Mansker's Party
In the fall of 1771 Kasper Mansker led
another party of adventurers into the wilds of Tennessee. Among
them were Isaac Bledsoe, John Montgomery, Joseph Drake, James
Knox, Henry Suggs, William Allen, Christopher Stoph, and William
and David Lynch. There was with them also an old hunter named
Russell whose eyesight was so poor that he was obliged to fasten
a piece of white paper on the muzzle of his gun in order that he
might thus direct his sight to the game. Despite this hindrance,
however, he killed a large number of deer.
Arriving at what is now Sumner County, Mansker's party pitched
its station or camp close to a creek near where Dr. Anderson
formerly resided, on the turnpike leading from Gallatin to
Nashville. It was in this way that Station Camp Creek got its
name. This camp was made headquarters for the party, while they
hunted over Sumner, Robertson, Davidson, Wilson, Smith and
Trousdale Counties. The winter was exceedingly cold, and they
built skin houses for protection from the ice and snow. Some one
of the hunters was usually left behind to guard the stores.
However, on one occasion when all were away on the chase, a
party of twenty-five Cherokee Indians made a raid on the camp.
They carried away all the pots, kettles and ammunition they
could find, besides about five hundred deer skins, and a large
amount of clothing. The trail by which they came into camp was
plainly to be seen, but they were careful to leave none on their
retreat. It is supposed that they left the camp singly in
different directions, or waded up stream in Station Camp Creek.
During this memorable hunt many of the licks and streams of this
locality took the name of their discoverers, which names they
have since retained. Among these are Mansker's Lick and
Mansker's Creek, Bledsoe's Lick and Bledsoe's Creek, Drake's
Lick and Drake's Creek, so called in honor of Kasper Mansker the
leader of the party, Isaac Bledsoe and Joseph Drake. At other
periods in the history of early explorations Stoner's Lick and
Stoner's Creek were named in honor of Michael Stoner, a Dutchman
from Pittsburg, previously mentioned. Flinn's Lick and Flinn's
Creek were discovered by George Flinn. Barton's Creek in Wilson
County was so named in honor of Col. Samuel Barton.
Bledsoe's Lick
This year, as in that preceding, the
country was full of all kinds of game, large and small. When
Isaac Bledsoe discovered the lick which bears his name, the
location of which was the present site of Castalian Springs, the
herds of buffalo in the bottoms surrounding the sulphur spring
were so numerous that he was afraid to alight from his horse
lest he might be trampled beneath the hoofs of the restless
beasts.
Mansker discovered two licks near Goodlettsville, they being
distinguished as the Upper and Lower. They were about three
hundred yards apart. On the day this discovery was made Mansker
is said to have killed nineteen deer in passing along the path
from one to the other. At length the ammunition of the party was
exhausted, and having already enjoyed the fruits of a most
successful hunt they took the long trail for their homes east of
the mountains, arriving late in the spring.
In company with other hunters, two of whom were named Bryant,
Mansker came a third time to the Cumberland country in November,
1775. Traveling the well-known route through Cumberland Gap and
passing down through the river counties the party camped at
Mansker's Lick, which had been discovered by the latter in 1771.
Most of them soon returned to Virginia, but Mansker and three
others whose names are unknown to history, remained at the camp
and began hunting and trapping on Sulphur Fork and Red River in
Robertson and Montgomery Counties. Finding that a party of
Blackfish Indians were hunting in the same neighborhood the
whites thought it the part of wisdom to discover their number
and the location of their camp. Mansker was selected as the spy
and proceeding forthwith on his mission, came upon the
rendezvous of the Indians near the bank of Red River. Slipping
nearer and nearer from tree to tree he soon came in full view
and discovered there were only two of them in the camp. These
were seated on the ground by the fire; the rest of the party he
supposed were hunting in the distance. He decided to remain in
hiding and await their return. A few moments later one of the
Indians arose and taking his tomahawk crossed the river to the
opposite shore. The other shouldered a gun and started directly
toward the tree behind which Mansker was standing. That was an
eventful moment in the life of this mighty hunter, but there was
no alternative. Mansker leveled his rifle and shot the Indian
through the body. The latter gave a yell, threw down his gun,
turned, and rushing by the camp pitched headlong down the bluff,
dead, into the river. Mansker and the Indian on the other bank
of the stream then had a race for the camp, but Mansker outran
his adversary, and seizing a gun which had been left on the
ground tried to fire, but it flashed in the pan and the Indian
made his escape. Mansker broke the gun and returned with all
haste to his companions. Next morning they all went back to the
camp, but found that during the night the surviving warrior had
returned, recovered and buried the body of his dead comrade, and
loading his horse with furs and the camp utensils had gone
toward the west. They followed him for a long distance, but
finally gave up the chase. Returning to the camp at Mansker's
Lick the hunters soon there after began their journey to
Virginia. The Indian killed in this affray was probably the
first of his race to be killed by the whites in Middle
Tennessee.
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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