History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 13

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1013

USA > Tennessee > Davidson County > History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 13

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

in any way, being thought secure. The road ran along the front, being intersected opposite the passage by a lane. About midnight he heard the sound of horses' feet rushing along the road in front of the fort, when he hastily arose, and calling James Campbell, an Irish servant, to go with him, they stepped out into the passage, through which the moonlight was falling in full splendor. At this instant a heavy volley was poured into the passage from the corners of the fences a few paces off, when Campbell fell dead and Col. Bledsoe was mortally wounded in the abdomen. The ruse of the enemy in having a party to dash by on horse- back was unfortunately but too successful. It so happened that some of the infantry force of Evans' battalion had been discharged about that time, and were making prepara- tions to return across the mountain the next day. The settlers were apprehensive that they would steal some horses upon which to make their journey, and were on the look- out to pursue promptly and recover them. It was with this view that Col. Bledsoe rushed out of his room, calling upon the inmates of the station to follow and recover the stolen horses. The fire that was opened upon Campbell and himself instantly apprised those within who had not appeared of the nature of the case, and prompt measures were taken for defense. The fires were instantly put out, and William Hall, Hugh Rogan, and others repaired to the port-holes and opened their guns upon the enemy, wh) soon drew off to the vale below and began the destruction of the cattle and other property in reach. It was soon dis- covered that Col. Bledsoe was in a dying condition, and it was suggested to him to make a will, in order to secure his daughters (eight in number) the possession of his valuable estate. He had no son, and according to the laws of North Carolina the title to his property would have vested in his brother, leaving his children penniless, if he died without making a will. To write the will it was necessary to have a light, but on searching the fireplaces not a spark of fire could be found. At this Hugh Rogan proposed to go to the house of old Katy Shaver, several hundred yards off, and get some fire. This old woman, whose husband and family had been killed some time before, lived alone, and was regarded with superstitious fear by the Indians, who knew her history and were fully aware of her defenseless condition. During all of the time they remained in the vicinity they avoided her with scrupulous care, believing she was under the protection of the Great Spirit, who would avenge any injury done her. The proposition of this brave Irishman met with a universal protest from the little gar- rison, as a large body of Indians was known to be in the immediate vicinity, and for him to attempt to return with a blazing fagot in his hand would almost insure his destruc- tion. He merely remarked that "a dying man should have his last request gratified," and opening the door plunged into the horrors of the outer darkness, amid the prayers and tears of the garrison, who listened with breathless anx- iety for the shots that would announce the death of their bravest defender. He reached his destination in safety, and in a few moments returned with the fire blazing his way through the darkness. Not a shot was fired at him, as, providentially, the Indians were busily engaged elsewhere at that particular moment. The self-sacrificing spirit of this

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE.

brave Irishman has never been surpassed and rarely equaled. The act had in it all the elements of the " heroic" in a superlative degree.

An attack was made in the vicinity of Sutherland May- field's Station which deserves to have a place in these pages. This station was on the west fork of Mill Creek, and about a mile above Brown's. A force of ten or twelve Indians made their appearance near this station, but made no direct attack, which would no doubt have been successful as the men were some distance off building a wolf-pen. Mayfield, his two sons, and Mr. Joslin were busily at work, leaving a soldier to guard their guns a little way off and keep a lookout. The latter inexcusably left his post, when the Indians dashed in between the whites and their guns, and opened at the same time a destructive fire upon them. Mayfield and one of his sons and the soldier were killed, and the other son, George, was captured and taken to the Creek Nation, where he remained ten or twelve years. Jos- lin, afterwards a colonel in the militia and owner of Jos- ' lin's Station, the farthest one to the southwest of Nashville, at the first alarm rushed towards the Indians to get his gun, but he was surrounded and beaten off; he then broke through their line and dashed off at great speed through the woods with the enemy in close pursuit. He soon reached the trunk of a very large tree which lay in his way and promised to be a formidable obstacle to his escape unless he could jump it, as the pursuers were right at his heels. He therefore put forth all of his strength and by a tremendous leap cleared it, falling on his back on the other side. At this the Indians stopped, thinking it useless to pursue far- ther a man of such extraordinary agility. He made a cir- cuit and reached the station in safety.

