The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-02
TENNESSEE HISTORY.
MR.. ALLIsoN's CRITICISMS OF MR..
PHELAN's TWO BOOKS.
The school History Reviewed and Some
Errors Pointed Out-verbatlm Copy
off Letter Written by John So
vier, Now First Published.

Sundays issue, and also to point out a few
errors in his book. Let me assure you
that out of respect for the public the dis.
c%ussion, in so far as | am concerned, shall
not degenerate into a personal quarrel be-
tween Mr.. Phelan and myself, nor will |
descend into tho conduct as / have said
that characterizes tho bad boy with bad
manners, who, when caught in some little
piece OF meanness, after receiving his
spanking runs of, turns back, ''makes a
mouth at you" and calls you a fool. nor
will l be diverted from just criticism Of
his books in an effort TO be funny and sar-
castle, nor deferred from my purpose by
his 'list OF authorities" any more than
soldiers are in the presence OF an army OF
Cinnamon with their gongs.
In my communication | said that Mr..
Phelan's statement that the Brown settle
ment was composed for the most part Of
Tories, and that the Wautauga people
forced them TO take the oath, ETC., was not
a fact, and was without any authority to
support II.
In his School History he does not men.
lion the Virginians at all as having admin
istered the oath. / said furthermore that
it was only suspected" that there were
Tories in the Brown settlement and that
the oath was administered by the Vir-
ginians and the "Watauga people" had
nothing to do with II.
In answer TO this Mr.. Phelan informs
the public that | have never read or heard
Of Ramsey's History OF Tennessee, and,
without having the courage to say so, en-
deayors to create the impression that Ram
sey is his authority for his statement in
this particular. but is very careful moi to
quote a word from Ramsey on the subject.
1 will do this for him.
In his preface Ramsey SAYS: clay
woods History OF Tennessee Is the au-
thority for many events detailed herein"
And In Ramscy's account OF the early set
Element OF Watauga "a, Nollichucky, Hol-
ston, etc, he cites Haywood thirty-six 1867
times in foot notes.
On page lI5 Ramsc in giving an ac-
count OF the main incident in question,
says: "a test oath was required OF all sus-
pected Of disailcction 10 the American
cause. To avoid the oath and escape the
consequences OF n refusal 10 take IL or to
subscribe the test, many Tories had fled
iron other sections Is the inevitable con.
c%lusion) 10 the extreme frontier. Browns
(scttlement) was the iurthest point and
the most difficult OF access. In this Sc
clusion they hoped TO remain concealed.
And a body OF men. at the in
stance OF John Carter. came from Virginia,
went 20 Browns, called the inhabitants
together and administered TO them an oath
to be faithful TO the common cause"
Now, ask the public TO turn and read
the General History, page -, and the
School History, page %, and then say
whether Mr.. Phclan's statement is true,
when he says, 81 have %intcrpolated not
one fact, not one" Az a matter OF fact,
Ramsey bears me out in saying some OF
these people were simply suspected" Of
disallection, that reading Phelan's history
aud noting the order In which events are
detailed, the use Of language. etc, / sup
posed Haywood was the text, however, 1
am content that Mr.. Phelan shall be tried
by his own standard, Ramsey. Mr.. Pho.
Ian says In hisreply 10 me:
81 have devoted a very large part Of five
laborious years TO making, In some wise,
an exploration Of that impcriectly known
region. / have spared nothing In my ef-
iorlst 10 be accurate and twice subjected my
manuscripts 10 a most rigid and wearying
revision. verifying. cutting down, trying
to achieve symmetry, harmony and truth. "
twill seem strange, indeed, 10 the reader
OF this declaration from 2im, that In all OF
this time IN his search after facts, for five
90 years, his labOrious reyisions OF his
manuscript that he did not discover some
errors which | will now point out.
/. That John Sewer could not hold an
appointment at the date Of his death In
1918 under President Monroe, who was In.
auguritcd the first time In lsi7.
2. That John Upton did not pass into
obscufity after SEWER was elected Cover
nor OF Tennessee. Upton was elected TO
the General Assembly Of tennessee ten
(lO) times alter Tennessee was admitted as
a state, eight times a Representative and
twice a Senator, Speaker Of the House OF
Representatives In 1911 ~, wa president
Of the impcachmcntcourt thatlricd Joshua
Hoskill, Judge Of the Eighth Judicial Cir.
cult IN 1881, and died ON the Slh OF Octo-
Der, 1881, while a Representative In the
General Assembly And on the morning
OF October 9th, being Sunday, both Houses
were convened In session, his remains
brought from the Nashville Inn tothe hall
Of the House, funeral services held there,
and there he was buried from the Capitol.
with both Houses, Governor, state officers.
judiciary, city officials aud citizens attend
Ing and following the remains 10 the com.
ctery. See journals during ,hcperiod COW
cred.
On ragc 20 School History we arc told
for the first time In history that after tho
Legislature OF Franklin met the last umc
In September, l7SD, "Seyicr, In order TO
hide his modification, went on an cxpedi.
ton against tho ChcrOkcos," and not ne
Haywood says for the purpose OF keeping
the Indians In check, who were commit.
ting dcpcradaiions on the frontiers OF
Gmenc County.
On the Same page School History, we
are told that Scyier really escaped from
Morgantown while he was on trial In the
courthouse. This on tho authority OF n
manuscript, given In a foot note In Ram
soy. lie says that SEWER left ut night
after court adjourned, ini company with
his two sons and Corby Evans and the
others.
Sewer was not In Morganton over three
DAYS, two Of these were spent in going 10
visit and returning from a brolher.in.law.
On returning he met his noscurcns and
that night they left There Is no record
Of any indictment NJ M~organion against
SEWER. There Is no record OF any jury
having been ''impanellcd, sworn TO Try,
etc" A little thought and investigation
would have satisfied even Mr.. Phelan's
Imagination that SEWER was never placed
ON trial and escaped as he says.
In the same book ON page % he states
that a State senator must be nj least thirty
ycas OF age. Under the constitution Of