COLONEL JOHN adopted son WATTS

tdinopoweradded this on 8 Oct 2009COLONEL JOHN WATTS  The Dragging Canoe died in the midst of his effort to induce the Southern tribes to unite with the Shawnees in a general war upon the American frontiers. Immediately after his death the Chickamaugas dispatched runners to Chota, for the purpose of inducing John Watts, and then reckoned a reliable friend of the United States, to come to Running Water and take Dragging Canoe’s place as their principal chief. After some hesitation on account of their hostility to the United States, he accepted the invitation, and set out for the Chickamauga town son the 13th of March, 1792;' a circumstance which gave great satisfaction to Governor Blount, as Watts had recently spent several days with him at Knoxville, had been the recipient of several valuable presents, and expressed the strongest friendship for the United States, as well as great personal attachment for the Governor. He believed, therefore, that Watts' influence would soften, if not altogether change the conduct of the Chickamauga towns. Nor was he mistaken in this opinion. Before two moons had passed the Chickamaugas, for the first time in their history, agreed to take the United States by the hand, and promised to meet Governor Blount at Coyateeon the 21st of May, when the first annuals distribution of goods was to Te made under the treaty of Holston. Watts determined to make the Coyatee conference a memorable event in the Cherokee annals. He prepared a house for the reception of Governor Blount, and high above it hoisted the flag of the United States. The Breath, of Nickajack; Richard Justice, of Lookout Mountain; Charley, of Running Water, and the other chiefs and warriors of the Chickamauga towns reached Coyatee on Saturday, the 19th; they marched in, painted black and sprinkled over with flour, to denote that they bad been at war, but were now for peace. They were conducted to the standard of the United States by General Eskaqua, who had just lately returned from Philadelphia and whom I shall hereafter call by his old name of Bloody Fellow, John Watts, Kittageska, and other chiefs; Capt. John Chisholm and Leonard Shaw walked side by side with Bloody Fellow and Watts, tithe great delight of all. Volleys were fired by the Chickamaugas in honor of the flag, and were returned by the warriors of the Upper towns.     Governor Blount was to arrive on Sunday. At the request of the Indians he notified them of his approach, and when he had come within half a mile of the grounds, he was met by a well dressed young warrior on horseback, who requested him to halt until he should be notified of their readiness to receive him. In a short time be was invited to preeeed. The Indians, some two thousand in number, were arranged in two lines, about three hundred yards in length. When the governor entered between the lines, they commenced firing a salute in the manner of a few dejoie, and kept it up until he was received by Watts, Bloody Fellow, and other chiefs, under the national flag, amid shouts of gladness from the whole assemblage. Monday should have been devoted to business, but on that day there was a great ball play, which was the national sport of the Cherokees.  The game is played with a small ball of dressed deerskin, stuffed with punk, hair, moss, or soft dry roots, and two rackets, similar to those used in tennis. Two goals are set up at a distance of several hundred yards from each other, and the object of the players is to drive the ball through the goal of their opponents by means of the rackets without touching it with the hand. The distribution of the goods was made by the Indians themselves.  The Chickamaugas received the greater part on the ground that they had not shared in those distributed at the treaty of Hoiston, which they did not attend. Hanging Maw gave notice that the national council would meet at Estanaula on June 23rd, to hear the report of Bloody Fellow, and would then give an answer to Governor Blount's talk.  The great council met at Estanaula June 23rd-30th, but neither Bloody Fellow nor Watts attended; the former claimed the sickness of some distant relative as an excuse, while the latter pleaded mercantile business in Pensacola.     Governor Blount, as Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the South, had his agents in the Cherokee nation, and received prompt information of hostile demonstrations by the Chickamaugas.  By September 12th he knew that the Chickamauga towns had declared war against the United States and were about to march against the frontiers; he thereupon ordered General Robertson, the ranking officer on the Cumberland, to put his brigade in condition to repel the invasion, should it be intended against the district of Mero. Moreover, he despatched Captain Samuel Handly, of Blount County, a brave and experienced officer, with forty-two men of his company, across the mountain into Mero District, for the defense of the frontiers of Cumberland.     Watts anticipated these measures on the part of Governor Blount, and, notwithstanding the wild and chaotic character of the Indian council, opposed them with a well-matured plan of campaign, as successful as it was cunning. He induced Bloody Fellow and The Glass, chiefs who opposed the war, to write Governor Blount such letters as were calculated to throw him off his guard.  