Following the British victory, at the Battle of Camden, in August 1780, a detachment of Loyalists, under Major Patrick Ferguson, was dispatched to suppress Patriot activity in the mountains. She married Governor John Sevier on 14 August 1780, in Jonesborough, Washington, Tennessee, United States. Many a time did she say: I could gladly undergo that peril and effort again to fall into his arms, and feel so out of danger. All of the women are teachers and they always wanted me to be a teacher, too, she said. [8]:215 When Sevier announced his candidacy for governor in 1803, Roane and Jackson publicized documents acquired from the Nashville land office scandal and accused Sevier of bribery. Their efforts to smear Sevier were unsuccessful, however, and the popular Sevier easily defeated Roane in the election. North Carolina with Counties, Towns and Communities Project. Materials/Media: Oil on canvas Date Documented: 17 November 2007 Condition: Excellent Description: Portrait painted from other likenes of Kate Sevier - black hair, red lips, yellow dress with lace bodice. But the backwoodsmen ascended the heights and assaulted him from both south and west, taking care to remain well camouflaged behind trees, logs, and rocks. By the mid-19th century, another branch of the Sevier descendants had settled in Madison Parish, Louisiana, in the northeast part of the state. North Carolina permanently ceded its western lands to the central government in 1789, and in the following year President George Washington signed into law a measure for the governance of the region. Jackson concluded that Sevier was somehow involved in the scandal. The Wataugans sent five delegates, among them Sevier, to North Carolina's constitutional convention in November 1776. When Catherine Sherrill Sevier was born in 1781, in Washington, Tennessee, United States, her father, Governor John Sevier, was 36 and her mother, Katherine "Bonny Kate" Sherrill, was 27. The Bonny Kate Chapter, NSDAR, was founded by Mary Boyce Temple in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1893. You have to take it with a grain of salt; this is Appalachia and fish tales are very common, Sherrell said. General' Sevierhttp://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=0&pid=107, @R-846913909@ U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Yates Publishing Ancestry.com Operations Inc This unique collection of records was extracted from a variety of sources including family group sheets and electronic databases. http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/catherine-sherrill-sevier/. Uncover property values, resident history, neighborhood safety score, and more! Sevier was permitted to serve out his term although he no longer represented an existing North Carolina district. The 640 acres plantation was lost in a . But then, she would add, it was all of Gods good providence. Capt. 724 W Governor John Sevier Hwy, Knoxville, TN 37920. By 1740 Valentine had arrived in Virginia and settled in the Shenandoah Valley on Smiths Creek. [8]:67 Sevier was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the new county's Washington County Regiment of militia. Sevier County Library - Seymour Branch: 4.7 miles: Women's Basketball Hall of Fame: 5.0 miles: Blount Mansion: 5.0 miles: Pets. Following the Battle of Kings Mountain, he led an invasion that destroyed several Cherokee towns in northern Georgia. See if you qualify! Bonny Kate book. The later Bonny Kate Elementary in South Knoxville was also named for her. Bonny Kate, Pioneer Lady, is a classic romantic love story which begins in July of 1776 when Lieutenant John Sevier meets Catharine Sherrill, pulling her over the wall of Watauga Fort to escape the deadly pursuit of Cherokee warriors. Overconfident, he ordered frontiersmen to lay down their arms and give allegiance to the Crown; otherwise, he wrote, he would march over the mountains, hang . Legend has it that their courtship began after she was surprised by an Indian attack while milking a cow outside the . He was sent to Morganton, North Carolina, to stand trial for treason. In 1796, Jackson campaigned for the position of major-general of the state militia but Sevier threw his support behind George Conway. western leaders and lay the country waste with fire and sword. Sevier and others, accepting the challenge, gathered at Sycamore Shoals late in September 1780, determined to engage Ferguson before he could reach Watauga. Sevier made the acquisition of Indian lands a priority. John Sevier was known for