USA > Tennessee > The civil and political history of the state of Tennessee from its earliest settlement up to the year 1796 : including the boundaries of the state > Part 10
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Early in 1779 a party from East Tennessee crossed the Cum- berland Mountain. It consisted of Capt. James Robertson, George Freeland, William Neely, Edward Swanson, James Hanly, Mark Robertson, Zachariah White, William Overall, and a negro fellow, who was afterward killed at Freeland's Station, in the year 1781, on the same night when Maj. Lucas was killed. They explored the country to the neighborhood of the place where Nashville now stands, and fixed themselves con- venient to the French Lick; they planted a field of corn on the ground where Nashville now stands, in the year 1779, about the spot where Joseph Park now lives, near the Lower Ferry, and
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the party returned to East Tennessee for their families, leaving Overall and White and Swanson to keep the buffaloes out of the corn.
In the year 1779 Mansco, with a number of others, came to the Cumberland River, and found Capt. James Robertson's com- pany at the French Lick, where they had just arrived. Robert- son himself was gone to Illinois, to purchase the cabin rights of General Clarke. The emigrants planted some corn that spring at French Lick. Mansco returned to the settlements, and in the fall conducted a number of families to the country, who settled at Bledsoe's Lick, Mansco's Lick, and at other places.
In 1779, in the month of October, Mr, John Rains set off from New River to go to Kentucky, and advanced toward Cumber- land Gap; but before reaching the Gap, he found Capt. James Robertson in Powell's Valley, who pursuaded Rains to come with him to Cumberland. The latter agreed to the propos- al, and to give up his former purpose of settling at Harrods- burg. Other persons, in small companies, both before and be- hind, were moving to different places, and some of them to Cumberland; some of them were the hunters who had been to Cumberland in 1769. Frazier, a hunter, had been to and re- turned from Cumberland; Mansco had left the hunters in 1769 or 1770, just before they had set off to return home, and went down the river as before stated. Upon the return of Mansco in 1771 from his voyage down the river, the fame of the Cumber- land lands, and of their fertility, as well as the salubrity of the air, the excellency of the water, the abundance of buffaloes, deer, and game of all sorts, was diffused through all the frontier settlements, was the theme of conversation in every company, and many embraced the resolution of emigrating to this land
of plenty. They came through Cumberland Gap; thence to the Cumberland River, at the crossing-place crossed by the Kentucky trace at that time. These small parties traveled on the Kentucky trace to Dick's River, where was Whitley's Sta- tion; thence they traveled on the ridge between Salt River and Dick's river, to a point near a place since called Carpenter's Station, on the waters of Green River; thence to Robertson's Fork, on the north side of Green River, which discharges itself into that river; thence down the river to a place since called
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Pitman's Station; thence across Green River, and down it, to Little Barren River, crossing the same at Elk Lick; thence to the Blue Spring, in the barrens; thence to the Dripping Spring, between the Blue Spring and Big Barren; thence to Big Bar- ren, and crossing it; thence up to Drake's Creek, that runs into it, and up Drake's Creek to a place near to Oil Spring, so called from a scum of oil that is upon it. The oil is swept off by the wings of fowls, and is sold at a dollar per quart. It is used as a medicament for burns and pains. This spring is five miles from the Big Barren, to the south-west of it, breaks out near the bank of Drake's Creek, about five miles above the mouth, opposite to where the county of Sumner, in Tennessee, now is, and at this time in the county of Warren, in Kentucky. The water of this spring is dark like tar, of a nauseous smell; it is a boiling spring, and the oil is always on the surface of the water, and is not used by any animal. The oil upon the water of the spring has the appearance of grease, or of oil poured upon the water; the oil floats on the surface till obstructed by some ob- stacle, when it collects in compact quantities, and is then taken up and put in bottles, and applied to divers medicinal uses. From Oil Spring they went to Maple Swamp. This was a marshy place, but full of timber, when in all the adjoining country there is no timber at all; thence they traveled to Red River, crossing two or three miles below where they struck it, at a place since called Kilgore's Station; thence over to Mansco's Creek, then so called after Casper Mansco, who had there stopped upon a place where he afterward lived and died. This