History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 17

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

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Early in May, Nathaniel Teal, the express-rider from Natchez, was killed a short distance from Gen. Robertson's. Capts. Rains and Gordon soon got ready their companies and pursued. The trail led out to Cuthry's Creek, about twenty miles to the west of Columbia, and was that of a band which had been hunting in that locality and had come in for horses to carry off the produce of their hunt. They were overtaken at the second creek below the mouth of Elk, where they had halted to rest. The uplands were open, but the bottoms covered with cane. Twenty men advanced in the centre, Rains to the right and Gordon to the left; when the centre fired, the wings charged. Capt. Gordon was stopped by a high bluff, but he and Joseph Brown dismounted and continued the pursuit. Brown was suffering at the time with a wound in the shoulder, which necessitated his carrying a light shot-gun loaded

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Photo. by Armstrong,[Nashville.

Shan Thanfrom

JOHN THOMPSON, the subject of this sketch, was of Scotch- Irish descent, and was the son of Thomas and Nancy Thomp- son, and was born in an old stockade on the farm where he always lived, four miles south of Nashville, on the 1st of June, 1798. His father was a native of Guilford, N. C., and emi- grated to Tennessee, and settled on a tract of six hundred and forty acres of land, four miles south of Nashville, soon after the first settlement of Davidson County. Hero he built a log cabin and commenced the clearing of his farm. Here was the place where his children were born, among whom was his son John. Thomas Thompson became greatly embarrassed on account of his going security for friends, but the farm was redeemed by his son John, who became in time the sole owner of the old home.

Thomas Thompson was a plain, unassuming man, charitable towards all, and hospitable to the poor. He had five children, of whom John was the second. He died March, 1837, his wife having died previously, and both were buried on the. farm in the old family cemetery.

John Thompson died April 18, 1876, and from the pen of a friend we quote the following, written at the time of his death :

"It is not often one is called upon to chronicle the events of such a life. Nearly eighty-three years ago, in the then sparsely settled neighborhood a few miles south of Nashville, in a block house, John Thompson first saw the light. Then David- son County had some three or four thousand inhabitants, and the whole State of Tennessee not over forty thousand. Nash- ville was a trading-post, a mere village; cane-brakes were everywhere; a few settlers' cabins and an occasional block- house might be found, and the Indians were still occupying the country. He lived through nearly three generations ; saw Nashville grow from a village to be a city of, say, thirty thou- sand inhabitants, and Davidson County with sixty-four thou- sand people, and the State with more than one and a quarter million of inhabitants. These are wonderful changes to take place in a single lifetime,-and yet he witnessed them all. The cane-brakes have disappeared ; the Indians are gone; beautiful farms and splendid residences dot the country in every direc- tion, and all these changes have been wrought in his day.

" Mr. Thompson commenced life poor,-as the world calls poor,-and yet he was rich, endowed by nature with a capa- bility of self-reliance. Trusting in his own strong arm, with persistent energy he secured a competency, and finally a large property.

"The subject of this sketch was four times married : first to Miss Mary Washington, then to Mrs. Buchanan, Mrs. Raw- lings, and finally to Mrs. Mary H. House, who survives him. Only three children survive these marriages,-one daughter (Mrs. Jo. Horton) and two sons, all living near the city. Mr. Thompson was a man of the strongest native sense, clear judgment, the strictest morals, and an integrity unstained and unquestioned. Sober, thoughtful, patient, kind in his feelings and expressions towards his fellow-men, he was honored and esteemed by those who knew him best in a very high degree. He was the kindest of husbands, and a loving, faithful father, sparing no pains and no expense to make all about him com- fortable and happy.

" His home was the abode of hospitality. The writer knew him intimately for many years, and was often at his house, and spent many pleasant hours with him and his happy family. But he has gone; he who for more than fourscore years walked among men has met the fate of all, and gone down to his grave. He leaves behind a large estate, and what is far better, that best heritage for his children, a good name.

"' Only the actions of the just Smell sweet and blossom in the dust.'"

