USA > Tennessee > Davidson County > History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 10
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" On all sides now the fire was brisk and deadly, and the charges with the bayonet, though less vigorous, were fre- quent. In all cases where the enemy charged the Ameri- cans on one side of the hill, those on the other thought he was retreating, and advanced near to the summit. But in all these movements the left of Ferguson's line was gradu- ally receding, and the Americans were plying their rifles with terrible effect. Ferguson was still in the heat of the battle. With characteristic coolness and daring he ordered Capt. Dupoister to reinforce a position about one hundred yards distant with his regulars, but before they reached it . they were thinned too much by the American rifles to render any effectual support. He then ordered his cavalry to mount, with a view of making a desperate onset at their bead. But these only presented a better mark for the rifles, and fell as fast as they could mount their horses. He rode from one end of the line to the other, encouraging his men to prolong the conflict. With desperate courage he passed from one exposed point to another of equal danger. He carried in his wounded hand a shrill-sounding silver whistle, whose signal was universally known through the ranks, was of immense service throughout the battle, and gave a kind of ubiquity to his movements.
"He was frequently admonished by Dupoister to sur- render, but his proud spirit could not deign to give up to nw and undisciplined militia. . . . He fell soon after, and immediately expired.
"The forward movement of all the American columns brought them to the level of the enemy's guns, which here- 6
tofore, in most instances, had overshot their, heads. The horizontal fire of the regulars was now considerably fatal ; but the rapid advances of the riflemen soon surrounded both them and the Tories, who being crowded close together and cooped up in a narrow space by the surrounding pres- sure of the American troops, and fatally galled by their in- cessant fire, lost all hope from further resistance. Dupoister, who succeeded Ferguson in command, perceiving that further struggle was in vain, raised the white flag and ex- claimed for quarters. A general cessation of the American fire followed; but this cessation was not complete. Some of the young men did not understand the meaning of a white flag; others, who did, knew that other flags had been raised before, and were quickly taken down. Shelby hallooed out to them to throw down their guns, as all would understand that as a surrender. This was immediately done. The arms were now lying in front of the prisoners, without any orders how to dispose of them. Col. Shelby, seeing the facility with which the enemy could resume their guns, exclaimed, ' Good God ! what can we do in this confu- sion ?' ' We can order the prisoners from their guns,' said Sawyer. 'Yes,' said Shelby, 'that can be done.' The prisoners were accordingly marched to another place, and there surrounded by a double guard.
" The battle of King's Mountain lasted about an hour. The loss of the enemy was two hundred and twenty-five killed, one hundred and eighty wounded, seven hundred prisoners, fifteen hundred stand of arms and a great many horses and wagons loaded with supplies, and booty of every kind taken by the plundering Tories from the wealthy Whigs." The loss of the Americans was thirty killed and about twice that number wounded. Col. Williams, of South Carolina, was among the former.
Gen. Bernard, an officer under Napoleon, and afterwards in the United States Engineer service, on examining the battle ground of King's Mountain, said, " The Americans by their victory in that engagement, erected a monument to perpetuate the memory of the brave men who had fallen there, and the shape of the hill itself would be an eternal monument to the military genius and skill of Col. Ferguson, in selecting a position so well adapted for defense; and that no other plan of assault but that pursued by the mountain- men could have succeeded against him."
Of the regiment from Washington County, commanded by Col. Sevier, the captains were his two brothers, Valentine and Robert Sevier, Joel Callahan, George Doherty, and George Russell ; Lieutenant, Isaac Lane. Capt. Robert Se- vier was wounded, from which he died the third day after, and was buried at Bright's.
The victory of King's Mountain was to the South what Saratoga was to the East,-the decisive one of the Revolu- tion. It turned the tide in the struggle for independence, and sent a thrill of joy to every patriotic heart from the Western wilds to the shores of the Atlantic. It was also a very important local victory. " A number of Tories, horse- thieves, and highwaymen had been captured and hung, but the leader and others escaped till the glorious victory of King's Mountain, when this notorious captain of ban- ditti, Grimes, was caught and hung, and some others with him."
