Frontier Connections

[Dan Akin]

I have a theory, which I have not proven, that many families, coming out of Virginia and North Carolina that are of American Indian descent, which claim by oral tradition to be Cherokee are instead something entirely different. I also believe that these families and their settlement groups are somewhat connected and related. The end product of this history resulted in my "Northern Cherokee" relations in Missouri, the White Top Laurel Band of Sizemores, the Ridgetop Shawnees, the Chief Redbird group of Clay County Kentucky, the Indian community of Wallin's Creek Kentucky, and the descendants of the Longhunter families of Wallens, Rice (myfamily), Blevins, Scaggs, etc. There are probably more.
This theory assumes that there was very much more envolvement by these families in the Indian trade than is recorded in the history books.
I want to bring up some focal points on this subject. One is the trading post, established in 1749 at "Old Fields", by Samuel and Adam Stalnaker at present Chilhowie VA on the Middle Fork of the Holston River in present Smyth County. There is some history that suggests that there was a Cherokee village established there for awhile hence the Cherokee town name of Chilhowie.
Another location is the already mentioned large Cherokee village of Keowee or "Mulberry Fields" at present North Wilkesboro North Carolina in the early 1750's on the Yadkin River in Wilkes County. Peter Jefferson recorded "Gist Jr." to be located there in 1754.
Another location was the Cherokee camp at Fort Frederick on the New River in 1756. The Cherokee emissary to the Catawbas, Kerrorosstekee, was there at that time. Fort Frederick was the location of present Radford VA in Pulaski County. This was the location of Stalnaker's home, the Ingle's Ferry location, and where the Moravians had found the Dunkard's at Dunkard's Bottoms. A group they described as having associations with Indians and "living like wild Indians."
In the 1740's a Virginia man named Vaughan was part of a pack train coming out of southside Virginia traveling through what would become the Ingle's Ferry area and on to Tuckaleechee Cherokee Town in present Townsend Tennessee.
in 1750 Dr. Thomas Walker recorded that he and John Findley found several Indian cabins and an Indian Fort on the Holston River just west of present Kingsport Tennessee. This location was a trading center of the Cherokees some called "Long Island of the Holston."
I propose the Cherokees had drawn close to Virginia to establish trade relations.
It is very possible that families, living in northwest North Carolina and southwest Virginia, some of who were probably already of mixed blood ancestry, could have had familial and trading relationships with the Cherokee tribe and yet were never recorded as being a part of the Cherokee tribe.
I would appreciate any information on indian trade in the quad-state area of VA, Tn, KY, and NC from the 1740's to 1780's time period.
Dan.

[Dan Akin]

In 1766 two men, Andrew Greer and Julius Dugger, related by marriage, established themselves on the north side of the Watauga River three miles above present Elizabethton, Carter County, Tennessee. East Side Elizabethton (to the southeast) is the former site of the Cherokee town named "Watauga", or "Watauga Old Fields." These two men are claimed to have been Indian traders and Julius Dugger to have been a former friend, neighbor, and hunting companion of Daniel Boone and the Boone family at their location on the Yadkin River in North Carolina.
From an earlier post on this forum, it is claimed that this location was probably the site of the Tomahitton village of the Aurthur and Needham story. One can speculate that it may have continued to exist up until and after Greer and Dugger's arrival in 1766.
This Wautaga settlement was joined by James Robinson in 1770 and according to the testimony of Nathan Boone in the Draper interviews a temporary location of Daniel Boone and his immediate family, Boone being said to having leased land on the Watauga from the Cherokees for a couple of years.
In 1775, Daniel Boone represented the Transylvania Company and the Wataugan settlers at the Treaty of Sycamore Shoals on the Watauga River (aka Henderson's Purchase) with the Cherokees. Two men were with him from the Longhunter families associated with Elisha Wallin. They were Littleton Brooks and William Blevins.
Dan.

