pioneers of the old southwest-第23部分

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River；　so…called　after　the　Indian　name　of　this　dashing　sparkling　stream；　meaning　rapid　or　precipitous。　Thus　the　nickname　given　John　Sevier　by　his　devotees　had　a　dual　application。　He　was　well　called　Nolichucky　Jack。


When　Virginia　annulled　Richard　Henderson's　immense　purchase　but　allowed　him　a　large　tract　on　the　Cumberland；　she　by　no　means　discouraged　that　intrepid　pioneer。　Henderson's　tenure　of　Kentucky　had　been　brief；　but　not　unprofitable　in　experience。　He　had　learned　that　colonies　must　be　treated　with　less　commercial　pressure　and　with　more　regard　to　individual　liberty；　if　they　were　to　be　held　loyal　either　to　a　King　beyond　the　water　or　to　an　uncrowned　leader　nearer　at　hand。　He　had　been　making　his　plans　for　colonization　of　that　portion　of　the　Transylvania　purchase　which　lay　within　the　bounds　of　North　Carolina　along　the　Cumberland　and　choosing　his　men　to　lay　the　foundations　of　his　projected　settlement　in　what　was　then　a　wholly　uninhabited　country；　and　he　had　decided　on　generous　terms；　such　as　ten　dollars　a　thousand　acres　for　land；　the　certificate　of　purchase　to　entitle　the　holder　to　further　proceedings　in　the　land　office　without　extra　fees。　To　head　an　enterprise　of　such　danger　and　hardship　Henderson　required　a　man　of　more　than　mere　courage；　a　man　of　resource；　of　stability；　of　proven　powers；　one　whom　other　men　would　follow　and　obey　with　confidence。　So　it　was　that　James　Robertson　was　chosen　to　lead　the　first　white　settlers　into　middle　Tennessee。　He　set　out　in　February；　1779；　accompanied　by　his　brother；　Mark　Robertson；　several　other　white　men；　and　a　negro；　to　select　a　site　for　settlement　and　to　plant　corn。　Meanwhile　another　small　party　led　by　Gaspar　Mansker　had　arrived。　As　the　boundary　line　between　Virginia　and　North　Carolina　had　not　been　run　to　this　point；　Robertson　believed　that　the　site　he　had　chosen　lay　within　Virginia　and　was　in　the　disposal　of　General　Clark。　To　protect　the　settlers；　therefore；　he　journeyed　into　the　Illinois　country　to　purchase　cabin　rights　from　Clark；　but　there　he　was　evidently　convinced　that　the　site　on　the　Cumberland　would　be　found　to　lie　within　North　Carolina。　He　returned　to　Watauga　to　lead　a　party　of　settlers　into　the　new　territory；　towards　which　they　set　out　in　October。　After　crossing　the　mountain　chain　through　Cumberland　Gap；　the　party　followed　Boone's　roadthe　Warriors'　Pathfor　some　distance　and　then　made　their　own　trail　southwestward　through　the　wilderness　to　the　bluffs　on　the　Cumberland；　where　they　built　cabins　to　house　them　against　one　of　the　coldest　winters　ever　experienced　in　that　county。　So　were　laid　the　first　foundations　of　the　present　city　of　Nashville；　at　first　named　Nashborough　by　Robertson。*　On　the　way；　Robertson　had　fallen　in　with　a　party　of　men　and　families　bound　for　Kentucky　and　had　persuaded　them　to　accompany　his　little　band　to　the　Cumberland。　Robertson's　own　wife　and　children；　as　well　as　the　families　of　his　party；　had　been　left　to　follow　in　the　second　expedition；　which　was　to　be　made　by　water　under　the　command　of　Captain　John　Donelson。

*　In　honor　of　General　Francis　Nash；　of　North　Carolina；　who　was　mortally　wounded　at　Germantown；　1777。


The　little　fleet　of　boats　containing　the　settlers；　their　families；　and　all　their　household　goods；　was　to　start　from　Fort　Patrick　Henry；　near　Long　Island　in　the　Holston　River；　to　float　down　into　the　Tennessee　and　along　the　652　miles　of　that　widely　wandering　stream　to　the　Ohio；　and　then　to　proceed　up　the　Ohio　to　the　mouth　of　the　Cumberland　and　up　the　Cumberland　until　Robertson's　station　should　appeara　journey；　as　it　turned　out；　of　some　nine　hundred　miles　through　unknown　country　and　on　waters　at　any　rate　for　the　greater　part　never　before　navigated　by　white　men。

