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 29
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On Saturday, the 9th of March, James Nelson and Thomas Nelson, two brothers, were killed and scalped by Indians on the Little Pigeon, about twenty-five miles from Knoxville. The Indians had formed an ambuscade on a path near Mr. Nelson's house. These young men were stricken by eight balls, from which it was conjectured there was that number of Indians. They were headed by a fellow called Towakka, who also headed the party that formerly killed Richardson.
On the 16th of March, 1793, fourteen head of horses were stolen from the settlement on Flat Creek, sixteen miles from Knoxville.
On the 21st of March Thomas Ross, post-rider, and two other men, on their way from Hawkins Court-house, in the Territory, to Kentucky, were fired on near Laurel River by a party of In- dians and a white man. Ross was killed. The other two men were wounded, but made their escape.
On Saturday, the 26th of March, 1793, nine men and ten women and children were attacked near the Hazel Patch by a party of Indians, consisting of about eighteen, and a white man, who appeared to be the leader. On sight of the Indians the travelers dismounted, and an action ensued which lasted near half an hour, when both parties retreated, each regarding the other as conquerors. Only four men of the company reached Kentucky, three of whom were wounded. On Thursday follow- ing Gen. Logan, with seventy men, went in search of the rest of the company. On the ground where the engagement had taken
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place they found a little girl who had been taken prisoner a few weeks before, and who, during the engagement, made her escape and hid herself. They also found a child of one of the company some distance from the place of action, nearly exhausted, but who finally recovered. They were led to this discovery by the barking of a dog, which had remained with the child from the time its parents had forsaken it. The Indians had several wounded, and their leader, the white man, killed, whom they carried some distance and buried. Mr. McFarland, one of the company, wounded several of the Indians and killed their lead- er, and was the last person who left the ground. He escaped unhurt, having his charger shot from his belt.
On Monday, the 18th of March, 1793, two young men by the name of Clements were killed and scalped about sixteen miles below Knoxville.
On Wednesday, the 20th of March, 1793, on the Pigeon, in Jefferson County, a man by the name of Taylor was fired on by the Indians, who had formed an ambuscade on the path he trav- eled near a station. The number of guns fired induced the be- lief that the party of Indians was numerous.
On Sunday, the 20th of March, a party of seven or eight In- dians killed and scalped William Massey and Adam Greene, at the gap of Powell's Mountain, on the Clinch, about twenty miles from Hawkins Court-house.
On Monday, the Sth of April, 1793, a party of Creeks, headed by young Lashley, the person who had lately committed so many acts of rapine and slaughter on the frontier inhabitants of Ham- ilton District, burned a house belonging to James Gallaher, on the south side of the Holston, twenty miles from Knoxville. Re- turning from the frontier, they called on "The Hanging Maw," and asked for provisions, which he refused them, upon which they shot his dog and went off. A detachment of mounted in- fantry followed them over the Tennessee, without being able to overtake them. The waters having risen suddenly, the company were obliged to swim their horses in recrossing the Tennessee, in attempting which a young man, John McCullough, was drowned.
On Thursday, the 11th of April, the house of Mr. Blackburn, on the north side of the Holston, fourteen miles from Knoxville, was burned by Indians, generally supposed to be Creeks.
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On the 15th of April a party of Lieut. Tedford's Rangers, on the south side of the Holston, in the dusk of the evening, dili- gently in pursuit of some Creeks who were on the frontiers un- der the command of Lashley, fell in with two Indians on horse- back, on whom they fired and killed one, who proved to be "The Noon Day," a Cherokee of Toquo.
The Creeks had broken out into open hostilities, when the Cherokees offered to be at peace. About the 1st of April, some Indians, whom the white people were ready to suppose to be Creeks, killed a man near Tugulo, and stole about thirty horses near the residence of Col. Cleveland. The white people there resolved to pursue and kill them. and to retake the horses. They came up with the Indians near Chota, in the Cherokee Terri- tory. The whites found where they had killed a horse, and a bell which was known. They fired upon and killed two of these In- dians, and wounded one. The Cherokees were informed of this by the white people, by a communication which implied friend- ship for them and disgust at the conduct of the Creeks, who by returning through their country had endeavored to fix on the Cherokees the imputation that they were the perpetrators of those enormities.
