Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-09-25
HAYWOOD'S
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. |

men up Cne river, on the pain, Win
orders from Col Robertson to take an
Indian alive; Capt. Rains went on the
path towards the mouth of Blue Water
Creek; about sunset Col Robertson re-
called him; in the whole day they
heard no cocks Growing nor dogs bark
ing. The whole body of troops was
called together on the north side of the
river to cross over at night; they went
to the low lands ON the bank of the
river; the seven men who had watched
in the cane in the day, now swan over
the river, and went to the cabins, and
no living beings was there; they united
the canoe and came over to the north
side; forty men with fire arms, were
put into the canoe; the hole which
they had stopped with their shirts, now
opened, and the canoe began to sink /;
the swimmers carried her to the north
bank. In these operations some noise
had been made, and the troops were
obliged to remain on the north side till
daylight; they got piece of bark of
the lynn tree, and covered the hole in
the canoe, and screwed in nails upon
it; they sent forty or fifty men in the
canoe. to take possession of the bank
on the other side, they did SO. The re-
malnder of the troops went over swim
ming their horses; having crossed the
river, they hung up their clothes to
dry; rain came up and forced them
into the cabins: after some time the
clouds cleared away, and they saw a
plain path leading from the river out
to the barrens in a western direction
they took this path and followed it
biiskly, and at the distance of five and
u half miles they came to corn fields:
thence going mile or two further,
they came to large creek called the
Coldwater, towards which the lands
had descended two or three hundred
yards; they passed it instantly, by a
path wide enough for horse to 90 up
the bank; on the other side. to which
they had then passed, were a number
of cabins and low grounds, which de.
scended to the river about three hun
dred yards below. The people of the
town ran down to the boats in the
river, and were pursued by such of the
troops as had crossed. Captain Rains,
with Benjamin Caslleman, William
Loggins, William Steele and Martin
Duncan, went down the creek on the
right side to the river. The retreating
Indians as they ran down on the other
side, and had their attention drawn to
those who pursued them on the same
side, crossed over, and came to the spot
where Capt. Rains and his men we're,
who fired upon them as they looked
back, without perceiving the snare
into which they had fallen; three of
them dropped down dead. The troops
killed three French traders and a
white woman, who had got into boat
and would not surrender, but mixed
with the Indians, and seemed deter
mined to partake of their fate, what
ever it might be. They wounded and
took the principal trader and owner of
the goods, and five or six other French
men, who lived there as traders, and
had in the stores of taffia, sugar, coffee,
cloths, blankets, Indian wares of all
sorts, boxes full of salt, shot, Indian
paints, knives, powder, tomahawks,
tobacco and other articles suitable to
Indian commerce. The troops killed
many of the Indians who had got into
the boats, and gave them 80 hot and
deadly fire from the bank of the
river, that they were forced to jump
into the water, and were fired upon
whilst in it, until, as they afterwards
learnt from the Chickasaws, twenty
six of the Greeks were killed in the
river. The troops burnt up all the
cabins in the town, killed all the fowls
and hogs which they found in a pen.
But before this, they collected all the
boats to one place from the river into
the creek opposite the town, where a
party was placed over them. The creek
there was twenty or more yards wide
and as deep as thu saddle skirts of a
rider crossing on horseback. Mex
. morning they gave horse to each Of
the Indian guides, giving them the
second choice; also, as many blanket'
= and other cloaths as they could pack
and gun apiece, and dispatched then
to their homes. The name of one Of
their Chickasaws was Toka. The troops
}, lay near the town all night, on the sid,
e of the creek opposite to it, and mex
/. day, after burying the white men anC
- woman, they laded three or four boat
with the prisoners, containing five o.
six Frenchmen and child; and will
the goods taken in the town, and put
!. ing on board the boats to navigat,
them, Jonathan Denton, Benjamin
Drake, John Eskridge and Moses Esk
ridge, they were sent down the river
!, whilst the troops marched down b.
land looking for some convenient plac,
to cross over to the north side, whithe
the boats were to come and assist then
in crossing. At the same time that tn
boats started down the river. the troop
began their march by land. But no
being acquainted with the winding o
the river, the course they took carrie,
them further from it than they intend
ed, into the piny woods, where the