History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 7

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 7

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).

THE ATTACK ON FREELAND'S STATION.

During the first year of occupation a number of settle- ments had been made or projected, extending along the Cumberland River for the distance of quite forty miles. Many of these stations were small in extent, poorly con- structed, and insufficiently manned, as the result soon proved. The occupants were more engrossed with the selection of good locations, preferably near a salt-spring, than the thought that such an intrusion on the favorite hunting-ground of the Cherokee and other Indians would provoke serious and deadly opposition. Some of them, Col. John Donelson among the number, neglected even to erect houses, but passed most of the season in the half-faced structures known as hunters' camps. The consequences of this policy of neglect and division of strength were fearfully apparent before the close of the year. The beginning of the year 1781 found the entire body of settlers confined to three forts,-namely, Robertson's or the Bluff, Eaton's, two miles below on the north side of the river, and Freeland's, about a mile to the northwest of the first,-forced into these places for refuge from the rifle and tomahawk of their merciless foes. These results, so flattering to their arms, emboldened the Cherokees and their allies to attempt the extermination of the survivors, now greatly reduced from their original number by casualties and the departure of many families to the settlements in Kentucky and the Illinois.

But to accomplish this result required a larger force than

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HISTORY OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE.

had hitherto invaded the settlements, and the exercise of bravery and enterprise sufficient to overcome fortified posts held by resolute men fighting in defense of their families and the fertile country they had chosen for habitation. In the execution of this plan Freeland's Station was the first to receive the blow, on account of its situation and compa- rative weakness. That the attack was not successful was due to a want of concert and disregard of discipline which characterize all barbarous races in enterprises of this char- acter. It appears that there were two parties, each num- bering between fifty and a hundred warriors, marching to the attack of the place ; but the first detachment, on its arri- val discovering the weakness of the garrison, determined, in its eagerness to win the prize, to strike without awaiting the advent of the other.

This station was erected by George, James, and Jacob Freeland on the spot afterwards occupied by the residence of Dr. McGavock. It was simply a stockade thrown around the houses of the occupants, and probably bastioned, as many of them were, in order to render more effective the fire of a small force of defenders. The gate was secured by a chain which fastened on the inside. On the night of the attack, Jan. 15, 1781, there seems to have been no apprehension of danger, as there was evidently no sentinel whose duty it was to watch over the safety of the place. The garrison consisted of eleven men and some families, including Col. James Robertson, whose presence proved a most fortunate circumstance, and was occasioned by the fact that on his arrival that day at the Bluff from the Kentucky settle- ments he learned that. his family was at Freeland's. His journey through the wilderness had been full of perils, and the narration of this and the detail of home affairs by Mrs. Robertson had kept him awake until a late hour. About midnight his keen ear, trained to wonderful acuteness by long practice on the border, detected a movement of the chain at the gate, and on rising to examine into the cause, he discovered the gate thrown open and a large body of Indians crowding into the inclosure. . He instantly raised the cry of alarm and awakened the inmates of the houses to a sense of their danger. Finding they were discovered, the assailants raised their terrible war-whoop to heighten the effect of surprise and chill the spirit of resistance. As soon as possible the men of the garrison sprang to their guns and opened a straggling fire upon the throng. Un- fortunately one of the houses occupied by Maj. Lucas and several others, including a negro servant of Col. Robertson, was poorly fitted for defense, owing to the want of chinking and daubing in the cracks between the logs. Maj. Lucas realizing this rushed out to obtain better shelter, but was almost instantly killed. The moon was shining brightly, and the assailants, finding that they could not force an en- trance into the houses now without great loss, quickly re- treated through the gate, whence they opened a hot fire on the house from which Maj. Lucas had so rashly issued, and which alone on inspection afterwards was found to have received over five hundred bullets. Col. Robertson in a loud voice animated and directed the defense, charging the men to keep from before the port-holes while loading. He was enabled at one time in the conflict to take close aim at a fellow's head, and he declared his belief that he had got

his man, which was confirmed the next day by the discov- ery of the body of an Indian shot through the brain. He had been carried about a mile and covered with leaves. The din of conflict soon awakened the inhabitants at the Bluff, and a small swivel was fired at that place to convey to the besieged a knowledge that their situation was appre- ciated.

