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John Martin :: Kingsport
John Martin :: Kingsport
There is a good article about Joseph Martin and Martinsville Virginia in The Goingsnake Messenger, Vol. IX, No. 3, Aug. 92, p. 61. Following it is an article about the indian branch of the Martin family, entitled "The Cherokee Descendants of Joseph Martin." I have never inquired into the parentage of John Martin in an intentional way, but I feel confident that if John Martin was the husband of Susannah Emory Stuart Fields, then this must have been earlier than the McDaniels sisters unions, or a marriage between one of Martin's sons and Fields. I have not read the article appearing in the Goingsnake Messenger, Volume V #4, November 1988 entitled, "The Frontier Life of Brigadier General Joseph Martin, Jr. Including his Cherokee Families." The Martinsville article recites Martin history, sketchily, back to the crusades! Joseph Martin rode the Brice from Bristol England to Virginia in 1773 where he married Susanna Childes in Albemarle County, rearing 5 sons and six daughters, one of whom was General Joseph Martin (B. 1740) settling Martinsville, Henry County, Virginia in 1778. Jr. married Sarah Lucas in 1762 having 7 children, and 2/24/1784 to Susannah Graves, a widow, and they had 11 more children (altogether 10 boys and 8 girls). He was involved with the Wautauga battle at King's Mountain, turning the Revolutionary War. He was Indian Agent at Holston Long Island, also attorney and legislator, and appointed to run the boundary between Kentucky and Virginia and Virginia and Tennessee.
http://www.geocities.com/ronscabin/genfamhistMcDch.htm
Oconostota
-The Cherokees last great warrior-chief
. John Martin .
http://www.tennesseehistory.com/class/Oconostota.htm
Oconostota was born in the Overhill
towns of the Cherokee in the Little Tennessee Valley sometime
around 1715. While much isnt known about his early life,
he spent his youth as most Cherokee boys training to be a warrior
and hunter. In this pursuit, Oconostota found his calling and,
in the days of warrior-chiefs, would prove to be not only an
able fighter, but a leader who would come to be remembered as
one of the greatest in Cherokee history.
Cherokee warriors were, like most southeastern Indians, exceptional
woodsmen. As youths, they were taught to swim, use a bow, war
club, blowgun, spear, and knife. In hand to hand combat, they
were cunning and taught how to use throws, blocks and kicks
as any trained fighter. In most battles fought, they would grease
their skin to make it slippery and easy to evade an enemy trying
to find a hold on them. The rough land of the Smoky Mountains
offered some of the best terrain to build stamina and strength.
The warriors would often learn how to run and conserve their
strength for a fight. In addition, they were taught how to fast
and go for days without food a purification ritual they
followed prior to any planned battle.
Oconostota differed from the ancients in the fact that he was
also trained in the use of firearms. Rifles had been among the
Cherokee for years, but powder and lead could only be obtained
from European traders and the weapons were rare. Oconostota,
however, had learned how to efficiently use a rifle early in
life and was regarded as an exceptional marksmen among his people.
In addition, he was a clever tactician and strategist and knew
what it took to win on the battlefield. Whether it was fighting
other tribes or European traders, he understood their weaknesses
and strengths and knew how to stage a battle to win. His quick
mind and wise decisions soon earned him recognition in the tribe
as one of its greatest warriors. While he did not have the diplomatic
and oratory skills of his colleague Attakullakulla, the warrior
did have the natural skills of battlefield leadership and that
was the catalyst that caused him to rise to prominence in the
Cherokee Nation.
Unlike his colleague and rival Attakullakulla, Oconostota did
not consider himself a British subject and often tried to maintain
a working relationship with the French as a way of keeping his
eye on the Creeks a pro-French tribe that had made themselves
enemies of the Cherokee, who were often seen as pro-British
by other Native Americans. In fact, Oconostota first shows up
in European records when he visited the French at Fort Toulouse.
A British trader reporting on the event remarked in his journal:
"Oconostota is returned from the French with powder and
ball, and accompanied by some Frenchmen. How many I can not
say...Since Oconostota has returned from the French with goods
and ammunition, and has had those assurances of peace from the
Creeks, he says What nation or what people am I afraid
of ? I do not fear all the forces which the great King George
can send against me in these mountains."