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HISTORY OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE.
It should be mentioned here that accessions came to the Cumberland settlements about this time from the lower Mississippi. They were refugees from the revolt against the Spaniards under Gen. Lyman, who, with Gens. Putnam and Schuyler, had located twenty thousand acres of land each between the mouths of the Yazoo and Bayou Pierre, as grants received for their services in the French war. Lyman was the only one of these generals who resided upon the Mississippi, and during the Revolution he was an in- tense loyalist. When the British forces laid siege to Pen- sacola in the spring of 1781, there was strong confidence among the English subjects that the Spaniards would be overwhelmed, and the Floridas restored to Great Britain. Lyman found at Natchez, and in the surrounding new set- tlements, British subjects who were willing to unite with him in an attempt to overthrow the Spanish authorities in that quarter. They concerted measures and laid siege to Fort Panmure, on the bluff at Natchez, captured it, and deemed themselves good and loyal subjects of King George.
Engaged in this little rebellion and successful uprising against Spain were a few persons who had sympathized with the Regulators in North Carolina, and had fled thence to avoid British petty tyranny; and were now found, strangely, fighting for British rule, when many of their most dear and intimate friends were contending to throw off that same power, and to establish the independence of the United colonies. With such they no doubt sympathized at heart ; but as between the English and the Spaniards, they infinitely preferred the authority of the former. The Spaniards, however, gained the victory at Pensacola, and in a few days after the successful rebellion at Natchez news came that they were ascending the Mississippi with an overwhelming force; that the rebels would be taken and all their property confiscated. They resolved to save their lives by a timely flight, and to take with them such of their property as could be removed. Lyman, the royalist, and some others of like sentiments, fled to the British at Charleston and Savannah by a toilsome march across the country. Others, who were "akin to the Regulators," and had friends on the Cumberland, resolved to remove thither. We give the names of the more prominent of those who arrived here in 1783. They were Philip Alston, John Turnbull, James Drungald, James Cole, John Turner, Thomas James, Philip Mulkley, and Thomas Ilines. A few of the number who set out upon this journey were attacked by the Cherokees and lost their lives. Of the others, several of their names may be seen among the two hundred and fifty-six signatures to the articles of govern- ment, near the close of the list. The wilderness through which they came was an extent of forest and prairie country of more than three hundred miles, their route being from " forty miles above Natchez, through the Choctaw nation crossing the Tombigbee, Tennessee, and other rivers, to the settlements on the Cumberland."
They remained at the Cumberland settlements several years, aided in the defenses against the Indians, rejoiced with their friends in the acknowledged independence of their country, had their patriotic sentiments greatly strengthened, received much insight into Spanish hypoc- risy and intrigue with the Indians, and returned to their
homes fully imbued with that loyal spirit towards the United States which made them a bulwark of strength in resisting the later schemes in that portion of the country for the dis- memberment of the Union. Many of them filled offices of trust and profit in the Territory and the State. Gen. Hincs distinguished himself in the battle of New Orleans, in command of the light horse. He had known Gen. Jackson on the Cumberland, cherished with him a hatred of the English and the Spanish, aided in his victories over both and the Indians, in the final glorious triumph of the 8th of January, 1815, and lived to hail his friend and chieftain " PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES."
When the " refugees" returned there went with them other "good men and true," the Turpins, Freelunds, . Greens, Shaws, forming the nucleus of an excellent neigh- borhood, known as such to the present day.
On the 19th of April, Gen. Washington issued his proclamation for the cessation of hostilities, and recom- mended the offering of thanks to Almighty God for the many blessings conferred upon the American people. Whether the settlers on the Cumberland received this intelligence before the fall of the year we know not, but in December they were assured that the Revolutionary war was actually ended on the 30th of November. " When they heard this they rejoiced." We need not doubt it. " Andrew Ewin raised himself up to his full height, when- ever, in after-days, the reception of this news was men- tioned, and he said, ' Robertson and all the rest of us felt a foot taller, and straightened from the bend of a dog's hind leg to an erect figure.'"