The white people established stations at the Oconee Mountains and other places on the frontiers, leaving open only one path by which the Cherokees were to come to the white settlements, which was the old trading-path by the Oconee Mountain. The Cherokees were desired not to go to the Spaniards for goods, as the people of Georgia had more goods than the Spaniards, and could supply them on better terms; and it was said that they would have furnished the Creeks with ammunition, had they ap- plied to the people of Georgia, and not to the Spaniards, whose interference in these matters seemed to be particularly dis- pleasing.
Daily accounts received at this period imputed to the Span- iards unremitted exertions to induce the Creeks and Cherokees to continue to make war upon the United States, and the people had for some time complained that they were not protected and held out the idea that they ought to protect themselves. They had appointed a place of meeting, where it was proposed they should pass into the Cherokee Nation and destroy the towns. They began to assemble accordingly at Gamble's Station, and
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had been with great difficulty made to disperse by the Govern- or's proclamation, which he sent to them by Col. White, and by his ordering out the militia to suppress them, in case of perse- verance in their designs after the proclamation should have been made known to them.
The Governor did not hear from Cumberland as soon as he expected, his messenger having been detained by high waters, which in the month of March, 1793, were nine feet higher than they had ever been known to be before. He received intelligence that between the 29th of March and 5th of April, 1793, six hun- dred and twelve Creeks had passed the Tennessee in several parties, for war against the United States, but principally against the Cumberland settlements, and that the whole nation of Creeks were bent on war. He was informed that Gen. Logan, of Kentucky, was preparing an expedition against the Cherokees at the very time when the Governor and those Indians were concerting measures for peace; and when to that end under the instructions of the President, he was inviting a full representa- tion of the chiefs to visit the President in Philadelphia, on the 17th of April. He was informed, also, that the Indians had killed several of the citizens of the Territory. Such a combina- tion of perplexing circumstances required great fortitude and an uncommon degree of resignation to the dispensations of adversity. He calmly provided for every exigence. He ordered a company of rangers to be embodied to scour the woods in ad- vance of the frontier settlements of Cumberland; authorized Gen. Robertson to raise another, if necessary, for the same pur- pose, and promised him from one hundred and sixty to five hun- dred men, to aid him in defense of the Cumberland settlements. He ordered Maj. Beard to march without delay with the troops under his command, by the way of West Point and the upper waters of the Caney Fork, to the paths which the Creeks gener- ally passed to war against the District of Mero, and to the woods in which they generally formed their camps, and from which they annoyed the inhabitants of Cumberland in small parties. On his arrival at any such paths in the woods, he was instruct- ed to consider all the Indians he should see there as enemies, and in all the woods upon the Cumberland waters, and as low down as the mouth of the Red River. But should he come upon Chickasaws, Choctaws, or Cherokees, and know them as such,
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he was to consider them as friends, unless they gave proof to the contrary; in that event, he was to treat them as enemies. He was not to go to the westward of Nashville, unless ordered by Gen. Robertson, nor was he to go to the south of the Cum- berland waters, unless in pursuit of a flying enemy. In that case, if he judged it prudent, he might pursue them as far as the Tennessee.
About the 20th of April, 1793, Gov. Blount received undoubt- ed information that upward of six hundred Creeks a short time before that had crossed through the lower towns for war against the United States. The Cherokee chiefs, however, pretended an earnest wish for peace, and John Watts on his late visit to Gov. Blount gave the most explicit assurances on that head. Douglass, the Scotchman, who was sent as a spy to Pensacola, was mistaken, in the Chickasaw Nation, for a horse thief who had been there some time before, and was killed by them under that mistake, on his return to Gov. Blount.
On the 18th of April, 1793, on the east fork of the Little Pig- eon in Jefferson County, thirty miles from Knoxville, Joshua Tipton was killed by the Indians, and also a man of the name of Matthews, and another of the name of Shields was wounded.
A station was attacked in Kentucky by the Indians, in the month of April, 1793, who killed three of the inhabitants and made eighteen prisoners, whom they carried into the woods and killed.
