Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-02-13
HAYWOOD'S
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE
IcoNTINUED FROM LAST wEEK.l

went tnrougn the Cumberlad Gap, and
hunted for the season on Cum berland
In the fall of 1854 the Blevins connec.
tion made their fall hunt on Rock cas-
tie river, near the Crab Orchard, in
Kentucky, and continued to hunt in
the woods there for several years af.
terw ards. Daniel Boone, who then
lived on the Yadkin, came among the
hunters to be informed of the geogra-
ply and BIOGRAPHY of these woods,
saying he was employed to explore
them by Henderson & Co. Henry
Scaggins Was afterwards employed bv
them to explore the country on the
banks of the Cum berland, and fixed his
station at Mansco's Lick. About the
last of June, 1866, Col. James Smith.
late of Bourbon County, in Kentucky,
set off to explore the great body of rich
lands which by conversing with the
Indians he understood to be between
the Ohio and Cherokee rivers, which
the Indians had then lately ceded by
treaty made with Sir William Johnston
to the king of Great Britain. He went
i'll the first place to Holston river, and
thence travelled westwardly in com.
pany with Joshua Horton, Uriah Stone,
and William Baker, who came from
pear Carlisle, four in all, and mulatto
slave about eighteen years of age, which
Mr.. Horton had with him. They ex
plored the country south of Kentucky,
and no vestige of any white man was
to be found there, more than there now
is, west of the headwaters of the Mis-
souri,. They also explored Cumb berland
and Tennessee rivers, from Stone 8 river
down to the Ohio. Stones river is a
fourth branch of Cumberland, and
empties into it eight or ten miles above
Nashville. These travellers so named
it in their journal, after one of them
selves, Uriah Stone, and ever since that
time it has retained the name. When
they came to the mouth of the Tennes-
see, Col. Smith concluded to return
home, the Others to proceed to the Illi-
nois. They led his horse to the Illinois,
as it was difficult to travel him through
the mountains. They gave to Col.
Smith the greater part of their ammu
milton, which amounted to half pound
of powder, and a proportionate guam
tity of lead. Mr.. Horton also left with
him the mulatto boy, and Smith set off
with him through the wilderness for
Carolina. Near a buffalo path they
made them shelter, but fearing the
Indians might pass that way and dis.
cover his fire place, he moved to a
greater distance from it. After remain.
ing there six weeks, he proceeded on
his journey and arrived in Carolina in
October. He thence travelled to Fort
Chissel, where he left the mulatto boy
at Mr.. Horizons negro quarter. He
thence proceeded to George Adams on
Reed Creek, and returned home to
Conecocheague in the fall of 1867.
Attached to the regimentof Col. Bird,
in the time of the French war, were
Gilbert Christian and William Ander-
son, who were both pleased with the
appearance of the country they had
seen, and wished to explore it more
carefully, after they had returned from
service. They engaged John Sawyer.
now Col. Sawyer, of Knox County, in
East Tennessee, to accompany them,
in their tour through the wilderness.
They, in company with four Others,
making seven in all, in the year 176S,
left the county of Augusta in Virginia,
travelled to the waters of the Holston.
They traversed the country from Hols-
ton to Clinch Mountain and down it. In
the month of February in the year 1869,
they crossed the north fork of Holston
at the same place, where the ford now
is, above the mouth of tie river, and
pursued their usual mode of travelling,
till they came as low as Big Greek now
in Hawkins County, where they found
themselves in the hunting grounds of
large party of Indians. They turned
about and went back up the river ten or
fifteen miles, and concluded to return
home. After they had crossed the north
fork, going home, about twenty miles
above the crossing place, there was a
cabin on every spot, where the range
was good, and where only six weeks be.
fore, nothing was to be seen but the
bowling wilderness. When they passed
by before, on their outward destination,
they found no settlers on the waters of
Holston, save three families on the
head springs of the river. Thus East
Tennessee began to be permanently
settled in the winter of 1869 Ten
families of these settlers came from the
neighborhood of the place where Raj.
eigh now stands, in North Carolina,
and settled on Watauga. This was the
first settlementin East Tennessee. Soon
afterwards it was augmented, by set
tiers from the hollows of North Caro-
lima, and from Virginia. About the
years 176S, 1863, 1770, such was the
reigning fashion of the times as emf
nently promoted the emigration of its
people from North Carolina. The trade
of the country was in the hands of
Scotch merchants, who came in shoals
to get rich, and to get consequence. The
people of the country we're clothed in
the goods thew imported. and to be