In 1768, the state of North Carolina formed a county that is no longer in existence. Tryon County was formed from Mecklenburg County. What is today known as Old Tryon County included land in all of today’s Polk and Rutherford counties, to the Green River and the North Pacolet River. According to the wording of treaties with the Cherokee, this most likely included land east of the Continental Divide in today’s Henderson County.
At the time the Revolutionary War began, settlers were living next to the Cherokee line and along the Green River, North Pacolet River and tributaries. All of today’s Polk County, Rutherford County and McDowell County were settled, along with Greenville and Spartanburg Districts in South Carolina. Many of these settlers were the first into today’s Henderson County.
There were forts to protect settlers. One was the Block House in Polk County. Another was Davidson’s Fort (Old Fort) in McDowell County.
When the American colonies revolted against Great Britain, the Catawba Indians chose to fight with the colonists.
Cherokee village councils met in May 1776 to discuss whether to fight against the American colonists. The Cherokee decided to fight to protect the existence of their society. The British promised to protect the tribe from encroachments by colonial settlers.
In June of 1776 the Cherokee raid white settlements in Watauga County and South Carolina.
There are issues with the attack on the Hannon family in today’s Polk County. In March 1776, a family in today’s Polk County – the Hannon family – was killed. Three children, the only witnesses, survive. The settlers in the area stated that Indians killed the family.
But, this attack occurred in March, before the Cherokee village councils met (May). According to T.J. Holland and other Cherokee researchers, this attack, as described, does not coincide with how the Cherokee fought. There is documentation that sometimes Tories, dressed as Indians, would attack settlers. Historians may never know the answer to this puzzle.
It was in the summer of 1776, at least two months or more after the Hannon massacre, that Capt. Thomas Howard with local militia left the Block House in today’s Polk County to retaliate against the Hannon attack.
There was a skirmish (surprise attack) at Round Mountain (Warrior Mountain, top of mountain near Saluda) with less than 20 Cherokee. The Cherokee were killed in the surprise attack. This could not possibly have been the same persons who massacred the Hannon family. There is no history of this attack by the militia among Cherokee researchers.
The old Indian trail that Capt. Thomas Howard followed is now called the Howard Gap Road.
In late July 1776, Gen. Griffith Rutherford with 2,400 frontiersmen invaded Cherokee country, destroying 32 towns and villages. He is joined by Col. Andrew Williamson with South Carolina troops and Col. William Christian with Virginians.
Men, women, children and livestock were killed. Some Cherokee women and children were taken as slaves. Cherokee prisoners and wounded were executed.
There are two sides to every story. In the case of the Rutherford Expedition into Cherokee land during the Revolutionary War, there are definitely two different sides. Accounts vary from historian to historian. Accounts vary between the Cherokee and some historians. This web site contains one version: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-revolution/4300
The view from the Cherokee side as related to James Mooney, an American ethnographer who lived for several years among the Cherokee can be found at this site: http://books.google.com/books?id=YU9LpoZq5EwC&pg=PA49&lpg=PA49&dq=rutherford+expedition+north+carolina&source=bl&ots=kDJXkt7PVy&sig=mkq6yzSkP0nFILImcZYGTe1HHhY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Pq-sUdnFIIrm9gTui4CgBg&ved=0CF4Q6AEwBzgK#v=onepage&q=rutherford%20expedition%20north%20carolina&f=false
Click on this link for excerpts from the Anthony Dickey Revolutionary War pension application. This gives extraordinary insight into the savage nature of fighting between the Cherokee and the Patriots.
Anthony Dickey Pension Application
Click on the link below for information on the legend of Polly Mills Stepp and the Cherokee.
The Treaty of Long Island of Holston was signed July 20, 1777. The Cherokee ceded territory east of the Blue Ridge Mountains and along the Watauga, Nolichucky, Upper Holston and New rivers (east of Kingsport and Greeneville, Tenn.). Another treaty line is drawn that follows the same line of the treaty drawn in 1767 with British Royal Gov. William Tryon.
