USA > Tennessee > Davidson County > History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 14
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" The Cherokees say that the Northern Indians have their emissaries among the Southern tribes, endeavoring to prevail with them to form an alliance offensive against the United States, and to commence hostilities against us in the spring, or next fall at the furthest ; that not only the British emissaries are for this measure, but that the Span- iards have extensive claims to the southward, and have been endeavoring to poison the minds of the Indians against us, and to win their affections by large supplies of arms, mili- tary stores, and clothing."
Against this combination of enemies the settlers in Cum- berland had to contend. The treaty had been designed to conciliate the Cherokees and to preserve them as a friendly, or at least a neutral power between the settlers and the Creeks, who soon began a war of extermination upon the Georgia colony. The ink had hardly become dry upon the treaty when depredations within the limits conceded to the settlers was begun by the Cherokees themselves. They killed Peter Barnet below Clarksville, on the waters of Blooming Grove ; killed David Steele and wounded William Crutcher in the same region. The story of Crutcher is quite romantic. The Indians had left him badly wounded, as they supposed mortally, with an old hunting-knife stick- ing in his body ; but he revived, reached one of the stations, and lived to a good old age. Crutcher kept the knife many years, and probably the Indian did the same with his, which he took in exchange. Capt. Prince said to Crutcher one day. " I suppose, William, the Indians went upon the prin- ciple that a fair exchange is no robbery." "I am glad," said Crutcher, " he used his old, dull knife instead of my long, sharp one. I would not object to the exchange if
he would let me stick my knife in him." "Crutcher had received two gunshot wounds also, one in the side, the other in his thigh, from which he fell, and the Indians rushed upon him." Neither he nor Steele were scalped. For many years Crutcher was on the lookout for his " long, sharp knife," and for the Indian who left the old, dull one in his body, but he never discovered either.
These events happened in 1786. They were followed by an attack upon John Peyton, a surveyor, Ephraim and Thomas Peyton, his brothers, Thomas Pugh, John Frazier, and Esquire Grant, by a large band of Cherokees, in Feb- ruary of the same year. We condense the account from several histories of this period. The party of white men having killed much game, encamped for the night at a place since called " Defeated Creek," near the line between Smith and Jackson Counties. The Indians were sixty in number, under Hanging-Maw, a Cherokee chief. The party of hun- ters or surveyors were fatigued, and were lying upon the ground around their camp-fire, their horses being fastened near by. It was Sunday night ; they had given some part of the evening to playing cards ; their dogs and horses gave some intimations of danger, but the tired hunters con- cluded that wild animals-wolves-were attracted by the meat of the camp, and that there could be no other enemy near. Therefore they " chunked up their fire," and laid them- selves down again, John Peyton " Icaning on his elbow near the fire hissing on the dogs." Suddenly the Indians fired a volley upon them, wounding four of the six men in camp. As John Peyton sprang to his feet he had the forethought to throw his blanket over the fire, thus to give him and his party a better chance of escape in the intense darkness. The whole party fled, escaping through the Indian lines. They cast their blankets from them and each fled his own way through the woods, bareheaded and without shoes. They were seventy miles from Bledsoe's Station, the ground was covered with snow, and yet each of these men, after several days' wandering, arrived at the station and recovered from their wounds and exposure.
John Peyton was shot through the arm and shoulder, Thomas Peyton through the thigh, Frazier through the leg, and Grant through the knee. Ephraim Peyton and Pugh escaped without a wound, but Peyton, in jumping down the bank to cross the creek, sprained his ankle very badly, and lay for some time in agony. Crawling along on the ground, he found a stick which answered the place of a staff to support and aid him in hobbling along. He was thus several days suffering and laboring to reach the white settlement, and was the last of the party to come in. All the others arrived, one at a time, each reporting the rest killed. John Peyton sent a message the next year to the chief that he might retain the horses, blankets, saddles, guns, etc., if he would return the compass and chain, to which he received reply : " You, John Peyton, ran away like a coward and left all your property ; and as for your land- stealer" (the compass), "I have broken that against a tree."