They alleged that General Robertson had said to Coteatoy, during the conference with the Chickasaws and Choctaws, at Nashville, that the first blood that should be spilt in his settlement, he would come and sweep it clean with their blood. This, they said, had caused their young warriors to assemble together, and resolve to meet him, or go to the settlement and do mischief, but that, with the aid of Watts and some other head men, they had sent them to their different homes and to mind their hunting.     Having forwarded these letters, which they hoped would prevent Governor Blount from sending any troops to the relief of the Cumberland, the Indians hastened to take possession of the main roads leading to Mero District, for the purpose of intercepting any force that might, nevertheless, be ordered across the mountain. Watts' cousin, Talotiskoe, was dispatched with a considerable party, to waylay the Kentucky and Cumberland Roads: and the Middle Striker of Willstown, with fifty-six warriors, was sent to watch the Walton Road... Talotiskee's party accomplished nothing of importance.  After having intercepted a party of travelers on the Kentucky Road and killing one of their numbers, he crossed over to the Cumberland Road, where he learned, with bitter tears of disappointment and rage, the result of Watts' assault on Buchanan's Station."     The expedition under Middle Striker, on tile other hand, achieved a most important victory.  He marched rapidly northward along the Cumberland Mountains until he reached the Walton Road, in the neighborhood of Crab Orchard, where he concealed his party in a favorable position to command the road. In the meantime Captain Handly and his troops had entered the Wilderness at Southwest Point, and following the Walton Road west. reached Crab Orchard November 23,1792, seven days before the assault on Buchanan's Station. As they marched carelessly along the ivy bordered way near the foot of Spencer's Hill, they were startled by an unexpected volley from Middle Striker's warriors, who were concealed in the bushes by the roadside. A panic seized them, and they fled without striking a blow.  Colonel Joseph Brown excuses them on the ground that it had been raining, and their guns would not fire. Not one of them reached Mero District. Three were left dead on the field, and the remainder, except their captain, found their way back to Southwest Point. Captain Handly made a hero, but futile effort to rally his men.  In the confusion Leiper was unhorsed a short distance from the enemy. Captain Handly, seeing his perilous situation, attempted to rescue him. In doing so, his own horse was shot from under him, and being quickly surrounded by a crowd of warriors, he fought them hand to hand with his sword. Finally, he jumped behind a tree, and there encountered Archer Coody, a half-breed who had acted as interpreter and could speak English, to whom he surrendered.  Coody protected him with the greatest difficulty; he received numerous strokes from the side of the tomahawk, escaped a dangerous thrust from his own sword in the hands of an enemy and was barely saved from the shot of an Indian gun, before he could be brought to the presence of Middle Striker. He afterwards gave Coody credit for having saved his life.     Captain Handly was carried in rigid captivity to Wills town, where he was made to run the gauntlet, and was otherwise roughly treated until the sixth day of December. In the meantime a council was assembled to determine his fate, which hung in the balance for three days, but on the third day of its sitting the council determined that his life should be spared, after which he ceased to be treated as a prisoner and received the consideration of a brother. This happy conclusion was probably the result of Colonel Watts' desire for peace, as he at once employed Captain Handly to write for him a peace talk to Governor Blount. On the 24th of January he was escorted back to Knoxville with great ceremony by Middle Striker, Coody, and ten other warriors, and delivered up without price.     Governor Blount received the letters of Bloody Fellow and The Glass on September 13th.  Hews completely deceived, and on the 14th again wrote General Robertson, declaring he had suffered dreadful apprehension for him; congratulating him on the happy change of affairs; and ordering him to discharge his brigade.     But the crafty talks of Bloody Fellow and The Glass did not deceive General Robertson; the pretended spies, Findleston and Deratte, had already informed him that such letters were to be written, for the double purpose of enabling Watts to surprise the Cumberland settlements, and at the same time insure the tranquility of his country during his absence. He advised Governor Blount of the information he had received, and decided to keep his. Troops in service, ready to march at a moment's warning, until the 2d of October. He sent out spies to range the headwaters of Stone's and Harpeth rivers, and concentrated his troops within the settlements. On the25th his spies returned without having made any important discoveries. Then other spies were dispatched;  Clayton and Gee being ordered to reconnoiter the country in the neighborhood of the present town of Murfreesboro.     