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Fort Nashborough and the Settlers of Nashville, TN
A
group led by James
Robertson are considered to be the first permanent settlers to arrive
in what is now Nashville / Davidson County, Tennessee. They came from
the settlement at Watauga
in what is now upper East Tennessee, walking overland. Along the way Robertson
encountered John Rains, a former Long
Hunter, and an assemblage of men and families headed from the New
River area of Virginia to Kentucky. Robertson talked Rains and his group
into joining him on his trek to the Bluffs of the Cumberland. Robertson
and company arrived at the site in late December 1779. John Donelson
and a flotilla of flatboats, carrying the families of many of the men
who had come earlier with Robertson from Watauga, arrived in April of
1780. In May of 1780
the settlers signed a document called the Cumberland
Compact. Although not all settlers signed, there are 255 signatures
and it is a helpful tool in identifying many of the first settlers. In addition to Nashborough there were a number of other small communities established in the area either shortly before or soon after the arrival of the Robertson / Donelson group. The most well known of these forts or stations are Eaton's on the east side of the river, Freeland's in north Nashville; Casper Mansker's at Goodlettsville; Asher's near Gallatin; Donelson's at Clover Bottom on Stone's River; Union near where Spring Hill Cemetery in Madison is today; and Renfroe's or Red River Station, about forty miles northwest of Nashborough. On April 14, 1783, North Carolina established Davidson County, named for Gen. William Davidson, an officer of North Carolina in the Revolutionary war.
By Anson Nelson, Recording Secretary of the Tennessee Historical Society Very large
tribes of Indians must have occupied the country around Nashville for
many miles, and possibly for several hundred years previous to the seventeenth
century. This is attested by the numerous places of interment for the
dead, covering several acres in each place. An immense "burying ground"
was on Harpeth river, another at the mouth of Stone's river (not many
miles from the city), another in what is now North Edgefield, just across
the Cumberland, another in what is now North Nashville, and still another
in and around the sulphur spring bottoms, in the city. In fact, at almost
every lasting spring, graves can be found all over this section of country.
So far as we
know, the Suwanee, or Shawnee, tribe were the original possessors of the
soil, but were driven out by the Chickasaws and Cherokees, who made it
a hunting ground for all the tribes, until the whites came and took possession.
A Frenchman,
whose name we do not know, was here as a trader in 1710, who had a cabin
or trading post near the river, a little north of the Lick Branch. Living
with him was a lad about fifteen years of age, named Charles Charleville,
who eventually succeeded the Frenchman in business, and who died at the
age of eighty-four. When the first American hunters came here, which was
in 1770, or thereabouts, they found Mons. Timothy De Mon Breun, occupying
the place left by Mons. Charleville. Hence the name of French Salt Lick
was given to the Sulphur Spring. Mons. De Mon Breun lived here for many
years, and died in 1826, at a good old age, His descendants, the Demonbreuns,
are still with us, and Demonbreun street was named in honor of the venerable
Timothy. The first white
settlement made in Nashville, was in the winter of 1779-80, a winter remarkable
for its severe coldness. The immigrants crossed the river, with their
baggage and cattle, on the ice. General James
Robertson headed one party, John Rains another, from North Carolina.
A small party from South Carolina soon followed. Captain John Donelson's
party, from the settlements in East Tennessee, arrived in the spring Of
1780. A few rude cabins were built where the city now stands, whilst others
were erected in the vicinity. Necessity soon compelled them to erect forts,
and the principal one was built at the foot of Church street, near the
upper wharf, because a large, bold spring from the bluff. This post was
agreed upon as the headquarters, and the name of Nashborough was given
to it, in honor of General Francis Nash, of North Carolina, who was mortally
wounded in the battle of Germantown, October, 1777. It was at this fort
that a compact
for their self-government and protection was voluntarily entered into,
on the memorable first day of May, 1780. This compact, or form of constitutional
government, can be found in Putnam's "Life and Times of General James
Robertson." In the summer
of 1780, Robert Gilkie sickened and died, and was the first man of the
white settlers that died a natural death. Philip Conrad was killed by
a tree falling on him, near the junction of Cherry and Demonbreun streets,
the same summer. Captain Lieper
was the first man married in the settlement, and his was the first wedding
west of the Cumberland mountains. The ceremony was performed by Col. Robertson,
who was at the head of the Government of Notables, in the summer of 1780.
No spirits were used on the occasion although there was a feast and dancing.
