USA > Tennessee > Hickman County > A history of Hickman County, Tennessee > Part 21
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travel on horseback. Wagons were seldom seen then and buggies were unknown. The principal wheeled vehicle was the two-wheeled ox cart and the two- wheeled horse cart. In the summer many of the con- gregation would travel to church barefooted. Some would carry their shoes, which they would put on their feet just before they arrived at the place where services were to be held. John Davis became insane and was sent to the asylum near Nashville. He later returned to his home on Blue Buck Creek, where he died.
Robert Willey came to Blue Buck Creek in 1817 and located at the Alson Shelby place, where he lived until his death, in 1862. He was drowned in the creek where the water was not more than one foot deep. He was one of the first settlers of this section, settling here when it was still in the Indian country. He assisted in the cutting away of the cane in this valley and in the clearing of the first lands on this creek. This was but a short distance inside the In- dian country, as the line, the Natchez Trace, ran along the ridge at the head of the creek. Often friendly Indians would visit the frontier settlements here. Robert Willey was the father of Moses, Andrew, and John Willey. Andrew Willey had a stillhouse from 1861 to 1863 above Crawford's house, in a hollow, north of the Centerville and Columbia road, in the First District.
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Large deposits of phosphate, the value of which was not appreciated prior to 1893, are to be found in
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HISTORY OF HICKMAN COUNTY, TENN.
this section. This phosphate has been mined by different companies, with varying degrees of suc- cess.
In the pioneer days Hibbard Moore taught school on upper Blue Buck Creek. Samuel Erwin, who taught a ten-months' school here in the early days, was a Missionary Baptist preacher, and he often preached on this creek. John Golden, a son of Samuel Golden, taught here about 1835. Charles Wheat was at one time a teacher on this creek, and here John Beasley was teaching in 1861. He closed his school and joined the Confederate Army.
A pioneer preacher was the Missionary Baptist, Elijah Hanks; another was Thomas Rasco, a Primi- tive Baptist. Rev. Roland Hull, of Williamsport, had for years prior to 1897 preached at "Union Church," which stands near the home of James P. . McCaleb. The Missionary Baptist Church here has a membership of sixty. Rev. W. T. Ussery, a promi- nent preacher of the Missionary Baptist Church, has often preached here. The old Methodist church, " Rawley's Chapel," has been replaced by a new and commodious church which bears the same name. The · church here was established in 1830.
Since its organization the Fourteenth District has not had its share of county officials. E. Brown Short was an efficient deputy under the late Sheriff J. A. Harvill. John N. Smith, of this district, was at one time a prominent candidate for sheriff, and in 1898 Samuel R. Bond, one of the present magistrates, made
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a good race against two prominent and popular oppo- nents-Robert Brown and J. W. Russell.
The magistrates of the district have been William Wheat, Charles Wheat, Alton McCaleb, Joseph Bond, Polk Grimes, A. B. George, Samuel Bond, and James P. McCaleb. Some of the constables here have been Charles Wheat, John N. Smith, J. W. Smithson, and J. A. Smith.
From this district, as from every other district of the county, went many brave men to the Southern Army. Joseph Bond and Alton McCaleb, of this dis- trict, were lieutenants in the Confederate Army.
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CHAPTER XVIII.
THE FIFTEENTH DISTRICT.
T HE Fifteenth District is bounded on the north by the Second District, Duck River being the line; on the east, by the Third District ; on the south, by the Fourteenth District; and on the west, by the Second and Fourteenth Districts. Until 1859, when it was created by the Legislature, its territory be- longed to the Second and Third Districts. Some of the citizens were compelled to go to Little Lot to vote ; others, to Shady Grove. The County Court was sev- eral times appealed to in vain for the creation of a new district. Finally, when Hon. J. J. Williams was in the Legislature, the advocates of a new district were successful. The boundaries as fixed by the Act are as follows : " Beginning at the mouth of Buck Branch, running up said branch to the line of the Fourteenth Civil District, thence with that line west until it reaches the Totty road, and thence with the same and the old Greene road to the river, thence up the river to the beginning." It was enacted that the voting place should be at or near the house of Nathaniel Young until the voters of the district voted for its re- inoval to another point.