Watts also sent out his spies. In this service he employed John Walker and George Fields, two young half-breeds who had been reared among the white people, and spoke the English language. They had been present at the treaty of Holston; everybody knew them and had the utmost confidence in them. Walker was quite a stripling, and apparently the most innocent and good natured fellow in the world.  Fields afterwards served with Jackson in the Creek war, and was desperatdy wounded at the battle of Talladega. The spies of the two belligerents met in some fallen timber at Taylor's Trace, on the ridge between Duck River and Mill Creek, when theIndians decoyed Clayton and Gee into a trap, killed and scalped them.     A little after dark on the evening of September 30th, the Indian army approached Buchanan's Station.  It now consisted of two hundred and eighty warriors, one hundred and ninety-seven Cherokees and eighty-three Creeks. The Shawnees, who lived at Running Water, were numbered with the Cherokees. The whole was under the command of Colonel John Watts; the Creek division was commanded by Talotiskee, of the Broken Arrow, the great friend of Bowles. He is not to be confounded with Talotiskee, the cousin of Watts, who was not with the invading army. The Shawnees contingent was led by the Shawnees Warrior; and the cavalry was in charge of John Taylor. When the Indians had reached a point from which they could hear the lowing of the cows at Buchanan’s Station, they halted for consultation. A warm altercation followed, between Colonel Watts and the Creek chief, Talotiskee, as to the point of attack. Watts desired to fall at once upon Nashville, the most important point in the settlement; but Talotiskee insisted on destroying Buchanan's Station, four miles south of Nashvflle, on their way. They lost much time in this controversy. Such division of counsel is a rock on which large parties of Indians have generally split, especially when consisting of more than one nation. Still I cannot help believing that, while Watts had the address to raise an army, he lacked the force of character necessary to command obedience at the crucial moment. He showed the same weakness in his campaign against Knoxville, in 1793.  Finally, near midnight, Colonel Watts consented to make the attack on Buchanan’s Station.     This fort contained sundry families who had gone there for protection, and was defended by fifteen gun-men. The approach of the Indians was disclosed by the running of the cattle, and they were discovered and fired upon by John McRory, when within ten yards of the gate. They returned the fire, and kept up a constant and heavy discharge for an hour.  Thirty balls passed through a single porthole of the ''over jutting,'' and lodged in the roof, within the circumference of a hat. The women in the fort, under the leadership of Mrs. Sally Buchanan, rendered valuable aid to its defenders; they molded bullets, distributed ammunition, loaded guns, and on pressing occasions, fired them upon the enemy.     The Indians were never more than ten yards from the blockhouse and large numbers gathered around the lower walls in an attempt to fire it.  Finally, Kiachatalee, of Nickajack, a daring young chief whose talents and courage were much admired by Colonel Joseph Brown, who was once a captive in his town, ascended the roof with a torch, but was shot down; falling to the ground he attempted to fire the bottom logs; literally blowing the flames with his lastbreath.21 The Creek chief Talotiskee, of the Broken Arrow, and the redoubtable Shawnees Warrior, of Running Water, were also killed; Colonel Watts fell, pierced through both thighs with a rifle ball, arid was carried off on a horse stretcher.  Unacata, or the White-Man Killer, was dangerously, and Dragging Canoe's brother, called the White Owl's Son, mortally wounded. Besides these, four other warriors were wounded, two or three of whom afterwards died. Towards morning the report of the swivel at Nashville, signaled that General Robertson was starting for the relief of the distressed garrison, and 'the Indians withdrew. There were no casualties on the side of the besieged. COLONEL WATTS' LAST CAMPAIGN Governor Blount wrote General Robertson, October 17, 1792, ''Buchanan's Station has made a glorious beginning to the war"; but as the event proved it had put a sudden end to the open and avowed war.  There were some fiery spirits among the Chickamaugas as well as the Creeks, who, burning for revenge, still haunted the Cumberland, but their principal chiefs disavowed their acts, and expressed their unwillingness to renew the straggle.  As for Watts, the bland and playful view he took of the matter was absolutely childlike. He was calm and good-natured as usual; talked jocularly of hits campaign, and his wound; told how the people of Niekajack had sent a runner to him, to know whether his wound did not still hurt him and when answered in the negative, replied tauntingly that they did not expect it would be well so soon.     When Governor Blount's dispatches reached Philadelphia the Federal Government at once took steps to restore peace.  