" For a time this event seems to have influenced the conduct of the Indians. If they came near the settlements they were in pursuit of game. Indirect messages were sent and received expressive of a friendly disposition, and suggestions were made to them by Col. Robertson that if some of their chiefs would make known such a wish, the States might appoint some persons to hold talks and con- ferences with them." This was brought about the next ycar on the part of Virginia and North Carolina, and the Donelson and Martin treaty was made at Nashville, in June, 1783. The year had been ushered in by general rejoicing and congratulations throughout the States. Peace had been proclaimed, independence acknowledged, and the hearts of the people were indeed glad. This joy spread all over the land ; its waves were not delayed upon the mount- ains; the tidings were hastened to the settlements on the Cumberland; and, having a little powder left, they could not refrain from appropriating a portion for a feu de joie, to which they added hurrahs ad libitum. " It was hurrah for Washington, hurrah for Congress, hurrah for Carolina, hurrah for us! Great as was the joy elsewhere, there was no small amount of it here. A common exclamation of the mothers and grandmothers was, 'Bless the Lord ! Bless the Lord !'"
After the peace the tide of immigration set into the Cumberland Valley and Middle Tennessee. The old North State saw many excellent citizens depart from their birth- place, strike out into the wilderness across the mountains, and to this far-off border. They brought with them a large supply of horses, cattle, oxen, farming-implements, me-
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PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION.
chanics' tools, guns, and much powder and lead. They came to stay and they were heartily welcomed. Many came also from Virginia and made selections of valuable lands. To trace this general influx of population forward for many years would be impossible in a work like this.
" It is quite probable that the soil of Tennessee contains the bones of as many Revolutionary soldiers as any of the mother States in the South. After the war was over, thou- sands of them flocked to this State, to locate lands on war- rants issued for military services. Most of these remained, some to die from Indian bullets and tomahawks, and the rest as peaceful tillers of the soil, which in course of time received into its bosom a new accession of sacred dust. Some of these bones, mayhap, the plowshare has already upturned, while of many neither stone nor inscription marks the site of their last resting. place.
"Gen. Rutherford, for whom one of our fine counties was named, is buried in Sumner Co., Tenn., but the par- ticular place is unknown to the writer. He was a man of splendid traits of character, but very plain and unassuming in dress and manner. On public occasions he appeared in the simplest homespun, and the young wondered what old fellow that was to whom the elders paid such marked re- spect and greeted with such warmth and cordiality. At the battle of Camden he was taken prisoner, while desper- ately fighting to retrieve the fortunes of the day. On this occasion his life was saved by a thick, tight-fitting wool hat, which broke the force of Tarleton's sabres. His head bled freely from a number of wounds, while his weather- beaten tile was ruined forever by the showers of savage cuts it had received.
" The writer can trace up the names of over twenty of these old soldiers who are buried in Lincoln Co., Tenn. One of these, Capt. John Morgan, commanded a company from North Carolina, and is buried at Mulberry. His widow survived him until 1851, and persistently refused . pension from the Government, saying ' that it was noth- ing but a patriotic duty for men to fight the British and the Indians, and they shouldn't be paid a cent for it.' She was an ardent Whig in politics, and to the day of her death persisted in calling Democrats 'Tories.' She was a sister of Governor Hall, of Tennessee, and five of her family-a father, two brothers, a sister, and a niece-went down in the storm of savage fury which swept over the infant settlements on the Cumberland. Her hate of In- dians was so strong that when the Cherokees passed her home, on their way west of the Mississippi, she shut her- self in the room and refused to appear as long as there was one in the vicinity.
"Capt. Andrew Caruthers, the maternal, and Capt. Wil- liam Robinson, the paternal grandfather of Col. William B. Robinson, of this county, are buried on the farm of the latter, at Coldwater. Capt. Caruthers commanded a com- pany in Sevier's regiment at King's Mountain, and during the fight lost one of his low-quartered shoes, which gents of that day wore, even in the back woods settlements on the Watauga. The writer has been honored, by his grand- son, with the gift of the sword he wielded on this eventful day, which, according to Jefferson, was the turning-point in the Revolution. It is needless to say that he values, as
a priceless treasure, this old blade, which idealizes to him the grandest and most important epoch in the world's polit- ical history. A great empire, already playing a prominent part in the affairs of this globe, and destined to continue to do so for ages to come, was firmly established by the events of this day ; and King's Mountain will be an eternal monument to the men who conquered on its summit,- victors over kings' crowns and prerogatives, and stern vin- dicators of the God-given right of self-government.