All was not well with the Cherokee Nation, however, the French
either couldnt or wouldnt maintain trade with the
tribe and soon war erupted with the Creeks, which forced the
Cherokee to turn to the British for help. During that time,
the lower towns of the Cherokee Nation had to be evacuated and
that gave Governor Glen of South Carolina the opportunity to
recognize the supremacy of Chota and the Overhills towns as
being the capitol territory of the Cherokee.
In 1753, the warrior had become a much respected man in South
Carolinas colonial government and, at the request of Governor
Glen, aided the Chickasaw led 400 warriors against the pro-French
Choctaws, who had raided and killed white settlers and traders
in the region. Within a year, the Cherokee warrior was being
called by the British governor as the "sole preserver...of
every white mans life in the nation." It didnt
last long as once again Oconostota sided with Atakullakulla
and the other chiefs in wanting to break the trade monopoly
held by the British with the tribe.
The matter was settled without a new trade agreement with Virginia,
however, and new deals were struck with South Carolina in 1755.
The reason was the French and Indian War was in full swing and
not going to well for the British. The defeat of British General
Braddock by the French and pro-French tribes had scared the
Crown into seeking Oconostotas help in securing warriors
for the front lines in the war. In exchange for the warriors
service, Governor Glen would have Fort Loudoun built in the
tribes territory in order to protect Cherokee women and
children from their enemies while the men were off in the north
fighting the French.
Oconostota, who was by now recognized as the "Great Warrior
of Chota", traveled to the middle settlements of the Cherokee
Nation and began recruiting warriors for the conflict. He and
his men were successful at Fort Toulouse and he joined Attakullakulla
in a campaign on the lower Ohio River that was also successful.
In 1758, Oconostota promised the British 400 warriors would
assist Virginia in their campaigns against the French, but the
delivery was put off until Fall because of omens read by the
medicine men. Oconostota played no role in the battle, but as
a group of undisciplined warriors made their way back from Virginia,
they stole some horses from mountain settlers. Rather than petition
the tribe for restitution, the settlers attacked the Cherokee
and killed 15 of them. In the Winter of 1759, Oconostota tried
to make peace with the British, but, in May of that year, a
Cherokee war party from Settee attacked and killed more than
20 white settlers in the country as revenge for the Virginia
incident. The Great Warrior of Chota found himself accused of
trying to start a war with the British and they cut off ammunition
to the tribe. Oconostota tried to persuade Captain Demere of
Fort Loudoun of his innocence in the matter, but was sent to
Lt. Coytmore at Fort Prince George, who in turn sent the "Great
Warrior of Chota" and his 55-man-delegation to Charleston.
Oconostota and the tribal leaders had no other option but to
visit the governor, who refused their offers of peace and trade.
Then-Governor Lyttleton, who had replaced Glen, decided to march
his army into the Cherokee territory and personally arrest the
warriors who had killed the settlers. He forced Oconostota and
the other chiefs to accompany him on the mission and sent a
messenger to inform the Cherokee towns, but Gov. Lyttletons
messenger betrayed him and told the towns that the group had
been taken hostage and enslaved and that was what Lyttleton
intended to do to the rest of them. Without Oconostota, however,
the Cherokee couldnt resist the British and the governor
arrived at Fort Prince George on Dec. 9, 1759 without a single
shot being fired. As a show of "good faith", he released
all but 24 of the Cherokee, which equaled the number of settlers
killed. Oconostota was among those detained in the fort, but
Attakullakulla, who was leery of British intentions, persuaded
Lyttleton to release the Great Warrior of Chota so he could
help persuade the councils to surrender the warriors responsible
for the deaths of the white settlers.
Before turning him loose, Gov. Lyttleton made Attakullakulla
and Oconostota sign a paper agreeing to the terms of his release.
By this time, a burning hatred was raging in Oconostota and
he did what he had to do to be free of the British. Over the
next couple of months, Lyttleton saw his army practically vanish
because of a smallpox outbreak and retreated back to Charleston
in mock triumph.