It was also in 1777 that Burke County was formed from Rowan County, going to the border of the Cherokee line. Only a small section of today’s Henderson County was possibly located inside the old Burke County (primarily a small area of Bat Cave and Gerton, and possibly a small area of Hooper’s Creek and Fletcher)
Tryon County was dissolved in 1779. The old county was divided into Rutherford and Lincoln counties, and the county of Tryon ceased to exist.
Rutherford County then included land in all of today’s Polk County and land in Henderson County east of the Continental Divide.
Therefore, persons tracing land deeds, researching genealogy, and studying the Revolutionary War in the area, must study records in the old Tryon County, Rutherford County, Rowan County and Burke County, plus records in the old districts of Greenville and Spartanburg in South Carolina.
On Sept. 25, 1780, more than 1,000 men “mustered” at Sycamore Shoals on the Watauga River near Elizabethton, Tenn. The Overmountain Men crossed the mountains in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina to begin a pursuit of British Maj. Patrick Ferguson and his Tory army. As they came over the mountains men joined along the route.
This route is now the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. To view the map showing the route visit http://www.nps.gov/ovvi/planyourvisit/maps.htm
On Oct. 4 to 5, they were in Rutherford County (today’s Polk County) and camped along the Green River (Mills property) on today’s Polk-Rutherford line at Alexander’s Ford. Several men, ancestors of many people in Henderson County, joined the group at this location. Patriot campsites were generally at properties owned by loyalists, and Ambrose Mills and his son William Mills were loyalists. This location along the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail is now open to the public. As a side note, the Revolutionary War was a “civil war.” There were many men who chose to fight with the British. This was truly a war of neighbor fighting against neighbor throughout the colonies. There were several loyalists living in the old Rutherford County and other sections of North Carolina who later moved to today’s Henderson County or whose descendants later moved to today’s Henderson County.
For more information on the Alexander’s Ford visit http://www.carolinamountain.org/stories/alexanders_ford
The Battle of Kings Mountain took place Oct. 7, 1780. The Patriots killed or captured almost all the British troops and Tories. This was the turning point of the Revolutionary War in the South. This is now King’s Mountain National Military Park: http://www.nps.gov/kimo/index.htm
Several of the early pioneer settlers in Henderson County fought at King’s Mountain and also many were sons or daughters of men who fought at King’s Mountain.
Please see the story and information on William Mills and John Merrell on this web site.
On Jan. 17, 1781, the Battle of Cowpens was fought in today’s Spartanburg County, S.C. This was also a victory for the Continental Army. Again, many residents of Henderson County descend from men who fought at this battle. This is now Cowpens National Battlefield: http://www.nps.gov/cowp/index.htm
The Revolutionary War officially ended when British Gen. Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Va., on Oct. 19, 1781.
Click on the link below for an example of the civil war nature of the Revolutionary War as it relates to two families who settled in Henderson County.
It was in 1782 and 1783 that the new government stated that land grants will be issued to persons who fought for the Continental Army as a means of payment. North Carolina passed legislation changing the boundary lines with the Cherokee.
Most of the land given to men who lived in Rutherford County (including Polk) and in Burke and Rowan counties was in Tennessee and Kentucky. Most of these Revolutionary War veterans who later moved into today’s Henderson County, sold the land that they received in Tennessee and Kentucky and bought land in today’s Henderson County.
The land in Henderson County was not given as Revolutionary War service land grants. One local example of this is Abraham Kuykendall. He received a land grant for his service in the Revolutionary War. The land grant was in Tennessee. He moved to Tennessee and lived on this land for a period of time. He then sold this land and bought land in today’s Henderson County.
Some Revolutionary War veterans who lived in the northeast colonies and fought in the Revolutionary War in those states received land grants in the Ohio Territory. They sold this land, took the proceeds and bought land later in today’s Henderson County.
