Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-04-10
HAYWOOD'S
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
CONTINUED FROM LAST wEEK.l


guns, some ammunition, salt and tobacco; /;
a loss which hut for the guns, would
not have been sensibly felt; for soon
afterwards they met some French boats,
on their way to the Illinois, who ap-
oeared friendly, gave them some salt,
tobacco, flour and some taffy; the latter
being very acceptable present, as for
long time the wanderers had not
tasted of spirits of any sort. They
gave to the Frenchmen in exchange a
few pounds of fresh meat. Mansco
and his associates proceeded to Fort
Natchez, where finding no sale for the
articles on board their boats, they sailed
to the Spanish Natchez. One of their
boats got loose from its moorngs at
this place and floated down the river.
Mansco and Baker pursued and over
took the boat, at Fort Kaspel, which
they brought buck, and there disposed
of the cargo. Uriah Stone, one of this
company, had come to Cumberland
river in 1907. In that year, he and
Fr' r'nchman were trapping on the river
now called Stone 5 river, and had nearly
loaded their boat with furs. In his ab.
sencr the Frenchmen stole off with the
boat und load. Stone then returned to
the settlement, and came out the sec
ond time with Mansco and his associ
ates. From this man, Stones river
took its name. This boat MAS now
found ut Spanish Natchez. Mansco
and his company remained some days
after disposing of their cargo, and then
separated. Some returned home, others
remained there. Mansco was confined
by sickness from May till November.
He then returned with John Baker, in
a boat as far as Ozink, where he met
with one Fairchild with a drove of
horses intended for Georgia, and they
came on through the Keowee nation to
New River, where Mansco had lived be.
fore his departure. In the fall of the
year III, Mansco came out again in
company with John Montgomery, Isaac
Bledsoe, Joseph Drake, Henry Suggs.
James Knox and others, amongst W hom
was an old man by the name of Russell,
who was so dim sighted, that he was
obliged to tie piece of white paper at
the muzzle of his gun to direct his sight
at the game, and thus killed number
of deer They encamped on Russel's
Creek, so called from the circumstance
of this old man getting lost. He was
missing nineteen days, in very cold
weather; when found by his compan-
ions, he was helpless, and continued 80
three or four days. He was nursed by
his son and recovered, and killed a
number of deer afterw ards. The win
ter was rather severe than otherwise.
The party built skin house, which
circumstance gave name to the place,
which to this day it retains. They
hunted down through this country till
February, at which time their amuni
tion becoming scarce, Mansco, Henry
Knox, and indeed all the company, ex
cept five, whom they left to take care
of the camp, namely, Isaac Bledsoe,
William Linch, William Allen, Chris
topher Stoph and David Linch, returned
to procure ammunition and for other pur-
poses. Llnch was taken sick of the
shingles; Bledsoe came with him into
the settlements; the other three were
discovered and defeated. before the re-
turn of their companions in the ensuing
spring. The winter being very inclem-
ent, they did not return to their camp
till May. The attack upon the three
who were left 10 take care of the camp.
was supposed to have been made by
some of the Northern Indians. They
took Stoph and Allen. Hughes escaped
and met the rest of the company as
they were returning to the camp. The
Indians did not punder the camp.
There was nothing missing but some of
the meat, which it was supposed the
dogs at the camp had eaten. The dogs
still remained at the camp, but were
quite wild, as they had not seen hu-
man being for two or three months.
For Hughes had fallen in with other
hunters, in Powell's Valley, and in
formed the company who met him,
that he had been so long absent from
camp; but in three or four days the
dogs were as we'll tutored as ever.
Thence the party travelled through the
woods to the creek now called Station
Camp Creek, on which they fixed
station; from which circumstance 1t
has ever since invariably preserved the
name of Station Camp Creek. There
thls party remained from May l772, un'
til August, bunting and traversing the
country. in which time they m ade many
important discoveries. Drake dscov.
cred the pond now called Drake g Pond,
a great resort of deer. Isaac Bledsoe
discovered the lick called Bledsoe's
Lick; and Drake discovered the lick
since called brakes Lick. Kasper
Mansco discovered the lick called
Mansco's Lick. All these licks took
their names from those who discovered
them. About this time twenty five of
the Cherokees came to the camp and
plundered it in the absence of the
hunters. Some of the party discovered
the Indians, but before the whole com.
pany could be collected, the Indians