Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-09-25


IN procession to a neighboring inn,
where they supped "harmoniously,"
and then returned to their work. |
They no doubt felt that it was good
for them to be together and that Ma
sonry was a good thing. The lodge
now numbers about fifty members and
has long since discontinued this good
old-fashioned custom. The present
master is Smith L. Mooney and the
secretary is w. II. w atterson, a rela-
tive of the journalist OF that name
and a prominent lawyer o T the place.
To him the writer is indebted for the
opportunity of looking through the
records of the lodge.
The solid red brick courthouse at
Rogersyille is comparatively a new
building, having been built about the
year 1886. 1t is almost as good as
new, and is likely to answer the uses
of the public for generations to come.
During the late war nearly all the
records Of the County Court clerks
Office we're lost or wantonly destroyed.
In the registers Office, however, may
be found records dating back as far as
l775. Many of these are of great in
terest, and throw much light upon the
early history of this part of what was
in early times a wilderness under the
nominal and legal jurisdiction of
North Carolina. Some of the books
are musty and broken with age, yet all
are quite legible and in good condi-
ton. The paper was unruled, but
thick and firm almost as parchment,
and the old fashioned hand writing of
the early scribe is usually clear and
easy to read, Several of these books
contain nothing but land grants from
the State of North Carolina to early
settlers, who were entitled to warrants
for services in the Continental line.
Privates usually received $40 acres
each. There were numerous privates
in those days and but few officers.
Captain John Craddock received 1910
acres of land on the north side of
Bledsoe's lick (Nashille) for his sig
nal bravery, perseverance and zeal in
said line" A sergeant received 1000
acres in the county of Tennessee.
Lieutenant Beniah Turner received
256O acres in the Middle District y
and the only chaplain to be found,
Adam Boyd, received, in 1786, a splen-
did domain of 1900 acres of the best
Middle Tennessee land for his services.
Men were we'll paid in those days for
engaging in skirmishes with the Brit.
ish and the Indians. They only had
taste of war, yet succeeded in max
ing their descendants for some gene
rations think they were the greatest
heroes and warriors that ever spoke
the English language.
Beginning at page 147 of one of those
old books is record of remarkable
transaction, scarcely mentioned in any
of the histories of North Carolina or
Tennessee 1t is nothing less than a
verbose and wordy deed to an immense
tract of land, made in ITS by Chero-
kee chieftains to a company of white
men. The document sets forth, in
stately phraseology, that the Cherokee
aborigines have been the owners of
the land from the mouth of the Ten
nessee river up the Ohio to the mouth
OF the great Kanawha river from the
beginning of time. The land sold
seems to have included all of what is
now known as East Tennessee, if not
more. The consideration was 10000,
lawful money of Great Britain, or
about 10000, payment of which was
duly acknowledged. AS the Indians
could not read or write, and had no
attorneys present, it was just as easy
to insert ten thousand pounds as ten
pounds. Our patriot ancestors were
shrewd enough in making a bargain,
and in presenting their side of ques-
tion to the world. | have no idea that
the Indians received anything more in
this transaction than a few blankets,
beads, guns, and kegs of mean whisky
or rum. The purchasers of the land
were Richard Henderson, Thomas
Hart, Nathaniel Hart, John Williams,
John Luttrel, William Johnstone,
james Hogg, David Hart and Leonard
Hendley Bullock, all of the province
of North Carolina. The head chief
and first representative of the Chero-
kee nation or tribe of Indians, was
0.o-o-n-i-s-t-o-t-o. The others were
A-l-l.a-c-u. t-u-i-l-l-a-h and G-e-w-a-
nook, otherwise C-o-r-o-r-o-h, APP
pointed by the warriors and other head
men to convey for the whole nation.
These chiefs all made their mark with
ability, and doubtless went off like
Peun's Indians-as we have seen them
in picture books and standard school
histories highly delighted. The
transaction failed to hold, and the
L a- Il "