[tarcarion]

Dan,
Along the same line of thought, the families that became the Melungeons, were moving (generally) west at the same time period. Starting in Louisa Co. VA, then to North Carolina, Scott Co. VA, Hancock Co. TN, and some to "points beyond" such as Eastern KY. These are the Collins, Gibsons, Riddles, Goins, Mullins, and others.
In my family, there's the same tradition of "Cherokee" which I believe is really either Catawba or other Souian Indians like Saponi, Tutelo, or Occoneechee. My cousin and I disagree about this, he insisting the family tradition is correct in being Cherokee. My point is that in most families with Eastern Indian descent, the "Cherokee designator" is standard but not always accurate.
Jack Goins has an article online (which I'll try to find and post later) that gives Indian census (and "other free") info from Eastern Tenn counties around the Sevier Co. area and draws some conclusions about there origin. I hope I've understood the point of your post.

Jim

[Dan Akin]

Jim; I believe you have. It appears the Melungeon families have shared a similar history in that they were mixed blood Indians originating first in Virginia who followed the general events and migrations west into Tennessee and Kentucky.
Dan.

[Dan Akin]

There is a man whom I feel is a major element in the frontier of Virginia. He is named Richard Pearis. In 1754 he and Nathanial Gist were engaged in trade to the Cherokees. Both men had taken Cherokee side-wives which they kept at Toqua, Willinewah's village, on the Little Tennessee River. Diring this time, Pearis opened a trading house at Long Island of the Holston (Kingsport TN) with his partner Thomas Price.
It is said that Pearis' Cherokee bride was named Pratchy Hatton, after the Indian trader named Hatton, and is the daughter or grand daughter of Oconastota. Willinewah and Oconastota would later give tens of thousands of acres of Cherokee land in the present Greenville South Carolina area to Richard Pearis' son George Pearis. Richard Pearis established a trading post and home there which the Americans destroyed during the Revolution because they claimed it was a nest of Indians and Tories.
In 1756 Captain Richard Pearis was in charge of a group Cherokees which joined the Virginia Militia for the Sandy Campaign against the Shawnees under the Lts. and chiefs Round O, from the Middle Settlements, and Yellow Bird (Cheesquatoarone). These are the Cherokees who had the camp at Fort Frederick on the New River near the Ingle's Ferry site.
On April 29th, 1757 Richard Pearis, Evan Shelby, and the Cherokee chief Wahachey, along with 62 Cherokee warriors, entered the other "Fort Frederick" built by George Washington in Maryland. The Cherokees had made an alliance with Maryland and pledged to fight the Shawnee and the French on Maryland's behalf.
Dan.

[tarcarion]

Dan,
I'm familiar with the name Richard Pearis but did not know these interesting details. Thank you for sharing this info. This reminds me of one of my gr. grandfathers, John "Old Trader" Benge, father of Bob Benge. John Benge was a Scotch-Irish Cherokee trader born 1735, that not only had a white wife and family, but also was married to Wurteh, sister of Old Tassel. When his white family found out about his Cherokee wife, she had the marriage anulled. John was known for his honesty and fairness in his dealings with the Cherokee and was well trusted by all, except maybe his "white wife"!

Jim

[tarcarion]

Dan,
After a short search, I see that Old Tassel, Wurteh's sister, was the leading counsellor of Oconastata. So aside from their common trade with the Cherokee nation, they were related by marriage. Surely John Benge and Richard Pearis were well aquainted. A small world even 250 years ago!
I should mention that through this line, I'm related to John Benge through his "white" son, Thomas, who was a half-brother to Bob Benge. My Catawba (or Saponi) line comes through Hawkins Bowman, born 1970 in Virgina or North Carolina. The other day I found a website that mentions Hawkins Bowman and suggests that he was "probably Cherokee", just to muddy the waters a little more! Here's that link.

http://www.ridgetopshawnee.com/BowmanDATA.html

Jim

[Dan Akin]

Jim; This is part of what what I'm saying. My fourth great grandmother was Sally Ann Stivers. She married William Neal and they lived at Boone's Creek KY in Fayette County. They went to the same church as Daniel Boone's brother George Boone, Boone's Creek Baptist Church. Her 1st cousin was George Stivers of Fogertown, Clay County KY. He married Letitia Tudors (of the Chief Red Bird legend) and his daughters married into the Benges.
You see? Connected, related, extended, sometimes at great distances and past generations, but connected nonetheless.
I am related to the Sizemores also.
Dan.

