Joseph Benjey, John Benge, and Chief Bench

  One grandson said, "This was the year the notorious half-breed Cherokee Chief Benge . . . went on the path of War because John Sevier and his followers had murdered his family.

It is important to remember that the dates cited for most 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, and some 19th century Cherokee marriages, births, and deaths are, at best, approximations.
De scent, marriage, and residence rules
Cherokee kinship is matrilineal, a unilineal descent rule in which you join your mother's clan at birth, a membership for life. After marriage, it is customary to reside with your wife's clan so your children will grow up with their clan, that is, their mother's family. The clan represents a lineage based on a common apical totem ancestor-Wild Potato (Anigategewi), Blue Paint (Anisahoni), Long Hair (Anigilohi), Red Paint (Aniwodi), Bird (Anitsiskwa), Wolf (Aniwahya), and Deer (Aniahwi). Marriage, mating, or sexual relations with a member of the same clan is taboo and considered incest.
Who was CORNBLOSSOM?
CORNBLOSSOM was reported to have been the daughter of the second wife of DOUBLEHEAD (TALTSUSKA), and about twelve years old in 1779 and eight years old at the signing of the Treaty of Sycamore Shoals in 1775, which would place her birth sometime around 1767. Although Cornblossom is not a Cherokee word, there is a Delaware word, PAWALIN, which means CORNBLOSSOM and it is a Delaware surname given to women. PAWALIN literally translates as "CORNBLOSSOM FALLS OFF."
Cornblossom' s Family
DOUBLEHEAD was born sometime in the latter half of the 18th century in Stearns, Kentucky. Charles Hicks, Alexander Saunders, and Major Ridge assassinated him on August 9, 1807 in McIntosh Tavern, Hiawassee, Tennessee. DOUBLEHEAD had at least four, and possibly five wives.
First Wife
DOUBLEHEAD first married CREAT PRIBER sometime in the middle of the 18th century in Stearns, Kentucky. She was born in Tellico Plains, Tennessee, daughter of CHRISTIAN GOTTILIEB PRIBER, and died around the turn of the 19th century, possibly in McCreary County, Kentucky. The children of DOUBLEHEAD and CREAT PRIBER include:
1. TUKAHO DOUBLEHEAD was born in the middle of the 18th century, and married MARGARET MOUNCE, Chery (sic) Fork, (Helenwood, Tennessee); about 1768. He was murdered in 1807 at Doublehead's Gap, Kentucky.
2. TUSGIAHUTE DOUBLEHEAD was born in the middle of the 18th century and died about 1817 at Colbert Ferry, Colbert County, Alabama. She married a Chickasaw, COLONEL GEORGE COLBERT. He died on January 7, 1839, at Ft Towson, in Oklahoma.
3. SALITSI DOUBLEHEAD was born in the middle of the 18th century and died February 1, 1846, in Oklahoma. She was also reported to have married to the Chickasaw COLONEL GEORGE COLBERT.
4. NIGUDAYI was born in the middle of the 18th century. She married SAMUEL RILEY. He died in 1819.
5. GULUSTIYU was born in the middle of the 18th century. She was also reportedly married to SAMUEL RILEY.
Second Wife
DOUBLEHEAD is thought to have married a Delaware woman sometime in the middle of the 18th century when the Cherokee and Delaware leaders were seeking inter-tribal peace. Although no written documentation exists of this marriage, oral traditions in southern Kentucky are pleantiful.
6. CORNBLOSSOM (PAWALIN in Delaware) was born in the middle of the 18th century and, possibly 1767, and died in 1810, and thought to be buried in Pine Knot in McCreary County, Kentucky.
Third Wife
DOUBLEHEAD married NANNIE DRUMGOOLE in the late 18th century. She was the daughter of ALEXANDER DRUMGOOLE and NANCY AUGUSTA and died on July 23, 1850. The children of DOUBLEHEAD and NANNIE DRUMGOOLE include:
7. BIRD TAIL DOUBLEHEAD was born in 1795 in Tennessee and died in the middle of the 19th century. He married TIMSON, born in the early half of the 19th century and died in the early second half.
