USA > Tennessee > Sullivan County > Historic Sullivan; a history of Sullivan County, Tennessee, with brief biographies of the makers of history > Part 12
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His people at home never believed him guilty and never tired of doing him honor. Open, free and frank as they were, the fact that he had once been to them the ideal of a lofty character would not have shielded him from their censure, had he, in their minds, deserved it. A guilty
7Dr. Ramsey, Tennessee's distinguished historian, was in possession of some valuable Blount documents during the preparation of a second volume of history, covering a later period than his first volume, but he lost all by fire. As he put it "All became a prey to the rapacity and incendiarism of Federal soldiers, and were all consumed together." These valuable papers contained a vindication of William Blount's course.
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man, however popular he may be, loses his prestige when he mistreats the trust of a confiding constituency, and no people show their readiness to condemn more quickly than those whose confidence has been violated.
On returning to his home at Knoxville, a large delega- tion met him some distance from the town and escorted him in as triumphantly as though he were a Roman con- queror. Gen. James White resigned from the legislature in order that Blount might have a seat in that body.
James Mathers, the sergeant-at-arms of the United States Senate, went to Knoxville to arrest Blount. Here he was courteously treated by the citizens and was a guest of Blount, in whose home he was hospitably entertained. When he decided to take his prisoner he summoned a posse to assist him, but no man would consent to serve.
The sergeant-at-arms saw there was no use to attempt force and started home alone. Several citizens accom- panied him a few miles from town and, "after assuring him that William Blount could not be taken from Ten- nessee as a prisoner, bade him a polite adieu."8
Blount was elected to the state senate, where he became speaker and would have been chosen governor had he lived longer.
He died the 21st of March, 1800, at Knoxville, after a short illneess and was buried in the First Presbyterian church-yard.
Of the six children who survived him, one daughter became the wife of Gen. Edmond Pendleton Gaines of Sullivan.
8Ramsey quoted in Wright's Life of Blount.
BLOUNTVILLE
CHAPTER XIX.
BLOUNTVILLE.
Blountville is, but one, the oldest town in the State of Tennessee, Jonesboro preceding it a few years.
Tradition has given the locality a fort and a settlement long before it took the name of a town. The Bledsoes had a fort on the Reedy creek road, north of the town and the Looneys had a fort a few miles southwest, on Mud- dy creek. These forts, were well defended, log, living houses with port holes and were built after the manner of block-houses.
The land on which Blountville is built was bought by James Brigham, the 23rd of October, 1782, and originally contained six hundred acres. For this tract Brigham paid the usual price, "fifty shillings for every one hundred acres" and "provided always he shall cause this grant to be registered in the Register's office of our said County of Sullivan within twelve months from the date hereof otherwise the same shall be void and of no effect." This was recorded as grant No. 147.
When Sullivan County was partitioned to help make other counties and it was decided to have a more central location for the county seat, with permanent buildings, James Brigham gave thirty acres to the county commis- sioners in the following deed :
DEED TO BLOUNTVILLE.
This indenture made this Eleventh day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & ninety two between James Brigham of the county of Sullivan & Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio of one part & John Anderson George Maxwell & Richd Gammon Commissioners of the county and territory aforesaid of the other part witnesseth the said James Brigham hath given to Sullivan county the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged hath and by these presents doth grant alien enfeof and confirm unto the said
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commissioners or their successors heirs or assigns forever a certain tract or parcel of land containing thirty acres be the same more or less lying and being in the county of Sullivan Beginning at a white oak thence north sixty eight east forty poles to a stake thence south thirty five and a half East eight poles to a stake then south four West one hundred poles to a stake on said Brigham's old line thence along the same West twenty eight poles to a stake thence a straight line to the beginning containing 30 acres of land to be vested in the aforesaid John Anderson George Maxwell & Richard Gammon Esquires commissioners &c to erect a court House prison & stocks on for the Sd. county also to lay off the plan for a town for the benefit of said county with all and singular the woods waters water courses profits commodities hereditaments & appurtenances whatsoever to the Sd Tract of land belonging or appertaining and the reversion & reversions remainder remainders rents & issues thereof & all the estate right title interest property claim and demand of him the Sd. Jas. Brigham his heirs &c of in & the same & every part and parcel thereof in law or equity to have and to hold the sd thirty acres of Land with appurtenances unto the sd Commissioners or there successors heirs & assigns against the lawfull title claim & demand of all and every person or persons whatsoever shall & will warrant & forever defend these presents In witness whereof the sd James Brigham hath hereunto set his seal the day and year above written
Signed sealed & delivered in the presence of
JAMES BRIGHAM (Seal)
Sullivan County 1st day of December session 1792 within deed was acknowledged in open court by Jas. Brigham Sept 6th day 1793 then Regs.