place he had seen when he came down the river in the year 1769. The emigrants came down Mansco's Creek to a place where Mansco lived, and thence to the French Lick. In the month of January, 1780, the river was frozen over; there had been a long freeze, in clear, dry weather. The winter of 1779-80 has been remembered and referred to as the cold winter by all countries in the northern hemisphere, and between the thirty-fifth degree of latitude and the seventieth, and is decisive in favor of the chro- nology which fixes the arrival of these emigrants at the bluff in 1780. At the Cumberland River snow had first fallen upon the ice; the water dried up, and it continued to freeze for many weeks. Mr. Rains's stock, the only one in all these companies, consisted of nineteen cows, two steers, and seventeen horses. 'All
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crossed the river upon the ice, and came to the bluff where Nashville now stands. They were all upon the ice together, and it sounded as if it cracked, when the cattle were about the middle of the river; and from the report, the crack seemed to extend four or five miles up and down the river; it settled upon the layer of ice next below it, as those who were crossing at the mo- ment now supposed. When they came to the Cumberland River, all the companies amounted, it is supposed, to two or three hun- dred men, many of them young men without families. Some of them settled on the north side of the river, at Eaton's Station, where Page now lives. Among these was old Frederick Stump and Amos Eaton. Hayden Wells, Isaac Rounsever, William Loggins, Winters, and others settled there, cleared ground, planted corn, built cabins with stockades from one to the other, and port-holes and bastions. Some of them crossed the river, and settled at Freeland's Station, where David McGavock, Esq., now lives, and built block-houses and stockades. The greater part came to the bluff where Nashville now stands; they built block-houses in lines, and stockaded the intervals; two lines were parallel to each other, and so were the other two lines, the whole forming a square within. Rains went the same day and settled the lands since called Deaderick's plantation. Whilst the above-mentioned emigrants were on their way to Cumber- land, they were overtaken and passed by others, from South Carolina: John Buchanan and his brother Alexander, Daniel Williams, James Mulherrin and John Mulherrin, Sampson Will- iams, Thomas Thompson, and others. These persons came to a point on the north side of the river, opposite the mouth of the French Lick, and found the river shut up by the ice. After some time they crossed on the ice, at the place where Mr. McGav- ock's ferry is, and built cabins on the bluff where Nashville now stands. At the same time boats were descending the Tennes- see with emigrants and their property, destined for the bluff on the Cumberland and its vicinity. One of the boats, called the "Adventure," commenced her voyage on the 22d of Decem- ber, 1779, at Port Patrick Henry, on the Holston River, which port was at a place known by the name of the Long Island of the Holston, about five or six miles above the North Fork of the Holston. She had on board John Donaldson, Esq., the elder, his family and others. The boat and crew departed and fell
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down the river to the mouth of Reedy Creek, where they were detained by the falling of the water, and excessive hard frost. After much delay, and many difficulties, they arrived at the mouth of Cloud's Creek, on Sunday evening, the 20th of Febru- ary, 1780. There they remained till Sunday the 27th, when they set off in company with sundry other vessels, all destined for the Salt Springs, on the Cumberland River. The "Adventure," on that day, struck on the Poor Valley Shoal, together with Mr. Boyd and Mr. Rounsever, where they all lay in much distress until the succeeding night of Monday, the 28th of February, 1780. On the morning of the 29th, the water rising, the boat got off the shoal after landing thirty persons to lighten the boat of Col. Donaldson, and in attempting to land on an island his boat received some damage and sundry articles were lost. They en- camped on the south shore, and joined several other vessels bound down the river. On the 20th of February, 1780, they proceeded down the river, and encamped on the north shore, the weather being rainy that afternoon and the next day. On Wednesday they continued the voyage; on Thursday the 2d of March, they passed the mouth of the French Broad River; and about twelve o'clock, Hugh Henry's boat, being driven on the point of an island by the force of the current, was sunk; the lives of the crew were greatly endangered, and the whole fleet put to shore, and the crews went to their assistance. With much difficulty they baled out the water, and the sunken boat was raised so as to take in her cargo again. On this day Reu- ben Harrison went out to hunt, and did not return in the even- ing, though many guns were fired to bring him to the boats if within hearing. On Friday, the 3d of March, 1780, early in the morning, they fired a four-pounder for Harrison, and sent out several persons to search the woods for him, firing many guns in the course of that day and till the succeeding night. All attempts to find him proved fruitless, to the great grief of his parents and fellow-travelers. On Saturday, the 4th of March, 1780, they resumed the voyage, leaving old Mr. Harrison and some other vessels to make further search for the lost man. About 10 o'clock on that day they found him a considerable distance down the river, where Mr. Benjamin Belew took him on board his boat. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon the "Advent- ure" passed the mouth of the Little Tennessee River, and the
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passengers encamped on the south shore, about ten miles below the mouth. On Sunday, the 5th of March, 1780, they set off early in the morning, before sunrise, and passed the mouth of Clinch River at 3 o'clock. They came up with the Clinch River company and joined and encamped with them, the evening being rainy. On Monday, the 6th of March, before sunrise, they progressed. The morning was foggy, and many of the fleet were- much per- plexed to find the way, some rowing up the river, some down, and some across. In order to collect them together, the "Advent- ure" went to shore. By 10 o'clock they were collected and went on, and encamped for the night on the north shore. On Tues- day, the 7th of March, they recommenced the voyage early in the morning. The wind blew strongly from the south-west, the river was wide, and the waves ran high: some of the smaller crafts were in danger. They therefore came on shore at the upper Chiccamauga Town, which was then evacuated, and encamped there all night. The wife of Ephraim Peyton was delivered of a child. Peyton himself had gone through the wilderness by the way of Kentucky, with Capt. James Robertson.
On Wednesday the Sth of March, 1780, they proceeded down the river to an Indian village, which was inhabited. It lay on the south side of the river. The Indians invited the crews to come on shore, and called them brothers, and showed other signs of friendship, in so much that John Donaldson, Jr., the son of Col. Donaldson, and John Caffrey, then on board, took the canoe which the boat had in tow and were crossing over to them. the crew of the boat having landed on the opposite side. After they had proceeded some distance, a half-breed of the name of Archer Coody, with several other Indians, jumped into a canoe, and advised them to return to the boat, which they did, together with Coody and several canoes which left the shore and followed directly after them. They appeared to be friendly . after a few presents were distributed amongst them, with which they seemed to be well pleased. But on the other side were ob- served a number of Indians, embarking in their canoes, armed, and daubed with red and black paint. Coody immediately made signs to his companions to leave the boat, which they did, him- self and another Indian remaining with the crew of the boat, and telling them to move off instantly. The crew and boat had proceeded but a short distance before they discovered a number
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of Indians, armed and painted, going down the river in the di- rection to intercept the boat. Coody, the half-breed, and his companion continued on board of the "Adventure" for about an hour, and telling the crew that they had then passed all the towns, and were out of danger, left the boat. But in a short time the crew came in sight of another town, situated on the north side of the river, nearly opposite to a small island. Here, also, the Indians invited those on board to come on shore, call- ing them brothers, and seeing the boat standing to the opposite side, told the passengers that their side was the best for the boat to pass the island on. A young man of the name of Payne, who was on board the boat of Capt. John Blackmore, approaching too near the shore, was shot in the boat from the shore. Mr. Stew- art had set off in a boat, with the "Adventure" and others, des- tined for the western country. On board this boat were blacks and whites to the number of twenty-eight souls. His family being diseased with the small-pox, it was agreed between him and the other movers that he should keep at some distance in the rear, for fear of spreading the infection amongst them. He was to be informed each night where the others lay by the sound of a horn. The foremost boats having passed the town, the Indians collected in considerable numbers. Seeing him far behind the boats in front, they intercepted him in their canoes, and killed and made prisoners the whole crew. The crews of the other boats were not able to relieve him, but on the contrary, were alarmed for their