〃Journal　of　a　voyage；　intended　by　God's　permission；　in　the　good　boat　Adventure〃　is　the　title　of　the　log　book　in　which　Captain　Donelson　entered　the　events　of　the　four　months'　journey。　Only　a　few　pages　endured　to　be　put　into　print：　but　those　few　tell　a　tale　of　hazard　and　courage　that　seems　complete。　Could　a　lengthier　narrative；　even　if　enriched　with　literary　art　and　fancy；　bring　before　us　more　vividly　than　do　the　simple　entries　of　Donelson's　log　the　spirit　of　the　men　and　the　women　who　won　the　West？　If　so　little　personal　detail　is　recorded　of　the　pioneer　men　of　that　day　that　we　must　deduce　what　they　were　from　what　they　did；　what　do　we　know　of　their　unfailing　comrades；　the　pioneer　women？　Only　that　they　were　there　and　that　they　shared　in　every　test　of　courage　and　endurance；　save　the　march　of　troops　and　the　hunt。　Donelson's　〃Journal〃　therefore　has　a　special　value；　because　in　its　terse　account　of　Mrs。　Jennings　and　Mrs。　Peyton　it　depicts　unforgettably　the　quality　of　pioneer　womanhood。*

*　This　Journal　is　printed　in　Ramsey's　〃Annals　of　Tennessee。〃


〃December　22nd；　1779。　Took　our　departure　from　the　fort　and　fell　down　the　river　to　the　mouth　of　Reedy　Creek　where　we　were　stopped　by　the　fall　of　water　and　most　excessive　hard　frost。〃


Perhaps　part　of　the　〃Journal〃　was　lost；　or　perhaps　the　〃excessive　hard　frost〃　of　that　severe　winter；　when　it　is　said　even　droves　of　wild　game　perished；　prevented　the　boats；　from　going　on；　for　the　next　entry　is　dated　the　27th　of　February。　On　this　date　the　Adventure　and　two　other　boats　grounded　and　lay　on　the　shoals　all　that　afternoon　and　the　succeeding　night　〃in　much　distress。〃


〃March　2nd。　Rain　about　half　the　day。。。。　Mr。　Henry's　boat　being　driven　on　the　point　of　an　island　by　the　force　of　the　current　was　sunk；　the　whole　cargo　much　damaged　and　the　crew's　lives　much　endangered；　which　occasioned　the　whole　fleet　to　put　on　shore　and　go　to　their　assistance。。。。

〃Monday　6th。　Got　under　way　before　sunrise；　the　morning　proving　very　foggy；　many　of　the　fleet　were　much　boggedabout　10　o'clock　lay　by　for　them；　when　collected；　proceeded　down。　Camped　on　the　north　shore；　where　Captain　Hutching's　negro　man　died；　being　much　frosted　in　his　feet　and　legs；　of　which　he　died。

〃Tuesday；　7th。　Got　under　way　very　early；　the　day　proving　very　windy；　a　S。S。W。；　and　the　river　being　wide　occasioned　a　high　sea；　insomuch　that　some　of　the　smaller　crafts　were　in　danger；　therefore　came　to　at　the　uppermost　Chiccamauga　town；　which　was　then　evacuated；　where　we　lay　by　that　afternoon　and　camped　that　night。　The　wife　of　Ephraim　Peyton　was　here　delivered　of　a　child。　Mr。　Peyton　has　gone　through　by　land　with　Captain　Robertson。