His daughter-Ann Elizabeth-by his third marriage mar- ried Joseph W. Horton, who is a hardware merchant in Nash- ville. His sons, John M. and Joseph H., are the children of his fourth wife, Mrs. Mary H. House,-maiden name, Hamilton, -daughter of Joseph D. and Sarah B. Hamilton, of Russell- ville, Ky. John M. Thompson married Mary McConnel, daughter of John Overton, and has one daughter, Mary. He occupies the old house, is a large farmer, and deals largely in fine stock. Joseph H. is also a farmer, and resides on a part of the old farm, very near where his father was born. He married Ella, daughter of Michael Vaughn, and has one daughter, Emma.

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TROUBLE OF 1794.

with buck-shot. He discovered an Indian squat in the bed of a branch to avoid the observation of Gordon, who was after another, when he raised his gun at the distance of three rods and, firing, tore his head to fragments. Gor- don killed his man. Capt. Rains' company, on the right, killed three and took a boy.

On June 11th, Mrs. Gear was killed and scalped while on her way to church four miles south of Nashville. By this time the list of victims had become fearful and sicken- ing to contemplate. Capt. Gordon, on the death of Mrs. Gear, was ordered by Col. Winchester to pursue, Gen. Rob- ertson being absent on a visit to the Governor at Knoxville. He had private instructions to explore a route by which an army could reach the Nickajack and Running Water towns.

On reaching the foot of the Cumberland Mountains to the southeast of Nashville, Col. Roberts, who was along in some capacity not officially recorded. asked for volun- teers to go on a scout with him to the Tennessee River. Joshua Thomas, Elihu Green, and Joseph Brown were the ones who came forward to accompany him on this danger- ous service. Joseph Brown was the first to volunteer, but as he was then suffering from a wound in the shoulder inflicted some months before, Col. Roberts declined his services, saying that he did not want " invalids." Brown, however, had peculiar qualifications for this occasion, as will appear by the recital below, and was at length accepted. He had a singularly eventful history. His father had started in a boat to descend the Tennessee and thus reach the Cumberland settlements in 1788, having a large family of his own besides five young men and an old lady. On reaching the Nickajack town he was boarded by a large body of Indians in canoes, under the guise of friendship and pretense of a desire to trade. On getting possession, the Indians cut off his head with a sword, killed two of his sons and the five young men and the old lady mentioned above. His mother, the rest of his brothers and sisters, and himself were taken prisoners. He was then a lad twelve years old. Being claimed by Chiachattalla, the des- perate chief who was afterwards killed while endeavoring to set fire to Buchanan's Station, he was adopted into the family of Tom Tunbridge, the father of Chiachattalla, which proved a fortunate circumstance. He was threatened with death several times, and the would-be murderers were only restrained by a fear that Chiachattalla, then regarded as the most desperate man in the nation, though young in years, would exact revenge, as Brown had become by the act of adoption his property. The menaces against his life were instigated by an old woman who practiced the art of con- juring by some kind of manipulation of different colored beans in a sifter. Repeated trials of the process resulted uniformly against him, and she declared that, " unless he was killed, he would pilot an army there when he grew up to be a man, and cut them all off," a prophecy that was now about to have a literal fulfillment. After a captivity of

eleven months he was rescued by General Sevier, when he found his way to the Cumberland settlements, where on every occasion he was foremost in seeking satisfaction for the injuries he had sustained at the hands of his cruel and bloodthirsty enemies.

These circumstances made him peculiarly qualified for the service on which he was now called. The party of Col. Roberts started early in the morning, and on reaching the top of the mountain discovered a well-beaten path which led in the direction of the river, which they followed, and reached the foot on the other side, at the mouth of Battle Creek, about sunset. There being good moonlight, they went up by Lowery's Island, to a point opposite Nickajack, when their exploration being satisfactory, they returned up the mountain, marching nearly all night; after resting two hours, they resumed their march and came into the settle- ments.

Capt. Gordon, after the departure of the scouts, turned down Elk River, where he overtook and defeated a party of Indians, killing one and losing one of his own men, Robert McRory.