The Indians kept up the fire until near daylight, when they withdrew out of range. Only about a half-dozen rounds to the man had been fired from the houses, but evidently to good purpose, from the numerous trails of blood left behind in the retreat. The occupants of the unfinished house were the only sufferers, several being wounded and the negro killed. Soon after daylight Capt. John Rains with a small party from the Bluff reached the scene, and following the trail of the Indians for some dis- tance discovered the arrival of a second detachment. No further attempt, however, was made on this or the other two stations, but the ones that had been deserted were visited and burnt, the stock killed, provisions destroyed, trails waylaid, and the game driven off for miles in every direction in order to make its pursuit more hazardous to the hunters who were compelled to rely for food on this source of supply.

THE BATTLE OF THE BLUFF, OR ROBERTSON'S STATION, APRIL 2, 1781.

Robertson's Station, or the Bluff, as it was more usually designated, was, from its central position and the number of inhabitants congregated in the place, the most important of the Cumberland settlements. It was fortified with much care on the stockade plan, and so situated that water from a spring near by could be conducted in troughs within the inclosure. The site was immediately on the bluff of the river, and partly covered the present debouchement of Church Street, in Nashville. The main building in the inclosure, not erected at this time probably, was built of stone, two stories high, the northern face being on a line with the southern boundary of Church Street. The regula- tions for its safety were carried out with much care, watches being constantly maintained over the boats in the river and from a block-house on the land side. Since the attack on Freeland's all who ventured out were compelled to use great caution on account of the presence of prowling par- ties of Indians in the vicinity. Only a few days before the engagement at the Bluff Col. Samuel Barton, who was out endeavoring to get some beef cattle into the fort, was wounded in the wrist about where Wilson's Branch crosses College Street. On the night of April 1st an Indian was discovered spying the premises and was shot at by James Menifee, the sentinel in the block-house, when he withdrew. Between daylight and sunrise the next morning two others approached, and firing their guns at the fort ran off out of range, where they halted and began leisurely to reload, waving their hands in a bantering manner. It had always been the practice of the settlers to pursue under such cir- cumstances, and although an ambuscade was feared by some it was determined to resent the insult at all hazards. Thereupon a party of twenty-one quickly mounted their horses and dashed through the gate in pursuit. Capt.

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MOVEMENTS AGAINST THE INDIANS.

Leiper led the advance and Col. Robertson the main body. The names of thirteen only of this daring band of salliers have been handed down by tradition, and are as follows : Col. James Robertson, Capt. Leiper, Peter Gill, John Kesenger, Alexander Buchanan, George Kennedy, I. Ken- nedy, Zachariah White, James Menifee, Kasper Mansker (usually pronounced Manscor), Isaac Lucas, Joseph Moon- shaw, and Edward Swanson. When the advance reached the present locality of Broad Street, about its intersection with College, a few of the enemy were seen making a stand at the Branch a short distance off. The whites immediately dismounted for battle, but before they could secure their horses a force of about three hundred warriors rose from the thickets along the Branch and poured into them a deadly volley. They returned the fire with spirit and to good effect. In the mean time another large body of the enemy, which had taken post before daylight in the cedar and privet bushes which thickly covered the present site of Cherry Street embraced between Church and Broad, ran from their concealment after the horsemen had passed and extended their line rapidly in the direction of the fort and the river. The war-whoop of these savages in their rear at once conveyed to the sallying-party and also to their friends in the fort the desperate nature of their situation, and excited in all the gravest fears for their safety. They began at once their retreat, resolutely bringing off all of their wounded who could be assisted. Fortunately for the survivors their horses had broken back in the direction of the fort when the fight began, but on reaching the inter- posing line they swerved off to its right to escape, when large numbers of the Indians, unable to resist the tempta- tion, quit their places and hurried in pursuit of them. Into the gap thus opportunely left the retreating whites Dow pressed, hotly pursued from the rear and fired upon from different directions.

