Jarrett Williams - Indian Trader

[Clydene]

Gosh! I can't believe I haven't been on Saponitown for almost a year - where does the time go? Spent several hours reading posts I've missed and found some more that relates to one or another family member. Will get to that another night. Here's some information on my Jarrett Williams Family research:

Jarrett Williams born abt. 1750 likely in VA. His father James Williams Sr. is said to have married Cherokee - Anne Floating Cloud, and moved his family to SC and then to what is now Hawkins County, TN about 1770 on Big Creek. Jarrett's other siblings were Mark (killed in an Indian Raid), Phillip Buckspike (married Cherokee - Running Water), James 11, and Hardin. I have pretty much research completed on James 11 and Hardin. All I have on Jarrett is the following from the book, entitled "The Three Preacher's Kids":

"Jarrett, an Indian Trader. He left the Overhill Cherokee Nation on 7-8-1776 as the Indians were preparing to go to war against Virginia. He and three other traders reached Fort Lee on 7-11 and on 8-13-1776 Williams made a deposition concerning the war party before Anthony Bledsoe, J.P. for Fincastle County, VA., who lived where the city of Kingsport now stands. (Annals of Tennessee, pages 148-151.)

Does anyone have any ideas of where to go from here on Jarrett Williams? :rolleyes:

[Linda]

That's a mother lode compared to what most of us can find. You're very lucky. I would imagine digging up whatever history there is on that time and place should help you get a rare glimpse into that ancestor's life.

Would that deposition be recorded somewhere? Try and find out who the official historian is for that locale.

[Clydene]

Linda:
Yes, I was elated to find that but I found the entire deposition in Google Books online in the book:

History of Southwest Virginia 1746 - 1786, Washington County 1777 - 1870 by Lewis Preston Summers.

I plan on reading it in it's entirely and suspect there is a lot more to be had on NA research.

It appears from the deposition that Jarrett Williams' Indian name was "Black Raven" but I'm not sure I have interpreted it correctly because of the odd way they wrote in those early days. Jarrett was Indian and Welsh so it is likely that was his Indian name?

Maybe others would like to take a look at this book? Clydene

[Clydene]

Found some more on Jarret - seems Jarret got around!! This is from the George Rogers Clark Papers - Microfilm #4 VA State Library "The Illinois Regiments"

There are five separate entries for Jarret Williams noting him as a Captain and Ensign for the year 1780 at Fort Jefferson and Fort Clark in Illinois, I presume, but will research these Forts. Other Williams mentioned are Lt. Phillip Williams Amelia Co., VA 1777 - Zakariah Williams, Major Williams, Daniel Williams, Ensign Garth Williams, Sullivan Williams, Capt. Wm. Williams and Capt. John Williams. Something to maybe note for all of us. If I didn't know he was Native American "Black Raven aka Jarret Williams", I'd sure take him for a white guy from these documents. One note, in another source, said he was a "scout", not Indian Scout - just "Scout". So, some of our Indian kin, at that early date, lived in two worlds and are very hard to distinguish them as Indian!

There are many references and many, many names in the George Rogers Clarke Papers. Thought others might want to google them online. They are on the web. Clydene