As soon as he was out of sight, however, the Cherokee launched
full scale attacks on the frontier outposts. The Great Warrior
of Chota returned to Fort Prince George to repudiate the contract
and demand the release of the hostages. When he saw it wasnt
going to happen, he lured Lt. Coytmore from the fort and killed
him in a surprise attack. The Cherokee warriors started yelling
at those inside to start fighting, but the door to their room
was knocked down and every Cherokee inside killed. Oconostota
rode to the French Fort Toulouse for ammunition and supplies
to make war on the British. Attakullakulla tried to make peace,
but Oconostota would have none of it and exerted his influence
to go to war with the British. Although the French were on their
last leg in America, they managed to come up with enough ammunition
and supplies to help launch the Cherokee into war with the British.
It was the moment where Oconostota became the closest thing
to a tribal chief the Cherokee had ever known. He launched an
all out attack against the British and put Fort Loudoun under
siege. When Attakullakulla tried to warn them of a night attack,
Oconostota threw him off of the council and exiled the Cherokee
leader and his family to the woods. With the forts under attack,
Oconostota left Ostenaco and his other captains in charge while
he took off to meet the advancing British force under Colonel
Archibald Montgomery who were being sent by General Amherst
from New York to put down the uprising.
On June 26, 1760, Oconostota and his men arrived in a narrow
mountain valley near the British force and the Great Warrior
of Chota spaced his men along the route with the best fighters
in central locations to assist any weakness in the lines. They
laid low and patiently waited until the British had marched
between them. On orders, the Cherokee sprang from the positions
and tore into the British unit. In a short time, 20 British
soldiers were killed and more than 70 wounded by the warriors.
With the defeat of General Braddock still fresh in his mind,
Col. Montgomery felt he had "taught the Cherokee a lesson"
and retreated full force to Charleston leaving the men
at Fort Loudoun on their own to deal with the Cherokee without
any hope of relief.
Oconostota returned to the Cherokee Nation a hero and continued
his siege on Fort Loudoun until the British offered terms of
surrender. When it was completed, Oconostota told the warriors
that he would personally kill any warrior who hurt the whites
as they retreated. During the British march out of the region,
however, a massacre did occur that left 24 dead the same
number of the Cherokee leaders who had been killed at Fort Prince
George. Following the incident, Oconostota, who probably permitted
the massacre, returned to the site and buried the British dead.
British Capt. John Stuart, who was captured in the brief battle,
had his life claimed by Attakullakulla and both left for Virginia
where Stuart was turned over to the British.
Oconostota had succeeded beyond his wildest hopes and became
the first Native American in history to capture a British Fort.
Now the weight of a war was upon him. He no sooner took control
of Fort Loudoun when he made signs of peace to the British.
He ended the siege of Fort Prince George and raised the Union
Jack flag at the village Nequassie where he spoke for peace
to 2,000 Cherokee who had assembled. At first South Carolina
welcomed the word, but soon news of the Fort Loudoun massacre
reached Charleston and the British were enraged. The killing
of white settlers in the backcountry, however, continued and
caused problems for hopes of peace. A force of Virginians had
been recruited and were heading towards them. Oconostota worked
out a truce and bought himself some time to make arrangements
with the French. He ended up traveling to New Orleans where
he was given a commission as a Captain of the French Army, but
otherwise returned empty-handed and had to face making peace
with the British. He led an attack on British Col. James Grant,
who had been dispatched to regain British honor in defeating
the Cherokee, but Oconostota couldnt match the glorious
victory over Montgomery. It resulted in more than 15 Cherokee
villages being torched by the soldiers.
When peace finally came, Oconostota accepted it. In his time
as warrior, however, he had restored the Cherokee as a great
warrior tribe among Native Americans and his voice became the
voice of his people - stripping Standing Turkey and Attakullkulla
of official power in British eyes. He went on to lead other
war parties that were successful and earned the respect of both
European and succeeding American leaders.
In late 1773, he was inducted into the St. Andrews Society
a fraternal organization of Scots in Charleston where
Capt. John Stuart was President at the time. He lobbied to get
the British to help him make peace with the western tribes,
but the opted to fight the whites in coming wars and his wish
of peace was never fulfilled. Oconostota did make peace with
the British and the new American government.