We close our sketch of the pioneers with the following culogy from the pen of one who knew and understood their character, and rightly estimated the value of their achievements :
"Their remote, inland position exempted them from
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HISTORY OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE.
much of the malign influence of the emissaries of England and France, but their exposure to Spanish and Indian jealousy and hatred combined was greater than that endured by any other portion of the country. Had the three hun- dred pioneers who came to the Cumberland in the winter and spring of 1780 crossed the Atlantic and selected their homes in the denseness of a forest among wild beasts and hostile savages, two to four hundred miles from other small settlements of civilized men, there to endure hardship, there to lay the foundations of a great State, the voyage, the enterprise, its men, measures, and results would interest the historian, the orator, and the poet. It was a great work which these emigrants undertook,-they endured more than the dangers of the sea ; they suffered a thousandfold more than they anticipated,-and great and penetrating as may have been their gaze into the future, and extensive and glorious as may have been the hopes of improvement and power to result from what they did, they could not have conceived of one ten-thousandth part of what even some of their children now see and enjoy."
Names of persons who were in Davidson County in 1787, being the first year in which the tax on land and polls was taken, being (white) males over twenty-one years three hundred and seventy-two, and blacks one hundred and five between twelve and sixty years old :*
Armstrong, William.
1
Casselman, Andrew
1
Anderson, Henry.
1
Clark, Lardner.
1
Allard, Hardy
1
Casselman, John.
1
Armstrong, Francis
2
Casselman, Benjamin,
1
Bradshaw, H.
1 Cox, Thomas ..
Boyles, H
1 Cockrill, Jobn
1
Boyers, H ..
1 Cox, John.
Berry, Williamn.
1 Cox, Phenix
Baker, Nicholas
1 Carnahan, A
1
Baker, Reuben
1
Connor, William ..
1
Baker, A
1 Canyer, William
1
Borin, B ..
1 Cartwright, Robert
Borin, Jobu
1 Cochran, John ..
1
McAllister, James.
1 Shannen, John
1
Borin, William
1 Craighead, Thomas B ..
1 Steel, Andrew
1
Boyd, James
1 Donaldson, Jacob.
I
Me Night, William.
1 Sutton, M.
1
Bell, Hugh.
Duncan, M.
1
Bushnell, -
Duncan, John.
1
Baker, Josbun
1
1
Mitchell, William
2 Swanson, Edward
1
Boyd, John
2
1
Mayfield, Isaac.
1 Sides, P
2
Bosley, James
17
1
Marshall, John.
1 Shelby, Evan.
4
Bell, John
2
2
McGowan, Samuel
1 Thompson, Azariah.
4
Brown, Thomas
1
Duncan, D.
1
Barrow, John
1
Drake, Benjamin
2
Brown, William
1
Blair, Thomas.
1
1 Donaldson, William.
12
McAntosh, Ben.
1 Tillsforth, Isaac.
3
Miller, Isaac.
1
Thompson, Charles, James, Robert
3
Murdoch, John.
I Taitt, William
1
Bradford, Henry.
2
1
Martin, Samuel.
2 Titus, Ebenezer.
1
McCain, Thomas ..
1 Todd, James ..
1
McFarland, Thomas.
1 Tennin, H. and James.
2
Blackamore, John
8
1
Maclin, William
1 7 Walker, Samuel, John, Phil ... Walker, John
3
Blackamore, William
2
Blackamore, Thomas
Blackamore, George.
1
1
Miniss, Ben.
L Winters, C. and M
2
Boyd, Andrew
1
1
Bodey, William.
1
Elliot, Falkner.
1
MeWhister, William
1 Willis, James.
1 1
Boyd, John.
1
Elliott, -
1 Martin, Archibald,
1 Williamson, James,
3
Cartwright, J.
1
1
Coonrod, N.
3
Ford, Isaac, Lewis, Jobn
3
Cooper, James
L
Freeland, Samuel
1
Crane, John.
1
Foster, James
1
Crawford, George
1 Frazer, Daniel.
2
Carr, Robert
1 French, Thomas
1
Contes, C ..
1 Gilliland, Hugh ..
2
Cain, Jesse.
1 Guise, Charles and John
5
Comstock, Thomas.
