DOUBLEHEAD

The operations of Doublehead, though simultaneous with the Chickamauga
incursions of 1792-3, had no organic connection with them. Self-willed and
obstinate, he could not bear the restraint even of a concert of action with the
head men of his tribe. Strong and athletic in person, he was famous for his
feats of personal prowess. He was a stranger to all the softer and more gentle
passions. If he bad ever heard a love song in his nation he was unable to repeat
it. But by his proud and haughty bearing, his bold, fearless and masterful
spirit, and his read< and terrible vengeance, he forced himself to the front
rank among the couneilors of his nation, though he lived in an outlying town,
and in a conritry to which the Cherokees had no just claim. 
We first meet with him in July, 1791, at the treaty of Holston, which, it will
be remembered, the Chickamangas refused to attend. After he had signed the
treaty, be begged and obtained the written permission of Governor Blount to hunt
on the waters of Cumberland. He seems, however, to have had little use for this
permit, as we find him making his fall hunt low down on the Tennessee. He had
settled with a party of some forty Cherokees, Northwards, and Creeks, on the
south side of the Tennessee River, at the Muscle Shoals about the year 1790.
Colonel Meigs thought this settlement was projected by the Cherokees in order to
try their title to that portion of the Chickasaw hunting ground, but
Doublehead's son-in-law, Col. George Colbert, the Chickasaw chief, assured
General Robertson that he settled at the Muscle Shoals by his permission. At the
Chickasaw conference in June, 1792, Governor Blount drew their attention to
Doublehead's settlement on their land, and asked them to drive him off, or to
authorize the United States to destroy his town. But immediately after the
Chickasaw conference, Watts formally declared war against the United States,
invaded Cumberland with a formidable force, and made his unsuccessful attack on
Buchanan's Station, and for the time, Doublehead was entirely forgotten. 
Doublehead's hunting party in the fall of 1791, consisted of twenty-eight men,
besides women and children.  While on this expedition, without any known cause,
and in open violation of the treaty of Holston, which he had signed only six
months previously, he took seven men of his party and made a memorable scalping
excursion up the Cumberland. Near the mouth of the rivcr he fell in with
Conrad's salt boat, which he took after killing one man. He then proceeded up
the river as far as Clarksville.  It so happened that while he was skulking in
the neighborhood, January 17, 1792, General Robertson called for Volunteers to
act as spies and rangers, and John Rice, notable as the grantee and original
proprietor of thc tract of land on which the City of Memphis now stands, Robert,
William and Valentine Sevier, the only grown sons of Col. Valentine Sevier, and
nephews of Gen. John Sevier, John Curtis, and two or three other young men from
Clarksville and Sevier's Station, set out to join him at Nashville. There being
a scarcity of horses in the settlement they determined to go up the Cuinberland
ill a canoe. Doublehead, who was watching for just such an opportunity,
discovered their movement, and hastily crossing one of the numerous horeshoe
bends in the Cumberland, secreted his party on the bank, at a place now known as
Seven Mile Ferry. When the boat came round to where they were concealed, they
fired a volley into it, killing the three Seviers, Curtis and Rice. Before the
Indians could reload, the other members of the party pushed their canoe across
the river, and commenced its descent back towards Clarksville, hugging the
opposite shore. Doublehead then recrossed the isthmus, intending to intercept
them on their return, but this movement being anticipated, the canoe was hastily
abandoned and turned adrift. The Indians found and boarded the derelict, scalped
the five young men, and carried away their goods and provisions, even to their
clothing; the hat, coat, and boots of Curtis being subsequently identified by a
trader. A week later three of his warriors killed a man named Boyd in
Clarksville, after which he returned to his camp, and was in the neighborhood of
New Madrid, March 11, 1792. 
On the very day that Doublehead killed the young men on the Cumberland, a
delegation of Cherokee chiefs headed by Bloody Fellow, concluded a treaty with
Secretary Knox, at Philadelphia, by which their annuity under the treaty of
Hoiston was increased from $1,000 to $1,500. In May the first annual ditribution
of goods under these treaties was made at Coyatee.  The principal chiefs of the
Chickamauga town were present, and for the first time in their history,
unanimously declared for peace. Doublehead was absent, and his town was not
mentioned; but in the following August Governor Blount expressed the belief that
he was the only chief of his nation that still held out for war. How much
mischief he did during this period is not known, for it is rarely possible to
identify the leader of a scalping party on the frontiers; but he is probably
responsible for many atrocities charged in a general way to Indians. Haywood
says he shed with his own hands as much blood as any man of his age in America.
He was with the party that killed Capt. William Overall, at Dripping Springs,
dishonored his body by cutting flesh from his bones, and carried his scalp and
that of his companion to the nation, and had war dances over them at Lookout
Mountain, Willstown, and Turnip Mountain, his party having been enlisted from
all of these settlements. 
Doublehead was ambitious, and though he was not then considered one of the
principal chiefs of the nation, be attended the conference at Henry's Station,
February 6, 1793; and when informed by Governor Blount that the President
desired a representative delegation of the real chiefs of the Cherokees to visit
him at Philadelphia, he repaired with others to the Hanging Maw's, and was
present when Captain Beard made his dastardly assault upon the Hanging Maw's
Town. This event gave Doublehead an opportunity to assert his leadership. He had
been reported killed, but he wrote Secretary Smith that he was still among his
people, "living in gores of blood." Nine of his people, some of them first and
principal head men, had been killed.  He demanded immediate satisfaction for
them, without waiting to hear from the President. "This  he said," is the third
time we have been served so when we were talking peace, that they fell on us and
killed us."