[tarcarion]

Dan,
Well hello cousin. I think I'd have liked Bob Benge. And knowing what a rebel I've always been, I'd probably have been in his band if I'd lived in his time. The Boone's were at Fort Blackmore when my Carters and Porters were in Scott Co VA also. The connections run deep. Patrick Porter was approached by Chief Logan after the Battle of Point Pleasant. He asked Porter to take an Indain boy with him to the white settlement. Porter didn't want to for fear the Indians would think he'd kidnapped him. Chief Logan gave Porter a letter explaining that the boy's parents were killed and the Indians believed the boy was dead too. Chief Logan told Patrick that he'd "visited" his fort many times and could have killed him but would not because Porter was a good man, that Porter treated the children well. Then Logan recounted a story of when he had used some brush as camoflage to sneak close to the fort walls. Patrick's son Samuel Porter was on guard and had "drawn a bead" on Logan and was about to shoot him when a young boy in the fort fell out of bed and broke his arm. The ruckus distracted Samuel Porter and Logan crept away from the fort walls. Logan said "God would not let friends kill friends". Patrick Porter finally agreed to take the boy who they called Arter and he eventually became a preacher.

Jim

[Dan Akin]

This is interesting and may support contact between the Cherokees and the "Longhunter" families established just north of the Smith River in present Henry county (old Halifax Co.) Virginia. "The Halifax County Militia, marching from the 'Gobling Town' in the summer of 1758 encountered and talked with a Cherokee war party." Sept.14th, 1758 this militia lists Capt. Thomas Callaway,...JOHN RICE (believed to be my 6th great grandfather, father-in-law of Ben Green, Longhunter and neighbor of Elisha Wallin and William Blevins), John Blevins, Clement Lee, Wells Ward, ... William Blevins Jr., ... James Blevins,... Thomas Wollin (Wallin), ...William Cox, William Blevins Sr., ...
Dan.

[Roy Chadwick]

Dan,
Well hello cousin. I think I'd have liked Bob Benge. And knowing what a rebel I've always been, I'd probably have been in his band if I'd lived in his time. The Boone's were at Fort Blackmore when my Carters and Porters were in Scott Co VA also. The connections run deep. Patrick Porter was approached by Chief Logan after the Battle of Point Pleasant. He asked Porter to take an Indain boy with him to the white settlement. Porter didn't want to for fear the Indians would think he'd kidnapped him. Chief Logan gave Porter a letter explaining that the boy's parents were killed and the Indians believed the boy was dead too. Chief Logan told Patrick that he'd "visited" his fort many times and could have killed him but would not because Porter was a good man, that Porter treated the children well. Then Logan recounted a story of when he had used some brush as camoflage to sneak close to the fort walls. Patrick's son Samuel Porter was on guard and had "drawn a bead" on Logan and was about to shoot him when a young boy in the fort fell out of bed and broke his arm. The ruckus distracted Samuel Porter and Logan crept away from the fort walls. Logan said "God would not let friends kill friends". Patrick Porter finally agreed to take the boy who they called Arter and he eventually became a preacher.

Jim

Hi Jim,
What Co was Point Pleasant in. The reason I ask is the city of Harlan(Harlan Co KY)was named Mount Pleasant at one time about 9 miles from Wallins Creek.
Roy,
Researching, Bond,Bost,Chadwick,Choat/Choate/Shote,Coffelt,Hodgens/Hodgins,Keel/Keele,Moreland,Langford/Lankford,Seitz/Sitz/Sides,Vaughan/Vaughn,Wilson.
Also in my last post to you about Eleanor Choate.now I am to believe she was brn in KY abt 1800,and was full blood Native American.

[Rachel McCraw]

Interesting thread. I have certainly noticed a lot of entangling and too many coincidences with the various parts of my family (all mixed). But I put it off to the fact that parts were migrating from and through the same places at the same times. My stepfather's family turns out to be in the same boat, and they moved a bit further away.