1 Gibson, John.
1
Crutcher, Thomas
1 Gramer, John. 1
Crutcher, William
1 Grant, Squire ..
4
Castleman, Jacob
1 Gallaspy, William
1
* The figures indicate the taxable number in each family.
John Overton. 1794
1
McFadden, Jas., 2, David, 1 .. 3
Geter, Argolas ...
1
2
Glaves, Michael
1
1
2
Nobles, Mark
1
1 Neal, Thomas.
1
Harrod, Barnard
1 Nash, William
1
Hardin, M
1 Nusam, Jonas ..
2
Hooper, William
1 Neely, Isaac ..
2
Hooper, Absalom .. Hall, James
Handley. S.
1 Oglesby, John.
1
Huston, Ben.
1 ('Neall, Jonathan
2
Hardin, B.
Hogan, II ..
1
Henry. Hugh and Isanc.
2
Hay, David
3
Hodge, F
1
Harmand, Anthony.
1
Hampton. A .....
3
Howard. John ...
1 Peterson, Isaac ...
1.
Pollock, William B
L
Pennington, Isaac.
3
Prochman, Phil,
1
Ruland, Lewis
1
3 Ray, Stephen.
1 Rounsevall, David, Isaac, and Josiah.
3
Hope, John
1 Robertson, Alex
2 Robertson, M. and Mark.
2
Hornberger, Phil.
Harris, James.
1 Ramsey, William
1
Ilor, M.
1 Reckner, Coonrod.
1
2 Roberts, Isaac.
1
James, Daniel and Edward ... 2 Reed, Alexander.
James, Thomas.
7 Robertson, Elijah.
6
Joslin, Ben
1
Robertson, Richard
1
Johns, Richard.
1 Robertson, James
1 Ramsey, Josiah,
2
Kirkpatrick, John.
3 Ross, James.
1
Kennedy, Robert .....
1 Stuart, William.
1
Love, Joseph
Loggans, William
1
1 Shaw, Joseph, William, and James.
3
Lewis, Thomas and Hugh
Lenier, James and Henry 4
Lucas, Andrew
1 Shoat, Isnnc.
1
Lyles, Hugh.
1
Standley, David, Joseph, and John ..
3 1
1 Spiles, W.
1
Singleton, St. John
1
Luper, John.
1 Smith, Jesse and Ezekiel,
2
Martin, Joseph.
1 Stump, Frederick.
4
Marshall, William
1 Stump, Frederick, Jr
1
McFarland, John ..
Stall, Zachariah
1
Motheral, John
1 Scott, James.
1
MeDowell, John
1
Thompson, Thomas, Laurence, and Andrew
3
Moore, William ..
Taylor, Thomas ..
1
Marlin, Archibald
1
Thomas, John, William, Isaac, John.
4
Buchanan, Samuel
1 Donaldson, John.
3
1
Dennings, Robert.
1
MeAntosh, Thos. and Chas ..
2
Bowan, Thomas.
1
Exheart, D.
1
Buchanan, Archibald
Ewing, Alexander.
3
Barnett, Robert
1
Euman, E
1
Edmonston, William, John, Robert, and Robert (2d). Evans, John
4 Molloy, Thomas.
3 Wells, H.
1
Moore, Alexander,
1 Wallace, Samuel.
Williams, Dan and Daniel.
2
3 Williams, Sampson
1
MeSpadden.
1 Williams, William
2
Murry, Thomas.
1 Woolard, Isaac
1
MeLane, Ephraim
1 White, Solomon
1
McLane, Ephraim (2d) ...
1 Wilcocks, Samuel
6
Dates when following persons first appear as tax-payers:
Hardiman- 1788
Hickman-
1788
Andrew and John McNairy 1794 John Nichols ..
Harding - 1788
Bennet Searcy ...
Charles Gordon. 1789
William Polk ... 1795
Robert Weakley 1789
William Pillow. 1795
Jas. and David McGavock .. 1789 Gideon Pillow 1797
1
Pennington, Jacob,
1
Pirtle, George.
1 Payne, Matthew, George, and Josiah
3
Hollis, James, Jobin, Joshua, Samuel.