In the war that followed he disputed the leadership with Col. John Watts. When
Cavett's Station capitulated, it was he and his party who; in violahon of the
terms of surrender, massacred the prisoners, men, women, and children. Only one
escaped; Colonel Watts made Alexander Cavett, Jr., his prisoner, and to save him
from the fury of Doublehead's young fellows, gave him to the Creeks, only to be
tomahawked and killed by one of their chiefs three days after his arrival in the
nation. In this campaign, as we have seen, Chief John Vann had a captive boy
riding behind him. Doublehead, picking a quarrel with him, stabbed and killed
his little boy. For this Vann dubbed him "Killbaby," and subsequently so taunted
him with it that Doublehead would have killed him had he not saved himself by
flight. 
After Colonel Watts' forces bad been dispersed by General Sevier, and the Upper
towns of the Cherokees had declared themselves for peace, Doublehead recruited a
party of about one hundred warriors and again moved to his favorite field on the
frontiers of Cumberland and Kentucky, and was responsible for all the mischief
done in those quarters during the spring of 1794-5. On the 12th of March he
formed an ambuscade near Middleton's Station, on the road from Kentucky to
Hawkins' Courthouse, and firing upon the post rider and twelve travelers who
were in his company, killed four men, two of them. Elders Haggard and Shelton
being Baptist preachers. And for some years after peace was permanently
established the Methodist circuit rider crossed the Wilderness with fear and
trembling, rumors still being current that Doublebead was under a curse to be
avenged on the white people.  In the same month he killed the Wilson family,
consisting of eight women and children, except one boy whom he took into his
possession. 
The first day of April, 1794, found him near Crab Orchard, on the road from
Knoxville to Nashville, at a point since called Spencer's Hill, where he
secreted his party and lay in wait for the unhappy traveler who might find it
necessary to venture across the Wilderness. 
At this point let us pause long enough to notice a few incidents in the career
of the earliest and most picturesque pioneer of the Cumberland, Thomas Sharpe
Spencer. He was a man of giant proportions and herculean strength. A hunter left
by Timothy Demonbreun in charge of his camp on the Cumberland, in the fall of
1777, discovered Spencer's tracks, and was so alarmed by their uncommon size,
that he fled and did not rest until he had joined Demoubreun at Vincennes on the
banks of the Wabash. A few years later, at a general muster two boys became
involved in a fight.  Old Bob Shaw, who considered himself a mighty man,
insisted on letting them fight it out. Spencer, however, was of a different
opinion, and parting the crowd right and left he seized one of the belligerents
in either hand, pulled them apart with scarcely an effort, and bade them clear
themselves.  This Shaw took as a fighting offense and struck Spencer in the face
with his fist. Spencer instantly caught him by the collar and waistband of his
trousers, and running a few steps to a ten-rail fence, tossed him over it. This
much is on the authority of General William Hall. He, George Espey, Andrew
Lucas, and a man named Johnson were out hunting on the headwaters of Drake's
Creek. As they stopped to let their horses drink, the Indians made their attack.
Lucas was shot through the neck and mouth. He dismounted, however, with the
rest, but in attempting to fire, the blood gushed out of his mouth and wet his
priming. Perceiving this he desisted and crawled into a bunch of briers.  Espey,
as he, alighted, received a shot which broke his thigh, but still fought
heroically.  Johnson and Spencer acquitted themselves with incomparable
gallantry.  Spencer received a shot, but the ball split on the bone of his arm
and saved his life.  They were finally obliged to give way, and leave Espey,
whom the Indians scalped; but they did not find Lucas, who shortly afterwards
reached the fort, and recovered from his wound.
	
