MISCELLANEOUS.
LORD CORNWALLIS.
The readers of American history, and more particularly those of the
Southern States, will doubtless be gratified to know something of _the
end_--the closing career, and "shuffling off of this mortal coil" of
Lord Cornwallis and Colonel Tarleton, the two British officers, who
remained the longest time among them; sometimes conquering all before
them, and again retrograding, until their capture and surrender at
Yorktown, in Virginia, on the 19th of October, 1781.
Charles Cornwallis, son of the first Earl of Cornwallis, was born in
Suffolk on the 31st of December, 1738. He was educated at Westminster
and St. John's College, Cambridge. He entered the army in 1759, and
succeeded to the title and estates of his father in 1761. He was the
most competent and energetic of all the British generals sent to
America during the Revolution, but the cruelties exercised by his
orders on a few occasions, have left an indelible stain upon his
character. It was in pursuance of one of his orders, issued soon after
the battle of Camden, that the unfortunate Colonel Isaac Hayne was
executed by that tyrannical British officer, Lord Rawdon.
Notwithstanding this cruel tragedy, which might have resulted
otherwise had he been present, Cornwallis possessed some fine traits
of character, had an amiable disposition, was greatly beloved by his
men, and was bitterly opposed to _house-burning_ when the fortunes of
war were in his favor. In 1770, he and three other young peers, joined
Lord Camden in protesting against the taxation of the American
colonies. Mansfield, the Chief Justice, is said to have sneeringly
remarked: "Poor Camden could only get four boys to join him." Although
opposed to the course of the British Ministry, yet, when hostilities
commenced, he did not refuse to accept active employment against
America. Soon after the war he was appointed Governor-General of the
East Indies, which position he held for six years. During that time,
he conquered the renowned Tippoo Sultan, for which service he was
created a marquis and master of the ordnance. He was Lord Lieutenant
of Ireland from 1798 to 1801, and was instrumental in restoring peace
to that country, then distracted by rebellion. He signed the treaty of
Amicus in 1802, and in 1804 was again appointed Governor General of
India. On his arrival at Calcutta, his health failed and he died at
Ghazepore on the 5th of October, 1805, aged sixty-seven years.
COLONEL TARLETON.
Colonel Banastre Tarleton was born in Liverpool, England, on the 21st
of August, 1754. He commenced the study of the law, but when the war
in America broke out he entered the British army and came to this
country with Lord Cornwallis. He served with that officer in all his
campaigns in the South, and by his daring intrepedity, and indomitable
energy, greatly contributed to the success of the British arms at
Camden. He possessed a sanguinary disposition, as was exhibited in the
cruel massacre of Col. Buford's regiment at the Waxhaws. In tracing
his history in America, we look in vain for any redeeming traits in
his character. The ardor of his temper and military ambition received
a severe check at the battle of the "Cowpens" on the 17th of January,
1781. The capitulation of the British army at Yorktown, closed his
military services in America. On his return to England, he received,
as might be expected, numerous honors.
In 1798, he married the daughter of the Duke of Ancaster. He died on
the 25th of January, 1833, in the seventy-ninth year of his age,
_without_ issue, and _without_ any lingering affection of the American
people.
THE CHEROKEE INDIANS.
"We, the rightful lords of yore,
Are the rightful lords no more;
Like the silver mist, we fail,
Like the red leaves in the gale--
Fail, like shadows, when the dawning
Waves the bright flag of the morning."
In every history of the United States the different tribes of
Indians--the native "sons of the forest" and "rightful lords of the
soil," from Main to Florida and from the Atlantic ocean to the great
Mississippi valley--justly claim conspicuous notice, whether
considered as prowling enemies or warm-hearted friends.
As the Tuscaroras of eastern and middle Carolina were one of the most
powerful of the Indian tribes, exercising a dominant sway over much of
its undulating and semi-tropical territory early in the last century,
so the Cherokees were the most powerful tribe of western Carolina and
the adjoining region, preceding and during our Revolutionary war,
frequently requiring the strong arm of military force to chastise them
and teach them, by dear experience, the superiority and growing
destiny of their "pale faced" neighbors.
