a mental platform from which he can view the actions of men of the past; it points out the past errors as a warning for the actions of the present; and it is also in itself a species of revelation, which shows that events, though they seem to be fraught with evil when they happen, beheld by the light of history in after-years, prove to have been kindest blessings in disguise.
We now present this little book to the readers of Hardin County, hoping that it will be gladly received; and if such be the case, our labor will not prove ineffectual.
B. G. B.
SALTILLO, TENN., 1885,
CONTENTS.
FRONTISPIECE-District Map of the County.
.. 5 PREFACE
PART I .- EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
CHAPTER I .- Introductory
9
CHAPTER II .- The Departure-On the Boat. 13
CHAPTER III .- The Trip by Land 15
CHAPTER IV .- Genealogy of the Settlers.
17
Death of John Brazelton
18
Separation of the Settlers-Others Come In First Mill-First Shop
19 20
Other Settlers.
21
CHAPTER V .- Amusements-First Man Killed 22
First Panther Killed 25
CHAPTER VI .- First Settlers of the West Side of the River
27
First House Built at Saltillo
Other Settlers.
Other Settlements.
Map of Hardin County in 1820
CHAPTER VII .- The First Court.
April Court.
July Court.
October Court.
CHAPTER VIII .- Court Proceedings, continued-First Cotton Gin -First Surveyor - First School-house-First Church-house- Death of James Hardin-First Hotel- First Steamboats-Settlement at Savan- nah-First Person Hung-The Two Par- ties-Settlement at Cerro Gordo-First Methodist Preacher 42
Hanging of Mrs. Hughes-First Methodist Church-First Physician 48
29 32 34 36 37 38 40 40
8
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IX .- Review.
53
Scholastic Population in 1839 55
PART II .- THE CIVIL WAR.
CHAPTER X .- Introductory Remarks. 58
The Beginning-Voting-Barbecue-Draft -Federal Gunboats-The Federal Army. 59
The Federal Army Moves to Savannah. 65
CHAPTER XI .- The Battle of Shiloh 67
First Day's Fight. 69
Map of the Battle-ground. 70
Second Day's Fight. 73
CHAPTER XII .- After the Battle.
74
The Drummer Boy of Shiloh 75
CHAPTER XIII .- Close of the War. 78
National Cemetery 81
PART III .- PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.
CHAPTER XIV .- The County in General 83
Timber
98
Wild Animals
98
Birds
99
Fish.
100
Domestic Animals
100
Ancient Earth-works. 100
CHAPTER XV .- Concluding Review
106
APPENDIX-Constitution of the State of Tennessee 111
Representatives of Hardin County in the
Lower House of the Legislature 134
Official Vote of Hardin County-1884 135
PARI FIRST.
Early Settlements.«
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
REVIOUS to the year 1815 the part of Tennessee now known as Hardin County had not been trod by the white man's foot, but here the wild Indians made their trails in search of fish and wild animals. Notwithstanding the plentifulness of game that was hunted and trapped for in this part of the State, we have no account of an Indian wigwam ever being seen in this region. The Indians that visited here lived in the middle part of the State, and came here only to load themselves with furs and wild flesh, and then return to their homes near Waynesboro, where many of them owned large farms.
10
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
Early settlers tell us that the bear, wolf, beaver, and other fur-bearing animals were very numerous. Wild turkeys, geese, ducks, and many other wild fowls were very plentiful and easily apprehended. O what a paradise for the savage man and a habi- tation for the wild animals!
But these things could not always remain so. There must be some one to till the soil in every land if possible. Savageness must give way before civilization; hunting-grounds and resorts of wild men and wild beasts must sooner or later be sur- rendered to civilized men to be converted into fields of profit.
