OCTOBER 1:

1992 Indian Brook Nova Scotia - Reg Maloney Micmac chief gets right to try some native court cases on 1,200 member reserve; minor criminal cases.

October 1, 1776: 1800 Virginians arrive in the "overhill" towns, and demand Dragging Canoe and Alexander Cameron. The two men were leaders of the Cherokees in anti-United States activities during the Revolutionary War. The Cherokees refuse to give them up. The Virginians will burn several towns.
 
 

BACKGROUND:
 

Words Spoken - Dragging Canoe

"Whole Indian Nations have melted away like snowballs in the sun more the white man's advance. They leave scarcely a name of our people except those wrongly recorded by their destroyers. Where are the Delewares? They have been reduced to a mere shadow of their former greatness. We had hoped that the white men would not be willing to travel beyond the mountains. Now that hope is gone.

They have passed the mountains, and have settled upon Tsalagi Cherokee) land. They wish to have that usurpation sanctioned by treaty. When that is gained, the same encroaching spirit will lead them upon other land of the Tsalagi (Cherokees). New cessions will be asked. Finally the whole country, which the Tsalagi (Cherokees) and their fathers have so long occupied, will be demanded, and the remnant of the Ani Yvwiya, The Real People, once so great and formidable, will be compelled to seek refuge in some distant wilderness. There they will be permitted to stay only a short while, until they again behold the advancing banners of the same greedy host. Not being able to point out any further retreat for the miserable Tsalagi (Cherokees), the extinction of the whole race will be proclaimed. Should we not therefore run all risks, and incur all consequences, rather than to submit to further loss of our country?

Such treaties may be alright for men who are too old to hunt or fight. As for me, I have my young warriors about me. We will hold our land."
 

*****
 

An account of those times, from the perspective of the life of a settler: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/roots-l/genealog/genealog.dentonj1
 
 

JOHN DENTON

PATRIOT - PIONEER By David W. Templin

John Denton was born 17 June 1759 in Dunsmore County, Virginia.  He was a son of Abraham and Mourning (Hogg) Denton. About 1775 John Denton moved with his family to the Watauga settlements, where he resided during the period of the Revolution.  He moved a short distance south to the Nolichucky settlements about 1780, and then into what is now Cocke County, Tennessee about 1791.

During the earlier part of the Revolution, the inhabitants of the Watauga and Nolichucky settlements were driven back to the older and safer settlements in Virginia by the Cherokee Indians at the urging of British agents among the Indians.

The settlers of the Watauga and Nolichucky settlements were warned of the impending onslaught of the Cherokees by four traders from the Cherokee Nation.  It appears that the traders who carried the warning were Isaac Thomas, William Falling, Jarret Williams and probably John Bryan(t).  The warning was given to these traders by Nancy Ward, who helped them to escape from the Indian towns on the Little Tennessee and Tellico Rivers in present Monroe County, Tennessee.  This was a three-pronged invasion by the,Indians with the main force led by the implacable foe of the settlers, the war chief of the Cherokees, Dragging Canoe.  It was his intention to fall upon the settlers near the Long Island of Holston in what is now Sullivan County, and then carry the battle to the lower Virginia settlements.  Thanks to the warning, conveyed to them by the traders and Nancy Ward, militia of the region had gathered.  On 20 July 1776 at Island Flats near Long Island of Holston, the frontier militia under command of Captain James Thompson, who lived on the island, met and defeated the Indians.  The militia was apparently composed of five companies commanded by Captains John Campbell, James Shelby, William Buchanan, William Cocke, and Thomas Madison in addition to that of James Thompson who was in overall command. Dragging Canoe's party was composed of about 170-200 warriors.

A second force of Indians, under command of The Raven, raided the settlements in Carter Valley in present day Hawkins County.  Settlers there had been warned of the holocaust and had fled their homes, with the men going to the nearest fort, and the women and children back to what i@ now Wythe County, Virginia.  Finding little to deter them, the Indians made inroads into the settlements on the Clinch River, and in the neighborhood of The Wolf Hills (present day Abingdon), Virginia.  The tide of Indian invasion rolled up to the Seven Mile Ford of the Holston.  This took place in the late summer and early fall of 1776, And in early 1777 the Indians returned and raided Poor Valley.

A third party of Indians, under command of Old Abram of Chilhowee, raided Fort Caswell on the Watauga 21 July 1776, but was beaten back.  Although unable to accomplish any objectives of their invasion, the Indians remained for some time around the Nolichucky settlements.

