6 October 1792 Knoxville Gazette  

Knoxville Gazette

6 October 1792 
(published October 10)
 

It was published in Rogersville TN and was the first newspaper in the state. It holds news from all over the state. 

Knoxville, Wenesday, October 10
On the 30th of September, about midnight, John Buchanan's station, four miles south of Nashville (at which sundry families had collected, and fifteen gunmen) were attacked by a party of Creeks and Lower Cherokees, supposed to consist of three or four hundred. - Their approach was suspected by the running of cattle that had taken fright at them, and upon examination, they were found rapidly advancing within ten yards of the gate, and from this place and distance they received the first fire from the man who discovered them (John M'Rory). They immediately returned the fire, and continued a very heavy and constant firing upon the station (block-houses surrounded with a stockade) for an hour, and were repulsed with considerable loss, without injuring man, woman or child in the station.

During the whole time of the attack, the Indians were never more distant than ten yards from the Block House, and often in large numbers close round the lower walls, attempting to put fire to it. One ascended the roof with a torch, where he was shot, and falling to the ground, renewed his attempts to fire the bottom logs, and was killed. The Indians fired 30 balls through a port hole or the overjuting, which loged in the roof in the circumstances of a hat, and those sticking in the walls on the outside are innumerable.

Upon viewing the ground next morning, it appeared, that the fellow who was shot from the roof, was a Cherokee halfbreed, of the Running Water, known by the whites by the name of Tom Turnbridge's step son, the son of a French woman by an Indian; and there was much blood, and sign that many dead had been dragged off, and litters having been made to carry the wounded to their horses which they had left a mile from the station. Near the block-house were found, several swords, hatchets, pipes, kettles, and budgets of different Indian articles; one of the swords was a fine Spanish blade, and richly mountd in the Spanish fashion. In the morning previous to the attack, Jonathan Gee and _______ Clayton were sent out as spies; and on the ground, among other articles left by the Indians, were found a hankerchief and a mocason, known one to belong to Gee and the other to Clayton, hence it supposed they are killed.

Undoubted advices have been received that as early as the 18th of September, as many as five hundred Creeks passed the Tennessee, at the lower Cherokee towns, and below, on their way as they declared, to make war on Cumberland, and that they were joined by about oe hundred Cherokees of those towns. - This may have been the party that attacked Buchanan's station. Dreadful havoc was expected, but it is now hoped that the check they have received, will induce them to return without making further attempts upon that settlement.

On the 3rd instant, Black's Block House, on the head of Crooked Creek, (a branch of Little River) at which there was a serjeant's command, of Capt. Crawford's company, was attacked, by surprise, about an hour and a half in the night, by a party of Indians commanded by a Cherokee of Will's Town, called the Tail, a brother of the Bench, and Talohteske, consisting of three other Cherokees, and five Creeks.

James Paul was killed, in the house, and George Morse and Robert Sharp, at a fire on the outside, and John Shankland wounded, three horses were killed, and seven taken off.

These are the fruits of the advice of Baron D'Corrondolet and Governor O'Neal; and it is due to Mr. Panton, their chief instrument, to add, he has well acted his part!!

A few days past, young Gillespie was conducted safe to Nine Mile, (Craig's Station) by John Christain and two young Cherokees, (the Warrior's son and Kulsatehee) from Estanaula, where he was purchased from the eight Creeks who took him, by James Carey, with the assistance and interposition of Chulenah, and other chiefs of the Upper Cherokees, for two hundred and fifty pounds of leather (equal to eighty-three dollars and thirty three cents) and a fifteen pounds sterling horse. The Creeks value a white prisoner and a Negro at the same price and treat them equally as slaves.

Young Gillespie was taken from his father's house, within twenty miles of this place, on the 12th of September, and his elder brother was killed and scalped by the same party.

The principal chiefs of the Cherokees, except those of the five lower towns, have given notice, that the five lower towns are for war, and every other part of the nation for peace with the United States, and there are daily proofs of the truth of both. 


"Those indebted to the Estate of James Donald, deceased, are desired to make payment to the subscriber, on or before the next court of Knox County, or they will be dealt with the agreeable law.

Knoxville, September 28, 1792 John Crawford, Ex'r 


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