" In the troubles between Sevier and Tipton, Capt. Ca- ruthers sided with the latter against his old commander, and was in the battle which took place between the two fac- tions at Tipton's house. He died at his grandson's in 1828.
" Capt. William Robinson began his rebellious career as a Regulator, and was in the defeat at Alamance, which necessitated his exile from the back woods of Carolina, and his final settlement with many other compatriots at the in- fant colony on the Watauga. He commanded a company in Sevier's regiment at King's Mountain, and on this occa- sion probably tasted the sweetest revenge of his life. The bitter memories of Alamance were effaced in the presence of the most important victory ever won by the American armies. The Regulator of Alamance had ' exchanged the odium of the outlaw for the glory of the patriot.'
"The ancestors of Capt. Robinson were Scottish Cove- nanters, and his grandson still has a Bible printed in 1632 which has been in the family for more than two hundred and forty years. It is still in a good state of preservation, in spite of the wars through which it has passed. In Scot- land its hiding-place was under the bottom of a chair or stool, which was turned upside down when the family were engaged in reading and quickly reversed on the slightest alarm. It crossed the Atlantic with the family, and passed through the trying scenes of the Regulation, the Revolu- tion, the Indian wars in Tennessee, and finally through the late great struggle between the States. Its existence as a book bridges over and connects some of the grandest events in modern times, and its historic associations furnish abund- ant scope for the musings of the moralist and the philoso- pher. It recalls the Charles', Cromwell, and the Stuarts. In the most particular manner it brings to mind its perse- cutor, Cluverhouse,-a name despised by Scotchmen all over the globe, even to this generation,-and its defender, Argyle. One hundred years older than George Washing- ton it came to America, and has now survived wars and changes and many generations of its keepers.
" This family has 'The Articles of Confession of the Church of Scotland,' published by Benjamin Franklin, at Philadelphia, in 1745 ; also a chest of obsolete manufacture, which has been in its possession for many generations. It, too, has a story. During the Revolution a British officer entered the house of Mrs. Robinson, and observing a num- ber of fresh corn-cobs in the fireplace, demanded some corn. On being refused he started towards the chest, where she had hid the corn a few minutes before his arrival, and threatened to break it open. Quick as thought she seized a heavy iron fire-shovel, and brandishing it over his head, dared him to make the attempt. He saw fight in her eye if he persisted, and ruffian as he was, he concluded it was safest to let her alone, which he did and left the house."
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HISTORY OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE.
CHAPTER X.
ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.
Original Boundaries-Division of the County-Name-Civil Districts -Bounty Lands-State of Franklin-Anomalous Position of David- son County.
DAVIDSON County was erected into a civil municipality by an act of the Legislature of North Carolina, approved Oct. 6, 1783. This act defines the original boundaries of the county in the words following, to wit :
" Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That all that part of the State lying west of the Cum- berland Mountain where the Virginia line crosses, extend- . ing westward along the said line to Tennessee River, thence up said river to the mouth of Duck River, thence up Duck River to where the line of marked trees run by the Com- missioners for laying off land granted the Continental Line of this State intersects said river (which said line is sup- posed to be in thirty-five degrees fifty minutes north lati- tude), thence east along said line to the top of Cumberland Mountain, thence northwardly along said mountain to the beginning, shall after the passage of this act be, and is hereby declared to be a distinct County by the name of DAVIDSON."
The area included in these boundaries embraced between eleven and twelve thousand square miles, lying along the northern line of the State from Cumberland Gap to the Tennessee River, and southward about fifty-six miles to the old military line run by the Commissioners of North Caro- lina. It embraced more than three-fourths of Middle Tennessee.