being an American Revolutionary War hero, governor of the State of Franklin, and the first governor of Tennessee. The new district elected Sevier to one of its two seats in the state's House of Representatives. Record for John 'Governor' 'Brig. The following information is provided for citations. Patriot forces initially failed to break through the Loyalist lines, but the frontier sharpshooters gradually decimated the American Loyalist ranks. Paperback. The lieutenant, considered the . [14], According to the early Tennessee historian Dr. J.G.M. Functionality and information are in compliance with guidelines established by the American Association for State and Local History for online state and regional encyclopedias. Born in Tennessee, United States of America on 1785 to John Sevier and Catherine "Bonny Kate" Sherrill. Sherrill Sevier was the wife of John Sevier Jackson pointed his pistol at Sevier, who hid behind a tree. Sevier's men comprised part of the south flank, along with the forces of Campbell and McDowell. John Sevier's rescue of young Bonny Kate at Fort Caswell on the Watauga is so remarkable, one might think it originated in a Hollywood script or a romance novel. She was originally buried in Russellville, Alabama, but was reinterred in 1922 next to her husband on the lawn of the old Knox County Courthouse in Knoxville. 724 W John Sevier Hwy, Knoxville, TN 37920. In fact, the Knoxville Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is named the Bonny Kate Sevier Chapter in honor of Tennessee's first First Lady and her contributions to early life in Knoxville. . Tennessee Lodge #2 in Knoxville received its charter from the Grand Lodge of North Carolina on November 30, 1800, and John Sevier was its first Worshipful Master. John Sevier was known for being an American Revolutionary War hero, governor of the State of Franklin, and the first governor of Tennessee. The encounter for which he became best known was the battle of Kings Mountain (1780), in which he and his fellow frontiersmen fought Tories and British soldiers at a location just north of Spartanburg, South Carolina. East Tennessee was dominated by yeoman farmers who generally owned few slaves. Legend has it that their courtship began after she was surprised by an Indian attack while milking a cow outside the . The fate of the European-American settlers who moved into these areas remained in limbo for years. But a dendrochronological analysis of the cabin's logs, conducted by the University of Tennessee, suggests the cabin was built well after his death. ", Source: Fred W. Sauceman, East [4] One of his brothers, Valentine Sevier, became a frontiersman, Revolutionary War officer, and the builder of the Sevier Station frontier outpost. Soon Sevier became a member of the Territorial Legislative Councila group of five men provided for under the Congressional Ordinance of 1787 designed for the governance of territories. Sevier settled in the Tennessee Valley frontier in the 1770s. References ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bonny Kate, Tennessee ^ Miller, Larry L. (2001). She stuffed parts . I remember making a quill and writing my name in blueberry ink and drinking my first cream soda. Within less than a year he had taken an oath of allegiance to North Carolina and was elected to the state Senate. William Blount, a fellow land speculator and North Carolina politician, was appointed governor of the territory. References Coordinates. But John Kirke, a member of the murdered family, attacked the delegation and killed several chiefs, including Old Tassel and Old Abraham of Chilhowee. Tennessee State University. Also known as "Bonnie Kate," Katherine Thomas Jefferson had presented a plan whereby eighteen new states might be carved from the western territories. In the 17th century, some members of the Xavier family became Protestants (Huguenots). First and only governor of the aborted State of Franklin, six-term governor of Tennessee, and congressman for four terms from the eastern district, he was also a soldier of no mean accomplishment, having risen to the rank of general in the North Carolina militia. In March, 1809a few months before his final term endedSevier ran before the legislature for the U.S. Senate but was defeated by Judge Joseph Anderson. Because Dragging Canoe's band had earlier been settled near the Chickamauga River, settlers called them the "Chickamauga" Cherokee, but they were never a separate tribe. During her tenure as regent, the Bonny Kate Chapter, NSDAR, raised