In the year 1815 Col. Joseph Hardin, with a surveyor and chain-carriers, came down from Roane County, Tennessee, selected and surveyed two thousand acres of land on the east side of the Tennessee River, south of Cerro Gordo. The north-west corner of this land was at the mouth of the Mill Branch, which empties into the river be- tween the ferryboat and steamboat landings at the above-named town. After he had located his land, Col. Hardin cut his name on a birch- tree that stood on the bank of the river at the
11
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
1
mouth of Swift Creek, and returned to his home in Roane County with no intention of ever settling in the region now known as Hardin County him- self, but only selected this land for his children.
Col. Hardin served as colonel through the Rev- olutionary War, for which service he received a land warrant calling for two thousand acres, which he laid in Hardin County.
This old man, after whom Hardin County was named, had seven sons- James, Gipson, Amos, Benjamin, Robert, Second Ben, and Second Bob -and one daughter-Margaret-who was mar- ried to Ninnean Steele before he came to this county.
The First Ben and Bob were killed by the In- dians when they were quite young. Afterward two more sons were born, and were named Second Ben and Second Bob, after their brothers that were killed. The First Ben and Bob were out playing in the woods when the Indians came on them. Ben was taken prisoner, but Bob outran the Indian, and was shot dead. Soon after Col. Hardin bought Ben back from the Indians, and he stayed at home about two years and ran away, and
1
12 HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
as he was never heard of, he was supposd to have been killed by the Indians.
Let us now turn to the next chapter, and see the first move made to establish a colony in Hardin County by the Hardins, Brazeltons, and Goodens.
--
CHAPTER II.
THE DEPARTURE-ON THE BOAT.
COMPANY of four families, numbering twenty-six men, women, and children, began preparing to leave for a better land in the spring of 1816. Part of the com- pany was to travel through by land, while a few were to go down the river on a boat, and take their goods and provisions to last them for one year.
About the 7th of June the little boat moved out, having on board Solomon Brazelton, Miss Sally Brazelton, Joseph Gooden, and his wife. They proceeded down the river until they arrived at the Muscle Shoals, where they hired an Indian to pilot the boat through. This they were obliged to do, for no one but the red man knew the dangers in this rocky channel. They passed over safely, and continued their voyage for nearly three weeks down a stream where the white man's boat had never floated before, whose banks were not lined
14
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
with towns, villages, and fine farms, as now, but all was silent as the grave, except in the night- time, when their rest was disturbed by the howl of the wolf on the distant hills, or the scream of the panther prowling through the dense forest. Day after day they traveled on, looking at the mouth of every creek they saw for the tree with Joseph Hardin's name on it, where they were to land and wait for the company that were traveling by land; but from some cause they failed to see the mouth of Swift Creek, and so went on down till they came to the mouth of Hardin's Creek. Here they decided that they had gone far enough, and ran their boat a short distance up the creek, and landed at a place where Benjamin Johnson's mill once stood. As soon as the boat struck the bank Miss Sarah Brazelton jumped ashore and said, "I am going to be the first white woman to make a track in this wild country !"
CHAPTER III.
THE TRIP BY LAND.
HE company that came through by land left Roane County about two weeks be- fore the boat did. They were John Brazelton and his family-with the excep- tion of Solomon and Sarah, who went on the boat-James Hardin and family, Joseph Har- din, jr., and family, and Mrs. Elender Thacker and family-in all twenty-two persons.
They proceeded on, with their horses and cattle, until they reached Warren County. Here they were obliged to wait four weeks for John Brazel- ton and James Hardin to attend an Indian treaty near the Muscle Shoals. After this they journeyed on through a roadless country, until they arrived on the head-waters of Hardin's Creek, where the cane was so dense that it seemed almost impossi- ble to get through; but these new settlers were not to be stopped, and so took time to cut out a road, and traveled on down the creek until on Monday,
16
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
July 15th, when they camped at what is now known as Crowder's Spring, on Hardin's Creek, seven miles from the river.
