Burke county lying west of the Appalachian Mountain, praying that a part
of Rutherford county be made into a separate and distinct county. Mr.
William Davidson presented a petition to the same effect; both of which
being read, Mr. Vance moved for leave and presented a bill to answer the
prayer of the said petitions, which was read the first time, passed and
sent to the Senate.”
The Journal of the Senate shows that the bill was received and passed by
that body on the same day. The Mr. William Davidson referred to in this
extract was the representative from Rutherford county, and at that time
resided on the south side of the Swannanoa river not far from the
present site of the city of Asheville, that part of Buncombe then being,
or supposed to be in Rutherford county.
At the organization of the county of Buncombe in April 1792, David Vance
was chosen clerk of the County Court, which position he continuously
occupied until his death. Some of the records of that court while he was
its clerk are extant, and the beauty of his chirography, the order and
neatness, as well as the accuracy of his entries, bear witness of his
entire qualifications for the duties of his office.
A story is related of him in connection with his office of clerk, which
shows something of the manners of the time and the character of the man.
On one occasion two young men called at his house, one of whom desired
to procure a marriage license. They were invited to enter, and the
Captain soon produced from his side-board, a decanter, from which he
invited them to refresh themselves. They did so, whereupon the Captain
replaced his decanter and proceeded to dispatch the business for which
they had come. When they were about to leave, one of the young men
ventured to ask for another dram. The old gentleman indignantly refused,
and proceeded to read the young man a lecture, which perhaps he never
forgot, winding up with the declaration that “such a request had never
before been heard of in the house of a gentleman.”
About the time he was elected clerk, he was appointed colonel of militia
for Buncombe—a position then, and for many years after, regarded as the
highest dignity and influence in the county organizations. Thereafter he
was known as Colonel Vance.
He, with Gen. Joseph McDowell and Mussendine Matthews were appointed
commissioners by act of the General Assembly at the session of 1796 to
settle and mark the boundary line between the States of North Carolina
and Tennessee. Although the act was passed in 1796 the commissioners did
not run the line until the year 1799. They began at White Top Mountain,
a point where the boundaries of North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee
meet and ran westwardly, locating the boundary between Tennessee and
North Carolina, to a point at the eastern end of the great Smoky
Mountains in a gap near where the present Cattalooche turnpike leading
from Waynesville to Tennessee, crosses Mt. Starling. This, at that time,
was supposed to be the eastern boundary of the Indian Territory.
It was while running this line, the incident occurred which gave rise to
the preparation of the accounts of the campaign and Battle of King’s
Mountain by Colonel Vance and Robert Henry, Esquire, (the latter being
one of the surveyors appointed by the commissioners) known as the
“Vance-Henry Narrative.”
He survived until the early part of the year 1813, when, having
faithfully and honorably accepted and discharged the duties which the
conditions of his life demanded; having justly acquired the love and
veneration of his fellow-citizens; having lived long enough to see the
great principles for which he had fought securely established and his
countrymen marching onward toward a glorious and happy future, he
peacefully died, leaving behind him the record of a life worthy of the
emulation of all men and one which his descendants may proudly
contemplate and fondly cherish.
He was buried on a beautiful knoll a short distance north of his
residence, a spot selected by himself as a last resting-place, and
which, it is said, he often spoke of as “a beautiful place from which to
arise on the Resurrection Morn.”
He left surviving him, his wife, three sons, Samuel, David and Robert
Brank, and five daughters, Jean, who married Hugh Davidson; Elizabeth,
who married Mitchell Davidson and after his death Samuel W. Davidson;
Sarah, who married —— McLean; Priscilla who married —— Whitson, and
Celia, who married Benjamin S. Brittain. Samuel and Jean, Sarah and
Priscilla, with their husbands, about the beginning of this century,
removed to and settled upon the lands in Tennessee on the Duck river,
which their father had provided for them. They numerous children, some
of whom, together with many of their children, still reside in the
vicinity. The late Judge Hugh Law Davidson and his brother Robert B.
Davidson, who is still living, a highly esteemed citizen and a member of
the Bar at Shelbyville, Tennessee, were the sons of Jean.
David lived and died in the county of Buncombe. He was the father of
Hon. Zebulon B. Vance and Gen. Robert B. Vance.