As said before, the murders had now become frequent, and of the most exasperating nature. Col. Chew and fifteen companions had been massacred in a boat while descending to the lower Cumberland; Maj. George Winchester, a brother of Col. James Winchester, and a most valuable citizen, and the two young Bledsoes, sons of Cols. Anthony and Isaac Bledsoe, had been waylaid and killed in the very heart of the settlement in Sumner County. Besides these many others had fallen. Forbearance could endure no longer. The fiat went forth that this modern Carthage should be destroyed. The feelings of the people could no longer be restrained, and they determined with one voice that the lower towns should not be spared longer than it would require an army to march thither and effect their utter destruction. Gen. Robertson had been urging upon the Governor, and through him the general government, the necessity of such an invasion in the interests of peace. The Governor, though he secretly approved of the proposed measures, and actually threw means in the way to aid its accomplishment, protested that his orders from President Washington would not permit his sanction of it, especially as Congress at its last session, with a full statement of the facts before it, had failed to authorize such an invasion. On receipt of this intelligence, active preparations were at once set on foot for the successful prosecution of the cam- paign, and such was the temper of the people, from Gen. Robertson down, that nothing short of actual physical force on the part of the government could have prevented its execution. They had brooded over their wrongs and in- juries until it was a cruel insult to ask of them further forbearance.

To make sure of the success of their enterprise, it was decided to ask aid from Kentucky, and Cupt. Sampson Williams was dispatched thither to ask co-operation. The border settlements of that State had long been sufferers from the same cruelties and at the same hands. The mis- sion was successful. Col. Whitley, an active and experi- enced leader in Indian warfare, engaged to come at the appointed time and bring all the men he could raise. Col.

'Tom Tunbridge was an Irishman. His wife was a Frenchwoman. They had no children. The captor of Brown was her son by an In- disa father. This balf-breed was known by the name of Job. See Brown's narrative, in Ramsey. The Indian who threatened to kill hir was Cutlentoy.

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HISTORY OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE.

Ford raised a force between Nashville and Clarksville, on the north side of the river, and Col. John Montgomery levied a body at Clarksville, which constituted a company under Capt. Miles, while Gen. Robertson collected volun- teers south of the river. About the time these troops were being concentrated at Brown's Station, Maj. Orr op- portunely arrived from Knoxville with a force dispatched by order of the Governor for the protection of the Mero District. On being solicited, he too joined heartily in the enterprise, a pretty fair indication that he had an under- standing with the Governor. In order to give the color of claim for the pay and equipment of the entire body of troops, he was requested to take command, and the expedi- tion was known as "Orr's campaign." However, on the arrival of Col. Whitley the command was conferred upon him by unanimous consent, on account of his long services and experience. Col. John Montgomery was elected to command the Cumberland volunteers. The order of march was made to Maj. Orr by Gen. Robertson for reasons above given, and was express as to his passing the river and at- tacking the lower towns if he failed to find the enemy be- fore reaching that boundary ; this order was dated Septem- ber the 6th. On the 7th, which was Sunday, the column took up line of march, and encamped that night at the Black Fox Spring, having made about thirty miles; they then crossed the Barren Fork of Duck River, near the ancient Stone Fort, thence to Fennison's Spring, thence crossing Elk River at a point since known as Caldwell's Bridge, and thence over the Cumberland Mountain, reach- ing the Tennessee about three miles below the mouth of the Sequatchie about nightfall. Most of the troops re- mained on this bank until daylight, but many swam over to make sure of the crossing. George Flynn, a protégé of old Obed Terrill, who explored and hunted on the Cumber- land in 1769, was the first to swim over. The river was about three-fourths of a mile wide at this point, and Flynn was so chilled by his long stay in the water that on arriv- ing on the other bank he built up a little fire in a sheltered place. Lieut. George Blackmore, of the Sumner volun- teers, on observing this swore and railed so loudly to put out the fire that he committed the worst offense of the two.