On February 8, 1793, the secretary of war wrote him that the President was highly desirous that John Watts, the Little Turkey, and as many others of the real chiefs of the Cherokees as he might deem proper to form a true representation of the tribe, should visit Philadelphia, promising them abundant supplies of such articles as they might desire, both for themselves and for their nation.     On the same day this order was issued, but, of course, before its receipt, Governor Blount dispatched John McKee, a particular friend of Watts, to the Chickamauga towns, in order that he might be with Watts, and exert his influence in the interest of peace.  When he arrived at Chattooga; about twenty miles from Wills town, he halted, under the advice of friends, and sent for Watts. Watts met him with manifestations of the warmest friendship, inquired about the welfare of Governor Blount, and spoke pleasantly of the war, and the unsuccessful efforts that had been made to induce him to renew it.  McKee had provided himself with a few gallons forum, and plied him with it, hoping by that means to acquire information from him, but all he got for his pains was the conviction that neither war nor the solicitations of his enemies had lessened Watts' friendship for him.  On leaving he accepted McKee's invitation to meet him at Spring Hill on March 8th.     Watts did not appear at the time appointed, nor did he ever appear, though McKee waited until the 16th, and then sent a messenger to him. He told the messenger that is could not come on account of a great ball play, though McKee was afterwards informed that the ball play was not to have taken place before the 26th.  Some days later John Walker, the innocent looking spy of the Buchanan's Station expedition, informed him that it was not the ball play that detained Watts, but a quarrel between him and Talotiskee on account of Watts' visit to him at Chattooga. Watts was so insulted that he determined to leave Wilistown, and actually packed up and had gone fourteen miles, when the young warriors sent and persuaded him back.          Though McKee got nothing definite or satisfactory from his mission, he had hardly returned when Watts himself appeared on the border, and sent word to Governor Blount that he was at the Hanging Maw's, and wished to visit him at Knoxville, if lie could do so with safety; but if he could not, he would be glad to meet him elsewhere. Governor Blount met Watts, the Hanging Maw, Doublehead, and other ehiefs, 6 at Henry's Station, on April 5th, and spent the day in eating, drinking and jocular conversation, of which Watts was very fond. He was friendly and good-natured, and impressed the governor as unquestionably the most leading character of his nation."The next day Governor Blount made known to Watts the wish of the President that he and the other chiefs visit Philadelphia.  He replied that in twenty-one nights (April 27th) they would have a full council at Running Water, and would then let him know what conclusion they had reached. The council did not meet at Running Water as expected but on the 24th of May, Bob MeLemorea warrior of Watts' party, arrived at the Hanging Maw's with a message from Watts, that the council at Willstown, with the Shawnee ambassadors, had broken up, and that all was straight; he would be up in five nights, with Talotiskee, Bloody Fellow, and other chiefs, and would give the particulars. He neither wrote nor sent the particulars of the proceedings at Willstown, for fear of same mistake.          June 3rd following, McKee informed Governor Blount that Doublehead, the Otter Lifter, and tenor twelve other chiefs from the Chickamauga towns had arrived at the Hanging Maw's, and that Watts was expected that day. They had come at the request of Governor Blount, and, having expressed the most pacific disposition, were expected to proceed to Philadelphia in company with McKee, whom Governor Blount had employed for that purpose, and authorized to provide for their wants by the way.          Having everything arranged to his satisfaction, Governor Blount himself departed for Philadelphia June 7th, leaving Secretary Daniel Smith in charge as acting governor of the Territory. Hanging Maw, or Scollacutta, the head chief of the Cherokee Nation, at whose house the envoys from the Chickamauga towns were assembling, was one of their old chiefs; he was already a great man when John Watts was a child. He knew Washington when they were both young men and warriors; and got to be known as the Great Warrior of his nation. But he had long been a friend of peace. As far back as 1780, when his towns joined the Chickamauga sin an invasion of the frontiers, he threatened to leave them and take up his residence with the whites; and in turn, the victorious Americans protected his house and property from plunder, even when Chota, the white city, was not spared. When the Old Tassel became principal chief of the Cherokees, Hanging Maw was his associate, and assisted him to preserve peace during the stormy days of the Franklin government. When The Tassel fell the Hanging Maw became his suecessor. At one time the Creeks fomented so much trouble on the frontiers that he removed to Wills town, but there they called him Virginian, and stole his horse, so he returned to Chota, determined to stand his ground.  