Elizabeth and her husband settled on Jonathans creek in Haywood county,
where they reared a large family. Hon. Allen T. Davidson, now living in
Asheville, is one of their sons.
Robert Brank, never married, suffering from a physical infirmity which
forbade a more active life, was carefully educated and became a
physician, though he never practiced his profession. He resided in
Asheville. While still quite young, he entered public life and was
elected to Congress, succeeding Felix Walker, the first representative
from the Transmontane District. At the next election he was defeated by
Hon. Samuel Carson, and in November following was killed in a duel with
that gentleman—the unhappy event being the result of their canvas.
Celia, the youngest child, with her husband, located in that part of the
county of Haywood subsequently included in Macon county; but soon
afterwards upon the organization of Cherokee county removed to Murphy,
where she died in 1876, leaving a number of children and grand-children,
many of whom reside in that vicinity, useful and respected citizens.
Although the condition of the country denied to Colonel Vance the
opportunities for collegiate training, he seems to have had a taste for
books. At the time of his death he had accumulated a respectable library
for that period. He was careful that his children should enjoy all the
educational advantages which were accessible to them.
He was distinguished among his contemporaries for his soundness of
judgment, integrity of conduct, firmness of purpose and public spirit.
He accumulated a handsome estate for those times, which he disposed of
by will prepared by himself. It is an exceedingly interesting document,
and perhaps no better index to his character now remains to us or a more
fitting close of this imperfect sketch can be made than that contained
in the following extracts from it:
“I hope I may be excused for expatiating in divers parts of this last
solemn act upon subjects that require clearness and plainness, for I
have heard of so many instances of confusion and disagreement in
families, and so much doubt and difficulty for want of absolute
clearness in the testaments of departed persons, that I have often
concluded (were there no other reasons but those which respect the peace
of surviving friends) that the last act as to its designation and
operation, ought not to be the last in its composition or making; but
should be the result of cool deliberation; and (as is more frequently
than justly said) of a sound mind and memory, which are seldom to be met
with, but with sound health. All pretenses of insanity of mind are
likewise prevented when a testator is pointed and clear in what he
wills; all cavils about words are obviated; the obliged are assured, and
they enjoy the benefit, for whom the benefit was intended.
“I, David Vance, of the county of Buncombe, in the State of North
Carolina, being of sound and perfect mind and memory, as I hope these
presents, drawn up by myself and written with my own hand, will
testify,” &c.
In disposing of some old slaves, he directs:
“It is my will and desire that they have full liberty, and I do by these
presents give them full liberty, to go and live with any of my children
where their own children live, not as slaves, but as old acquaintances,
who labored and spent their strength to raise my said children and their
own also. I enjoin it upon my children who may have the children of said
black old people not to confine them, but to let them go awhile to one,
and awhile to another, where their children may be; and I enjoin it upon
my children to see that the evenings of the lives of those black people
slide down as comfortable as may be. **** And I charge and adjure my
negroes, old and young, as they will answer to God, to be obedient and
obliging to their mistress and not vex or contrary her in old age. ****
“And now, having disposed of and settled all my worldly business and
concerns, do I with a lively faith, humbly lay hold of the meritorious
death and sufferings of Christ Jesus and hope and trust thro’ His
atonement to triumph in redeeming love, the ceaseless age of eternity.”
[Illustration:
Decorative
Image
(See TN)
]
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
Punctuation has been normalized.
Variations in hyphenation have been retained as they were in the
original publication.
Footnotes have been renumbered and relocated at the end of each chapter.
The following typographical errors have been fixed:
Page Original As Corrected
9 Tuckoseage Tuckaseage
10 to to hasten to hasten
11 staightened straightened
11 by the the time by the time
15 firece fierce
20 Monntain Mountain
21 Willams Williams
22 occassionally occasionally
25 Carolna Carolina
26 minntes minutes
26 continously continuously
28 pealings peelings
28, 29, Thermopyle Thermopylae
28 Geat Great
30 ammuition ammunition
30 emmisaries emissaries
33 fiill fill
34 Willam William
41 establishmant establishment
43 batallion battalion
46, 47, Tennesse Tennessee
Caption added to identify Page decoration.
Variant spellings of the names Beatty and Beattie have been maintained.
Italicized words and phrases are presented by surrounding the text with
_underscores_.