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Capt. James Gregg's 1793 Sullivan Co, TN Militia at Cavet's Station

The following information was provided by one of our readers, Jann Orr - wife of Kenneth Orr - 5th great-grandson of Francis Bowery who was killed at Cavet's Station.
We would like to thank her for her time and donation.

The Militia at Cavet's Station

June 12, 1793 President Washington requested a meeting with the Indians at the Hanging Maw to discuss peace with representatives of the US.

During this meeting Capt. John Beard and his company of mounted militiamen fell without warning on these friendly Indians - killing about a dozen. The Hanging Maw and his wife were injured. This became a general war.

In September of 1793 an army of Creek and Cherokee warriors under the leadership of John Watts, marched on Knoxville. They had planned to surprise the little town before daylight on Sept 25, but were delayed. In Knoxville there was a small United States garrison which, according to custom, fired a cannon at day break. Hearing this the Indians, while they were about eight miles away, thought that their approach had been discovered. Accordingly, instead of proceeding against Knoxville, where only fourty men were available to oppose them, they attacked a nearby station of Alexander Cavet, in which were only three men and thirteen members of Cavet's family. After a brief resistance the whites surrendered and were treacherously slaughtered. Warned of their danger by news of this attack, thirty-eight of Knoxvilles' defenders left their little fort and prepared an attempt ambush of the enemy, but the Indians did not attack.

1. Jacob Lonas' Place was about 2 miles northeast of Cavet's Station, on land that is now known as the Middlebrook Pike. Lonas and his family saw the light of the burning fort, and after the attack pursued the Indians to the neightborhood of the present city of Oak Ridge.
2. Cavet's Station was a log dwelling of a family of thirteen persons all of whom were killed except one of Cavet's sons. There is no further record of his fate. There were only three riflemen in the fort to help stem the onslaught of a large body of Indians.
3. Sullivan County Militia, Southwest Territory Colonel Gilbert Christian's Command, Captain James Gregg's Company

Muster Roll of a Company of Infantry Commanded by Captain James Gregg in the Regiment of Sullivan County Militia, Southwest Territory, in the United States

Commanded by Gilbert Christian, Esqire, from Sept 1, to Dec 3, 1793, inclusive

Captain Gregg, James
Lieutenant Sharp, Anthony
Ensign McClelan, John
Sergeant Graham, John
Britton, Abraham
Prothro, David
Mercer, Nathaniel
Corporal King, John
Browning, Amory - present, sick
Nash, Ira
King, James
Private Taylor, James
Richardson, Thomas
Troxal, David
Ford, Dye - substitute for William Gifford
Thomas, Richard
Colbaugh, Jacob
Clarkson, Perkins
Person, Peter
Webb, Aaron
Davis, John
Schultz, Jacob
Large, Robert
Miller, Henry
Crain, Charles
Russell, Bryce
Birdwell, George
Birdwell, George (2)
Pallatt, Abraham
Hanna, Daniel
McKaughhan, Archibald
Bowry, Francis - Killed by Indians at Cavet's Station, Sept 5
Spurgen, John - Killed by Indians at Cavet's Station, Sept 5
Allison, John - substitute for William Bean
Brooks, John
Roller, Martin
Osborn, Mark
Fulkerson, John - sick at Martin's Station
Cavett, Richard
Shoemaker, Thomas
Faust, John
Shoemaker, Daniel
Neighdever, George
Bishop, Thomas
Bryant, William - sick at Martin's Station
Hicks, William
Cottrell, John
Archer, Meredith
Birdwell, Benjamin
Smith, John - substitute for Joseph Denton
Moyers, John
Harrington, Peter - discharged by Colonel Scott Oct 25
Duncan, Robert
Allison, Finley - Sept 20 - Dec 3
Humphreys, David - Sept 20 - Dec 3
Sowerd, Griffin - enrolled but never joined
West, Samuel - Sept 20 - Sept 30 - Died Sept 30 *3)

1. TENNESSEE- A HISTORY 1763 - 1932; Philip M. Hamer Ph.D Professor of History
2. THE FRENCH BROAD-HOLSTON COUNTRY - A History of Knox County, Tennessee -East Tennessee Historical Society - 1946
3. AMERICAN MILITIA IN THE FRONTIER WARS 1790-1796;  Murtie June Clark - Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.

Same info in  INDEX TO VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS 1784-1811 - Virgil D. White - Nation Historical Publishing.

Same info in National Archives Microfilm Publication, Record Group 94, Series M905 Roll 27

©Jan Orr and TNGenWeb (TNGenNet, Inc.)

Last updated on 08 September 2003

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