significant funds for the DAR Hall for boys at Lincoln Memorial University, established two mountain libraries (one in Unicoi County and the other at Oliver Springs), and contributed funds toward the statues of Andrew Jackson and John Sevier to be placed in Statuary Hall in the National Capitol. Text is available under the Creative Commons . Explore. The defenders of Although Sevier apparently handled these matters as judiciously as he could, he was frequently criticized in many counties for allegedly selecting political friends and favorites. MLS# 1176665. Bonny Kate is an unincorporated community in Knox County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. thwarted a Tory attempt to murder her Indian problems were vexatious as any, and Sevier met them with characteristic vigor. 2023 www.knoxnews.com. He had taken out claims on several thousand acres of land. When in 1887 his body was reinterred on the courthouse lawn in Knoxville, a monument was erected whose inscription well describes his life of public service: John Sevier, pioneer, soldier, statesman, and one of the founders of the Republic; Governor of the State of Franklin; six times Governor of Tennessee; four times elected to Congress; a typical pioneer, who conquered the wilderness and fashioned the State; a protector and hero of Kings Mountain; fought thirty-five battles, won thirty-five victories; his Indian war cry, Here they are! They had an argument during which Sevier accused Jackson of adultery in his marriage to Rachel Donelson. In 1685, following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, Sevier's grandfather, Don Juan Xavier, moved to London to escape religious persecution. Catherine Sherrill Sevier. Major Patrick Ferguson, assigned to the command of the British left flank, viewed the western settlements with disdain. The way she run and jumped on that occasion was often the subject of remark, commendation, and laughter. In after life she looked upon this introduction, and the manner of it, as a providential indication of their adaptation to each other that they were destined to be of mutual help in future dangers, and to overcome obstacles in time to come. They also declared that their father had served as a Col. in the North Carolina Line, was at both King's Mountain and several Indian Campaigns against the Cherokees and the first Militia General of the State of Tennessee and first Governor of the State. . [15]:34, Sevier was a Freemason, and, while in office as governor, he helped establish the first Masonic lodge in East Tennessee. Although forced to fall back several times, the westerners rallied each time, and, after about an hour of fighting, claimed victory. On March 29 they examined the returns of the gubernatorial race and determined that Sevier had won. She ran to the palisades and, helped by Sevier, climbed to safety. Originally, the information was derived from an array of materials including pedigree charts, family history articles, querie. On the eve of the battle, she thwarted a Tory attempt to murder her husband. All Rights Reserved. Sherrill (marries: Sevier) Birth 3 Aug 1755 - Yadkin River, North Carolina. In June 1784, North Carolina, bowing to pressure, from the Continental Congress and eager to be rid of an expensive and unprofitable district, ceded its lands west of the Appalachian Mountains to the federal government. Educational opportunities were limited, but as a child he apparently learned to read and write; later his state papers and correspondence with Andrew Jackson and others exhibited a concise and direct style. View 23 photos for 7331 Bonny Kate Dr, Knoxville, TN 37920, a 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,104 Sq. The British, having met with only moderate success in the middle and northern colonies, had turned in late 1780 to the soft underbelly of the rebellious provinces where they prevailed without difficulty in Georgia. Death 7 Oct 1836 (aged 81-82) Russellville, Franklin County, Alabama, USA. His children by his second wife were shown as George Washington SEVIER (of Davidson Co, TN in 1839), Samuel and Robert SEVIER, Elizabeth MCCLELLAND, Mary OVERSTREET and Joanna (died 31 Jul 1823 in Overton Co, TN), and a step-daughter, Mary GARLAND, who was still alive at the time Catherine died. In February 1788, the rivalry between Sevier and Tipton came to a head, in what became known as the "Battle of Franklin." Show more. This was none other than Capt. His disputes with Andrew Jackson over these and other matters led to considerable