As the Fifteenth District includes Anderson's Bend, a sketch of this district is almost entirely a history of the Anderson family. The pioneer An-
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dersons were four brothers-David, Robert, Richard, and James. Their father came from England, and Robert Anderson had in his possession an old-fash- ioned clock made in London prior to 1600. David Anderson lived in Bedford County. He was born on December 29, 1772, and was the father of Joseph, William, and Richard ("Big Dick "). Of these, only the latter came to Hickman County. He was born on December 20, 1810, and married Polly, the daughter of his uncle, Richard (" Kettle Dick ") An- derson. She, as heretofore stated, was the widow of John Y. Smith. The sons of this marriage were Da- vid H., Philander P., and John M. Anderson. A daughter, Isabella W., married J. B. Cathey. Will- iam Anderson, a son of Joseph Anderson, of Bedford County, came to Hickman County, and was one of the first two magistrates of the district. This position he held for twenty-eight years.
Robert Anderson was born in Buncombe County, N. C., in 1774, and in 1804 he located on the north side of Duck River in the Little Lot bend, near the river. He afterwards sold these lands to Lawson H. Nunnelly. In 1805 he came across the river and built the house where Mrs. Xantippe Anderson now lives. This is probably the oldest house in Hick- man County. Robert Anderson had married Jane Shinn, daughter of Colonel Shinn, of a North Caro- lina regiment in the Revolutionary War. For this service Colonel Shinn was given by the North Caro-
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lina Legislature 2,500 acres of land. These lands his son-in-law, Robert, Anderson, inherited. Robert Anderson, in partnership with his brother, Richard (" Kettle Dick ") Anderson, bought other warrants granted by North Carolina for services in the Revolu- tionary War, and made their locations in what was, for them, named "Anderson's Bend." These loca- tions were just north of the Continental Line of 1784 -- the southern boundary of the Continental Reserva- tion, which extended north to the Kentucky line. As heretofore stated, this line ran through the yard sur- rounding Robert Anderson's house, he having settled as far south of the river and the cane-covered bottoms as possible. This was then in the Indian country, as the Indians did not by treaty relinquish their right to land in the Continental Reservation south of the river until 1819. Only a few miles away Duck River ceased to be the Indian line, as at Gordon's Ferry it- turned and followed the Natchez Trace. Being in the corner of the Tennessee territory yet claimed by the Indians, he was probably never molested. In this bend the brothers, Robert and Richard Anderson, located the fine body of land extending from Bluff Point, at the lower end of the bend, up to Boat Branch. When they divided their lands, Richard's portion was the lower end of the bend; Robert's, the upper end. The sons of Robert Anderson were William, Joseph, and Burton. His daughters were : Jane, who married -- Hooten; Elizabeth, who married Nathaniel
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Young; Matilda, who married William Walker; and Sallie, who married Robert Harrington, father of the late Dr. A. L. Harrington.
Burton Anderson, the youngest son (born on March 28, 1818), on account of some misunderstanding be- tween himself and his father, left home when a young man, stating that he would never return. About thirty years later William Walker and others, on their way to Columbia, met a stranger, who was walking. On their return from Columbia, they overtook the same man. Entering into conversation with him, they discovered that he was on his way to Anderson's Bend, and that he was the long-absent Burton Ander- son. He had been in Texas, Missouri, and Califor- nia, and, although afoot, he did not return empty- handed. At home he found no parents' greetings, as both were dead. Over their hitherto unmarked graves he placed tombstones. He married Xantippe McClanahan (born on February 22, 1836), and lived at his father's old homestead, which had been be- queathed to him by his father, provided he ever re- turned. He became a good citizen, and at his death was buried in the same graveyard in which rest the remains of the pioneer, Robert Anderson. In this graveyard are buried, also, Joseph Anderson (born on December 18, 1806), and his wife, Roena (Baird) Anderson (born on August 9, 1805).
The first constable of this district was Nathaniel Young, who was born on Greene's Lick Creek, Maury County, on September 16, 1807, and was in 1897
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the oldest man living in Hickman County. He was born on the 25,000-acre tract of land given by North Carolina to Gen. Nathaniel Greene, and located by the commissioners who ran the Commissioners' Line of 1783. This land lies south of Williamsport and be- tween Bigby Creek and Duck River. Benjamin Har- lan and Edward Littlefield lived on this tract. The father of Nathaniel Young was also named " Nathan- iel," and was born in South Carolina in 1777. He married his cousin, Jemima Young, who was born in the same State in the same year. Nathaniel Young, Jr., married, as above stated, Elizabeth, a daughter of Robert Anderson. She was born in 1810. Their daughter, Mary Young, married David Miller. Na- thaniel Young, Sr., came to Maury County in 1805, and to the place where David Miller now lives in 1829. Since Nathaniel Young, the first constable, some of the other constables of the district have been Polk McCaleb, John R. Bates, and William Beasley.