MATHEW RHEA C. S. C.
In the same year that James Brigham gave the land on which Blountville is located the court ordered that he be "admitted to keep an ordinary at his now dwelling house in Sullivan County by giving bond and security according to law." This was the first hotel in Blount- ville.1
The commissioners platted the land into lots, but did not offer them for sale until three years later, August 25, 1795. They were in quarter-acre sections, measuring
1The term "ordinary" as applied to a hotel simply means a hotel conducted in the ordinary way-the American plan.
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forty-two feet by two hundred and sixty-four feet. There does not appear to have been a very brisk demand for lots at first as on the opening day, August 25th, but two lots were disposed of-one to Robert Work who chose lot No. 4 and one to Col. James King who chose lot No. 13. Several months elapsed before there were any more con- veyances. The largest investors in these lots were John Tipton who took four lots, Elkanah Dulaney who took three lots and William Deery who took three lots.
It is curious to note the change in values, even in a town where the excitement of phenominal increase in land values was hardly known. The tract of thirty acres on which the town is located originally cost the purchaser two dollars and sixty-two and a half cents. It cost the comissioners nothing and therefore they could afford to "grant" away a few lots, as the records show, to create interest.
Not very long after the first two lots were "granted" they began to increase in value and the next conveyances were for "valuable considerations." They then began to look up some and money considerations were required. William Deery paid thirty dollars for one lot, while the old Fain lot, or what is now known as the Powell lot, sold to William King, of Abingdon, Virginia, for one hundred and one dollars.2
Later the commissioners for the disposal of these lots were Elkanah Dulaney, George Rutledge and James Gaines. During the first ten years the lots were on sale there were but thirty-three disposed of. Two streets are noted in the transfers-Main street and Back street, and these two remain the only thoroughfares of any length in the town.
In 1855, during the administration of Mayor W. W. James, the council decided to extend Back street, which action necessitated running through Sturm's tan-yard,
2These changes in values are not to be compared with the changes in value of Bristol realty. It is a tradition that the entire tract on which Bristol is built was originally bought for an old gun and a white horse, while in recent years lots on State street sold at five hundred dollars per front foot.
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in the old Rhea meadows. He was paid twelve dollars and a half for a right of way with the additional cost to the town of the removal of the buildings across the street.
Soon after its organization Blountville became the center of an enlightened citizenship. The Rheas, Ander- sons, Fains, Dulaneys, Maxwells, Tiptons, Rutledges and Gammons are some of the settlers who came here with liberal educations, and this, with the wealth many acquired here, enabled them to dispense a hospitality that was rare in its refinement and culture-the percent- age of illiteracy was less in the early days of the county than it was a few generations following. It is alarming to relate that, beginning with the first record, "his mark" occurs with more embarrassing frequency as the county advances in age.3 This does not indicate a lack of schools today, but marks a lapse following the arrival of the educated pioneer. He who was not favored with wealth and culture or ambitions permitted his children to go without learning because he could not impart it- besides the demands forced him to spend much of his time on the border while his children helped to make a living for the family. The children of the generation that fol- lowed, grew still more careless and, unrestrained, drifted back into an ignorance that, when opportunity came, required many more generations, with awkward and even painful application, to efface.
Education, or at least the faculty to acquire one, is an inheritance and no ignorant ancestry ever produced an educated posterity in one generation.
The high-mindedness of the people was reflected in the youth of that day. They were as combative as any boys, but they rarely shied their grievances into public view. They "dared" one another, and with cool tact and safe control of wounded pride, issued verbal challenges to
3In addition to the county records see Roosevelt's "Winning of the West". in regard to the hand writing of the pioneer. The old county records, especially those at Abingdon, have some remarkably beautiful pages of hand writing executed when the clerk, no doubt, had more leisure than now. They resemble the printed page of Gothic or Old English so prevalent in the early days.