The first division of this great county was made in 1786, when Sumner was erected from the northeastern portion of its territory. Tennessee County was formed in 1788, and remained a county until 1796, when the State, upon its admission, took its name, and its territory was divided into two counties named Robertson and Montgomery. Wil- son County on the east, and Williamson on the south, were taken off in 1799. Stewart County was formed in 1803, embracing the present counties of Houston, Humphreys, Perry, Wayne, and parts of Hardin and Lewis. Ruther- ford County was taken off from Davidson in 1804. Cheat- ham County was set off from Davidson, Robertson, and Montgomery by act of Legislature, Feb. 28, 1856, which is the date at which Davidson County was reduced to its present limits.
This county, like the other three west of the Appalachian Mountains, received its name from an officer of the army of the Revolution, Gen. William Davidson, of Mecklen- burg Co., N. C. He was a native of that part of the State which had carly exhibited an enthusiastic devotion to inde- pendence. He sought and obtained a command, though of an inferior grade, in the Continental army. In that service he was considered a gallant officer, and acquired distinction.
When the enemy overran South Carolina he left the regular service and was immediately commissioned a general in the North Carolina militia. In this new sphere of duty he manifested great zeal and public spirit. It was he whom Gen. McDowell sought to invite to take the chief command
at King's Mountain. IIe was constantly on the alert to disperse the Tories and annoy Lord Cornwallis, while his headquarters were at Charlotte.
After the battle of Cowpens, Morgan, in removing the prisoners for safe-keeping to Virginia, was pursued by the British army. Gen. Davidson, having under his command some active militiamen hastily collected in his neighborhood, endeavored to retard the pursuers, and at every river and creek caused them some delay ; and thus contributed essen- tially to the escape of the American army and the prisoners which encumbered its march. In this service Gen. David- son lost his life. On the 1st of February, 1781, the British army, accompanied by loyalists who knew the roads and crossing-places, came to the Catawba River, at Cowan's Ford, and began to cross. Davidson rode to the river to reconnoitre with the hope of devising some plan to keep them back, at least for a time. A Tory, who knew him, and who was in advance piloting the enemy, was near the bank, and shot him. Knowing he was mortally wounded he rode back hastily to his men, gave some orders, and soon expired. An intrepid soldier, a true patriot, never did man love his country with more ardent affection. His name should be ever dear to the people of North Carolina and Tennessee.
CIVIL DISTRICTS.
The county of Davidson is divided into twenty-six civil or magisterial districts, of which the city of Nashville is the first district. Each of these (except Nashville) elects two magistrates or justices of the county. Nashville or district No. 1 elects two from each ward. The history of the formation of these districts is'as follows :
The act for organizing the " Inferior Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions," or the first court of the county, was passed by the Legislature of North Carolina, Oct. 6, 1783. The place fixed upon for the court was " Nashborough," changed to " Nashville" in July, 1784. At first the justices were appointed by the commissioners who were authorized by law to organize the court, and were chosen without respect to any definite divisional lines or districts. Subsequently the county was divided into military districts and justices were elected, two in each of these, till the change effected by the new constitution of 1834.
On the 3d of December, 1835, an act was passed " to provide for the laying off the several counties of the State into districts of convenient size in which justices of the peace and constables shall be elected, and for other pur- poses." The other purposes were convenience of designa- tion, elections, and school purposes.' The act provided that by a joint resolution of both branches of the Assembly, commissioners should be appointed to lay out the districts. Section 6 says : " Be it enacted, that it shall be the duty of the said commissioners in each and every county in this State to number each and every district, and to make out a complete record of the boundaries of each when laid off under their hands, and also a copy of the same, one of which shall be filed in the office of the county court clerk in which it is situated, and the other shall be forthwith transmitted to the office of the Secretary of State, directed to that officer, and it shall be his duty carefully to preserve the same in his office."
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ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.
We fear very much that those officers, or the districting commissioners, failed to discharge their duty respecting the latter requirements of this act, for we have searched both ofices and have failed to find the returns and descriptions required to be deposited there. The commissioners, there- fore, whoever they were, have lost their place in this his- tory which we intended to give them.
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