On Monday, the 13th, which was shortly afterward, they at- tacked another station, and they had set fire to the houses at Rock Castle and consumed them.
Gov. Blount at this time, by presents, by friendly letters, by special messengers exhorting to peace and friendship, and by every persuasive topic which could be resorted to, endeavored to retain the Cherokees in a state of peace, and to induce a full representation of them to go with him to Philadelphia on a visit to the President, where all matters of controversy might be ad- justed and all uneasiness removed. But he could only prevail so far as to obtain a promise that the proposal should be laid before the great council of the nation, who would report their answer. But they artfully kept up the belief that the proposal would be embraced till he left the Territory on the 7th of June, 1793.
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On the 28th of March, 1793, the obviate the designs expected from the great number of Creeks who had lately passed the lower towns to fall on the frontiers of Cumberland, he had di- rected a full company of mounted infantry to be ordered into actual service from the militia of Mero District, to consist of eighty men, exclusive of officers, to waylay the Indian paths leading to the settlements, and to explore the woods where their principal camps might probably be found, within the lim- its of fifty miles from the settlements; and to treat as enemies such Indians as they might find within those limits, excepting women and children, and to go well armed, each man with a good firelock, and such other arms as he should think proper. They were to be discharged on the 14th of May, unless the dan- ger should continue; in which case Gen. Robertson was at lib- erty to keep them for two months, or discharge them and order out another; and these companies were authorized to fol- low incursive parties to the Tennessee. The Spaniards began to advise the Indians against war with the United States, and Gov. Gayoso wrote in very friendly terms to Gov. Blount, disavowing any share or part in inciting the Indians to war. Panton was a refugee tory, and it was considered by the Gov- ernor as a ground of complaint that he should be entertained by the Spaniards, with the mischievous inclinations toward the United States which he was known to possess. Small parties of Creeks now passed and repassed through the lower towns every day. They carried with them the scalps of the people killed on the Cumberland; and small parties of Cherokees were equally engaged in the same practices.
About the 2d of May, 1793, three white men who could never be discovered came to and fired upon three Indians-two Chick- asaws and one Cherokee-who were on a visit to Gov. Blount, and had gone to see their horses in the woods, six hundred yards from his house. They wounded one of the Chickasaws of the name of Morris, who died in a few hours. The Cherokee was supposed to be the object, but he escaped. Morris was hon- ored with a pompous funeral, by way of soothing the anguish of the Chickasaws.
The people had so long suffered the unceasing cruelties of the Indians that they were now almost ready to throw off the re- straints which government imposed upon them, and at all haz-
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ards to provide for their own security. The supineness of the government was universally clamored against, and the confi- dence of the people in its measures was visibly abating. It was bitterly complained of that six hundred Creeks should be on their march to attack the people of the Cumberland, and that no force should be ordered to oppose them; that the citizens should suffer innumerable injuries from the savages, and that no plan should be formed for their relief. Gen. Sevier informed the Governor, though he was sorry to do so, that the warm friends of the then present government were getting tired of it; that clamors against it were loud in all parts of the district; that the dissatisfaction of the people was extreme; and that those who by arguments attempted to defend the measures of the gov- ernment were treated with rudeness. As soon as it was known that Gillam and his son were killed, Capt. Beard was ordered to pursue with fifty mounted infantry, and to scour the Cumber- land Mountains. The people were now in the daily habit of saying that their rulers were not to be relied on for protection, and that their sufferings were not to end but in their death or removal from the country.
On Saturday, the 1st of June, 1793, a party of ten Indians at- tacked Holmack's Station, on Bull Run, near where Thomas and James Gillam were killed; but relief was given by a party of Capt. Beard's mounted infantry.
On the 6th of June a party of Indians came to the plantation of Mr. Woods, and stole six horses. Capt. Cox raised a party of men, and pursued them.