William Walker, who was one of the most success- ful financiers who ever lived in the county, was born on April 8, 1806, in Northumberland County, Va., and was a son of Thomas Walker. He married Ma- tilda Caroline Anderson, who was born on November 7, 1813. In the possession of his son, Thomas J. Walker, is his well-worn Bible, printed in 1828. A son of William Walker, Hon. Leon Walker, was born on May 15, 1832. He lived several years in Texas, but returned to his native State and county, where he died. In the House of Representatives of the Thirty-
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ninth General Assembly he represented the counties of Hickman, Perry, and Lewis. Another son of William Walker, Thomas J. Walker (known as " Old Relia- ble "), was born on April 19, 1838. In 1874 he was elected register for Hickman County, and held this position for eight years. While a private in Com- pany I, Forty-second Tennessee, he lost three fingers from his left hand at the battle of Shiloh, on April 7, 1862. They were shot away after his gun had been discharged, but before he had removed it from his shoulder. He remained in the army, and, although his wound had not entirely healed, he went into the battle of Murfreesboro, and on December 31, 1862, had his left arm so badly shattered that amputation was necessary. He married Sarah C. Gray, who was born on September 21, 1841. She was a daughter of Sherrod Gray, of Gray's Bend. A daughter of Will- iam Walker married Dr. A. Norris, who, in partner- ship with Dr. Rolffe Wilson, is now a physician of Centerville.
Richard Anderson, brother of Robert Anderson, was called " Kettle Dick " on account of his being the owner of the valuable lands in the Kettle Bend of Duck River, just over the line in Maury County. He was a Whig, and his brother, Robert, was a Democrat, and the discussions between these two pioneers would sometimes become very heated. Richard Anderson was the father of John, David, Henry, and Craig An- derson. His daughter, Mary (or Polly), first married John Y. Smith, and then Richard Anderson, son of
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David Anderson, of Bedford County. Craig Ander- son married a daughter of John Willey, who was with the party that opened the Natchez Trace.
John Anderson, son of Richard (" Kettle Dick ") Anderson, and father of Gill and Richard M. Ander- son, was born on February 22, 1805. He married Mary Gill (born on February 27, 1805), a daughter of John Gill, of Dunlap Creek. Gill was one of the pioneers of that section, and it was at his house that the pioneer preacher, - Nixon, held services.
Richard M. Anderson, son of John and Mary (Gill) Anderson, was born on November 24, 1808. He mar- ried Mary Jane Baker, who was born in Philadelphia on March 6, 1834. She was the daughter of Alexan- der Baker, whose father, Samuel Baker, was a noted gunsmith at Baker's Cross Roads, Pa., during the Revolutionary War. So diligently did he ply his trade, and so destructive were the arms he manufac- tured when in the hands of the Continentals, that the British made an attempt to capture him. Being warned of their coming, he sent his entire stock of guns to the Continental Army, and was preparing to go himself when the British approached his house. It being too late to attempt an escape, his wife hid him between the ceiling and the floor above, and the British searched for him in vain. Mrs. Baker assured the British that the arms had by this time reached the American camp; but they, believing that Baker was concealed about the house, commenced preparations for burning it. She asked for permission to remove
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her household goods and children, and said that after this was done they could proceed. This convinced them that Baker was not there, and they went away much disappointed over their failure to capture him. Mrs. Anderson's grandmother was a Burnsides, a sister of James Burnsides, the first clerk of the United States Supreme Court. Jane Burnsides mar- ried William Phillips, of Pennsylvania, and became the mother of three daughters, one of whom married John Campbell, father of the prominent lawyer, Da- vid Campbell. Richard M. Anderson was one of the first two magistrates of this district, and held this office for eighteen years-as long as he would accept it. He was succeeded by Wash. Young. He is now postmaster at Bluff Point, named from the high point of the bluff which comes abruptly to Duck River at the lower end of Anderson's Bend. This post office was established in 1855, and Isaac Perry was the first postmaster here. In 1847 Richard M. Anderson en- listed as a private in Whitfield's second company from Hickman County-Company K, Third Tennessee. This regiment was commanded by Col. B. F. Cheat- ham, the brave Gen. Frank Cheatham of the Civil War. The brigade commander was General Lane, of Missouri, who, in an address to the soldiers at Jalapa at the close of the war, told them to remain calm and to not attempt to rush home. He told them the trip home would take time, and that he had as many reasons for wanting to get home as any of them, that he had eleven reasons-a wife and ten children. The
