The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-12-17
Some Interesting History OF Early
Times In Tennessee and
North Carolina.

North Carolina.
In the early history of Tennessee the
great character was John Sewer. The
history of this man would furnish ma
terial for dozen novels.
His father, Valentine Sewer. was a
Frenchman-a Huguenot. He went to
London in the early part of the last cen
tury and then came to America and set
tied in Virginia. And there John Sewer
was born. About she tine Daniel Boone
came into Tennessee the Sewer family
moved and was among the first settlers
on the Watauga. In that new country
fighting Indians was the principal busi-
ness. and Valentine Sewer soon came to
be the most skilled of all the Indian fight
ers of his day, not excepting Gen fob
ertson and Col. Shelby. He devoted his
life to building forts and protecting the
settlements.
In the early years of the Revolution
the Indians, stimulated by the British
and by Tories, were exceedingly warlike
and the settlements on Watauga and the
Nola Chucky we're often attacked. Sewer
was the great defender of these settle
ments-always on guard and always on
the alert. He was known through all
the Indian tribes, and feared as no other
man was. In these Indian wars he got
the name Of Nola Chucky Jack, by
which through life he was better known
than by any other.
In 1880, at the darkest day of the
Revolution, when Gen. Ferguson was
carrying everything before him in the
mountains of. North Carolina, Sewer,
raised volunteer command on Chucky
River, and united with like volunteer
commands raised by Col. Shelby and Col.
Campbell, and marched from where Bris-
tol now is to Kings Mountain and at
tackled Furguson, and in one hour killed
and captured his army. This was the
turning point in the Revolution, and
Gen. Washington and Mr.. Jefferson both
gave the credit of turning the tide of
this battle. The three were equal in COM
mand by agreement. Sewer was only %
years old when this battle was fought.
After the battle of Kings Mountain,
the Indians attacked the settlement on
the Nola Chucky, causing the greatest
CONSERVATION, as nearly all the men were
at the front.
Catherine Sheriff., young girl of
about l9, flew from the Indians. Reach
ing the fort in the night, and came scaling
the wall, she found herselfliterally in the
arms of the hero of Kings Mountain.
Finding that she was the sister of Geo.
Sheriff., who had been badly wounded
at Kings Mountain, he took the deepest
interest in the country girl. In short
ten-for he was tnen widower and they
were married in the fort. From this
romantic marriage there came large
family, now spread out over the South
and West. No two people ever lived more
happily than did thi. great warrior and
the girl ne rescued.
At the first lull in fighting Sewer went
to work to make a new State He called
convention at Jouesboro and presided
over it. and organized the State of Frank
land out of a part of North Carolina He
was unanimously elected Governor, but
this involvel him in a great struggle
with North Carolina, and in what was
known as the Sewer and Upton war.
Sewer whipped out the Tiptons and
all the forces that North Carolina sent
against him until, by a maneuver, he
was ar, ested and taken to the capital of
North Carolina and put on trial for
treason, but while the trial was proceed
ing, bis friends from the State of Frank
land reached Raleigh and rushed in the
court house and rescued him and carried
him back home in triumph. Thereupon.
all efforts to arrest him ceased, but the
war between him and the Tiptons con
tinued, sometimes one party having pos
session of the records and sometimes the
other. In this struggle the greater por-
ton of the records of the State of Frank
land was lost.
Sewer at last, by an agreement with
North Carolina gave up the State Of
Frankland-afterwar called Franklin
but with Jackson and others planned the
organization of State of Tennessee, North
Carolina consenting, the Territorial Gov
ernment was formed, and William Blount
appointed Governor.
Wnen the State Government was or
ganized Sewer was promptly elected
Governor, which Office he held for two
terms, making twelve years. 1t was
while he was Governor that he denounced
Gen. Jackson in speech of great bitter
ness at this place. Jackson was at the
time on the bench Of the Supreme Court,
but he promptly challenged Sewer which
was as promptly accepted. The origin
of the trouble between them was an eiec-
ton in which they we're both candidates
for General of the militia.
The fight was delayed for several days
by a disagreement as to where they
should fight. Jackson wanted to cross
the river and fght in the Indian nation.
Sewer wanted 60 over into Virginia.
Virginia was finallv agreed upon. Jack
son went ahead and waited for time for
Seyier, but Sewer not coming, he started
back and met him. Each had his friends
and they fought in the road. One of the
Governor sons was shot but neither OF
the com batants was seriously hurt.
Friendship between Sewer and Jack
son was never restored and up to the
time my father left East Tennessee, in
1880, the Sewer family were by no means
the friends of Gen. Jackson.
After Sewer served the term of six
years, he retired and Roane was elected.
At the end of his term Sewer was again
elected and served six years. He was
then elected to Congress twice without
opposition. II Congress he was quiet
man man but was Chairman of the Com
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