The Wataugans

This is a true story about courageous men and women who dared to settle in a new land "beyond the mountains." If you know the story of The Wataugans I believe you will appreciate this site and the links I have provided, and if you have never heard of The Wataugans then perhaps this site will help you come to appreciate the hardships the early pioneers had to endure when the foundations of this country were being laid . This story bears retelling and remembering. The purpose of this site is to preserve the legacy of those brave freedom-loving patriots. Here is their story.

Before the American Revolution adventurers from North Carolina and Virginia came to what is now east Tennessee and built settlements. One of those settlements was on the banks of the Watauga River in an area called Sycamore Shoals.

Those rebellious settlers defied the British by coming to this area since it was strictly forbidden to travel west of the Appalachian Mountains. Not only was it forbidden by the British but the settlers were also trespassing on Cherokee Indian land, so that made it even more dangerous.

They set up their own form of government that was patterned after that of Virginia. In 1772, after leasing the land from the Cherokees, the Wataugan settlers created the "Articles of the Watauga Association" and chose five men to govern for the common good of all the people. This group made laws, enforced the laws, and did everything they felt a government needed to do.

It is not known for sure who the men were who made up the 'court' but it is believed that John Carter was the chairman of the association. Other members possibly included William Bean, Charles Robertson, James Robertson, and Jacob Brown.

Things were pretty quite at the settlement until 1774 when the Cherokees began to express great unease with the settlers at Watauga. Some of the Cherokee became very adamant about removing them altogether. Even though the Cherokee had leased the land to the settlers in 1772 they said it was not working out as they had agreed. According to the agreement the Cherokees were to be allowed to hunt in the forests, and no more white people were to come to the area. The Cherokee claimed the agreement was broken by the white man. Since there were so many whites, hunting was not as successful as it once was.

The main opponent of the white man was Chief Dragging Canoe. He declared all-out war against the settlers. Dragging Canoe dedicated himself to removing the whites from Cherokee land.

Much fighting occurred in the following year, but in 1775 some of the Cherokee chiefs agreed to sell the land to the white settlers. Of course, Dragging Canoe was not one of the signers of that deal. In fact, he made a very compelling speech on the day the deal was to be closed, trying to dissuade the other chiefs from making a deal he felt would be extremely foolish for his people. Here is that speech.

"Whole Indian Nations have melted away like snowballs in the sun before the white man's advance. They leave scarcely a name of our people except those wrongly recorded by their destroyers. Where are the Delawares? They have been reduced to a mere shadow of their former greatness. We had hoped that the white men would not be willing to travel beyond the mountains. Now that hope is gone. They have passed the mountains, and have settled upon Tsalagi (Cherokee) land. They wish to have that usurpation sanctioned by treaty. When that is gained, the same encroaching spirit will lead them upon other land of the Tsalagi (Cherokees). New cessions will be asked. Finally the whole country, which the Tsalagi (Cherokees) and their fathers have so long occupied, will be demanded, and the remnant of the Ani Yvwiya, The Real People, once so great and formidable, will be compelled to seek refuge in some distant wilderness. There they will be permitted to stay only a short while, until they again behold the advancing banners of the same greedy host. Not being able to point out any further retreat for the miserable Tsalagi (Cherokees), the extinction of the whole race will be proclaimed. Should we not therefore run all risks, and incur all consequences, rather than to submit to further loss of our country? Such treaties may be alright for men who are too old to hunt or fight. As for me, I have my young warriors about me. We will hold our land."

Unfortunately for the Cherokee, the other chiefs did not heed the warnings of Dragging Canoe, and the agreement was signed. Twenty million acres was sold to the settlers for almost nothing and the Cherokee lost their rights to much of their land. Dragging Canoe swore that day that the whites would not live in peace there.

Indeed, Dragging Canoe kept his promise. There was no peace in the area of the Watauga settlement. Many people died on both sides in a war that was encouraged by the British, who supplied the Cherokee with ammo, guns and supplies to run out the white patriots, or kill them in their tracks.

Finally in 1776 the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia all declared war on the Cherokee, and the militias of these states aggressively dealt with the "Indian problem." The Cherokee, for the most part, stopped attacking the whites after this agressive action by the militias. They realized it was a losing battle.

But, Dragging Canoe and his followers branched out into a different group, who came to be known as Chickamaugans. With the help of a few angry warriers from other tribes they waged war on the white settlers for many years. However, the settlers could not be moved.

Later in the year of 1776 the settlers at Watauga decided they wanted to be a part of North Carolina so they petitioned the state to accept them. The Watauga Association then changed its name to the Washington District. On Aug. 22, 1776, the state of North Carolina officially accepted the Washington District and the Watauga Association came to an end.

On September 25, 1780 approximately 1100 men gathered at Sycamore Shoals to go fight the British. They marched over the mountains the next day to pursue British Major Patrick Ferguson and his militia. It was October 7, 1780 when the Overmountain Men led by Colonels John Sevier and Issac Shelby found Ferguson’s army at King’s Mountain, South Carolina. It only took a little more than an hour on that October afternoon before Maj. Ferguson was killed, and his army defeated. The victory at King’s Mountain played an important part in the eventual defeat of the British and American patriots winning the Revolutionary War.

The Wataugans were a tough and dedicated group of people, and without brave spirits like theirs' our country would never have gained independence.

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I encourage you to visit the links below to learn more about the settlers at Watauga and the Cherokee Indians.

Wataugans: Families on the Frontier
A Little History of Tennessee
The Founding of Tennessee
Wataugan's Character
Watauga Association
The Watauga Settlement
History and Government
John Adair
William Bean
Chief Attakullakulla
Cherokee History
Nancy Ward
Poem: Chief Dragging Canoe
Research on Dragging Canoe
History of Chickamaugans
Maps of Cherokee Land

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