A number of valuable citizens lost their lives during this year, and the usual devastation was committed on property, but of these our limits forbid particular notice.

The accumulated outrages of the last year by the Creek Indians at length seem to have determined Gen. Robertson to put no further faith in the pacific declarations of Mc- Gillivray, and we find that on April 5, 1789, he issued a general order to the militia officers to be ready with their men at a moment's warning to march in pursuit of any bands of Indians coming into the country, and to overtake and punish them, as their outrages had grown too great and frequent to be longer endured. He had not long to wait for the opportunity to put this order into execution. While engaged with his hands in a field not a half-mile from his station, the sentinel posted to give notice of hostile approach became suspicious that the Indians were in the cane not far off. He communicated his fears to the general, and endeavored to put himself between the people at work and the threatened danger. Gen. Robertson then turned to take a searching look in the direction indicated, when a volley was fired from the woods, one of the balls taking effect in his foot. The whites then made their way in safety to the fort and the Indians ran off.

Gen. Robertson ordered immediate pursuit. About sixty men turned out under Lieut .- Col. Elijah Robertson, but be being detained, Capt. Sampson Williams, an excellent In- dian-fighter and a man of most stubborn courage, was selected in his place. It is worthy of notice that Andrew

Jackson was one of the pursuers. They hastily convened at Gen. Robertson's, and began their march early the next morning. The trail of the enemy was soon struck, and found to lead up West Harpeth to the highlands of Duck River. At this point the pursuers became convinced that the Indians were out-traveling them, and it was determined to detach twenty men to follow on foot for the sake of speed, leaving the horsemen to come on as best they could. Capt. Williams headed the detachment, and striking off at a trot followed the trail until it reached the river; it here curved up the river a mile and a half and crossed, where it turned down again through the heavy corn which covered the lowlands. Darkness and the tangled nature of the way at length forced the party to halt and lie on their arms the rest of the night. As soon as it was light enough to see, pursuit was resumed, and at the distance of only two or three hundred yards from their bivouac the encamp- ment of the Indians was discovered. Two or three were up mending their fires, and the rest still lay on the ground in sleep ; the place was calculated to escape observation, being in a kind of basin. Capt. Williams was in advance, and the first to discover the enemy. Having some distance to go under the range of the enemy's guns if they should make resistance, he determined to dash forward at full speed and drive them from their weapons before they could have time to use them. He therefore charged, and at the distance of fifty yards opened fire. The Indians, though about thirty in number, fled without resistance, leaving one dead on the ground, but carrying off seven or eight wounded, and plung- ing into the river crossed to the north side. Sixteen guns, nineteen shot-pouches, and all of their effects fell into the hands of the whites. Pursuit was continued across the river, but shortly abandoned. Capt. Williams then struck into his old trail, and soon met the party with the horses, when all returned to the settlements.

There appears to have been no other pursuit of Indians by bodies from this county during the year, though it closed with a record of thirty persons killed on the Cumberland and the loss of one-half of the stock of horses.

The year 1790 passed off with a remarkable diminution of the usual death-rate, as far as the accounts go to show. The treaty with the Creek Nation at New York, August 17th, may have had some influence on the result. McGil- livray, with about thirty chiefs, had repaired there by arrangement with the government, and had been received with great hospitality and attention to pomp and ceremony ; liberal presents were provided, and he himself received a douceur of one hundred thousand dollars, ostensibly as in- demnity for losses he had sustained in property from the people of the United States.