At this juncture another most fortunate circumstance occurred to favor their escape. There were great numbers of dogs gathered into the fort, trained to face any danger at bidding, and on hearing the well-known reports of their masters' rifles in the vale below they were seized with an RDcontrollable frenzy, and evinced by loud cries their dis- position to join in the conflict. Mrs. Robertson, the wife of Col. James Robertson, who was watching gun in hand with intense interest the varying changes of the battle, on discovering the snare into which her friends had fallen, and fearing that they would all be lost, now urged the sentinel to open the gate and hiss on the dogs. These animals on being released flew at once at that part of the Indian line still in place, and attacked it with a fury and persistence probably never before witnessed. It was an anomaly in- deed in warfare, as dogs are usually much afraid of the fire of guns. Such an onset, however, could not be despised, and forced the enemy to empty their pieces and resort to their tomahawks in self-defense. Favored by this unex- pected diversion, the little band of whites now hastened on, and all reached the fort in safety except Isaac Lucas. He had reached a point in rifle-range of the place when he fell with a broken thigh. He had just finished loading his gun as he ran, and when he fell an Indian rushed upon him with the purpose of securing his scalp. Lucas took

deliberate aim as he lay on the ground and shot his pur- suer dead in his tracks. He then dragged himself a short distance to shelter from the Indian fire, reloaded his rifle, and disposed his tomahawk for a desperate resistance ; seve- ral determined efforts were made by the friends of the dead man to carry off his body and dispatch Lucas, but were frustrated by the vigilance of the garrison, who kept up a warm fire in that quarter. Lucas was carried into the fort after the enemy withdrew out of range, and soon recovered. Edward Swanson, another of the salliers, was overtaken within twenty yards of the gate by a large Indian, who pressed the muzzle of his gun against his back and at- tempted to shoot, but it failed fire. The Indian then struck Swanson heavily on the shoulder with the barrel, making him drop his gun. Swanson now turned, and seizing his antagonist's gun by the muzzle, endeavored to wrench it from his hands. A desperate struggle ensued for the pos- session of the weapon, which ended at length in the Indian's favor, when by a heavy blow on the head he felled the white man to his all-fours. The combatants had been so closely engaged that the friends of Swanson could not fire from the fort without danger to both ; but at this instant, when the Indian was in the act of disengaging his toma- hawk to give the finishing blow, old Mr. John Buchanan rushed through the gate and firing quickly, mortally wounded him. Thereupon the savage, gritting his teeth with rage, retired to a stump near by where he fell. Swan- son, assisted by his deliverer, made his way into the fort. During the night the body of the Indian was dragged off by his comrades, and was found several days later buried on College Hill, at the place afterwards occupied by the residence of the Rev. Mr. Hume .* No attempt was made to carry off the one killed by Swanson, as he was probably scalped by the whites, and this, according to Indian theology, rendered him unfit for burial. The loss of the scalp was supposed to be sufficient to debar the victim from the " happy hunting-grounds," no matter how bravely he may have fought. Hence they always sought at great risk to consign an enemy to the dominions of the bad spirit by practicing this mutilation upon him.

Of the sallying-party seven were killed, according to the statement of the Rev. John Carr, who lived in the pioneer period. These were Capt. Leiper, Peter Gill, John Kesen- ger, Alexander Buchanan, George Kennedy, Zachariah White, and J. Kennedy. James Menifee, Kasper Mans- ker, Isaac Lucas, Joseph Moonshaw, and others were wounded. Putnam's account says that five were killed, but no names are given. In an obituary notice of Gen. James Robertson, published in the Nashville Clarion in 1813, the writer states that only thirteen returned alive to the fort, which would put the number of killed at eight. Very few of the horses were captured; most of them, after a hot chase across Capitol Hill and about the Sulphur-Bottom, broke by their pursuers and reached the gate of the fort, into which they were admitted. At ten o'clock A.M. the enemy withdrew from the contest, but returned at night and fired a great many shots at the walls. It was under-

* On Market Street, opposite the entrance to the Vanderbilt Medi- cal College.

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HISTORY OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE.