4 5 Heaton, Robert and Amos ..... Hinds, William, Hamilton, James, and Thomas.
Harrold, Robert.
1
Hays, Robert.
4
2
Hannah, Jos ..
1 Ralston, David.
1
Jones, James and John.
1
2 Shannon, Samuel, William, and David
3
Long, William
1
1 1 Lancaster, Jno., 2 and Win., 1. Lynn, Adam
Lindsay, James.
Mears, William.
1
Duncan, Samuel and John
3 Donaldson, James ..
1
MeNight. Robert
1
Drake, John
1 1
Drake, Benjamin, Jr.
McCarty, Jacob
I
Byrnes, James ..
Buchanan. John
Evan, Jesse,
McGough, John.
2
Espy, James ...
1 Frazer, John.
1
Crow, D ..
Flaney, Daniel.
Mccutchen, Patrick, Samuel, and James.
1
Butcher, G
2
Delaney, Jaines
Dodge, Richard
Duncan, William.
Johnston, William.
Phillips, John.
9
1 Overall, Nathaniel and Win Prince. Francis
10
Nevilles, George
4
1 Owens, Charles and Arthur.
2
Guffy, Alexander and Henry .. Ilogan, Daniel.
ยท
Gentry, John.
McFarlin, James .. MeSen, John.
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Ewing, Andrew
1
3 Smothers, A
I
THE COLDWATER EXPEDITION, JUNE, 1787.
59
CHAPTER XIV.
THE COLDWATER EXPEDITION, JUNE, 1787.
French Traders at Indian Towns on the Tennessee-Nickajack, Run- ning Water, and Coldwater settled by the Indians-Their Design to Destroy the White Settlers on the Cumberland-Expedition to Coliwater-Successful Capture and Destruction of the Indians- Noble Character of Piamningo-Incidents of the Return of the Sol- diers-History of the Water Expedition-Successful Shooting- Parties-Contest with Big-Foot.
IN consequence of a treaty held with the Southern In- dians at Nashville in June, 1783, by commissioners on part of Virginia, and that of Hopewell, Nov. 28, 1785, there was a marked abatement of hostility on the part of the Cherokees. The treaty of Nashville stood on the same footing with that of Col. Henderson in 1774, known as the Transylvania treaty ; that is, the general government did not recognize the authority of a State to make a treaty with an Indian tribe, as it claimed a paternal and protecting relation to these people. The first President took upon himself the title that the kings of England had borne in their dealings with them,-that of the " Great Father." While many of the provisions of the treaty of Nashville were confirmed at Hopewell, yet large concessions had been made to the Cherokees, and recession of boundaries which had been confirmed to North Carolina in the most solemn man- Der and for which they had received a stipulated price. Col. Robertson was much opposed to the selection of Nashville as the treaty-ground, and a majority of the stationers on the south side of the Cumberland joined with him ; but the question being submitted to a vote of all the stations, it was carried in the affirmative by the decisive vote of Eaton's, which was fifty-four for and one against the proposition. The objection to having the treaty held here was that it would admit a large body of Indians to the midst of the settle- ment and disclose the weakness of the whites. Eaton's, being protected in a measure by the river, felt more se- curity, and consequently was not so solicitous. However, everything passed off very well, the treaty having been held four miles northwest of Nashville, at the place afterwards selected by Gen. Robertson as his residence, and well known to a later generation as the Nashville Camp-Ground. There is no account of the tribes represented. The Chero- kees and Chickasaws were present, but probably no Creeks, or at least an insignificant representation. Those present expressed themselves as well pleased, particularly with Col. Robertson, who was a person calculated to strike the Indian fancy of a great man and leader in an eminent degree. The gathering undoubtedly had a good effect, as it was followed by some abatement of the outrages that had marked the previous years. Still, murders did occur occasionally and horses were stolen, but the settlers breathed freer, and by the year 1785 stations had extended as far up the Cumber- land on the north side as Bledsoe's Lick, now Castilian Springs. Yet a sense of security was never felt, and con- stant vigilance and the practice of measures dictated by experience doubtless saved many lives.
