The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-06-21
SAYIORS OF THE NATION
East Tennesseans Have Four
Times Saved Our Country.
Address Delivered at New Market on
May 30, Decoration Day, by Chan
cellor Henry 3 Gibson.

Ses~s .SS-S - NASeSAs
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN-You have all
no doubt, noticed how often great re-
suits grow out OF small circumstances.
In the worlds history many Of the most
momentous consequences affecting the
welfare Of nations and ages, have flowed
from events of no great Importance.
The destinies OF individuals and states
turn on small pivots. The balances of
fortune are changed by facts in them.
selves OF light weight The affairs OF
the world are hinged on trivial occur
ences.
"A pebble In the stresmlet scant,
Hath changed the course OF many river;
And dew drops on the baby plant,
Have bent the giant OAK forever"
propose to show this.afternoon that
the men of East Tennessee have four
times saved the. life Of our country;
that from these mountains have gone
forth the heroes who four times caused
the scales of destiny to turn in our
country's favor, and that had it not
been for East Tennesseans this great
nation Of ours would not now be in ex-
ietence.
And, in this connection, and before
proceed further, it may be we'll to coD-
slider who were the men who first set
tied this mountain land. As rule l
do not care much who mans fore
fathers are value man at his own
worth, and ] care not whether his
father WAS prince or q peasant. But
when we can trace our ancestry back
10 heroes and patriots, glory in the
iaet, for to know that our forefathers
were heroes and patriots, helps to make
heroes and patriots Of u.s.
THE HEROES OF ALANANcE.
American independence was born in
North Carolina, and the first battle in
the struggle between the Americans
and the British was fought on the soil
Of. North Carolina. The world has
heard OF Bunker Hill, and of Concord
and Lexington; but how few have ever
heard OF the battle Of the Alamance ?
and yet the battle Of the Alamance was
fought four years before the battle Of
Bunker Hill. On the 10Th of May, It'll,
the liberty loving patriots of North Car
elina, two thousand strong, faced the
British army on the banks Of the AL
amance river, and fought as long
as they had powder and ball to
fight with. Retreating from the battle
field, they hastily placed their wives
and children on horseback, bundled up
their little property, crossed the noun
tains OF North Carolina and settled in
East Tennessee on the Watauga river
and became our ancestors.
THE INDIAN WAR OF IVA.
The connections incident to the as
pirations OF our people for national lib
erty were considered by the Indians as
presenting favorable opportunity to
begin general war upon all the settle
ments west of the Allegheny noun
tains and in liza a gram confederation
of Indian tribes was formed to strike q
crushing blow upon the frontier settle
ments. The gigantic Cornstalk, the ia
nous Logan, and the crafty Red Eagle
were the great chiefs in command of the
Indian armies, and the most dreadful
Indian war ever waged seemed about to
break upon our western settlers. Al
that time, remember, East Tennessee
was the extreme west, there being nc
white people as far west as Knoxville
In this EN- Urgency the Americana
rushed to arms. The news of the Indian
uprising few from colony to colony, from
settlement to settlement Dunsmore
the British governor of Virginia, was
put in command of all the troops, En-
Rlish and American. The English
soldiers were concentrated where
Wheeling now is, and the American
forces were ordered to concentrate al
Point Pleasant, the junction of the
Kanawha and Ohio rivers. In the
American army there was company
Of RAst Tennesseans, commanded by
Evan Shelby ss captain, Isaac Shelby
lieutenant and James Robertson ant
Valentine Sewer as sergeants.
Il was before day on October 10, l774
when Robertson and Bevier, who wert
both famous hunters, crept softly ou
Of the camp in hopes Of killing turkey
era deer They had penetrated thu
forest about one mile, when they wer,
Startled by hearing the sound o
The cracking Of the under
brush, and noise like tn,
treading of many feet. They halted il
ahaEement; and, in few minutes tn,
line OF q mighty Indian army loomet
into sight through the dim light of tn
early dawn. The voices of Cornstalk
Logan. Red Eagle and other Indial
chiefs could be plainly heard guidinl
and instructing their men.
BATTLE OF POINT PLEASANT.
Robertson and Sewer at once fire,
their rifles into the ranks OF the Indian
and few to their camps shouting, SIN
diansi Indians! Indians!" At this tel
rible cry the sleeping soldiers swok
and rushed to arms. In moment tn
Indians broke upon their lines. A tel
rible battle began. 1t tasted from day
light until noon, and was not We
ended. Nearly all the commissions
officers had been killed or wounded an
the non commissioned officers and pr
Yates were falling fast on every side. TIL
Indians seemed certain of victory. Thei
war.whoops Numbered through the fol
Get. The gigantic form of Cornstal
could be seen here and there, exhoi
ing, encouraging and commanding. Re
Eagle was flying to and fro among hi
men, telling them what to do. Logan
mighty voice rung through the unde
brush from river to river. Noon ha
long passed, and the shadows of ever
ing were approaching. The America
army hemmed in between two river
stationed on narrow point of Ian,
the Indian army reaching from riv,
bank to river bank, nearly all the Anne