Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-08-25
JOHN SEWER or TENNESSEE.
INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF THIS NOTED
MAN,
Some Of Which Have Not Been Published

Some Of Which Have Not Been Published.
Among the manuscripts bequeathed
to the State Historical Society Of Wis.
consin by the late DR.. Draper are q
large number pertaining to the early
history Of Tennessee. There are also a
number of volumes of notes made by
DR.. Draper of vsrsations held by
him with the immediate descendants of
the pioneers. These manuscripts give
authority for large number OF anec-
dotes apropos OF Gen. John Sewer,
some OF which are ,ubtless current in
Nashville az the present day. Some,
however, will probably be new to read
ers OF the Banner, and all may gain BY
being given manuscript authority.
since Tennessee is now celebrating her
Centennial, the time isrs proper one
for glance at the life of a hundred
years ago, and at the life Of her then
most noteworthy citizen.
The spelling Sewer was adopted as
an equivalent for Xavier, after the
fight Of Gen. Sewers grandfather
from France to England. at the time
OF the Huguenot persecution.
Though Gen. Sewers life presents a
succession of hairs breadth escapes
from the periIs Of the frontier, his
earliest narrow escape was not roman
tic nor was his rescue effected by the
advent OF hardy pioneer militia. While
q schoolboy at Staunton he fell into
the mill race and was fished out by
two sisters living near by, one OF whom
afterwards became the wife of Gov.
Matthews, of Georgia.
After leaving school Sewer became
a partner of his fathers In merchan,
dising business. As this, especially the
fur trade with the Indians, was at that
time exceedingly profitable, he soon
attained to competency. That in this
the older Sewer had not been success.
ful is probably to be attributed to the
sportive character OF his habits. Peri
odically he would go to CuIpepper
Court House with old Gen. Edward
Stevens and other kindred spirits to
drilk.and gamble for fortnight, clos
ing their meeting with a game Of
"snick smack" For this rather start.
ling pastime each provided himself
with a caseknife. Sitting around a
large table, all, at a given signal, be
gan cutting and slashing each other
over head, face and knuckles. The
younger Sewer seems to have profited
by his fathers example, as the temper
ance lecturer would have US profit by
the sight of the horrible example, :"
for he is credited with especial virtue
inasmuch as he never even engaged
in the filthy habit of chewing tobac-
co-so common in those days" His
sport he took in the more gentlemanly
direction of hunting. For this he kept
pack of hounds, with which he at
tended hunts at Lord Fairfax's when,
during the Christmas holidays, the
gentlemen gathered from a hundred
miles around. On one occasion, it is
stated, as many as 300 hounds were
used
When only II years old, Sewer mar.
ried, tore up some farm land, built,
without any assistance, his cabin, and
laid out the town of Newmarket,
whence, In 1773, he removed to Holsto.
During the first Cherokee war, 10
which Sewer held Captain 3 com
mission from Lord Dunmore, the In
dians attacked some women, outside
the fort, engaged in milking cows.
They immediately ran to the fort, the
doors Of which were securely barri
caded after all were supposed 10 have
entered. One, however, Katherine
Sheriff., afterwards Sewers second
wife, was still without. Finding the
gates closed, che removed her hat,
tossed 1t into the fort and clam bered
over the pickets in safety.
At the battle Of Boyd's Greek Sewer
exhibited bis daring. 1t had been ar
ranged that the army should be drawn
up in two parallel lines at some dis.
tance from each other. Into the inter
-yening space the Indians were to be
enticed and thus ambushed. For this
purpose they were to be allowed to dis.
cover q party of four, who, upon being
discovered, would take to flight, pur
sued by the Indians, and thus lead
them into the trap. Sewer volunteered
as one Of this party. While the main
body ofIndians were giving chase, one
Indian stepped out a short distance in
front and took aim at Sewer. The
gun missing fire, he graspedt Sewers
bride to deal asblow with his toma.
hawk. Sewer merely shook him off
and rode over, him. After this battle
Sewer and Dunham were going over
the ground when they spied wounded
Indian seated in the fork of tree. AS
they approached he aimed his rife at
them alternately. giving Dunham the
idea that the rife was unloaded and
that this was merely ruse to frighten
them. Dunham continued to approach,
but the Indian aimed at Sewer and
fred. The ball passed through his hat.