Hunters and Traders, Dr. Walker and
Party
From the expulsion of the Shawnees to
the coming of the white settlers in 1779 the region now embraced
in Middle Tennessee was indeed a hunter's paradise. Through its
valleys and over its hills roamed countless herds of buffalo,
deer, and elk. Within its forests and canebrakes bears, wolves,
panthers, bob-cats, foxes, and other wild animals in great
numbers found a home. Besides the food necessary for each they
must also have salt. The provision made by nature for this
essential was the saline water of the sulphur springs with which
the country yet abounds. In times of overflow these springs left
on the surrounding ground a slight deposit of salt, and over
this the beasts would tramp and lick until often long trenches
or furrows were made, sometimes over several acres. Thus were
formed the "licks" which played so important a part in
determining the location of early forts. Sulphur springs and the
accompanying "licks" were especially numerous in Sumner and
Davidson Counties. To this fact, together with the close
proximity of these counties to the Cumberland River is largely
due their selection as a location by the pioneers. The big
sulphur spring in the bottom now within the corporate limits of
Nashville, no doubt determined the location of that city.
To the licks in the region now embraced in Sumner and Davidson
came at regular intervals the animals from over a large
territory, and these in their journeys to and fro formed beaten
paths or trails, all centering in this locality like the spokes
of a wheel. As with the ancients all roads led to Rome, so with
the conquerors of this boundless and uninhabited wilderness, all
traces led to central licks which spots were destined to become
the scene of earliest activity. Hunters, both Indian and white,
roaming at will through the forests came upon these narrow
paths, and turning about threaded them to the end. Here these
mighty Nimrods fell upon and mercilessly slaughtered the game,
large and small, which was usually found assembled in great
abundance. After feeding upon the flesh of the slain animals,
they carried away the hides or pelts from which they made
clothing for themselves and their families, and in the case of
the Indian hunter, covering for their tents, or "tepees." Such
as were not thus applied to personal use were sold for trade in
the colonies east of the mountains or for export to the
countries of Europe.
In the course of time as a result of the natural evolution and
growth of traffic, foreign made clothing, blankets, boots and
shoes, wares and trinkets were brought by enterprising traders
to such localities and there exchanged for pelts. The Indian
hunter, who, in such transactions, was sure of the worst of the
bargain, readily exchanged the most valuable buffalo robe for a
string of glass beads or a daub of red paint with which to
be-streak his visage when he went forth to war.
The French were the earliest tradesmen in Middle Tennessee. The
first of these to appear was a young man, Charles Charleville by
name, who, in 1714, built his post on a mound near the present
site of Nashville. This mound has been mentioned already in
connection with a sketch of the Mound Builders. Here, besides
the hunting and trapping done by himself and his companions, an
extensive trade was carried on with the savage hunters from all
the tribes frequenting the hunting ground. However,
Charleville's station did not long remain, and in 1740 Middle
Tennessee was again without a single white resident. The
establishment of this and subsequent posts by men of the same
nationality gave to the locality around Nashville the name,
French Lick by which it was known to early historians. Some of
the old logs from the walls of the Charleville storehouse were
found on the mound by the settlers who came to Nashville
sixty-five years later.
From the departure of Charleville and his band to the year 1748,
no white adventurer came to disturb the peaceful serenity of the
hunting ground, but in the latter part of that year Dr. Thomas
Walker led a party of hunters across the mountains from
Virginia. Walker was an explorer and surveyor of renown, and is
described as a man of mark among the pioneers. With his company
came Colonels Wood, Patton and Buchanan, and Captain Charles
Campbell. After giving the name Cumberland to the lofty range of
mountains crossed, they pursued their journey by way of
Cumberland Gap through the counties of Campbell, Scott,
Fentress, Overton and Jackson. Finding a beautiful mountain
stream flowing across their course they called it Cumberland
River in honor of the Duke of Cumberland, who was then Prime
Minister of England. The latter had taken his title from the
county of Cumberland, a picturesque region of lakes and
mountains in the northern portion of his native land. Previous
to this time Cumberland River had been called Warioto by the
Indians and Shauvanon by the French traders. It is probable that
Walker's party hunted along the river as far as French Lick, and
from thence returned to Virginia through Kentucky.
Timothy
Demonbreun
Late in the autumn of 1760 a strange
craft appeared on the Cumberland just below French Lick. With a
single sail fluttering from a low mast it was creeping up with
noiseless motion along the western bank of the river. On deck
stood a tall, athletic man with broad shoulders, long arms, and
an eagle eye. Over his face was an expression of daring and
adventure. He was clothed in a blue cotton hunting shirt with
red waistcoat, and leggins of deer skin, and on his head he wore
a fox-skin cap with the tail hanging down his back. With him
were several companions. The craft proved to be a French trading
boat heavily ladened with wares and merchandise, and the
strangely attired individual in command was Timothy DeMonbreun,
a French soldier who had come to establish a post in the
Wilderness, as the Cumberland country was then called.
The Indian hunters loitering on the bluff where Nashville's
countless mills and factories now stand had never before seen a
vessel like this, and supposing it to be a ''war boat from the
Great Spirit's lake" prostrated themselves in an attitude of
humble worship.
Slowly the party moved up the river, and on coming to a small
tributary now known as Lick branch, they decided to enter and
trace it to its source. A little way up they found a spring and
around it the tracks of much buffalo, bear and deer. At this
spring they landed, cooked their evening meal, and retired for
the night, sleeping on their arms lest they might be attacked by
the natives. However, they were undisturbed, and in the morning
after having stretched a line between two trees, they hung out
bright red blankets, strings of heads, shining trinkets and
other articles with which to attract the Indians. They were
careful to show by their actions that the mission on which they
had come was one of peace, and made such signs as they were able
indicating a desire to trade their wares for pelts and furs,
such as the savages possessed.
DeMonbreun had come to Canada with the army of his native land
during the war between England and France. He fought bravely at
the battle of Quebec, which took place on the Plains of Abraham
in 1759, and upon the restoration of peace concluded to make
America his home. In the spring of 1760 he journeyed from Quebec
to Kaskaskia, Illinois, and thence to the French Lick. His trade
with the Indians proved profitable, and here, except at brief
intervals, he spent the remainder of his life. For some years he
lived during the winter months in a cave above Nashville on the
bank of the Cumberland between the mouth of Stone's River and
Mill Creek. After the first season his family came to live with
him in the cave, and here was born his son, William DeMonbreun,
long an honored citizen of Williamson County, where some years
ago he died, leaving a large family and a fine estate. William
DeMonbreun was probably the first white child born in Middle
Tennessee.
In the summer of each year DeMonbreun, the elder, would return
to Kaskaskia, taking with him a cargo of buffalo hides and furs
which had been laid by in store during the winter and spring.
Later he would come back to his station with a new supply of
goods for the trade of the following season.
At the beginning of the Nashville settlement he built two cabins
of cedar logs; one near the northeast corner of the Public
Square, and the other at the juncture of Broad and College
Streets. The first was used as a storehouse and the other as a
dwelling for himself and family. Later he erected a farmhouse on
Broad Street near High, and in this he died in 1826, at the
advanced age of ninety-six years. It was in honor of this brave
and venerable pioneer that the city of Nashville gave the name
''DeMonbreun" to one of its principal streets.
Early History of Middle Tennessee
Early History of Middle Tennessee, BY
Edward Albright, Copyright, 1908, Brandon Printing Company,
Nashville, Tennessee, 1909
|