Gradually, however, matters became worse. There was an implication in the treaty of Hopewell that the Cumber- land settlers were intruders,-a squinting towards disown-
ment on the part of the government of an interest in their welfare and success. This want of firmness had a bad influ- ence on the evilly-disposed Indians, and cost both parties to the conflict dearly in the end. The chastisements inflicted upon the Chickamauga towns by Sevier had driven a number of these people to take shelter farther down the river in places of greater security. Thus the towns at Nickajack and Running Water were formed. Later on a small party of Cherokees established themselves at Coldwater, where Tuscumbia, Ala., now stands. Here they were discovered by the Creeks, who came to their assistance and added much to their strength. At this time the French traders on the Wabash resorted to the waters of the Tennessee, and while a Monsieur Veiz managed the trade he seems to have acted prudently and without any disposition to stir up hostilities with the whites; but on the establishment of the band of lawless Creeks and Cherokees at Coldwater a half-dozen or more French traders resorted to the place, and being anxious to increase their trade, offered various inducements to them to encourage them to acts of war. They kept large supplies of ammunition, guns, tomahawks, and knives, which they could dispose of readily at exorbitant prices to the surrounding Indians, who for the most part were indifferently armed. The existence of this town was unknown to the settlers for several years, though they had often wondered why predatory bands for the most part re- treated in a westerly direction ; and they were disposed for this reason to suspect the fidelity of the Chickasaws. At length two young Chickasaw warriors while on a hunt came unexpectedly on this village. They remained all night, and were treated in a friendly manner. The vil- lagers informed these young men that their object in set- tling there was to strike the Cumberland settlers with greater facility, as the situation seemed to afford a safer retreat with a wide river intervening.
On the return of the Chickasaws to their nation they informed Piamingo, or the mountain leader, the head chief and firm ally of the whites, of their discovery, and he sent them immediately to Nashville to acquaint Col. Robertson with the fact, at the same time expressing the opinion that policy required that this band should be broken up at once. Their arrival was most opportune, for a short time before, in May, Mark Robertson, a brother of the colonel, had been killed after a desperate defense near the latter's residence, while about the same time a number of persons had been butchered at the stations in Sumner County on the north side of the river, among them old man Price, his wife, and children, at Hendrick's Station ; Capt. Charles Morgan, old man Gibson, Maj. William Hall and two sons, James and Richard, and young Hickerson, near Bledsoe's ; and old man Morgan, at Morgan's Station, besides others. The weight of grievance was now too hard to bear, and when it became known, through the friendly offices of the Chickasaws, who were the authors and where they could be found with certainty, the settlers clamored with one voice for vengeance, and renounced any further obligations to observe treaty stipulations which forbade expeditions into the Indian country unless duly authorized by the government. They thereupon determined to carry the war into the enemy's country, and for this purpose one hundred and thirty men
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HISTORY OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE.
from the different stations collected in the neighborhood of Nashville early in June, armed and equipped with supplies of powder and bullets and wallets of dried meat and parched corn. Col. Robertson took command, assisted by Lieut .- Cols. Robert Hays and James Ford. Among the number was Capt. John Rains' company of spies or scouts, a body which for efficiency in border warfare was never surpassed. The Chickasaws offered their services as guides, which were gladly accepted. In fact, their services could not have been well dispensed with. None of the whites had penetrated in that direction farther than fifty or sixty miles, and a knowledge of the country beyond the Tennessee was essen- tial to make the blow effective. A raw-hide boat was pre- pared beforehand to carry over the arms when they reached the river, but on the representations of the guides it was expected that Indian boats could be obtained, as some were usually kept tied to the farther bank. To provide, how- ever, against any mishap from this source a detachment was organized to go by water, consisting of three large canoes under the command of David Hay and Moses Shelby. This was to descend the Cumberland to the Ohio, and thence up the Tennessee to a crossing since known as Colbert's Ferry, where, if necessary, the land force could repair in case of necessity and effect a safe passage. The boats also carried some extra supplies, and were considered useful for the comfortable conveyance of any persons who might be- come disabled by wounds or sickness. All things being in readiness the land force marched into Nashville from its rendezvous four miles to the northwest, afterwards known as the residence of Gen. Robertson, and also as the "Nash- ville Camp-Ground." The object was to afford friends who had collected from the surrounding stations an opportunity to bid the adventurous band good-by. It was a most dan- gerous mission, but all felt the importance of its successful execution. Indeed, there was a general rejoicing that an opportunity had occurred for retaliatory measures, and that Col. Robertson, the commandant, had taken the responsi- bility of ordering the movement.