The native land of the Cherokees was the most inviting and beautiful
section of the United States, lying upon the sources of the Catawba
and Yadkin rivers--upon Keowee, Tugaloo, Etowab, Coosa and Flint, on
the east and south, and several of the tributaries of the Tennessee,
on the west and north. If to this list be added the names of Hiwassee,
Enoree, Tallulah, Swannanoa and Watauga, all streams originating and
flowing through this mountainous country in rapid, frolicksome mood,
we have an assemblage of musical sounds, (omitting the hard-sounding
_Flint_,) only equaled in beauty and soft cadence upon the ear, by the
grand and picturesque scenery with which they are surrounded.
According to Adair, one of the earliest settlers of South Carolina,
and who wrote of the four principal tribes, (Cherokees, Shawnees,
Chickasaws and Choctaws,) in 1775, "the Cherokees derive their name
from _Cheera_, or _fire_, which is their reputed lower heaven, and
hence they call their _magi, Cheera-tah-gee_, men possessed of the
divine fire."
Within twenty miles of old Fort Loudon, built on the Tennessee in
1756, says the same authority, "there is a great plenty of whetstones
for razors, of red, white and black colors. The silver mines are so
rich that by digging about ten yards (thirty feet) deep, some
desperate vagrants found at sundry times, so much rich ore as to
enable them to counterfeit dollars to a great amount, a horse load of
which was detected in passing for the purchase of negroes at Augusta."
"A tradition, says Dr. Ramsey, (Annals of Tennessee,) still continues
of the existence of the silver mine mentioned by Adair."
After the whites had settled near, and began to encroach upon the
"Over-Hill Towns," their inhabitants withheld all knowledge of the
mines from the traders, fearing their cupidity for the precious metals
might lead to their appropriation by others, and the ultimate
expulsion of the natives from the country. The history of the
Cherokees is closely identified with that of the early settlements of
the frontiers of the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee, and
all suffered from their vigorous and frequent hostile and murderous
incursions. They were formidable for their numbers, and passionate
fondness for war. They were the mountaineers of Aboriginal America,
and like all other inhabitants of an Alpine region, cherished a deep
affection for their country, and defended it with a lasting devotion
and persevering tenacity. Little of their early history can be
gathered from their traditions, extending back scarcely a century
preceding the Revolution. _Oka-na-sto-ta_, one of their distinguished
chiefs, visited England during the reign of George the Second. From
his time they date the declension of their nation. His place of
residence was at _Echota_, one of the Over-Hill Towns. Of the
_tumuli_, or mounds scattered through the country, and other ancient
remains, they know nothing, and considered them, when they took
possession of the country, as vestiges of a more numerous population
than themselves, and farther advanced in the arts of civilization. The
several Indian tribes in America have been compared to the fragments
of a vast ruin. And though these vestiges of a remote period in the
past may not awaken the same grand associations in the mind of the
beholder as the majestic ruins of Greece and Rome, yet they cannot
fail to excite feelings of veneration for the memory of a numerous
people, whose lingering signs of greatness are widely visible from the
western borders of North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico, and
throughout the Mississippi valley.
As early as the year 1806, two Deputations attended Washington City
from the Cherokee nation; one from the lower towns, to make known to
the President their desire to remove west of the Mississippi, and
pursue the hunter's life; the other Deputation, representing in part
the Cherokees belonging to the above settlement, to make known their
desire to remain in the lands of their fathers, and become cultivators
of the soil. The President answered their petitions as follows:
"The United States, my children, are the friends of both
parties. As far as can be reasonably asked, they are willing
to satisfy the wishes of both. Those who remain may be
assured of our patronage, our aid, and good neighborhood."
The treaties formed between the United States and the Cherokee Nation,
in the years 1817 and 1819, made provision for those desiring to
remain, agreeably to the promise of the President; and they thus
became citizens of the United States, each family being allowed a
reservation of six hundred and forty acres of land. The whites claimed
the same lands under a purchase made of the State. Suits were
instituted in favor of the Indians, and by our Courts were decided in
their favor. Afterward they sold their reservations to the
Commissioners of the State, and purchased lands in the white
settlement, and in the neighborhood of the hunting grounds reserved
for them by treaties concluded with the Cherokee nation between the
years 1790 and 1799; which privilege as a part of their nation they
now enjoy.