stood that this party was a reinforcement which had arrived too late to take part in the morning's battle. At one time during the night a knot of several hundred were seen col- lecting about the present intersection of Church and College Streets, when it was proposed to fire the swivel at them. Some objected on account of the scarcity of ammunition, but a contribution of powder, slugs, and pieces of iron having been made up, the piece was brought into position and fired. In the stillness of night the report and flash of the little swivel proved very creditable, and more than answered expectations. The party decamped with such haste that they left several articles of value behind. Not another shot was fired at the fort after this, nor was it again directly attacked during the existence of hostilities. Soon after the swivel was fired the one at Eaton's gave an answering signal, and in the course of the night a small force came from that place to the opposite bank, where, on making its presence known, boats were dispatched, and it was quickly transferred to assist in the further defense of the place if needed. Early next morning scouts went out and ascertained that the Indians had gone westerly and crossed Richland Creek. The number of their killed was never definitely ascertained. The bodies of the whites were found stripped and scalped. Thus ended an expedi- tion of six or seven hundred Cherokees, the details of which were planned with much judgment and executed with remarkable secrecy. The proverbial want of dis- cipline with the savages at the critical moment alone saved the party which rashly sallied out to attack them from total destruction. In the light of subsequent events the death of Col. Robertson would have been a public calamity, which at this juncture might have operated most unfavor- ably on the interests of the Cumberland settlements. In any event the loss of so many brave men at one fell swoop would have been a most serious blow, and liable to have been followed by a train of worse disasters. As Mrs. Rob- ertson pertinently remarked, the Indians' fear of dogs and love of horses proved the salvation of the whites on this occasion. It is due to the memory of the pioneer women of Nashville to state that in the midst of the terrible ex- citement succeeding the repulse of their husbands, brothers, and friends, and the heart-rending prospect of their total destruction, they stood gun and axe in hand at the gate of the fort, determined to die in its defense if occasion de- manded it.

CHAPTER VIII.

GOVERNMENT OF THE NOTABLES.

Civil Government among the First Needs of the Settlers-A Volun- tary Compact formed-Election of Judges-Copy of Articles of Agreement-List of the Signers-Additional Articles-Interesting Quotations from the Records of the Notables-Treaty with the Indians.

THE first civil government upon the Cumberland or in Middle Tennessee was a voluntary compact entered into by the settlers on the first day of May, 1780, with additional articles adopted on the 13th. This was an object of their

first care as soon as they had arrived in the country and had provided themselves with temporary shelter and a few necessary articles of subsistence. They had not been with- out an example of the benefits of such a voluntary associa- tion for mutual protection, and for the restraint and punish- ment of lawless adventurers who might come among them, in a similar organization upon the Watauga; and now that they had immigrated still farther into the wilderness, and still more remote from any protection which the civil arm of the State could immediately throw over them, they were dis- posed to organize and administer a local government of their own. But they designed that this government should exist only till such time as the State government could be effi- ciently extended over them.

The articles entered into provided that the several stations should be entitled to representatives as follows :

" From Nashborough, 3."

" From Kasper's, 2." (Kasper Mansker's Lick.)

" From Bledsoe's, 1." (Now Castilian Springs.)

" From Asher's, 1." (Station Camp Creek.)

" From Freeland's, 1." (Horticultural Garden.)

" From Eaton's, 2."

(East Nashville.)

" From Fort Union, 1." (Where Haysborough was.)

" Which said persons, or a majority of them, after being bound by the solemnity of an oath to do equal and impar- tial justice between all contending parties," etc., shall be empowered and competent to settle all controversies relative to location and improvement of lands ; all other matters and questions of dispute among the settlers; protecting the reasonable claims of those who may have returned for their families; providing implements of husbandry and food for such as might arrive without such necessaries; making especial provisions for widows and orphans whose husbands or fathers may die or be killed by the savages ; guarantee- ing equal rights, mutual protection, and impartial justice ; pledging themselves most solemnly and sacredly to promote the peace, happiness, and well-being of the country ; to repress vice and punish crime. This is a summary of what they resolved and ordained .*

Certainly no better evidence could be given of the intel- ligence, patriotism, and foresight of the pioneers. " One of the best elements," says Putnam, "of our free, popular government was expressly set forth in the compact of gov- ernment at Nashborough, namely : the authority of the people ; a power reserved to the people at the various stations to remove their judge or judges and other officers for unfaithfulness or misconduct, and to elect others to fill such vacancies.

" This tribunal exercised the prerogatives of government to their fullest extent, with the single specified exception of the infliction, of capital punishment. They called out the militia of the stations to ' repel or pursue the enemy,' impressed horses for such service as public exigency might demand, levied fines, payable in money or provisions, adju- dicated causes, entered up judgments and awarded exe- cutions, granted letters of administration upon estates of deccased persons, taking bonds payable to ' Col. James Rob- ertson, Chairman of the Committee,' etc.