8. PEGGY DOUBLEHEAD was born and died in the first half of the 19th century. She married WILLIAM WILSON on April 4, 1824 in Madison County, Alabama.
Fourth Wife
DOUBLEHEAD married KATEEYEAH WILSON in the late 18th century. She was born in the early second half of the 18th century. The children of DOUBLEHEAD and KATEEYEAH WILSON include:
9. TASSEL DOUBLEHEAD was born in the late 18th century and died in the early 19th century.
10. ALCY DOUBLEHEAD was born and died in the first half of the 19th century. She married GILES MCNULTY.
11. SUSANNAH DOUBLEHEAD was born and died in the first half of the 19th century. She married GEORGE CHISHOLM.
Fifth Wife


DOUBLEHEAD married an UNKNOWN CHEROKEE woman in the early 19th century. The children of DOUBLEHEAD and UNKNOWN CHEROKEE include:
12. TWO HEADS DOUBLEHEAD was born in the early 19th century.
13. DOUBLEHEAD DOUBLEHEAD was born in the early 19th century.
14. WILLIAM DOUBLEHEAD was born in the early 19th century.
Treaty Signers
RED BIRD, like DOUBLEHEAD, was from Kentucky and signed the October 2, 1805 Treaty of Tellico. If he was the UNKNOWN brother of DOUBLEHEAD, then he came from a long lineage of treaty signers, going back to Principal Chief AMADOYA MOYTOY.
+ = bloodline
+AMADOYA MOYTOY (also spelled phonetically as AMATOYA MOYTOY) was born in the first half of the 17th century. He married QUEDSI (also spelled phonetically as QUATSY). She was born in the middle of the 17th century. The children of AMADOYA MOYTOY and QUEDSI include:
1. TISTOE was born in the last half of the 17th century.
2. OUKAH ULAH (treaty signer, also known as KING OUKAH ULAH) was born in the last half of the 17th century and died in the middle of the 18th century.
3. NANCY MOYTOY was born in the last half of the 17th century.
+4. MOYTOY (treaty signer) was born in the last half of the 17th century and died in 1741.
5. OLD HOP (treaty signer) was born in the last half of the 17th century and died in 1761.
Next Generation
+MOYTOY (treaty signer, also spelled MOYATOY and MA'TAYI') married WILD POTATO CLAN MOTHER (Anigategewi). She was born in the last half of the 17th century. The children of MOYTOY and WILD POTATO CLAN MOTHER include:
1. OCONOSTOTA (treaty signer) was born in the early part of the 18th century, and died in the latter half of the 18th century.
2. CLOGOITTAH (treaty signer) was born in the early part of the 18th century.
3. KITEGISTA (treaty signer) was born in the early part of the 18th century and killed September 30, 1792.
4. ANUWAGI MOYTOY was born in the early part of the 18th century
5. GOLANV (treaty signer, also known as RAVEN OF HIAWASSEE) was born in the early part of the 18th century, and died in the middle of the 18th century.
+6. WILENAWA (treaty signer, also spelled WILLEENEEWA and WILLENAWAH and known as GREAT EAGLE and GREY EAGLE) was born in the early part of the 18th century.
7. OUNACONOA was born in the early part of the 18th century.
8. SKALILOSGENV was born in the early part of the 18th century.
9. OUKAII OUKAH was born in the early part of the 18th century.
10. AMA'SGOSI'TE (treaty signer, also spelled OOTOSSETIH, and known as MANKILLER OF HIAWASSEE and BAD WATER) was born in the early part of the 18th century.
Next Generation

+WILENAWA (treaty signer, also spelled WILLEENEEWA and WILLENAWAH and known as GREAT EAGLE and GREY EAGLE) married WURTEH (Red Paint Clan Mother). She was born in the early part of the 18th century. The children of WILENAWA and WURTEH include:
+1. (?) TOTSUWHA (treaty signer, also known as RED BIRD, and written phonetically as TOCHUWOR) was born in the first half of the 18th century and died in the early 19th century.
2. WURTEH (next generation Red Paint Clan Mother, also known as SISTER OF DOUBLEHEAD), born in the first half of the 18th century.