own safety; for they perceived large bodies of Indians marching on foot down the river, keeping pace with the boats, till the Cumberland Mountains covered them from the view of the boats, and the latter hoped that the pursuit was given over. The boats were now arrived at the place called the Whirl or Suck, where the river is compressed into less than half of its common width, by the Cumberland Mountain jutting into it on both sides. In passing through the upper part of these narrows, at a place described by Coody, and which he termed the Boiling Pot, a man by the name of John Cotton was descending the river in a canoe with a small family, and being fearful that his canoe might not go safely through, he had at- tached it to Robert Cartwright's boat, into which he and his family had entered for safety. . The canoe was here overturned, and the little cargo lost. The movers, pitying his distress, con-
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cluded to land and assist him in recovering his property. Hav- ing landed on the north shore at a level spot, they began to go toward the place where the misfortune had happened, when the Indians, to their astonishment, appeared on the opposite cliffs, and commenced firing down upon them. This caused a precipitate retreat to the boats. The emigrants all immediately progressed, the Indians continuing their fire from the heights upon the boats, in which were four persons who were wounded. In the boat of Mr. Gower was his daughter, Nancy Gower. When the Indians fired upon the boats, the crew being thrown into disorder and dismay, she took the helm, and steered the boat, exposed to all the fire of the enemy. A ball passed through her clothes, and penetrated the upper part of her thigh, going out at the opposite side. It was not discovered that she was wounded by any complaint she made or words she uttered, but after the danger was over her mother discovered the blood flowing through her clothes. The wound was dressed, she re- covered, and is yet alive, having married Anderson Lucas, the same person who was with Spencer in 1782 when wounded by the Indians. The boats passed the Suck, the river widening with a placid and gentle current, and the emigrants seemed to be in safety, but the family of Jonathan Jennings, whose boat ran on a large rock projecting from the northern shore, and immersed her in the water immediately at the Whirl. The other movers were forced to leave them there, and continued to sail on that day, and floated through the night. On Thursday, the 9th of March, 1780, they went on floating till midnight, and came to a camp on the northern shore. On Friday, the 10th of March, 1780, in the morning about 4 o'clock, the people in the camp were surprised by a cry for help. Jennings, a con- siderable distance up the river, had discovered their fires, and came up in a wretched condition. He reported that as soon as the Indians had discovered his situation they began to fire at him. He ordered his wife and son, who was nearly grown, a young man who accompanied them, and two negroes to throw all the goods into the river to lighten the boat for the purpose of getting her off, himself returning the fire as he could, being in a good situation, and an excellent marksman. But before they had accomplished their object, his son, the young man, and a negro man jumped out of the boat and left them. The son and
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young man swam to the north side of the river; the negro was drowned. On the north side they found a canoe, and embarked in it and floated down the river, but unfortunately, on the next day, were met by five Indian canoes, full of men, who took them prisoners and carried them to Chiccamanga, killed the young man and burned him. Jennings they knocked down and were about to kill him, but were prevented by Rogers, an Indian trader, who paid a price agreed on for him in goods. Mrs. Jennings, however, and the negro woman succeeded in unload- ing the boat, but chiefly by the exertions of Mrs. Jennings, who got out of the boat and shoved it off. The boat started sud- denly, and Mrs. Jennings was in danger of being left standing upon the rock. They made a wonderful escape. Mrs. Peyton (her daughter) was in this boat. She had been delivered the night before of a child, which unfortunately was killed on this day in the hurry and confusion which overtook them. Mrs. Peyton, notwithstanding these severe trials, and being wet and cold and without nourishment from the time the boat ran on the rock till the 10th of March, still preserved her health and did well. The heroines of this day were not Amazons, but they resembled the women of Sparta, who preferred a firmness of soul and intrepidity in danger to all other qualities, and reward- ed those with their esteem who possessed these inestimable virt- ues. Whoever has made the experiment has become convinced that they have transmitted these qualities without mixture to their posterity.