Col. Joseph Brown in his narrative says that Findleston, the half-breed guide, was the first to swim over, accom- panied by his brother, Daniel G. Brown, and William Topp, to make sure against treachery. The statement of George Flynn's claim to the credit of being the first to cross is that advanced and maintained by Edmond Jennings, who was present and himself swam the river many times during the night, pushing over the rawhide boats containing the arms and ammunition. We here give an extract from Col. Brown's narrative :

" We killed four steers, stretched their hides, and thus made two hide-boats to carry our arms over the Tennessee River. On my arrival there I found myself in my old horse range whilst with the Indians, and of course capable of serv- ing as a guide or pilot. Findleston, a half-breed Indian, in whom I had no confidence, was the regular guide, and he proposed to swim the river, build a fire on the other bank to guide the rest and the two boats, and wait for us. My

brother, Daniel G. Brown, and William Topp swam over with him and stayed by him until the men, about two hun- dred and thirty in all, who could swim, got across. Many, however, who could swim were afraid of taking the cramp from so long an immersion in the water. It certainly ap- peared a desperate adventure at first sight to swim a river half a mile wide in the night to fight a horde of savages who had never been chastised. However, into the river we went, and fortunately not one was drowned, as, had any been in danger, the two little hide-boats, fragile as they were, and laden with arms, would have been of no service to aid in saving life. The men swam and pushed over the boats. Some pushed over rafts they had made, rather than wait for the boats to be shoved backwards and forwards, and Col. William Pillow was one of the number who made the raft. Maj. Joseph B. Porter, who could not swim a rod, got a little bunch of cane, tied them together, and holding on to them, kicked himself across, landing in safety. Maj. Orr had nominally the command; but Col. Whitley, of Ken- tucky, old Col. Mansco, of Sumner, and such other old men and officers as Edmonston, Rains, Gordon, Pillow, and John- ston, were summoned in council upon the movements of the expedition. We kept the hide-boats going back and forth, carrying arms and clothes, until it was day ; and we did not get off until after sunrise. We went straight onward along between Nickajack Town and Long Island Town, and up the mountain, coming in opposite Nickajack. I was sent off with twenty men to head the Indians at the mouth of the creek, supposing they should run that way.

" There I lay for an hour, hearing the Indians frolicking, they not dreaming of danger until the guns fired at the upper end of the town, when myself and men dashed for- ward, and we had a severe fight of it in the cane-brake. We killed a good many of them. I took a squaw prisoner and got into the mouth of the creek, where I found the main body of our men, with many prisoners (sure enough I had made good the fears of the Indians, expressed when I was a prisoner among them : I had 'grown up to be a man, and had piloted an army there to cut them off !'). I found in a canoe across the creek a wounded Indian, and on turning him over he attacked, and after a hard struggle, in which he tried to throw me overboard, I nearly scalped him, and he cried 'enough.' I told him in my wrath it was not ' enough,' and throwing him overboard, one of the men shot him in the water. I went on with the squaw to a cabin and saw a good deal of whispering amongst others of them whom I found there, they having recognized their old prisoner. They were much gratified when I told them in Cherokee that we did not intend to massacre them. One of the women told me that she ' had often warned her hus- band that such would be the result in return for their cru- elties,' and in reply I told them ' we were compelled to fight them, because they would not let us remain at peace.' They asked ' how we got there at that time of day ;' whether 'we came from the clouds, as they knew nothing of our ap- prouch.'

" We took twenty-two prisoners, and on the road from Nickajack to Running Water we had another fight, and my brother-in-law, Joshua Thomas, was shot, the wound being mortal. He, however, was carried home, and lived six

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TROUBLE OF 1794.

weeks. He was the first man fired at near Eaton's Fort, and the only one killed on this expedition."

Thomas was one of the most active and daring of the defenders of the infant settlements. Several of his family had already been killed. His death was due to his im- prudence in not taking a tree in the fight at the Narrows, as he was urged to do by Edmond Jennings, who had been his almost constant companion for years.