It was calculated that the expedition by water, though following a long and circuitous route, could reach its desti- nation by the time the land force would be able to penetrate to the same point through the cane brakes and thickets which would bar its progress continually, and both therefore started the same day. The route of the army is thus described by Haywood : "They crossed the mouth of South Harpeth ; thence they went a direct course to the mouth of Turn- bull's Creek ; thence up the same to the head, and thence to Lick Creek of Duck River ; thence down the creck seven or eight miles, leaving the creek to the right hand ; thence to an old lick as large as a corn-field ; thence to Duck River where the old Chickasaw crossed it; thence, leaving the trace to the right hand, they went to the head of Swan Creek, on the south side of Duck River; thence to a creek running into the Tennessee River, which the troops called Blue Water, and which ran into the Tennessee about a mile and a half above the lower end of the Muscle Shoals ; they left this creek on the left hand." The route was very devious, and rendered difficult by the avoidance, at the sug- gestion of the Chickasaw guides, of the trails upon which their advance might be detected by straggling parties of the
enemy. It seems, however, that these precautions failed of their purpose, for one of the prisoners captured at Cold- water, a French trader, informed Col. Robertson that the Indians had been councilling for three days at the instiga- tion of a principal Creek chief, and had unanimously agreed to fight the whites if they crossed the river. In fact Col. Robertson, in his official report of the expedition, made to Governor Caswell, distinctly states that while in the vicinity of Muscle Shoals some Indians discovered him and fired upon his back picket, which alarmed a small town of Cher- okces. This town was on the opposite side of the river at the crossing. This clearly indicates that they had informa- tion of their purpose. It is quite probable that they even knew of the expedition by water, for this was met at the mouth of Duck River and fired upon, without doubt by a party from this village evidently there in observation.
When the army reached within ten miles of the river the roaring of the rapids induced them to believe that it was near at hand, and a halt was made. One of the guides with two or three active men were ordered forward to reconnoitre, but they returned about midnight with the information that the river was yet too distant for them to reach in time to return that night. In the morning the march was resumed, and at twelve o'clock the troops struck the river at the lower end of the Muscle Shoals. Here they concealed themselves to await the approach of night. Several spies were dispatched to take post in the cave at the water's edge and make observations. Some cabins were seen on the opposite bank, but from the absence of crow- ing of cocks and barking of dogs it was justly concluded that they were not inhabited at that time. During the afternoon two Indians were observed cautiously approaching the river- bank on the other side, and from their movements it was evi- dent that they were on the lookout for the whites. Not dis- covering anything indicating a hostile presence, they waded to an island near their side, and unloosing a canoe paddled out into the river, as if with the intention of crossing, but on reaching the middle of the stream they aban- doned the boat to the current, while they plunged in and disported themselves for some time in the water. They then recovered the canoe, and paddling back to their own side disappeared up the bank. From this it was plain that their suspicions had not been excited. On report of these facts to Col. Robertson he determined to cross the river that night by some means, and he therefore dispatched a messenger to Capt. Rains, who had been sent up the river, to return. That officer had been ordered in the morning to take the broad buffalo trail up the river to look for canoes, and if possible to capture an Indian alive. On his return he reported no indication of an Indian settlement in that quarter. At dusk the entire force was congregated at the river-bank, with instructions to observe the utmost quietude. Col. Robertson now called for volunteers to swim the river, which was spread out fully a mile at this point, and bring back the canoe. Joshua Thomas offered his services if any one would go with him. At that in- stant a plunge was heard in the water, and the colonel asked " Who is that ?" "Edmond Jennings," was the reply of a by-stander. He and Thomas were inseparable on the hunt or scout, and when the latter proposed to swim
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