Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-10-02


took the boy. The fifth man escaped.
The troop took their horses, seven in
number, their guns, blankets, skins,
and whatever else they had, and re :
turned to Nashville with their scalps,
as an evidence that they were killed.
The mother of the boy was Chicka'
saw, the father was Creek. In behalf
of the woman, the mountain leader, q
distinguished chief of the Chlckasaws,
wrote to Capt. Rains. The Creeks had
made captive the son of Mrs. Maine,
who lived on Whites Greek, on the
north side of Cumberland. Batterboo.
son of the mountain leader, had gone
into the Creek nation, and had stolen
and carried away the son of Mrs.
Maine, and it was proposed by the
chief in his letter to Capt. Rains, to
give her boy in exchange for the In
dian boy. The exchange was agreed
to and made. The Indian boy was
well dressed in the style Of the white
people, and promised to return and see
Capt Rains, which he did year after
wards, when he was poorly clad and
dressed in Indian fashion. In the
month of September, Capt. Rains was
again ordered out by Col. Robertson,
and with the same company as before,
proceeded to Duck River, and crossed
at Green's Lick. This company had
been reinforced at Nashville by Capt
Shannon's company of sixty men. The
whole body proceeded together, and
after crossing at Greene's Lick, went
on by the Pond Spring, crossed Tom
bigbee near the head; thence towards
Elk in various directions, so as to scour
the whole country. The command Of
the whole was in Capt. Rains, Capt.
Shannon having been ordered to ad-
vance in front, had gone over fresh
Indian trace without perceivirg it.
Rains came to it and pursued and soon
came in sight of the Indians. Rains
and one of his men, Beverly Ridley,
pursued one of the Indians and over.
took and killed him. Some of the other
soldiers of Rains company John Rains,
junior, and Robert Evans, outrun and
made prisoner young Indian, OF the
age of nineteen years, and brought
him to Nashville; whence by the
orders of Col. Robertson he was re-
moved for safe keeping to the barrens
of Kentucky and placed in the custody
of brother in law of Capt. Shannon.
He was afterwards removed to the city
of Washington. and at the end of two
years came back to Knoxville, and
thence to Nashville, and was released
from captivity and permitted to 20
whithersover he pleased. He returned
to the Creek nation. In the camp of
these Indians was found large guam
tity of deer skins, fifteen good Indian
horses and other things. The young
Indian man received from the whites
the name of Shannon, the other, who
was exchanged for Maine, was called
John Rains. Divers other companies
were sent out by Col. Robertson In this
year for the same purposes, and were
very alert in discharging the trust
committed to them, and though they
did not overtake and rout many groups
or bands of marauding Indians, nor
destroy many of them, yet in some in
stances they did execution of that sort,
and the intelligence was spread among
the Indians, that the woods through
which they had to travel to Nashville,
were constantly traversed by armed
bodies of men, endeavoring to find
their trails. and to pursue them.
Some of the first raised soldiers OF
Evans battalion, came to Cumberland
with Capt. Hadley, and were placed at
different stations in such proportions
as emergencies required; the most
numerous guards being at the places
most exposed. The soldiers for the
greater part of the ensuing two years,
remained in the country, and made an
addition to the population and security
of the inhabitants. One of these was
Venlentine Sewer, who will be men.
toned in subsequent chapter. But
Notwithstanding all these precaution'
ary measures, such was the eagernes:
of the Indians for blood and plunder
that they frequently found means OF
insinuating themselves into the settle
ment, and killed the inhabitants. In
this year 1887, they killed Samuel
Buchanon, the brother of John Buch
anon; they came upon him In the field
where he was ploughing, and fred upon
him in the field; he ran, and twelve
Indians pursued him in the form of 8
half moon. When he came to the bluff
Of the creek, he jumped down steer
bank into the creek, where they over
took him, and killed and scalped him
Scouts from Bledsoe's Lick to th'
Caney fork and the waters that flowed
into it, also were sent out under th'
orders of Col. Winchester, who actet
by the directions of Col. Robertson
They frequently fell upon Indian trails
and met Indian parties in the woods
with great variety of fortune; some
times disastrous and sometimes sue
cessful. But the result produced, wa
conviction on the minds Of the In
dians, that the frontiers we're 80 vigi
lantly guarded BY brave men, expert
| enced in Indian fighting as to max