The Winning of the West Volume I Part 21

21. "American Archives," 4th Series, Vol. III., p. 1112.

22. _Do.,_ 5th Series, Vol. I., p. III.

23. _Do.,_ 4th Series, Vol. VI., p. 1229.

24. Her name was Nancy Ward. Campbell MSS., Haywood, etc.

25. Ramsey, 144. The buffalo were killed (winter of 1775-1776) twelve miles northeast of Carter's valley.

26. Haywood and his followers erroneously call it Heaton's: in the Campbell MSS., as well as the "Am. Archives," 5th Series, I., p. 464, it is called Eaton's or Amos Eaton's. This is contemporary authority. Other forts were Evan Shelby's, John Shelby's, Campbell's, the Wommack Fort, etc.

27. "Am. Archives," 5th Series, I., 973.

28. "American Pioneers," I., 534. Letter of Benjamin Sharp, who was in the fort at the time as a boy fourteen years old.

29. Many writers speak as if all the Indians were in these two bands, which was not so. It is impossible to give their numbers exactly; probably each contained from 150 to 300 warriors.

30. James Thompson, James Shelby, William Buchanan, John Campbell, William c.o.c.ke, and Thomas Madison. See their letter of August 2, 1776, "Am. Archives," 5th Series, I., 464. Haywood, relying on tradition, says five companies gathered; he is invaluable as an authority, but it must be kept in mind that he often relies on traditional statement.

31. The report of the six captains says "two divisions"; from Haywood we learn that the two divisions were two lines, evidently marching side by side, there being a right line and a left line.

32. See James Smith, _pa.s.sim._

33. Among the later Campbell MSS. are a number of copies of papers containing traditional accounts of this battle. They are mostly very incorrect, both as to the numbers and losses of the Indians and whites, and as to the battle itself very little help can be derived from them.

34. Campbell MSS.

35. Campell MSS.

36. Tennessee historians sometimes call it the battle of Long Island; which confuses it with Was.h.i.+ngton's defeat of about the same date.

37. The captains' report says the Indians were "not inferior" in numbers; they probably put them at a maximum. Haywood and all later writers greatly exaggerate the Indian numbers; as also their losses, which are commonly placed at "over 40," of "26 being left dead on the ground." In reality only 13 were so left; but in the various skirmishes on the Watauga about this time, from the middle of July to the middle of August, the backwoodsmen took in all 26 scalps, and one prisoner ("American Archives," 5th Series, I., 973). This is probably the origin of the "26 dead" story; the "over 40" being merely a flourish. Ramsey gives a story about Isaac Shelby rallying the whites to victory, and later writers of course follow and embellish this; but Shelby's MS.

autobiography (see copy in Col. Durrett's library at Louisville) not only makes no mention of the battle, but states that Shelby was at this time in Kentucky; he came back in August or September, and so was hundreds of miles from the place when the battle occurred. Ramsey gives a number of anecdotes of ferocious personal encounters that took place during the battle. Some of them are of very doubtful value--for instance that of the man who killed six of the most daring Indians himself (the total number killed being only thirteen), and the account of the Indians all retreating when they saw another of their champions vanquished. The climax of absurdity is reached by a recent writer, Mr. Kirke, who, after embodying in his account all the errors of his predecessors and adding several others on his own responsibility, winds up by stating that "two hundred and ten men under Sevier and [Isaac] Shelby ... beat back ...

fifteen thousand Indians." These numbers can only be reached by comparing an exaggerated estimate of all the Cherokees, men, women, and children, with the white men encountered by a very small proportion of the red warriors in the first two skirmishes. Moreover, as already shown, Shelby was nowhere near the scene of conflict, and Sevier was acting as Robertson's subaltern.

38. Another fort, called Fort Lee, had been previously held by Sevier but had been abandoned; see Phelan, p. 42.

39. "American Archives," 5th Series, I., 973; 500 women and children.

40. Campbell MSS. Haywood says that the first help came from Evan Shelby; Col. Russell, at Baton's Station proving dilatory. In the Campbell MSS. are some late letters written by sons of the Captain Campbell who took part in the Island Flats fight, denying this statement.

41. "American Archives," 5th Series, I., 973. Of the Watauga settlers eighteen men, two women, and several children had been killed; two or three were taken captive. Of the Indians twenty-six were scalped; doubtless several others were slain. Of course these figures only apply to the Watauga neighborhood.

42. _Do.,_ p 611.

43. "History of Georgia," Hugh McCall, Savannah, 1816, p. 76.

44. "Am. Archives," 5th Series, I., 610.

45. _Do.,_ 4th Series, VI, 1228.

46. _Do.,_ 5th Series, I., 613.

47. _Do.,_ 5th Series, I., 7, and III., 649. The Georgia frontiersmen seem to have been peculiarly brutal in their conduct to the Creeks; but the latter were themselves very little, if at all, better.

48. McCall; five families captured, in three skirmishes eight whites were killed and six Indian scalps taken.

49. McCall; the Tennessee historians erroneously a.s.sign the command to Col. McBury.

50. "View of South Carolina," John Drayton, Charleston, 1802, p. 231. A very good book.

51. More exactly two hundred and twenty-two, on the 8th of July.

52. _E.g._, at Hogskin Creek and Barker's Creek.

53. Lyndley's Fort, on Rayborn Creek.

54. Eleven hundred and fifty-one, of whom one hundred and thirty were riflemen. He was camped at Twenty-three Mile Creek.

55. At Toma.s.see, where he put to flight a body of two or three hundred warriors, he lost eight killed and fifteen wounded, and at Tugelou, four wounded. Besides these two towns, he also destroyed Soconee, Keowee, Ostatay, Cherokee, Eustustie, Sugaw Town, and Bra.s.s Town.

56. All militia of course, with only the training they had received on the rare muster days; but a warlike set, utterly unlike ordinary militia, and for woodland work against savages in many respects much superior to European regulars. This campaign against the Cherokees was infinitely more successful than that waged in 1760 against the same foe by armies of grenadiers and highlanders.

57. That is, after the return of the South Carolinians from their destruction of the lower towns.

58. "Historical Sketches of North Carolina," John H. Wheeler, Phil., 1851, p. 383.

59. "Am. Archives," 5th Series, Vol. II., p. 1235.

60. Up Hominy Creek, across the Pigeon, up Richland Creek, across Tuckaseigee River, over Cowee Mount.

61. "Am. Archives," 5th Series, II., p. 1235.

62. _Do._

63. Drayton. There was a good deal of jealousy between the two armies and their reports conflict on some points.

64. There is some conflict in the accounts of the destruction of the valley towns; after carefully comparing the accounts in the "American Archives," Drayton, White, Ramsey, etc., I believe that the above is substantially accurate. However it is impossible to reconcile all of the accounts of the relative order of Rutherford's and Williamson's marches.

65. Drayton; the "Am. Archives" say only twelve killed and twenty wounded. In another skirmish at Cheowee three South Carolinians were killed.

66. "Am. Archives," 5th Series, II., p. 1235.

67. _Do._

68. _Do._, p. 990; Drayton puts the total Cherokee loss at two hundred.

69. _Do._, Vol III., p. 33.