In July 1782, the aging warrior chief with the consent of the
Cherokee Nation resigned his 44-year-old authority as Great
Warrior to his son Tuckesee. The Cherokee, however, did not
accept the new Great Warrior, whom they saw as a man of only
little ability. In 1783, Oconostota lived with Virginia Indian
Agent John Martin at his home on the Long Island of the Holston
River. The two men were very close and, as death began creeping
towards the old chief, he requested that Martin accompany him
back to his beloved Chota.
He and the Indian Agent traveled by canoe to the then-dying
city. Oconostota told Martin he wished to be buried in the manner
of the whites. The chief had been impressed with coffins he
had seen whites buried in and, when finally laid to rest, he
wanted to his head to face towards the "Long Knife"
his name for Virginia.
When death was finally near, Martin fashioned a canoe into a
make-shift coffin and, following a ceremony reserved for only
the greatest of his tribe, Oconostota, the Great Warrior of
Chota, was laid to rest in front of the citys Council
House where his voice had once carried the weight of the Cherokee
Nation.
It is hard for historians to put into words what Oconostota
accomplished in his lifetime of service to the Cherokee. Hollywood
and other fictitious portrayals of Native American leadership
have always illustrated chiefs as being hereditary "kings"
of their tribes. This, especially among the Cherokee, is a myth
that has been perpetuated throughout the years.
A Native Americans abilities in war, trade, and diplomacy,
brought them influence and the right to serve as a consultant
to the tribal council. The power of these political structures
was found in an individuals ability to influence others.
Once such a position was attained, it had to be held and proven
over and over. Oconostota in any European context would be likened
to a famous general. His ability to respond quickly to threats
and his fearless courage of battle made him a natural leader
among the Cherokee and other southeastern tribes. There were
many contemporary descriptions of him in British and French
writings of the day and even President George Washington wrote
of him and the problems he could pose to American security.
For government officials, Oconostota was the worse kind of threat.
Throughout the early history of America and the old west, officials
feared a leader like a Genghis Khan could rise from the tribes
and forge an alliance between them that would have conquered
America. While Tecumseh would later occupy such a position,
political differences among tribes created turmoil among Native
Americans and prevented such an uprising from happening.
The Cherokee Capitol of Chota fell in tribal influence over
the years following his death and was eventually evacuated when
the Cherokee were forced to start surrendering their ancient
lands in the Southern Appalachian region. It eventually became
thought of as more myth than fact and, after the removal on
the "Trail of Tears", its location even became a source
of speculation.
Oconostotas commission as a Captain in the French Army
is in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. In the late
1960s as T.V.A. was preparing to flood the Little Tennessee
River into Tellico Lake, University of Tennessee Archaeologists
Dr. Jeff Chapman and Charles Faulkner led an excavation of the
region and found the Council House of Chota. They located the
seven columns of the circular structure, which is said to represent
the seven clans of the tribe, and a variety of other artifacts
associated with it. In addition, they excavated the front entrance
of the Council House and discovered the remains of a man between
the ages of 69 and 72 believed to be Chief Oconostota.
"It says a lot about the stature of Oconostota among the
Cherokee," said U.T. Archaeologist Dr. Charles Faulkner.
"Their burial of him at the front door of the Chota Council
House was a high honor that indicated he was regarded as being
above the stature of most Cherokee leaders. The members of the
Council would have to walk over his grave to enter the structure
and remember his contributions to the Chota village."
While some scholars expressed doubt early on about the remains
of Oconostota, the description given by John Martins son
describing the makeshift coffin and other details matched perfectly
the body that was discovered. Some of the artifacts and photographs
taken during the excavations in the region can be seen in displays
in the McClung Museums Native American displays on U.T.s
Knoxville campus. The artifacts found in Oconostotas burial
site, however, were carefully placed back in the grave.
When the studies were concluded, it and the columns of the Chota
Council House were placed back in their original positions where
concrete was poured over them to prevent looting of the site.
It is now under the dominion of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee
Indian and overseen by the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore.
The site is still used in ceremonies by the Cherokee and regarded
as the most sacred site of the Cherokee Nation. It is located
south of the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum and Fort Loudoun State
Park on the same stretch of road. It is an easy one-mile hike
from the parking lot. Admission and directions are available
from the museum.
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