An interesting story

d n english

Thought you might enjoy this story Dr. Winbush came across it in his research
Early Settlement in West Tennessee

Moses and the Chickasaw

Native Americans living in the territories between the Mississippi River and the Appalachian Mountains had an impact on the early settlement of west Tennessee. Prior to the Revolutionary War it was a part of a restricted area reserved for the use of Native Americans. Controlled by the British, the colonist where denied access to these lands. With the winning of the war the ownership of previous lands of the British transferred to what eventually became the United States of America and the restrictions were removed. Settlers began to pour over the Appalachian Mountains in hopes of settling in these newly available lands. This influx brought much contention between the pioneers and the Cherokee and Creek Nations, often resulting in bloodshed and death.

Early settlers to West Tennessee had it easier in some respects over that of the earlier settlers of East and parts of Middle Tennessee. The Chickasaw, who controlled all of West Tennessee and the early Europeans had developed a much less contentious relationship than those of the other early settlers. This in turn set up up an environment making their transition much easier with less fighting and bloodshed between the parties. In his book, History of Tennessee, G. R. McGee describes an event which provides, to some degree, an example the relationship. Speaking of the early settlers and their fears at the time he writes:

“The greatest danger was from bears, panthers, wolves, and wildcats, and the greatest mischief they did was to kill the settlers pigs, calves, and Colts. To kill out these troublesome beast of prey the Chickasaw Indians were encouraged to hunt over the country after many white settlements had been made. General Tipton, for whom the Tipton County was named, was raising good farm stock on the South side of Hatchie River. He had several fine donkeys and hired out one of these, named “Moses” a Mr. Barnes on the North side of Hatchie. Moses got away from Barnes and started home. In Hatchie bottom he was killed by some Chickasaw hunters who thought he was a new kind of wilde best. They sold his hide to a trader, and Barnes found it on a trading boat in Hatchie River. He called up the Indians and explained to them that the animal belonged to General Tipton and was worth $500. The Indians brought up their horses, appointed 3 white men and two Indians to value them and gave Barnes enough of them to pay for Moses. period from the early settlement to the Civil War the growth of Western Tennessee was rapid and prosperous, with no very striking or tragic events in its history.”

G. R. McGee 1914 History of Tennessee pop. 138, 139.

I would think that this incident must have happened sometime before the Chickasaw removal to the Indian Territories in Oklahoma