In the evening of the same day they heard the sound of a bugle down the creek, and on the fol- lowing morning part of the men proceeded in the direction of the sound, and found the boat com- pany camped on the creek about six miles below. Very soon they all united at Dr. Altum's Spring, where they erected a rude log-cabin fifteen feet square. This was the first house built in Hardin County. The large creek here they called Hardin's Creek, in honor of Col. James Hardin.
Colonel Hardin and Solomon Brazelton served through Jackson's war in the South against the Creek Indians before they moved here, and were in the battle at Horse-shoe Bend, where six hun- dred savages were slain, and at Talladega during the winter in which their general had nothing at one time but acorns to feed his soldiers upon.
CHAPTER IV.
GENEALOGY OF THE SETTLERS.
OHN BRAZELTON'S grandfather, whose name was also John, came from Wales before the Revolution, and first settled in Frederick County, Maryland. The family that came to this county consisted of John Brazelton, his wife-Hannah-their three sons-Solomon, Benjamin, and William-and four daughters-Mrs. Elender Thacker (then a widow), Elizabeth, Sarah, and Nancy. Mrs. Thacker had two sons, William and Shepherd. Shepherd, the younger son, was only ten years old when he came with the immigrants over the trackless region from East Tennessee to this county.
The Hardins and Goodens were of Irish descent. The Hardin family that moved here consisted of Col. James Hardin, his wife-Nelly-and nine children - three sons (Joseph, Benjamin, and James) and six daughters (Jane, Kizzie, Marga- ret, Mary, Elizabeth, and Elender).
18
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
The Gooden family consisted of Joseph Gooden, his wife, whose name was Hannah, and two sons, James and Thomas.
DEATH OF JOHN BRAZELTON.
About the first of September John Brazelton went down to where the town of Clifton now stands and selected that spot to move to, but soon after his return home he was taken sick, and died September 20, 1816, being the first white man that died in Hardin County. He was buried on a small brook near the Altum Spring. His grave was dug with a mattock, and the dirt was handled with a wooden spade. His coffin was made of slabs split from a white-oak tree.
As they were carrying him to his grave his fa- vorite dog followed in the procession, and it was a hard task to keep him away from the coffin until it could be lowered to its last resting-place. This conduct was thought but very little of until a few nights afterward, when the settlers were awak- ened from their slumbers by a howling in the di- rection of the grave. They decided at once that it was the wolves scratching up the dead, and a
19
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
company with torches proceeded to the house of the dead, where they found the favorite dog standing at the head of his master's grave utter- ing the most mournful howls.
SEPARATION OF THE SETTLERS-OTHERS COME IN.
After the death of John Brazelton the colony separated. James Hardin and Joseph Gooden settled on what is now the Hope Haggard land, near the Savannah and Clifton ford, on Hardin's Creek, and Mrs. Brazelton settled on the McCaslan Branch, near Indian Creek. This move took place in 1817. During this year James Hardin cleared ten acres of land, which was the first cleared in the county.
It was also in the year 1817 that James Hardin's four brothers-Gipson, Amos, Benjamin, and Rob- ert-moved in from Roane County; and also Jon- athan Courtney and his family, consisting of his wife and four sons (John, James, Amos, and Stephen) and three daughters (Melvinie, Nelly, and Ona), came in and settled near Hardin's Creek. Soon after this the Hardin boys found their land near Cerro Gordo, and James moved
20
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
and built his house not far from where the Con Broyles residence now stands.
FIRST MILL-FIRST SHOP.
Some time during the year 1820 Henry Garner built the first mill, on Indian Creek, a short dis- tance above the Clifton ford. Before this mill was built the citizens went to a mill on Cathey's Creek, in Maury County. At that time there was but one house on that long mill-road, and in it lived an Indian named Billy McClish, who was well known by not only the boys, but the girls, who often went with their brothers to mill.
The settlers purchased their salt from the Kanawha Salt Company, and brought it up the river on barges, which were propelled by means of - ropes. Salt cost then four dollars a bushel.