In the fall of 1793, Spencer made a journey to Virginia to settle an estate, and
receive a legacy that had fallen to him. Having completed his business, in the
following spring, be started back to the West, having in his saddle bags $1,000
in gold, besides other valuables. His route carried him by way of Knoxville and
Southwest Point. He left the latter place in company with four other travelers
and started across the Wilderness, April 1, 1794. Spencer and James Walker were
riding together in advance, and when they reached the point at which Doublehead
had formed his ambuscade, they received a volley which brought Spencer dead from
his horse and wounded Walker.  When Spencer fell his horse fled, and made his
escape with the travelers in the rear, but his saddlebags coming off, his money
and other valuables fell into the hands of the enemy.
	
This was the last act of open hostility committed by Doublehead. He then
hastened to Philadelphia, whither he went with a delegation of Cherokee chiefs,
who concluded a treaty with Secretary Knox, June 26, 1794, by which their
annuity was still further increased from $1,500 to $5,000. He was treated with
the utmost attention during his stay, and loaded with presents on his departure.
He returned by way of Charleston, and did not reach home until the latter part
of October 29 Before his return Wayne had won his great victory over the
northwestern Indians, August 20, and Major Ore had penetrated to the Chickamauga
towns and destroyed Nickajack and Running Water, September 13, which practically
ended the Cherokee wars in the Old Southwest.
	
Let us now notice the conclusion of Doublehead's tempestuous career.  He had now
reached a commanding position in the councils of his nation,  He was present and
signed the treaty of Tellico in 1798.  He met the commissioners of the United
States at Southwest Point in 1801, and refused to allow them to make a road
through his nation from Nashville to Natchez. Afterwards the people of Tennessee
became clamorous, not only for roads through the Indian territory, but for the
acquisition of large bodies of the Cherokee land.  September 13, 1806, the
General Assembly removed the seat of government from Knoxville to Kingston,
appointed commissioners for the purpose of acquiring land at or near Southwest
Point, to accommodate the permanent seat of government, and adjourned to meet at
that place in l807. This was done in order to give color to the claim made at
the treaty of Tellico, that the state might want to fix its capital at that
point. The next session of the Legislature did meet at Kingston, organized, and
adjourned the same day to Knoxville, and Southwest Point was no longer
considered available for the seat of government.

The treaty of Tellico was held in October, 1805.  Previously to that time
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Doublehead had declared himself as unalterably opposed to selling one foot of
ground. But when the conference met two treaties were concluded, with his
consent, one on the twenty-fifth and the other on the twenty-seventh of October,
1805. By the terms of the treaty of October 25, there were reserved three square
miles of land, ostensibly for the purpose of removing thereto the garrison at
Southwest Point, and the United States factory at Tellico, 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
but really for the benefit of Doublehead, his friend and adviser, John D.
Chisholm, and John Riley, as the price of their influence in securing from the
Cherokees the extensive cession of land granted by that treaty.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was accomplished by means of a secret article attached to the treaty, but
not submitted to the Senate. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This secret article also applied to a small tract at and below the mouth of
Clinch River, likewise intended for the benefit of Doublehead; to one mile
square at the foot of Cumberland Mountain; and to one mile square on the north
bank of the Tennessee River, where Talotiskee lived.
		