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return trip was of a month's duration. Anderson's military career did not close here. While a member of Beale's company during the Civil War, he was so seriously wounded at Shiloh that he was discharged. After his discharge he lived on Robertson's Creek above where he now lives. His father lived where Clifford Smith now lives. In the autumn of 1863 a detachment of Michigan mounted infantry came from Centerville and met John Anderson near Willey's stillhouse, on Swan Creek, five miles from Centerville, and took from him some private papers and money to the amount of $1,500. He protested against this, as he had before this taken the oath of allegiance. Among his papers there was no copy of the oath he had taken, but two of the Federals were detailed to go with him to his home in order to see if his claim was true. When he reached home he readily pro- duced the paper, which should have given him the pro- tection of Federal troops. This the Federals took also, and, adding a fine horse to their booty, they started on their return to the command. Richard M. Anderson, learning that his aged father had been robbed, went in pursuit of the two robbers. His father was with him. They came up with the two Federals at Willey's stillhouse and tried to persuade them to return the stolen property. Arguments finally led to anger, and one of the Federals arrested Richard M. Anderson, who was unarmed. The Federals and their prisoner proceeded down the hollow to the spring opposite the house at which - --- Crawford lived.
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Here one of them dismounted and lay down to drink at the spring. In an instant Richard Anderson was on his back, striking him heavy blows with his fist. Although taken at a disadvantage, the Federal re- gained his feet, and a struggle for the possession of the gun ensued. The other soldier advanced with his gun presented, seeking an opportunity for shooting Anderson without at the same time shooting his com- rade. However, at this juncture the aged John An- derson, from behind a near-by tree, commenced to hurl stones at this Federal with so much force and accuracy that he mounted his horse and retreated hastily. In the meantime Richard Anderson had forced his an- tagonist backward into a hogpen, and there gave him such a pommeling that, deserted by his comrade, he speedily surrendered. From this Federal, who was paroled, they recovered the stolen horse and $900 of the stolen money. With the remaining $600 the other Federal escaped, and in this he did well, as Richard Anderson, armed with his prisoner's gun, was now ready for a more deadly affray. The paroled Federal went on his way on foot, inquiring as to the route to Columbia, stating, however, that he did not want to go by way of Anderson's Bend. John Gill Anderson was a lieutenant in Beale's company of the Twenty- fourth Infantry.
The pioneer, James Anderson, brother of David, Robert, and Richard (" Kettle Dick "), settled on Swan Creek. He was the father of James Anderson, Jr., who was the father of Esau Anderson, who is at
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present a member of the Hickman County Court. So it will be seen that from the four pioneer brothers- David, Robert, Richard, and James Anderson-there has sprung a numerous, prominent, and progressive posterity.
The Fifteenth District, unlike almost every other district of the county, consists almost entirely of level, tillable lands. Within its boundaries are only a few small branches. Boat Branch was so called for two reasons : At its mouth flatboats from up the river frequently "tied up" and remained overnight; in addition to this, at the mouth of this branch numer- ous flatboats were built. The fine poplars of this and the Third District were much in demand by the build- ers of flatboats farther down the river and by local builders. Flatboats built here were floated down the river to the Metal Landing for Ætna Furnace, oppo- site Shipp's Bend; to the Oakland Landing, at the lower end of the Young Mayberry farm; and fre- quently to Lee & Gould's landing, at the mouth of Sugar Creek, in the Eighth District. In addition to this, corn was shipped in these flatboats from Ander- son's Bend to New Orleans. The boatmen, when they reached New Orleans, either returned home on foot or returned to Nashville by steamboat and walked from Nashville. Skilled pilots in the old flatboat- ing days were Joseph Anderson, James Grimes, and Daniel Smith. Although several attempts at opening Duck River for navigation by steamboats have been made, none of them have been attended with more
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than temporary success. Several small steamers have from time to time entered Duck River and plowed its waters near its mouth, and several have come up the river into Hickman County. One in recent years was the Mary Clees, which in 1878 came as high up as Centerville. In the following year the James K. Shields also came to Centerville. Later the J. H. Russell, built by Joseph H. Russell above Center- ville, went down the river, but never attempted a re- turn trip.
In 1820 Robert Anderson built a mill on the slough near the Joseph Anderson place. Before he could reach this slough he was compelled to cut his way through the dense canebrake. On the branch near his house he had a mill, probably before 1820. This branch is from this fact called " Mill Branch."