I think part of it, too, might be like the clustering effect you saw after the Famine (and with earlier waves, I'm sure), with most of a town in Cork winding up reforming itself in Nova Scotia. Only there was a complicated swirl of Scots and displaced natives, mostly, trying to join up with people they did know. Trading relationships might well suggest somewhere to go, too. I'm tired and not expressing the patterns I see very well, sorry!

"Another location was the Cherokee camp at Fort Frederick on the New River in 1756. The Cherokee emissary to the Catawbas, Kerrorosstekee, was there at that time. Fort Frederick was the location of present Radford VA in Pulaski County. This was the location of Stalnaker's home, the Ingle's Ferry location, and

Another possible connection to that one: I have not found source material on this, but I understand that my Taylor g.-g. grandmother's relatives actually ran a ferry there at about the same time, on the other side of the river. Descendents claim no connection to the Ingles bunch, who are still not overly popular with a number of locals. (No offense intended toward any Ingles who might be reading!) This would be on the land where the Trigg site was located, in one of their cornfields by the river, and the house Granny Terry was born in was still visible from my window in Radford last time I was back. I do not know the surname(s) at that point, and am short on records right now. This same family was later joined, as I understand it, by some Cherokee fleeing NC--thus the Taylors who were not connected to ones on the Census, if I recall correctly, and who did not appear on it themselves if they could help it. I had clean forgotten how many Cherokee were in and out with Fort Frederick.

"where the Moravians had found the Dunkard's at Dunkard's Bottoms. A group they described as having associations with Indians and "living like wild Indians.""

There is probably a good reason for this; I understand various Brethren had some luck at converting some of the area natives fairly early on. Closer to home, the Dunkard's Bottom thing has become a bit annoying; the state is claiming on signs that those were the first and only people living on what's now the bottom of Claytor Lake (sort of TVA precursor). There was at least one thriving town there, probably more now that I think about it. That's where said Granny Terry's family lived, until after my grandfather was born, and they weren't Dunkards. (I think that other house where she was born was her grandmother's.) My Papaw pointed out some surviving dewberries on the edge of a cove, that used to be on the edge of one of their fields. It may have nothing to do with the Dunkards, but it's a bit of a sore point.

[tarcarion]

Roy,
I'm not sure what county in Ohio Point Pleasant is in, but I'm sure someone here would know. I am aware that Harlan was once called Mt. Pleasant. My gr. grandfather and gr. grandmother were married there. I have a copy of the marriage bond that states Mt Pleasant. I'm not sure I see the connection that you're going for though.

Jim

[BlondeyeLaurie]

Roy,
I'm not sure what county in Ohio Point Pleasant is in, but I'm sure someone here would know. I am aware that Harlan was once called Mt. Pleasant. My gr. grandfather and gr. grandmother were married there. I have a copy of the marriage bond that states Mt Pleasant. I'm not sure I see the connection that you're going for though.

Jim

Hey Jim...there is a Point Pleasant here in Ohio in Clermont County...right down the road from me in fact....I'm in Warren County and Clermont is just 1 county below me.

This was also the birthplace of U.S. Grant and there is a local waterway that connects to the OH River called the Big Indian Creek. One link of possible interest re: Grant's birthplace:
http://www.ohiohistory.org/places/grantbir/

There are quite a number of Shawnee connections to Point Pleasant here in OH from as far back as the early 1700's...one awesoem link that details some of these can be located at:
http://www.shawnee-traditions.com/Names-21.html

*Just touch base one letter at a time and then "edit" to the find feature and type in Pleasant and you'll see just how many there were. The Big Sandy also plays heavilly in those native peoples by location.

Where I live in Warren County we are right near the Little Miami River and it is my understanding that there were/are many small Indian villages along it's course....which is interesting to me because this is where I migrated to as an adult and is also the location where my paternal ancestors settled when they fled VA on a flatboat...they were at the bottom tip of Warren County and upper tip of Clermont County...primarilly where the little miami greets Todd's Fork...they being staunch Quakers. Interesting for certain....just a huge intermingling web. Blessings~~~Laurie

[PappyDick]

I've been under the impression for about 30 years that Point Pleasant is in (present) West Virginia. Which would have been Virginia (colony, not state) at the time of the 1774 Battle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_P..._West_Virginia