This treaty proved unsatisfactory to both parties. It was. now desired by the government to engage the Cherokees in similar obligations to preserve peace. William Blount, Governor of the Territory south of the Ohio, as the country was called which had been ceded by North Carolina to the general domain, therefore dispatched Maj. King on a mis- sion to this nation. Upon his return he reported that the Cherokees expressed great willingness to enter upon a treaty. The Governor having issued his proclamation re- voking all licenses to trade with the Indians, the possessors

Digitized by Google

INDIAN WARS.

of this privilege, seeing loss to themselves in the prospect, set about at once to defeat the assembling of the Indians, and they circulated the report that it was the intention of the whites to surround them on arrival at the. treaty-ground apd utterly destroy them. These insinuations of perfidy seemed about to defeat the proposed treaty, when the Gov- ernor desired Gen. Robertson to go among the Indians and reassure their minds as to the intentions and good faith of the government. He went at once among them, and being possessed of their respect and esteem in the highest degree, soon accomplished his mission. The chiefs agreed to attend the place of' meeting, the present site of Knoxville. There, on the 2d of July, 1791, the treaty of Holston was made, and being forwarded to the President was confirmed by the Senate on the 11th of November. There seemed reason now to anticipate peace with the Cherokees, but there was evidence of a renewal of hostile spirit on the part of the Creeks, but it was confined more to the settlements in Western Virginia and Kentucky than those on the Cum- berland, where, however, a number of horses were stolen and thirteen persons were killed in the limits of Sumner and Davidson Counties in the months of June and July.

By the treaty of Holston extensive hunting-groundz, reaching to the very limits of the Cumberland settlements, had been restored to the Cherokees with the hope of pur- chasing peace and security. Washington earnestly desired Governor Blount to inculcate a spirit of the utmost for- bearance among the whites towards the Indians, and seek by frequent " talks" and presents to hold them to their treaty obligations. This became an exceedingly difficult task, when it soon became evident that hostility was not only not abating but continually on the increase. This Don-fulfillment of their stipulations found its explanation in the machinations of Spanish and British agents among them, who were extremely jealous of the growing power of the United States, and alarmed at its already manifest influence on the destiny of the Mississippi region. The policy of Washington, which gathered weight and respect more from his great name than from any regard for its justice and propriety. together with the personal exertions of Gen. Robertson, had the effect to limit the movements of the Cumberland people strictly to defensive measures. The year closed in gloomy forebodings. St. Clair had been defeated in the Northwest, with the loss of six hundred men slain and all of his cannon. This event, so flattering to Indian prowess, virtually destroyed with the Southern tribes any lingering respect they may have retained for the binding force of the late treaties.

Although Davidson County was erected in 1783, and thus become an integral part of the State, it was regarded by the latter, in consequence of its remoteness from the seat of government and isolation from other settlements, rather as an outlying province, which must take upon itself those measures of protection and defense imposed by its situa- tion. Its inhabitants had incurred responsibilities in which the rest of the State could not well share, so its rulers argued; the State would give them laws, but could not incur any expense in their execution. The grant of powers was liberal, the Inferior Court of Pleas and Quarter Ses- sions being virtually invested with legislative, judicial, and

executive authority. These powers had already been exer- cised freely but wisely by the government of the Notables. Therefore this act was merely formal, and added no real strength to the colonists in their situation at that juncture, when the broad ægis of the State was needed to be thrown over them.

Under the authority of the act of 1786, the Court of Quarter Sessions in 1787 adopted measures of defense, as appears of record in these words :

" Whereas, The frequent acts of hostility committed by the Indians upon the inhabitants of this county for a con- siderable time past render it necessary that measures should be taken for their protection :

1. " Be it Resolved, That two hundred and ten men shall be enlisted and formed into a military body for the protection of said inhabitants, to rendezvous at the lower end of Clinch Mountain.

2. " Every able-bodied man who shall enlist and furnish himself with a good rifle or smooth-bore gun, one good picker, shot-bag, powder- horn, twelve good flints, with good . powder and lead bullets or suitable shot, shall be entitled to receive each year for his services one blanket, one good woolen or fur hat of middle size, one pair of buckskin breeches, and waistcoat lined."

