Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-10-09
HAYWOOD'S
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE
IcoNTINuED FROM LAST WEEK |

ICoNTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.
The General Assembly which COM
menced its session at Tarboro, on the
18th of November, 1887, upon repre-
sentation from the members from
Davidson and Sumner, authorized the
commanding militia officers of these
counties, to appoint two or more per-
sons to examine, survey and mark out
the best and most convenient way from
the lower end of Clinch Mountain, to
the settlements of Cumberland, and to
order out the militia of these counties
to cut and clear the road so marked.
The regimsnts of these counties were
ordered to be divided into four classes,
and parts of classes, beginning with
the first and 50 on, in rotation, until
the road should be cut. The counties
of Davidson and Sumner were direct
ed to pay tax with which to satisfy
the laborers to be employed in cutting
the road. And no person was per-
mitted to go through Davidson or Sum
ner, to any of the Indian towns, unless
having a pass from some officer duly
authorized under the United States,
the executive of North Carolina, or the
militia field officers of one of the said
counties. This was to prevent the
going of disorderly persons into the In
dian towns, and provoking them by
outrageous conduct to acts of revenge,
and they subjected to severe penalties
those of the Counties of Davidson and
Sumner, who should provoke or plum.
der any friendly Indian, or who should
threaten to kill, or destroy, or beat
any such Indian, or any OF his tribe;
and the militia officers of these coun-
ties, were directed to raise militia
guards. not exceeding fifty men each,
when it should be made known to such
officers that q number of families were
at Cumberland Mountain, waiting for
an escort to conduct them to the Cum
berland settlements, the expense to be
paid by poll tax which the County
Courts were authorized to levy upon
those counties respectively. A road
was soon afterwards cut from Bledsoe's 3
Lick into the Nashville road. leading
to Clinch River, and the last mention
ed road was also cleared. By these
Improvements emigration into the new
settlements were greatly facilitated
and encouraged, especially when being
travelled by a guard, there was little
or no danger from Indian aggressions;
the emigrants and the guard together,
generally maSing up formidable
corps. The Assembly at the same time
passed law tc encourage the making
of salt in Davidson County.
The gates of the new year. 1888, were
unfolded under circumstances less pro-
pitious, than in old times usually ac-
companied the like ceremony at the
temple of Janus. The settlers expert.
enced mixture OF prosperity and dis,
tress, which, however, gave them the
foretaste of a final triumph over the
calamities by which they had been 80
long oppressed. Increase of popula-
tion, with agricultural exertion and
success, had given firm establish
ment to the settlement, and there was
no longer any apprehension that they
would ever be broken up. But they
were still disturbed by the implaoable
enmity of the savages, who would ex.
pose themselves to the most imminent
dangers, rather than not wreak their
vengeance on the Cumberland people,
who every day became more formid-
able and more efficient
la the month of February, 1888, the
Indians came to Bledsoe's Station in
the night time, and shot into it through
the gaps between the logs, and wound
ed George Hamilton, and went off.
Near Asher's Station, on the north
side of Cumberland, they wounded
Jesse Maxey; he fell, and they scalped
him and stuck knife into his body.
Contrary to all expectations he re-
covered.
In this year, on Brakes Creek, they
came to the house of William Mont
gomery, the same person whose son
was wounded in the year 1887, and
killed this son, and two of his brothers
in tho day time, at the spring, one
hundred yards from the house. In the
early part of March, at the plantation
of Col. Robertson, on Richland Creek
a few days after he and Col. Bledsot
wrote to McGillivary, party of Creeks
killed Peyton Robertson his son, at {
sugar camp, took prisoner another lad
John Johnston, led him off, and de
tanned him in captivity several years
In this year they killed Robert Jone
on the land of David Wilson, called
Wilson's Station, in the day time, an,
also Benjamin Williams, near the hea,
of Station Camp Creek. They kille,
also, the widow Nicely, in Neely's bend
below Neely's Lick, and wounde,
Robert Edmonson at the same tim
and place, by breaking his arm. Il
, the month of October in this year, the,
killed two men of the names of Dun
ham and Astill.
Though not without information
which pointed to Spanish policy as tn
chief engine of their suffering from tn
Indians, Coils. Robertson and Bledso
we're yet desirous to discover, rs di