Jonathan Courtney, who arrived in the year 1817, erected a blacksmith, shoe, and carpenter- shop, from which the settlers were supplied with plows, spinning-wheels, looms, and shoes. This shop was located about one mile south-west of the Clifton ford, on Indian Creek. This useful old man sold his wheels at three dollars apiece, and made shoes for fifty cents a pair.
21
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
OTHER SETTLERS.
In the year 1820 John Hanna, with his wife- Rebecca-and their nine children-seven sons (William, James, John, David, Alexander, Huel, and Thomas) and two daughters (Hannah and Elizabeth)-left Union County, Tennessee, came down the river in a flatboat, and landed at what is now Cerro Gordo in the month of March. They then moved out from the river and settled between Indian Creek and Smith's Fork.
Among the many who came in and settled about this time (1820) were Jacob Blacksheer, David Robinson (who was an active member in the County Courts), John White, David Kincannan, Ninnean Steele, John Boyd, William Wisdom, Jacob Pyburn (after whom Pyburn's Bluff was named), Temple Johnson, Alec Sloan, John and R. M. Dickson, Robert Forbes, James G. Doren, Jesse Cherry, and Willie J. Duckworth.
James Barnes came in previous to 1820, and was one among the most useful men of the county in his day, and was the second to represent the county in the Tennessee Legislature.
CHAPTER V.
AMUSEMENTS-FIRST MAN KILLED-FIRST PANTHER KILLED.
EANWHILE people began to come in and settle in different parts of the county. The new-comers did not need to raise hogs, for the woods were full of choice game. Deer and turkey were nu- merous, and as the settler sat in his rude cabin at night his mind was attracted by the howl of the wolf, echoing from hill to hill, and the scream of the panther, prowling through the canebrakes along Indian and Hardin's Creeks.
One who delighted in spending his time hunting and trapping in that early day was Solomon Braz- elton. He devoted much time in catching the wolf, which was beginning to be a great pest. When he found one in his trap, he notified the citizens for miles around to come with their dogs and enjoy the fun of seeing the dogs kill the wolf. Messrs. Willoughby and Ross, two gentlemen
23
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
who came in still later, delighted in hunting the deer, and spent many happy days in chasing them over the hills in the southern part of the county, east of Savannah.
Among other things for amusement, the citizens would propose a hunt sometimes, in which most all could engage. Those living on one side of a creek would agree to hunt against those living on the other side, and see who could get the most scalps. Some citizen in the neighborhood would prepare a dinner for the hunters, and the party that got beat had it to pay for. They were al- lowed to kill and scalp squirrels, hawks, crows, and other animals and fowls that were a pest to the settlers. While the hunt was going on, if one of the party was caught across the line, he lost his scalps-if he could be caught.
Hunting and fishing parties of Indians would often visit the county, more especially the western part, on White Oak Creek; and it was during one of these hunting seasons, in 1819, that a man by the name of Blackwell, while hunting and trapping among the Indians on White Oak Creek, stole a pony from one of the Indians, carried him across
24
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
the river, and turned him loose in the cane. Soon after the owner followed, took his pony, and told Blackwell if he did so again he would kill him. It was but a short time till Blackwell was trapping among the Indians again, and this time he not only took the same pony back with him, but the Indian claimed that he took a large lot of furs that did not belong to him. The Indian followed Blackwell this time to his camp, near Garner's mill, on Indian Creek. A jury of a few white men was called and decided in Blackwell's favor. When the decision was announced the Indian sat down on a log and wept most bitterly for a few minutes, then raised his gun, took deliberate aim, and shot Blackwell dead. He then divided the skins, took what he claimed were his, threw Black- well's in a pile to themselves, mounted his pony, and left for the west side of the river.
This was the first white man killed in Hardin County, and he was buried about a quarter of a mile north-west of Garner's mill.