Governor Blount declares, at this time, that "If there is a friendly Indian in the Cherokee Nation, to the United States, it is The Maw, and he is a very great, beloved man."During the month of May there were several small parties of Indians committing depredations in the settlements around Knoxville  On the 25th one of these parties killed Thomas Gillum and his son James, in the Raccoon Valley, near Clinch River.  Governor Blount ordered Capt. John Beard, with fifty mounted infantry, to give immediate pursuit, his purpose being to punish the offenders to deter like parties of Indians in the settlement from committing depredations, and to pacify the white people on the frontiers. Excitement in the neighborhood was at such a tension that only a favorable opportunity was necessary to cause it to burst out in the most terrible retaliation against the Indians. This opportunity was found in the order given to Captain Beard. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     In following the party of Indians who had killed the Gillums Captain Beard claimed that the trailed to the town of Hanging Maw, where the envoys from the Chickamauga towns were gathered, at the invitation of Governor Blount. Though he had been ordered not to cross the Tennessee River, about daylight on the morning of June 12th, 1793, he crossed over to the south bank of that stream, and made an assault on Hanging Maw's town.  He killed Scantee, Fool Charley, or Captain Charley and eight or ten others, among whom was William Rosebury, a white man who had an Indian wife and a small family, and Betty, the daughter of Kittigeskee.  Among the wounded were Hanging Maw, his wife and daughter, and Betty, the daughter of Nancy Ward, who, it will be remembered, was the Indian wife of Gen. Joseph Martin. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Maj. Robert King, an agent of the government, who had formed a connection with Hanging Maw’s daughter, was in the house when it was attacked, and only saved his life by jumping out of the window; an incident that shows some degree of advancement in their dwelling houses. James Orr and Daniel Carmichael, also government agents, were fired upon as they made their escape.          By hard pleading the white men induced Captain Beard to spare the rest of Hanging Maw’s family, and not to burn his house. It was reported at the time that Doublehead and Hanging Maw’s wife were both killed, the latter while pleading for forbearance and professing her invariable friendship for the white people. But it turned out that neither of them was killed; Hanging Maw's wife received a wound from which she recovered; and four years afterward, her husband having died in the meantime, she applied to the government for a pension as his widow, alleging this affair as a ground for her claim.     It was felt that this shocking assault would inevitably bring on a general war, and Secretary Smith immediately wrote to Hanging Maw, Doublehead; and Watts, pleading with them not tube rash, but to go on and see their great father, the President, as he had requested, and assuring them that he would give them satisfaction if they forbore to take it themselves.     The Indians demanded that they be given immediate satisfaction by the arrest and punishment of Captain Beard's party. Doublehead was furious. ''I am still among my people, living in gores of blood,'' he wrote. ''We have lost nine of our people that we must have satisfaction for. This is the third time we have been served so. I shall not go from this place until I get a full answer from you." Hanging Maw answered sarcastically that, while Governor Blount was in place nothing happened.  "Surely they are making fun of you.'' ''If you are left in the place of the  governor, you ought to take satisfaction yourself." ’’I think you are afraid of these bad men.''  And to President Washington he wrote that he need not look for them to go to Philadelphia at that time. John Watts answered not a word. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     Secretary Smith caused Captain Beard to be arrested and tried before a .court martial, but public sentiment was too strong to be resisted, and he was acquitted; and Secretary Smith confessed, to his great pain, that he found it out of the question to punish Beard by law at that time.     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Finding the authorities thus powerless to punish the offenders, the patience of the Cherokees gave way, and the latter part of August brought unmistakable evidence of Indian hostility. The settlements were put in a posture of defense... General Sevier was posted at Ish's Station, across the river from Knoxville, with 400 mounted infantry.  There were forty men at Knoxville, and a respectable farce at Campbell's Station, about fifteen miles west of Knoxville; which was one of the strongest forts on the border.     On the evening of September 24, 1793, John Watts, at the head of a large body of Indians, estimated at a thousand warriors or more, composed of Cherokees and Creeks, crossed the Tennessee River below the mouth of Holston, and marched all night in the direction of Knoxville. They avoided Campbell's Station, passed within three miles of Ish's, and daylight found them in sight of Cavett’s Station, eight miles west of Knoxville.     