〃Wednesday　8th。。。proceed　down　to　an　Indian　village　which　was　inhabited。。。they　insisted　on　us　to　come　ashore；　called　us　brothers；　and　showed　other　signs　of　friendship。。。。　And　here　we　must　regret　the　unfortunate　death　of　young　Mr。　Payne；　on　board　Captain　Blakemore's　boat；　who　was　mortally　wounded　by　reason　of　the　boat　running　too　near　the　northern　shore　opposite　the　town；　where　some　of　the　enemy　lay　concealed；　and　the　more　tragical　misfortune　of　poor　Stuart；　his　family　and　friends；　to　the　number　of　twenty…eight　persons。　This　man　had　embarked　with　us　for　the　Western　country；　but　his　family　being　diseased　with　the　small　pox；　it　was　agreed　upon　between　him　and　the　company　that　he　should　keep　at　some　distance　in　the　rear；　for　fear　of　the　infection　spreading；　and　he　was　warned　each　night　when　the　encampment　should　take　place　by　the　sound　of　a　horn。。。。　The　Indians　having　now　collected　to　a　considerable　number；　observing　his　helpless　situation　singled　off　from　the　rest　of　the　fleet；　intercepted　him　and　killed　and　took　prisoners　the　whole　crew。。。；　their　cries　were　distinctly　heard。。。〃。


After　describing　a　running　fight　with　Indians　stationed　on　the　bluffs　on　both　shores　where　the　river　narrowed　to　half　its　width　and　boiled　through　a　canyon；　the　entry　for　the　day　concludes：　〃Jennings's　boat　is　missing。〃


〃Friday　10th。　This　morning　about　4　o'clock　we　were　surprised　by　the　cries　of　〃help　poor　Jennings〃　at　some　distance　in　the　rear。　He　had　discovered　us　by　our　fires　and　came　up　in　the　most　wretched　condition。　He　states　that　as　soon　as　the　Indians　discovered　his　situation　＇his　boat　had　run　on　a　rock＇　they　turned　their　whole　attention　to　him　and　kept　up　a　most　galling　fire　at　his　boat。　He　ordered　his　wife；　a　son　nearly　grown；　a　young　man　who　accompanies　them　and　his　negro　man　and　woman；　to　throw　all　his　goods　into　the　river　to　lighten　their　boat　for　the　purpose　of　getting　her　off；　himself　returning　their　fire　as　well　as　he　could；　being　a　good　soldier　and　an　excellent　marksman。　But　before　they　had　accomplished　their　object；　his　son；　the　young　man　and　the　negro；　jumped　out　of　the　boat　and　left。。。。　Mrs。　Jennings；　however；　and　the　negro　woman；　succeeded　in　unloading　the　boat；　but　chiefly　by　the　exertions　of　Mrs。　Jennings　who　got　out　of　the　boat　and　shoved　her　off；　but　was　near　falling　a　victim　to　her　own　intrepidity　on　account　of　the　boat　starting　so　suddenly　as　soon　as　loosened　from　the　rock。　Upon　examination　he　appears　to　have　made　a　wonderful　escape　for　his　boat　is　pierced　in　numberless　places　with　bullets。　It　is　to　be　remarked　that　Mrs。　Peyton；　who　was　the　night　before　delivered　of　an　infant；　which　was　unfortunately　killed　upon　the　hurry　and　confusion　consequent　upon　such　a　disaster；　assisted　them；　being　frequently　exposed　to　wet　and　cold。。。。　Their　clothes　were　very　much　cut　with　bullets；　especially　Mrs。　Jennings's。〃


Of　the　three　men　who　deserted；　while　the　women　stood　by　under　fire；　the　negro　was　drowned　and　Jennings's　son　and　the　other　young　man　were　captured　by　the　Chickamaugans。　The　latter　was　burned　at　the　stake。　Young　Jennings　was　to　have　shared　the　same　fate；　but　a　trader　in　the　village；　learning　that　the　boy　was　known　to　John　Sevier；　ransomed　him　by　a　large　payment　of　goods；　as　a　return　for　an　act　of　kindness　Sevier　had　once　done　to　him。


〃Sunday　12th。。。。　After　running　until　about　10　o'clock　came　in　sight　of　the　Muscle　Shoals。　Halted　on　the　northern　shore　at　the　appearance　of　the　shoals；　in　order　to　search　for　the　signs　Captain　James　Robertson　was　to　make　for　us　at　that　place。。。that　it　was　practicable　for　us　to　go　across　by　land。。。we　can　find　nonefrom　which　we　conclude　that　it　would　not　be　prudent　to　make　the　attempt　and　are　determined；　knowing　ourselves　in　such　imminent　danger；　to　pursue　our　journey　down　the　river。。。。　When　we　approached　them　＇the　Shoals＇　they　had　a　dreadful　appearance。。。。　The　water　being　high　made　a　terrible　roaring；　which　could　be　heard　at　some　distance；　among　the　dr