They further " Resolved, That for the better furnishing of the troops now coming into the country under command of Maj. Evans, with provisions, etc., that one-fourth of the tax of this county be paid in corn, one half in beef, pork, bear-meat, and venison, one-eighth in salt, and one-eighth in money, to defray the expenses of removing the pro- visions. The prices were fixed thus : corn, four shillings per bushel (equal to fifty cents); beef, five dollars per hun- dred pounds ; pork, eight dollars per hundred pounds ; good bear-mcat, without bones, eight dollars per hundred pounds ; venison, ten shillings per hundred pounds ; salt, sixteen dol- lars per bushel "

Capt. Evans was appointed to the command of the bat- talion thus raised, with the rank of major. The troops ren- dezvoused at Clinch Mountain, and were very useful, guard- ing immigrants into the country aud manning the forts. Each soldier was allowed by the State four hundred aeres of land for six months' service, and the same proportion if he served twelve months, the land to be located west of the Cumberland Mountain. For the raising, supporting, arm- ing, and equipping of these troops it was expressly stipu- lated that the tax should come from the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, and under no circumstances should the expense fall upon the treasury of the State, to be rate- ably borne by it.

While this force was a great addition to the strength of the colonists, it was far from being adequate to the needs of the case. Every man able to bear arms was held in honor bound to turn out on instant notice and defend or pursue as the case might be. In the almost weekly alarms the volunteers were the main reliance. The State guards held the forts, while the inhabitants took the field in many cases. From the enumeration of these facts it will be readily seen that the burdens of the settlers were heavy enough.

In April of this year the Indians killed Randle Gentry in the vicinity of Nashville (at the place where Mr. Foster

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE.

afterwards lived), and Curtis Williams and Thomas Fletcher and his son at the mouth of Harpeth. Capt. Ruins was ordered by Col. Robertson to pursue. He immediately raised sixty men and got on the trail of the marauders, which led across Mill Creek ; thence to Big Harpeth ; thence to the fishing-ford of Duck River; thence down Swan Creek to Elk River; and thence into the barrens, and on as far as Flint River, within the present limits of Alabama. Not being able to come up with the party he there left their trail and turned west until he struck McCutchin's Trace. This trace crossed Elk River in the neighborhood of Lati- tude Hill, so named by the commissioners engaged in laying off the lands of the Continental line of North Carolina in 1783, who had gone there to ascertain the thirty-fifth par- allel of latitude. The place is within the present limits of Giles County. Before reaching Elk River Capt. Rains discovered the tracks of a party of Indians who had come into the trace and were marching in the direction of the settlements. In the neighborhood of Latitude Hill he found the camp which they had left in the morning. He halted six miles farther on and lay all night, but took the precaution to send forward two or three trusty men to see that the enemy was not sufficiently near to overhear his men while engaged in preparing camp. These returned and reported no Indians within hearing. The next morning he followed on, and in the afternoon came to the place where they had encamped the preceding night. Here they had cleared the ground of brush and leaves and indulged in their national war-dance, to properly prepare themselves for the bloody deeds they had in contemplation, this being the last place in which they could safely perform this rite, as another day's march would bring them too close to the settlements and render them liable to discovery. The In- dian war-dance was a strange orgie, in which they indulged on going and returning from war, being intended to fire the warrior's heart to deeds of valor and whet his appetite for the blood of his enemy. It began with a slow, measured step, accompanied by a song, which gradually increased in quickness until the circling mass had been wrought to the highest pitch of excitement, when each brave drew his knife and tomahawk, and addressing an imaginary foe, he imitated the act of striking him down to the carth and completing the triumph by taking his scalp. At this stage savage cries and yells filled the air, and the counte- nances of the braves, rendered more horrible by paint, cx- pressed all the ferocity of a real feeling, well calculated to excite in the beholder sensations of awe and fear. In the mad excitement of the moment they often inflicted accidental wounds upon each other, but of this no notice was taken and the offender was not held to account even if death was the result. This band took due precautions against surprise by setting up forks around the ring, upon which they laid poles to rest their guns against, so as to have them at hand in case of need.