A company of men followed the Indian and captured him somewhere on White Oak Creek, took him to Courtney's blacksmith-shop, where
25
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
Jonathan Courtney made a pair of handcuffs and put on him, and then Shelton and Elisha Smith took him to Columbia jail, where he remained for some time, and finally was released. The Smith boys received thirty-six dollars for guarding and taking this Indian to jail.
FIRST PANTHER KILLED.
In the year 1818 Miss Elizabeth Berry, after- ward the wife of Solomon Brazelton, was return- ing home one day from a visit to some friends liv- ing on the west side of Hardin's Creek, and while riding along a path that led from the Watson ford, on the creek, through the thick cane and across a branch bottom to her home, now known as the McCandless place, about two miles west of the creek, two large panthers ran up a tree that stooped over the path. She rode back a short distance to where her brother, Michael Berry, and several others were cutting out a wagon road, and related what she had seen. Mike shouldered bis gun and proceeded to the spot, and sure enough there lay the huge animals stretched out on the body of the tree, just as the girl had left them
26
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
He fired, and one fell to the ground dead; the other jumped off and made his escape. When night came on the boys built a fire and broiled a piece of the dead panther, hoping in this way to tole the other up and shoot him, but their stratagem proved a failure - nothing but wolves came to scent of the meat.
The little brook near where this occurred has ever since borne the name of Panther's Branch, for it was here that the first panther was killed in Hardin County.
1
CHAPTER VI.
FIRST SETTLERS OF THE WEST SIDE OF THE RIVER.
8 EFORE the white man settled on the west side of the river it was a grand hunting-ground for the Indians. In that early day the hills and creek-bottoms were covered with cane, and deer, turkey, and the black bear were numerous; and on the larger creeks beaver and other fur-bearing animals
lived in great numbers. On White Oak Creek and its tributaries appears to have been choice ground for not only the present race of Indians, but for the Mound Builders, who have left their monuments scattered all over this part of Hardin County.
Of the exact date of the first settling of this part of the county we are not informed, but we know that about the year 1819 Simpson Lee and George Orr settled opposite Cerro Gordo. Mr. Lee built a short distance north-east of Craven's Landing,
28
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
and Mr. Orr near the Jehu Davy Springs, about two miles north-west of the landing. Their houses, of course, were rude cabins, but, when other set- tlers came in they erected buildings of hewed logs. Messrs. Orr and Lee proved useful men to the county as long as they lived, in viewing and cut- ting out roads through the western part of the county.
In the year 1819 William Gan and a man by the name of Masengill built a camp near a large spring now called the Davy Spring, but for sev- eral years known as the Gan Spring, near Saltillo. These men lived here about two years and moved away, when Edward Mathews lived at the place a short time.
It was also in 1819 that a man by the name of Barnes settled near Shady Grove Church, two and a-half miles from the river; and Allen Anderson, at what is now known as the Etheridge place, near the Lick ford on White Oak Creek; and Jacob Delaney, on the river near the island that now bears his name; and John Chambers, near Cham- bers's Creek, in what is now the Tenth District.
29
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
FIRST HOUSE BUILT AT SALTILLO.
In the fall of 1822 a permanent settlement was made at Saltillo by Thomas Shannon. In October, 1822, Mr. Shannon left Davidson County, near Nashville, in a keelboat with his household goods and provisions to last one year, Col. John Holland and Parkerson Mitchell, whom he hired to help manage the boat, and his four negro men. They descended the Cumberland to the Ohio, then to the mouth of the Tennessee, ascended the Tennes- see to where Point Pleasant now stands, and went out half a mile from the river and erected a camp. Mr. Shannon's family, consisting of his wife, five sons (William, Franklin, Thomas, Nathan, and George), and three daughters (Jane, Susan, and Sarah), came through by land, drove forty head of cattle, and crossed the Tennessee River at a place now known as Shannonsville, and traveled up on the west side of the river to the camp. 1
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