The great delicacy for the ladies was roasting ears, while the men eat
dried meat, buffalo tongues and venison. The first male
child born in Nashville was Felix Robertson, whose birth occurred on the
11th of January, 1781. He became a noted physician, was mayor of the city
in 1818, and also in 1827 and 1828. The Government
of Notables, of which John Montgomery was the first sheriff, and Andrew
Ewin first clerk, passed away in 1783, and the State of North Carolina
spread her motherly wings over the settlers, and established an Inferior
Court, vested with extraordinary powers. A court-house and prison were
ordered to be erected—of hewed logs! The first survey
of lots in the new town was made by Thomas Mulloy (for whom Mulloy street
is named), in 1784. The original copy of the survey was lost, and Mulloy
made another survey in 1789 for Judge John Overton, a copy of which is
now in the archives of the Tennessee Historical Society. The first physician
made his appearance in 1785, in the person, of John Sappington, who compounded
pills, covering them with mystery and a coat of sugar, and they were extensively
used and known as "Sappington's pills." They had a wonderful
reputation. Lardner Clark, " merchant and ordinary keeper,"
was the first man to open a dry goods store in Nashville, which he did
in 1786. His stock of goods was purchased in Philadelphia, packed on ten
horses, and came through the State of Virginia, East Tennessee and part
of Kentucky. Mr. Clark's goods consisted of cheap calicoes, unbleached
linens and coarse woolens; and be combined liquor selling and tavern keeping
with his dry goods operations. Wearing apparel, until then, was composed
almost entirely of dressed skins. Other licensed taverns were soon opened,
and rates of charges for food and spirituous liquors were established
by law. In 1787, the
twenty-six one-acre lots, which bad been sold for four pounds each, North
Carolina currency, were taxed at one dollar-total, $26. This was the first
assessment of real estate. January 12,
1789, Andrew Jackson was admitted as an attorney at law, and was appointed
' Attorney General in 1790. In 1796, the
first church was erected in Nashville, on the Public Square, near the
courthouse, jail and stocks. It was known as the Methodist Church, and
was torn down or removed in 1807 or 1808. In May, 1797,
three dashing young Frenchmen arrived in Nashville, who attracted a good
deal of attention, and afforded the greatest joy to old Mons. De Monbreun.
They were brothers, sons of the Duke of Orleans, and the eldest was subsequently
known as Louis Philippe, King of France. They left here in a canoe, proceeding
down the Cumberland river to the French settlements in Louisiana. The first newspaper
published in Nashville was "The Tennessee Gazette and Mero District
Advertiser," in 1797, by a printer from Kentucky, named Henkle. The
following year he sold the paper to Benjamin J. Bradford, who changed
the name to "The Clarion," and soon after sold it to his cousin,
Thomas G. Bradford. The Historical Society has a copy—No. 81, vol.
2, bearing date November 2, 1801—of "The Clarion," though
not in a good state of preservation. The Clarion was afterwards enlarged,
and called "The Clarion and Tennessee Gazette," by a union of
the two papers. In 1807, another paper was published here, called "The
Impartial Review and Cumberland Repository." Aaron Burr
arrived in Nashville May 29, 1805, and was the guest of General Jackson.
A public dinner was given him, and be was caressed and toasted by every
one. He came again August 16, the same year, and had great honor and attention
paid him, and was again the guest of Jackson. But when his schemes began
to be developed, his name became odious, and be was burnt in effigy by
the citizens in the autumn of 1806. In 1806 the
town was incorporated, with a mayor and six aldermen. Joseph Coleman was
the first mayor, and held the office for three years. Charles Dickinson
was killed by General Jackson, in a duel, this year. In 1810 the
population was 1,100. The Legislature assembled here for the first time.
It subsequently met in Murfreesboro', Kingston, Knoxville, etc., until
its final location in Nashville. In 1811 and
1812, a great many men volunteered for the war against Great Britain.
Thomas G. Bradford printed, in 1812, a book entitled " The Military
Instructor," containing Baron Steuben's tactics. Four years afterwards
" Clark's Miscellany, in Prose and Verse," was printed. General James Robertson, the old pioneer, died on the 1st of September, 1814, universally regretted. The volunteers from the Creek campaign returned in May, 1814, and a public dinner was given them at the Bell Tavern. Felix Grundy delivered an address of welcome, which was responded to by General Jackson on behalf of the volunteers. . . . |
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Copyright
2002 Laura Altevers
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