A few days after Gov. Blount's departure for Philadelphia, which was on the 7th of June, 1793, Capt. Beard's men, whom he collected to follow the Indians who killed Gillam and his son, to the number of fifty-six, came with him, on the morning of the 12th of June, about the break of day, and made an attack on "The Hanging Maw's " family and other Indians who were in- vited there by the orders of government. Maj. King and Dan- iel Carmichael, frequently employed in the service of the United States to transact business with the Indians, were there. Beard's party killed Scantee, Fool Charly (one of the chiefs of High- tower), Betty (the daughter of Kittakiska), and several others, among them a white man named William Rosberry. "The Hanging Maw" and his wife were both wounded; and Betty,
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the daughter of Nancy Ward. King and Carmichael escaped, with the risk of their lives, through the fire of these infuriated white men. At the particular entreaty of King and Carmichael, they spared the rest of "The Hanging Maw's " family, and ab- stained from burning his house. Gov. Blount had ordered Beard not to cross the Tennessee, and to confine his pursuit to that party of Indians who had lately killed Gillam and his son, or to a horse stealing party in the same neighborhood. A court- martial was called to try Beard for his malconduct and breach of orders; but, as might easily have been foreseen from the state of public feeling and sentiment, he was without difficulty acquitted of the charges brought against him. Secretary Smith desired the Indians not to take satisfaction, but to wait for the redress which the President would offer. From that moment he deemed a general war of the whole Cherokee Nation inevita- ble, and on the 12th of June he gave orders to Gen. Sevier to hold one-third of his men in readiness.
On the 5th of June, Gov. Blount, before his departure for Philadelphia, gave orders to hold a part of the militia in readi- ness. This order was now, on the 12th of June, repeated and pressed by the Secretary, who acted as Governor during his ab- sence. Orders were immediately issued to the colonels of coun- ties to hold one-third of their troops in readiness to march; drafts were made; the men who were to perform the service were designated, as also were the officers to command them; and all were pressed to march at a moment's warning.
On the 17th of June the troops were ordered to march to Knoxville with a third part of the militia, a powerful invasion of Creeks and Cherokees being expected at that place.
On the 13th of June the Indians stole horses on the Little River. Their trail led to the Chilhowee. They stole two more from the same place, leaving a neat bow and arrow a quarter of a mile from the station. Some of the white men pursued until they could see the town of Chilhowee from the point of a mount- ain on the north side of the Tennessee, which they could not cross, as it was contrary to the orders of government, but they lay and viewed it.
Eight men who went from Powell's Valley prior to the 15th of June, on the scout of Indians beyond the Cumberland Mount- ain, discovered a large camp of them, around which they lay all
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night. The Indians had discovered the appearance of the white men unknown to the latter, and on the morning an action ensued. The white men, being too weak, were obliged to retreat, having two men killed and a third wounded. They knew not the dam- age of the Indians.
In June many Creeks repassed the Tennessee at the lower Cherokee fowns, on their way home from Kentucky and Cum- berland, with many scalps and valuable horses.
On the 19th of June a large party of Indians came to Doher- ty's Mill, in Weir's Cove, on the Little Pigeon, cut down a quar- ter of an acre of corn, killed one horse, stole ten others, and broke to pieces such parts of the mill as they could easily break. Lieut. Henderson began to pursue them on the 21st. The re- peated acts of hostility committed on the frontiers had driven the people almost to madness, and they seemed about this time as if they had lost all command of themselves and all respect for the government. Henderson overtook the Indians he was in pursuit of from Weir's Cove, and gave them a well-directed and unexpected fire, and killed two and wounded others. The In- dians ran off a little distance, leaving the horses tied, but on see- ing there were so few of the whites, made a stand. The whites cut loose the horses and rode off with them, all except one, which was shot down by the enemy. Nine of the white men were wounded.
About the same time Samuel Weir raised a party of volun- teers. Lieut. Henderson joined them, and thoughtlessly suffered Mr. Weir to take the command of the party, about sixty in num- ber. They pursued the main body of the Indians to the town of Talassee, on the north bank of the Tennessee, where they killed fifteen men and one woman, and brought in four women prisoners.
On the 19th and 21st of June the Indians stole horses from Gamble's Station, Craig's Station, and Bird's Station.