We quote from Ramsey :

" Nickajack was a small town inhabited by two or three hundred men and their families. . . . The troops were landed a little before day. At daylight they fell into ranks and were counted by Capt. John Gordon, and the exact number who had crossed over was ascertained to be two hundred and sixty-five. At the back of Nickajack field the men were formed into line of battle among the cane. Col. Whitley was on the right, and struck above the mouth of the creek that rose in the field. Col. Montgomery was on the right of the troops from the Territory. Orders were given for the two wings to march so as to strike the river above and below the towns. On the march two houses were found standing out in the field about two hundred and fifty yards from the town. Expecting that from these houses their approach would be discovered by the Indians, the troops were here directed to push with all speed to the town. The corn was growing close up to and around the houses. Near the house on the left the firing commenced, and was returned by the Indians, one of whom was here killed. From one of the houses already mentioned a plain path was seen leading to the town. William Pillow got into it, and ran rapidly along it until he reached the commons. Perceiving that he had got in advance of such of the troops as had come through the corn-field, Pillow halted until others came up. The march or run was then con- tinued by the doors of the houses, which were all open. The Indians at the report of the first gun had run off to the bank of the river. The troops pursued the leading way to the landing. Here they saw five or six large canoes, stored with goods and Indians, and twenty-five or thirty warriors standing on the shore near the edge of the water. At these Pillow fired, and soon after a whole platoon sent a volley of rifle-balls, from the effect of which scarce an Indian escaped alive. A few by diving and others by cov- ering themselves over in the canoes with goods escaped, and got out of reach of the rifles.

" About the same time the havoc took place at the landing below, Col. Whitley attacked the Indians above the mouth of the creek. They were not more than a gun-shot apart. Fif- teen men had been directed to stop near the two houses in the corn-field and waylay there until the firing had taken place in the town. When the report of the rifles was heard this detachment attacked the houses. A squaw had re- mained outside to listen. A fellow came to the door and was shot down. Those within drew him inside and closed the door, leaving the squaw on the outside. She attempted to escape by flight, but after a hard chase was taken pris- oper. The warriors within made holes through the wall, and made a desperate defense. The squaw taken prisoner was carried up to the town, and placed among the other prisoners in canocs. As they were taking them down the

river to the crossing the squaw loosed her clothes and sprang headforemost into the river, disengaging herself artfully from her clothes and leaving them floating on the water. She swam with great agility, and was rapidly making her escape ; some hallooed ' Shoot her, shoot her !' But others, admiring her energy, activity, and boldness, replied, ' She is too smart to kill l' and allowed the hero- ine to escape.

" After the troop got on the mountain on the other side of the town, Joseph Brown was sent back with twenty men to head and intercept the Indians at the mouth of the creek below the town, when the main body of the assailants should have driven the enemy to that point. This he effected successfully, though his return was resisted the whole way down, about a quarter of a mile, by the constant fire of the Indians. When Brown met the main body he inquired if they had taken any prisoners, and was immedi- ately conducted to a house in which a number of them had been fastened up. When he came to the door he was at once recognized by the captives, who appeared to be horror- stricken, remembering, no doubt, that they had murdered his people in the same town five years before. At length one of them ventured to speak to him, reminding Brown that his life had been spared by them, and importuning him now to plead in their behalf. He quieted their apprehen- sions by remarking that these were white people, who did not kill women and children. Her answer was, 'O see skinney cotanconey' (Oh, that is good news for the wretched !)."

When the Indians in the upper town, Running Water, heard the firing, they caught up their guns and repaired to the assistance of their friends, whom they soon met in terrified retreat. These made a stand at a narrow pass where the mountain juts against the river, where, placing themselves behind rocks, they made a brief stand, but were soon driven back through their town, which was destroyed. The Nicka- jack town was also burnt. The loss of the Indians was seventy warriors, as they afterwards confessed, a great many having been killed in the water of which no estimate could be made by the whites at the time. The Breath, a renowned Cherokee chief, was among the slain, along with several others of lesser note. This victory was the counterpart of Coldwater, and broke up the operations of the most daring and enterprising band of robbers and marauders that ever infested the Western waters. It was the point of crossing for the Creck invaders, and was the source of innumerable woes to the Cumberland settlers. The situation was well adapted for security from attack, being protected by three mountains and a wide river.

This battle was fought on the 13th of September, 1794. In the afternoon of this day the troops recrossed the river and rejoined their comrades, who had been left in charge of the horses. The next morning they took up the line of march homeward, and reached Nashville on the fifth day, where the volunteers were disbanded, having been absent twelve days.

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History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 17

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