Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-03-04

bie BIedJ inOTJllCdtlOH, on lne SuIn Ol
September, he received letter from
the Hanging Nav, who made him &C.
quainted with what he had heard from
John Boggs, which was, that from the
10Th to the nth of September, the
Creeks were passing the Tennessee at
the Running Water, Nickajack and at
a place called the Creek crossing place,
about thirty miles below Nickajack,
on their way to fall upon the Cumber.
land settlements, and that they were
joined by one to two hundred Chero
KEGS, among whom was John Watts;
that the Creeks had with them a great
quantity of powder and lead, which
they had received from the Spaniards,
that the whole were to rendezvous at
the place where the different paths
came together, on their way to Nash
vile, and to concert their measures of
attack upon the Cumberland settle
ments; that whilst he was at the Look
out Mountain, he was informed that
Richard Fendleston and Frenchman
had passed from Pensacola to Nash.
vile, to obtain information of the
country, and were to return in ten
nights, and to report such as they col.
lect; that he found it to be generally
understood in the lower towns, as well
as the other parts of the nation, that
such of the inhabitants of the five
lower towns as did not want war, had
better leave them; and that such of the
other towns as did wish for war, ought
to move into them, and that some of
both parties were moving, so as to take
the situation which best suited their
wishes for war or peace. Boggs was
half breed well known to many white
people, and by all parties was viewed
as man of veracity.
1t was Immediately perceived by the
Governor, that the narrative of De.
rogue and Fendleston, was, in the
main, true one. The state of public
affairs; its circumstantiality and con.
sistence with the occurrence of events
foretold by it, gained it credit; and in.
deed, ever since, it has not been in gen.
eral doubted, though there are few
circumstance in which are not imme.
diately reconciable with probability.
Upon the receipt of this letter from
the Hanging Nav, the Governor in
stantly recalled the Holston militia to
arms, and sent off an express with the
like orders to Gen. Robertson with re.
spect to the militia, which it was ap.
pretended he had dischared. This
last order did not get to Cumberland
in time. In the meantime zen. Rob
ertson kept together the troops which
he had embodied. Abraham Castle
man, one of the militia soldiers, had
withdrawn himself from the army for
some days, and at length returned and
stated, that he had been as far as the
Black Foxs camp, where he had seen
the signs of numerous army of In.
dians, and that they might shortly be
expected in the neighborhood of Nash
vile. The order for dismissal of troops
now came to hand, but Gen. Robertson,
fearful lest the Governor might have
been imposed on, concluded not to
comply with the order Immediately,
but to wait few days till he could see
whether the Governor would counter.
mand this order, after having received
the statement made by Derogue. The
General sent off Capt. Rains to ascer-
tain the reality of the facts detailed by
Castleman; Rains took with him
young man, Abraham Kennedy, and
went to the place where Murfreesboro
now stands and halted in the woods,
and remaining on the ground all night,
he next day made circuit around the
spring where the Black Fox's camp
was. The Black Fox was an Indian
chief who formerly hunted and en-.
camped at the spring not far from the
spot where now is the site of Murfrees.
boro; in the circuit he examined all
the paths which led to the camp from
the direction of the Cherokee country:
finding no trace of Indians he ventured
to the spring; he then returned home
by way of Buchanon 3 Station, and in.
formed the people that the traces of an
Indian army were no W here to be seen.
The last order of the Governor had not
yet arrived. The necessary expendi-
ture of public money was at this time
an odious charge, and he did not wish
to risk it upon his own responsibility.
1t was concluded that the alarm was a
false one, and the inhabitants were
generally inclined to go home. The
Indians had crossed the Tennessee at
the times already mentioned; they
must have delayed between that and
the Black Fox's camp, upwards of
fortnight for some purpose, either to de.
eide in council upon what part of the
Cumberland settlements to fall, or
possibly waiting for the return of De-
rogue and Fendleston, to give the in
formation which would enable them
to proceed the most effectually. Soon
after the return of Capt. Rains, the
troops were marched back to Nashville.
Gen. Robertson did not think it pru-
dent any longer to detain them against
the express orders of the Governor; he
discharged them with directions to
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