The treaty of October 25 ceded all the Cherokee land north of Duck River, and
also the Cumberland Mountain reservation known as the Wilderness.  A large part
of the nation bitterly resented this sale, but did not at once take any steps to
punish Doublehead, who was chiefly responsible for it.  Perhaps this was due to
the fact that almost immediately after signing these treaties, Doublehead and a
party of Cherokee chiefs accompanied Return J. Meigs and Daniel Smith, the
commissioners who negotiated them, to Washington, and signed still another
treaty with the United States, January 7, 1806, by which they ceded the Cherokee
claim to what was really Chickasaw territory, lying between the Duck and
Tennessee rivers.
		
In the summer of 1807, the Cherokees had a great ball play on the Hiwassee
River.  This was their national sport, and attracted immense crowds. On this
occasion there were more than a thousand Indians present, besides the officers
from Hiwassee Fort, and numerous traders attracted by the prospect of selling
thcir merchandise. The central figure among the Cherokees was the famous Chief
Doublehead. Gen. Sam Dale, of Mississippi, then a Georgian Indian trader, who is
authority for the following account of his death, knew Doublehead and called
upon him.  "Sam, you are a mighty liar," was his greeting.  When Dale demanded
why he thus insulted him in public, a smile illuminated his grim face as be
replied, "You have never kept your promise to come and see me. You know you have
lied."  He then produced a bottle of whiskey, and invited Dale and the officers
present to drink with him. When they had empticd the bottle, he rejected Dale's
offer to replenish it, saying, "When I am in the white man's country, I will
drink your liquor, but here you must drink with Doublehead."

After the game was over a chief named Bone-polisher approached Doublehead and
denounced him as a traitor for sefling the land of his people.  The stolid chief
remaining tranquil and silent, Bone-polisher became still more angry,
accompanying his abuse with menacing gestures.  Then Doublehead spoke, quietly
and without agitation: "Go away. You have said enough. Leave me, or I shall kill
you." Bonepolisher rushed at him with his tomahawk, which Doublehead received on
his left arm, and drawing his pistol, shot him through the heart.
		
Some time after night, Doublehead, who had been drinking, came in to Hiwassee
Ferry, and entered McIntosh's tavern.  Among those whom he encountered there was
a chief named Ridge, aftenvards Major Ridge, a half-breed called Alex Saunders,
and John Rodgers, an old white man who had long resided in the nation. Rodgers
began to revile him, much after the manner of Bone-polisher.  Donbiehead proudly
rebuked him:  "You live by sufferance among us.  I have never seen you in
council nor on the war-path. You have no place among the chiefs.  Be silent and
interfere no more with me."  The old man still persisted, and Doublehead
attempted to shoot him, but his pistol, not having been charged, missed fire.
The light was then extinguished, and at the same instant a pistol shot was
fired. When the light was rekindled, Ridge, Saunders, and Rodgers had all
disappeared, and Doublehead lay motionless on his face. The ball had shattered
his lower jaw and lodged in the nape of his neck.
		
His friends now set out with him for the garrison, but fearing they would be
overtaken, turned aside, and concealed him in the loft of Schoolmaster Black's
house.  Two warriors of the Bone-polisher clan traced Doublehead by his blood to
his hiding place. At the same time Ridge and Saunders came galloping up,
shouting the war whoop.  Sam Dale and Col. James Brown, of Georgia, followed
them.  The wounded chief was lying on the floor, his jaw and arm terribly
lacerated.  Ridge and Saunders each leveled his pistol, but both missed fire.
Doublehead sprang upon Ridge and would have overpowered him had not Saunders
discharged his pistol and shot him through the hips. Saunders then made a rush
on Doublehead with his tomahawk, but the dying chief wrenched it from him, and
again leaped upon Ridge. Saunders seized another tomahawk and drove it into his
brain.  When he fell another Indian cruslied his head with a spade.
		
It is interesting to note that, after the tribe bad been removed to the west,
Major Ridge was himself executed in the same manner, for a like offense.

Tennessee, the Volunteer State Moore and Foster, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.
1923

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