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"meet on Back street." Back street was their battle- ground and here differences were settled with delibera- tion, like duelists settling their disputes.
Blountville has had good educational facilities for more than one hundred years.
JEFFERSON ACADEMY.4
In 1806 Jefferson Academy was, by an act of the legis- lature, provided and William Snodgrass, John Punch, Elkanah Dulaney, Abraham Looney and William Baird were appointed a board of trustees for the school. Ten years later three more, Mathew Rhea, Jr., Audley Ander- son and Samuel Rhea, Jr., were added to the list of trustees.
The first academy was built of logs, but thirty years later a brick structure took its place-this in a few years, however, was declared unsafe and was torn down and rebuilt. There were two dormitories in the foreground that crumbled with the house. The academy was again rebuilt, but through abuse and neglect again became unsafe and was torn down.
Hon. Charles A. Brown, a member of the House of Representatives, introduced a bill legalizing the sale of the material, brick and wood work, and the proceeds derived therefrom went to improve the Institute. Jeffer- son Academy stood at the west end of town, opposite the old Yost homestead and nearly opposite the graveyard. Among the teachers who taught there before the Civil War were George Wilhelm, Rev. Andrew S. Morrison, John Tyler, William Roberts, Archimedes and Jonathan Davis, George K. Snapp, James P. Snapp, Abel J. Brown, Leonidas Shaver and James McClain. Among those who came after the war were -- Turner, Robert Sturm, William Geisler, William, John and Isaac Harr, William Davidson, F. B. Hutton and John Buchannon.
4Named for Thomas Jefferson and a very appropriate patronymic since Jeff- erson is the father of higher education in the South.
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Jefferson Academy was the first prominent institution of learning in the county and enjoyed a long, well de- served and substantial popularity. It has sent forth many young men who have filled responsible places in state and court and in the ministry-two have achieved international attention.5
On January 9, 1837, William Deery transferred to the trustees of the "Female Academy, 3870 feet" of land for the purpose of erecting a building, as a department for female education. The trustees were William Deery, John H. Fain, David Shaver, William R. Dulaney, Andrew R. Edwards, William Gammon and Samuel Rhea. The site was given "for and in considera- tion of good will toward the citizens of Blountville and with the view of promoting female education among them and of building up a course of religion in said town."
Later, Whiteside lodge of Masons established the "Female Institute" on an adjacent lot and the trustees of the "Female Academy" transferred the property to this lodge. Jefferson Academy furnished three thousand dollars to aid the new institution.
A big dinner was given to secure funds for the erection of the Institute and tickets were sold at one dollar each. Three young girls, Annis Rutledge, Mace Rhea and Rachel Ellen Anderson sold three thousand dollars worth of tickets, many paying more than the price asked. Thomas A. R. Nelson paid the highest price, twenty dollars for a single dinner.
Landon C. Haynes delivered the dedicatory address at the laying of the corner-stone, July 4, 1855, and the Abingdon band furnished music for the occasion.
The Holston Conference of the Southern Methodist church took charge of the school about 1876 and under
5Richard Garner for his study of the monkey language and Irl Hicks, the weather prophet. The latter was for a long time the target of the weather bureau and his views were derided while the public was warned against him. Of late the same department is making experiments along the line of development begun by Hicks.
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that guidance it lived a few successful years, but it is now in charge of the Masonic fraternity.
Among the early teachers at the Academy were Julia Dean, Mary and Fanny Smith, George Snapp, Margaret McMurry and at the Institute, W. W. Neal assisted by Agnes and - - Thomas, T. P. Summers, Robert W. Douthat, Mrs. James W. Norvell, Mary Patten, Tillie Wood, W. B. Gale, Josiah Torbett, R. T. Barton. J. Pede Marshall and Ben. L. Dulaney.
GIANTS AT THE BAR.