The Cherokees now own in Haywood county, a tract of seventy-two
thousand acres of land, well adapted in the vallies for farming, and
on the mountains for wild game and sports of the chase. _Qualla Town_,
their metropolis, is chiefly inhabited by the former sovereigns of the
country, among whom are a few Catawbas. The Qualla Town people are
divided into seven clans or divisions, over each of which a chief
presides.
About the year 1830 the principal chief of this settlement, by the
name of "Drowning Bear" (or You-na-guskee) becoming convinced that
_intemperance_ would destroy himself and his people, determined, if
possible, to bring about a work of reform. He accordingly directed his
clerk to write in the Indian language an agreement which translated
reads as follows: "The undersigned Cherokees, belonging to the town of
Qualla, agree to abandon the use of spirituous liquors." This
instrument of writing was immediately signed by the old and venerable
chief, and the whole town. This wise proceeding has worked a wonderful
change for the better in their condition. They are now a temperate,
orderly, industrious and peaceable people.
One of the most wonderful achievements of our age is the invention of
the Cherokee alphabet. The invention was made in 1821 by _Guess_,
(Se-qua-yah) _a half breed_ Indian, his father being a white man and
his mother a Cherokee. He was at the time not only perfectly
unacquainted with letters but entirely so with every other language
except his own. The first idea of the practicability of such a project
was received by looking at an old piece of printed paper and
reflecting upon the very singular manner (to him) by which the white
people could place their thoughts on paper and communicate them to
others at a distance. A thought struck him that there surely must be
some mode by which the Indians could do the same. He first invented a
distinct character for each word, but soon found the number so great
that it was impossible to retain them in the memory. After several
months' labor he reduced his original plan so as to give to each
character a _syllabic sound_, and ascertained there were but
eighty-six variations of sounds in the whole language; and when each
of these was represented by some particular character or letter, the
language was at once reduced to a system, and the extraordinary mode
of now writing it crowned his labors with the most happy success.
Considerable improvement has been made in the formation of the
characters, in order that they might be written with greater facility.
One of the characters, being found superfluous, has been discarded,
reducing the number to eighty-five. Guess emigrated to the West in
1824. It has been much regretted that he did not remain in North
Carolina to witness the advantages and blessings of his discovery.
The Bible, newspapers and other literature are now published in the
_musical_ Cherokee language.
The Catawba Indians, contiguous to our southern borders, and once so
numerous and powerful, have dwindled down to a diminutive
remnant--mostly half breeds. They inhabited in their palmiest days
much of the territory south of the Tuscaroras, and adjoining the
Cherokees. For their general adherence to the patriots in the
Revolution they have always received the fostering care of the State.
They own a tract of land ten miles square in the south-east corner of
York county, South Carolina. They speak a different language from the
Cherokees, but possessing a similarity of musical sounds. They gave
origin to the name of the noble river along whose banks, in its
southern meanderings and its larger tributaries their lingering signs
of former habitation are frequently visible, informing us here they
once flourished in their simple avocations and enjoyments of the
forest, and now excite our commiseration in their gradual decay and
probable future extinction.
CONCLUSION.
In conclusion, the author would remark that other historic materials
are on hand, in a partial state of preparation, which may hereafter be
published. The history of "liberty's story" in the "Old North State,"
with all its grand array of early patriotic developments, has never
been fully presented to the world. The field of research is still far
from being exhausted, and it is hoped others--descendants, it may be,
of our illustrious forefathers, will prosecute the same line of
investigation as herein attempted.
For the present, this series of sketches, with their unavoidable
omissions and imperfections, craving indulgent criticism, will come to
an end.
NOTES
[A: Bancroft, I., p. 270.]
[B: Bancroft. Vol. II., p. 158.]
[C: Wheelers Sketches, I., p. 30.]
[D: Wheeler's Sketches, I., p. 49.]
[E: Wheeler's Sketches, I., p. 50.]
[F: Foote's Sketches of North Carolina, p. 83.]
[G: General Moultrie, in sneaking of this engagement in his "Memoirs
of the American Revolution," says: "When General Sumter began this
attack he had not more than ten rounds of ball to a man; but before
the action was over, he was amply supplied with arms and ammunition
from the British and Tories that fell in the beginning."]
[H: "Virtue affords no exemption from death."]
[I: "Beautiful, although dead."]
[J: Tarleton's Southern Campaigns, p. 94.]
[K: Lossing's "Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution," vol. II, p.
393.]