# Putnam, p. 90.

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MAP OF a portion of DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENN.

Manskers Creek

MANSKER'S STATION

Dry Cr

JONES' BEND

A.JACKSON 1794 +

NEELY'S LICK +

R.R.

MRS. DONELSON +

Hills Island

Little Marrow Bone

Dry Fork

Ratons Cr.

BUENA VISTA

WHITES

Erings Gr

BRICK CHURCH

Crab Island

HAY'S FORTIC ---

FERRY

PIKE

Whites

EATON'S STATION WELL'S MILL

STONER'S LICK

PRIESTLEY'S ACADEMY

CLOVER

RACE COU

DAVIDEON & WILSON PIKE

COCKRILL'S BEND

WHITES BEND

DENTON STATION

LEBANON

TENN & PACIFIC

River

RobertsonsIsland

STATION Q

+HARDEMAN'S OR EVERETTS STATION

PIKE

CHARLOTTE

RAIN'S STATION

STONES

JOHNSON'S STATION+

Miul

+JOSLIN'S STATION

RIDLEY'S BLOCK HOUGE

MURPAULSBORO

Overalls C

DUNHAM'S FORT

x BARTON'S STATION

MILL CREEK

VALLE

BROWN'S STATION

PIX

CHATTANOOGA R.R.

TITIANSYN

HILLSBORO

PIKE

Little Harpeth Riv.

OWEN & WINSTEAD

Scale ... Three Miles. One Inch

HISTORICAL DATA COMPILED BY E. L. DRAKE.

DRAWN BY W. F. FOSTER.

Stones

FREELAND'S STATION

Cumml

TRO

LICK & FORT

Richland Cr.

BUCHANAN'S

BELLS/BEND

GEN. ROBERTSON'S

Cumberland River

+ HERMITAGE

PIKE

LOUISVILLE BRANCH PIKES

GALLATIN LOUISVILLE & NACHVILL MESPRADDEN'S, BEND

NEELYS BEND

CAPT. DONELSON

Sulphur Cr

MYBES

PINE

Browns Cr

+THOMPSON'S STATION

PIKE

+ ARMSTRONG'S STATON

NASHALLLLL-

FRANKLIN PIKE

NOLENSVILLE

PIKE

GRANNY WHITE PIKE

YILLIK DECATURER

PIKE

attle Mily/Cr.

RIVER

Sugar Trea Cr

RICHLAND PIKE

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Showing localities in its -EARLY HISTORY .-

Jones Island

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GOVERNMENT OF THE NOTABLES.

Mr. Patnam, by the discovery of the original articles of sociation by which this government of the Notables was formed, was enabled to add, among other results of his careful research, a very valuable and interesting paper to this portion of the history of Tennessee. He precedes its introduction into his " History of Middle Tennessee" with the following remarks :

" Much has been written and published respecting that 'imperium in imperio,' the State of Franklin, and its dis- tinguished founder and Governor; but here we recover the history of a State in every respect and aspect as peculiar as that, six years earlier in date, in active existence for several years, the president or chairman of which was ever the friend of Sevier,-they par nobile fratrum,-but of which the historians of Tennessee have had but a very limited knowledge. Judge Haywood alludes to it on page 126, and others have only copied what he there says, and thus the most interesting incidents in Middle Tennessee history have hitherto remained unknown and unpublished.

" It soon became manifest that there was much need for such a government, that it would have much to engage its attention both in the civil and military departments. The people at the various stations were urged by their sense of duty, and some apprehension of mischief from the Indians, to elect the number of Notables to which they were en- titled that the contemplated government might be put promptly into operation, and suitable directions given for the election of military officers and the equipment of ' spies and sharpshooters.'

" The alarm was, ' Indians about!' In this very month of May they approached the strong defenses of Eaton's Station, and within sight and in open day shot down Mr. Porter and James Mayfield. Shortly thereafter they killed Jennings, opposite the first island above Nashville; and near the same time and place they killed Ned. Carver, whose wife and two children narrowly escaped and reached the Bluff. In a day or two thereafter they killed William Neely and captured his daughter."

ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT, OR COMPACT O.F GOVERNMENT, ENTERED INTO BY THE SET- TLERS ON THE CUMBERLAND RIVER, 1ST MAY, 1780 .*

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History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 7

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