Events of 1789 Col. John Sevier Elected
To Congress
By the settlers the year 1789 was
regarded as one of comparative peace. Colonel Putnam, in his
historical account of this period, boasts of the fact that
during the year only thirty persons were killed a few scalped
and wounded and one-half of the horses stolen. It is estimated
that from the establishment of the settlement up to this time
about one thousand horses had been captured and carried away.
General Robertson and his brother Elijah had lost ninety-three,
and their immediate neighbors seventy-five. North Carolina was
now divided into four Congressional districts. Three of these
were within the original boundaries of that State, while the
fourth was known as the Washington District, and comprised the
whole of the territory now included in Tennessee. In March an
election was held in the Washington District for the purpose of
choosing a representative to Congress. Col. John Sevier, of
Watauga, was the only candidate, and by unanimous vote became
the first in Tennessee to hold that office.
On January 20 the Indians killed Captain Hunter and wounded Hugh
F. Bell in front of Johnson's Station, near Nashville. A party
of whites overtook them after an hour's ride, whereupon the
savages turned upon their pursuers, shot Major Kirkpatrick and
wounded John Foster and William Brown.
Hugh Webb and Henry Ramsey, the latter one of Colonel
Robertson's trusted scouts, were returning from Kentucky, where
they had gone for a supply of ammunition and salt. While
following the trail between Morgan's Station and Greenfield, in
Sumner County, they were waylaid and shot through and through.
In February John Helin was at work a short distance from
Johnathan Robertson's station, six miles below Nashville. A band
of horse thieves came by, shot Helin, stole a drove of horses
from a neighboring field and hurried off south toward the Creek
nation. A party known as Captain Murry's company gave chase. In
this company among others were Thomas Cox, Robert Evans, Jacob
Castleman, Luke Anderson and William Pillow. It will be
remembered that Castleman, Anderson and Pillow were with Captain
Shannon on the expedition to the Tennessee River during which
the chief Big Foot was killed. They crossed Duck River, in Maury
County, five miles below Columbia. Continuing their pursuit day
and night they overtook the Indians on the bank of the Tennessee
in North Alabama. The savages, thinking themselves beyond
danger, were taken unawares, having been betrayed by the smoke
from their camp fires.
Gov. John Sevier
While yet undiscovered, Captain Murry
and his men were able to completely surround them, leaving the
river as their only avenue of escape. The scouts stationed on
the hillside above opened fire, killing one of their number,
whereupon, finding their flight hedged about on every side, some
of them jumped into the river. The latter were shot by some of
the troops, who, suspecting this movement, had taken position
within range. Several of the savages made an effort to conceal
themselves along the bank, but were found out and killed. The
entire band, consisting of eleven warriors, was destroyed. There
were with them several squaws, who were taken prisoners but
later released.
During the month of June Colonel Robertson, with a squad of
hands, was at work in a field half a mile from his house. A
watchman had been stationed in the edge of the woods to keep a
lookout for the enemy. About 11 o'clock in the forenoon he heard
suspicious noises in a thicket nearby and gave the alarm.
Colonel Robertson started toward the fence, but before reaching
it was shot through the foot. Other shots were fired, but none
took effect.
An order was issued for immediate pursuit of the foe. Realizing
that because of his wound he was unable to lead the chase,
Colonel Robertson is said to have exclaimed, ''Oh, if I only had
Old Captain Rains and Billie here!" meaning Capt. John Rains and
Colonel Robertson's brother, William Robertson, both of whom
were temporarily absent from the settlement.
The sixty men who volunteered to go were placed under command of
Lieut. Col. Elijah Robertson. Andrew Jackson, then a young
lawyer recently emigrated from North Carolina to the Cumberland
settlement, was one of the party. At the last moment Lieutenant
Robertson was detained and command of the expedition fell to the
lot of Sampson Williams. Meeting at the residence of Colonel
Robertson early next morning the march was begun. They followed
the trail of the enemy through McCutcheon's trace up West
Harpeth to the highlands along Duck River. Here they discovered
that they were losing ground and concluded that so large a force
could not overtake the retreating foe. Accordingly Captain
Williams selected twenty of the bravest men among them Andrew
Jackson and with these pushed forward as rapidly as possible. At
length, because of the rugged condition of the country across
which the trace led, the horses were left in charge of two of
the men and the rest proceeded on foot. They followed up the
river all the afternoon and at sundown crossed with the trail
and came down on the other side until the darkness and thick
cane forced them into camp for the night. On the march again by
the coming dawn they were soon surprised to find that they had
halted the night before just over a narrow ridge from where the
Indians were camped. The Indians were about thirty in number.