bitterness between the two. [4], John Sevier married Sarah Hawkins (17461780) in 1761. Sevier initially supported this, in part because he was offered a promotion to brigadier general, but he was persuaded by William Cocke to remain with the Franklinites. Legend has it that their courtship began after she was surprised by an Indian attack while milking a cow outside the walls of Fort Watauga in . In 1925, Blount Mansion, the birthplace of the state of Tennessee and the home of William Blount, Governor of the Territory South of the River Ohio, was about to be razed for business purposes. By the time he arrived in New York City, where the new government was temporarily situated, the cession of Tennessee had taken place. He died in 1815, and his widow, Catherine (Sherrill) "Bonny Kate" Sevier, moved her family to the lands in northern Overton County. That might be the case. They had ten children: Joseph, James, John, Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary Ann, Valentine (namesake of the paternal grandfather), Rebecca, Richard, and Nancy. Family tree. View photos, maps, and details 8109 Cornell Lane of property Knoxville, Tennessee 37938, and contact seller on Land.com. Sevier lived in this home during the State of Franklin (1784-1788), but to secure a debt and interest that was due, Sevier mortgaged Mount Pleasant to Alexander Baine. The committee, which included Sevier, submitted the "Watauga Petition" to Virginia in the spring of 1776, formally asking to be annexed, but Virginia refused. Bonny Kate's Honeymoon 406. by Mark Strength. At the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, he was chosen as a member of the Committee of Safety for the association's successor, the Washington District. $348,600. In 1946, a memorial stone to Sarah Hawkins was placed on the other side of Sevier's stone . He defeated a Cherokee force at the Battle of Hightower and destroyed several villages. Middle Tennessee had numerous planters and slaveowners, who cultivated commodity crops such as tobacco and hemp based on the labor of enslaved African Americans. palisades and, helped by Sevier, climbed Aug 17, 2020 - Biography of Katherine 'Bonny Kate' Sherrill Sevier. Following the war, majority-white East Tennessee remained one of the South's few predominantly white Republican regions into the early 20th century. "[4] He moved to Knoxville in 1797, where he began construction of what later became the James Park House. Then later that year my family did a genealogy project and discovered that Bonny Kates brother was my great-great-granddad.. [8]:634, The Cherokee attacks began in mid-July 1776. In the fall of 1793, following a Cherokee attack on Cavett's Station west of Knoxville, Sevier led the territorial militia south into Georgia to their base territory. Im a huge museum dork, and finding a museum to work at is kind of hard when there is a pandemic and you cant be somewhere to do in-person interviews, she said. He never served as an elder. Also known as "Bonnie Kate," Katherine Sherrill Sevier was the wife of John Sevier (1745-1815), Revolutionary War hero, Indian fighter . [8]:1247. But allegations of fraud permeated the contests in many of the counties and at all levels, and the governorwho issued the commissionshad to decide who had been legally and duly elected. The Conway family, which dominated early Arkansas state politics, were cousins of the Seviers. Dragging Canoe went north to attack the Holston settlements, while a detachment led by Old Abraham of Chilhowee invaded the Watauga settlements. Ft. single family home built in 1971 that was last sold on 07/16/2021. Neighborhood stats provided by third party data sources. Many disputes over military rank tried Seviers patience. Homes for sale in Bonny Kate, Knoxville, TN have a median listing home price of $459,900. 1,2204::0, Volume: 270; SAR Membership Number: 53924 Record for Brigadier General John Sevier 1,2204::1162643, Database online. ft. house located at 7117 Bonny Kate Dr, Knoxville, TN 37920 sold for $280,000 on Feb 7, 2022. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. We want to be a mainstay for people traveling through Knoxville to take a tour and picnic in the pavilion or in the field.. The new constitution created the "District of Washington," which included most of modern Tennessee. He waged a relentless war against the Cherokees in his effort to claim America's first frontier. I grew up in Wears Valley and came to Marble Springs State Historic Site when I was a little girl and it happened to be my birthday, she said. She ran to the palisades and with the help of John Sevier, climbed to safety. After routing a small force, under Charles McDowell, Ferguson sent a message to the Overmountain settlements, warning them that if they refused to lay down their arms, he would march over the mountains and "lay waste the country with fire and sword. View job description, responsibilities and qualifications. ', Carl S. Driver, John Sevier: Pioneer of the Old Southwest (1932). North Carolina Governor Samuel Johnston issued a warrant for his arrest in July 1788. Bonnie Kate held the title "First Lady" three times, first from 1785 to 1788, when her husband was governor of the State of Franklin, and during his terms as the first and third governor of Tennessee, 1796 to 1801 and 1803 to 1809. At the height of the battle, Sevier and Campbell charged the high point of the Loyalist position, giving the Overmountain men a foothold atop the mountain. Improving conditions in the state militia and the development of a better means of settling disputes over land titles were other matters of concern. 1803 to 1809. After several weeks of debateat times acrimonious, as Federalists and Anti-Federalists haggled over terms and reasons for admissionCongress recommended statehood, and President Washington signed into law a bill creating Tennessee as the sixteenth state. [14] A log cabin still standing at this site has been attributed to Sevier. Bonnie Kate was originally buried in Russellville, Alabama but was later reburied in 1822 next to her husband on the lawn of the old Knox County Courthouse in Knoxville. Old Knox County Courthouse Grounds. Check out 38 photos of this 1 bed, 2 bath, 932 Sq. Wife of John 'Nolichucky Jack' Sevier, 1st Gov. After Sevier's wife died Bonnie Kate became his second wife and when Sevier became the first governor of Tennessee, She became the first. A traditional trading centre (fish, salt, palm oil, and palm kernels) of the Ijo people, it was the capital of the 15th- to 19th-century kingdom of Bonny. Some sources suggest Sevier served as a captain in the Virginia colonial militia, under George Washington, in Lord Dunmore's War in 1773 and 1774. Elementary School PK-5 359 3.1 miles. Off Market. The defenders of the fort quickly closed the gates, locking her out. New this year, students can get in some target practice with a bow and arrow and learn about hunting and the fur trade. The Marble Springs Plantation owned by John Sevier is now a state historic site on Chapman Highway in Knoxville. The average household income in the Bonny Kate Drive area is $52,724. Trusted by millions of genealogists since 2003. Catherine "Bonny Kate" Sherrill Sevier Birth 1754. He caught her when she landed in the settlement. His advanced years and his unfamiliarity with federal procedures resulted in his being an ineffective legislator on the national level, however. Bonny Kate is an unincorporated community in Knox County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Bonny Kate's Honeymoon 406. by Mark Strength. The story goes that BonnyKate was milking a cow outside the walls of Fort Watauga when she was surprised by an Indian attack and Sevier helped her climb to safety. Bonny Kate's Honeymoon: Victory at King's Mountain A Novel about Love and War based on a true story of the American Revolution. She ran to the A monument recognizing his first wife, Sarah Hawkins, was placed at the site in 1946. In August 1784, Sevier served as president of a convention held at Jonesborough with the aim of establishing a new state. Explore historical records and family tree profiles about Catherine Sevier on MyHeritage, the world's family history network. Catherine 'Bonnie Kate' Sevier (born Sherrill) was born on month day 1754, at birth place, North Carolina, to Samuel Sherrill and Mary Sherrill (born Preston). Ship This Item Qualifies for Free Shipping He consistently urged Congress and the Secretary of War (then responsible for relations with Native American tribes) to negotiate new treaties to that end, to extinguish Indian land claims and promote European-American settlement. They will honor their family patriarch and the state's first governor with a wreath laying ceremony at 11:30 a.m., Sunday, July 17. In June 1785, Sevier negotiated the Treaty of Dumplin Creek, in which the Cherokee gave up claims to lands south of the French Broad River as far as the Little RiverLittle Tennessee River divide. Bonny Kate Sevier's white quilt is the exhibit's oldest. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. She was originally buried in Russellville, Alabama, but was reinterred in 1922 next to her husband on the lawn of the old Knox County Courthouse in Knoxville. Burial. He organized a 300-man force and marched south. more than six years in any term of eight. The other qualifications to hold the office of governor were simple. Quick access. [8]:86. He was buried on the eastern bank of the Tallapoosa River near Fort Decatur. Fred W. Sauceman, East Tennessee State University. She was originally buried Add to Wishlist. Sherrell said Marble Springs is very family friendly. [13]:139 In October, after Sevier attacked David Deaderick, a Jonesborough store owner, for refusing to sell him liquor, Tipton and his men captured the leader. When they chose Sevier as governor and drafted a constitution, claiming an inalienable right to form an independent state, Governor Alexander Martin threatened to render the revolting territory not worth possessing if North Carolina did not retain sovereignty over it. Judith Sevier married David Choate and had 9 children. Bonny Kate and John Sevier had eight children: Catherine, Ruthe, George Washington, Samuel, Polly, Eliza, Joanna, and Robert. Legend has it that their FIRE STATION . Also known as "Bonnie Kate," Katherine Sherrill Sevier was the wife of John Sevier (1745-1815), Revolutionary War hero, Indian fighter, governor of the State of Franklin, and first governor of Tennessee. In 1922, the remains of his second wife, Catherine Sherill, were re-interred next to Sevier's. He was released by Burke County Sheriff William Morrison (a Kings Mountain veteran), before the trial began. Sevier moved his family and his new wife, Catherine "Bonnie Kate" Sherrill Sevier to this property across the river from her family. John Sevier, pioneer, soldier, statesman and a founder of the Republic, was Tennessees first governor and one of its most illustrious citizens. Mother of Col. George Washington Sevier, Sr; Ruth Sparks; Joanna Goad Windle; Judith Choate; Dr. Samuel Sherrill Sevier, DR. and 6 others; Polly Preston Overstreet; Eliza Conway McClellan; Robert Sherrill Sevier; Winifred "Abie" Alice Campbell; Robert Sevier and Catherine Sherrill Rhea less Emerging from the mountains in March, his 150-man force took the village of Tuckasegee by surprise, killing about 50 and capturing several other Cherokee. When Sevier became governor, the total population of the new state was only about 85,000, but by the end of his gubernatorial service it had increased to nearly 250,000. It was now leap the wall or die, for I would not live a captive! She recovered from the fall, and in a moment was over and within the defenses, and by the side of one in uniform.. Paperback - July 3, 2007. "[8]:86 Sevier and Sullivan County militia colonel Isaac Shelby agreed to raise armies and march across the mountains to engage Ferguson. . John Sevier owned several thousand acres in Overton County. This book sheds new light on John Sevier, founding father of the state of Tennessee.A celebrated soldier, admired politician and founding father of the state of Tennessee, John Sevier led an adventurous life. . Subject/Title: Sevier, Bonny Kate Artist: Little, Lois Azbill Date Created: ca. northeast Tennessee. [8]:112 Though Sevier had popular support, a number of men from Washington County, led by John Tipton, remained loyal to North Carolina. Mary Boyce Temple was a preservationist and philanthropist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bonny Kate Elementary principal Linda Norris speaks with a parent during student pickup (file photo) When Linda Norris was growing up, she would spend part of her summers playing at Adams Elementary School in Hamilton, Ohio, where her grandfather was the principal. For more information call 865-573-5508 or email [email protected]. [8]:211 Jackson learned that Sevier had referred to him as a "poor pitiful petty fogging lawyer" in private correspondence. I am looking to develop a program for children with special needs, to give them a piece of the story and excitement, said Sherrell. The savages were coming with all speed, and firing and shooting arrows repeatedly. Fantastic opportunity to snatch up this basement ranch. In this effort, some person within the defenses attempted to aid, but his foot slipped, or the object on which he was standing gave way, and both fell to the ground on opposite sides of the enclosure. [8]:51 The British refused to recognize the purchase, however, and continued to demand that the settlers leave.