3. UTSIDSATA (treaty signer, also known as CORN TASSEL and OLD TASSEL, OINTOSITAH or THISTLEHEAD) was born in the first half of the 18th century and died in 1788.
4. GVNAGADOGA (treaty signer, also known as STANDING TURKEY) was born in the first half of the 18th century and died in 1838.
5. TALTSUSKA (treaty signer, also known as DOUBLEHEAD) was born in the first half of the 18th century in Stearns, Kentucky; and killed August 9, 1807.
6. IYAHUWAGIATSUTSA (treaty signer, also known as PUMPKIN BOY) was born in the first half of the 18th century and killed in 1793.
7. NANI (also known as Nancy) was born in the first half of the 18th century.
Family of Sequoya
SEQUOYA was the son of WURTEH WATTS (third generation Red Paint Clan Mother) and NATHANIEL GIST. He was the grandson of SISTER OF DOUBLEHEAD (WURTEH, second generation Red Paint Clan Mother) and JOHN WATTS, and possibly the nephew of TOTSUHWA (RED BIRD). SEQUOYA was the great-grandson of WILENAWA and WURTEH (first generation Red Paint Clan Mother), 2nd great-grandson of MOYTOY and a WILD POTATO CLAN MOTHER, and 3rd great-grandson of AMADOYA MOYTOY and QUEDSI. The siblings of SEQUOYA include AHULUDEGI (JOHN JOLLY), TALONVTISGI BENGE, UTANA BENGE, GANVHIDV GASGILO BENGE (ROBERT BENGE), LUCY BENGE, JOSEPH (?) BENGE, and RICHARD BENGE.
+ = bloodline
+WURTEH (a Red Paint Clan Mother known as SISTER OF DOUBLEHEAD) married a trader, JOHN WATTS (OLD FORKED TONGUE) in the middle of the 18th century. The children of WURTEH and JOHN WATTS include:
1. +WURTEH WATTS was born in the middle of the 18th century.
2. KUNOSKESKIE (also known as YOUNG TASSEL and JOHN WATTS Jr.) was born in the middle of the 18th century and died in 1808.
3. UNINAGADIHI (also known as WHITEMAN-KILLER WATTS) was born in the middle of the 18th century.
4. UNKNOWN DAUGHTER WATTS was born in the middle of the 18th century.
Next generation
+ WURTEH WATTS (a Red Paint Clan Mother) had three and possibly four husbands.
First Husband
WURTEH WATTS married a trader ROBERT DUE in second half of the 18th century. The children of WURTEH WATTS and ROBERT DUE include:
1. AHULUDEGI (also known as JOHN JOLLY) was born in the second half of the 18th century and died December 1838.
Second Husband
WURTEH WATTS married NATHANIAL GIST, son of CHRISTOPHER GIST, in the second half of the 18th century. The children of WURTEH WATTS and NATHANIAL GIST include:
2. SEQUOYA (also known as SEQUOYAH, SIKWOYI, GEORGE GIST, and GEORGE GUESS) was born in the second half of the 18th century and died 1843.
Third Husband
WURTEH WATTS is thought to have married NENETOOYAH (also known as ISKAGUA and BLOODY FELLOW) sometime in the second half of the 18th century. Although no written documentation exists of this marriage, it is possible as suggested by oral history and tradition. There were no children reported from this marriage.
Fourth Husband
WURTEH WATTS married JOHN BENGE, son of THOMAS BENGE, in the second half of the 18th century. The children of WURTEH WATTS and JOHN BENGE include:
3. TALONVTISGI BENGE was born in the second half of the 18th century.
4. UTANA BENGE (also known as THE TAIL) was born in the second half of the 18th century.
5. GANVHIDV GASGILO BENGE (also known as ROBERT BENGE, THE BENCH, BOB BENGE, CAPTAIN BENGE, CAPTAIN BENCH, CHIEF BENCH, and WAR CHIEF BENGE) was born in the second half of the 18th century and killed April 9, 1794.
6. LUCY BENGE, was born in the second half of the 18th century and died October 10, 1846.
7. JOSEPH (?) BENGE was born in the second half of the 18th century.
8. RICHARD BENGE was born in the second half of the 18th century.