When the pursuing party came in sight some of them were astir
preparing the morning meal, while others lay stretched upon the
ground asleep. Captain Williams ordered a charge, and though yet
at least fifty or sixty yards away the troops opened fire upon
the camp, killing one and wounding six. The Indians were taken
completely by surprise, and carrying with them the wounded, fled
in all haste across the river without returning a shot. In their
flight they left in camp sixteen guns, nineteen shot pouches and
all their baggage, consisting of blankets, moccasins, bearskins
and camp utensils. The whites did not pursue them further, but
gathering up the booty, returned to their horses and thence back
to Nashville.
The success of this raid was marred to some extent by reason of
the haste of Captain Williams and his men in firing upon the
enemy at long range. A few more moments of quiet approach would
have made the shots doubly effective. But whatever may be said
of the failure of this raid, it at least gave to Andrew Jackson
an inspiration in Indian fighting which served his country to
good purpose at a later period. Ever after this pursuit Jackson
and Captain Williams were fast friends, and in the years of
association which followed spent many leisure hours together
recounting their experiences on the occasion of the events above
mentioned.
Late in the fall Gen. James Winchester was out with a scouting
party on Smith's Fork, in DeKalb County. A fresh trail of the
enemy was discovered and pursuit was made along a buffalo path
down the creek. The Indians discovered that they were being
followed, and accordingly selected their battleground. The path
along which pursuit was being made led through an open forest to
a crossing of the stream. Immediately on the other side of this
stream was a heavy canebrake. Joseph Muckelrath and John
Hickerson, General Winchester's spies, were a little way in
advance of the pursuing party. Just as they crossed the ford and
entered the cane the Indians, who were lying in ambush, fired
upon them, killing Hickerson. Muckelrath escaped injury. General
Winchester and his men, hearing the shots, hurried on to the
rescue of their comrades. In the battle which ensued Frank Heany
was wounded. The Indians, having much the advantage in position,
Winchester thought best to retreat, hoping thereby to draw them
out of the cane. However, his strategy did not succeed, as the
enemy refused to follow. There were in the pursuing party two
Dutchmen by the name of Harpool, both brave soldiers. John, the
elder brother, was a man of unusual intelligence and prudence,
but Martin, the younger of the two, was possessed of a
temperament which may very properly be described as foolhardy.
Just at this stage of the contest the Indians were hidden in the
cane under a second bank of the stream. From this position they
kept up an incessant fire at the Harpools on the banks above,
though the latter were unable to locate them. Finally John told
his brother to go down and drive the "rascals" up while he
killed them. Acting on this suggestion Martin raised a loud
whoop and went bounding down through the cane toward the
savages, making as much noise as a regiment. Terrified by this
demonstration the Indians sought safety in flight, leaving to
the whites a clear field. They afterwards reproached the
settlers for having what they termed a ''fool warrior" on this
expedition. Ever thereafter Martin Harpool was known in the
settlement as the "fool warrior." It was in this skirmish that
Capt. James McCann killed "Moon," the hare-lipped Indian chief
who is believed to have wounded and scalped Charles Morgan near
Bledsoe's Lick two years before.
Gen. Jas. Winchester
In the settlement of Middle Tennessee
Gen. James Winchester, who was a native of Maryland, rendered
most excellent service. A Captain in the Revolutionary army, he
shared for more than five years its struggles and privations. At
the close of the war he came to the Cumberland country and
settled on Bledsoe's Creek, in what is now the First Civil
District of Sumner County. Here in 1801-2 he built on a cliff
overlooking Bledsoe's Creek his fine old residence, Cragfont,
which still stands. It is now the property of Mr. W. H. B.
Satterwhite, a prominent farmer and stock-raiser of Sumner
County. Cragfont was built of native sandstone by skillful
workmen brought for that purpose from Baltimore, it is yet in
good state of preservation.
The military services of General Winchester were invaluable to
the early settlers, directing the scouts and spies and
frequently pursuing the Indians in person, showing himself at
all times a true and prudent officer. He was a member of the
advisory council during the session of the Territorial
Legislature in 1794 and later, a member of the State Senate. In
the war of 1812 between the United States and England he
received a General's commission and was ordered to take command
of one wing of the army of the northwest. At the unfortunate
battle of the River Raisin he was taken prisoner by the British
and carried to Quebec, where he remained in captivity during the
following winter.
At the close of the war of 1812, General Winchester returned to
the quiet walks of private life, and in all his later dealings,
as merchant and farmer, enjoyed the utmost respect and
confidence of his fellow men. He reared a large and worthy
family, one of whom, George W. Winchester, afterwards
represented Sumner County in the State Legislature. He was
father-in-law to the late Col. Alfred R. Wynne, whose daughters,
the Misses Wynne, still reside in the house built by their
father at Castalian Springs in the early part of the last
century.
General Winchester died and was buried at Cragfont in 1826.
There his remains now rest in the family burying-ground.
Early History of Middle Tennessee
Early History of Middle Tennessee, BY
Edward Albright, Copyright, 1908, Brandon Printing Company,
Nashville, Tennessee, 1909
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