Buck Branch, the line between the Third and Fif- teenth Districts, derives its name from the fact that down this branch the hunted deer would run to Duck River. Deer, when weary from a chase, will always seek water, and there are certain routes which they follow. When they reach a stream like Duck River, they quench their thirst, and then, swimming into deeper water, cause the dogs to become confused in their attempt to follow them. Many large bucks have been killed on Buck Branch in their attempts to reach Duck River. On this branch B. B. Bates was found dead a few years ago. He was plowing, and it is sup- posed he fell dead from his plow. As he lived alone, sometimes spending the night at home and sometimes
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with his sons, his absence was not noted for several days.
Hen Island, in Duck River at the mouth of Buck Branch, is so named on account of a boat loaded with chickens having run aground here. While the boat was aground the chickens were turned out of their coops on the island.
In the upper portion of the Fifteenth District lived the Binghams, Rays, Grimeses, and some others al- ready mentioned in the sketch of the Third District. At the Robert Anderson place Capt. " Lam " Kelley would in the days before the war often drill his com- pany. Kelley afterwards stabbed and killed Tom Ollison on Love's Branch, in Maury County. He then left Hickman County and never returned.
In the lower end of Anderson's Bend, just above the high bluff which gives to the post office the name " Bluff Point," is the mouth of a small creek, or branch, known in the pioneer days as " Robertson's Creek." At the spring on the west side of this creek, about two hundred yards from Polk McCaleb's resi- dence, is where Mark Robertson, a brother of Gen. James Robertson, was killed in 1787. This was near the Line of 1784, and Mark Robertson was probably at this time locating land here. The commissioners who laid off General Greene's land in what is now Maury County passed through this district as they went several miles farther to the north to run, fifty- five miles from the southern boundary of the State, the Commissioners' Line of 1783. After the laying
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off of Greene's land, the members of the party, the names of a number of whom are given in preceding pages, made numerous entries for themselves, rela- tives, and friends, throughout the surrounding coun- try. A large number of these entries call for certain points in the boundaries of General Greene's land- for Greene's Lick, for Greene's Lick Creek (Lick Creek of Hickman County being known as "Lick Creek of Duck River "), and other points made noto- rious by this survey. The larger portion of these en- tries were within the present limits of Maury County. Others called for points no longer points of notoriety and which cannot now be easily identified. Several, however, were within the present limits of Hickman County. In these entries the Bigby Creeks, of Maury County, are called by a variety of names, some of which are: " Tombigbee Creek," "Big Tombigby," " Big Tom Bigby's Creek," "Don Bigby Creek," and " Dun Bigby's Creek." One of the entries made at this time (1783) was as follows: "John Provine, Thomas Elliott, and Samuel Hensley-In Greene County on the north side of Duck River at the mouth of No Bare Creek." This was the pioneer name of Leatherwood Creek, and this entry was made while the commissioners and guards were going north from Greene's land. Another entry was as follows : "An- thony Bledsoe-In Greene County on the south side of Duck River, beginning on the bank of the river a small distance below the mouth of No Bear Creek and above the mouth of Lick Creek, both of which empties
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[sic ] in on the north side, and running down the river to include a bottom viewed by Col. James Robertson and said Bledsoe the second day after they left Gen- eral Greene's land." Another entry is as follows : "Joseph Shinn-On the south side of Duck River to begin on bank of river one-quarter of a mile below the place where a southern corner from the lower lick intersects the same." Probably it was while survey- ing these and other entries made in this section in 1783 and 1784 that Mark Robertson, in 1787, lost his life. Another entry made at this time was as follows : "James White-In Greene County on Duck River, beginning about the mouth of Lick Creek and running up both sides of the creek, including two large licks up said creek." Another was: " Thomas Hardin Perkins-In Greene County on a creek of Duck River, beginning about fifty yards or more from a large lick formerly called ' Lewis' Lick,' but of late it is called 'Duck River Lick.'" Farther down the river this entry was made: "John Gray Blount-In Greene County, beginning four miles above the mouth of Pine River at the mouth of a big branch." An. entry in the name of Nicholas Rochester called for Duck River and both sides of Beaverdam Creek. As stated elsewhere, the location of the Commissioners' Line of 1783 cannot now be discovered, as the report of the commissioners running it was not accepted by the North Carolina Legislature, and it, therefore, never had any legal existence. However, the party running it passed through Hickman County. This
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