On the 29th of June a small party of Indians came to one Loyd's house, more than sixty miles above Knoxville and about eleven miles from Greene Court-house, on the south side of the Nolichucky River. They killed his wife and two children, wounded a third badly, and plundered the house of every thing valuable. Col. MeNabb immediately pursued them with ninety men, and followed their trail to a small Indian village, sup-
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posed to be on the Tuckasejah River. They killed two Indians -- one a woman; fell out among themselves, and returned home.
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On the 30th of June, after sunset, as four of Lieut. Tedford's party of horse were returning from reconnoitering the woods in search of Indians, they were fired upon near Well's Station by a party of ten Indians. They wounded John McAllister with a ball through the flesh of the back, and James Gillespy through the foot. The wounds were not dangerous. They also shot down Gillespy's horse, which died in a few moments; and they made their escape under cover of the night.
On Monday, the Ist of July, the Indians burned two houses on the plantation of Mr. Hogan, on Baker's Creek, twenty- four miles from Knoxville, in which all his household furni- ture and a quantity of flax were consumed. On the same night they destroyed a quantity of corn belonging to a Mr. Logan.
On the 2d of July the Indians fired upon a man on Pistol Creek, and burned the house of a Mr. Hogan, on Nine Mile Creek, with his crop of flax and part of his crop of corn.
Shortly afterward they stole seven horses from Bird's Station, twelve miles below Knoxville, and the clothes of four families which were in the wash.
On the night of the 2d of July, at Kelly's Station, eleven miles from Knoxville, the Indians cut up a plow belonging to Mr. Conner, and carried off the irons.
On Wednesday, the 3d of July, Ensign Joel Wallace was fired upon by six Indians, at the head of Pistol Creek, fifteen miles from Knoxville. One ball struck a large knife that was fastened to the belt of his shot-bag, and shattered the handle to pieces, some of which cut his breast. He escaped without receiving any further injury.
On Tuesday, the 9th of July, three horses were stolen from Capt. Manifee's station, eight miles from Knoxville, by the In- dians.
On the 12th of July, hearing of a large body of men in the upper counties, who were making ready to rendezvous at Knox- ville on the 1st of August, for the purpose of going against the lower towns of the Cherokees, the Secretary apprised the general of this information, whom he advised to consider these men as making ready under the general's orders, founded on those of
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the Governor of the 12th of June; and at the same time address- ing himself to these volunteers, if that be a proper name for them, he applauded the alacrity with which they had got ready to march against the hostile Indians; and, as it was probable that in the course of three weeks they would be called upon to meet together at Knoxville, he hoped their ardor would not cool nor that spirit abate which is so necessary to enable them to render protection to the country whenever the government shall require them.
On the 16th of July a large party of men had agreed to as- semble at Campbell's Station, fifteen miles below Knoxville, for the purpose of going thence into the Cherokee Nation and do- ing them all the harm they could. The Secretary went thither, and found that they were assembled at Blackburn's, in the neighborhood; and he persuaded such of them as he saw, with great earnestness, not to proceed, but could make no impression on them. He wrote orders to Beard to desist, but equally in vain. On the 17th of July they moved off for South-west Point, consisting of one hundred and thirty or one hundred and forty men. Another party had determined to set off on the 1st of August, and no orders of government could restrain them. They had long demanded and threatened, and were now actually pro- ceeding to take the defense of themselves into their own hands. Gen. Sevier desired to head a party of one hundred or a hun- dred and fifty mounted infantry. to explore the country on the north side of the Tennessee as low down as the lower Cherokee towns. The Secretary agreed to that proposition, and the men were called into service. Beard's party returned on the 17th of July, having killed eight or ten Indians. The Indians fired on them from some strong houses on the Hiwassee, killed one man, and wounded another; the rest came off in confusion. Beard, with his company, was soon afterward sent to the defense of Mero District. The company consisted of one hundred and forty men, and were ordered to scour the woods to the south for fifty miles from the Cumberland settlements. Col. Doherty was positively ordered to desist from marching against the Indians. He did not obey the orders, but marched into the Indian conn- try with one hundred and eighty or one hundred and ninety men. He returned on the 13th of August. They killed ten In- dian men, nine of whom they scalped; two squaws, who were
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