On the 11th of March, 1780, after distributing the family of Jennings into different boats, the emigrants proceeded down the river, and at night encamped on the north side. On Tues- day, the 12th of March, 1780, they came to an Indian village, as it was supposed to be from the crowing of the cocks. Here the Indians fired upon the people in the boats again, without doing them any damage. About 10 o'clock they came in sight of the Muscle Shoals, and landed on the north side above the shoals.
It had been concerted and agreed upon that Capt. James Rob- ertson, who left Big Creek early in the fall of 1779, should pro- ceed through Kentucky to the Big Salt Spring on the Cumber- land River, with several others in company; and from the Big Salt Spring should come across the country to the upper end of the Muscle Shoals, and there make signs by which the boatmen
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might know that he had been there, and that it was practicable for them to go thence across by land to the Big Salt Spring. To the great disappointment of the emigrants now landed at the Muscle Shoals, they could not find any signs there. They con- cluded not to make the attempt to go by land, but to go down the river; well apprised, however, of the great risk they incurred in prosecuting their journey down the river. After trimming their boats in the best possible manner, they passed the shoals before night. When they approached the shoals they had a most dreadful appearance. The water being high, they resound- ed to a great distance; but Providence preserved them from this danger, and they passed through the shoals unhurt. They passed them in about three hours. They had been represented to Col. Donaldson to be twenty-five or thirty miles long, but from the time taken to pass through them he did not believe them to be of that length. On that night they encamped on the north shore, near the lower end of the shoals. On the 13th of March, 1780, they continued to move down the river, and encamped at night on the north side. On Tuesday, the 14th of March, 1780, early in the morning, they recommenced the voyage. Two of the boats, approaching too near the shore, were fired upon by the Indians. Five of their crew were wounded, but not danger- ously. At night they encamped near the mouth of a creek. After kindling their fires and preparing for rest, they were alarmed by the barking of their dogs, and supposed that the In- dians were approaching their camp. They went to their boats precipitately, and fell down the river a mile and a half, and came to on the opposite shore, and there remained for the night. In the bustle and confusion which they were in they left in the camp they retreated from an old African negro asleep at the fire. In the morning Mr. Caffrey and John Donaldson, the younger, took a canoe and crossed the river, and returned to the deserted camp, where they found the negro at the fire, still asleep. Such of the movers as had left their property at the camp then re- turned and collected it.
On the 15th of the month they got under way, and on the five following days, meeting with no obstructions to delay them, they came to the mouth of the Tennessee and landed on the lower point, immediately on the bank of the Ohio. Here, unexpect- edly, they found themselves in difficult circumstances. The wa-
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ters were high, the current rapid, and their boats were not con- structed for stemming a rapid stream. Their provisions were exhausted, and the crews were almost worn down with hunger and fatigue. They knew not what was the distance to their place of destination, nor the time that it would take to perform their jour- ney thither. Several boat-crews resolved not to attempt the nav- igation of the river against the rapid current it presented; some determined to go down the river to Natchez, and others to Illi- nois. Accordingly, on Tuesday, the 21st of March, 1780, they took an affectionate farewell of each other, each going in the di- rection he had chosen-some destined for Natchez, some for Il- linois, and some for the Cumberland. The common dangers in which they had all been so lately involved, and the friendly in- tercourse which these dangers had produced, and the confidence which these trials had inspired in each other, made this separa- tion peculiarly painful. They were never to see each other again. To be thus separated, when recollections of endearment perpetually rushed into the mind, was a privation which souls true and generous as these could not sustain without a severe shock. Reluctantly they parted in sorrow, breathing their mut- ual benedictions and putting up their silent prayers to heaven with sympathies of the highest excitement. The "Adventure " and the boats which accompanied her went up the Ohio. They made but little way on that day, and encamped on the south bank of the Ohio, suffering on that and the two following days much uneasiness from hunger and fatigue. On the 24th of March, 1780, they came to the mouth of the Cumberland River, but its size was so much less than they had expected to find it that some would not believe it to be the Cumberland. It flowed in a gentle current. They had heard of no river on the south side of the Ohio between the Tennessee and the Cumberland, and they determined to go up this as the Cumberland; and they did 50).
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