In 1830 with a population of 209, one Methodist and one Presbyterian church, six stores, two taverns, and ten mechanics,6 Blountville modestly claimed but one lawyer and one doctor. Twenty-five years later it had an array of legal talent, both resident and visiting, of such ability that it is doubtful if any county in the state could claim an abler body of that profession. The list included- Landon C. and Matt Haynes, Netherland and Heiskell, James W. Deaderick, Hall and Walker, F. M. Davis, James E. Murphy, Judge C. W. Hall, Thomas A. R. Nelson, Patterson and Davis, Gideon Burkhart, C. W. Nelson, Tol Logan, John McLin, Charles R. Vance, Maxwell and Milligan, A. G. Graham, John Mosby,7 N. M. Taylor, Brittan and Hawkins, Sam Powell, T. D. Arnold, G. M. Murrel, C. J. St. John, F. W. Earnest and W. D. Haynes.
Blountville in the early days became the center of a commercial activity that drew into its coffers much wealth and formed the nuclei of later fortunes. It lacked the shipping facilities that Kingsport had, but three stage lines entered the town, and being favored with govern-
6Tennessee Gazetter.
7Col. John Mosby, the noted Confederate cavalryman, was living in Bristol at the outbreak of the Civil War. His last case in court was at Blountville. He had already joined the army and was at Abingdon when he got permission from Capt. Jones to go to Blountville. His war record is familiar. In a person a: letter to the author he says, "The hardest battle I had to fight during the war was parting from my wife and children at Bristol." He is now in the Department of Justice at Washington.
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ment recognition in the matter of postal service gave it advantages over any town in upper East Tennessee.
The leading merchants were William Deery,8 Samuel Rhea, Rhea and Anderson, John R. Fain and Sons, James Rhea, John Q. Rhea, W. W. James, Taylor and Pile, Jesse J. James, William Gammon, John Powell, William R. Dulaney, Jesse Reaves and Taylor and Jones.
Morally the town has always had a high standard. A review of the criminal records show that but one murder has been committed there during its one hundred and fifteen years of existence, while petty violations of law have been in proportion.
The murder mentioned was not committed in cold blood or premeditated. Labin Williams, a young lawyer, had just returned to Blountville from Jonesboro bearing papers for David Stuart. On meeting with him a dispute arose during which Stuart called Williams a liar, whereupon he drew a dirk and stabbed his accuser to death. This dirk was not the property of Williams-he had been intrusted with its delivery to some one in Blountville. He was arrested for the act, but was not tried in the county as he claimed he could not get justice-asked for a change of venue and was put in jail at Jonesboro. One night some of his sympathizers broke open the jail and spirited him away to North Carolina. From there he drifted to Texas where he became a Catholic priest.
THE CHURCHES.
The first denomination to erect a church in Blount- ville was the Methodist. The church was built about the time of the erection of Jefferson Academy. The leading workers in this church were William Snodgrass and Thomas Rockdold. It was built on the adjoining lot
8William Deery was an Irish peddler who made trading trips to Sullivan from Baltimore. He was finally induced to locate in Blountville by Walter James. Here he accumulated a fortune and for his day was one of the wealthiest men in Tennessee. Late in life he married Miss Allison of a very prominent family in "The Forks" and became a useful man to Blountville and Sullivan County.
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west of where it now stands and was a brick building forty by thirty feet in size. All denominations used it for a time and school entertainments were also held there. When it was repaired it was dedicated to worship only. In 1855 it was removed to its present site.
The Presbyterians, who had been holding house meet- ings under the pastorate of Rev. Lake, built a church in 1820, on the hill west of town, a graveyard also being enclosed. Later the church was removed to a lot opposite the "Female Academy" and still later to Main street.