It appears that John Denton was not involved in any of the battles of July 1776 against the Indians.  Probably he had accompanied the women and children back to the Virginia settlements.  John Denton volunteered in a company of infantry commanded by Captain James Young at Riddles Fort of Holston River in Virginia.  While on the march to join the army being assembled to march against the Cherokees on Little Tennessee River, Captain Young was killed, about 20 miles below Riddles Port.  Lieutenant William Young commanded until they reached Long Island of the Holston where the company was placed under command of Captain James Shelby and Major Evan Shelby, in the army being assembled under command of Colonel William Christian.  This army left the Long Island about 1 Oct 1776, and the first day marched six miles up Horse Creek, past the divide-with Lick Creek, and camped at Double Springs.  Here they were joined by Watauga and Nolichucky troops under Captains James Robertson and John Sevier.  The companies of James Robertson, John Sevier, James Thompson, Daniel Smith, and Gilbert Christian were formed into a battalion under Major Evan Shelby.  The army of Colonel William Christian was made up of about 1800 men and marched 6 Oct 1776 from the Double Spring camp toward the Indian towns.  They went down Lick Creek, in present Greene County, to its junction with Nolichucky River.  During the night while the army was camped here Ellis Hardin, a trader at the Cherokee towns, came into camp with information that the Indians were waiting on the south side of the French Broad to contest the crossing of the river.  From the camp at the mouth of Lick Creek the army marched across the Nolichucky and up Long Creek to its head, then down Dumplin Creek to the French Broad River.  The army's march was evidently along the Great War Path of the Indians, and the ford across the French Broad was near Buckingham Island.

Before the army reached the ford they were met by Fallin, a trader who had a white flag, but this was disregarded by Colonel Christian.  The Cherokee Nation was divided.  One faction, led by Chief Dragging Canoe who had been wounded at the Battle of Island Flats 20 July 1776, wanted to abandon the towns along the Little Tennessee and withdraw further down the Holston (now Tennessee).  The elders and other of the tribe wanted to remain in the beloved towns along the Little Tennessee.  This faction prevailed, and the Cherokees sent Nathaniel Gist to seek peace from Colonel Christian.  Later, Dragging Canoe, with many young Cherokees and some Creeks, would prevail and make many vicious raids against the settlers from the Chicamauga towns in the vicinity of the present day Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Colonel Christian, having been told the Indians were prepared to contest the fording of French Broad at Buckingham Island, attempted a ruse.  He had his men light a fire and pitch tents for each mess, as if the army meant to remain in camp on the north side of the French Broad River for several days.  At 8:00 P.M.  he took 1100 men, marched about four miles below Buckingham Island and crossed the river at the ford discovered there by some scouts from John Sevier's company.  It was the intention of Colonel Christian to attack the Indians drawn up to oppose the crossing of the river from behind before sunrise.  To Christian's surprise there was no Indian force there.  It is possible the crossing of the French Broad was made the night of 15 Oct 1776, Colonel Christian had stated in a report from the Bouble Spring camp 6 Oct 1776 that it was his intention to cross French Broad October 15.  Christian allowed the men to remain in camp that day to dry their equipment and clothes which had gotten wet at the crossing made at the lower ford.  While in camp on the south bank of French Broad, in what is now Sevier County, the scouts and traders from the Cherokee towns came in and reported that many of the Indian warriors had taken their families and fled south to the Hiwassee River, in present day McMinn, Meigs, and Bradley Counties.

After spending the day following the crossing of French Broad in camp, the army resumed the march to the towns of the Overhill Cherokees along the Little Tennessee River, probably on 16 or 17 Oct 1776.  From the fording of the French Broad to Toqua Ford on Little Tennessee the march led the army up the valley of Boyds Creek, in present day Sevier County, and down Ellejoy Creek from its source in Sevier County to where it runs into Little River in present day Blount County.  The army passed the present site of Maryville, Tennessee, and on Friday, 18 Oct 1776, crossed the Little Tennessee River near Toqua, probably at Tomotley Ford.  The night of 18 Oct 1776 was spent at Tomotley a site of a Cherokee village downriver from Toqua.  No opposition was found and next day the forces of Colonel Christian marched downriver, on the south side of Little Tennessee passing through Tuskegee, then past the site of old Fort Loudon which was destroyed by the Cherokees in 1760, to the Great Island Town (Mialaquo).  Colonel Christian made his headquarters at Great Island Town near the present Vonore, Monroe County, Tennessee.  The army camped near the Indian towns about six weeks and probably returned to their homes about 1 December 1776.