Capt. Rains and his men passed on, and crossing Duck River at the mouth of Elk and Fountain Creeks, encamped about two miles beyond. The next morning, at the dis- tance of six miles, they came on the Indians as they lay encamped upon the waters of Rutherford Creek, about the place where Solomon Herring afterwards lived. The

enemy fled at the first fire and dispersed, leaving one of their number dead on the ground. The animating influ- ence of their recent war-dance vanished in the presence of real danger. Capt. Rains made no further pursuit and marched into the settlements.

About a month after the return of this expedition Capt. Rains was ordered by Col. Robertson on another equally arduous. He was directed to scour the country to the south, and strike any Indians found east of the line dividing the Chickasaws and Cherokees. His command was composed of sixty men. He took and kept the Chickasaw trail, which was the divisional line, until he crossed Swan Creek, beyond Duck River, when he turned southeast towards and up the Tennessee River. On the second day thereafter he struck a fresh trail, which on close examination was ascer- tained to be made by five men and a boy. He followed it but a few miles before he overtook the party, and killed four of the men and captured the boy. Seven horses, besides blankets, guns, skins, and other property, fell into his hands. The scalps of the slain were taken and brought to Nashville. The mother of the boy was a Chickasaw and his father a Creek. On learning of his capture Piamingo, the Chicka- saw chief, interested himself, for the sake of the mother, to obtain his release. His son, Butterboo, had recently stolen a white captive away from the Creeks. He was a boy by the name of Naine, and had been captured by them on White's Creek, in this county, some time before. Piamingo now proposed an exchange, which was readily assented to and the transfer effected. The Indian boy was well dressed in the style of white people when he left, and promised to come back and see Capt. Rains, which he did about a year after, but he was again clad after the Indian fashion, with flap and blanket.

CHAPTER XIII.

TREATY OF HOPEWELL.

Effects of the Treaty-French and Spanish Intrigue-Complicated Difficulties of the Settlers-Attack upon Ephraim and Thomas Peyton and Others-Character of the Pioneers for Courage and Endurance-Tax-List of Davidson County in 1787.

IN 1785 the progress of settlements was much retarded by the limitations of a treaty made with the Indians. This treaty, known as the treaty of Hopewell, was concluded Nov. 28, 1785, by commissioners on the part of the United States and the chiefs and head men of the Cherokee Nation at Hopewell, on the Keowee River, in South Carolina. Benjamin Hawkins, Andrew Pickens, Joseph Martin, and Lachlin McIntosh were the United States commissioners.

This treaty was remarkable for its futile attempt to restrict and drive back the progress of Anglo-American settlements. A land-office had been established under an act of 1783, ex- tensive entries had been made, and upon many of the lands settlements had been inaugurated ; yet such were the powers and prerogatives granted to the Indians that they had the right to dispossess those now declared by the treaty to be within the bounds of the Indian Territory, and to punish all intruders as they might think proper. This was simply deliv-

Digitized by

Google - - --

TREATY OF HOPEWELL.

ering the settlers over to the tender mercies of savages. By this same treaty the Indians were clothed with judicial and executive powers of a most startling character. They could arrest persons whom they might deem guilty of capital offenses, and punish them in the presence of the Cherokees in the same manner as they would be punished for like offenses committed against citizens of the United States. More than this, one article of the treaty gave the Cherokees the right to be represented by one of their own savage delegates in the Congress of the United States. By this treaty the territory of the Cumberland settlers was re- stricted to the narrow limits east of the dividing ridge be- tween the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, and south of the Kentucky boundary to about forty miles above Naslı- ville. The distinguished chief, Tassel, presented a map to the commissioners on which these boundaries were marked, and they were recognized and adopted by the treaty.

At this time the French and the Spaniards were devising the ruin of the Western settlements, and it is thought that the plan of this restriction of territory was furnished by the Spanish Governor. We quote two paragraphs from the report of the Commissioners to Congress :

"The Spaniards and the French are making great efforts to engross the trade of the Indians. Several of them are on the north side of the Tennessee River, and well sup- plied with goods proper for the trade. The Governor of New Orleans has sent orders to the Chickasaws to remove all traders from that country, except such as should take the oath of allegiance to the Catholic king.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 13

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford) Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1013

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1013