On Sunday, July 27, 1836, while the Rev. Daniel Rogan was preaching in the Presbyterian church, then on graveyard hill, a distinguished party drove up to attend the meeting. It consisted of Andrew Jackson, then President, A. J. Donelson, afterwards candidate for Vice-President, Col. McClellan, afterwards Congressman from Sullivan and about fifteen others, some riding in carriages, others on horseback. Seeing the party on the outside the preacher stopped short in his discourse, an- nounced the arrival of the President, parceled out a hymn and all joined in the singing, thus avoiding confusion while the party entered. The song being finished the people seated themselves. The minister preached from the text, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." After the services were over, Col. McClellan introduced the visitors to a number of the congregation.9
A Baptist church was organized in 1833 by William Cate and T. J. Poindexter. The first association was held in 1870. The meeting was presided over by William A. Keen, who acted as moderator. John Crockett Rutledge, who was clerk of the county court, was also
9Gen. Jackson never passed through Sullivan on his way to or from Washington without stopping at one and sometimes two or three places in the county-often for a day or two at a time. He generally stopped with old soldiers who had accom- panied him in campaigns at the Horseshoe or against the Seminoles or at New Orleans. His salutation to his old war comrades was an embrace. It may be said in this connection that the three Presidents Tennessee furnished, Jackson, Polk and Johnson have visited and spoken in Blountville.
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clerk of the Baptist Church and kept the church books in his office. When the records of the court were destroyed by the burning of the court house in 1863, the church records were destroyed with them.
THE GOLD SEEKERS.
When the excitement of the gold discoveries reached Sullivan County a large number of people left Blount- ville and that vicinity and began the overland journey to California. Some took their families. It was during the days of "49" and the dangers incident to such a journey were much like those that confronted the Donelsons on their voyage down the Holston. It meant three thousand miles of travel, some of it over treeless deserts and through trackless woods, uninhabited by any friendly face-war bands of Indians or worse, renegades like those who perpetrated the Mountain Meadows massacre, were ready to kill and plunder.
These emigrant trains resembled in many ways those of the pioneers, and the men who accompanied them were full of the same adventurous spirit.
Among the number who left during the early excitement were "Doc" and William Anderson, sons of the hatter, Joe Pectol, of Ketron's, Tom Birdwell, Henderson Webb and James Wilson, from Reedy creek, William Cretsinger, of the family of ginger cake fame, and Joseph and Nathan Bachman of Horse creek valley.10 These who went to California started in the spring or early summer in order to be sure of finding pasture for their stock on the way.
On the return of the "49-ers" with belts of gold nuggets and quartz the excitement was again kindled and many
10A strange fatality has followed the Bachman family on the Pacific coast, Joseph was lost at sea. Nathan in his eightieth year, spurning to ride any but a spirited horse, was thrown by one, his thigh fractured, from which injury he died. Another was killed by Chinese laborers. William Bachman, of Bristol, on June 21, 1907, while enjoying| an outing tendered him by the company for which he worked, went down with the excursion steamer Columbia on which he had taken passage for Portland, Oregon.
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others went. Among those in the second pilgrimage were David Swicegood, Wade and Rufus Snapp, and Charles White and family. Crossing the plains White and his family were attacked by the Indians-White was killed and his wife taken captive. Being pursued by a band of determined men the Indians killed her also.
THE GOLD FINDERS.
During September, 1882, "Sifty" John Hicks, a day laborer about the town, was employed to clean out a cellar under the circuit court clerk's office preparatory to putting in a supply of wood for the winter. The rub- bish in the cellar was the accumulation of years- had not been cleaned out since the Civil War. It con- sisted mainly of mortar and brick and burnt wood- some of the remains of the court house. After digging for a while Hicks struck a cast iron box about twelve by sixteen inches-four inches thick. As soon as he saw that it contained gold and silver his excitement would not permit him to examine further or to take any of its contents. Rushing out he excitedly told every one he met that he had struck a coffin in which was buried a treasure of gold and silver coins.
The romantic feature of the find was that the first one he informed was a youth sitting on the stile leading from the street to the rear of the court house yard. He was deploring the fate that deprived him of parental sympathy in the choice of his life's work. He wanted to be a physi- cian, but his parents tried to discourage him in the idea, and to such an extent as to deny him any aid in the furth- erance of his ambition. He had finished his preliminary preparation and was at this time trying to accumulate enough bones to make a complete skeleton in order that he might become better acquainted with the subject of anatomy. On being told that a coffin had been un- earthed with the treasure the youth's first thoughts were of the skeleton that he might secure, but when he reached
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the spot and caught sight of the shining metal he forgot his misfortunes, skeleton and all, and, "filling his pockets," hastened home, put the money in a trunk and hurried back for more.
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