There were Revolutionary War veterans who lived in South Carolina, received grants in other areas taken from the Indians, sold this land, and bought land in today’s Henderson County.
Please note that the term land grant at this time in history simply means what is called today land deeds. Persons paid for the land, they were not given the land (unless they received land in exchange for payment during the Revolutionary War). During the colonial period a royal grant meant that the person bought the land from the king through one his many agents. Kings of England did not give the land to people; they sold the land to people. At this time in history, the word grant was used in place of the word deed.
One cannot give an accurate or documented list of Revolutionary War veterans from Henderson County.
First, there was no Henderson County during the Revolutionary War. The majority of the county belonged to the Cherokee. Only settlers who may have lived on land in today’s county east of the Continental Divide could be counted in this category. As of today, there is no accurate documentation as to who these people may have been. We can make some “educated” guesses, based on wording in early land grants and other documents, but not as definitive proof related to Revolutionary War veterans.
Some folks say the county’s Revolutionary War veterans are those who are buried in Henderson County. There are documented veterans who lived after the war in today’s county, died in today’s Henderson County, but their grave sites are not known.
Others say the county’s Revolutionary War veterans are those who owned land in today’s Henderson County. There are two problems with this standard. Several Revolutionary War veterans bought land here, lived here for a short while, sold the land and moved elsewhere, and are buried in other counties and states.
There are also hundreds of descendants who live in today’s Henderson County whose Revolutionary War ancestors lived on land and are buried on land near the county lines in today’s Polk, Buncombe, Transylvania, and Rutherford counties. One cannot prove that these veterans did not own land in today’s Henderson County. And Transylvania County was a part of Henderson County until 1861.
A good example of this confusion is William Dalton, whose father David Dalton, also a Revolutionary War veteran, is buried near Lake Lure. When William Dalton died his estate papers were filed in Henderson County. He did own land in today’s Rutherford County, but could this land have extended into today’s Henderson County? His grave site is not known.
Some folks state that only Revolutionary War veterans who filed pension applications at the time they lived in today’s Henderson County should be counted. There is an excellent book by Alexia Jones Helmsley that documents those who received pensions and lived in today’s Henderson County.
There are definitely serious issues with using this as a standard. There were several pension acts passed by Congress during the years after the war. The last one was passed in 1832. Many Revolutionary War veterans had died, along with their wives, before Congress passed this last Pension Act; therefore, there are no pension records of their service. Many veterans never applied for any of the pensions. Pension records prior to 1832 are also difficult to locate, if they exist at all.
Using applications filed by widows is even more complex. Some widows were denied pensions because they married their husbands after the Revolutionary War. The Pension Act states that the couple must have been married during or prior to the Revolutionary War for the widow to obtain a pension. Denial of such an application does not mean that the person in question never served in the Revolutionary War. David Jackson is a good example. David Jackson and his brother, Gabriel Jackson, owned land in today’s Polk County and in today’s Henderson County. David Jackson’s widow was denied the widow’s pension in 1832. She did not marry David Jackson until after the Revolutionary War had ended. The application states where he fought, under what commander, with witnesses. Does this mean that he was not a Revolutionary War veteran?
The Revolutionary War veterans listed on the monument at the Historic Courthouse in Henderson County lists primarily only those veterans whose descendants applied for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution and were accepted for membership. There are Revolutionary War veterans whose descendants have never applied for membership in the DAR or the Sons of the American Revolution.
For more information on Revolutionary War Patriots who settled in Henderson County, click on the following link.
Some Revolutionary War Patriots
There is no documented list of Tories who later settled in today’s Henderson County.
There was at least one Tory who settled in the county immediately after the war, William Mills. Some documentation indicates that Merrimon Featherstone was also a Tory during the war.
Frank Fitzsimon’s writes about Jacob Lyda in the book “From the Banks of the Oklawaha.” Jacob Lyda, an early settler in the county, could not have fought in the Revolutionary War. He was not born until 1778.