The Nolichucky and Watauga settlements were the scene of more turmoil in 1777.  May 7, 1777 the General Assembly of North Carolina provided that four companies of rangers or scouts, composed of to men each, should be raised among the people settled west of the mountains.  One of these companies was commanded by James Stuart, and apparently was based, or was responsible for the present area of Unicoi County.  John Denton was a member of a company of 40 rangers commanded by Captain Thomas Price and Lieutenant Jarrett Williams.  It appears that Captain Price's company ranged through Greene and Hawkins Counties, and was on duty six months, probably being released in late 1777.  It was the duty of these companies to keep the Indians in check.

John Denton took part in another campaign which appears to be that of the winter of 1780.  Monday, 25 Sep 1780 the riflemen of the Watauga and Nolichucky settlements gathered at Sycamore Shoals at the foot of Yellow Mountain near Elizabethtown in present Carter County.  Their purpose was to meet and defeat the British under Colonel Patrick Ferguson.  On Saturday, 7 Oct 1780, the riflemen of Watauga, Nolichucky, Southwest Virginia, and western North Carolina along with some South Carolina and Georgia patriots met the British of Ferguson and defeated them at Kings Mountain in South Carolina.  The men of Watauga and Nolichucky were commanded by John Sevier.  There is no indication that John Denton was among the riflemen at Kings Mountain, but he was among those who were called to meet the threat of the Cherokee almost as soon as the victors of Kings Mountain returned to their homes "west of the blue hills."

As soon as he could do so after the victory at Kings Mountain, Colonel John Sevier detached the company of Captain George Russell make a forced march to their homes.  Nancy Ward had sent the traders from the Cherokee towns to warn the settlers that a large force of Indians had been instigated by the British to march against the settlements on Watauga and Nolichucky.  Almost as soon as Sevier returned home he called for a force to meet the impending invasion.

Among those called or volunteered was John Denton.  He volunteered in a company which elected Joseph Bullen Captain and himself as First Lieutenant.  The army rendexvoused at Swan Pond on Lick Creek, marched down Long Creek in present day Jefferson County, to the ford of the French Broad near Buckingham Island where they crossed the rive@and marched on to meet the Indians.  In his application for a pension John Denton states that the battle was fought at Cedar Springs in Blount County.  John Denton states that he pursued and killed an Indian, taking a gun with "Georgis Rex" inscribed on the barrel and a new British tomahawk from the man.  This was the engagement which has come down to us as the Battle of Boyds Creek and it was fought Saturday 16 Dec 1780.  According to John Denton the contingent commanded by Colonel Sevier was composed of 270 men.  Very soon after the battle Colonel Sevier received a message from Colonel Arthur Campbell of Southwest Virginia stating that he would arrive within a week, and asking Sevier to wait for his arrival before marching on to the towns of the Indians.  Sevier fell back to the ford of the French Broad near Buckingham Island, but Colonel Campbell did no arrive until Friday 22 Dec 1780, and provisions were running short.  Colonel Campbell and Major Martin from Sullivan County arrived with 300-400 additional men, and the march was resumed to the Little Tennessee River where a crossing was made at Tomotley Ford Sunday 24 Dec 1780.  Chota was reached on Monday 25 Dec 1780 and a large store of supplies was found.  Resistance was slight and Thursday 28 December the villages of Chota, Tellico and Tuskegee were burned and the army moved to Kaitee on Tellico River. Hiwassee was also found to be abandoned and Monday 1 Jan 1780 the army turned homeward.

In 1782 John Denton married Mary Moore, a daughter of James Moore and Martha Denton Moore, who was the second wife of Colonel John Tipton.  John Denton appears to have remained in the Nolichucky settlements until about 1790 when he moved@ what later became Cocke County.  He obtained two grants from the state of Tennessee for land on Cosby Creek.  About 1812-15 he moved to Overton County, Tennessee where he lived until about 1820-25 when he moved to Monroe County, Tennessee, perhaps to land which he had first seen while on the Indian campaigns in 1776 and 1780.  Little is known of the later life of John Denton.  He died 5 July 1842, in Monroe County, and may be buried in Hopewell Cemetery.  He was granted a pension for his service during the Revolution as was his widow Mary in 1849.
 

Copied from The Smokey Mountain Historical Society Newsletter This article scanned by Cliff Manis <cmanis@csoftec.csf.com> with the permission of Mr. Larry Fox, President of Society. By Mr. David H. Templin, Blount County, Maryville, Tennessee