When intelligence of the approaching Indians reached Knoxville, its men, under the leadership of Cal. James White, determined to meet them on the ridge, a mile and a quarter west of the town, rather than await them in the blockhouse. Among the brave men who shouldered their rifles and marched out to. meet the enemy was the Rev. Samuel Carrick, whose wife lay dead in his house, and her body was left to be committed to the grave by female hands.  Colonel White skilfully planned his defense, carefully placed his men in ambush, and patiently awaited the enemy, but they never came.     Colonel Watts had with him some of the most intractable chiefs of the nation, particularly Doublehead.  I have already mentioned the difficulty of controlling large bodies of Indians, and expressed the opinion that Watts did not have the force of character to compel obedience to his win. On this occasion the chiefs disputed the question, whether they should press on to Knoxville at once, or stop and destroy every cabin on their way.  Doublehead favored the latter. Then the question arose whether they should massacre all the inhabitants of Knoxville, or only the men. Doublehead insisted on the former. The altercation between Doublehead and Vaun was long and heated. Vann had a little boy, a captive, riding behind him. Doublehead became so infuriated that he killed Vann's little boy. The result was that, after a march, which. for celerity and silence was quite remarkable, they found themselves eight miles from Knoxville at daylight, the hour at which their attack on that town was to have been made.     But they were in sight of Cavett's Station, a blockhouse in which Alexander Cavett and his family of thirteen people resided, only three of whom were gunmen. They abandoned Knoxville and assaulted Cavetti’s. The three men made a brave resistance. Alexander Cavett, the father, died with bullets in his mouth, which he had placed there to facilitate loading. Five Indians fell, dead or wounded, before their rifles. This checked the assailants and brought on a parley. The Bench, Watts' nephew, who spoke English, agreed with the besieged that if they would surrender, their lives should be spared, and that they should be exchanged for a like number of Indian prisoners. These terms were accepted and the little garrison surrendered. As soon as they left the blockhouse Doublehead and his party fell upon them and put them all to death in the most barbarous manner, except Alexander Cavett, Jr., who was saved by the interposition of Colonel Watts, though he was afterwards killed in the Creek towns. It is but just to add that TheBench, who arranged the terms of capitulation, pleaded, though in vain, for the lives of the captives.     The house was then plundered and burned, and the Indians disappeared. General Sevier, who then lay at Ish's with 400 men, was ordered out by Secretary Smith, to pursue the Indians. Being reinforced until his whole army numbered about seven hundred men, General Sevier took the field and marched rapidly southward until October 14, 1793, when he reached the beloved town of Oostanaula.  The town was deserted, but as it contained abundant provisions, General Sevier halted here and rested his men. The Indians undertook to surprise his camp at night, but their attack was unsuccessful. From some Cherokee prisoners taken at Estanaula it was learned that the main body of the enemy, composed of Cherokees and Creeks, had passed that place a few days previously, and were making for a town at the mouth of the Etowah River. After retreshing his troops, General Sevier followed the enemy, reaching the confluence of the Oostanaula and Etowah rivers on the evening of the17th.     The Creeks and a number of the Cherokees had entrenched themselves on the opposite bank of the Etowah, to obstruct its passage. A happy mistake on the part of the guides, Carey and Findleston, saved the day for the whites. They carried Colonel Kelly's forces half a mile below the ford, where he and a few others immediately swam the river. The Indians, discovering this movement, abandoned their entrancements and rushed down the river to oppose Colonel Kelly. Captain Evans, discovering the error, wheeled, and, turning his horsemen back to the ford, dashed into the river.  The Indians at the ford, who were under the command of the King Fisherman Cherokee chief of the first consequence, saw their mistake, and returning received Captain Evans' company furiously at the rising of the bank. The engagement was hot and spirited. The King Fisher made a daring sally within a few yards of Hugh Lawson White, afterwards the distinguished jurist and statesman. He and some of his comrades discharged their rifles, the King Fisher fell, and his warriors abandoned the field. The whites lost three men in this engagement.          This campaign ended the war, and closed the military careers of both Colonel Watts and General Sevier. Tennessee, the Volunteer State Moore and Foster, the S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. 1923   

Additional information about this story

Description Date Location Attached to·                     Col. John Trader Watts Sr (1726 - 1771)Other trees this object is saved to·                      o                    Winkler-Thomas Family Tree o              by  jeannethomas1961 on 26 Oct 2009 ·                      o                    roberson Family Tree o              by  arrelr on 25 Oct 2009